For today
When Mason regains consciousness, he realizes that he is standing in the world beyond the door.
The dilapidated buildings were weathered by the years, the ground was a decayed black-gray color, and broken bones could be vaguely seen. An old man stood opposite. There was no moon in the sky, but a mirror like water. Dazzling fireworks flashed on the other side of the mirror, which was out of tune with this broken world.
If the other side of the mirror is happiness and beauty, then this side is ruins and debris. Mason had expected this and knelt down to the man.
"Hello, Your Majesty."
"Congratulations on finding me, kid."
The king smiled slightly, his body covered in dirt and dried blood. His lips were cracked and his expression was tired, but his eyes were calm from beginning to end, like a lighthouse that had seen thousands of sails.
"I know you may be confused. This country was once favored by the gods and possesses four artifacts. The Book of the Goddess of Magic brings blessings to magicians; the Sword of the God of War gives warriors extraordinary abilities; the Veil of the Goddess of Night, it is said that she once gave it to the Goddess of Fate, so that she could hide herself; and the last one..."
"The mirror of the goddess of beauty."
"It can create a beautiful illusion and is used to enhance the magician's spiritual power. The heart of the goddess of fate is so important that we originally planned to enshrine it forever until the goddess comes to take it back. Unfortunately, we can no longer wait."
From the king's words, it is not difficult to see that this country was once powerful, but now it is in a state of desolation. Mason listened quietly to the other party's introduction and could see that this king had not spoken to anyone for a long time. He recalled with an almost ostentatious tone of pride, and his tone was full of love for this land.
"It has been more than 1,300 years since the disaster. Finally, a new guest has arrived here. Welcome, child."
"My honor."
The linen-haired boy lowered his head. The greetings didn't last long. He asked out the doubts that had been accumulating in his heart.
"Your Majesty, can I ask you a question?"
"What do you want to know?"
"Have the sacred objects in the kingdom, including the heart of the goddess of fate, been contaminated?"
The king was silent for a moment, then nodded: "Yes, how did you guess it?"
"In fact, I felt something was wrong from the beginning. According to Ham, the divine artifacts are powered by their faith. But the pocket watch of the goddess of fate has never drawn any faith. In this era, even the gods have perished one after another. Can these divine artifacts really maintain their original appearance?"
"What really confirmed it for me was Ham's words. He said he would send me to the past of the Lost Country. Pica's book mentioned that the water mirror was a period of time that was intercepted, but the Lost Country I saw was very real, far more than an illusion. Mr. Amira said that the little king would never be able to return after leaving the kingdom, and I think this is a metaphor. You have realized that there is a problem with the water mirror, but you can't really make up your mind. Am I right, Your Majesty?"
"...You are right. Since I chose to create a false world, the artifacts have been polluted. The water mirror devoured the other three artifacts and turned into pollutants. Fortunately, the goddess' heart hid it in the gap and it was not discovered by the outside world."
"I have never been a good king, and I am not even happy about it." The man said bitterly. "I am just a coward who lives a life of shameless greed. I have neither the courage to accompany the kingdom to death, nor the ability to avenge the people. I can only seal myself in the mirror and immerse myself in an eternal dream."
When the young man woke up from the chaos, he saw the city on fire. The bodies of his loved ones were scattered all over the place, and his hometown had become a ruin. Black fog filled every corner of the city.
The disaster did not come in an instant, but after a long period of madness, the king, who was supposed to protect this country, could not imagine how his people died unwillingly. So he made a wish.
“This country should not end in such a tragic way. Please put everything about me into the mirror and make it a reality.”
He cut his wrist, and the blood dyed the mirror of the goddess of beauty red. The young man in the mirror looked at the wisher with a faint smile on his face.
Great buildings rose from the ground, the dead walked the streets, and time went back to the day before the kingdom was struck by disaster. He grew old outside the mirror, and the self in the mirror also grew old. Youth became middle age, middle age became old age, but he was still alive despite this.
"There is no eternal country in the world. Only in memory can it be evergreen."
The king gazed at the charred city and sighed, "The price of manipulating the artifact is far greater than I imagined. The water mirror of the goddess of beauty was polluted and imprisoned the souls of the citizens. A real country was built with it as raw material. Due to limited capabilities, its area is only the size of a city. And I have been wandering in the deepest part of the water mirror, accompanying the real country."
The ancient country has truly disappeared from this land long ago, and what remains today is its shadow and someone's longing for it.
Mason looked at the man who had given everything. "Master Ham, please let me defeat you and put an end to this."
"Ham has always been a smart guy, so it's no surprise that he was able to guess the truth."
Speaking of his old friend, the king smiled for a moment, but it quickly disappeared. He looked down at his hands, which were covered in dirt and blood.
"Even so, I cannot directly promise you. For a long time, I have merged with the artifacts. They feed on my obsession, and I have become a monster with them. Even I can't tell whether it is me standing here or my obsession that cannot be relieved. If you want to destroy this place, then come and defeat me."
The king straightened his hunched back and a sharp cold light flashed in his eyes. At this moment, he looked powerful and noble.
"Are you ready for a fight that costs your life?"
"Of course."
Mason answered without hesitation.
As soon as he responded, the charred ruins began to expand outward, forming a square large enough to accommodate thousands of people.
The king's tattered clothes became armor, and his red velvet cape fluttered in the wind. When he went to war, thousands of people sang to see him off.
The well-equipped knights followed behind the king, hoisting a light grey banner above their heads. The fine patterns were luxurious and elegant, with a hint of killing intent.
Opposite them, the boy stood alone on the other side of the square, looking very pitiful.
"The mirror of the goddess of beauty is the carrier of all ideals. The whole country placed its hopes on me, and even at the last second of its life, it still hoped that I could save them. Therefore, I in the mirror became the true [King]."
The king rode on his horse, pointed his spear at Mason, and shouted.
"I am the king of this country, fighting for the fate of the country. Why are you fighting against me?"
The sharp gaze pierced straight into Mason's soul, and many figures emerged in his mind.
Why is he standing here?
I want the children to see real stars, Amira said.
Pika said, I don’t want to go to such a terrible future.
The lost say, why do we have to suffer this?
Vera said my sister is very good at making this snack.
The God of the Sun said, don't tell me what the future will be like, we must create our own future.
There are many more. People who are still alive with him.
The townspeople of New Town talked about the smiles of the Edelweiss Festival. Roland bent down to check the growth of the polluted plants. The Luo family should have prepared the clear water and golden branches to welcome the children back. Faile and Abner were fighting at the border, and Ronald was waiting for them to return. Bai was probably secretly looking for where he had gone. Violet was carefully reading the account book under the light.
The boy's lips moved, and he suddenly realized that he was no longer alone as he was at the beginning. When he first came to this world, he only wanted to keep himself out of trouble. But today, he already has many new concerns.
He is the hope of the living and also a tombstone walking in the world.
"I stand here for everything I value and for the people I want to protect. For the living to no longer be hurt and for the dead to rest in peace. I come here with their thoughts. No matter what kind of future humans choose, none of them should go into the dark fog."
Whether it is pain, sorrow, joy, happiness, separation, or hatred, they are all choices made by human beings themselves. No god above them can make decisions for them.
Mason looked the King straight in the eye and said loudly, "I need a horse."
Someone patted his shoulder. The big hand covered with scars was broad, strong and warm.
The old knight appeared beside him at some point, holding the reins in one hand and the other end tied to the neck of the Pegasus, who was already fully armed.
"Rodney's Pegasus can leap over any obstacle. I'm handing it over to you. I'll saddle it for you."
Mason climbed on his horse and said, "I need a sword."
Ronald walked out from the shadows, holding a long sword made by the god of war Harrison, and handed it to the boy's right hand.
"The Dabernal family has guarded this sword for generations. It is enough to cut through all obstacles. Please take it with you to the battle."
Mason smiled at him and grasped the translucent sword. It was incredibly light, yet seemed unusually heavy. The knight's faith was infused into the sword, and the blade pointed directly at the king in front of him.
The young man asked, "Who is willing to become my people?"
"Lord Mason, we are your subjects!"
The men carrying axes and hoes shouted, and the capable women stood on the other side. The people of Newtown stood firmly behind Mason, laughing and shouting: "We can't let our lord be alone!"
"Yes, yes, we are still waiting for the young master to lead us to a good life!"
White and Violet appeared in the crowd in a low profile, leading thieves, hooligans and intelligence dealers. These informal personnel were not willing to be outdone, and each shouted louder than the other. For a while, the square became a mess. Mason was helpless, but the king didn't care much.
He looked at Mason's troops with interest. "Mounts, weapons, citizens... Now that you are all ready, I have one last question."
"Who will be your general?"
The young man answered frankly: "I don't need a general. Someone will charge forward."
The priest with long silver hair drew his bow and arrow, the young man with a pigtail raised his sword, and the woman with a neat ponytail played with her pocket watch, and they all appeared beside him at the same time.
The king laughed and urged his horse: "Well, well, you are a king too! In that case, let us fight with our lives at stake. Charge, Knights - to continue the future of the kingdom!"
The roaring waves were coming towards them, and the thousands of troops were all enemies. The iron cavalry of the entire kingdom was enough to crush the storm and rush towards the thin crowd.
The linen-haired boy sat upright on his horse, facing the approaching army, without a trace of fear on his young face. The silent crowd all looked at Mason, as if they were waiting for something.
The young man took a deep breath and raised the sword in his hand.
The gurgling river appeared behind them, the air was filled with the aroma of food and the laughter of the cooks. Children laughed and ran through the cave, picking up green fruits that were not yet fully ripe and stuffing them into their mouths.
Lovers strolled the streets of Partington, exchanging interesting stories they had heard recently. The beams in the Earl's Palace exuded the smell of ancient pine wood, the bloodline signed its name, and the city welcomed a new day. Women were processing animal skins, and the men's backs were soaked and shiny with sweat...
This is the most ordinary day, a day no different from any other day.
This is a day that goes on every day, a day that no one can find special.
It is beside everyone, recording everyone's story. It is like this every day, day after day, night after night, piecing together the ordinary and simple life of ordinary people.
Why do we go to war?
"For today," said the young monarch.