Chapter 103
How do humans living on the ground reach the Sky Palace?
What exactly is the Sky Palace?
The Seven Protectors, who came from the Demon King's Forest hundreds of years in the future, knew nothing about this.
He looked longingly at the Pope, whose gaze remained gentle, only to see the Pope step forward and stand before the young King Rinister, bowing slightly.
He said something that made his scalp tingle instantly.
The young man's voice was light and airy: "But you don't exist, so how can you kill Yannis?"
The young King Rinister had his back to the Seven Guardians, who could not see his expression. However, based on their brief interaction, they could guess the young king's temper and that he was likely to fly into a rage soon.
Sure enough, he heard the boy let out a short laugh.
"Then what is this place? The world I've lived in for fourteen years, was it all fake, to serve you? Life is fake, gods are fake, so what about true feelings? Tell me, is the one and only true feeling in this world also fake?"
"Human life pulsates in this world, and the fates of countless people intersect. Before I drove them away, my subordinates wept and knelt down, begging me to go with them. Was their sincerity in that instant also false?"
The young King Rinister's still-childish voice carried the obvious arrogance of a ruler. Even after learning this earth-shattering secret, he still stood tall, holding the sword tightly in his hand. The jewel on the hilt pressed against his palm, but he held it firmly and would never put it down again.
This is the symbol of the king. Once, this sword belonged to the former king, the first king of this land of Icarus. Now, it belongs to the young King Linister. However, it was not that the former king passed it on to the young King Linister, but rather that the young King Linister, in the midst of the former king's decadent lifestyle, drew the sword, beheaded his father, and then inherited everything from the former king.
All the glory and sorrow of the late king, the resentment of countless people towards him, and the pursuit of countless others—now, all this intense love and hate fell upon the young King Rinister the moment he grasped the sword.
More than the resentful and malicious words, what truly suffocated him was the overwhelming expectation.
The king is destined to bear all the burdens.
He asked Veris, if everything in this world is fake, then what about the true feelings between people, and the expectations and hopes that keep him up day and night? Are they also fake?
He asked Veris what the meaning of his existence was.
He is a false king, he wields a false sword, guards a territory devoid of substance, and deals with an imaginary enemy that can be easily defeated. This world is full of illusions, so why is he the one who can think?
Veris raised his hand and grasped the boy's thin shoulder. The boy looked at him with calm eyes. Their eyes met, and the young king's hatred burst forth. Why was Veris still so unmoved at a time like this?
Before Veris could speak, the young King Linist said again, "No, I am not fake, and neither are you. We are eternal, because you will not die, and neither will I. My world is real. You don't need to tell me about those messy divine powers. The power of the gods is immense, but they do evil. Hahaha, it's really unlucky to refer to them as 'them,' it's better to use 'it.' They are a bunch of unscrupulous beasts, but heaven has given them a nobler race. In reality, we are no different."
The Seven Protectors were so stunned by those shocking remarks that they could barely think straight.
He stood there, stunned, watching as the young king reshaped his soul and solidified his thoughts in such a short time. Then he saw the Pope's face, which resembled the young king's, and a thought suddenly arose in his mind—they must be one, and the young king was the Pope, because the young king was young enough, and the gentle Pope had lived long enough.
So long that His Holiness the Pope no longer gets easily angered or uneasy by anything that challenges his understanding; so long that His Holiness the Pope can easily accept another version of himself, accepting the other's rage and accusations.
"May I have your name?"
After finishing his speech in one breath, the young King Rinister caught his breath and regained his composure, as if he hadn't been the one who had been so excited just moments before. He quietly gazed at the person in front of him.
Veris looked at him and said, "I am Veris."
Young King Linister: "What a coincidence, I'm also called Veris, but you certainly don't have the surname Linister. That surname is sinful and disgusting."
Veris smiled. "My last name is Orlando."
Young King Linister pursed his lips. He had an excellent memory and naturally remembered the name of the church that the demon had told him. A look of scrutiny and indignation appeared on his face. He stared at Veris, wondering how many years this other self had lived, existing in the world with such a glorious reputation. Every day he lived, his sins accumulated.
Because they are all human, even gods are like wild beasts; it is impossible for humans not to make mistakes, and it is impossible for humans to be without selfishness. When the power they possess exceeds a certain limit, even the most virtuous person will degenerate into a wild beast roaming the sky.
He stared at Veris, trying to discern any of what he perceived as the beastly nature of him.
Then he laughed, pushed Veris aside with a small movement, turned and strode back to his throne, his anger still simmering.
The seven guardians stood by, eyes closed and mind at ease, not daring to utter a sound.
The young king shouted, "Don't look at me like you look at your believers. You can't hide it. I am you, and one day I will discover your ugliest side!"
Veris smoothed out the wrinkles in her clothes without a care and said, "I would never deny my own selfishness."
Young King Rinister raised his eyebrows but did not reply.
The seven guardians wished they could disappear underground rather than hear such secrets.
The pope continued, “Not only do I have my own selfish desires, but I also despise others. I manipulate the fate of others, using high-sounding reasons as excuses.”
Upon hearing these words, the young King Rinister smiled, then flew into a rage.
Even in his anger, he remained seated on his throne, unmoved.
He said, "Are you trying to provoke me? You succeeded, I hate you, you made the world fake, you know perfectly well that if you hadn't appeared, I wouldn't have discovered anything. By belittling yourself like this, aren't you also accusing me?"
Veris asked, "You really know nothing at all?"
The young king remained silent, but his anger subsided slightly.
Veris then asked, "If you can't find the answer, will you kill Yannis or commit suicide?"
The young king answered decisively: "Suicide."
Since everything is fake, what's the point of him killing Yannis? Those humans and that demon, they came to this world briefly, and will eventually return to another world. He is human, he won't live a thousand years, and he won't see the world a thousand years from now.
He could deceive himself for a day, two days, a year, two years... no, perhaps not even for half a day. He would grasp his sword, brandish the honor of the world's first king, and fight those beasts called gods until he was exhausted, then slit his own throat with the sword—even in death, he would end it all with his own hands.
Killing Yannis was pointless, but seeing Yannis suffer made him happy.
Veris saw through his thoughts at a glance, and then smiled slightly.
The young king hated his smile—it was hypocritical, cunning, as if he saw through everything, including himself.
"There is no way to break the Manlineno curse in the future," Veris said.
The young king remembered the elf, a mocking smile on his face: "You really go to great lengths for a group of humans. What are you plotting? Do you really not have the means to pave the way for those humans with questionable talent?"
A cool breeze swept into the palace, and the sky outside grew even darker. Veris stood against the light, and the Seven Guardians cautiously raised their eyes, only to see blurry figures, their expressions indistinct.
He listened to the debate between the Pope and the young king—he instinctively felt it was a debate, but it also felt like an exchange of information.
The young man said, “I want to find my companions, who have died in the long river of history. I think, since I have such great power, why can’t I satisfy my own desires? I am just a human being.”
The boy rebuked him, seemingly with disdain: "If you have such great power, you should think about how to shoulder the responsibility of loving humanity, instead of pursuing selfish desires."
The young man laughed: "I am a human being."
The boy remained silent.
The young man looked at the sword beside his throne: "This sword is as heavy as a thousand pounds. You cannot sleep peacefully day and night because of it. This is just the beginning."
The young king was taken aback.
The youth then said, “The doctrine in my hand is lighter than your sword, but it is also heavier. There are more than 200,000 people in your territory, but hundreds of millions of people bow down to love and justice under my doctrine.”
The young king roared, "Are you showing off your great achievements?"
The young man shook his head: "What I want to tell you is that I don't command hundreds of millions of believers, I command faith."
He raised his hand, and a golden light appeared. Then, it flew into the palace, where golden portraits floated in the dilapidated palace. The young king didn't even look at the touching scenes, but stared intently at him.
Veris added, "I also want to tell you that the sword cannot pronounce judgment on everything."
Young King Rinister stood up and demanded sharply, "Then tell me, what pronounced the verdict on everything!"
The wind grew stronger, lifting the Pope's robes. Two pairs of eyes met, one as black as ink, the other flashing with a different color.
“It is justice,” he said softly. “It is humanity itself, it is the law, it is fairness, it is all genuine feelings that are tolerated by the law.”
A long silence fell over the palace. The young King Rinister, however, remained calm, his expression softening as if he were processing the words.
Finally, he bent down and drew his sword again.
Ignoring the terrified looks from the demon beside him, he asked Veris, word by word, "And you, you who are invincible, you who have countless followers, you whose faith is enough to make you a new god, you who harbor selfish desires, you who would never betray humanity, what will judge you?"
Veris answered fluently: "It's myself."
"It's the sword in your hand."
Upon hearing these words, the young King Rinister seemed to have heard something extremely gratifying. With each exchange of glances, their souls trembled. They were one; he was the new king, a new king burdened with glory and resentment, he was the unrestrained shadow.
Veris, this powerful man whom even Veris couldn't see clearly, remained calm and gentle, a man of restrained strength.
What kind of blood nourished their souls?
He laughed heartily, making no attempt to hide his emotions.
He thought, perhaps only the blood of a heart consumed by despair could have gradually transformed this body into this form. Was it a deity? Was it betrayal? Was it sin?
That's not important; he has already gotten the answer he wants.
This accomplished pope suffered the same torment as him, but the other had escaped it and transformed himself into a monster who devoted himself to humanity.
Before plunging into the abyss, he awoke to his true self and found his soul. It was indifferent to all worldly possessions, to his historical renown, and to the opinions of many.
He wanted it.
And so, he got it.
The young king's tone was gentler than ever before: "Now, tell me, why have you come before me? I will die without regret."
Veris stared at him intently, then suddenly reached up and took the flute from his waist, handing it to him.
The young king was taken aback.
Those bright black eyes looked at Veris. The young King Rinister hesitated for a moment, then took the flute and handed him the sword.
Veris smiled as he held the heavy sword.
Young King Rinister found the flute incredibly light.
"What's this?"
The king asked him.
Veris replied, "This is a transition of civilization."
The king was puzzled and asked again, "With war raging everywhere, where did civilization come from?"
Veris said, "As long as humanity exists, civilization will exist."
"You are the king."
"Yes, I am the king."
"So I went to kill the beasts of the sky."
"Therefore, I must tame the riots on earth."
A moment of silence fell over the palace, then two voices overlapped and rang out: "That's how it should be."
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Author's Note: Chapter 39
The King's Sword of Linister is a very important item [Glasses] King's Sword!
This foreshadowing has finally been resolved. The era of the Young King is roughly 800-600 years before the main storyline. His era represents a period of normal development, while Veris's era is characterized by abnormal development, being top-heavy and unbalanced. Many things were deliberately ignored, such as a developed economy coupled with extremely impoverished thought.
King Linenist's thoughts were roughly as follows: Veris changed history and was undoubtedly the first to do so. He believed Veris would degenerate into the kind of god he despised. However, after hearing Veris's self-revelation, he was pleased because Veris hadn't abandoned his humanity. If that day truly came, Veris promised to let him judge him—that is, through suicide. King Linenist saw that Veris still possessed human emotions; they were indeed one, only Veris was reserved, while King Linenist was passionate.
King Linister is the embodiment of Veris's youth, with strong likes and dislikes and intense emotions. However, Veris in this era was born several hundred years later than King Linister, but I won't go into details [glasses] (spoiler alert)
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