Chapter 48
Veris looked at the man in front of him suspiciously, feeling that something was off. He didn't believe Sylvain's words, but simply patted him on the shoulder and moved away.
He also advised, "It's normal for your memory to be off during this period, and it might even affect your personality, so don't be too nervous."
He paused, then looked directly at Sylvain. His heterochromatic eyes seemed to see through the restless soul within the other's body, yet also seemed to have discovered nothing, treating the previous remark as a joke.
He told Sylvain to go to the restaurant first, as he needed to wash up.
Watching the person leave, he closed the door, his eyes lowered as he stared at his palm.
The palm was pale and bloodless, with veins faintly visible through it. The lines on the palm were not very clear, and some edges were almost translucent. There was a thin callus on the side of the fingertips.
Sylvain wasn't the only one affected by the resurgence of divinity; he was too.
Veris took a deep breath, raised his hand to cover his eyes, and stared through his fingers at the ceiling with its beautifully engraved patterns. He seemed to hear Lortheran's voice again.
People tend to romanticize the image of the dead over a long period of time. Even if someone truly likes Sylvain now, is it the Sylvain they imagine in their mind, or the Sylvain of today?
Veris lowered his hand, his intense emotional turmoil subsiding, his eyes revealing endless rationality and restraint.
Veris noticed Sylvain's sometimes overly affectionate behavior, and he was even aware of Sylvain's obvious displeasure at Vervain's excessive attention to Arnold and the others.
He's still playing dumb and trying to cover up the truth.
But.
In the past, they were close friends, but there were also misunderstandings. He was also the sole inheritor of Sylvain's divine status.
But did Sylvain hand over the divine status to him without hesitation because they were close friends, or... because of the guilt he felt for almost killing him?
Distant images flashed through his mind, and Veris lowered his eyes as things he had long avoided surfaced.
He frowned slightly, feeling agitated. This feeling intensified after returning to the High Papacy, perhaps due to the influence of the resurgence of his divine status. In addition, Sylvain's own divine status was also resurgence, and the two divine statuses were too close together, which greatly accelerated the resurgence process.
Veris raised his hand to press his temples and muttered to himself, "Let's ask him again after he regains his memory."
Torture yourself with your imagination; that's just incredibly stupid.
In the end, Veris didn't go to the restaurant for breakfast. Instead, he found a doorway and went for a stroll outside.
Not far from the Grand Papacy, he felt a gaze upon him from afar. He paused, then casually blended back into the crowd, seemingly unaware of what was happening.
For more than ten days, Veris didn't stay at the Papacy much. Astor, who came back with him, worked as a helper at the Papacy and was very happy, mainly because he could eat his fill.
The Papacy was busy with New Year's ceremonies, and Sylvain, as the Holy Son, had to handle various official duties and meet with all sorts of people every day.
Veris handed over almost all the power of the Papacy to Sylvain, most notably by allowing Sylvain to use the papal seal when signing certain documents.
Today we're meeting with people from the Golden Merchant Guild.
The other party immediately bowed and apologized for what happened in the Fourth City last time, saying flattering things, and then subtly inquired about Pope Sylvain's health recently.
The Holy Son remained expressionless, simply stating, "This is not part of today's discussion."
The person opposite him smirked and naturally changed the subject, mentioning commercial taxes.
The church levies a tax of twenty-one on its believers, and the tax levied on the merchant guild has also increased due to the increase in regular taxes, which the Golden Merchant Guild is clearly not happy about.
Sylvain lifted his eyelids slightly, said nothing, only saying, "This is the decision of the Papacy, and also the will of His Holiness the Pope."
The people from the Golden Merchant Guild clearly didn't take the second half of the sentence seriously.
The talks reached a stalemate. The Golden Chamber of Commerce raised objections several times, but Sylvain coldly rejected them, leaving no room for rebuttal.
He finally realized that this young holy son was a tough nut to crack, and his tone became somewhat unsteady. His eyes darted around, and he brought up an unrelated matter.
A legendary artifact capable of influencing the entire continent has been created, and it's said that it was obtained by a young upstart. Young people are reckless and may cause great trouble.
Sylvain looked up at the person opposite him. "Rumors stop with the wise. Please be careful with your words."
The meeting ended unhappily, or at least that's only the Golden Chamber of Commerce's perspective.
Once the room was quiet again, Sylvain remained seated, glancing at the huge floor-to-ceiling window. The sun was already setting outside; winter nights always come quickly.
Even after Veris returned to the Papacy, they didn't see each other very often.
He didn't want to think too much about it, but he couldn't help but suspect that Veris seemed to be avoiding him intentionally or unintentionally.
He tightened his grip on his knees, looked away, and ignored the sarcastic remarks in his mind. Now, wasn't he just like that so-called predecessor?
With three days left until the New Year, the weather has improved somewhat. It hasn't snowed much, just been windy, and the sky is overcast, with only a little sunshine visible in the afternoon.
This is already quite good for winter.
Under the sliver of sunlight, Arnold and his companions finally caught sight of the outline of Lortheran's capital.
Veris is located in some corner of this vast capital city, probably on some inconspicuous street. Most of the residents here are natives of the capital, whose status is not exactly noble, but if you have to count them, they can be said to have some connection. They have lived in the capital for generations and make up the residents of this huge city.
He was sitting in a roadside tavern. It was called a tavern, but it actually sold all kinds of drinks, with various kinds of tea, fruit juice, milk, and alcohol filling an entire shelf.
That's all they sell; they don't have any other food.
The lampposts hung overhead, illuminating the tavern, which was quite spacious and had more than a dozen tables. Long counters separated several areas, and the further you went in, the more secluded it became.
Veris sat in a corner deep inside the tavern, with another person sitting opposite him.
The freshly delivered drinks were laid out on the table, the liquid a beautiful light pink with a layer of milky white floating on top. The tavern also used transparent imitation glass cups.
"I never expected you to be back here again," the young man opposite said with a smile.
Veris picked up a long silver spoon, inserted it into the glass, and began to slowly stir the liquid. Hearing this, he also slowly said, "Is it strange?"
Frodien raised an eyebrow. The drink in front of him didn't look fancy; it was just a dark green, semi-transparent liquid with a grassy smell—the tavern's new grassy liqueur.
He also beat around the bush: "What kind of information do you want?"
Veris paused, chuckled softly, and his voice drifted into Florian's ears: "I want the records of all the events, big and small, that occurred in Earl Lamb's household in 272."
Frodien: "?"
"Are you kidding me? Fifteen years ago, this was a record of all the big and small events at the Earl's manor for a whole year. Is my brain made of gold? Am I that capable?" He showed a reproachful expression on his face.
But then he became curious again: "Why are you paying attention to Earl Lamb? Hasn't that man been dead for years? Is he related to the Demon King?"
Veris nodded, then immediately shook his head, saying, "It's related, but not much."
Frodien was displeased with his secretive manner: "I can't stay in the capital for long, so hurry up and explain yourself."
It had been many years since they last met the young man opposite them. In his memory, the man's long black hair had become shorter and whiter, probably dyed with a chemical. However, his face had not changed, and his temperament should be about the same, but Veris did not seem to be in a good mood.
After listening to those words, Veris pondered for a while before asking, "When Lamb returned from the Demon King's Forest, did he bring anything with him?"
Frodien paused, his pupils trembled slightly, and then he awkwardly touched the tip of his nose: "Why are you suddenly concerned about this?"
“Then it is.” Veris frowned deeply.
Lamb, the hero of the previous generation, was still alive in 272. He stayed in his count's mansion, drinking tea and reading books every day, and going out to ride horses and hunt when he had free time. He seemed like an honest nobleman.
But 272 was also the year Arnold was born.
One hero after another will never exist in the same era. Almost from the moment a hero is born, the Hero Star will light up, and the High Church will spend three whole years trying to determine the hero's location.
The last time the Demon King was sealed was decades ago, and Lamb has long since died of old age. There are few people left in the Earl's mansion, except for his grandson who inherited the title, but he is quite well-behaved.
Veris stared intently at Frodien, who, unable to hold back any longer, coughed and said, "He brought back a child, and you didn't ask about it. Then it seems like nobody's paying attention to it, so I didn't say anything."
"child?"
"That's his son. Did you forget that his son was adopted? Later, his son brought back another child, saying he was his grandson. Lamb didn't say anything and just raised the child by his side. The current Earl Lamb is him."
Veris: "You mean, his son and grandson were brought back from outside?"
Frodien hummed in agreement, then lowered his voice: "The version I heard is that his son was born to a demon, but you know demons have a bad reputation, so they said he was found during the war. And that grandson, supposedly his son's illegitimate child, I don't think so, Earl Lamb doesn't look like either of them at all."
Veris wasn't interested in this. He frowned. He remembered that Lamb's adopted son had died in his thirties. As for the young Earl Lamb, he had been away for over a decade and hadn't paid any attention to him.
As he pondered whether the connection was related to the person he was looking for, he overheard Florian mutter, "I heard that Earl Lamb's mother came from the countryside of another county and died before she even arrived in the capital. But even if she did come to the capital, given Lamb's personality, he wouldn't admit it."
“Other counties?” Veris tapped his fingertips on the table.
Frodien was also taken aback. He tried hard to recall the events of that year, and suddenly remembered something. He looked at Veris sharply and said stiffly, "That county... seems to be Amberley."
The capital city is far from Amberley. If Count Lamb's birth mother is in poor health, she could easily die if she encounters any danger along the way.
But Amberley is a very sensitive place.
Frodien immediately remembered that the new hero was also from Amberley, but that location was very close to Mercury, near the mountains.
He had never seen the newly born hero before. Frowning, he took out a projection magic scroll, infused it with magic, and a human figure appeared.
“This is what Lamb’s adopted son looks like.” Florin observed Veris’s expression, a rare coldness appearing on the young man’s face.
To be honest, he'd known Veris for so long, and it was rare to see him with such a cold expression.
The fingertips that had been tapping the table slowly stopped. Veris stared at the projected image and slowly said, "It looks almost exactly like him."
Florian felt a chill run down his spine as he listened to the slow words. He swallowed hard, channeled his magic again, and conjured up the appearance of Count Lamb. He whispered, "Look, this is Count Lamb. He really doesn't look like Lamb or his adopted son at all. People outside say that Count Lamb is also an adopted son, and it's not just hearsay."
Arnold's appearance is striking, with blond hair and golden eyes, he looks like a noble young man of extraordinary status, but he really did grow up in the countryside, his childhood life consisting of herding cattle and sheep or helping with errands.
He never mentioned his family, only occasionally speaking with melancholy about the monster horde that swept through the entire village and destroyed his home.
Lamb's adopted son also had similar blond hair and golden eyes, but his golden eyes looked a bit darker, almost golden brown.
Of course, they are nothing like demons.
Lamb himself was blond, but the gold was much duller, and his eyes were dark brown. When he was young, he looked handsome and dashing, with some aristocratic arrogance. Veris didn't like him much back then, and he didn't pay much attention to the event of defeating the Demon King.
It turns out that so many things have been involved.
He closed his eyes. Judging from appearance alone, Lamb and Arnold were hardly related, but the adopted son's face was remarkably similar to Arnold's.
Frodien shrank his neck and reminded him, "Amberley is too far away. I really can't investigate anything there."
In the capital city, there are many people and many eyes, and some things that seem foolproof may not actually be so.
“There’s no need to investigate the events of 272,” Veris said. “Where is Lamb’s adopted son buried?”
Frodien was startled: "Are you going to dig up someone's grave? It can't be that serious, can it?"
Veris glanced at him but said nothing. Florin didn't dare to ask any more questions and gave him an address. It was the burial ground for most nobles, so it wasn't surprising that Lamb's adopted son was buried there.
The grave digging is real; Veris needs to confirm one thing.
He had been wandering around various taverns for the past few days and had met many bards. One of the bards, who looked to be gray-haired, told him some ancient legends after getting drunk.
Modern poets are keen to sing of aristocratic secrets and have no interest in ancient legends, which Veris found very interesting.
The old poet said that during the time of the Seven Gods, there were gods who used human bodies to play in the human world. Although they disguised themselves as humans, the physical constitution of the gods was completely different from that of humans.
After being discovered repeatedly, the gods devised another method: possessing human bodies.
The possessed human must have a special physical constitution, otherwise they cannot coexist with the will of the god.
The old poet's story was disjointed and incoherent, but the later part was probably about gods using human bodies to roam the continent, punishing evil and promoting good.
It was eight parts fake and two parts real, which awakened Veris's long-forgotten memories.
There is a saying that is true: humans possessed by gods have a different constitution than others.
The difference is probably reflected in their greater strength, higher talent, and soul strength that is more than ten times stronger than that of ordinary people.
The corpse can remain undecayed for decades, with its bones smooth and lustrous, as if it could regrow flesh and blood at any time and be used by the gods again.
Arnold has a contract with Yannis, which Veris noticed. During their interactions in the Ice Town, Yannis remained completely obedient, showing no reaction even when the artifact was taken away by Arnold.
Is there really no response? Impossible.
They probably didn't dare to show their faces in front of him.
Heroic deeds are not passed down, but certain physical attributes can be inherited.
It's impossible for two heroes to be from the same era. Veris had only just begun to investigate the year Arnold was born and whether there was anything unusual about the previous generation's heroes.
Unexpectedly, this led to something completely unexpected.
As the sunlight outside gradually dimmed, Veris finished his drink, stood up, and said casually, "Let's go then."
Frodien declared righteously, "I'm just an information broker; I can't do such a thing—"
Veris turned his head: "You don't have to go there then."
The young man, dressed in standard aristocratic attire with two feathers stuck in his hat, stood up and chuckled, "Actually, I really want to go."
Veris pulled out an ordinary hat from somewhere and put it on his head. He was wearing a long coat with a shirt and vest, which was popular in the capital at the time. The two of them looked like two noble young men.
As he left the tavern, Frodien looked around, then suddenly his gaze froze, and he grabbed Veris's clothes.
Then he lowered his voice and said, "Look over there, isn't that the hero?"
Veris glanced at it: "It's them."
Frodien exclaimed, his face lighting up with excitement: "They've gotten into a fight with the Golden Merchant Guild."
He was right; a conflict was taking place on the street not far away.
Who in the capital would dare to cause trouble? Such a conflict is extremely rare. As a result, a crowd of onlookers gathered around. Florin was itching to get back to work and kept turning around.
Veris, feeling a headache coming on, said, "Go ahead and watch if you want. I'm going back to the Papacy first."
"Then when are you going to dig up the grave?" Of course, Frodien didn't want to miss out on either watching the fun or digging up the grave.
Veris glanced at the sky: "Let's do it tonight."
A general timeframe, but enough time. Frodien happily ran off to watch the excitement, while Veris turned and walked towards the Grand Papacy.
The cold of winter can relax people's minds, and years of calm can make certain activities proceed more smoothly.
For example, spies.
In the capital, Floriden was a minor nobleman who lived off his inheritance, but if he returned to the Demon King's Abyss, he would have a prestigious title.
The leader of the seven guardians under the Demon King, the Necromancer's Blade, Florian.
Many years ago, probably before Lamb went to the Demon King's Forest, Florian was just an ordinary demon with low combat strength and a fondness for drinking.
He liked to drink on the outskirts of the Demon King's Forest, where there were many humans, and the wine they brewed was delicious.
One day, a bard came to the tavern and told a story.
The story goes that a humble and stubborn little demon accidentally offended the Demon King. During the process of tormenting the little demon, the Demon King fell deeply in love with her. In the end, after a tragic love story, the little demon died protecting the Demon King on the eve of becoming the Demon Queen.
From then on, the Demon King sealed his heart and locked away his love, becoming the cold and ruthless Demon King he is today.
The demons present, including Frodien, were greatly shocked, while the other humans were deeply moved.
The other demons, fearing being caught by the Demon King, paid and ran away. Only Florin stayed behind and asked the poet if he knew any other secrets.
The poet named Veris concocted seven or eight secret stories for him on the spot, which left Freudien stunned and completely convinced.
Later, Florian was turned by Veris and became the Grand Vatican's spy in the Demon King's Abyss. During the time when Lamb was fighting the Demon King and the Demon King was sealed away, he seized the opportunity and rose to become the head of the Seven Guardians.
Florin knew that Veris's identity was not simple, but he was unsure of Veris's role in the High Vatican. He guessed it was something that couldn't be made public, perhaps something like an assassin.
Frodien has a rich imagination.
Veris had heard Florin's speculations about his identity, and the more the demon spoke, the more certain he became. Veris felt inferior; if he had Florin's imagination, he could certainly create more interesting stories.
The Papacy remained busy, and Veris quietly made his way to the office building.
The archbishops mostly conduct their official business here.
For example, those who govern the fourth district in Rivelen would occasionally go to their own district and return on the same day.
Once the New Year is over, the Royal Capital Academy will be busy with the enrollment of new students.
Veris had originally wanted to come and see Sylvain, but after thinking about it, she felt there was nothing to see. The closer the divine beings got, the more it would affect the two of them.
He had already decided that after the New Year's ceremony, he would go and kill the divine essence of the Twin Gods.
The resurgence of the god of love also brought him divine power that was as swift as his own arm, and he should also eliminate Ambrose in the land where the gods fell.
As he walked around the corner, he suddenly sensed a presence, and then his wrist was grabbed.
The place was shrouded in shadow. Veris was slightly startled, turned his head, and met a pair of eerie green eyes. The man was handsome, but now his eyes were drooping, his lips were tightly pursed, and he was holding Veris's wrist tightly.
"Is there something you need?" Veris suppressed his somewhat strange feelings, glanced at the hand gripping his wrist, and then looked up at his best friend.
“You have demonic energy on you.” Sylvain stared at him intently. Demons couldn’t possibly infiltrate the capital. The magic array in the capital was set up by Veris himself, but Veris had not left the capital.
Veris made contact with the demons, and it was he who brought these demons into the capital.
The soundproof magic circle appeared silently.
Veris readily admitted, "Yes, I met a demon."
"I investigated some things, but I made an even bigger discovery." He couldn't help but share with his friend, "Arnold's father is very likely Lamb's adopted son. Do you remember Lamb? He was the previous hero."
The hand gripping his wrist tightened, and Veris sensed something. He shut his mouth and met a pair of eyes that held emotions he dared not decipher.
"So, it's Arnold again."
Sylvain's voice was almost forced out through clenched teeth.
Veris: "..."
The artifact was in his hands, but the Twin Gods had not yet appeared, so he thought of starting with Arnold, since Yannis was always making trouble.
He has indeed made a significant discovery, and based on this, he may be able to find a way to kill Yannis.
Since the Twin Gods aren't around, let's target Yannis, who's obviously the one we need to work with.
He sighed, feeling uneasy at the thought of what he was about to say.
The voice began to waver: "I did all this for you..."
It immediately reminded me of all the scumbags in those fabricated stories he told—the ones who started relationships and then abandoned the victims.
“If it’s for my sake, then why are you hiding from me?” Sylvain’s voice lowered as he lifted the pale, slender wrist and gently placed it against his face. “Is this face something you’re not happy with?”
Veris: "!!"
He resolutely chose Sylvain back then because he loved her face so much!
His pale fingertips trembled, and Veris felt a moment of dizziness. Sylvain's attack was clearly a facial assault! Damn it, his resistance was about to plummet to negative levels.
"No."
Veris forcefully pulled his hand back, earnestly affirming his own aesthetic sense: "I'm satisfied with you from head to toe."
He lied without batting an eye: "The effects of divinity are also working on me. Sylvain, you'd better not keep appearing in front of me. I'm afraid I'll fall madly in love with you."
The god of love might indeed make him curious about romance, but that's an exaggeration; he couldn't possibly lack willpower.
Sylvain slowly lowered his head, staring at the person in front of him, seemingly lost in thought.
-
Night falls in a cemetery on the outskirts of the capital.
Dressed in a black robe, Frodien crept around under the tree and soon spotted a figure approaching from a distance.
His eyes lit up, and he quickly went over, only to find that there were two people. In addition to the familiar Veris, the other person was shrouded in a black cloak.
He asked curiously, "Is this your helper?"
Veris said expressionlessly, "They're colleagues."
Frodien suddenly realized that it was an assassin secretly trained by the High Church, just like Veris!
-----------------------
Author's Note: Sylvain: Just what I wanted
Xiao Wei has many things to worry about, but she must believe that the Son of Cupid has the means and the power. [doge head with rose in hand]
The Mysterious History of the Seven Secrets
Sylvain failed to defeat Yannis the first time; his true form remained in the Tower of Hell.
He was cursed by Yannis and sent to assassinate Veris.
He successfully located Veris and plunged the dagger into his friend's heart.
Those heterochromatic eyes stared at him in disbelief.
Veris's old wounds had not yet healed, and now he had another fatal injury. Taking advantage of Sylvain's momentary daze, he tore through space and escaped.
Soon after, Sylvain, who had been berserk, regained all his memories. Utterly despondent, he didn't even dare to go to Veris, but instead went to the Sky Palace.
The god's gruesome death shocked Ambrose, the earth god who had come to his aid. He looked at Sylvain in fear and turned to run away.
Sylvain forcibly merged with the original body, and then devoured the divine essence of the god. The forces of light and darkness collided and exploded, and the demon's body fell into the continent.
The progenitor of the demon race announced his death.
Before his death, Sylvain bequeathed his divine status and that of the gods, along with all his remaining divine power, to Veris.
Veris, who possesses four divine attributes, first killed the Earth God Ambrose, and then came to the Sky Palace again. During this process, Yannis's surviving divine soul was almost completely resurrected, but Veris tore it to pieces with the spell of the God of Love, completely destroying it.
With the fall of the seven gods, the final shackles of the law are broken, the Twilight Court appears, and Veris enters the heavens to confront the seven gods who have been resurrected a second time.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com