"When I was lost at sea, I was already in deep water, so I too will sink."
This is a theme poem that Yun Wei scribbled haphazardly on a simple sketch. He was not skilled in painting, and painting was merely a whim born out of boredom.
But the art style is quite depressing. It depicts a sailboat gradually sinking in the deep sea, surrounded by no coastline or stars, only a thick fog that obscures the sky and the moon.
But only he himself knew that this was the truth he had accidentally perceived, not a mere figment of his imagination.
He was born sensitive, and after learning magic, he often had the illusion of seeing the future.
This precognitive experience was so mysterious that he wrote to Sid, but received no reply. It makes sense, given that the Golden Cloud Kingdom is currently undergoing a period of intense transformation.
He also considered whether he should have a proper talk with Isaac.
But ultimately, I felt I couldn't bring myself to say it.
Because his feelings for Isaac were never based on rational choice; if reason could dictate the outcome, then it wouldn't be love.
Besides, Isaac was already exhausted, and he didn't want to hold the other person back.
So he finally decided to let nature take its course.
Faced with the stark reality, he could only accept his fate.
The reality is that Isaac is very busy every day. This warrior, who has become stronger with each battle, has become visibly exhausted in just one month.
The time he spent with Yun Wei each day became increasingly shorter, as various intelligence reports, statistics, summaries, and requests for instructions poured into the royal palace from all over the Zhuyuan Continent, piling up on Isaac's desk.
The king, busy dealing with his courtiers, had no time to personally prepare meals for his beloved.
Only when the night is deep and quiet will the two of them embrace silently.
Isaac would quietly ramble on to Yun Wei about the obstacles and progress of various thorny issues.
In his description, enough manpower has been hired for the autumn harvest on the Washi Plain, and caravans have set off to purchase grain from Jinyun and Bili, so there should be no shortage of supplies this winter.
However, this further depleted the already empty national treasury, resulting in a budget deficit.
If next year's tax revenue cannot be balanced, subsequent government policies will be difficult to implement.
Overwintering is the immediate priority, but the scorched earth outside the city also needs to be dealt with. Whether it's the wounds left by the flames of war or the lingering miasma from the corpse puppet mages' mischief, the ravaged land needs purification and cleansing.
Isaac eventually reached an agreement with the Lunagal Academy, allowing students to earn extra points through community service.
As for the old nobles, each with their own ulterior motives, Isaac adopted the approach of the Grand Duke of Gilded Ages, who danced with wolves. He secretly went to St. Lucy's Cathedral and signed a memorandum with Nicholas.
It must be said that even the Radiant Holy Church, which suffered heavy losses, is quite adept at dealing with nobles.
If a lord of the Red Moon Kingdom is excommunicated, then annexing his territory will not be condemned; on the contrary, it will be seen as a noble act of defending the glory of Dilis.
Yorkshire had already returned to Alchemy City at the urging of Silver and Sid, while the cardinal, after meeting the Pope, was as docile as a frightened mouse.
"Have you ever seen a mouse that's scared out of its wits?" Yun Wei couldn't help but laugh when he heard the other person's analogy.
He enjoyed listening to Isaac share these things with him casually, even when the other man's brow was furrowed, his handsome features still pierced his heart.
Hearing Yun Wei interrupt for the first time in a long time, Isaac was taken aback for a moment, then laughed and said, "No, I was just using an analogy."
“I know.” Yun Wei cracked his knuckles and casually asked, “Speaking of which, what’s the deal with Joshua? I thought he would be difficult to deal with, but I didn’t expect him to just leave without saying goodbye.”
Upon hearing the person in his arms mention His Holiness the Pope, who was suspected to be the real Emperor Tilis, Isaac paused briefly. "It seems he has returned to Upper Lafra Monastery. I heard it from 'Little Mouse'."
He then took the opportunity to gently rub Yun Wei's playful fingertips.
He didn't tell Yun Wei about it, as it was just a guess based on intuition, so as not to distract the other party.
It seems Yun Wei has been quite busy lately, even setting up a small laboratory in a newly vacated room in the palace. If he hadn't been urged repeatedly, the other party probably wouldn't have gone to sleep on time, but instead would have been engrossed in reading a variety of books.
"I see." Yun Wei nodded, then asked suspiciously, "Since Joshua has sided with the Abyss, what exactly is the relationship between Dilis and the Lord of the Abyss?"
After all, the traitorous marks on the bishops of Yorkshire and Nicholas were too conspicuous.
Although he didn't see it in Joshua, perhaps his position was in some unspeakable place. Yun Wei instinctively harbored an inexplicable hostility towards that beautiful and alluring Pope.
Isaac answered honestly, "I don't know."
He himself was unsure how to get along with Joshua if he really was Dilis.
Logically speaking, he should hate Dilis.
Not only did the enemy fail to keep their promise and come to his aid during the crucial battle, but they also sealed him away when he was at his weakest. The enemy betrayed their former oath, became a god, and their Radiant Holy Church plunged the entire continent's civilization into a desolate void.
But he was no longer the reckless warrior he once was, fighting to the bitter end with only passion.
He learned some valuable qualities from Yun Wei, which allowed him to briefly step outside his own perspective and re-examine the situation from that year.
Unexpectedly, he did discover some inconsistencies, which made him even more eager to suspect the truth of what happened back then.
These inconsistencies are actually quite obvious, but he was blinded by hatred. The biggest question is that if he were Dilis, he would never have gone to the trouble of sealing himself away.
He knew Dilis very well, and the other party knew him well too.
For both sides, eliminating the problem completely is undoubtedly the best solution.
It seems that once he finishes what he's doing, it will indeed be necessary to make a trip to the Reflecting Water Margin. Isaac thought to himself.
Yun Wei glanced at the knight who had suddenly fallen silent, and subtly shifted his gaze away.
Isaac was hiding something from him.
And it's about Joshua.
He knew that he was in a state of confusion and very likely to say the wrong thing, so he simply shut up and pretended to be tired.
Even though he was still holding Issa's hand, he couldn't help but feel lonely.
In the palace on the eve of summer, this loneliness fell like snowflakes, light and silent, yet unknowingly filling the heart.
Isaac, how much longer can I hold your hand?
If our fate is ultimately limited, then let me start cherishing it now, and let it last like a gentle stream, okay?
Yun Wei asked in his heart.
He tried his best to control his emotions and avoid showing any abnormality.
But by the time he finally calmed down, the exhausted king had already fallen asleep.
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