https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-785-Lanchi-Returns-to-the-Honing-Empire-Part-1-/12585512/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-786-The-Black-Sun-Tyrant-s-Moment-of-Blessing-Part-1-/12585514/
Chapter 785: Lanchi Returns to the Honing Empire (Part 2)
Chapter 785: Lanchi Returns to the Honing Empire (Part 2)
"You have arrived at the southernmost part of the Holy Spirit Theocracy, the Steel Fortress, Oberon, where preparations for the fourth anniversary of the peaceful revival of the Sevilia Continent are underway, together with the border city of the Honing Empire," the Taberius Mirror informed him.
"Further south, you will enter the northern province of the Honing Empire, Helles Rhein," it added.
"Lanchi, you're flying," Talliah's voice echoed in Lanchi's ear.
The speed of ninth-stage psychokinesis magic was already astonishing, but the Taberius Mirror further accelerated this process.
"At this speed, the simulation will probably be over soon," Lanchi remarked, as the in-between scenes he witnessed were all at a hundred times the normal speed, and he didn't need to control it himself.
In the border city of the Honing Empire after the war, the cold winter sun shone on the main city covered in white snow, reflecting a dazzling light.
Within the walls that had once witnessed fierce battles, the wilderness had been transformed into greenhouses, where vegetables and fruits flourished even in the harsh winter. Children played and laughed innocently, their cheerful voices ringing out crisp and clear in the bitter wind.
As he moved closer to the center of the city, the market and the chamber of commerce buzzed with activity, people chatted and laughed, and the winter festival brought an air of peace and joy.
The energy plants and hospitals that had been rebuilt now served as important guarantees for the fortress, providing magic power and medical services to the citizens. The barracks had been converted into schools, where the children of the Honing Empire studied, preparing for a peaceful future.
The site of the war had been turned into a peace memorial park, where people from the empire gathered to commemorate the past and aspire for peace.
"The wounds of war have been healed, and the people have rebuilt their homes with hard work and hope," the Taberius Mirror commented.
"This land, once scarred by battle, now thrives with vibrant life, a testament to the resilience and prosperity of this region," it added.
"This is your long-cherished hometown, the Honing Empire. It has changed into a place you no longer recognize," the mirror stated.
"You only have 4 days, 9 hours, and 24 minutes left of your lifespan," it continued. "Your poor health has made you weaker."
The Taberius Mirror's simulation results occasionally appeared in Lanchi's field of vision.
"Why didn't Lanculos return to his hometown after the war for so many years?" Talliah asked.
Based on her deductions, Lanculos probably hadn't returned to the Honing Empire for at least three years after winning the war.
"He was probably afraid," Lanchi replied.
This hometown had become an obsession for Lanculos, and after decades, it felt both too familiar and too foreign for him to face.
"Oh..." Talliah responded, only partially understanding.
She could somewhat relate to this feeling, even though her situation was completely different from Lanculos'. Nonetheless, the thought of returning to her old home in the Demon Realm stirred up mixed emotions.
"Looking at your dwindling lifespan, you realize this is your last chance," the mirror prompted.
"The homeland you've been avoiding all this time is now right before you. If you don't fulfill your last wish, you will never be able to see your hometown of Brunswick again," it continued.
"How can you give up on the place where it all began, your initial motivation, and your dream?"
"You decide to go to the Honing Empire alone. Due to the inappropriateness of your identity as Pope Lanclos St. Anasta of the Holy Spirit Theocracy, you disguise yourself as a young merchant named 'Randall' and stealthily enter the southern continent, which is now known as the Honing Empire.
"There's still a long way to go."
"Before returning to your homeland, you passed by a place."
Once again, the sky transitioned from day to night.
Lanchi seemed to have quietly traveled a long distance within the Honing Empire, for it was morning just now, and now the sun was setting.
His vision paused once more.
He now saw himself wearing a casual vest, standing in the gigantic square of the Chamber of Commerce.
In the evening sky, with its sparse clouds, flocks of birds flew in the distance.
Elegantly dressed merchants and vibrant residents bustled about, surrounded by majestic buildings, including ancient statues of mythical deities.
The winter breeze, blowing away from the crowded areas, gently caressed his cheeks. The laughter of children at play, the melodies played by musicians, someone's laughter, someone's song—all these sounds reached his ears.
"So this is the present-day Honing Empire?"
Lanchi raised his hand gently, cupping the sunset and the petals dancing in the wind.
Give the flowers some time, and they will dress the coming spring in a kaleidoscope of colors.
Give the trees and grass some time, and they will transform the desert into lush meadows.
Lanchi marveled at the tranquil winter street scene of the Honing Empire, letting the sunset shine upon him, as if forgetting the sorrows of the past.
"So, no matter how reluctant Lanclos was, after more than three years, he finally understood that the war was over, and it was time to let go."
Talliah sighed.
If this was the future that the Taberius Mirror was simulating, she could rest assured.
She could sense Lanclos' heart gradually calming down.
Lanchi, too, would not understand some very dangerous things.
He would realize that nothing is permanent, and there are some things that cannot be helped.
Lanclos' pain was born of love, but love is a mysterious thing.
The more one tries to hold onto it, the more it slips away, and the more one learns to let go, the more it fills one's heart.
By letting go and shedding his burdens, Lanclos' heart would find peace.
"Seeing this scene, you stood in the square for a long time."
"As the sun set."
"You slowly faded into the crowd, letting the tears of memory pass, believing that you were right, embracing the next chapter of your life, and your final days."
Lanchi's vision changed once again, as if he were dreaming.
After a while, it shifted to a new scene.
He continued southward and soon arrived in a region of towering mountains and deep valleys.
After nightfall, he reached the province of Hansabeck in the mid-northern region of the Honing Empire.
As far as the eye could see were mountains that reached the clouds, and sheer cliffs that soared into the sky.
Mists swirled in the valley, and the mountain winds howled, while a deep gray castle stood imposingly atop the highest peak.
"This used to be the Kingdom of Hansabeck, bordering the Honing Empire. More than twenty years ago, when the Honing Empire invaded the northern territories, Hansabeck became part of the empire, and thus, the province of Hansabeck was born."
Lanchi explained the geography of this era, tens of thousands of years ago, to Talliah.
He recalled how, during the second Shadow World, 'A Dinner with Scoundrels', the young master of the Chamber of Commerce, in his role as a geographer, had shared his knowledge of the geography surrounding Lichten Castle.
At that time, the Honing Empire had not yet expanded to occupy the entire southern continent.
Now, the timeline had fast-forwarded twenty-eight years, and everything had changed.
"So, the castle on the mountain cliff before us is Lichten Castle, which was once located on the northern border of the Honing Empire before its expansion?"
The more Talliah looked, the more familiar the surroundings seemed to her.
It resembled the scenery from Lanchi's recording of his second Shadow World.
"Yes, it should be Lichten Castle. For me, that castle in the Shadow World holds only beautiful memories, but for Lanclos in the original history, that castle is a place he can never forget. Before his death, he wanted to see it one last time, and I can understand that."
Lanchi, having lived in Lichten Castle for five days and nights, was very familiar with the architecture.
The castle, built in the style of the Honing Empire, boasted tall stone walls and pointed crenellations, each wall and tower a testament to the centuries of wind and rain they had endured, their rugged texture undiminished by the mottled marks of time.
In front of the double-sided doors, the moonlight danced freely between the window panes, filtering through the colorful glass to cast alternating light and shadows on the exterior of the building.
After arriving at the castle, Lanchi briefly explored the interior before returning outside.
He began to move away, heading toward the mountain cliff.
Even before his vision reached the edge, the sheer cliff, nearly a kilometer high and hundreds of meters wide, was a stunning sight.
He leaped down from the cliff, landing on a hidden set of stone steps.
Here, a cluster of tombstones stood.
His vision darkened as if his eyes had closed.
In the darkness, only the subtitles in the Demon language remained.
"You found the witch's tomb and rested your eyes against her headstone for a while before opening them again."
"In the morning, you found the seal of the werewolf prince intact at the bottom of the cliff, and seeing that he was slowly regaining his vitality despite his missing heart, you were relieved. You reinforced the seal, and perhaps in another hundred years, he will awaken once more, and the prosperous era you spoke of will come to pass."
When his vision lit up again, it was already the next day.
"Life Remaining: 3 days, 13 hours, and 33 minutes."
"Your health is failing, and you are growing weaker."
"Is this the original timeline of the second Shadow World, 'A Dinner with Scoundrels'?"
Talliah recalled that Lanchi, Hyberrian, and Fred had received a story as their reward from the Shadow World.
If the story were pieced together, it would be about the Sun's Child, the Witch, and the Werewolf Prince in Lichten Castle over five days and nights.
"It seems that the Taberius Mirror is simulating the same historical timeline that Lanclos is in.
"Lanchi acknowledged and responded to Talliah.
Now that his identity has been read as Lanculos, then of course, it's also Lanculos' story.
This further confirms that there isn't much difference between the fourth Shadow World's 'Undying Eternal Punishment' ending and the actual historical timeline—the victory of the Pellant Empire and the birth of the Holy Pellant Theocracy, along with Lanculos' position as Pope, are indeed facts that exist in history.
"I see," Talliah said, understandingly.
"Blood Moon Calamity" has indeed ended up being a rather satisfying conclusion, despite the heavy sacrifices made.
But they succeeded.
Once again, his vision began to shift.
[You once again met an old friend, fulfilled another wish, and continued your journey south, passing through a border town in Hansabeck Province, dozens of kilometers away from Lichten Castle.]
[Perhaps this town reminded you too much of your homeland, and you couldn't help but take a look.]
[As the saying goes, 'the road of life is full of twists and turns, and with each bend, the heart finds solace.']
[At this moment, you are no longer the almighty Pope, but a young traveler enjoying the journey.]
On a fine day, the brown-haired, green-eyed traveling merchant set foot on a winding path leading to the mountain town.
On both sides of the path, lush trees swayed gently in the breeze, filling the air with the fragrance of grass and soil.
As he admired the scenery along the way, he pondered the destination of this journey—the rural town of Brunswick, nestled among the mountains in the southern heartland of the Honing Empire.
And the town before him, just a short distance from Lichten Castle, was nestled among the intersecting peaks.
The dark gray and white buildings blended seamlessly with the undulating terrain, as if they were part of the mountains themselves.
The warm morning sun gilded the town with a golden hue, set against the azure sky and fluffy clouds, like a beautiful painting.
Lanchi felt that everything had slowed down.
The air was filled with the sweet fragrance of flowers, accompanied by melodious and distant music, creating a peaceful atmosphere.
He was walking down the street with his traveling merchant's box in hand.
Looking around, he took in the sights of this seemingly affluent border town.
"What a beautiful town," Talliah exclaimed.
She now thought that the Taberius Mirror was amazing.
It could bring people on a healing journey like this, where they could appreciate the beauty of the scenery.
"Indeed, it gives me a sense of understanding Lanculos' life path," Lanchi said as he took another step towards his inevitable end.
It seemed that Lanculos had nothing more to fear.
There was nothing left for him to lose.
[You suddenly realized that this town...]
As the new Taberius Mirror's demonic characters appeared, Lanchi felt that he was now in this town.
Just like before in the principal's office, he could briefly experience the illusion.
It seemed that he was approaching the next node where he had to make a choice.
Lanchi walked down the street.
He glanced around casually.
The residents eyed him with a mix of suspicion and fear, their gazes betraying their wariness towards this unfamiliar traveling merchant.
"Is it hostility or fear...?" Talliah wondered aloud.
"Maybe it's both," Lanchi replied, realizing what the Taberius Mirror was trying to convey.
"It doesn't make sense. In your current disguise, you're not the Pope of the Holy Pellant Theocracy, and with your true self, there's no way they could recognize you even if you didn't disguise yourself, right?" Talliah was confident that even she, as a powerful demon herself, wouldn't be able to see through the disguise of the Black Sun Lord.
Unless the Black Sun Lord revealed himself, no one would be able to identify him.
"Then it can only mean that the situation in this town is such that its residents would feel wary of any stranger who comes their way," Lanchi concluded.
This was strange.
If it was just individual residents feeling wary of a traveling merchant, it could still be explained.
But now, it seemed that every resident in the town gave him the same suspicious look.
[You·Be·came·A·ware·Of·The·Ab·nor·mal·i·ty.]
[Your battle-hardened instincts kicked in, and you couldn't ignore this feeling.]
[You decided that even if it meant prolonging your stay in this town, you had to figure out the reason behind this sense of dissonance.]
[Although most of the residents were cautious of you, there were a few who didn't avoid you, and there were even shops willing to do business with you.]
[Soon, you used your charm and communication skills to gather information about the town's mayor, and you learned that he could be found at the town's church.]
Brand new demonic characters of the Taberius Mirror appeared before Lanchi's eyes, superimposed on the street he was walking on.
Only he could see them.
[You went to the church and met with the mayor.]
The illusion wavered slightly, like ripples on a calm pond.
Lanchi blinked, and the street was gone, replaced by streams of sunlight pouring through the windows, casting alternating light and shadows on the interior of the church through the colorful stained glass.
The large crucifix and the mural of the deity on the high walls, the intricate water-clear carvings on the steps and floor tiles—every detail spoke of the craftsmanship that had withstood the test of time.
And in the church, there was an elderly man whose eyes couldn't hide his wariness.
[You met this elderly mayor, sincerely showed him your high-level goods and wealth, and expressed your intention to trade. You wanted to acquire the rare medicinal herbs unique to this town.]
After a brief conversation, the elderly mayor sized up the young merchant before him, his eyes showing a mix of surprise and apology.
It was their luck to have a high-level merchant from the "Prosperous Commerce Guild" visit their small town, and it was their fault for mistaking him for a suspicious small-time merchant.
The elderly mayor warmly invited the Black Sun Lord to sit down and showed great interest in the trade he proposed.
During the conversation, the Black Sun Lord casually mentioned his past as a mercenary during the war, hinting that he also had the strength to help the town deal with any troubles.
Upon hearing this, the elderly mayor's expression suddenly turned grave.
"Mr. Randall, how strong are you?" the elderly mayor asked urgently.
"Anyone below the seventh stage is no problem for me.
"Randall" was the alias that Lanclos used when he infiltrated the Honing Empire as a traveling merchant.
"I see..." The elderly mayor sighed, looking as if he had found a savior, yet still worried, "I believe that when you arrived in our small town, you must have noticed the wariness of the townspeople towards you. But please believe me, we didn't mean any offense, we are just...afraid."
[The elderly mayor believed in your strength and also sensed your sincerity, and began to confide in you about the recent situation.]
"Recently, there have been some evil creatures appearing in the central and southern regions of the Honing Empire. They are adept at disguise and can perfectly blend in with humans, even replacing those around them. Many victims have appeared in the nearby city-states, with entire families of rich merchants, aristocrats, and even commoners being wiped out overnight. The residents of our town are very worried that we will be next."
The elderly mayor explained with a troubled expression.
"How is that possible? Are these evil creatures very strong?"
[You asked further.]
[This matter seemed more serious than it seemed, and the wariness and panic in the residents' eyes showed that these evil creatures had already caused widespread harm to the people of the Honing Empire, and the situation was beginning to escalate.]
"According to the information I have, these evil creatures vary in strength, and some may even be hiding among us... Because of that war, many strong individuals from the Honing Empire perished on the battlefield. Now, the strongest person in our small town is just a young knight of the second stage."
The elderly mayor continued.
[You fell silent at his words.]
[That war had taken the lives of many powerful individuals from the Honing Empire, both at the hands of the Holy Pellant Theocracy's forces and the demons.]
[And while the blood race was the instigator of the war, most people were unaware of this fact.]
[In their eyes, the Holy Pellant Theocracy was the aggressor, and the people of the Honing Empire were the victims, nothing more.]
"Do you have more detailed information about these evil creatures?"
[You couldn't let go of the fact that there were beings in need of help.]
"Demons."
The elderly mayor leaned in closer, his voice filled with certainty, yet tinged with fear.
"The capital, Saint Tric, has already sent blood race experts to aid us, and they might arrive in the Hansabeck Province within the next few days. But there are only a handful of blood race experts, and they will likely start their investigations in the city-states first before making their way to our remote town. If these demons appear in our town before then, I fear for our fate..."
The elderly mayor's voice grew hoarse, and the wrinkles on his face deepened as if he couldn't bear to continue.
"...?"
[In the church, the young man's eyes were filled with confusion.]
[That familiar term echoed in your mind—Demons. They originated from the Honing Empire and were the product of the empire's experimental fields over thirty years ago. They were the last resort of the Honing Empire.]
[However, after many years, no one remembered this fact anymore.]
Lanchi stood in the church, lost in thought.
Ever since the young Lanclos underwent the experimental field's modifications in the Honing Empire, his physical age had been permanently frozen in time.
These "Demons," the product of the experimental field's modifications, were known as "Magicians," and only a handful of successful experiments had been conducted many years ago. This group was sent to infiltrate the Demon Realm to study the demons' heritage and seek a way to counter the blood race.
They were neither demons nor humans.
The success rate of the Magician modification surgery was extremely low, and those who underwent it had to endure countless tortures to have a slim chance of success. In a sense, they ceased to be human, becoming monstrous abominations. As a side effect, not only did they lack the true demons' longevity, but their lifespan was also significantly shorter than that of humans.
Perhaps for Lanclos, being able to live to his forties was already a miracle, and every moment might be filled with unimaginable pain, his stubborn soul resisting death and clinging to his crumbling body.
Only a handful of his surviving comrades, like Queen Kexia, knew this secret.
"That's impossible. How could there be Magicians in the Honing Empire?"
Talliah also sensed that something was amiss, and her heart began to pound.
The more she thought about it, the more alarmed she became, and her alarm turned to anger, and her anger to fear.
"Magicians" were a taboo product of genetic manipulation, and they should have been eradicated by the passage of time, buried in the annals of history.
Aside from the "Blood Moon Calamity," no other shadow world had mentioned anything related to "Magicians," and even within the demon race, there was no record of their existence, indicating that they had indeed become extinct in later ages.
The method of their creation had also been destroyed during the "Blood Moon Calamity" era.
And yet, in the present day, it seemed that Magicians were appearing in the Honing Empire, and even this remote border town was fearful of their presence.
Perhaps something had been brewing unnoticed, reaching a critical point.
The sudden turn of events left Talliah feeling as if she had fallen into a nightmare.
"Before the blood race experts arrive to help us, could you please help us investigate the Magicians and protect our safety?"
The elderly mayor pleaded with the disguised Black Sun Lord, his eyes filled with hope.
Ironically, it was the blood race that gave them a sense of security in dealing with the Magicians.
In this remote place, strong humans capable of facing such threats were few and far between.
At this point, the choices presented by the Taberius Mirror appeared before Lanchi once more.
[Faced with the pleas of the townspeople of Honing Empire, your next course of action will be:]
[A. Turn a blind eye.]
[B. Interrogate the townspeople.]
[C. Accept their request.]
[D. Directly intervene.]
[Lifespan remaining: 3 days, 11 hours, and 51 minutes.]
[You grew weaker and weaker.]
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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