Chapter 112

Feeling betrayed by the dueling arena in the Higashi last time, Eris has switched to her own preferred arena this time... She's quite persistent.

"Why are you laughing?"

Arthur's voice echoed softly in Hebe's ear.

Hebe pouted. "What are we having for dinner tonight?"

The next moment, Arthur pulled her around by the shoulder, and the two looked into each other's eyes.

The king gritted his teeth. "I hate it when people answer questions with questions."

"I hate it too," Hebe shrugged. "But I wasn't planning on answering you anyway."

Arthur narrowed his eyes. "Is this how you serve me, Merlin?"

"If you were to talk to me about the duties of a subject, that would be a long story, Your Majesty," Hebe sighed, counting on her fingers. "And my salary?"

"Did I not bestow upon you the honor of Court Sorcerer?"

"These are two different things, Your His Majesty Arthur." Hebe sighed again. "'I have finished the way I had to go, I have fought the battle I had to fight, and from now on—'"

Arthur sneered, "'The crown of righteousness is reserved for me,' huh?"

"Hey Liya, you've even learned to answer first now..."

"Don't give me that smirk!" Arthur glared fiercely. "This is Albion! My laws are paramount... Merlin, do you think death will absolve you of your duty and allow you to escape from my sight?!"

"You are my Queen, the Great Sage of Albion, the Court Sorcerer, the Royal Advisor, and my eternal subject!"

Hebe glanced at Xiao Xiang, who was shaking his head on the deck of the ship. The smile on his face remained unchanged, but an indescribable chill gradually emerged.

Arthur stared at her smile, his hand unconsciously tightening its grip.

The king's voice was somewhat hoarse.

"You still don't believe me... you don't believe I can keep my promises."

Hebe did not answer. Ultimately, regardless of whether Arthur could keep his promise, she could not return to the empty palace in London as if nothing had happened.

Those deep green eyes blinked sadly. "Then what do you want from me? I am Merlin Ambrose, but I am also Hebe Stanton now. I have my own library, my own island, my own career and my own life... and I am working towards it now."

"Then who is Royal Sister?" Arthur asked, suppressing his anger. "Why is she allowed to?"

"Royal Sister is jealous of Mordred, so what's this?" Hebe asked helplessly. "Would you be jealous of Mordred?"

Arthur nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

For the first time ever, Hebe was so angry she laughed. What kind of people are these?

"Xiao Mo and I are purely mother and son, father and son... uh, mother and daughter, no, that's not right—basically, we're in a senior-junior relationship, understand?"

"I can't be your partner and sister and lover and toy and best friend and therapist all at the same time," Hebe said.

"?"

"?"

An unsettling silence fell over the cabin for a moment.

"And her?" Arthur glanced at Xiao Xiang on the deck, whose hair was dancing wildly in the sea breeze like octopus tentacles.

"That's my employee," Hebe said irritably. "My vassal isn't your vassal... uh."

Hebe looked at the smile spreading across Arthur's face and sighed helplessly.

She realized that those past days still affected her to some extent.

Even Hebe herself was aware of this, because it is the countless past histories that have shaped the present, and the countless choices we make in the present lead to an infinite future.

Why do we have to distinguish them so clearly?

Thinking of this, Hebe twitched the corners of her mouth.

Now that her relationship with Royal Sister has "normalized," there shouldn't be any problem with Arthur either, right?

Since the past cannot be undone, but the future can still be pursued, why not get to know each other again?

172 Atlantis

"How much do you know about Atlantis?" Hebe asked Arthur.

Hebe didn't have high hopes.

Even the Royal Sister, a descendant of the Lake, couldn't give a coherent explanation, so how could Arthur possibly offer any valuable information?

"What do you want to know?" Arthur poked at the edge of his plate with his chopsticks, picked up a piece of salt and pepper ribs, and put it in his mouth to chew.

Incidentally, they are currently squatting on the deck enjoying the sea breeze, while Xiao Xiang, who is tied to the pole, can only drink water.

This is an ancient guide tradition—they cannot eat on the boat, but can only smell special incense and drink water. As their bodies gradually weaken, their spirituality becomes even more vibrant.

To further enhance the guide's spirituality, Hebe and Arthur deliberately moved closer to Xiao Xiang and enjoyed a delicious meal of mushroom rice, salt and pepper ribs, and vegetable and pork liver soup.

Arthur's cooking skills can only be described as tragic; this was, of course, dinner prepared by Hebe herself.

Shoko closed his eyes, his face pale, not wanting to look at the two people.

"The political system of Atlantis is bicameral," Arthur said. "Whether it's the House of Citizens and the House of Elders; or the House of Sciences and the House of Technology; or the House of Music and the Academy of Philosophy ... in short, it must be bicameral. In addition, they have a supreme leader, known as the Philosopher King Utop."

If the ideal state is utopia, then the king who rules utopia is "Utopia".

"That sounds a lot like the Roman political system... Where did you learn that?" Hebe asked in surprise.

"Rome."

From Rome...?

Before Hebe could analyze further, Toyokawa Shoko, who was tied to the long pole, suddenly began to convulse violently. She raised her head high and her body twitched as if she were being electrocuted.

Xiao Xiang's long hair billowed in the sea breeze like a living creature, resembling a sea monster baring its fangs and claws.

Thick sea fog suddenly rose up all around, and wave after wave of tide surged in.

Hebe rushed to the railing and saw the seawater shimmering with layers of gold.

Countless tiny, triangular fish swam and swirled freely in the water.

Further out on the sea, a fountain suddenly rose into the air.

Then, magnificent waves surged up, and countless coral forests shimmering with light rose from the seabed, and a huge roar, like the resounding tolling of a bell, rang out from the bottom of the water... It was the huge white whale with coral growing on its back!

They are now on the route to the Gates of Atlantis!

Hebe immediately pulled out her phone from her pocket.

She had already downloaded the Secret History Simulator to her phone beforehand.

On the dark green tabletop, the card representing Atlantis was shining brightly.

"The Lostbelt [The Utopia Above the High Seas] has been unlocked!"

"The Janus Gate is opening!"

Hebe, disregarding her composure, shouted, "Turn the ship around quickly, at least brace it... The gate to Atlantis is opening! We can't get caught up in it!"

She only intended to linger near Atlantis for a short while and then leave, never thinking of rushing in and directly fighting Eris!

Arthur stood at the bow of the ship, the Eternal King of Albion, and pointed to the turbulent sea, giving his decree in Old Gaelic.

"I hereby decree that all under Heaven shall enjoy peace and tranquility throughout the four seasons!"

The Royal Fleet patrols its territorial waters around the world, extending the power of the Magna Carta to every colony and pioneer territory by the will of the Eternal King.

At its peak, Albion had territories where sunlight could be seen in any time zone.

Therefore, Albion was known to the world as the "empire on which the sun never sets".

Arthur is issuing commands to this ocean through these authoritarian symbols!

The king made no further moves, but the ocean currents suddenly slowed down.

The wind changed direction in an instant.

The stars in the sky are no longer an unfamiliar arrangement, but rather appear in familiar positions.

Hebe rushed into the cabin, immediately switched from navigation mode to manual mode, and turned the Sapphire around as quickly as possible.

The twilight vessel roared terrifyingly as it forcibly broke free from the shackles of the Atlantis currents, pierced through the churning sea fog, and sailed back into the night of the present world.

"Waaah—"

The Sapphire trembled as it anchored into the gloomy sea, leaving behind the golden ocean currents, the churning sea fog, and the beluga whales with coral on their backs.

The price was that deep purple, asphalt-like marks were gradually spreading across the surface of this living warship.

This is a living phenomenon.

In the Iberian Tribunal, this was called the "Nethersea Brand," signifying that Atlantis had left an indelible mark.

"Return to base." Hebe made the decision immediately.

"It is up to you to decide." Arthur put his hands behind his back, his tone becoming authoritative and rigid again.

She had just used the symbols of the Authority Path, commanding the ocean currents and sea breezes to clear a way, and therefore needed to maintain her many symbols even more... especially now that the Relics of Authority, the Sword in the Stone, was not by her side.

Hebe sighed inwardly and performed the Court Sorcerer's salute to Arthur as she remembered him.

Authority Path place great importance on this kind of hierarchical etiquette.

As Hebe bowed, Arthur's pale face gradually regained its healthy color.

The king straightened his back and walked silently into the most luxurious bedroom in the ship's cabin.

Hebe didn't slump down until Arthur closed the door.

Regardless of Hebe's disapproval, since Arthur has given her a position of authority within the Albion authoritarian system, her obedience to authority will be reciprocated to Arthur in the form of symbols and power.

This kind of hierarchical etiquette is the ritual of the Authority Path.

Hebe took a few steps on the deck and saw Toyokawa Shoko with her head down, but her hair was clumped together like the tentacles of a squid or octopus, half threatening and half flattering as it wrapped around Hebe's fingers.

These are changes occurring in the body, signs of imprinting.

This means that Toyokawa Shoko is entering the realm of daylight.

Hebe moved a chair over, took out her phone, and looked at the cards that were flashing slightly on the screen.

"Secret History Simulator 1.2, welcome to log in, [The Knower]."

"The Side Gate to the Lostbelt [Golden Grand Symphony of Fate: The Utopia Above the High Seas] has been opened. You may choose to enter and explore at any time."

"The current Side Gate is the [Gate of Atnan]!"

"No matter what strategy you use, it will not result in actual death."

"Since the Lostbelt are now engaged in real Power Struggle, you can repeatedly choose the most suitable starting simulation and select one trait to inherit from it until you decide to be born!"

"What is eternal and unchanging will inevitably decay, and a shadow will inevitably exist beneath a brilliant and bright achievement."

"Pure reason is not eternal; even if the hidden bestiality is removed, it will still remain at its roots."

"To strive to escape one's predetermined fate merely postpones it."

"The longer the execution is postponed, the heavier the sword hanging over one's head becomes, until it is beyond redemption."

"Those seven hills built on the high seas, a golden fleet traversing two great seas."

"When it was at its peak, people hoped it would last forever; when it declined, it collapsed like lightning."

"The once magnificent empire is now a deep-water ruin, yet a new civilization has been born."

"Please record your story, for we will eventually shake the sea of destiny with the tolling of bells."

Volume: Atlantis

173 It must be Eris causing this!

The Bell of Ys awaits the newcomer, Prophetess Sibyl waits eternally beneath the Golden Tree.

[O second-born being, please choose the beginning of your destiny: 1. Pure Water Spirit; 2. Pirate; 3. Musician.]

Hebe was taken aback.