Chapter 174

After their conversation, the two groups parted ways, one continuing on to the Himalayas and the other heading to Antarctica.

"Should I say, Dad, this is the romance of a rebel...?"

On the Himalayas, Fran couldn't help but say this.

"He writes letters every year, yet he's still as stubborn as a rock."

"I've already said I didn't write it! I don't know anything about this thing that suddenly appeared!"

"It's precisely because you, Dad, love to say things like that, that's why it won't work. You're digging your own grave..."

"Hehe, but with Fran here, I'm at ease, Father."

Moriarty grinned broadly, revealing his teeth, then looked up and gazed into the distance.

"By the way, Fran, how about we go see Edmond?"

"Edmond disappeared decades ago, after avenging Grandpa... Dad, you're really useless. Not only are you no match in combat strength, but you're also incapable of providing financial support."

"If Fran says that to my dad, I'll cry."

Then, James Moriarty said with genuine relief.

"Fine, since that's the case, let's go to Antarctica! Antarctica is amazing! The penguins are cute, though not as cute as you, Fran!"

No news? That might be true for Fran, but not for Moriarty.

"Oh, Dantes, hahaha, congratulations on finishing! It must be quite unexpected that I'm here. Hey~ say something to me!"

Many years ago, after the Count of Monte Cristo had accomplished everything, many of the men involved appeared before him.

"Oh, it's Moriarty. What's wrong?"

The Count of Monte Cristo turned to the professor and said...

"Judging from your expression, are you planning to leave?"

"Yes, it's all over."

"Really? Where are you going? Will you come back?"

"Mexico? I don't know."

"... Hmm? If that's the case, then why go to Mexico?"

Edmond simply smiled and shook his head at Moriarty's question.

"... The shipyard that built my new Pharaon, one of their Captain apparently went to Mexico, no, back then it should have been called the Aztec."

What does it matter?

"There shouldn't be..."

Edmond Dantès walked away step by step, leaving only one sentence echoing in Moriarty's heart.

"I will continue to wait with hope, and this is the Wisdom that belongs to everyone."

"Is that so? Then so be it, 'Wait and hope, and meet again by chance, but don't be frightened away, Edmond Dantès.'"

Moriarty kept waving at Edmond.

"That's what I hope for too, James Moriarty."

And so, the Count of Monte Cristo disappeared from Europe.

Even in this dreamlike scene, he never let his thoughts wander to dreams; his eyes were always fixed on reality.

Looking up at the sky, it is a vast, clear blue expanse, unchanged since time immemorial.

Favia walked through a world that seemed unchanged until she finally arrived at an incredibly bustling city.

On the stone-paved streets, people dressed in their finest clothes thronged the streets, and the pavilions and terraces facing the river were decorated with vibrant flowers, as if they were celebrating a festive occasion.

That said, this city is truly incredible. From the people's attire to the style of the buildings, it always evokes a sense of nostalgia in men.

However, he quickly realized that the arrangement of the walls, the surrounding scenery, meant that this place was...

The capital of the Aztec, the Water City of Tenochtitlan.

The point where "Human Order" brought peace and prosperity to mankind has come to a close, after countless years and tremendous changes.

The streets were bustling with pedestrians, all laughing and enjoying the festival. The constant flow of people was so noisy that Tlaloc felt overwhelmed.

Such radiant smiles and such a lively atmosphere piqued Favia's curiosity: what festival were they celebrating?

"This festival is to commemorate the Sun God who saved us."

The child, when questioned by Favia, said, "The Sun God ascended to the sky to defeat the Water Monster Mipactli, and then he never returned."

Upon hearing this, Favia nodded thoughtfully.

This is not the real end, but a false one, yet a very small, very grand, and very important fairy tale of love and courage.

But after the child finished speaking, he continued:

"Grandpa, aren't you from around here? We've known this since we were kids. I even thought you were asking me on purpose because you were wearing the mask we like to wear during our festivals."

"Haha, I just wear it casually, I don't really know much about it."

At this moment, Favia was still wearing the same half- Jaguar Man Mask he had worn before.

"Alright then, after all, we the Crowd have a lot of respect for this half- Jaguar Man Mask."

"Is that so? But wouldn't it be inconvenient to cut it in half?"

"But this is a symbol of the Sun God, that's why it's like this."

"Is the Sun God Tonatiuh?"

"That's right, that's right, Tonatiuh is our Sun god, always Protection us from the sky. I heard the lord say that it was because everyone trusted Lord Tonatiuh that we were able to overcome countless hardships and drive away those damned Spaniards."

Hearing this, Favia understood something Central and South American World did not fall apart because of his departure, and was not defeated one by one by the invading Spaniards and destroyed. On the contrary, they did a good job and sacrificed a lot for the land beneath their feet.

"Grandpa, you don't know much about our things? That's alright, I can show you around. It just so happens that today is the celebration of the Tonatiuh festival, and I have plenty of time..."

"There's no need for an old man like me to keep you company. You go and have fun. I'll just look around."

"Oh well..."

Favia smiled and patted the child's head, then walked slowly along the bank of Moon Lake.

He saw a statue, a statue erected for the 'Sun,' and saw the inscription beneath it—

"Fellow countrymen, children of the Sun God, and believers of God in the Andes Mountains, after centuries of arduous and unyielding struggle, we have finally broken free from the shackles of the Habsburg and stood up."

For centuries, the Habsburg have not been invincible. We will become one with this land, and even if our bones are stripped away, our pure souls will never perish. The Sun shines in our arms and in our hearts, and even if we sink to the bottom of the sea, we will surely rise again. Death is not invincible!

He glanced at Moon Lake and noticed that his face was indeed aging. But that was only natural; he was nearing the end, and now he was simply fulfilling a promise he had made long ago.

I will be back.

In the distance, the sound of drums could be heard.

The thumping sound continued incessantly.

This wasn't the first time Favia had heard this sound; he had heard it many times before. Even so, he walked slowly with a sense of nostalgia, for it was an activity held by the people living here to celebrate the Future.

At the same time, it was everything he cherished, and seeing these things naturally warmed his heart.

Originally, with proper development, Moon Lake would have dried up and never regained its former beauty, but it has continued to this day.

The music of the Ritual gently enveloped Favia, as white confetti and colorful paper scraps drifted down like snowflakes.

Just as he was immersed in the joy of knowing the happiness of the people in the Ritual, he suddenly noticed that a flower was drifting along the surface of Moon Lake.

Perhaps out of curiosity, Favia walked to the riverbank and saw many wet flowers on the water. As if accepting the flowers' invitation, he walked upstream from where the petals had drifted, eventually arriving at an ordinary riverside chair.

He remembered that this was the chair he had sat in with Tlaloc and Bavan Shi back then.

So the man sat down with a smile, closed his eyes, and in the hazy light, recalled the days of the past.

At this moment, though no one knows it, dreamlike lights slowly rise over Lake Texcoco.

Beside the silver-haired man, still existing today, yet renamed Tenochtitlan in Mexico City as times have changed.

Because he crossed the world of Central and South America, the hopes of people destined for extinction rose from the cities.

People have succeeded in their own way, people have existed in their own way, people have fought in their own way, and people continue under the Protection of the Sun.

After more than three hundred years of fighting and a long, arduous struggle, this man finally bid farewell to annihilation and stood once again in Tenochtitlan.

As the sound of receding water faded into the distance, he raised his head, witnessing the light they had prayed for depart until the last glimmer disappeared.

Favia shook her head, smiled, and whispered goodbye:

"I didn't break my promise, right?"

He opened his eyes, placed the now-perfected Silver Key from his chest on the chair, and went to the shore of Moon Lake.

Life is unpredictable, and disputes are hard to resolve. The Moon Lake, capable of swallowing them all, exists here. No matter how many years pass, the world will continue. However, for now, let's rest for a moment and enjoy a brief moment of peace.

Favia's body swayed, a gentle, intoxicating slumber descending from the sky, and the Fifth Sun softly closed its eyes.

Thus, the era of legend came to a complete end, becoming a distant past.

His body fell, towards the deepest part of the lake—

The Lake of Moon Lake weren't much colder, but he could no longer hear the rising and falling of the tides.

A few seconds later, he was lifted up by Waterflow of water from the depths.

Without saying a word, the girl, carried by the Waterflow, simply opened her dark eyes with a hint of helplessness.

... You... are back, but I'm late.

"Because you are here, I've started to feel that this world, free from Human Sacrifice, can indeed live a better life."

Tlaloc felt tears welling up in his eyes.

"Because of you, everyone I Protection was able to survive... Waaah... Waaah..."

Tears fell, and sobs flowed.

How long ago did these transparent tears lie dormant within the girl's body?

Why can't I protect you? A wave of sorrowful despair washed over the girl's heart.

Time can make people confused.

Things you swear you'll never forget will gradually fade with time.

Conversely, time can also fade the pain and Sorrow that seem unforgettable.

But he came back, just as she had hoped, and just as he had promised to return.

"I want to show you everything about Tenochtitlan, I want to see things we've never seen before, I want to see the same scenery as you, I want to stay by your side, I want to spend my life with you... I love you."

These words flowed smoothly into her voice, even though he could no longer hear them. These were the words Tlaloc wanted to convey, the words she felt she had to convey. If she couldn't even say these words at this point, then the words would be meaningless.

Would he be willing to respond to such a wish?

The Black-Haired Girl had been terrified and dizzy just thinking about these things hundreds of years ago, but she still spoke of them now.

However, there was no response, which is to be expected, because there will be no more, and there is no way to respond anymore.

Tlaloc was deeply distressed by this, so she embraced his rapidly dissipating body.

A thousand words are contained in silent actions.

The emotions that welled up were not simple enough to be given a name, so Tralot expressed them directly through his actions.

She channeled that emotion into action, focusing it all on this one act.

He won't respond, but she will, and she must.

As if driven by this emotion, her body moved first, tightly embracing Favia, gazing at his weathered face now devoid of the Jaguar Man Mask, at his deathly pale lips—

She held him, and though he could no longer respond, she still gently kissed him as he was about to disappear.

The budding City dream did not end; the Sun set and returned to the Moon Lake.

"I think I saw Priest."

At the same time, Edmond Dantès, who had arrived in Tenochtitlan, Mexico, suddenly spoke up.