Dekan's Journey to the Holy Kingdom, Part 2

Snowflakes were falling heavily in the night sky.

The white, fluffy material obscured the already dim moon and sparse starlight.

The entire Clantes City seemed to be asleep.

It was the early hours of the morning when the gates of the Lord's Mansion were finally pushed open.

Lunn looked slightly tired; he had returned alone.

For a powerhouse of his caliber, even going without sleep for days wouldn't make him feel tired at all.

His fatigue was more a manifestation of mental exhaustion.

"Aren't you asleep yet?"

As soon as Lunn entered the Lord's Mansion, he noticed Croix waiting there.

Although Croix is the head of internal affairs, it's no longer Croix workday.

"Lord Lunn, Delois wishes to see you."

Croix took the rain-soaked coat from Lunn and, after confirming that no one else was around, spoke softly.

"Well."

Lunn sighed.

"If he's trying to say something similar to what Morpheus, then he shouldn't even try."

He didn't want to argue with Delois.

Lunn knew very well that, given Delois's personality and way of doing things, he would surely advise him in the same way Morpheus did.

However, Croix shook her head:

"No, it's related to the Holy Capital. Please come with me."

"..."

Lunn's calm expression changed noticeably; his emotions seemed to have become extremely complex in that instant.

Croix was certain that Lunn must have known something all along.

Croix didn't say much, just nodded in acknowledgment, and quickly walked upstairs to the second floor.

Lunn followed without saying a word.

Soon, they arrived at the office of the head of internal affairs on the second floor.

Inside the room, besides Lunn familiar Delois siblings and Morpheus, there was a dark-haired man on the sofa.

Lunn had a feeling that ever since he returned from Delois, there seemed to be more and more people in his family, both human and non-human.

However, when Lunn's gaze fell on the dark-haired man, he seemed to understand many things in an instant.

Even though Lunn hadn't had much interaction with Ray before, he knew that this guy was the ruthless person who assassinated the Holy Emperor.

Croix closed the door, re-enchanted the room with soundproofing magic, nodded to Dekan, and stood beside Lunn.

Dekan picked up a heavy stack of document bags and stood up from the sofa.

"Lunn, please take a look at these first."

He walked up to Lunn and handed Lunn the top-secret document that Clay had brought back from the Holy Capital.

"..."

Lunn took the file bag.

But Lunn didn't speak, nor did he open the file folder.

Seeing Lunn's performance, Dekan did not urge him on.

After a long silence, Dekan sighed helplessly and asked:

"Lunn, have you already guessed what's inside?"

Dekan knew that the reason Lunn hadn't opened it was --

Once it's opened, there's no turning back for Lunn.

Lunn may have already harbored doubts about the Holy Capital.

The two people and one demon on the sofa stared at Dekan and Lunn, and they remained silent for a long time.

Finally.

Lunn clenched the file folder in his hand, a bitter smile gradually appearing on his face.

"Delois, it may be ironic to say this to you."

"When I was young, I swore to the Goddess that I would dedicate my life to the Holy Kingdom and the Holy Rite Church, to sweep away evil and uphold justice."

"But now, am I, Lunn, forced to take the step of 'becoming a great traitor to the Holy Kingdom '?"

Lunn looked at Dekan and said with a self-deprecating tone.

"..."

Dekan did not reply.

The world becomes quite ironic when a saint needs to confess to the devil.

At this moment, Dekan finally confirmed that Lunn had noticed the signs of the anomaly in the Holy Capital a long time ago.

However, Lunn could not confide any of this to anyone.

Actually, there was already a sense of unease from the moment Lunn asked Delois to find a way to make peace.

Despite having a significant advantage, the pro-war faction's Lunn sought peace talks instead.

Lunn's aim was not merely to reduce the losses of the war.

More importantly, the worried Lunn wanted to end the troubles from the Demon Realm as soon as possible, and create the conditions for launching a war against the Holy Capital at any time!

"Lunn, were you actually already prepared to attack the Holy Capital?"

Dekan observed Lunn's expression and finally disregarded the restriction in mission objective 2 that "Lunn's bottom line must not be crossed," and asked.

Dekan finally understood that mission objective 2 was actually just "to fulfill Lunn's wishes" from beginning to end.

The low mortality rate in the Clan Territory reflects Lunn's desire as lord—to protect his people.

Besides this, Lunn's other wish was always to save the world.

There are limits to the Clan Territory. Even if Lunn cares for the world, as a border lord, he cannot save so many people.

Given this conflicting mission—wanting to protect the residents of the Clan Territory while also rescuing as many refugees as possible—the only way to achieve both is to attack the Holy Capital and resolve the chaos in the Holy Kingdom at its root.

However, Lunn was hesitant and found it difficult to become a rebel who would start a war without conclusive evidence.

On the other hand, Lunn also didn't want to believe that the Holy Kingdom had already Corrosion and withered away without his knowledge.

"... During this period, more than one spies from other territories came to me, conveying the intention of their lords that they could no longer tolerate the tyranny of the Holy Capital and the incompetence of the Holy Emperor. They hoped that I could take the lead and end all of this."

At this point, Lunn finally opened the document in his hand.

"I've also been secretly trying to investigate the situation in the south. Ever since the war between the Holy Kingdom and the Demon Realm came to an end, the Holy Capital has given me a strange feeling."

Lunn's expression was remarkably calm as he flipped through the pages, as if none of the contents surprised him.

"I even suspected that behind this war, in our rear, some unspeakable entity might be secretly infiltrating. However, I have never been able to obtain any conclusive evidence to prove anything; all the evidence seems to have been perfectly erased. They are like a hypothetical enemy; even proving their existence is difficult."

Finally, Lunn finished reading everything, took a deep breath, and then sighed.

Beneath his seemingly calm exterior, his anger had actually reached its peak.

Even without anyone saying anything more, the people in the room knew that Lunn's mind was made up.

He will rally the feudal lords and launch a rebellion.

End all these absurd atrocities committed by the Holy Kingdom.

"Delois, I ask you, was starting this war really the right thing to do?"

Lunn looked at Dekan, his tone unusually heavy.

As someone who hated nothing more than the Demon Realm launching a war against the Holy Kingdom, Lunn still harbored doubts about whether he was making a mistake at this moment.

For some reason, he felt that only Delois, his close friend, could answer this question.

Even though Delois is a guy with an extremely strange identity, personality, and stance.

"Indeed, even if the initial intention of this war was to uphold justice, as long as there is war, there will be misfortune, and innocent people will inevitably die as a result. Sometimes, even upholding justice inevitably means bearing the burden of guilt."

Dekan spoke slowly and deliberately.

He paused, met Lunn's gaze, and his eyes were exceptionally firm.

But this is not your fault.

"The guilt that may torment your conscience in the future cannot be defined by good or bad intentions."

"It's just that you've embarked on this thorny path, and the injuries you inevitably suffer are inevitable."

A long time.

Lunn handed the file bag he was carrying to Croix.

"Croix, help me draft official documents. I need to send letters to like-minded lords."

At that moment, Lunn's entire gaze changed. He was no longer the gentle nobleman burdened with worries, but rather a resolute and unwavering fighter, as if he had returned to his youth.

"I, Lunn, sever all ties with that corrupt and decadent Holy Emperor from this day forward!"

After Lunn took that oath.

The mission has finally received a long-awaited update:

[Mission Objective 2 is on track and has a significant advantage; Mission Objective 3 is unlocked: Assist Lunn in attacking the Holy Capital, unifying the Holy Kingdom, and truly ending the chaos caused by this long war.]

Finally, in this Shadow World, everything became clear.

Dekan smiled with relief and looked at Lunn, asking:

"So, Lunn, do you still need my help this time?"

"Will you help me?"

Lunn was slightly taken aback; he hadn't expected Delois to continue helping him.

"Certainly."

"... good."

Even after knowing each other for more than ten years, Lunn still doesn't fully understand Delois's motives.

In Lunn's view, what could bring Delois happiness seemed to be nothing more than tormenting the most heinous demons.

Delois also strongly resisted harming innocent humans; it was a bottom line she would rather die than cross.

All of this made Delois appear to be a great philanthropist.

But Lunn was quite certain that Delois's actions were not motivated by good intentions.

Instead, it was as if it were locked up.

He was chained to the boundary between good and evil, unable to follow his demonic instincts to commit evil, nor able to truly understand goodness.

They're just numbly searching for something.

Initiating this rebellion would inevitably result in innocent casualties, which clearly violated Delois's consistent principle of clarity and order.

But at this moment, he chose benevolence and righteousness with absolute certainty.

This is different from the Delois of the past.

Unless.

Delois has taken that step out of some shackles.

To truly, and no longer dogmatically, implement the principle of doing good.

"What will be the price?"

Lunn smiled sincerely and extended his hand to Dekan as if handing over a blank check.

For some reason, Lunn was both moved and happy for his friend.

This version of Delois finally proved to be truly worthy of his trust.

Dekan firmly grasped Lunn's hand.

Someone has already paid for it for you.

As he said this, Dekan looked away.

Although a smile appeared on his lips, his eyebrows were lowered.

Upon closer reflection...

The mighty demon Delois only makes money at a loss.

To pay for those three years of tuition, they've done so many good deeds over the past twenty years.

However, perhaps doing good deeds really will bring good fortune.

"..."

Talomati watched all of this from the sofa.

Her lips trembled slightly, but she remained silent.

Watching his brother's every move and hearing his heartfelt words.

She finally became certain that her brother had completely changed.

He probably doesn't even realize that he can no longer be called a demon.

She seemed to finally understand what Delois had been searching for all along, and what the changes in Eve were.

Human kindness, like a seed, can be planted in a demon, but it rarely grows properly.

But as long as there are truly demons willing to defy common sense and choose to believe, choose to experience, and be willing to give up and integrate, the illogical notion that "demons understand goodwill" will eventually take root and sprout.

More than three months later.

A city in the southern part of the Holy Kingdom.

The streets are bustling with people; it seems like every day is a celebration or festival lately.

Although the southern part of the Holy Kingdom was not affected by the Demon Realm, it, like the north, began to gradually radiate a revitalizing vitality.

A merchant guild carriage traveled down the street, the lively chatter and laughter of the people on the sidewalks occasionally drifting over.

"Lord Lunn can only be said to have lived up to everyone's expectations. It's remarkable that he was able to discover the anomalies in the Holy Capital while protecting the northern part of the Holy Kingdom."

"The Holy Rite Church has been reborn. I heard that the orthodox lineage is going to be renamed the Sun God Church, while the corrupted ones are called the Resurrection Church, I think?"

"You can't call Lunn that anymore, you have to call him His Majesty Lunn!"

Dekan slightly drew back the curtains, glancing at the smiling faces of the people, admiring the scenery of this city-state.

The Holy Kingdom has now passed through the coldest winter and entered the season of spring blossoms. Flowers and birds have brought good news throughout the town.

"Holy Emperor, Saint Lunn Crantes. Hmph, you've made something of yourself, my old friend."

Dekan chuckled and shook his head.

When I first heard the name Lunn, I never imagined he would be so amazing.

Over the past three months, after helping Lunn eliminate the crisis in the Holy Capital with unstoppable momentum.

In the final moments of the Shadow World, there were a few extra days.

The news of Lunn a few days ago has spread throughout the southern cities of the Holy Kingdom.

Dekan did not stay in the Holy Capital to participate in the various celebrations.

Instead, he bid farewell to his friends and decided to travel alone to a certain place.

Today, Dekan has finally arrived at the town where Delois and Clodia met in his dream.

"There's still half a day left... plenty of time."

Dekan said.

Upon arriving in town, guards from the Lord's Mansion were already waiting to escort Dekan to the Lord's Mansion.

Lunn had already sent a letter to the lord of this place, expressing his friend's desire to visit.

It is worth mentioning that Dekan learned from Lunn that after Delois left this territory, it was Clodia's father, the old lord, who wrote a letter of introduction for Delois, introducing him to Lunn, which led to the story of Delois meeting Lunn.

Dekan arrived at the Lord's Mansion in no time.

Everything here is decorated almost exactly like in my dream.

The lord hasn't changed the layout of the Lord's Mansion much over the years.

Strangely, even though Dekan had never been to this town before, he felt that by following his instincts, he could reach any corner he wanted to go.

In the reception room.

Dekan saw his lord waiting for him on the sofa.

His upright posture and dignified presence remained as imposing as ever.

This lord was Clodia's father and Delois's first human employer.

However, compared to his appearance in the dream, the lord had aged considerably.

"My lord, I'm back."

Dekan bowed respectfully to the lord.

Upon hearing Delois's words, the lord seemed somewhat taken aback.

After a moment of stunned silence, the lord stood up, leaning on his cane, and turned to look at Dekan with a complicated expression.

"Delois, you seem to have changed?"

"Is there?"

"I'm not sure, but if Clodia were here, she could definitely tell whether you've changed or not."

The lord looked at Dekan, his expression gradually softening.

Even when his daughter, who had passed away many years ago, was mentioned, he was no longer so sad.

The way he looked at Dekan was like seeing another one of his children.

"Clodia asked me to do something. She said that if Delois returns here many years later, I can look for the letter she left for Delois under that tree."

After speaking with the lord, Dekan was sent to the back mountain.

The lord also knew that Delois's return this time was not primarily for him, the old lord.

The sea of flowers still stretches across the cliff behind the Lord's Mansion.

The wind was gentle and the sun was warm; there was no one around. Dekan strolled through the mountains and fields without ever looking back.

He walked forward, the bright sunlight generously covering the flowerbeds around him.

At the far end, a towering ancient tree marks the destination the lord had mentioned.

Although the red-haired figure was no longer under the tree.

His footsteps still quietly disappeared into the grass, as if afraid of shattering the tranquility of her resting place amidst the sea of flowers.

As if by coincidence, the wind and clouds rose and fell, as if welcoming the gray-haired youth back, and the grass reflecting the warm sun seemed to ripple with waves.

Clodia's tombstone is not far from under the big tree.

Dekan looked at the tombstone before him with a complicated expression.

Looking at the tombstone before him, with Clodia's name engraved on it, Dekan felt an overwhelming pang of sorrow in his heart.

Following the lord's instructions, Dekan walked to the other side of the tree behind it.

A tightly sealed box was unearthed from the ground.

After opening the box, Dekan finally found the letter Clodia had written to Delois.

The letter paper, its incense long since burned out, was covered with twisted yet earnest writing. Seeing the strikingly familiar handwriting, Dekan couldn't help but chuckle.

Delois didn't see this last letter from Clodia to Delois until more than twenty years later.

Dekan carefully held the letter and sat down under the tree to read it.

The letter read:

"My dear Delois,"

I bet you're laughing right now, laughing at my ugly handwriting.

"You've laughed at me more than once. Actually, I get really hurt every time you criticize what I write. I secretly think, 'If only you could be a little more considerate, think about my feelings, and praise me.' Now I'm not afraid of you laughing at me anymore, so I'm telling you."

"But then again, I do like your occasional insincere smile, but sometimes I think you're too oblivious."

"But I don't blame you, you just don't understand."

When I'm alone, I often wonder, will you embark on a long, dead-end journey in the future? And will you ever come back here?

"Thankfully, I'm sleeping peacefully now. You'll only remember my most beautiful sleeping face. Living with immortals is truly a hassle."

"Otherwise, I wouldn't know how to express myself or how to respond when we meet again, even though you may already have a superficial understanding of human nature."

Do you know why I'm so interested in you?

"You always ask me this question, but I've never answered it. Now I'll tell you the answer."

"Only in your eyes do I see no pity, but you're not exactly indifferent either. You simply haven't experienced or can't understand compassion. But correspondingly, you don't treat me like a dying person. My father's eyes always break my heart; being with everyone who loves me fills me with immense sorrow."

"But you're different. When I'm with you, I never feel like I'm a patient. It's a feeling of being able to forget all my troubles, not having to pass on my sadness to you, and being completely free."

"You're clearly the smartest person I've ever met, yet you've never been able to see through my thoughts. I was wondering back then, if I didn't tell you the answer, could you figure it out yourself? Or maybe I had a mischievous thought; I liked the troubled and conflicted look on your face when you were observing me. You're clearly hard to understand, yet to me, you're so easy to understand."

"Despite your somewhat wicked personality and devilish ways of doing things, the amazing thing is that I have never felt the slightest bit of disgust towards you. You are my one and only best friend, and it was you who filled every day of my last three years with joy and anticipation."

Whether this feeling is love or not, I want to get a little closer to you.

Even if I never see you again, as long as our memories continue to exist here forever, that's enough.

"Your forever friend,"

"Clodia"

"..."

Dekan stared at the letter, frozen in place like a statue, uttering not a word.

He didn't know how he felt at that moment.

I felt as if my chest and eyes were blocked.

This feeling, however, made his suffering even more unbearable.

If Cornelia had written this to him, he knew he would feel an unprecedented heartache.

However, he did not want to immerse himself in it and experience Delois's sorrow.

He didn't want to feel sad for Delois, and couldn't even say for sure what Delois was feeling at that moment.

I checked the time limit; there were only a few hours left.

Dekan sat there in front of the tombstone, blankly waiting for the end of this Shadow World.

For some reason, perhaps due to the long journey or the exhaustion of the past six months, Dekan had finally relaxed completely, also began to feel sleepy.

Before he knew it, he had fallen down in the sea of flowers.

Dreams are a very magical thing.

Whenever I recall my dreams, they seem to be from both a first-person and a third-person perspective, and I can't quite tell the difference.

There was a figure amidst this sea of flowers.

I don't know if it's myself or Delois.

"To be honest, these past two decades have been absolutely crazy for me."

The gray-haired youth stood before the tombstone as if saying goodbye.

"I have given up my past, which once belonged to me."

"This doesn't seem fair."

"Sometimes I can't even understand my own actions. I only know that I can't escape your phantom."

"When will all this end? Will it be the moment I achieve my wish and truly win people's hearts?"

"But why do I feel fear when I think about understanding people's hearts...?"

"I understand neither humans nor demons anymore."

He gently held Clodia's letter in his hand, murmuring to himself.

"Perhaps I'm no longer so eager to understand people's hearts."

"But Clodia, I will continue my journey, continue to observe, learn, and understand."

"If I could see you again... if..."

******

Author's Note:

Volume 5 concludes here. Compared to the fast-paced Shadow World of the first four volumes, the Shadow World section of Volume 5 feels more like storytelling. As the novel nears its end, it focuses more on filling in plot holes. It's definitely noticeable that concluding the story is many times more difficult than starting it.

It's a bit like driving a race car. At the start, you can race freely with plenty of room to improvise, but the closer you get to the finish line, the more you need to carefully consider things to stop properly, and the less room you have to improvise. However, I've already successfully completed five of the seven volumes, and I believe I can write the final two volumes well, bringing this story to a satisfying conclusion.

Thank you all for your continued support. I am truly grateful. See you Xi Zhi for Volume 6, the Empire arc!