Monument (2)

Han Mingxuan looked at Curze, his son, whom he had taught for only a few years, yet who had now become so outstanding.

Pride surged in his heart.

That's my son!

"Everyone, today's glory does not belong to me alone, and I will not keep it for myself."

"This glory belongs to you, to everyone who built Nostramo."

"And it also belongs to my guide, my revered teacher, my father."

"Father of Night!"

"Father of Night!"

"Father of Night!"

This was no performance.

Everyone living on Nostramo was deeply grateful to Han Mingxuan.

These were not empty words, but the truth.

Was the Grand Inquisitor of Eternal Night powerful?

Of course he was.

In just a few years, he had brought about Nostramo's rebirth and transformed the character of the entire planet.

He was undoubtedly powerful, like a savior god from legend.

But Nostramo had no savior.

As Curze had said, what Nostramo had most of was darkness, sin, and corruption.

But why had Curze become the man who brought change to Nostramo?

Why was he the one who lit the torch of Nostramo's future?

The key lay in one mortal.

A learned miner.

Konrad Curze's father, the founder of the Evernight Code, the torchbearer of Nostramo's rebirth, the Father of Night, Han Mingxuan.

No one could imagine what Curze would have become without the Father of Night.

Perhaps an extreme believer in order.

But what kind of believer in order could an eternally dark world like Nostramo produce?

Paranoid, dark, gloomy, and twisted.

Without Han Mingxuan, those would have been Curze's defining traits!

Without the Father of Night, the Inquisitor of Eternal Night would have become a lord of midnight, a judge of darkness, a bloody executioner.

That was why they thanked the Father of Night from the bottom of their hearts.

"Everyone, I have finally lived to see this day. I have finally lived to see the day light came to Nostramo."

"Only today can I finally say with pride that Nostramans, too, can stand in the sunlight and have a bright future."

"We must create that future with our own hands."

"But today, Nostramo's monument belongs to every Nostraman ever born, every Nostraman living now, and every Nostraman yet to be born!"

"The glory is with you all, and the monument was forged because of you!"

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Fifty Thunder Warriors, clad in newly crafted armor of exquisite workmanship, worked together to carry a massive stone monument.

Moving gently, they set the monument securely upright in the square.

An unbroken series of reliefs covered the monument.

It told the story of Nostramo's rebirth.

From the bloody purges at the very beginning to the construction efforts now beginning to bear fruit.

The names of every outstanding person were densely engraved on the back of the monument.

Han Mingxuan had personally carved them, one character at a time.

This was the Father of Night's mercy to them, and his recognition of them.

When the monument was set down, the festivities truly reached their peak.

All of Nostramo was celebrating.

Only the Eternal Night Justiciar Legion was different.

Watching this moment of rebirth, they shared in its pride.

But to them, this was not the greatest reward.

In their view, as members of Nostramo's people, someone needed to stand guard over the planet on its most festive day.

The celebrations continued, and the people's admiration and the nobles' visits and praise went on for three full days.

"Nostramo is wonderful like this, Dad."

"Yes. This is the kind of world people should live in."

Hum.

The light in the room dimmed, and a cool sensation swept over them.

Immediately afterward, the Night Haunter, Konrad Curze, appeared before father and son.

"Father, and my brother."

Looking at the Night Haunter now, both Han Mingxuan and Curze could hardly take their eyes off him.

He had changed far too much.

When he first appeared, he had looked like a bat that had cultivated into a spirit.

But now?

Apart from his skin, which remained as pale as ever, his whole bearing had changed enormously.

His gaze was calm and serene, and his entire body radiated an aura of nobility and dignity.

It was obvious at a glance.

He was unquestionably a just and dignified judge.

No one could have connected him with that crazy bat.

"I told you, you'd be handsome if you cleaned yourself up," Han Mingxuan said with a smile.

"So you really are human. Still, you're not as handsome as me," Curze said with a smile.

Compared to the Night Haunter's pale skin, Curze's own complexion was actually closer to wheat-colored.

During that year of construction on Nostramo, both Curze and Han Mingxuan had taken part.

During that time, Curze had gotten to know a Thunder Warrior squad and earned their recognition.

Though those big guys unanimously agreed that Curze was underdeveloped.

Still, the young man was strong and worked like a beast, and even the Thunder Warriors had to respect that.

"I have news for you."

"What news?" Han Mingxuan asked.

"Our family might have a Huangpizi problem."

"There are Huangpizi here asking people to grant them human form too?" Curze said, puzzled.

The Night Haunter looked at his brother, glad that this new version of himself had rejected his own Warp Essence from the very beginning.

And had beaten his own Warp Essence into its shell with three punches along the way.

That had laid the foundation for his growth.

But at the same time, his precognitive ability had also weakened considerably.

Fortunately, his own appearance had made up for that.

"What a coincidence. Looks like we're going to have a visitor," Han Mingxuan said with a smile.

Huangpizi was always like that.

Whenever his sons achieved something, he would come here and take them on an expedition.

"Father, how should we... deal with him?"

"Of course we receive him with the proper courtesy. He is the Master of Mankind, after all."

"The Emperor is coming?" Only then did Curze realize.

"Yes, Curze. What must come will always come."

"But don't worry too much. Just be yourself, keep the original plan going, and do what we need to do."

"Do what we need to do?" Curze asked.

"Do you remember the first lesson I taught you?" Han Mingxuan asked.

"A person must stand tall between heaven and earth."

"Dad, I've always remembered that."

Han Mingxuan patted Curze on the shoulder, deeply gratified.

"That's right. When you meet him, remember: it's nothing more than a young man meeting a middle-aged man."

"Be proper, neither servile nor arrogant, and show him the spirit a person ought to have."

"I see. So everything just carries on as usual."

"That's right. Everything carries on as usual."