CH 138

Rode was surprised and delighted.

He was surprised that he was going to meet the legendary king.

And he was delighted because it meant that he had passed the test, at least he wouldn't die.

He followed the jailer out of the dungeon, and a carriage adorned with flame patterns was parked in front of the prison.

The jailer opened the door, and as soon as Rode got on the carriage, it took off and flew deeper into the royal city.

The carriage was completely enclosed, and Rode couldn't see anything except for the strong sense of acceleration, indicating that the carriage was moving fast.

After a while, he felt a slight descent, and then the carriage gently jerked, indicating that they had landed.

The door was opened, and two priests in deep red robes slightly bowed.

"Mr. Rode, please follow us."

Rode got off the carriage, and a colossal building came into view.

It was oval-shaped, like a standing giant egg, covered with deep red stripes.

There was an immensely large square surrounding it, with a sunken center and walls sloping outward, resembling an unfolded flower.

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The priests stopped outside the high walls and gestured for Rode to enter on his own.

Rode could only walk towards the building alone. The empty square made him feel like he was sinking towards the center of the world.

The closer he got to the center, the smaller he felt.

When he reached the front of the giant building, he already felt as small as a speck of dust.

Rode saw the door, and just as he was about to push it open, the door opened automatically.

An old man, whose face resembled a wrinkled orange peel, walked out with an angry expression. He completely ignored Rode, and with a flash of light under his feet, he disappeared in an instant.

Rode felt a bit envious. He still didn't know the principle of flying, and if he wanted to fly, he could only rely on the Spirit Boat.

Perhaps he would be able to do it after becoming stronger.

Just as he was about to walk inside, another person came out from the door.

It was a middle-aged man with graying temples, firm eyes, thick beard, and a faint smell of tobacco.

He shifted his gaze to Rode and didn't ignore him.

"You are Rode, right? I am Dalin, the first defense chief of the General Military Department. You will be dealing with me in the future. I hope you can demonstrate your true value and dedicate your soul to humanity."

Rode was stunned and hadn't figured out how to respond when his figure turned into thin mist and dissipated in the air, as if he was just an illusion or a clone.

At that moment, another middle-aged man walked out.

His face resembled a cracked piece of wood, with two eyes, a nose, and a crooked mouth.

Rode had seen this person before. He was Horus, the Archbishop of the Holy Church, responsible for all the work of the church. However, the Pope was also the king, proving that Thalorian was a complete monarchy.

Horus glanced at Rode and said in a deep voice, "The king is waiting for you, go in."

A white light emanated from him, and his figure turned into a white comet, disappearing in an instant.

Rode had no choice but to walk inside alone. Inside was a long corridor with no one guarding it. At the end was a heavy door engraved with flame patterns.

Rode wisely chose not to push the door, but instead squeezed through the slightly open door crack.

As soon as he stepped in, a wave of heat hit him. It felt like he had entered a blazing furnace. The intense light made it impossible for him to open his eyes, and there was a strong sense of rejection pressing on his soul. But a warm breath also embraced him, trying to alleviate his discomfort.

A gentle voice came from a distance.

"Relax, don't be nervous. The power of the Holy Fire is too strong. The soul that encounters it for the first time may feel uncomfortable. Don't activate your spiritual vision, don't awaken your spiritual abilities, imagine yourself back in the embrace of your parents."

Rode followed the instructions and instantly felt a familiar atmosphere. The warm breath became stronger, and the light became gentle, no longer dazzling.

He opened his eyes, and at that moment, he felt like he had entered the world of fire.

As far as his eyes could see, there were surging golden flames.

The colossal flame pillars seemed to support the world, spreading golden light throughout the universe.

And under this magnificent blaze, there sat an incredibly tiny figure.

Although he was inconspicuous, Rode could still see him at a glance.

Is he the king?

Rode hesitated, not knowing whether to bow in place or walk over.

But the next moment, he didn't need to struggle anymore.

In a blink of an eye, the king was already in front of him.

He was a tall man, with the marks of time leaving an indelible trace on him, but his features still showed that he used to be a quite handsome young man. He was wearing a golden and white robe adorned with flame patterns, and a golden crown that resembled burning flames on his head. A powerful aura emanated from him, but his gaze was gentle, and there was a slight smile in his eyes as he looked at Rode.

"It seems you have some special talents."

He said with a smile.

"Please, have a seat."

He sat down right where he was.

Rode breathed a sigh of relief and quickly followed suit.

And so, against the backdrop of the overwhelming Holy Fire, Rode and the king sat facing each other, beginning their first conversation.

The king's voice was as gentle as his gaze, and he was cautious, as if afraid that his immense power would unintentionally harm others.

"Although this is our first meeting, I have already heard a lot about your deeds."

The king said with a hint of teasing.

"The King of the Sewers, the Hunter of Cults, the Public Lover of the Street Crossroads, the Collector of Strange Fire Seeds, the Enduring Fighter, the Quick Shooter."

Rode's face immediately turned dark.

Aren't you the king? Why are you so unprofessional?

When did I become a public lover? Did you sell my dolls? And how am I both quick and enduring?

"It's all a misunderstanding."

Rode defended himself.

"These are prejudices and distortions. I only occasionally go to the sewers and have never developed any relationships beyond friendship with anyone."

The king chuckled, "Save those words for Miss Green Feather. It's the first time I've seen someone infuriate Amado to such an extent. Make sure to comfort her when you get back."

Rode was taken aback.

Amado? The old man with the orange peel complexion? Green Feather had infuriated him to near death?

No wonder he looked so angry.

So, Green Feather had made a special trip here?

She's indeed reliable!

I'm definitely sticking with her!

"However, Rode,"

The king sighed slightly.

"You've caused us a big trouble."

Rode immediately responded, "That Grand Judge is definitely a doomsday cultist. He belongs to the sect of the Descendants, has consumed the shell of an ancient god, and possesses two soul traits. He yearns for the old master to descend and alleviate his pain and fulfill his wishes. As long as you investigate him thoroughly, you will definitely find clues."

The king looked slightly surprised.

"How did you know?"

"He told me."

"So you dared to kill him?"

"Yes."

The king's expression became complicated:

"But you shouldn't have killed him like that. Amado is very angry about your public actions. Although we have decided to release you, your punishment will not be waived."

He took out a crystal from his pocket.

"You are charged with three counts of contempt of law. You must clear your guilt within a year. Before your atonement is completed, you are not allowed to use any of your honors, and all salaries and personal equipment will be suspended."

"You will be assigned to carry out high-risk missions. The General Military Department will send someone to contact you about the specific situation."

Rode breathed a sigh of relief. This punishment was not too heavy, and it might even be an opportunity for him.

As long as he could find a way to create the "Stone of Resurrection", even the most dangerous missions would not be a problem.

The king handed the crystal to him.

"This is your Resonance Crystal. It records your guilt and honor. Keep it safe. If you lose it, you will have to compensate the Holy Church with a thousand silver coins to remake it."

Rode carefully took the crystal and asked, "What if there aren't enough missions to clear my guilt?"

The king laughed, "That's impossible. Even if there aren't enough missions, your other meritorious deeds will also reduce your guilt, such as capturing doomsday cultists."

Rode was slightly dissatisfied, "Does the Grand Judge count?"

The king shook his head slightly.

"For some special reasons, we cannot disclose Greygrove's information. In fact, we have long suspected him. Although we cannot confirm his identity, we have noticed some abnormal behaviors."

Rode frowned, feeling a bit angry:

"Why didn't you arrest him then? Or monitor him closely? Do you know how many people he has killed?"

The king's expression became somewhat indescribable:

"Rode, you need to know that so far, Greygrove's contributions still far outweigh his guilt. Even including the Sword Pass, it's the same. This is his Resonance Crystal."

He took out another crystal, slightly infused it with spiritual power, and countless words appeared on the crystal.

They were all Greygrove's past records. The green ones were his merits, and the red ones were his mistakes.

Each line had a number at the end.

When summed up at the bottom, his honor was 9109, and his guilt was 2211.

Rode glanced at his own crystal. His entries were much shorter than Greygrove's. While it was all green, the bottom was red. The total was 151 for honor and 1000 for guilt.

The king said, "I've always disagreed with using numbers to measure a person, because it means that if you save a hundred people, you can kill a hundred people. But the pressure on Thalorian has been too great in recent years. We have to use every bit of power we can, even if it's a venomous snake. We will use it before it causes devastating damage. The sacrifices that result from this are inevitable."

"The key point is, the sect of the Descendants is a deeply hidden sect. We wanted to use him to draw out more traitors. Too strict monitoring would not only be noticed but would also involve too much power."

"The loss of the Sword Pass this time is regrettable, but it also gave us a good opportunity. But you killed him directly, and our clues were cut off. This is one of the reasons why Amado is so angry."

Rode didn't say anything.

Although it was cruel, he could understand. To save the majority, killing the minority was a choice that didn't need to be made here.

The king said softly, "In order to survive, we must give up some things."

Rode looked up and saw a fire flickering in the king's eyes.

"So, I hope you can grow up faster. Only with more rising stars can we stand proudly on this land, have human dignity, and not have so many helpless sacrifices and tragedies."

The boundless holy fire burned behind him, making him look like some kind of solidified belief.

Rode couldn't help but ask, "Then why don't you stop the infighting among the candidates? Why have you been reclusive in recent years? Are your thousand wives fun?"

The king's expression became very complicated and obscure in an instant.

He said softly:

"Rode, it seems you have some misunderstandings. I only have one lover. The law about companions is an ancient tradition that I find hard to change. The competition among the candidates is deliberately indulged by the elders. They believe that the king needs some non-violent means to integrate the internal affairs. Competition helps to enhance their qualities, but excessive competition is not our intention. We will take steps to stop it."

"As for my behavior in recent years, I can't tell you for now. You will understand in the future."

--- Off-topic ---

I'm really split... I'll resume normal updates tomorrow. All the owed updates will be made up by Ah Shan in the future.