Ch.413The Road to Lake Ariel (1)

“Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhh….. To think the 11th continent is already ending… Something must be wrong here…”

Squish, squish.

The Sun complained while stretching his wife’s cheeks like pudding.

Their current destination was Lake Ariel, the final attraction of Euphemia, the 11th continent. Did this mean that the time left to enjoy this peaceful and leisurely adventure was coming to an end?

Still, what provided some consolation was that this attraction was meant for Raisha the Moon, not Viktor the Sun.

“This place is for you, so you should go down alone this time. Men like us have no right to dip our feet in that beautiful lake.”

“Really… Are you sure that’s okay?”

“Of course. You’ll tell me all about it in bed anyway.”

“Really!”

Raisha laughed as she thumped her husband’s chest. Each time she did, her bouncing bosom stimulated her husband’s desires, but the Sun had far more important matters to attend to than soaking the bedsheets. He rose from his seat and connected to the communication network where hundreds of thousands of representatives were waiting for him.

-Have you been waiting?-

-No. We just arrived as well.-

-I see. So… what about the matter I asked you to look into? That… ‘Shadow Alliance’?-

Even if they posed no threat to the Sun himself, that didn’t mean they were insignificant to mortals. The greatest enemy of humans has always been other humans—a long-standing tradition since the days of Old Earth. If the members of the Shadow Alliance couldn’t be identified, there was a high possibility of internal strife among his followers.

To prevent this, the Sun’s subjects across the 13 continents had to do their utmost to uncover these shadows.

-We’ve managed to uncover some information about those vile traitors, but as is typical of such evil entities, they’re remarkably skilled at cutting off loose ends. Despite having destroyed over 40 nations, their leadership remains hidden.-

-Perhaps there is no central leadership to speak of. Organizations like these form around specific purposes, and once they begin to gather, extremists tend to emerge regardless of leadership structure. Those who are still holding back are likely getting restless by now.-

-I think so too. They fear righteous judgment. Especially the rebellion of those they’ve trampled upon. Keep a close eye on rulers who suddenly change their attitude. Those who only used the whip but now offer carrots will stand out.-

-Finding such individuals isn’t difficult… but what should we do after finding them?-

-Leave them be for now. If they’ve genuinely had a change of heart, they can join the new empire. If it’s merely a formality, they won’t escape righteous judgment.-

-Understood, Your Majesty.-

If they truly began treating their citizens better out of fear of judgment, that was a positive development in its own way. Of course, they would need to put in considerable effort to be forgiven for their past sins, but the fact that they showed remorse meant they had the capacity for repentance. There was no reason not to embrace them warmly. If the empire were to reject and judge even such individuals, it would have to wage war for at least ten years.

But for those exploiters and dictators who showed not even the slightest remorse—who didn’t offer carrots but merely let their subjects smell them—the loyal followers of fervor would soon point their blades at them. The day their power would crumble was not far off.

*

And as if to prove this, on the 22nd day of the 17th month of 1204, the castle ruled by Kishinami Wellington, a tyrant affiliated with the Shadow Alliance, fell to the forces led by Ludwig Nguyen, a monarch who followed the Lord of Fervor.

“You’re being difficult, tyrant.”

“Grrgh… you bastard…!”

As befitting a head of state, Kishinami resisted to the end alongside his royal guard, resulting in the annihilation of his guards and his own pathetic crawling on the ground after being dragged from his throne.

“He whispered to me through a remote conference… Purification! Purify the impure ones and cleanse the world. And you, wielding power unjustly seized, never considered the suffering of the common people dying under your rule. You were capable of self-reflection… you can’t deny that, can you?”

“Kahahk!”

With a sound mixing laughter and screams, a wobbling mass of blood spurted from Kishinami’s mouth. The fragments of his crushed internal organs continued to gurgle unpleasantly, spewing blood even after hitting the floor.

“Kheuk! Khuhuhuhu… Damn that Sun…! Do you think he’s any different? You must know what he did to Long Legs?”

“Those traitors received their just punishment. Having disregarded the very existence of the Sun, it was only fitting that their existence be erased by the Sun’s hand.”

“This is why I can’t stand you religious types. Put yourself in others’ shoes… or the Golden Rule? Whatever. Are you saying you can justify what you do, but can’t rationalize what others do?”

Kishinami glared at Ludwig with a face full of mockery. It was a face showing no regret, not the slightest sign of remorse.

“What nonsense. Justification and rationalization…? Do you think obeying the commands of a god who transcends humanity can be placed on the same level as the massive violence perpetrated to satisfy your base desires in the most one-dimensional way? I see now that my belief in your capacity for self-reflection was merely my delusion. Soon, the Sun will come to judge your soul.”

“Hehehehe… The Yangwol Order was quite nice. Hit them and money would come out. Good impact, you know?”

At those words, an incensed Ludwig kicked Kishinami’s face with his foot.

A couple of teeth came loose from the wobbling gums and rolled away like acorns, and Kishinami’s face, already contorted with pain, was now so disfigured he could barely open his eyes.

“To blaspheme against the divine even in the face of death. Only those who have fallen beyond redemption can behave this way. I hope the Sun shows you mercy.”

“F…u…c…k…y…o…u…”

Uttering his final words full of defiance, Kishinami died. It was a fitting end for a usurper who had routinely engaged in dictatorship and oppression, and no one mourned his death.

The territories he ruled would incorporate some prime regions into Nguyen’s domain, while the rest would become independent free towns and cities. For the first time, they would be able to determine their own destiny, free from tyranny.

*

Meanwhile, the priests of Lake Ariel were receiving divine revelation from the moon floating on the lake, glowing in the night.

When the oracle proclaimed that the Moon of the earth would soon descend upon this lake and they should prepare accordingly, the priests wore expressions suggesting they had been expecting this, and began accelerating the nearly completed preparations to welcome the great figure.

This was a sanctuary dedicated to the Moon. Even for the Sun, there are places his divinity cannot reach. Of course, as the creator of this world, the Sun could “if he so desired” break the inviolability of this lake, but since this lake was dedicated to his wife Maria, he would not do such a thing.

Besides, apart from its beauty, the lake had no particular value.

“For over 100,000 years, the Moon has not descended, but finally, breaking through that long wait, the Moon comes to this lake. Priests of Ariel, as these great beings descend, cast aside impure thoughts and purify your bodies. Men shall not grow beards, and women shall not wear makeup. There shall be no rest for those who present barbaric hair or lewd cosmetics before the Moon’s countenance.”

Following the high priest’s orders, the devotees of Lake Ariel purified themselves through ritual ablution, filling their hearts and minds with purity and driving out carnal desires.

The devotees renowned for their beauty wore masks and robes to avoid arousing lust, and children, being difficult to control, were sent on temporary field trips to nearby cities with generous sums of money. Though this meant temporary separation from their families, surely even bandits would not dare to harm the Moon’s devotees.

“Clean the lake. Do not allow impure trash to appear before the great ones’ divine visage. Fish out everything from floating plastic to tiny fishing lines and burn them. By doing so, this lake will once again receive the Moon’s blessing.”

Next came the cleaning. A massive cleaning operation covering the entire Lake Ariel began, and the pollution that had accumulated knowingly or unknowingly amounted to 6,000 tons.

The priests sprinkled holy oil and burned it all, and the white smoke rising toward the clouds formed a shape resembling an ascending dragon.

And in the distance, a warship piercing through the clouds, blessed with the divinity of the Sun and Moon, was heading toward Lake Ariel.