Chapter 12: Summit of the Far Sea Holy Mountain
Mycroft Continent, Southern Sea Region, Frontier Far Sea.
The boundless blue sea of the south was perpetually shrouded in overcast clouds, with storms raging violently, as if rejecting all outsiders.
But amidst the churning whirlpools and tidal surges, a gray-white island stood tall, hidden within mist and waves, allowing the surging sea to crash freely against the reefs on its cliffs, appearing utterly indestructible.
In the legends of seafarers, this was not the true form of the gray-white island. If one day the storms of the far sea ceased and the overcast clouds dispersed, then within the surging waves, a pure white, towering mountain would appear, reaching into the clouds. It was the Holy Mountain of the Far Sea.
And now, atop this holy mountain, within a palace built of white stone, two figures were conversing.
One was an old man with a weathered face, wearing a simple white robe, holding a pure white scepter in his hand. He sat on a crystal chair, his gaze calm as he looked at the other person.
The other was a middle-aged knight in silver armor, his face bearing the marks of wind and frost, his eyes filled with exhaustion and confusion.
"Loranda, my child, your heart is troubled."
The old man spoke slowly, his voice gentle yet carrying an undeniable authority.
The knight, Loranda, took a deep breath, then spoke in a low tone: "Father, Your Holiness the Pope, I... I truly do not understand. Why must we continue this meaningless sacrifice? Vichy is dead, the fifth one. Every one of them was the finest knight of the church, their futures infinitely bright, yet they all died in that accursed plague land."
His voice grew agitated, and he continued: "Since I achieved martial success, I have been fighting in the Western Mountain Plague Land, battling those most evil beings, fulfilling my duty. My heart was fervent, even when I approached death several times, I never doubted my faith. But!"
At this point, his voice slowed, as if forcing the words through clenched teeth: "...They are all dead. The people around me have changed five times now. They all died. Every one of them was the church's finest knight, their futures infinitely bright, so many... I originally thought I could endure it, but in the end, I discovered that my heart is not unbreakable."
"Vichy's death this time finally made me begin to doubt the meaning of my oath and the meaning of battle. After this battle, I thought for a long time."
Having said this, Loranda's voice returned to calm. He faced the old man who had remained silent until now, expressionless: "Godfather, Your Holiness the Pope, I don't understand. Whether it's the Plague Land of the Western Mountain or the Sealed Land of the Northern Empire's Northern Territory, what is the meaning of allowing these chaotic tumors to cling to our world?"
"...For flowers to bloom, they must cling to soil; for rootless duckweed to drift, it must float on rivers."
Iger listened to his godson's questioning, thought for a moment, then answered softly: "Just as people need food and fire needs fuel, if the orderly world wishes to persist, it can only rely on the burning of chaos as its source."
"The flame was poured out a thousand years ago. Without these tumors as a source of fuel, the fire on the Mycroft Continent would have long since extinguished."
In a few words, the old man revealed the truth of the matter, but the knight's face was full of confusion, his expression troubled. Although he knew his godfather had not deceived him and had given a true answer, he could not understand it.
Seeing Loranda's expression, Iger smiled slightly, shaking his head: "I have given my explanation, my child. You truly cannot understand this now; it is far too early... A Gold Peak at twenty-seven, though very strong, has still not entered the Ultimate Realm. Without reaching the Ultimate Realm, telling you the causes and processes of these matters would be meaningless."
"How can it be meaningless!"
Hearing Iger's words, Loranda couldn't help but retort: "Godfather, you raised me after I lost my parents to political struggles. Although you are not my parents, you are more than that. Yet you are always so mysterious, refusing to reveal any truth!"
"The Plague Land—with your power, you could have completely eradicated it long ago. Legendary power is equal to a deity walking the mortal world. Even if you couldn't eradicate it, you could completely seal the space-time gate, sealing the Plague Land entirely, just like that Legendary Archmage of the Kaos Family four hundred years ago in the Northern Empire! But you do nothing, simply letting us use human lives to fill this bottomless pit!"
"Sealing it would only bring other sources. Although the space-time gate in the North was sealed, remnants remain. The cost and the reward are not proportional. And do you know what Kabala Kaos paid to accomplish that... Ah."
Suddenly sighing, the old man lost interest. He spoke slowly: "Iger, you don't understand. Some things are not as simple as wanting to do them. The Plague Land must be preserved for now. The only thing you can do is grow stronger in battle, so that your comrades' sacrifices are not in vain. Only when you become the next Pope of the Seven Gods Church, the successor of the Saint..."
He paused, then said to the knight word by word:
"Then, you will know the truth."
Loranda seemed about to argue further, but the pure white scepter in Iger's hand suddenly began to shimmer with light.
Both of their gazes fixed on the scepter, watching the light flicker and flow like breathing.
"Ah ha."
The old man laughed, the wrinkles on his face lifting slightly, appearing genuinely joyful.
The knight watched quietly from the side, astonished. He knew well that although his godfather was kind, he had not laughed so happily in a long time.
After the joy came silence.
"Go to the Northern Territory."
Iger suddenly spoke, addressing the knight. His expression was not joking but utterly serious: "Because of my oath, I cannot tell you anything. But if you truly wish to know what the truth is, you can go to the Sealed Land of the Northern Territory and take a look."
"There, you will find someone similar to me, and also similar to the future you."
Having said this, the old man raised his scepter, signaling the knight to withdraw.
Although Loranda was puzzled, his anger had been vented. His mind was also pondering the words Iger had spoken earlier, so the knight bowed and slowly withdrew.
After the knight left, the old man sat on his crystal chair, quietly gazing at the scepter in his hand.
At the top of the scepter, a faint flame, surrounded by countless halos, burned slowly.
(To be continued.)