Chapter 228: The Truth of the Empire

The birth of the Empire flowed with sin and blood-tears from every pore.

"Is it truly a good thing for beasts to gain humanity? At least, when beasts are full, they do not overhunt, nor do they slaughter their own kind for empty glory, money, or righteousness, committing evils that beasts could never commit — Solomon Tirol."

For righteousness, for the so-called collective good, the bottom line of "humans" is often terrifyingly low.

"I lived in the Beast Realm for a while. I suddenly felt that humanity is actually quite good; at least, it is good most of the time. As humans, it is truly good that they have no interest in me on a daily basis — Solomon Tirol, covered in bite marks."

Setting aside this comical plane traveler, under "lofty interests," beings with humanity often do the most inhuman things.

"The Loyalty Breeding Institute, a breeding assistance structure rented by the Kingdom, with a miscarriage rate far exceeding the norm; its direct superior is the Kingdom's Steam Industry Department."

In just a few decades, the Kingdom leaped over centuries of accumulation by other nations, expanding wildly, yet the source of its technology was such a bizarre institution.

Praying to the "Whisperers" for knowledge, the most important thing is not even the price, but the "sincere petitioner."

The "Whisper" ritual can be twisted by the officiant; in those days, the Kingdom had a vast number of "Truth Cult Servants," who were masters at manipulating the rules.

But some core rules cannot be twisted: the content the "petitioner" seeks to know must be what they most desire to know from the bottom of their heart.

So, how does one directionally acquire a large number of loyal warriors in exchange?

Facts proved it was terrible; even the most loyal warriors, the softest place in their hearts might not be the nation they serve, but their relatives and family, causing their wishes to naturally go out of control.

And even if a wish succeeds by chance, the "benefit" obtained this way remains extremely unstable.

"Every 'Empire Mother' capable of stable wishing is precious; they are loyal and willing to dedicate themselves; they are willing to sacrifice everything for the birth of the Empire..."

Inside the broken breeding institute, crying and wailing were everywhere, with only a looping echo machine repeatedly playing ironic propaganda.

A vast number of "mothers" held their bellies, studying the so-called Empire Bible; their motherly, gentle smiles instead made people's scalps crawl.

Lex, being tongue-tied, simply played a segment of memory: his past, shocked by the Empire's darkness as it was gradually uncovered.

Those age-appropriate girls "cultivated" (brainwashed) became prime candidates for petitioners; they treated the Empire's needs as their own dreams, repeatedly performing wishes under the help of "Empire Librarians" to obtain precious knowledge.

Generally speaking, if lucky, a high-quality "Empire Mother" could be consumed four or five times until she could no longer conceive.

As for who the father was? Did that matter? The Empire's "Empire Mother" candidates were conventionally in the thousands, and at their peak, even over ten thousand.

Even with a success rate still under 10%, the return on investment was already invincibly high.

"Rosalind's mother was an Empire Mother. By the way, that name was also given by Griffin II; he dreamed of turning the Kingdom into an Empire. I highly suspect his other children were also consumed..."

The memory played for a while before being stopped again; too many nauseating images were not suitable for Li En, this "youngster."

This knowledge might be effective... but it came from "outside" and was utterly unscrupulous; the Soul-Melting Furnace, which melts souls, was merely one of the milder methods; vast amounts of biological, viral, and human experiments were merely "Empire routine," and the Empire's most famous war-golem corps was constructed from flesh and blood.

In less than a few decades, the Kingdom transformed from an obscure small nation into one of the few Empire candidates on the continent. Whether the rise of other Empires involved countless blood and tears is unknown, but this Empire's rise involved too many tears and sins.

This sin was not only against their own side, but also against other nations and other races.

Why do the nations conquered by it hate it so much today? Too many blood debts and hatreds did not completely vanish with the Kingdom's decline.

Even though the Great Red Dragon burned most of the "knowledge" and "memories," it could not completely erase the hatred and anger between people.

"Rosalind's mother wished at least thirty times; the data and knowledge exchanged piled up to fill an archive room, while what was exchanged for it was merely a single fetus. Heh, in the measurement of the Outer Gods, a beast's fetus is more durable than a human's."

Li En was stunned.

Beasts can be used like this?

Beasts' greatest strength has always been their incredibly robust vitality and regeneration traits; especially the Beast Kings, who are nearly immortal.

Therefore, when they are still fetuses, they can naturally be repeatedly drained.

In this dirty story, it is hard to say whether "humans" or "beasts" are more evil.

"I do not know how much of 'human' remains after Rosalind's birth, or if she is merely tea dregs filtered and drained."

Lex spoke words he himself could not trust; she was the love of his life, perhaps, also the love of his life that was a mistake.

"But one thing was verified later: she hated the Kingdom, hated humanity, and hated all life."

"I do not know if she truly loved me; I really do not know... I do not know if that past sweetness was real or a scam; I do not even know if she still has the function to love. If possible, help me verify it."

The past played out again; Lex never felt he deserved the title of Hero.

He was just a fool, a big fool.

Perhaps he really should have stayed quietly in the countryside, marrying an unattractive but energetic country girl.

He was bewitched by the luxury of the dream of the metropolis and the Kingdom's prosperity, thinking everything he did was righteous; yet, did those external wars and internal suppressions truly have any righteousness?

When he vaguely sensed something was wrong and prepared to leave completely, he was bewitched and bound by love and family. Lex still does not know whether it was Griffin II or Rosalind herself who "set the trap" back then.

Just as he said, he does not even know which one was more evil... These two were the chess players of this game, scheming against each other in every aspect, while he was the stupidest yet most powerful pawn.

"I did many stupid things; when I wanted to turn back, I could no longer even control my own flesh..."

Who did it? Who could stuff evil spells into the body of an invincible Hero? Lex knew the only answer that caused such pain.

The past was blind obedience and foolishness; awakening and trying to turn back, he completely became a killing machine and a tool.

"Victory Day Celebration? I want to laugh. Who do you guess unsealed the neighboring nation's 'Elephant'? Without this foolish yet strongest sword, who could easily pierce the sealed underground dungeon and sever that still relatively intact Beast Seal?"

That was a memory: a doll-like "Lex," following the legion as they charged into the neighboring nation's underground dungeon.

These were still among the Empire's actions, not even the most inhumane kind.

The knowledge from extraterrestrial demons shaped countless tragedies, against their own citizens, and even more so against those conquered nations.

In this process, everyone reaped the benefits; the Empire's soldiers were even the death gods and masters of other nations; the incubation pools for vast amounts of new weapons and technology were all other nations.

Small fishing villages like Radiance City were fine; in those days, the Empire's major cities had several war and debt slaves even among the common people.

Lex was recounting, yet also engaging in self-confession without seeking forgiveness.

Or perhaps merely hoping this history would not be forgotten by the world; of course, it might also be to release an epic quest.

"The Great Red Dragon destroyed everything, disinfecting from the root; it should have destroyed most of the 'knowledge' and 'knowledge holders'... but some things should still remain outside. If you have the chance, destroy them! This is our mistake and our sin."

The Red Dragon's Hero smiled, rushing to disaster sites one by one, saving all the residents he could see.

Lex always smiled, but his heart was in unbearable pain... He could not even determine if these mortals before him truly deserved to be saved.

He did not even feel he was clean; his outrageous growth process also had the help of outside knowledge, and also countless "sacrifices."

"So, was the campaign to subdue the Demon King Elephant back then just a farce?"

"That's not it. According to Griffin's plan, he expected the 'Elephant' to cause chaos, making the Kingdom the savior and thus becoming an Empire, but in the end, the Elephant charged straight toward the Old Capital. It looks like Rosalind is up to something."

That era, that nation, became the chessboard for a game between "father and daughter."

The father possessed most of the Kingdom, while the daughter possessed the strongest piece—the foolish Lex Thorne.

"What role did Marianna, Dai Niya's mother, play in this? Was she helping Griffin?" "No, she knew nothing. She was likely the only sane person in the royal family within Griffin's script. If he couldn't become the true King of the Griffins, then the second-generation emperor had better be clean. She was well-protected and deliberately isolated from those darknesses."

Lex sighed; his feelings for Marianna were also quite complex.

The two were a purely political marriage, and their relationship had been quite terrible before.

"Before the war against the 'Elephant,' with Marianna's help, I broke free from my bonds. So as atonement, I took the initiative to organize the campaign against the 'Elephant.' Later, when I returned to the Capital, I intended to take revenge. But by then, Rosalind was already pregnant."

The bewildered Heroine walked into the streets, where crowds celebrating victory were everywhere, and crowds shouting her name were everywhere.

Before her stood her weeping, repentant wife, and the innocent child in her womb.

Should she draw her sword and start slaughtering? Marianna had helped her; she was innocent, and most ordinary people in the Empire were probably innocent too.

In the end, Rosalind was imprisoned, and under Griffin's arrangement, that bloody wedding took place.

"The Marianna at the wedding was Rosalind in disguise. I died at that wedding because I didn't want to be controlled anymore. I didn't even know when they switched places again. Maybe Rosalind was powerful, or maybe Marianna was soft-hearted. Whatever, it doesn't matter at all."

No one could kill the invincible Heroine; only himself. The Heroine's sword, held in reverse, pierced his heart.

"You really are shameful."

"Ha, indeed."

What happened during and after the wedding, Lex did not know, because he was already dead.

But from the current intelligence, the Night and the Beast Horde descended on that night.

Rosalind and Griffin completely fell out; both sides used all their pieces. The Beast Horde and the Imperial Legions engaged in destructive battles and slaughter in the Capital.

Yet Li En learned of Lex's death from a dream, which triggered certain verification systems, leading to the arrival of the Great Red Dragon.

In a sense, this scene of hell was also caused by the Thousand-Faced Dragon, Lex. Thus, the Great Red Dragon had the authority to intervene and delivered a single, devastating deep breath.

Li En was also numb; it was truly chaotic enough.

Did Rosalind have no feelings for Lex? Li En didn't think so; that mad look didn't seem like acting at all.

Perhaps it was just as Rosalind had shouted earlier in the side hall.

If Marianna hadn't stopped the two from eloping the first time, letting them run off to live in the countryside, none of the subsequent events would have happened.

"You seem to have forgotten the main point. What about Dai Niya? What exactly is going on with her!"

"She..." Lex sighed. Among the countless wicked things he had done, this was one of the most despicable.

"My marriage to Marianna was actually a compromise between me and Griffin, and also Griffin's warning to Rosalind. No one expected her to completely turn against him."

Alright, Li En suddenly understood: you still loved Rosalind in the end; marrying Marianna was just for revenge.

But at that moment, Lex actually had no choice. Would he rebel against the Empire and destroy the peace and stability he had so hard-won?

Both Griffin and Rosalind saw right through him.

They knew that as long as he bowed his head and admitted his mistake, Lex would not draw that invincible sword. Even now, Lex was incredibly regretful about his past foolishness and hesitation.

But in the end, he was just a sword. Even invincible and undefeated, he was still just a sword held in the hands of those in power.

His reason, his restraint, his benevolence and righteousness, ironically became the shackles he could not break free from back then.

"The political situation at the time required a marriage between me and the royal family; Marianna was the only choice. Although Marianna was furious, she gritted her teeth and accepted it. She was willing to marry someone she hated for the stability of the Empire. Then, within the three days before the wedding, we used secret arts to conceive Dai Niya, preparing to announce it at the wedding to stabilize public sentiment."

If Li En had a face, he would definitely be covering it right now. What kind of situation is this?

If everything had gone smoothly, the Kingdom would have become an Empire, Griffin II would have become the true Great Griffin, and Lex would still be a sword in the other's hand to this day—perhaps just with a different sword-holder.

He might have used his power to make the Empire act a bit more human, but an Empire that has developed should have entered its period of redemption anyway. What meaning would salvation have at that point? Besides, could he alone change the course of that massive train's inertia?

"You really are shameful." Li En confirmed the Snake's judgment; this Heroine was truly shameful! Simply bringing shame to the Thousand-Faced Dragon!

Lex sighed; he also knew he was truly useless, but some things remained in the shadows.

He was just a sword, a sword invincible on the front lines. Too many things were hidden within, and he did not know them. The conditions for the Great Red Dragon to attack the land were quite strict; back then, the Empire must have had many other secrets.

Only if deemed an enemy of the plane, an enemy of civilization, a world-destroyer, and only if the cost of the Empire's destruction was lower than its continuation, could that dragon breath possibly fall.

"Look at the truth progress; it's still only 54%. Go help me find out why the Great Red Dragon wanted to destroy everything, what else happened that day, and what world-ending disaster remains in the Empire's past shadows."

After pondering for a moment, he dug a huge pit for Li En.

"For some reason, I always feel that with Griffin's abilities, he shouldn't have died so easily. As long as he lives, he remains a hidden danger to the entire world."

Li En fell silent. He wondered if he had taken the wrong world line. Why were the missions so deadly one after another? Was this something he could handle?

"By the way, if you want to save the Kingdom, save it; I'm not forcing you. If it gets destroyed, it's actually deserved. But if possible, help me take care of Dai Niya and her mother. They are the most innocent, especially little Dai Niya. Although the 'Owl' was blasted half to death and doesn't need to worry about revival in the short term, only Dai Niya being strong enough can completely avoid this hidden danger."

Li En was speechless. Did he look like he had the ability to save a country? And regarding the "Owl" you mentioned, is that Rosalind, or the "Beast" in the seal?

Thinking this way, even the prophecy was true; Dai Niya was indeed the second princess of this generation.

"Both are. Currently, Dai Niya's bloodline seems very stable, but you must still be careful."

Lex spoke as if he was entrusting his final affairs. Li En guessed he was already preparing to run away, planning to sneak out of the city at night and spend a night in the wild, dumping this entire mess on himself when he returned to the city the next day!

"Why be so distant? We are one person. What's mine is yours; my pot is your pot."

"I %%&*...!"

Li En also enjoyed the pleasure of cursing at himself once. He finally understood why those heroic souls hated Li En Sudar so much.

Digging a pit for yourself that you fall into yourself is truly something else.

However, the thing Lex most wanted to entrust was not spoken out loud because it was truly too shameful!

"Turtle, you wouldn't still want to know if Rosalind's feelings for you were genuine, would you? Did she ever truly love you?" But this desire was too strong, and Li En knew it anyway.

Lex's silence was perhaps the most shameful answer.

And at this moment, Li En made up his mind: he would rather be a scumbag later than be such a shameful innocent fool.

Unknowingly, Lex had already reached the edge of the city. It seemed he was about to go "missing" for a day.

But the two figures blocking the city gate also seemed to indicate that this single-celled Heroine had been seen through long ago.

"Oh, Mary, little Dai Niya, such a nice day—coincidence?" Lex forced a greeting.

"Father, is it true, as Mother said, that you plan to abandon us and run away again?" Faced with his "daughter's" tearful gaze, Lex instantly crumbled.

"How could I? How could I? Little Dai Niya, do you want to fly high? Shall I take you up to the clouds?"

"No, I want you to make up with Mother." It seemed Dai Niya had sensed something was off.

Instantly, the "embarrassing Hero" Lex was drenched in sweat.

(End of Chapter)