The historians of the various countries in the Northern Continent all agreed that the Fourth Epoch was shrouded in a thick fog, preventing people from seeing its true appearance.
There were too many gaps and ambiguities in the records of this period of history. There were very few tombs, ancient cities, and documents unearthed, making it impossible to form an effective verification.
However, this didn't mean that no one had done the relevant research. It meant that there were still some ruins and information.
Klein was originally a fanatic of the history of the Fourth Epoch. He had read many papers and books, so he still remembered quite a bit of the content.
Be it the Solomon Empire, the Tudor Dynasty, or the Telun Sostel Empire, they all had similar architectural styles. They had architectural styles that defied common sense, were messy, asymmetrical, and loved black.
Among them, the most representative ones were the candlesticks that hung from the ceiling and the black walls that had patterns that resembled slashes.
It was precisely because of this that when Klein raised the lantern and saw the metal rods that extended down from the dome and the candlesticks embedded at the bottom, his first reaction was that this underground building belonged to the Fourth Epoch. It belonged to an ancient period that was shrouded in a thick fog, one that many historians and archaeologists found regrettable.
A few papers have mentioned that the number of candlesticks in different buildings is different. Although the three empires advocate asymmetrical beauty, they seem to have strict and detailed rules in all aspects … Three on the left and two on the right is the highest standard that ordinary people can enjoy. This is determined from the architectural layout and the remains of the houses … Klein raised his arm and raised the lantern high. As he slowly walked forward, he counted the candlesticks on both sides.
The hall was wider than he had expected. He walked at least a hundred meters before he saw the platform that was half a meter above the ground. Only then did he see the thick wall that marked the end.
There are 41 inverted candlesticks on the left, and 40 on the right. Th-this is a little exaggerated. What class does this belong to? A powerful noble? Man, the Antigonus family and the Zaratul family are nobles from the Fourth Epoch … They are also powerful and terrifying Beyonder families. The other powerful nobles shouldn't be too far off … Klein raised the lantern and continued forward. He saw the staircase on the side of the raised platform, and he saw the marks on the black stone bricks that looked like they had been carved by knives and axes.
Was it really a relic from the Fourth Era? As these thoughts flashed through Klein's mind, he relied on his keen eyesight and the light from the lantern to discover that there were two iron-black seats on the platform that was half a meter above the ground. They were huge and ancient, and they overlooked the seats below.
There were two of them!
Two? Why were there two of them? According to the layout, the seat here should belong to the person with the highest position and the greatest authority here, but there were actually two? Great aristocrats on par with each other? Two Earls, two Dukes, two Princes? Klein slowly began to feel that his historical knowledge was starting to lack.
He clearly remembered that many papers had mentioned that the three empires, Solomon, Tudor, and Telun Sostel, had a strict hierarchy. The hierarchy was clear and could not be crossed. Based on this theory, there should not be two leaders in a force.
"Strange …" Klein mumbled to himself, as though it was meant for Miss Bodyguard to hear.
"What's so strange about that?" An illusory and ethereal voice suddenly sounded behind him. In the dark, wide, empty, and silent ancient hall, it appeared especially eerie.
The corners of Klein's mouth twitched as he truthfully told her about the characteristics he had observed, the corresponding historical knowledge, and the areas he was puzzled about.
At the end, he added, "The ventilation here is very good. I wonder if there are any other entrances."
Miss Bodyguard, who was half-fused into the darkness, listened silently. She looked deeply at Klein and said,
"Why do you know so much?"
Because I'm a university student from the History department … Klein lampooned inwardly as he smiled.
"If I hadn't chosen to be a detective, perhaps I would have become a young historian with a conscience."
Miss Bodyguard didn't respond, nor did she vanish again. She floated onto the platform.
With the lantern in hand, Klein followed closely behind. He discovered that the platform was extremely large. It was nearly forty meters across and ten meters vertically.
"The architectural style is grand and gigantic. It's also one of the characteristics of the Fourth Epoch." He mentioned it casually and cautiously walked up to the two huge iron-black chairs. He raised the lantern and examined them carefully.
"It seems to be for a three or four-meter-tall giant to sit on … There are badge-like patterns on the back of the chair. On this side is a black crown … and on this side is a hand holding a scepter … I don't know what they symbolize …" Klein said to himself, not expecting Miss Bodyguard to answer.
However, the lady whose feet were floating off the ground suddenly spoke.
"This is the emblem of the Tudor family."
"Huh?" Klein looked over in surprise and realized that Miss Bodyguard was pointing at the hand holding the scepter.
Tudor family? Is this the relic of the Tudor Dynasty of the Fourth Epoch? Which member of the royal family did this palace belong to? Klein frowned slightly.
"Do you recognize the other badge?"
He could actually stand side by side with the members of the Tudor family!
Miss Bodyguard shook her head and did not speak.
Seeing this, Klein had no choice but to temporarily give up on the idea of studying it.
He said, "After the Tudor and Telun Sostel families established their respective empires, they maintained the style that originated from the Solomon Empire. For example, the inverted candlesticks, the chopped brand, etc. This doesn't conform to normal knowledge. If I were an emperor, even if I had to inherit many things from the past, I would still make certain changes to mark my uniqueness."
"Does this mean that the three empires have a hidden and unchanging connection?"
He guessed that the Solomon, Tudor, and Telun Sostel families all controlled the Black Emperor pathway, which was also the Lawyer pathway. Such a style was needed for acting!
Miss Bodyguard fell silent for a few seconds before saying a few words.
"Only an emperor can be called an emperor."
Does this confirm my thoughts? Klein didn't ask any further. With the lantern in hand, he circled around the two huge iron-black chairs, but he didn't discover anything else.
"Let's take a look forward," Klein suggested.
Before he could finish his sentence, Miss Bodyguard had already floated to the end of the platform, but the surrounding coldness and coldness didn't change.
After walking a few meters forward, Klein used the lantern's light to see seven tall and heavy black stone doors on the wall at the bottom of the hall. They were lined up in order — two on the left, one in the middle, and four on the right. It perfectly matched the Fourth Epoch's pursuit of asymmetry.
Klein handed his cane to the hand holding the lantern, casually tossed a coin, and whispered,
"We should start from the left."
Clang!
The copper penny tumbled down and landed in his palm, the portrait facing up.
"Let's go to the left." Klein took the lead.
Miss Bodyguard followed silently until she approached the door on the far left. Only then did she say,
"It's the same from the right."
In other words, it doesn't matter if I can divine it or not … The corners of Klein's mouth curled up as he raised the lantern and examined the symbols and patterns on the door.
It was dark black with resplendent embellishments, clustered around a crimson circle that was half-covered.
This … Klein's pupils suddenly constricted.
This is the Dark Sacred Emblem! This is the symbol of the Evernight Goddess!
In the Fourth Epoch, the Church of the Goddess supported the Tudor Dynasty? He thoughtfully pressed his hand on the stone door.
Creak!
Amidst the jerky and heavy grinding sounds, the black stone door slowly opened.
As the lantern's light shone in, the scene inside was outlined in Klein's eyes.
First was an empty space a few meters long and wide. It was also paved with dark black stone slabs, followed by a platform that was nearly a meter tall.
Klein carefully walked forward and raised the lantern, allowing it to illuminate what was on the platform.
A few seconds later, the fiery glow outlined a huge statue. It was about four to five meters long and almost occupied the entire end of the room.
It was a lady with a hazy but abnormally beautiful face. She supported her head with her right hand as she lay on the platform. She wore a black classical dress that was layered but not complicated. Beneath her head was a circle that radiated lines.
The lady's dress shimmered with specks of light. They were bright and resplendent gemstone fragments.
At a glance, it was as though Klein had seen the night and the stars.
In such a contrast, the circle under the lady's head was like a full moon.
This … Klein's thoughts seemed to freeze, but a guess was crazily charging in, about to burst out.
"Evernight Goddess?" Miss Bodyguard's tone carried a rare hint of doubt.
Be it in terms of symbolism or actual performance, it seemed to be a statue of a goddess! Klein's guess finally took shape and echoed loudly in his mind.
He remembered asking Captain Dunn Smith about one of the differences between evil gods and orthodox gods. The former had an image similar to an intelligent being, while the latter only had a Sacred Emblem formed from symbols!
And today, at this moment, in this ancient, strange underground building, he saw a statue that he suspected to be the Evernight Goddess. It was a completely humanoid statue!
Just the thought of what this meant made Klein shudder.
Could the Goddess have once been an evil god?
No … Maybe it's another evil god of the Evernight domain … But the Dark Sacred Emblem at the door is no different from the current one …
Or could it be that having the image of an intelligent being isn't the standard to distinguish between orthodox gods and evil gods? After all, the Captain's level wasn't high enough, and his understanding wasn't accurate enough.
It was also possible that the Tudor family had deliberately blasphemed the Goddess!
Yes, it could also be to use this to set up some strange ritual!
Thoughts jumped in Klein's mind, making him puzzled, nervous, and tense. He also felt that there was an indescribable and strange feeling here.
"Let's go take a look behind the other doors." After looking around and finding nothing else, Klein took a deep breath and took the initiative to speak.
I wonder what the remaining six doors correspond to. Are they equally evil and strange … he thought solemnly.
Miss Bodyguard nodded slowly.
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