No one had ever thought that Zaku, who seemed ordinary and even a little dispirited, would have such an incredible past.
The current state of the world was largely due to an adventure that he had led.
During the war-torn era, a group of daring adventurers coincidentally obtained powerful ancient weapons while exploring the ruins. They ambitiously wanted to use the weapons in their hands to end the war and discrimination of the entire world. Thus, they formed a terrifying knight group. With the help of those powerful ancient weapons, the knight group swept through every country in the world. However, two members of the original adventurer group couldn't accept such a method of killing, so they broke up with their companions and retreated to the countryside. Three hundred years later, the thirteen adventurers who fought endlessly with passion and immature sense of justice had become the Holy Knights and Holy Pontiff that ruled the world. However, the two people who broke up with the adventurer group gradually became a sloppy and dispirited middle-aged uncle and a taciturn housewife (?). When the wheel of fate began to roll again, the super civilization that had shaped the world once again returned, and the best friends who had once broken up with each other reunited. They sat opposite each other and wept endlessly for three hundred years — I began to suspect that Zaku was actually the main character.
Three hundred years was enough to change a lot of things, especially the hearts of mortals. This was Sandora's sigh. The story of Zaku and the Holy Pontiff whose real name was Rudaph made many people sigh with emotion. Even Her Majesty the Queen was no exception. In all fairness, their story was not even worth mentioning when compared to the grand battle that Sandora had experienced. However, when it came to something like fate, it didn't just depend on how grand it was.
The Holy Pontiff who had thrown away his artificial skin had now turned into a bright ball of light that vibrated at high speed. It seemed that he didn't care about his current appearance at all. I really didn't know if the three hundred years had made him familiar with this appearance, or if the changes in his life form had destroyed his normal human nature. When this little ball of light brought us into the hall of the palace, there were already twelve other members of the Church. They were also dressed in thick robes and wore masks on their faces. They were the highest rulers of the Church of Elysium other than the Pope. They were the twelve knights who had teleported the entire world with their immortal bodies and superhuman achievements.
In Zaku's words, they were the twelve people who had fought with him more than three hundred years ago — the world had changed.
"Pope?!"
The unimportant people in the hall had already been dismissed, and only the twelve knights were waiting for us. They all seemed preoccupied, and when they saw their Pope appear in his true form, three or four of them involuntarily rose to their feet and cried out in unison.
"Calm down. You can call me Rudaph now." The shrill voice came out from the small light-ball beside Zha Gu. It sounded a little comical compared to the deep and echoing voice from before. But, nobody laughed. The twelve knights looked at each other in dismay. They were still unclear of the situation.
"Throw away those skins. We don't need them anymore." The Pope said. Although there was no command in his words, the twelve knights still chose to obey after looking at each other. They took off their masks, and identical bright balls of light floated out from the cavities of their bodies. The "Light of Souls", which were the size of ping pong balls, rapidly vibrated in the air in a row in front of us. No one could have imagined that these seemingly fragile little balls of light were actually the famous twelve knights. Bubble looked at the row of small balls of light and muttered to himself, "Five of them go and mine, three of them go and entangle trees, and the rest of them should all become moon wells …"
The Pope was silent for a moment, and then added, "Put on your clothes. I can't tell you apart …"
I felt very uncomfortable holding it in.
Those balls of light nimbly returned to their skins. I didn't know what method was used, but even though they were just small balls of light, they were able to accurately inflate such a complicated set of skin into the appearance of a normal human. With their faces covered, they looked just like living people. It was just that they were a little scary when they didn't wear their masks. When their faces were turned around, there was a dark cavity with a light bulb shining inside.
"From today onwards, the rule of the Church of Pale Blue over the world of Mobrador has come to an end. In accordance with the will of the Sage, the rule of this civilization will be returned to the United Government and the leaders of the various races." The Pope hovered next to the round table in the middle of the hall. Based on the height of the table, I guessed that if he was still wearing his' skin ', it would be exactly where his face should be. "In order to ensure the normal development of the world, the Sage will personally supervise the evolution of the races. Everyone, prepare to retire from the stage of history. "
There was an abnormal silence in the hall. I originally thought that this explosive news would cause a storm, but in fact, the biggest commotion in the hall was caused by Icetis, Kenser, and the others who were trying to deceive the Golden Flower. The twelve knights looked at each other in the face of the Pope's sensational sudden announcement, and then fell silent.
It seemed that when one of the knights barged into the Pope's room and saw the people and Uncle Zaku in the room, they had a premonition that something big was about to happen. Or perhaps earlier, when the Sage's fleet lit up the sky above the Divine Fog Planet, the twelve knights had a premonition that a great change was about to come. The only thing that they didn't expect would be the sudden end of the rule of the theocracy. But looking at their behavior, they didn't seem to be disappointed about it.
"This day has finally come," a knight with a red scale emblem printed on his clothes said in a deep voice. "We have ruled this world for a long time. The return of the Sage seems to be a sufficient reason for us to return our power. But you have to prove to us that this will is really from the Sage. "
The other knights nodded in agreement. It seemed that they really had no regrets about ending their rule. The only thing they had to confirm was whether this was the will of the Sage.
So I stood up and nodded with a solemn expression. "Yes, I said it."
Then, the twelve knights looked at me in horror.
I was shocked. Wiping away the cold sweat on my forehead, I thought of something. The twelve paupers in front of me still didn't know that the guy who was strolling around the palace as if it was an outing was the Sage!
Should I pull the fleet down and perform the return of the Sage again? They didn't go far because they were afraid that the people of Mobrador would be in an uproar. They would probably find it difficult to understand the meaning of the Sage's fleet coming back to perform after announcing the Oracle. The first explanation was that a leader didn't have time to speak earlier, and the second explanation was that the fleet commander had made a mistake and forgot that this planet had already made the announcement …
I thought that no matter which of these two guesses became popular, Mobrador's theocratic society would come to an end.
Fortunately, the Pope still knew how to speak at this time. When he revealed our identities, I instantly felt that I was being watched by twelve eyes — because I wasn't sure if a ball of light counted as one or two eyes.
The Pope used his accumulated majesty to calm down the noisy discussion of the twelve knights for a short period of time. Then, he told everyone what had just happened. I watched idly as Pandora and Visca drew the world map. After the flames of war started to burn, the two of them also started to burn. In the end, the knights finally confirmed that this bunch of noisy fellows with their families in front of them were the mysterious and powerful Sage (Actually, I should have kicked Bryndis out earlier). Their feelings must have been very subtle.
"The way the Church of Pale Blue has governed Mobrador is no longer suitable. The peace that you have brought is becoming more and more like a shackle to this world." Sandora tapped the table with her knuckles. Her voice was cold and solemn. "Of course, this world will remember the efforts that you have made. But now, in the name of the Queen of the Ancient Civilization of Mobrador, I declare that the ruling of this world will be returned to the United Government. Does anyone have any questions? "
This was a formulaic question. Anyone with an IQ of two digits would not have any questions at this time. The twelve knights' IQs were obviously more than two digits, so all of them passed.
In fact, they even appeared to be relieved of a heavy burden.
In fact, I also noticed that not only the twelve knights, but even the Holy Pope himself did not show much disappointment after being forced to relinquish his power. At most, he felt a little shocked, but more than that, he was relaxed. This made me curious.
"Actually, this heavy burden does not give people a good feeling at all."
One of the knights answered my doubts. "After becoming like this, we almost forgot how to live in the way of humans. The satisfaction brought by a long life and superficial power made me feel that I was gradually becoming something other than human. Many of our decisions are based on very simple judgment logic, that is, personal likes and dislikes. This has brought about too much death in this world. Even though it was eventually covered up by all kinds of holy sayings, the heavy sense of guilt has never left us. I'm afraid that the others feel the same way. "
So that's why. This was a reason that made Sandora and I change our view of them slightly. At least, this meant that their humanity had not completely left their hearts, although there might not be much left.
Perhaps it was because they had made various plans after discovering the Saint Warship on the Divine Fog Planet. After the initial shock, the twelve knights and the Holy Pope quickly accepted the drastic changes that we had brought to them. They understood that certain facts could no longer be changed, so they began to focus on the fate of this world. Regardless of what they had done, their influence on Mobrador's history was still incomparable. At the same time, these people were probably the ones who cared about this world the most.
"The Church of Pale Blue will not be disbanded. We will need a group of representatives in every world," Sandora said slowly. "You will still have an identity similar to an 'emissary', but whether or not you can be called a successor will depend on your own efforts. The absolute authority of the Holy Pope must come to an end. Before you bring more shackles to this world, I have to remove your authority. The theocratic supremacism of the Mobrador civilization is not the reason that hinders the development of civilization. Therefore, after you return the authority to the Allied Government, this religion can still be maintained. You will basically still be in your original position, just that you have become the executor instead of the decision-maker. This is not a suggestion, but an order. "
Sandora's meaning was clear. The Xiling Empire could choose countless representatives from the people of Mobrador at any time. The power of the Empire could easily increase the strength of thousands of people who were as powerful as the twelve knights. Therefore, it was best not to have any dissatisfaction with this arrangement. If you don't want to do it, there will be others who are willing to do it.
Of course, the Holy Pope and the twelve knights should not be dissatisfied with this arrangement. No matter what, they had persisted on this path for more than three hundred years. It was time for them to take a break, put down their burdens, and peacefully act as a mouthpiece. This might be the best choice. Moreover, giving them something to do would also ensure that their goal of survival would not go wrong.
Therefore, the twelve knights and the Holy Pope readily accepted Sandora's order. Only one knight laughed at himself. "From now on, we are all puppets."
"Not everyone can be a puppet of the Empire just because they want to," Liliana interrupted. "And didn't you always say that you are servants who carry out the will of the Holy Sage? Now, your dream has come true. "
At this time, I slightly glanced at Uncle Zaku who was silent next to me. He was vigilantly looking in my direction. I immediately waved my hand and said, "Don't look at me! I am just an ordinary person. I will never get involved in this kind of thing! "
Tsk, what an unambitious fellow.
However, his refusal was destined to be useless. The Holy Pope would definitely replace him. The current Zaku was a complete extremist. He had spent three hundred years deciding the life and death of billions of people based on his personal likes and dislikes. Now, even if he became a puppet, he would still be an unstable factor. In comparison, Uncle Zaku, who had the same power and understanding of the Mobrador world, seemed much more suitable. Thus, when the uncle waved his hand repeatedly, I only gave him a threatening look. "Prepare to take over as the new Pope of this world. Otherwise, we will eat at your house every day!"
This matter was decided. Looking at the depressed expression on the uncle's face, I gave him a few words of consolation. "Actually, you are only equivalent to a liaison. The real decisions come from the Empire. Also, in most cases, we will not interfere with the progress of a world. You can still do whatever you want. Just submit your reports on time."
With that said, the uncle finally felt at ease.
Of course, the issue regarding the succession of Mobrador's civilization was not something that could be resolved with just a few words. However, the Church and the allied government here could think of a solution on their own. Sandora and I were only responsible for giving the orders. After temporarily putting this matter aside, the topic of conversation finally shifted to the battle on the Divine Fog Planet.
This was also the question that everyone here was most concerned about. Furthermore, there were countless people waiting for an answer outside. The former Pope and the twelve Holy Knights had not appeared to explain anything to the people in the past twenty-four hours. Regardless of the former, at least the latter was a little restless.
"Mobrador is about to be attacked."
Sandora went straight to the point. "The old Empire has split into several forces. One of the armies has already rebelled. They regard Mobrador as their first target. Soon, this star system will be attacked by them."
Apart from some confidential information, Sandora and I explained the general situation of the matter. Of course, this wasn't the version of the Liliana Bible that would be revealed to the people. The processing and announcement of that version would be handed over to the Church of Pale Blue.
The news that the star system was about to be attacked by another Sage Army was absolutely shocking. The thirteen of them, including the former Pope, maintained absolute silence as they listened to our narration. In the end, Uncle Zaku took a cold breath and glanced at us. "Wait … you didn't say this at the beginning …"
"Yes, we didn't think of this at the beginning." I shrugged helplessly. "The appearance of the rebel army was a complete accident. Currently, the worst case scenario is that they will complete their assembly in six days at most. However, we have already prepared a decoy signal. By then, the first wave of the rebel army's attack will be diverted elsewhere. This will give us time to organize a counterattack. Now, your task is to cooperate with the allied government to prepare the work of appeasing and guiding the people. I think we have the ability to stop the enemy's fleet, but we need someone to prevent the people from rioting. "
How should this be considered? This should be the first time the Church of Pale Blue had truly accepted the Sage's orders since its establishment. Perhaps the past three hundred years had hypnotized themselves too much. The Twelve Holy Knights (Perhaps after the return of the Pope, they should be called the Thirteen Holy Knights again?) They seemed to be in high spirits. Only Uncle Zaku said worriedly, "The politicians are very good at evacuating and appeasing people. However, this war shouldn't be that simple, right?"
Sandora looked at Zaku approvingly. Although he was usually a sloppy and dispirited middle-aged uncle, Zaku's cautious character was also very useful. Faced with the uncle's concern, Sandora did not hide much. "If you look at it from the perspective of an ordinary civilization, the destruction of this war is unimaginable. The level of civilization of the Xiling Empire is far beyond the conventional sense of a species. The scale of our war is much larger than you can imagine. But don't worry, this is a war of the Empire. The frontline should be controlled outside the Divine Fog Star's defense line. As long as the Mobrador civilization does not make any mistakes, they will be safe. "
Sandora's words might have been comforting, but Liliana sneered softly. The latter was, of course, not targeting Sandora, but the Mobrador civilization.
The reason for the sneer was very simple: this civilization did not have the qualifications to be regarded as a servant army by Sandora. They did not even have the qualifications to protect their own home.
Controlling the frontline outside the Divine Fog Star's defense line sounded like protecting the civilization within the star's defense circle, but in reality, they did not treat this civilization as an existence with the ability to resist. During the Battle of Kepru and the Battle of the Great Nebula, the Empire also protected the local civilizations, but more often than not, they allowed them to fight side by side. Now, the Mobrador civilization had no combat power at all.
The pope might have already realized this. His light orb hovered quietly on the table for a long time before letting out a sharp sigh.
"Because of my mistake, the Mobrador race has become so weak."
"Three hundred years of absolute peace has caused the Mobrador civilians to almost not know what war is. Our race lacks a clear fighting spirit from top to bottom. Almost ninety-nine percent of the people are used to an easy life. The adventurers who come into contact with the ruins have become the bravest people in the world, just because we have touched guns. Apart from the Gun of Condemnation, the Church's and government's weapons have not improved for two hundred years. The stupidest decision of the Church of Grayblue was to block military development. "Uncle Zaku said in a low voice, his eyes drifting to the pope's light orb." To maintain your rule, you preached that the Sage's Legacy and the Gun of Condemnation would forever protect the world, and that there was no need for mortal weapons to develop. That was why you destroyed the combat power of a civilization two hundred years ago. Now that disaster has really come, the entire race does not even have the right to stand. "
Just as Uncle Zaku was busy scolding his good friend of many years, and we were watching the show from the side, a message suddenly came through the spiritual link. "Your Majesty, the Eternal class enemy ship has been dismantled."
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