Six hours ago.
In the wilderness, a long stream of people walked along the road opened ahead. There were still short stubbles on the grass on the ground, and traces of distant wild animals could often be seen on the newly opened road.
After the rain, there is mud and puddles on the ground.
The sound of chanting and chanting came from afar.
The barefoot farmers pushed the carts containing all their belongings, followed the guidance and call of the gods, and embarked on the road to reclaim the ice and snow with meager rations.
In just a few months, the once desolate Caucasus seemed to have turned into a paradise on earth.
Fertile soil everywhere.
From time to time, there are endless wheat fields on both sides of the road, with heavy wheat ears hanging down, reflecting the bright smoothness like gold. If you are hungry, there are figs on the trees everywhere on both sides of the road. If you are thirsty, there is endless clear water in the stream, with the sweetness of milk and honey.
Like heaven.
Accompanied by low shouts, pushed hard by several burly farmers, the driver cracked his whip, and the old horse neighed, a carriage stuck in the mud drove out of the pit.
The passing farmers patted the mud spots on their bodies and were about to leave when they were stopped by the old man on the carriage. The old man took out a few silver coins and thanked them for their help.
"No need."
The farmer who took the lead smiled honestly, and when he saw the old string of rose beads on his wrist, his expression suddenly became enlightened: "Are you also here for the Son of God? Then everyone is a believer, let alone accept it. It’s your money.”
He couldn't tell the difference between Orthodoxy and the Holy City, nor did he understand how important that seemingly worthless string of rosary beads was to the Holy City.
On the carriage, the old man did not insist on explaining anything, but just smiled gently, "To a certain extent, that's probably the case."
"Are you a priest?" A young man came up and asked.
The old man nodded, "I am."
"Then please bless me."
The old man nodded.
Putting his palm on that slightly muddy face, he bless the believer on behalf of the gods and recited the gospel that had made countless people crazy in the past.
Soon, the farmers left.
The old man looked away.
There is no majesty or coldness.
Nothing like the Holy See.
Not like the supreme Red King.
"You have really turned the Caucasus into a fertile land." The Red King said: "That child of yours is a very good person. Abel, you taught him well."
Few people noticed that there was another person in the carriage.
The same old age, but rarely any breath, dull and dull, always with his eyes lowered, not attracting attention. Hearing what the Red King said, he just nodded without any response.
The Red King looked at him, "You don't seem happy."
Abraham was silent for a long time and closed his eyes.
"I'm sad about it."
The carriage moved on.
Towards the kingdom where the gods are.
…
…
Three hours later, the carriage drove into the headquarters that was once the royal palace. Under tight security, the Red King was welcomed into the conference room.
He was carrying a heavy box in his hand.
It seems to be full of treasures.
Half an hour later, the door was pushed open.
Gaius walked in, wrapped in a winter coat.
The weather had begun to get warmer, but he still wore thick clothes. After taking off his hat, strands of white hair were revealed.
"Long time no see, Your Majesty."
He stood in front of the door, looking at the old man with his back turned to him, his face sinking.
So, the Pope nodded:
"Long time no see, Gaius."
Gaius walked around him and walked to the other end of the conference room. After pulling out his chair, he sat across the long table across from him and looked at him.
"After so many years of dealing with each other, I can forget about the rest of the polite words. With all due respect..."
He was obviously in his own palace, in his own country, but he seemed to be wearing armor, pressing the hilt of the sword, a hint of coldness flashed in his eyes, and his tone became simple and straightforward:
"—What do you mean?"
"Congratulations of course."
The Red King's eyes were lowered, as if he didn't notice the cold chill that filled the entire headquarters, and he just slowly pushed the box in front of him towards Gaius.
"Congratulations, you now own everything in the once holy city."
He said, "You win, Gaius."
"Next, I will cooperate with you. In addition to the economic agreement and financial contract required by Angel, all files and information, including all files in the Holy City, and even government agencies will be gradually transferred to the Caucasus. What to do next? It's up to you. Just as you plan. In the future, Anglo will become the center of the world's economic operation, and the Caucasus will dominate the operation of the world... "
As if admitting defeat, he quickly handed over the true secrets of the Holy City without waiting for Gaius to figure it out.
Gaius still didn't look happy about this.
"So, who's talking to me?"
He stared at the old man in front of him and spoke indifferently: "Gregory, the sixth generation Red King with the most profound wisdom? John, the third generation Red King with the most pious faith? Hansel, the ninth generation Red King with the most compassion ? Or the immortal Red King, the first generation closest to the gods... "
Gaius paused for a moment, then read the name, and his eyes became sharp:
"Inhuman Peter!"
After a brief silence, the Red King shook his head and laughed to himself.
"Peter died three hundred years ago."
He calmly revealed secrets that the Order had kept hidden for centuries.
"-Self-shutdown, never restart. If you are not worried, you can destroy his last body in this world. I remember the location... Well, it is installed under the holy emblem of the Holy Resurrection Cathedral, that guy You really picked a good place.”
"died?"
Gaius was stunned: "Why?"
"If you want to say why..."
The Red King picked up the cold coffee, smelled the smell with a hint of burnt smell, and lowered his eyes: "After using theology as a bridge to truly understand what it is to be a human being, he has completely understood the nature of human beings. Are you desperate?"
Gaius said nothing.
He never thought that the enemy he regarded as a formidable enemy, and even worked hard all his life, tried his best, and spent countless sacrifices and costs to defeat the enemy... whom he regarded as a monster hidden behind the scenes and controlling the world for hundreds of years. already dead.
died
Is it that simple
"Don't worry, I won't lie. Nibelung recorded his records before his suicide in detail. The recording method cannot be forged and is enough to win your trust."
The Red King said calmly: "The brain stem of the third generation Red King John has long been decayed. After leaving a copy of the record, his self-consciousness has dissipated. The sixth generation Red King Gregory has been silent for several times. For ten years, no words were spoken. The ninth generation of the Red King had gone crazy and was removed from the Nibelung link sixteen years ago... Before dying of exhaustion, he confessed himself day and night. His sins cursed his soul. He did not ascend to heaven after death, but fell into hell before death. This is man's original sin, Gaius."
“…”
After a long silence, Gaius looked at the old man in front of him, as if he wanted to penetrate his body and see clearly what was hidden under the shell.
"—So, who's talking to me?"
The Red King smiled self-deprecatingly.
"He is an alternative who has been waiting for decades and failed to become the Red King." He said, "He is the 'last Red King'."
As he spoke, the old man lifted up his hair, revealing the subtle scars under the hairline, and tapped his skull - the brainstem, brain marrow, gray matter... everything in the brain had been removed.
In the empty skull, precise machinery was running silently, with only a dim green light showing "normal operation" on the forehead.
The long, thin scar looked like it hadn't completely healed yet and was still brand new.
"More than ten days ago, I succeeded the new Red King and became the dominant consciousness of the Nibelungs, but at this time. It's ridiculous, isn't it?"
The old man said to himself: "'I want to become the Holy See'. From the first time I opened the cover of the holy book, it has been this goal in my life. I have been waiting for so long and finally got the chance, but I can't Give it up because the title means nothing.”
Gaius was silent.
"The existence of the Holy City has no meaning. From the very beginning, the existence of the Order has been to allow mankind to survive better. Since mankind has chosen to let the Order withdraw from the stage, then the Order will withdraw from the stage. Before coming, I have The last surgical pod capable of performing brain extraction was destroyed."
The last Red King looked at him and congratulated sincerely: "Congratulations, you have completed a great cause that has never been completed by anyone in the past - the inheritance of the Red King will be cut off from me. From now on, you will dominate the world. , you decide the future of mankind."
Gaius said nothing.
This iron-cold old man lowered his head and clenched his fists. There seemed to be anger in his eyes, but they also seemed empty.
It’s hard to conceal the loss and exhaustion.
Gaius closed his eyes.
In the silence, there was only the sound of the Red King opening the box and taking out the contents one by one.
"This is my last job as the Red King. Anyway, let's take a look at it, Gaius." The Red King held something in his hand and said over and over again: "The original copy of the Book of Return to Ruins was once secretly hidden by the sect. Technology, secrets that even the Cardinal Church cannot access, are all here.”
Finally, he took out the items from the bottom of the box.
He placed the thin six-page paper in front of Gaius.
"And this, for you, this is probably the most important thing."
"what?"
"history."
The Red King looked at him: "After I succeeded the Red King, the history of the order compiled by Nibelungen - if there are still history books in later generations, six pages, this is how the Red King can occupy the real history. It’s just a slight weight.”
Six thin pages.
From the beginning of the Dark Ages to the present day.
There is no description of countries, no wars, or even a list of the major actions taken by the Order over the years. Its content only revolves around one point, the changes in the religious order under the Red King in each generation.
Starting from the first generation, there are the inhuman Peter, the cruel William, the pious John, the incompetent William II, the persevering Paomen, the wise Gregory... all the way to the iron-blooded Ian, the cunning Ludovic, and The Last Nameless King.
Five hundred years of time, just six pages.
The great first generation founded the Order and created its current evil consequences; the cruel second generation promoted the Order and turned it into a monster; the devout John brought faith but did not notice the signs of corruption within; incompetence William tried to cleanse the Order, but in the end everyone rebelled; the perseverant Paomenel relied on the Monks of One Heart to regain the original intention of the Order, but it was difficult to return to the past; the wise Gregory created a new balance of power, but But it turned the sect into an out-and-out authority and began taboo research...
Despite the efforts of non-human beings, after one hundred and twenty years of hard work, it was difficult for the cult to maintain its original purity and integrity. Constant remedies and innovations only made this monster more bloated and larger.
Indulgences, loans, finance, investiture…
It was only a hundred years from the time it was established to save mankind until the cardinal drank wine in sympathy with the people and declared that "mere heaven is not enough to repay such a wonderful feat."
Until now, the Order can still maintain a trace of its original intention, trying to correct the out-of-control world... It has been the miracle that the popes of all generations have sacrificed themselves and relied on the immortality of the Nibelungs.
"See? This is the beginning and end of the Order."
The Red King looked down at Gaius and murmured softly: "No matter what the original intention is, after a hundred years, it will turn into an ugly desire. The world is the same, and human beings will not change. No matter what kind of system or political system , the long years will give humans more and more greed and madness. From protecting loved ones to abnormal greed for property, compared with the long history, it is just a brief moment. You have overturned the shackles of the cult, We eradicated this cancer, accomplished something that the previous Red Kings could not do, and also planted a new beginning. Now, it is your turn to experience the curse that once entangled us."
"Is this your plan?"
Gaius dropped the manuscript indifferently: "Use this kind of thing to make me compromise?"
"No, this is just the words of the loser, the troubles that the winner has to face."
The Red King smiled, full of mockery: "You have got the new generation you wanted. I hope that ten years later, you can still maintain your original intention, and the world will still be what you want."
"Don't worry." Gaius' expression was cold, "I will do it."
"Well, I never doubt that."
The Red King looked at his white hair and sighed softly: "It's a pity that you are old, Gaius. After you die, who will support your new generation?"
Gaius was silent.
The Red King raised his finger and knocked on the table. The table made an empty sound, like the dull echo of a coffin.
"Who is coming? Your godson Hein? Your deputy Frank? Or your student Brightman?"
Every time he said a name, the Red King's eyes became more and more pitiful, "Gaius, they are all dead, and you have no successor. Think about it, Wolf Flute is not a talented person who can control the country, and Paganini is just a A pure musician...or is it the son of God that you have high hopes for?"
Gaius said nothing.
"Well, a living god, an eternal emperor on earth."
The Red King seemed to have a glimpse of what he was thinking, "If this is the case, it is indeed much stronger than us. For miracles, it is not easy to be easy in the world, but it is not a delusion. However, there is a premise for all this... "
He didn't continue.
Because Gaius was looking at him with a murderous intent in his eyes.
If he said one more word, Gaius would destroy him here.
After suddenly gaining everything and achieving the fulfillment he wanted in his life, Gaius finally realized the feelings of the former Red Kings.
Pain like a curse.
The hallucinatory laughter rang out, echoing in the deserted corner of the palace, lingering like a ghost.
That was the former king of the Caucasus... He had died long ago, but his body was buried underground, smiling and staring coldly at the world, waiting for this day to come.
Just like what he said, those who release monsters will one day experience the pain of being swallowed by monsters.
Gaius closed his eyes to calm the dizziness in his head.
The doctor told him to take medicine if his symptoms recurred, but he was unwilling to show weakness in front of his enemies. I can only let dizziness and lethargy spread in my mind, as if countless people are whispering in my ears, one after another.
Those who followed him and died for him still linger here.
Questioned softly.
-Gaius, you created gods, but will gods really be willing to obey you
Gaius said no more.
"No matter what, I have handed over this problem and the solution to it to you."
The Red King took off his coat from the coat rack, put it on his body, and said goodbye to the new Lord of the World: "Then, farewell, Gaius. I hope that a hundred years from now, you will not become like this world. sinner."
He withdrew his gaze, closed the door, and left his last whisper: "I also hope that... mankind can be truly destroyed in his own hands."
The door is closed.
In silence, the last unknown king passed through the slightly crumbling palace, boarded the carriage again, and left.
On the doorstep Abraham smoked a cigarette.
From beginning to end, there was silence.