Night World Players

Chapter 115 Let's Go (7k)

[Let us begin our final journey, Your Majesty. ]

The small note slipped out from between the pages of the hand-copied fairy tale book and fell from the air to the ground.

But then, it was pinched by white and slender fingers.

Clearly, the air flow inside the palace was stagnant due to the dusk...

But at this moment, the girl's ice-blue hair fluttered in the air without any wind.

Helen's gaze quietly froze on the small piece of paper -

The pair of eyes that were originally gray suddenly became bright and lively.

……

Four days later, at noon, the sun was shining brightly.

The gate of the palace in Paradise Royal City.

Luster had changed back into his usual windbreaker.

He stood on the avenue in front of the palace gate, feeling the scorching sun at noon, and casually found a shaded spot, waiting boredly.

After seeing the little note written by Last, Her Majesty the Queen became visibly excited during the waiting period.

Morning, afternoon, day, night...

Even when she was reading fairy tales, a time when she was most focused and not easily distracted, Helen would look up from time to time, staring at the pendulum hanging on the wall of the palace, repeatedly checking the time.

He looked as if he wanted to use his power to move the clock forward by one day...

It was just like the students in Rast's previous life's school, who looked at their watches three times a minute before the holiday and anxiously waited for the bell to ring.

Seeing him look so absent-minded, not only Last, who had returned to work, but also the head maid Anna noticed something unusual.

It was also thanks to Rast's help in smoothing things over, otherwise Her Majesty the Queen's plan to run away from home would have been ruined before it even began.

And under Helen's eagerly expectant gaze, these four days that seemed like years finally passed.

Originally at noon, Last was planning to do as he did last time, secretly taking Helen with him, disguising themselves, and sneaking out along the same route without being noticed.

only--

This time, the Queen he served, contrary to her usual behavior, stubbornly rejected Last's proposal.

She didn't want to dress up in an inconspicuous way and slip away through the small door as she had done before.

Instead, you should go out for fun openly and honestly through the main door.

Today is Anna's day off, and except for Rast, there is no one in the entire palace who can hinder Her Majesty the Queen's decision.

And Rast finally agreed to Her Majesty the Queen's proposal.

It’s not just the destination of this trip, it’s also the last scene in the fairy tale book “Silver Wing Chronicles”.

This is also the final scene for the "Lost Paradise" project.

Not to alert others in the palace... These details that Rast had paid great attention to before lost their meaning after this day.

There is no tomorrow, let alone from now on, so it’s okay for them to be more unscrupulous.

So Last changed into his most familiar outfit, which was a habit he developed in Deep Blue Harbor.

Compared to Rast, Helen is even more exaggerated.

There were still two hours before the agreed time of 1 p.m., so she locked herself in the bedroom and didn't let anyone in.

As the queen of a country, Helen's wardrobe is naturally filled with a wide variety of gorgeous clothes.

However, Helen had always worn only a few monochrome dresses in the palace, which made Last think that she didn't care much about her appearance.

But thinking back to before the bedroom door was completely closed——

The blue-haired girl looked at the large floor-length dressing mirror, lifted the hem of her skirt with both hands and spun around briskly, her dark purple eyes dancing with joy like a little deer...

Only then did Rast understand that the love of beauty was indeed a woman's nature. From the country girls to the queens of a country, no one could escape this vicious circle.

Last looked at the scorching sun above his head, silently calculated the time in his mind, waiting for Helen to finish dressing.

Just as he was counting to the 3,073rd number in his mind, Rast saw the shadow of the eaves fluctuate unnaturally under the midday sun.

His eyes moved slightly, and he followed the shadow under the eaves and walked into a remote and deserted alley.

The next moment, the shadows in the alley began to fluctuate silently, and finally converged into a vague human figure.

"team leader."

The shadow servant's voice came from the shadows.

"The plan is about to reach the final step. Why are you taking the risk to look for me at this time?"

Rast looked up in the direction of the palace and asked.

As a genuine sixth-level strongman, Shadow Servant has always been stationed outside the city.

His rank is too high and his aura is too strong.

The royal city, especially the palace, is Helen's territory. If you get too close, it might arouse Helen's vigilance.

Of course, with Helen's embarrassed and excited mood at the moment, even if she noticed some abnormality of the shadow servant, she would probably ignore it subconsciously.

"It's an order from Leader Sissel."

"He asked me to ask for your opinion again... whether to temporarily suspend the "Lost Paradise" plan."

Shadow Servant's voice was very calm: "This termination of the plan means——"

"It also includes the part about your contact with the Gravekeeper."

Luster's gaze narrowed slightly.

He stared at the shadow in front of him that he could only make out a vague human figure: "How do you know about the "Gravekeeper"? "

He had clearly tested Shadow Servant before, but the result of the test showed that the other party knew nothing about this part of his mission.

Of course, this could also be Shadow Servant's disguise.

"With such an important plan, how could the leader not leave a backup plan?"

Shadow Servant didn't seem surprised by Last's question: "I am Cecil's backup, or hidden chess piece."

"Although it may sound a bit harsh, the leader must consider the possibility of unexpected situations..."

"If you, Captain Last, fail or betray, I will be activated as a backup option. I will be responsible for the final steps and find a way to minimize the impact of this incident on the organization."

"This has nothing to do with whether Cecil trusts you or not. It is a consideration that you must make as a leader."

Rust nodded without surprise.

If you place all your hopes on yourself just because of a brief meeting with me before.

Without considering the risks and retreat options when unexpected events occur in the plan——

Then Cecil is not worthy of being the leader of the shore guardians this time, let alone the strongest human being of this era.

"I understand the leader's concerns. If I were in his place, I would definitely make the same plan and always consider the retreat route in case the worst happens..."

"But if that's the case, why are you telling me this at this time and exposing your identity as a hidden player?"

"Also, all of this is just your opinion. How do you prove that what you said is true? Are you really a hidden man arranged by Leader Cecil?"

Last saw that the dark shadow in front of him suddenly dissipated.

The shadow faded, revealing a shriveled, skinny, and wounded old body from the darkness.

Just like a broken rag doll, the shadow servant's body was covered with scars and wounds of all sizes.

The most eye-catching thing was the left chest of the shriveled body - there was a huge hole there.

If it were a normal person, he would have been dead long ago if his heart was pierced like this.

However, in the hollow space on the left side of the Shadow Servant's chest, there was an illusory heart made of pure light, which was beating slowly.

The sun's rays turned into materialized threads, connecting the entire dry body like illusory blood vessels, supplying blood flow and meager vitality to a body that could decay at any time.

No wonder the Shadow Servant shrouds himself in shadows all day long, and only a vague human figure can be seen -

If a child with poor psychological endurance saw his true form like this, it would probably cause him to have nightmares at night.

"This should prove my point, Captain Last."

The shadow servant's voice was no longer as ethereal as before, making it difficult to tell whether it was a man or a woman. Instead, it revealed its original voice.

Somewhat to Last's surprise, the shadow servant's voice was actually a pleasant mature female voice, which formed a sharp contrast with the dry body that looked like an old man lying on a sickbed.

"In a way, I am actually similar to the natives of the paradise."

"With injuries like this, I should have died a long time ago..."

"It's only because Cecil used the power of his Sun Sequence Master to condense an illusory heart for me, which sustains my life and allows me to survive in this world."

"My life was given by Cecil, so naturally he can take it back in a moment..."

"That's why Leader Cecil can trust me to be the backup plan for the worst-case scenario in the Lost Paradise plan."

Luster said, "You don't seem to have a problem with your situation?"

"I thought that this method, like that of a necromancer or a puppeteer, where the lives of others are controlled by one's own thoughts, would cause the controlled person to subconsciously resent it."

"Captain Last is not the only one who has the consciousness of a shore defender."

Shadow Servant said calmly: "We knew from the beginning that the Shore Guardian Organization was not an ideal big family where everyone is equal and noble and bright."

"It is a cold machine that can commit all kinds of evil and trample on all worldly morals in order to achieve the ultimate goal of justice."

"Don't just say he looks like a necromancer from a story. If he can become the power of the shore guardians, we can accept him even if he is a real necromancer."

"As for the purpose of the leader asking me to confirm with you whether to terminate the "Lost Paradise" plan, it is actually very simple."

The shadow servant looked at Rast and spoke slowly: "Cesel, he——"

"I am considering my successor, or rather..."

"The next leader of the Shore Watchers."

The next leader of the shore keepers?
Even Rast was slightly stunned when he heard the news.

In his mind, he subconsciously recalled the old man with weathered eyes, with whom he had met once.

Although hundreds of years have passed, Cecil's demeanor is still like that of a majestic lion.

Regardless of his aura, lifespan or strength... this only existing legend confirmed by mankind still maintains the strongest state, and is far from being too old to have to consider his funeral.

But the old man suddenly had the idea of training a successor.

Thinking back to the information mentioned in the secret letter that Leader Cecil sent to him four days ago, it was confirmed that the member of the "Gravekeeper" was a legend.

If the opponent's specific strength can be confirmed, it means that Cecil has come into contact with the "gravekeeper"... Considering the positions of both parties, it is even possible that they have engaged in a battle.

Think about the name of this night world mission - "Echoes of the Era: The Prologue of the Legendary War".

That lion-like old man had already foreseen the future war...

Have you even started to consider the worst-case scenario?

As his mind raced, Last felt the shadow servant's gaze fixed on him. "The first candidate Cecil is considering is you, Captain Last."

"After observing you for a while, whether in terms of your character or the way you do things... you are the closest to the ideal organizational leader template, and to Cecil himself."

"If you wish, then from now on, the "Lost Paradise" plan will be completely cancelled, and the affairs of Paradise and the Relics of the God of Death will be handled by Leader Cecil himself."

"You will return to the Watchtower immediately and receive the highest standard of training and development as the next leader of the Shore Watch."

Listening to Shadow Servant's extremely serious words, Rast couldn't help but raise his eyebrows.

"I?"

"Let's put aside my character, but whether it's my experience and achievements in the Shore Guardian organization or my current strength... they are not enough to match the status of a successor, right?"

What Rust said was true.

Before starting the "Lost Paradise" project, although he could not be considered a minor figure in the Watchers' organization, he could be considered unknown and obscure.

Even being chosen by Cecil as the captain of the shore guard team had surprised many of the organization's top brass.

Even though he performed well in the "Lost Paradise" project and was noticed by the leader, according to seniority within the organization, it was far from his turn to become the next leader.

"As far as I know, there are quite a few level six people in the organization..."

"Will the senior shore guards have no objection to this?"

"They are not qualified."

Shadow Servant's words were plain, yet they were filled with ruthless coldness.

She didn't care at all that most of those sixth-level warriors were her life-and-death companions, and were also veterans who had made outstanding contributions to the shore defenders.

“Those high-ranking officials are far more powerful than you are right now, but their potential and path to transcendence have already reached their limit.”

"The distance between the sixth level and the legendary level may seem like only one step, but it is actually a chasm... It is not a barrier that can be crossed by simply accumulating time like other levels."

"It's good for everyone, we can take into account the interests and feelings of every member, emphasize more work, more pay, and equality for all... That is the privilege of the forces in the peaceful era and the golden age, and it has nothing to do with us."

"This is not a game. What we are facing is a life-and-death war with the Gravekeepers."

"The shore guards must have a legend in charge. Otherwise, they have no qualifications to fight... Whether a peak level six or an ordinary person becomes the leader, the fate of the shore guards will not be the same. It's just a matter of whether they perish faster or slower. It's meaningless."

Shadow Servant's words were serious.

"Therefore, those who do not have the potential to become legends are not qualified to become successors."

"This has nothing to do with their qualifications or previous contributions—"

"It's because we had no choice from the beginning."

She looked at Rast: "As for the question of strength and rank, if you are officially confirmed as the successor."

"Then as the new leader of the Shore Guardians, there seems to be some special method that can pass on the accumulation of the previous leader to help you quickly replenish your combat power."

Looking at the serious-looking shadow servant in front of him.

Luster replied, "I understand."

"But I think... I won't be able to be the successor of Sissel's leader."

He chuckled and said, "Besides, I think the special method you mentioned earlier will not work on me."

There was a trace of surprise in the shadow servant's eyes. He stared at Rast for a long time until he was sure that Rast's answer was not false.

Given the other party's personality...either in public or in private, there should be no reason for him to refuse this identity.

However, Rast refused it so decisively and without any reluctance.

and--

When Cecil passed the message to her, he actually anticipated this extremely small probability of occurrence.

She nodded and spoke again: "Since you, Captain Last, have refused, the "Lost Paradise" project will continue."

"In addition, the candidate for the successor to the leader of the shore guards, besides you, the second choice is..."

"Gray."

Gray...

Luster's eyes moved slightly: "With little Gray's current temperament and experience, I'm afraid she can't accept what you ask - the true ideals of the shore keepers."

"Besides, not only has Little Gray's own sequence level not been recorded...but she also seems unable to awaken her superpowers."

"That's not surprising."

The shadow servant glanced at Rast.

According to normal procedures, after Last refused to become the successor, he was no longer qualified to continue to listen to this highly confidential intelligence.

But for some reason, Cecil mentioned in his communication with her that when facing Rast, she didn't need to care too much about the rules within the organization.

"The sequence has not been recorded... Although it will result in the inability to learn extraordinary knowledge and complete the promotion step by step, it is not entirely a bad thing."

"It may also mean that this sequence is unique and special."

"Cesare's sequence, 'Sun', was originally a completely new sequence that had never been recorded and had never appeared before... But, Cecil eventually made it all the way to where he is today and became a legend."

"In addition, Cecil was also unable to awaken his superpowers at the beginning... According to his guess, this is probably because his sequence is too powerful, thus suppressing or even swallowing up the birth of his superpowers."

"And little Grey is likely to be in a similar situation."

"Her power at the senior level is too strong to be controlled. She needs more time to digest and advance, and it is more difficult to awaken her superpowers... But this also means that little Grey has unlimited potential."

"If we ignore character and only talk about the potential to become a legend, Little Grey might even be better than you."

Shadow Servant paused for a moment.

"As for Gray's character as the leader of the Shore Guardians..."

"I think the so-called fledglings, the innocent children—"

"After experiencing sacrifice and death, I should be able to grow up."

"If I can contribute to the growth of the new leader, then I have done my duty well and stood my last shift as a shore guardian."

The shadow servant stretched out his right hand, which was covered by shadows, and gently touched the illusory glow on his left heart: "In other words, I have not let down the heart that Cecil gave me."

Her words were plain, but to Rast's ears, they carried a mysterious meaning.

then.

In an instant, Rast understood the meaning of the words of the woman in front of him.

"If little Grey herself knew the truth...she wouldn't be grateful, but would probably hate you," said Last.

"Whether you are grateful or hate me, it makes no difference to me."

Although he couldn't see the expression in the shadow, Luster could feel that the shadow servant was smiling: "I know I can't be a person like Cecil, you, and little Grey..."

"You are the protagonists of the story, the glorious heroes, and you will shine brightly even when the curtain falls."

"I am just a soldier, an insignificant supporting role in that grand picture."

"And what soldiers should do is to use their bodies to pave the way for heroes."

She looked at her own shriveled, skinny body, which was as rotten and exhausted as a piece of rotten wood: "Because, even if I become like this."

"But I have never forgotten... that I am a member of the Shore Watch."

"Besides -"

Shadow Servant's voice remained calm. She looked at Rast and said, "Compared to me, the one you should really worry about is yourself, Captain Rast."

"Little Gray, the gravekeeper, and the queen of the underworld... What you are about to face will make you feel entangled and painful. The things you are confused and struggling about in your heart are far more than I am."

"Each each other."

Luster was also laughing: "As you just said, not only you, I am also a member of the shore guards."

"So, isn't all this... just a matter of course?"

Last's words echoed in the silence of the alley for a long time.

After a brief moment of calm, the shadow servant put away his smiling shadow expression and bowed respectfully to Rast.

"Then please allow me to take my leave."

The shadow dissipated and dissolved into the ground.

Last looked at the disintegrating shadow, and the corners of his mouth moved slightly: "Goodbye."

"Well, goodbye, Captain Last."

"Although there is only one mission, it is my honor to be your subordinate and to fight alongside you."

The words of the shadow servant came from the shadows in the distance: "Also, I have to say, Captain, you are indeed quite charming... No wonder Little Gray and Her Majesty the Queen both have their hearts set on you."

"If I were a few decades younger and met you, I would definitely be attracted to you."

"In this way, I probably won't have to hang myself on that piece of wood called Cecil..."

The shadow servant's voice gradually became smaller.

Eventually, it became completely inaudible.

And Rast just quietly watched the direction where the shadow went away.

After a long time, he took out a piece of paper, wrote a few words on it, and then folded it with his hands.

Then, Rast walked out of the alley, came to the gate of the palace, and handed the note to the maid at the door.

"Give this note to Head Maid Anna one hour after your Majesty and I leave."

Watching the maid at the door accept the note with some confusion, Rast did not explain anything.

He just stood by the door, waiting quietly.

A moment later, a tapping sound came from behind Rast.

Her long ice-blue hair fluttered in the sun.

The familiar cool fragrance of hair filled the air, which reminded people of the cool moonlight falling on the snow and the cedar needles.

All signs point to the heroine of this journey.

Helen had obviously put a lot of thought into dressing herself up today. She changed into a dark knee-length skirt, the folded hem of which spread out like layers of lotus leaves.

She wore a small white round hat, woolen boots, and a blue ribbon headdress tied in her long ice-blue hair - this was picked out for her by Laster from a jewelry stall on their last date.

Compared to the rare jewels collected from all over the country in Helen's wardrobe... this ribbon is not a precious thing, but Helen cherishes it very much. She selected it repeatedly for a long time and finally chose to use it as her headdress.

The queen, dressed up in a new look, walked lightly to Rast's side.

Then, she gently placed her white, soft little hand in Rast's palm.

"Shall we set off?"

Ice-blue writing appeared on Rast's collar, with a hint of excitement.

And Rast just smiled and nodded.

"Well, let's go."

(End of this chapter)