Echoes of the Past

Chapter 113 The Undercurrent of Demise

From any perspective, Slatur must have been extremely busy taking over Soliz with unprecedented efficiency.

With the double crown and the original ruling centers of Solitz, a vast number of affairs required His Majesty's approval and review.

Koslatu clearly had his own considerations. As the vanguard, his personal mage had already set off and was expected to arrive in Kren tomorrow to meet up with the local owls.

The official communication network has also conveyed information about the coup in Shuangmian to local officials in Kren.

It is foreseeable that the Nornbatu people will be confused.

Instigated by some members of the Senate, he took control of Kren and sought to strip Pirion of his influence in the region.

The task was carried out in a daze, and it ended in a daze as well.

What does it mean that all those who assigned the task have resigned?

In this chaotic period of power transition, no one in the upper echelons of Kren can sleep soundly.

Nan'an wasn't asleep either; his private communication system was overwhelmed by a barrage of messages from a heartbroken person.

When Huoya heard this, he was amused once again, even though he was usually serious.

The Pirion mansion was brightly lit.

Even before Nan'an reached the courtyard, he could smell the strong aroma of alcohol and barbecue in the air.

Not long ago, a grand banquet was being held here, with a dazzling array of ingredients piled on the tables.

Tonight, Pirion seemed to be generously sharing the joy with the people, with everyone from the butler and secretary to the servants joining in the revelry.

On a table not far away, where food was laid out, Nan'an could still see some gold and silver, indicating that Pirion had generously prepared a reward.

"What festival is it that's so grand?" Suiyue casually picked up a plate of grilled fish, took a bite, her eyes sparkling, and quickly offered it to Nan'an's mouth. "It's sea fish, sea fish!"

Located deep inland, seafood is an expensive ingredient in Karen.

Poor child Suiyue, she has never seen the sea since birth, let alone eaten seafood.

She had drunk shrimp porridge at the Dawn Welfare Home, and the wonderful taste remained fresh in her memory.

Most of the servants were not good drinkers; after getting drunk, they would lie sprawled on the lawn in the courtyard and fall fast asleep.

Normally, such unsightly behavior would only earn the butler's scolding and whipping, but today no one is in charge.

As they walked through the courtyards, Nan'an would occasionally see two awake servants helping their drunken companions.

Even Nan'an was puzzled now. What was Pirion celebrating by "holding a grand banquet for his ministers"?

Led by a maid who was still somewhat dazed, they arrived at a bamboo grove in a corner of the courtyard.

Pirion, sitting in his rocking chair, looked utterly dejected and didn't exchange a single polite word with the two of them.

That always impeccable and refined demeanor had vanished without a trace, and his bloodshot eyes revealed a sense of loss and despair.

Suiyue's plate was already piled high with all kinds of seafood. Since she was considered a child by the two of them, she couldn't find a place to sit, so she squatted down in a spot where she wouldn't block their view.

"What are you celebrating? Why are you making such a fuss?"

Nan'an decided to start by finding a topic that could stir up emotions.

It would be too cruel to start by discussing the dissolution of the Senate.

Pirion slightly raised his reddened eyes and twitched his lips: "I'm about to be promoted to Elder, so I'm throwing a big banquet. Suiyue, eat more. This is my Elder Banquet, one of a kind, absolutely unique."

Nan'an wanted to laugh, but morality commanded him to suppress the smile.

In some collectible games, Pirion's meal would be a rare, limited-edition item that players would immediately store in their inventory and never use again.

Thinking of Pirion's life story, he felt morally inadequate and could hardly suppress his laughter.

At the age of 29, Pirion volunteered to manage the border region.

Although his core purpose was to climb the social ladder, a gentleman judges by actions, not intentions. In 10 years, thanks to his tireless efforts, the population of Karen and the surrounding area has reached one million.

The city has complete municipal facilities, first-class public security, and an uncompromising welfare system.

Even the Living Erosion, which is active in the border areas and occasionally enters the black fog to nourish itself, couldn't help but sneak into Kren to enjoy this prosperity and wealth comparable to the Double Crown.

This place has become Nora's most outstanding border town.

The Karen people acknowledged Pirion's achievements.

The living erosion also acknowledged Pirion's construction achievements.

He was as good at getting things done as a non-stick pan, and he did his job perfectly. Almost everyone thought it was only a matter of time before he became a veteran.

The only problem is that the Solitz Senate's time balance is insufficient, and in the foreseeable future, no one should be able to top up this account.

"Laugh if you want to."

Pirion grabbed the drinks from the stone table next to him and chugged them down in large gulps.

The bitter wine went down my throat, and my heart ached.

In front of his subordinates, Pirion needed to maintain a certain image, but when facing Nan'an and Suiyue, he couldn't be bothered to put on a show, and his voice became hoarse and trembling.

"Ten years—"

I'd like to add my doubts: either Pirion will die or he'll cry.

Seeing the old turtle cry was quite a sight, but Nan'an still stepped forward with deep sympathy.

"Don't rush, don't rush, I'll have you drink with me."

"One bottle!"

"Then I won't drink it."

"you----"

The liquor Pirion was drinking looked alarmingly strong, making one wonder if it could be used as a Molotov cocktail.

Nan'an isn't a big drinker; given the opportunity, he'd prioritize fruit juice, followed by fruit wine.

Aslipan said that drinking fruit juice was something only effeminate nobles did, and Nan'an readily accepted this humiliation, which forced her to curse and grumble every time she seized the nobles' rations and fruit wine, leaving it all for Nan'an to enjoy.

"You're a 39-year-old middle-aged man, be more mature. If you cry and the servants see you, you'll lose all your dignity," Nan'an tried to comfort him. "Besides, what's so great about being a senator? Your reputation in Karen is far better than going back to your unknown seat in the Senate with your double crown."

"That's proof of my hard work!"

Nan'an understood, and the sudden shift from initial elation to despair caused Pirion to get stuck in a rut.

When Karen was threatened by the black fog, how could he, who put the local residents first, not know that Karen's current prosperity is the best proof of his personal ability and hard work?

After a long silence, Pirion took a breath.

"The Senate was dissolved by your Elru, what will become of Kren's future?"

"You didn't receive a notification?"

Pirion asked in surprise, "What notification?"

"His Majesty Slatur of Anze will arrive in Kren by tomorrow evening at the latest."

Pirion, who had been sitting sullenly in his chair not long ago, jumped up.

He spun around twice, then suddenly grabbed Nan'an's hands urgently.

"Considering our several successful collaborations—"

Nan'an understood.

Slatur's style of doing things is unclear at the moment; everything is just hearsay.

However, he wouldn't mind mentioning Pirion's work ability briefly when they meet.

Nan'an has no immediate plans to leave the Keren region. No matter what requests Slatu makes after the meeting, his stance of staying in the local area remains unwavering.

His most pressing need is a strong and capable local ally.

With Nornbatu's outstanding performance as a precedent, Pirion, who far exceeded the average person's passing grade, stood out as handsome from every angle.

Having received an affirmative answer, Pirion, increasingly intoxicated, actually fell asleep with a bottle of liquor in his hand.

As dawn broke, Slatur's vanguard magicians had already taken over Kren.

Witnessing Feilong ignoring the airspace regulations and entering the city, Nan'an couldn't help but marvel.

Soliz has a very small number of dragons. Whether it's Kren or Twin Crown, Nanan has never heard of pairing dragons with mages in an organized manner or training dragon riders.

Even Suiyue frankly admitted that she had only seen five dragons in Solitz from childhood to adulthood.

Less than 5? That's really not good.

Seeing that Pirion was fast asleep, Nanan told his maid that if he didn't wash off the smell of alcohol, who knew how bad the first impression would be if Slatur's advance envoy suddenly decided to meet him.

Driven by curiosity, the two did not immediately return to the Cave of Kren, but instead went to the governor's mansion.

The owl took over the original guards from the Kren, and the nobles along the way hurried along, afraid of making eye contact with them.

Most people still have a vague understanding of the details of the coup, only knowing that Onze suddenly invaded and Solize surrendered instantly.

At this sensitive time, people of sensitive status and position have chosen to stay at home.

Those still strolling around the streets are either ordinary people who would live their lives the same way no matter who takes over Solize.

Or they're like Nan'an Suiyue, mysterious people with an addiction to curiosity.

In fact, Nan An only wanted to take away Coralina's personal belongings, which contained her entire set of underwear, and now they were all being held in the prison area.

With their purpose clear, the two stood out in the deserted streets of the wealthy district, not only brazenly approaching the governor's residence but also tiptoeing to peek inside.

Just as the nobles peeking through the windows thought that the owl would arrest the two suspicious-looking people—

Why is the Owl bowing to them?

39

"Wait a minute—the Owl's attitude towards them seems quite humble?"

"Why are so many owls surrounding them?"

"ah?

"6

Nan'an was escorted into the governor's residence by the owls.

They were indeed questioned, but Yaoxiao's attitude was very mild. Upon inquiry, it was learned that Slatu had ordered a ban on taking over the local order of the city-state, which resulted in disturbances to the people.

Anyone who does anything that disgraces Angze will be punished by the Black Mist Walker.

The local owl recognized the two, and Nan'an Suiyue instantly became the focus of attention.

The Yaoxiao, which grew up following the example of the Elu, has a pure and natural awe and affection for the Elu.

The Raven himself is a spiritual idol for many Owls, a living historical monument. Just the fact that he is still fighting on the front line against the Black Mist is enough to make the Owls feel excited.

Despite already knowing the attitude from the group of Radiant Owls stationed in Grave, and feeling the stance of the Radiant Owls transferred from Angze, Nan'an still couldn't help but sigh.

Within Solize, most people are primarily fearful of the El Deer.

Even Pirion was always cautious when dealing with Ereshkigal.

The constant negative portrayal of the members of the Senate, such as the Bamboo Moon Witch Society, has made them almost synonymous with calamity and terror.

Angze is different.

Perhaps it was the looming threat of the "Undercurrent of Demise" that made Slatur's pragmatic and efficient approach to things so deeply ingrained in people's minds.

Combat strength and merit are absolutely paramount.

What Anze IV handed over to Slatur was already a country dominated by meritorious nobles.

The nobles of Solize had to pay a blood tax in order to ensure a comfortable life for a generation.

Angze went a step further, requiring every generation of Angze nobles to walk through the black mist.

Regardless of whether they have the merit of slaying gods and demons or obtaining materials from them, they are required to adapt to the black fog environment for a sufficient amount of time.

All of this was in preparation for a nationwide mobilization that could erupt at any moment.

Previously, Nan'an knew nothing about the Dark Tide of Departure. It was only thanks to Huoya's emergency explanation that he understood what kind of god or demon it was.

In the training materials commonly used within the Owl, the Dark Tide of Demise is described as a historical incarnation who acts as a necromancer and battles against all living beings.

Its most common divine and demonic characteristic is the ability to resurrect beings and creations from any era in history, and to fight for them.

From towering structures suspended in the sky to unknown 9th-tier mages from the Gray Star era, everything is available.

Everything buried deep in history can be reproduced.

The vanishing undercurrent has no fixed form; the observable part is a deep black ink stain that blurs the sea.

It is still uncertain whether this is the original entity.

During the conversation, Suiyue was very curious as to why the magician wasn't allowed to fly overhead and forcibly observe. Was there some kind of illusion?

"Without the illusion, if you could fly, you might actually be able to see the true form."

Why is it "if"?

"Facing the dark tide of destruction, all individuals that rise to a certain height will be shot down. High-energy wave rays, comparable to elemental beams, will sweep across the airspace. If any residue is detected, the ray density will be increased until there are no active individuals in the airspace above the detection altitude."

"Another type of attack is a high-speed moving cylinder—it doesn't have the ability to create a dense blockade, but it will track you, and once locked on, there's no way to escape."

When Nan'an listened to the description at the time, he felt it was very strange. Now, recalling it, he feels even more incongruous.

It sounds a lot like something he knows —

With its superior air superiority, the Dark Tide of Demise forced mages to engage it in fierce battles only on the sea, preventing it from spreading ashore.

As purely terrestrial beings with no experience in naval warfare, the Solitz and Onze mages struggled to operate effectively on the swaying hulls of their ships. Therefore, towards the end of the conflict, tactics such as freezing the seas and expanding attack angles became widely employed.

Nan'an suddenly realized what the loading screen playing on the recall chair was describing.

Why would the memories of the fierce battle against the undercurrents of destruction a hundred years ago be loaded onto Nan'an?

Surely it can't be that the previous person's save file wasn't cleared?

With many questions in mind, Nan'an looked forward to meeting Slatu even more.

Video recordings of the Dark Tide's battle a century ago are extremely rare; to view them, one must directly request authorization from Slatur himself.

This Emperor Angze, whom Gunn admires, shouldn't mind giving him a little permission, right?

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