Echoes of the Past

Chapter 116 Adults who promise children something must keep it.

The topic did not go any further. Regarding Ellu's future positioning, Slatu will need to return to the Twin Crowns to make detailed plans.

However, there is one thing that even Suiyue can understand.

After Soliz and Onze merge, Elu will be in a class of its own among the existing anti-god and anti-demon organizations.

His current plan is to slightly differentiate Cat's Eye and Sun Owl in terms of their specialization attributes, while retaining both.

The El-Deer have the power to select elites from both sides to join their ranks.

An ordinary monarch might find it difficult to entrust important responsibilities to someone who has just joined their side, let alone someone who is in charge of a violent organization.

But Gunn is different from the Crow.

A century has proven their professionalism and integrity—they support whoever supports them in solving the black fog.

For the foreseeable future, as long as Slatur remains steadfast in his beliefs, Gunn and the Raven will be his loyal supporters.

The content of the chat gradually shifted towards the Gray Star era.

The books were just books; to be able to learn about that beautiful era before the Black Mist descended from someone who actually lived on Gray Star was an experience Slatur had never had before.

Even the personal mage couldn't help but subtly shift his position so that he could hear Nan'an's narration without using magic.

Nan'an could sense that Slatu seemed to be waiting for something; the current chatter was just a way to pass the time before the main course was served.

"Oh, so your unspoken bookish friend, Lord Nan'an, is a highly talented all-around magician?"

"Her wide range of knowledge is undeniable. She can answer most of my questions about magic, and she even personally planned my subsequent learning and advancement." Nan An patted Sui Yue's head, as if stroking a docile calf, "and now she's using that knowledge on her too."

Slatur watched Suiyue, who hadn't stopped talking since she sat down at the table, and smiled with pursed lips.

"I'm really looking forward to Suiyue's future growth, and by the way—you wouldn't mind if I used some resources to find you a bookworm, would you?"

“There are other adventurers in the group,” Nanan shrugged. “Even if it’s just a grave, I’d still want to see it.”

Slatur nodded thoughtfully.

His thoughts were jumping around, and he suddenly laughed.

"It seems you said the same thing when you cursed the Bamboo Moon Witch that night—you seem to have used some metaphors and rhetoric that Nora doesn't usually use. Is it a legacy of the Gray Star era? Would you mind a little more?"

1

"Want some?"

"Yes, I'm interested in all kinds of vulgar, purely offensive language, whether it's the swear words of Nora from the Gray Star era or from other continents."

Why?

Nan'an made no attempt to hide his doubts.

The head of state, embodying both dignity and authority, seems to have a keen interest in profanity?

The accompanying female secretary explained.

"His Majesty believes that even insults are an art. Quickly regaining composure and pinpointing the opponent's weaknesses to counterattack when emotions are running high is a testament to the combined ability of language and logic."

Suiyue blinked: "So, to become a clerk, you must have a lot of experience in debates?"

The female clerk smiled gently.

Slatur said helplessly, "It's clear that His Excellency Nan'an was too angry at the time and failed to provide us with more aggressive material for us to learn from."

Nan'an had just established Slatur's image as a wise and powerful figure, and now it needed to be shattered and rebuilt.

An inner guard walked quickly to the stone table and bowed.

"Your Majesty, the head of the Leode family has arrived."

Nan'an was taken aback, but found that Gu En across from him looked perfectly normal.

He was somewhat surprised to have been summoned to Kren, having guessed what was about to happen.

Does it really have to be this blunt?

Wahedeen followed the bewitching raven who had just received the letter from the god-demon.

When they met, Nan'an's eyes met his, but the other person immediately looked away.

Unrelated persons were cleared out, and Slatur's personal mage casually set up a soundproofing array to cover the surrounding area.

Vahdion wanted the magician to leave as well, but Slatur wouldn't allow it.

"Let's get straight to the point." Slatur patted his sugar-stained hands, stood up, and said, "Onzer has officially taken over Soliz, the merger is now a reality, and the dragon Dunakaron has agreed. Do you understand the situation?"

"I understand," Wahdien replied calmly.

"Then it should be clear why I called you here."

This time, Wahdien chose to remain silent.

His seemingly indifferent attitude towards everything angered Slatur, who did not retaliate.

"It is regrettable that I only now learn of the Leode family's silent sacrifice. I personally have the utmost respect for the Leode family's heroic sacrifice in sealing the 'Mist of Mourning' with their bloodline, but—"

Slatur changed the subject, slightly raising his head to look directly into Vahdien's indifferent eyes.

"I am about to become the ruler of Nora, and I have the right, and should be aware, of the uncontrollable threats that exist within the lands untouched by the black mist."

"Gunn said that you've been hiding something from Ellu all along—so this time I want to hear the whole story."

"Of course, if you want me to misjudge the situation and cause Nora to be destroyed in a day, then go ahead."

Vahdine glanced at Nanan and stated Linem's existence without any emotion, essentially stating the same thing Nanan had heard.

Slatur frowned.

During our casual conversation just now, Nanan mentioned that it's a miracle that Nora is still alive.

He strongly agreed.

It's like sitting on a large, leaky ship riddled with holes. All of Nora's attempts so far have been nothing more than trying to bail out water as much as possible to prevent the ship from capsizing too quickly.

Some people thought it was only a matter of time before the ship sank, so they indulged in pleasure.

Some people kept pumping water, firmly believing that delaying would solve the problem.

Others are thinking about how to build a new ship.

As for the old ship? Let it sink, it's their own fault for not learning to swim.

Now, Slatur is the captain; he knows more than anyone else and understands this desperate situation better.

Therefore, he never cared if others secretly thought his decisions were full of gambling elements.

A severely unfavorable situation cannot be reversed through stable operations.

But betting heavily and going all in at once could lead to a complete wipeout, losing all accumulated wealth.

The only way is to seek change while maintaining stability, to make a big bet when it is deemed feasible, and to achieve local victories in order to gradually see hope.

Slatur is the captain and the strategist.

Therefore, his top priority is to ensure transparency of his own information.

Only in this way can he be more confident in placing each bet.

Gunn knew Slaturt's style very well. Not only did he voluntarily hand over his chips so that Slaturt could place the bets on his behalf, but he also didn't hesitate to reveal the existence of the Leod family when he joined them.

Now, Wahdien has also surrendered his chips.

The fog of war that had shrouded Slatu's mind dissipated, and the mournful fog, which had never revealed its true face to Onze or even the vast majority of Solitz, began to roar.

Anze harbors an undercurrent of demise.

Solize is shrouded in a weeping mist.

It's hard to say whose opponent is more difficult to deal with.

Slatur suddenly looked exhausted, slumped down, and rubbed his temples.

"Keep talking, you haven't confessed yet."

Wahdien remained expressionless: "Your Majesty, let's stop here. If you truly have the ability to turn the tide, then the Riod family can probably buy you another 30 years."

"What I want is honesty! What are you still hiding?!"

This is also a question for Nan'an. Wahdeen's reluctance to talk about Linem must be suspicious.

"Why does it have to be Leod?" Gunn finally couldn't hold back and asked, "I understand your pain at losing two successors, but if Linem can still stall, wouldn't it be better if we trained someone else?"

Nan'an had similar confusion after reading the information about the Weeping Mist.

In retrospect, emphasizing bloodlines seems unnecessary.

Wahdeen sighed deeply and looked around at the people inside the soundproof array.

"Another concept is that it cannot be recorded in any medium."

"The Mist of Lamentation appears to grow stronger as more people become aware of its existence."

The entire room fell silent.

"Are you satisfied now, Your Majesty Slatur?" Vahdine smiled bitterly. "Now, we may all have become material for it to strengthen itself."

He paused for a moment, then continued.

"The reason it had to be the Leode family is also for the convenience of information management. The education they receive from childhood and the connection to family honor can make them recognize their responsibilities and missions while preventing information leaks."

"As the father, it's relatively reasonable for me to discipline my child."

The Leod family has long been known as aloof and unsociable among other families.

Although each generation of the Leode family has a young person with amazing talent, they disappear without a trace after finishing their school years.

"So, if the person who recognizes its existence dies, the reinforcement ends?"

"That's how it should be." Vahdine glanced at the personal mage whom Slatur had forcibly left inside the soundproof array. "You shouldn't be here."

"It's just a guess, it can't be verified."

"Your Majesty may comfort yourself in this way, but when dealing with gods and demons, the principle has always been that doubt is sufficient." Rather than believing that it lacks such power, it is better to be prepared from the outset.

Now that things have come to this, Wahdien has let go.

Suiyue swallowed.

"Lenem, what will happen?"

"She will die." Vahedeen said calmly, as if discussing the life or death of a small animal. "The Mist of Lamentation is getting stronger and stronger. I don't think Linem can keep fighting against it. One day, the balance will be broken, and she may become a vessel for the Mist of Lamentation."

"container?"

"The Mist of Lamentation is a god or demon that has awakened intelligence and possesses self-awareness. In order to complete itself and have a physical form, Linem will most likely be seen as a flesh-and-blood vessel that conforms to its own will," Vahdion said. "If that day comes, I will try to gamble on my luck and have Linem's body lock the Mist of Lamentation in place."

Unveiling the secrets of war was not a pleasant experience; Slatur went from rubbing his temples to rubbing his eyebrows.

For a moment, he couldn't figure out how to deal with this sudden "surprise".

The proposed solutions were refuted one after another.

The Leod family has tried them all.

Manipulating puppets to enter the venue is the most feasible option.

However, the Mist of Sorrow is hidden in the black fog and is unpredictable. If you want to resolve the battle from a distance with the puppets, the puppeteer needs to enter the black fog and accompany them.

When I came to my senses, it was already late at night.

Exhausted, Slatur waved his hand.

"Stay here for now. I still have some questions to ask about the Mist of Mourning."

Wahedeen lowered his head silently, stepped out of the soundproof array, and left on his own.

No one stopped them.

The crow chimed in, trying to smooth things over, "He's always been like this. Though he seems to have a lot of bitterness and resentment, he has a strong sense of responsibility—"

Slaturt raised his hand to interrupt the explanation: "I understand. If I were him, I might not have done any better."

Back in the Kren Cave, although Corella chattered away, eager to communicate, Suiyue was absent-minded, only offering a few perfunctory "uh-huhs" before climbing into bed.

"What's wrong with her?"

Nan'an replied, "It's just a normal human reaction."

Clara was completely confused, assuming that the two of them had experienced the feeling of serving a king as if they were walking on thin ice, and were so exhausted that they wanted to go to sleep early, so she immediately shut her mouth obediently.

"Wake up" in front of the church door, with a buzzing sound in Suiyue's ears—fly mist clumps together, pushing the mud potato to roll.

Nearby, a chair was spinning on one leg, with dancers adding to the festivities.

The audiovisual experience is top-notch.

Suiyue took a deep breath and shouted towards the sky, "Lenem, are you there?"

"Huh?"

A muffled sound drifted in from the sky.

It looked like Linem had just taken a nap?

Is it a dream within a dream?

Her voice sounded strained when she first woke up.

"Yes, yes, Linem's awake—Hime-neechan's voice is so lovely! It's been two days, let's talk again!"

Nan'an delved into the depths of his consciousness and reunited with Suiyue.

Hearing that the two had already struck up a conversation, he couldn't help but smile.

Making a hot-blooded idiot like Suiyue accept Linem's seemingly predetermined life ending is worse than killing her.

But she couldn't argue with Wahdien, and she was getting really frustrated the whole way.

"Nan'an, you said we shouldn't make promises to Linem lightly, giving her unnecessary expectations—but I really want to grant her a wish, what should I do?"

"Lenem isn't even considered an adult on my continent, but you are," Nan'an said. "Adults have to keep their promises to children, do you understand?"

"So you've agreed?" Suiyue was overjoyed.

"I didn't say I agreed. I just hope you understand that making this decision means we need to take responsibility for Linem's future. This is no joke."

"Old man, what do you think?!" Suiyue was about to go crazy, and directly reached out and pinched Nan'an's face upside down.

"Go ahead and do it if you want," Nan An said helplessly. "I also want to help her out—if that bookworm were here, he probably wouldn't be able to ignore it either."

"Why is it another bookworm?"

"We're used to it. Although the Red Rat Adventurers are usually crazy killers, they'll give silver coins to kids in distress."

Suiyue truly understood this time.

"Lenem!"

"Yes, yes, yes!"

"Once you leave the tower, the old man and I will take you to places even more beautiful than those described in books."

"Who's the old man?"

"Nan'an!"

"No, no, Nan'an isn't old, you can't insult Nan'an," Linem protested.