Mystery: The Undead Don't Die from Linking the Fire

Chapter 175 One Commission

Chapter 175 A Commission

In a secluded church filled with light, a cross over a hundred meters tall stands directly in front. In front of the cross, a blurry, enormous human figure stands, bearing everything, gazing upon all souls with pity.

Inside, there are rows of black chairs with backrests, but only one person is praying.

He sat in the center of the first row, dressed in a rather simple white robe, with a light gold beard that covered the lower half of his face. His hands were clasped in front of a silver cross pendant on his chest, and his expression was gentle and calm.

tread!tread!

A tall figure appeared at the church entrance, wearing a knight's suit that was burned, molten, and twisted, covered with cracks and grooves, looking battered and bruised, as if he had endured countless battles and endless years, suffering the vicissitudes of life.

Behind Him was a tattered cloak shimmering with starlight, and behind His helmet was a strangely shaped crown, a testament to His status as a king!

He walked through rows of benches, step by step, to the people who were praying.

He looked down at the man praying devoutly on the bench, his voice hoarse and cold:

"Adam, your plan has failed."

The praying person raised their head, revealing eyes as clear as a child's.

He slowly stood up, but even so, his figure only reached the other person's waist and abdomen, which meant he could only raise his head and look up at the tall figure in front of him.

Adam calmly raised his head to look at it, and asked with a peaceful expression:

"Did it fail?"

The tall figure spoke in an extremely cold tone:

"George III died prematurely, and the plan to create a god was ruined. Isn't that a failure? You could have stopped it all, but you did nothing!"

Adam glanced at Him, and spoke calmly and at his usual unhurried pace:

"The ultimate purpose of creating a god is to have him link the fire, but he has clearly begun to question the necessity of doing so. Even if George III hadn't died, even if George III had truly become the Black Emperor, he still wouldn't have linked the fire. You understand that perfectly well, don't you?"

The tall figure did not answer Adam's question, but emphasized again in a hoarse voice:

"He must rekindle the fire! Time is running out for this world. In 18 years, the 'First Barrier' will completely disappear, and then the stars and the apocalypse will arrive, destroying everything in the world. He is the only hope for this world. You must let him rekindle the fire; he is your only hope!"

"Or are you confident you can become the Old Ones before the end of the world? You're not even a true god!"

Adam remained silent, simply gazing at Him calmly.

After a long while, Adam calmly said:

"I'll figure something out. We still have plenty of firewood and plenty of time."

"That would be best; let's not forget our agreement."

The tall figure coldly uttered a warning before turning and leaving the church.

Adam watched Him leave the church, then sat down again on the bench, clasped his hands in front of the silver cross pendant on his chest, closed his eyes slightly, and looked gentle and peaceful.

He was right about one thing.

With only 18 years left in the world, he certainly didn't have enough confidence to make it all a thing of the past within that time.

Even at his peak, when he had already integrated the Source and the five omniscient and omnipotent pathways required to become an Ancient, he could only be considered a Quasi-Ancient due to corruption. Although he differed from the Ancient by only one word, he was not a true Ancient.

And now he is not even a true god, even though he is confident that he can prepare the godhood ritual in a short time.

To become one of the Old Ones, one must hunt down the other three True Gods. And even without interference from the other True Gods, this is no easy task.

In this situation, rekindling the embers to prolong the world's life seems to be the best option.

But is the truth about rekindling the fire really just about continuing the world?

What can He gain from rekindling the embers?

What role do the incarnations of the Lords of Cinder play in this?

Adam murmured:

"You possess the power of past Lords of Cinder, yet you failed to inherit their wisdom and strategies. What is your origin? Are you an incarnation of a Lord of Cinder? Or an incarnation of fire?"

He stared straight ahead, his expression utterly calm.

The death of George III meant the failure of the plan to link the fire, but his plan was never intended to be one in the first place.

Contrary to His view of it as a failure, Adam believed the plan to be a success.

1 month 1 day.

One day in 1350, after a night of fierce 'confrontation'...

The royal family finally made a choice and announced the king's death to the public.

King George III fell seriously ill on New Year's Eve and died on the spot despite all efforts to save him.

The eldest prince, George Frederick Ernst Albert Augustus, succeeded to the throne and became known as George IV.

King George IV, overjoyed by this incredible turn of events, was already in his thirties and had expected to wait at least another forty or fifty years before inheriting the throne. Now, however, the event had been brought forward by decades. In his grief, George IV immediately summoned the noble representatives in the House of Lords who supported him to discuss the funeral arrangements for the late King George III.

No one would refuse the new king's first order.

The noble representatives were beaming, while the representatives of the emerging nobles and merchants who had originally supported the second prince were now eager to distance themselves from him, fearing retribution from George IV.

Inside a side hall of the Sodrak Palace.

Wearing a crown, and bearing a striking resemblance to George III, though appearing more youthful, George IV sat regally on his throne. His expression revealed his deep affection for the chair, and his eyes burned with a fierce fervor, clearly indicating his eagerness to begin realizing his grand plans!

King George III turned his gaze to Agushid and asked impatiently:

"Prime Minister Agushid, what do you think about going to war with the Fussak Empire?"

The nobles below had somewhat subtle expressions. George III was in his prime, and no one thought he would abdicate prematurely. George III clearly thought so too, and coupled with his own other plans, he implemented a "pig-raising" style of education for his sons.

The sudden death of George III meant that George IV's ascension to the throne was far too hasty, as he had not yet learned how to be a proper king.

Prime Minister Agushid looked helpless and said with a wry smile:

"Your Majesty, His Majesty George III implemented a series of national policies during his reign, which brought about significant changes to the politics of the Kingdom of Loen. These changes were both good and bad, but without exception, they all led to major upheavals in the existing policies. Until we have digested the turmoil caused by these changes and allowed society to fully stabilize, we do not have sufficient capacity to wage war."

King George IV frowned, clearly dissatisfied with the answer.

Having just ascended the throne, he was naturally eager to realize his grand plans and achieve tangible results to consolidate his rule. In George IV's mind, there was no greater achievement than the recapture of the territories seized by the Fussac Empire.

His grand plan has been rejected outright by the Prime Minister. Is this a sign of disrespect for him as the King?

"Your Majesty."

Count Hall stepped forward and reminded them, "It's not just the political turmoil; the Kingdom of Rune's finances are also in dire straits."

King George IV was taken aback, frowned, and asked:

"What's going on? Shouldn't the fiscal revenue have been quite good in recent years? Why are we short of money?"

Prime Minister Aguhid coughed and mumbled an explanation:

"It is His Majesty George III. The former Chancellor of the Exchequer was personally appointed by His Majesty George III. The Treasury has always had a mysterious fixed expenditure, which accounts for at least one-tenth of the Treasury's annual expenditure, and the whereabouts and purpose of this money are unknown in the Treasury's records. However, investigations have shown that this expenditure is directed towards the Royal Household. Therefore, it may be best for you to investigate the whereabouts of this money yourself."

George IV's face darkened. His father had really left him a huge mess!

Although he had not been able to inherit the throne, he had gained some understanding of the country's politics through the influence of the nobles.

For example, many policies implemented by his father, the king, were entirely detrimental to the country.

For example, it relaxed the property restrictions for elections;

For example, allowing merchants to obtain titles through "donations" and even allowing merchants who obtain titles in this way to enter the House of Lords!

This practice of selling official positions is undoubtedly damaging the foundation of the Kingdom of Rune!

Before ascending the throne, George IV had criticized this policy on more than one occasion, and even offered "advice" to George III with the support of the nobility. But without a doubt, George III didn't even bother to give it a second glance!

King George IV clenched his fist and gave the order in a deep voice:

"Then let's start with policy reforms. Prime Minister Agushid, Earl Hol, you two draft a plan to abolish those unreasonable policies!"

Earl Hall shook his head and offered a tactful piece of advice:

"Your Majesty, are you going to announce to the world that the first thing you will do after ascending the throne is to abolish the policies established by the previous king?"

King George IV's expression darkened; that was definitely not an option.

Although he was quite dissatisfied with the policies established by his father, and even the nobles and the people were extremely dissatisfied with them, it would undoubtedly affect his authority and rule if he were to step forward and abolish a large number of the policies established by George III.

King George IV said in a deep voice:

"What about abolishing the policy of granting seats through donations? Surely that would be acceptable?"

George IV believed that abolishing this policy would certainly receive strong support from the nobles.

Granting titles to those filthy merchants is an insult to the aristocratic class!

Count Hall and Prime Minister Agushid exchanged a glance and smiled wryly:

"Your Majesty, it is best not to do this."

George IV asked, puzzled:

Why?

Shouldn't abolishing this policy be what the nobles want most?

Earl Hall shrugged and said quite simply:

"Your Majesty, the nation's finances are in dire straits, and we must rely on this policy to obtain sufficient funds to keep the country running."

George IV countered with:

"How much money could it be?"

Earl Hall paused for two seconds, then gave an example:

"There's a price list for this; even the lowest rank of baron requires 30 pounds, while a hereditary baron costs between 70 and 100 pounds..."

King George IV's expression changed slightly; he seemed to be hearing this for the first time, but he was clearly shocked by the enormous amount.

King George IV said in a deep voice:

"Where did all the money go?"

Count Hall gave a wry smile, while Prime Minister Agushid offered a more tactful explanation:

"Your Majesty, as you know, this matter has always been handled personally by His Majesty George III. Even as Prime Minister, I have no authority to interfere."

George IV immediately realized that this sum, like the one-tenth of the Treasury's expenditure, had mysteriously "disappeared."

George IV's resentment towards George III grew deeper and deeper, and he became increasingly angry with each passing thought.

My father doesn't do any serious work. Where did all this money go?

George IV said with some annoyance:

"So, even if I ascend the throne, I still can't do anything?"

Earl Hall said solemnly:

"Your Majesty, you must understand that you are the master of this country and can do whatever you want. Prime Minister Agushid and I are merely offering suggestions. If you insist on doing it, we will certainly carry it out strictly."

King George IV's expression softened somewhat, and he realized the nobles' good intentions.

Yes.

Aren't these hereditary nobles the ones who suffer the most from these policies?

Even though his proposal was in their best interests, they preferred to give up their own interests to faithfully fulfill their duty and provide the correct advice, simply because doing so would affect his authority and foundation as king.

With such loyal ministers, how can the country not prosper?

Prime Minister Agushid also proposed:

"Your Majesty, if you must do something, I suggest you continue to implement some of His Majesty George III's policies, and do so as quickly as possible. In this way, the people will remember His Majesty's achievements."

King George IV's expression shifted slightly; he seemed somewhat tempted by the proposal and immediately nodded slightly, saying:

"Okay, let's do it then."

Although my father's policies were terrible, some of them were good.

If it can be presented and packaged as his achievement, it wouldn't be a bad thing.

Earl Hall said in a deep voice:

"Your Majesty, I have another request. Alfred has been on a secret royal mission for half a month now, and there has been no news of him! Even if we cannot reveal the specifics of his mission, at least let him send a telegram back."

George IV's face darkened. It was another mess left by his father. He mustn't let Earl Hall fall out of favor with him over such a trivial matter.

King George IV concealed his emotions and solemnly said:

"Rest assured, Earl Hall, I will thoroughly investigate this matter and give you an explanation!"

Inside a coffee shop in Hillston.

A young man with black hair, brown eyes, and gold-rimmed glasses, who looked energetic, pushed open the door to the private room and sat down opposite Yu Jin quite naturally.

Yu Jin looked at the unfamiliar young man before him without any surprise, and instead asked:

"Are you looking for me, or is it 'The Fool' who wants to find me?"

Klein, now resembling Zhou Mingrui, paused for a moment, then quickly recovered and replied:

"I'm the one who contacted you."

The news of George III's death had already made it into the newspapers, and Klein was, of course, aware of it.

He firmly believed that George III was killed by Ember, and he was perhaps testing the Fool's attitude toward the matter.

Ember nodded slightly, signaling Klein to continue.

Klein hesitated for two seconds before speaking:

"I'm planning to go out to sea soon to look for mermaids."

Ember asked meaningfully:

"Are the materials ready?"

"not yet."