Unlimited Ambition

Unexpectedly, in the year the king turned eighty-four, the seventy-two-year-old queen gave birth to a prince! Although the queen died shortly after giving birth, the people's excitement did not diminish in the slightest. After the nationwide jubilation, the people also held great expectations for the prince.

The prince grew up to be a man who did not disappoint his people's expectations. He was as brave and wise as his father. Only then did the people of the holy land feel relieved. They secretly thanked God for bestowing upon them another angel.

King Baldwin was called by God at the age of one hundred. His sixteen-year-old son, Baldwin V, proclaimed himself king.

The kingdom continued to expand. Baldwin V's greatest achievement was the complete eradication of Islam, which nearly doubled the kingdom's territory.

Like his father Baldwin IV, Baldwin V married a Byzantine princess. The kingdom also welcomed a new prince in the year he turned eighty-four. And the new prince, like his father, ascended the throne at the age of sixteen upon Baldwin V's death. He was as valiant and wise as his father and grandfather.

Three generations passed in the blink of an eye, and three hundred years flew by. The kingdom's subjects finally fully believed that Jerusalem was a kingdom favored by God. The one who ruled this earthly kingdom must be a glorious angel under God's throne.

Following this, Baldwin VII also inherited his ancestors' divine abilities, becoming the fourth angel to govern the earthly kingdom of heaven. At this point, the Byzantine royal bloodline dwindled. Baldwin VII was warmly invited to inherit the Byzantine territory and become the joint king of Byzantium and Jerusalem.

Baldwin VII readily agreed, and from then on, the earthly kingdom of heaven took another step forward. It fully inherited the mantle of Rome and, building upon Roman civilization, innovated and expanded upon it, a period known as the Renaissance.

A century later, the Kingdom of Heaven welcomed its fifth king, Baldwin VIII, known as the "Great Inventor." This naturally lively king devoted himself to invention and creation in addition to governing the country. The steam engine was born. The First Industrial Revolution began.

At the same time, Baldwin VIII refined Catholic doctrine, declaring that the Kingdom of Heaven was not in the heavens, but in another dimension, thus proposing the theory of the multiverse. This reassured the nation and its people. Having completed the Industrial Revolution, the Kingdom of Heaven had become the world's leading power, its civil and military achievements shining brightly in the world.

In contrast, Europe had always been synonymous with backwardness, barbarity, and ignorance. In its pursuit of greater power, the Catholic Church disregarded sacred doctrine and began researching various forms of magic and sorcery considered taboo. Thus, the Roman Catholic Church became utterly corrupt and decadent. Clerks even took on the role of sorcerers. It was utterly inconceivable and unimaginable.

Time continued to move forward. For three hundred years, the Heavenly Kingdom on Earth developed peacefully. It never initiated a war against other nations. Its subjects lived in peace and the country was prosperous and peaceful. As Baldwin XI said: "Throughout my kingdom, regardless of north or south, young or old, regardless of race, all are devout believers and wise priests."

In contrast, European nations were plagued by oppressive rule and brutal expansion, resulting in horrific atrocities on the American continent. Some used revolution as a pretext for plunder and slaughter, while others employed harsh and tyrannical policies under the guise of reform. The two World Wars that followed brought untold suffering and devastation, turning the world into a living hell.

The Roman Catholic Church eventually split, with the various Protestant factions turning against each other. They schemed against each other, fought amongst themselves, and pursued fame and fortune, behaving nothing like people who were spiritually inclined.

The new millennium has arrived. There is no kingship in the world except for the Kingdom of Heaven. There is no faith except for the Church of Heaven. There are no more iron-blooded soldiers except for the Royal Knights.

In 2043 AD, the special zone of Academy City in Japan was completed. Scientists claimed to possess power beyond imagination, enough to rival the gods.

On November 11, 2045, Baldwin XII, at the age of eighty-four, had a new prince born…

Chapter Two: The Prince of Heaven

On that day, a fierce wind blew and torrential rain poured down. Lightning flashed and thunder roared across the sky, its sound terrifying. The entire palace was a hive of activity. Servants bustled in and out of the delivery room, preparing to welcome the next prince of the earthly kingdom of heaven.

In the grand hall of the palace, the eighty-four-year-old king sat regally on his throne, motionless and expressionless, yet his heart was filled with countless emotions.

Jerusalem is indeed God's chosen earthly kingdom, that's true. And the kings who rule this earthly kingdom are all glorious angels under God's command, that's also true. However, there's a problem with the angels who descended upon Jerusalem themselves.

There really is a problem. The throne of Jerusalem holds no appeal for angels. Only angels who have committed wrongdoings in heaven, but not enough to be condemned to eternal destruction, are banished to earth to guard God's beloved kingdom. Only after a hundred years, having atoneed for their sins, are they allowed to return to heaven.

Before angels descend, their memories of heaven are sealed. Therefore, although their words and actions possess heavenly wisdom and abilities surpassing those of mortals, they are unaware of their true identities. Only when the next angel descends and the gates of heaven open, influenced by this, do the angels briefly recall their heavenly past.

Once the angels understand the past, they will patiently teach their successors while preparing to return to heaven.

At that moment, the old king remembered. He was indeed, as the rumors said, an angel.

Immediately afterward, this sentimental angel looked out the window at the torrential rain and sighed. He thought to himself: "I wonder which friend has descended to earth, and what wrong they have committed to incur God's wrath, causing lightning and thunder."

Just as the old king was pondering this, a servant rushed in from outside the door, bowed, and said, "Congratulations, Your Majesty, the prince has been born. But the queen..."

The old king shook his head, knowing that for an ordinary woman, especially one already in her old age, giving birth to an angel was indeed extremely difficult, and nine times out of ten it would be fatal. But she was, after all, his wife who had been with him day and night for decades. His sorrow was genuine. Just as he was about to say something, he saw a sudden, strange change occur outside the window!

Light! Incredibly intense light! It pierced through the clouds and torrential rain, illuminating the ground! The gale ceased, the thunder stopped. The world was instantly clear!

The old king's mouth gaped open, and he roared inwardly: Light! It was actually light! Who would have thought that someone as noble and proud as him would be cast down to the dust by God?!

※※※

Five years later, in a tavern in a small French town. Two office workers, drowning their sorrows in alcohol, complain about the government's ineffective economic policies that caused them to lose their jobs. Their conversation drifted to the Kingdom of Jerusalem, and they expressed deep envy for the various benefits enjoyed by its citizens.

Immediately afterwards, office worker A, fueled by alcohol, started cursing: "Damn it, why didn't all those old kings think of taking over Europe back then? Otherwise, maybe we two brothers could be enjoying the same treatment as the people of Jerusalem right now."

Office worker B chimed in, "You're absolutely right. Seeing everyone else living such good lives while we're about to have to collect unemployment benefits tomorrow...sigh."

Office worker A pushed the bottle of alcohol aside and said, "Let's not talk about this anymore, let's drink."

The two clinked glasses and drank another cup before continuing their conversation, still focusing on Jerusalem.

Office worker A said, "But then again, Jerusalem is good, but it is also bad."

Office worker B was puzzled: "I don't understand what you're saying. If you're saying it's good, then all those kings—whether they were really angels or not, we don't know. But they certainly had some divine qualities. Their governance was much better than our idiot president. Now I understand. What republic, what monarchy, it's all bullshit. Who can give me a job—that's what's real."

Office worker A nodded: "That makes sense. But there are reasons why I say it's bad."

Office worker B asked, "What's the logic behind that?"

Office worker A explained, "When I said it was bad, I meant that there are no drugs sold in bars, no strippers on stage, and no nightclubs on the streets—you even have to have your semen checked before getting married. You have to pray before meals, pray before bed, and you even have to set aside one day a week for prayer. I would feel so stifled if I actually went there."

Office worker B chuckled: "You're right, you're right. Come on, let's have a drink."

The two then drank another glass, and their speech became a little slurred. Office worker A continued, "But if you ask me, the King of Jerusalem might actually be an angel descending from heaven."

Office worker B asked, "What do you mean by that?"

Office worker A took another swig of wine and said, "Putting everything else aside, it's been almost a thousand years, and ten people know about the Baldwin family. Let's not talk about that. Just a few years ago, when they had their prince—you know that prince, right?"

Office worker B nodded: "I know, he was born when the old king was eighty-four years old, so according to custom he could ascend the throne at sixteen. What's wrong with him? Is he any different?"

Office worker A chuckled and asked, "Have you ever heard of anyone being born knowing how to talk?"

Office worker B shook his head: "Everyone is born crying; only monsters can talk."

Office worker A chuckled and said, "Aren't angels pretty much the same as monsters?"

Office worker B was taken aback and said, "So the little prince spoke when he was born?"

Office worker A nodded and said, "That's right, it started talking."

Office worker B slapped his forehead and then poured office worker A another glass of wine: "Hey, tell me, tell me, this thing is pretty interesting—you know, how come the little prince could talk right after he was born? What was he saying?"

Office worker A, after having a drink, said, "You've come to the right person. No one else would know this—my brother-in-law works as a translator at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He happened to be in Jerusalem with diplomats that year to discuss oil, and that's how I heard it from him."

Office worker B became even more interested upon hearing this and pressed office worker A on. After hesitating for a moment, office worker A said, "To be honest, this is a secret, not too big, not too small. We definitely wouldn't tell anyone else. But we're such good friends."

After another round of flattery from office worker B, office worker A finally spoke, his voice low as if afraid of being overheard: "That little prince, after he was born, he didn't cry or fuss. Instead, he sighed like an adult, but his voice sounded like that of a baby. He said, 'I will never love anyone again, never.' The doctors and nurses who delivered him were terrified and almost dropped him."

Office worker B nodded slowly and repeated, "I will never fall in love with anyone again, absolutely... Hearing this, I feel a little creeped out. Do you think this little angel got dumped in heaven and came down to earth to clear her head?"

Office worker A laughed and said, "You might actually be right. He was kicked down from the sky."

Office worker B, amused by his witty double entendre, laughed heartily. The two had another drink, and seeing that it was getting late, they left arm in arm, supporting each other.

※※※

The little prince grew up day by day, inheriting the excellent genes of the Baldwin family, and was truly beautiful beyond compare. However, his hair color and eyes seemed to be inherited from his Turkish mother, as kind as black gemstones.

The Little Prince was clever, but not endearing. He spoke and acted with an air of maturity, like an adult. Moreover, he possessed an extraordinary swordsmanship, having somehow acquired it. He could kill someone with a mere twig. Therefore, most people kept their distance from him.

The old king doted on him—no, saying "doted on" seems a bit of an exaggeration. The old king almost obeyed him completely. There was even a hint of ingratiation in his words. The two of them didn't seem like father and son, but rather like superior and subordinate.

But people realized after a little thought. The Little Prince is probably older than the old king in heaven. Don't think you're his father now. After you're "summoned by God," won't he still be your superior? If you act like you're the boss now, and someone holds a grudge, won't they make things difficult for you when you get back to heaven?

Once people understand this, they become less surprised to see a father following his little kid around like a son.

However, although the little prince is a bit aloof, his devotion to God is truly admirable. He not only strictly adheres to all doctrines but also studies them diligently. Last year, when the bishops of all the kingdom's dioceses gathered in the holy city to discuss doctrine, the four-year-old prince arrived uninvited to discuss the matter with the bishops. His profound understanding of doctrine and his insightful remarks amazed his contemporaries.

This year, the prince is five years old, and according to tradition, a celebration should be held on his birthday. A grand affair should be arranged. The money for this comes from the royal treasury. Successive kings have not only been remarkably effective in governing the country, but also equally adept at business, yet they have all lived very simply. Over a thousand years, their wealth has accumulated to the point that it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them the richest people in the world.

The old king doted on his son so much that he practically treated him like a father. He gave him whatever he wanted. Now that he finally had another opportunity, he naturally wanted to show off his filial piety towards his superior. That evening at the banquet, in front of all the kingdom's ministers, he asked with a gentle smile, "My son, today is your birthday (treating you like a father), what gift would you like?"

The little prince sighed softly and said, "I do want something, but I'm afraid you can't give it to me."

The ministers who were standing around at the time, though they were used to the prince’s rudeness, all changed their expressions upon hearing this.

The old king didn't take it to heart and said, "It doesn't matter. As long as there's something in this world that you want, I can find it for you."

I shook my head and said, "I want a Tower of Babel. Can you build it for me?"

This terrified the assembled ministers. They weren't illiterate; everyone knew the story of the Tower of Babel. Could this prince have crawled out of the ground instead of descending from heaven?

At that moment, only the old king was in tears. He rushed over, hugged me, and wailed, saying between sobs, "My son, just bear with it a little longer. A hundred years will pass in the blink of an eye. It's not worth it."

The ministers then realized: the prince wasn't trying to challenge God or anything like that; he simply wanted to return to his side.

Then I think about it—he was a perfectly respectable and radiant angel, yet he fell to the mortal realm for the sake of us mere mortals. It's understandable that he doesn't treat us well; frankly, we owe him something, yet we all keep our distance. As a result, he's lonely, empty, and wants to return to heaven. Isn't this all our fault?

Under a thousand years of theocratic rule, the kingdom's ministers were all devout believers and wise priests. They quickly understood and joined the old king in weeping, repeatedly saying, "I am guilty."

He then assured them: "It's just a Tower of Babel, we in Jerusalem can build it. If the treasury isn't enough, we'll donate. Once we've donated all our wealth, we'll go work on the construction site. We don't know any technical skills, but we can manage as laborers, carrying bricks and pushing cement."

After they finished speaking, they were so moved by their own words that they cried, and the ruler and his ministers continued to embrace and weep. It made me so embarrassed that I just wanted to use Geass. But then I remembered, my body's name is Wright Baldwin, not Cao Cao, and Geass seems to be gone.

Actually, I didn't really want them to build a Tower of Babel. I just heard my adoptive father bragging that he could get me anything in the world, so I just said it casually to tease him. I didn't expect him to actually take it seriously...

This...this...I hope I won't be punished by heaven?

Chapter Three: Grudges with Japan

The next day, news of the prince's desire to return to heaven spread like wildfire. Upon hearing this, many Jerusalemites were terrified.

Foreigners might have only heard rumors based on hearsay. But the people of the Heavenly Kingdom knew that without the protection of eight generations of divine messengers, their current situation might be like that of foreign heretics (in the eyes of the Heavenly Kingdom, Europe was considered heretical, not even considered a heretic. The reverse was also true).

So, upon hearing the Little Prince's declaration, and hearing that the kingdom's ministers were wholeheartedly supporting the old king's plan to build a Tower of Babel for him, the people throughout the country expressed their understanding. However, they stipulated that the tower absolutely could not have an elevator; everyone would have to climb it themselves.

With his tiny arms and legs, the little prince certainly wouldn't be able to climb up, so he could stay peacefully in heaven on earth and be king for a hundred years.

And so, under the malicious eyes of the people of the whole country, the world's tallest, and equally most useless, building was put into construction.

Putting aside the Tower of Babel, which was destined to be a tragedy, the gifts I received for my birthday this year were quite generous. The one that interested me the most was a sword given to me by Gerard de Redford, the Minister of War and Vice-Grand Master of the Royal Knights (the Grand Master is my adoptive father).

The sword's appearance, weight, and sharpness closely resembled the Yitian Sword. After carefully examining the patterns on the blade, I found two ancient seal characters in a familiar place: Yitian. Later, Gerald told me that he bought it from an antique dealer from China, and its name seemed to be Yitian.

……

Okay, even though I died once, at least I didn't lose my gear. I can still go out and fight. That's how I comforted myself.

Over the past few years, although I don't know what kind of world this is (because my memories of my past life are sealed), I'm quite satisfied with my identity. It's just that their talk of "angels descending to earth" gives me a bit of a creep.

After all, I don't know if I'm really an angel—because my adoptive father said that I would have no memories of the celestial realm until I turned eighty-four. I also don't know if that bastard cat just dumped me here, or if he threw me into Heaven and made me wait 4.6 billion years before reincarnating here.

...It seems to be the second one. I really can't believe that damn cat has enough patience to wait for 4.6 billion years.

That's really something. From what the natives of this world say, there really is a heaven, a God. Just the other day I saw Gerald receive a divine blessing—and then immediately slice off half a hill in the suburbs with his sword. I was shocked.

So all my hard work and eighteen years of honing my inner strength—it's not as effective as a couple of prayers from you?! Don't you feel ashamed?

So, I waited for the Minister of War to return, chuckling. I pressed him for details, asking how he had done it. Gerald then raised his head and declared, "God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light..."

……

Okay, I'll just ask my cheapskate dad when I get back.