I am the old, fiery-faced man from the senior department.

Under the dawn, the true dragon offered her his final eulogy.

May you fight for yourself with the humblest of dreams.

"May you offer your loftiest dreams to the sobs and roars in the night."

Back at Fifty-One, I saw that touch of emerald green again.

"Kal'tsit".

A gentle call came on the wind, and Emerald Felin came to her senses to find the pink-haired Sarkaz girl already beside her.

"I didn't find you in your room, so I guessed you were here admiring the view again."

"Theresia..."

Even though Sarkaz looked relaxed and smiling, Felin knew the pressure and exhaustion she was under.

"Kal'tsit, the Doctor went a bit too far in the last operation."

Sarkaz stood with Filin, gazing together at their ravaged homeland.

"Our initial goal was to bring our fellow Sarkaz people a country where they can live peacefully without discrimination."

"But if we, like those people, treat our fellow citizens as mere pawns to be picked up and discarded at will, then aren't we no different from them?"

"In that case, what need is there for the ideals I hold dear?"

Sarkaz's eyes were filled with sorrow. Even after more than a hundred years, she could not see the future of the Sarkaz clan.

"Theresia...do you really want to win this 'war'?"

"That's what Phil asked."

"Of course I want to win, but I don't want to win by the kind of method the Doctor uses, where he kills a thousand enemies but also loses eight hundred of his own."

“If it really takes the deaths of tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of compatriots to end this ‘civil war,’ then I would rather lose to my brother.”

No... there's no need for that.

Film looked up at the sky.

The clouds are still very thick today, and the wind is quite strong.

But she couldn't hear the thunder.

"If you can truly hold fast to your original principles, I will help Theresa achieve victory."

Phil looked down at his empty hands and sighed.

The future of the entire Sarkaz clan rests on her shoulders. If she loses the game with the Regent, the Sarkaz and Kazdel may continue to face a quagmire of war that will last for hundreds of years.

Governing a country by force might bring a certain degree of peace, but didn't previous Demon Lords do the same? If Kazdel still attempts to restore its kingdom through extreme force this time, then the other nations will completely crush Kazdel, and the discrimination and persecution suffered by the Sarkaz will become even more severe.

Therefore, they cannot afford to lose.

"Kal'tsit...why are you going to such lengths to help me?"

"Whether it's helping our suffering compatriots, seeking a way out for the Sarkaz, or wanting to build a country that belongs to us... these ideals and actions are nothing more than borrowed from others."

"Even the path I'm taking is one I'm following in the footsteps of others."

Sarkaz was somewhat downcast, and her gaze toward the north was filled with envy.

Theresa.

Philin wanted to comfort her, but his mouth, which was usually full of philosophical insights, wouldn't open.

"Thank you, Kal'tsit."

Sarkaz rubbed his face and smiled again.

"It's so nice to chat with you, it makes me feel so refreshed."

"There are still many things to finish, so I'll head back now. Kal'tsit, don't stand here for too long. Even though there are medicines, it's still hard to feel sick."

Sarkaz left, leaving Felin alone to continue gazing at the increasingly gloomy sky.

A borrowed ideal...

She always knew, and she always understood.

The paranoid monarch did not bring suffering to his people; instead, he embarked on a different path.

Help without curing, love without spoiling.

The people of Yan live very happily. Even if there are hardships in their lives, they are just trials for them. The future is always bright, and they will soon reach that bright future.

Nowadays, Yan seems to have become detached from this world full of pain and suffering.

The wind grew stronger, and Film's hair was blown into a mess.

The thunder still did not sound.

"..."

Can a promise, a promise delayed for hundreds of years, really be fulfilled?

The wind blew and the clouds moved, and the sky seemed to become a little clearer.

It's getting a bit chilly; she should wear more clothes before coming.

Let's go back first. As Theresa said, there are still many things that haven't been resolved.

Philin thought for a moment and turned around.

"Kal'tsit".

The dragon had been waiting for her for a long time, but seeing her deep in thought, he did not go up to disturb her.

"..."

Looking at Felin, a gentle smile appeared on his face.

"As agreed, I have arrived."

His old friend, whom he hadn't seen for a century, was standing right in front of him.

Although he recognized her immediately, she was not the Kal'tsit from his memories.

She was thinner than before, even though he had gone to great lengths to fatten her up before she left; her once beautiful, cloud-like hair was now somewhat dry, like branches in winter; there was a faint layer of darkness around her eyes, which he knew was typical of people who worked long hours without rest and had endless meetings every day.

She seemed to be wearing only a very thin coat, which was whistling in the wind; her hands were no longer the slender, delicate hands he remembered, but had developed many fine calluses, and the backs of her hands were red from the cold wind.

He was very excited, but didn't know how to express it, so he just said:

"Kal'tsit, you summoned me here..."

He then had a lot to say, wanting to pour out like a string of pearls: where they had gone, how they were doing, whether they had put themselves in danger again, whether they had thought of him... but he always felt as if something was blocking him, the words just swirling in his mind, unable to come out.

Felin stopped, a mixture of joy and sorrow on his face; his lips moved, but he remained silent.

Her attitude finally became respectful, and she clearly called out:

"Good day, Your Excellency Bai Zhou..."

He seemed to shiver.

Your Excellency... Your Excellency... Yes, yes.

He knew that since that day, a sad, thick barrier had separated them.

He was unable to speak either.

"..."

The wind blew even stronger, howling like thunder.

"Your Excellency, it is windy here and not suitable for conversation. Please move indoors."

Filyn suppressed her surging emotions and spoke to him with the most proper etiquette.

"..."

The dragon stared at her, at those emerald eyes, trying to discern the emotions hidden within them.

But he was ultimately going to be disappointed.

"can."

He suppressed his emotions, simply nodded slightly, and then followed Phil into the tower.

"Now, may you tell me why you have come here?"

He arrived at a room that seemed to be both Fei Lin's bedroom and office. He didn't touch the hot soup Fei Lin offered, but simply sat down and asked a question.

"Your Excellency Bai Zhou... I would like to ask you to uphold justice for me."

Filin made the request almost through gritted teeth.

"Upholding justice?"

The dragon looked around and then chuckled.

"For whom do I uphold justice?"

"Is it the Demon King you currently serve? Or the Great General of Kazdel?"

"Are they the fools who believe in the illusion of peace, or the demons who see through the truth of this country and fight to the death?"

“We’ve known each other for years, Kal’tsit. This is the first time you’ve come to me for help. I can’t remember how you argued with me last time about whether resisting invasion into enemy territory was a just act, or how you argued with me about the relatives of those enemy troops who were harassing the Great Yan.”

Zhenlong leaned back in his chair, looking at Phil standing in front of him, and said regretfully:

"Let me be frank! You never wanted my friendship. And you're afraid of owing me favors. Kal'tsit, I don't want to get involved in this mess."

“I understand. You have successfully spread your ideals in Kazdel. Your schemes have been effective; the restless wanderers have been inspired to settle down, and you have the Demon King and the Tower of Babel to protect you. You don’t need a friend like me.”

"But now you come to me saying, 'Lord Bai Zhou, please uphold justice for me.'"

“But you have no respect for me at all, Kal'tsit. You don’t treat me as a friend. You’re not even willing to call me Your Highness anymore.”

“You came to me when I was witnessing my grandson grow up, and you asked me to kill someone for you based on a past agreement.”

"I just want you to uphold justice..."