The Envoy of Abundance from Onphalus

"Now, do you all need any concessions from each other?" Russell's voice broke the silence, tinged with amusement. "Or... shall we continue fighting?"

The elders fell silent, as if the nightmare would end automatically if they didn't speak.

“Or,” Russell’s smile deepened, his gaze sweeping over the ostentatious ceremonial daggers at their waists, “draw your daggers and have a fair duel with me?”

The elders, with swords pointed at them, were like cats being choked, their eyes glazed over. Even when questioned, they would only glance up blankly before quickly lowering their heads again, remaining silent.

“Actually, I wouldn’t mind writing the chapter of the Senate’s downfall in Janusapolis today.” Russell’s eyes curved into crescents, his smile remained unchanged, but the pressure in his words was as heavy as a physical presence.

“But I think you value your lives more than anything else.” His smile remained gentle, but his words were icy cold. “So, listen carefully to what I’m about to say.”

The Senate remained deathly silent.

"If you know what's good for you, move aside and let us leave. As for how to clean up the mess—" Russell's voice carried the composure of someone long accustomed to a position of power, "that's your business. After controlling Janusapolis for so many years, you should be able to handle this little thing, right?"

"I can pretend that what happened today never happened. Similarly, I hope you can handle the aftermath 'properly'."

“Otherwise,” he stepped forward, and the elders were pushed back involuntarily as if by an invisible force, “the Divine Tree Court will terminate all cooperation with the upper echelons of Janusapolis and expose your scandal of forging divine oracles to the public!”

He pressed forward relentlessly, while the elders retreated step by step, futilely trying to maintain their last shred of momentum.

Finally, when the invisible pressure reached its peak, they parted like the tide, silently making way for the main road to the city gate.

This time, the Senate not only completely offended Russell and the Divine Tree Court, but also permanently lost its symbolic saint and elite guard.

Everyone's face burned, as if they had been repeatedly slapped by invisible hands. Their lofty dignity had been utterly crushed under their feet.

For them, this was undoubtedly a day of utter humiliation.

However, for Saint Tyresipius of Janusapolis, today was a turning point in her destiny.

She was finally able to carry the fire from Janus and the prophecy concerning the survival of Onphalus, to go out into the vast world, to unite all forces, and to begin that great re-creation.

They will meet again at the end of the west wind, and when tomorrow comes, they will be greeted by the dawn of a new world.

……

As the thief star, symbolizing the end of the day, streaks across the eternal dawn sky of Onphalus, the clamor finally subsides.

After a day of rest, the guards' families had packed their belongings. A sizable group, following Russell and Tirispius, departed Januspolis in a grand procession.

Such a commotion instantly shattered the city-state's surface tranquility, sparking countless speculations. Where was the Holy Maiden going? What was she going to do?

What's even more astonishing is that the members of the Senate collectively missed the farewell ceremony, an unthinkable occurrence in the past—how could these guys, who love to flaunt their power in public, miss such an important occasion?

It was as abnormal as night falling in Onphalus.

Meanwhile, the elders, who had been detained by the newly transferred guards for a day without food or water, finally regained their freedom. Although their faces showed relief at regaining their freedom, they were mostly troubled by the mess they had made.

As for taking revenge on Russell? The thought only flashed through the minds of a very few people before being extinguished.

The cost was too high and the benefits were zero, so the shrewd old hands immediately abandoned this foolish idea.

So, after Russell's group left, the Senate quickly released an official statement: Saint Tyresipeus had received Janus's oracle and left the holy city with a sacred mission. The selection of a new generation of saintesses was about to begin—of course, the selection rules would be set by the Senate.

Having figured this out, the elders were actually relieved: out with the old, in with the new. Wouldn't it be better to have a more obedient and compliant puppet saintess?

They skillfully used rhetoric to transform this humiliating defeat into a "glorious farewell" and a "peaceful transfer of power."

The carefully crafted lies easily deceived the unsuspecting people of Janusapolis. They even maintained the illusion that "Janus" still existed.

Upon discovering that the Gate Titan Janus had perished, the Senate's initial fear was quickly replaced by ecstasy.

A dead Titan is more useful than a living one! From now on, no one can expose the false divine pronouncements! In this light, Russell taking the saintess away seems to have...done them a great favor?

A strange, victorious smile even appeared on their faces.

However, not all factions were as magnanimous as the Senate. Many within the faction that supported the saint chose to follow Russell's group and leave. They were well aware of the Senate's vindictive nature and knew that staying would mean certain retribution.

Seeking refuge with the Divine Tree Court and following the Holy Maiden is their only way to survive.

The remaining people clung to a sliver of hope, believing that even the most corrupt Senate wouldn't stoop to openly committing murder. This greed for power and underestimation of the enemy's limits ultimately sealed their fate.

No sooner had Russell left than the Senate, having torn off its mask of hypocrisy, raised its butcher's knife. A bloody purge quickly unfolded. The charge was readily available: "colluding with foreign powers to assassinate the saint" (of course, fabricated).

The reason given is: the Holy Maiden was assassinated during her travels, and over a dozen valiant Senate guards sacrificed themselves to save her (purely fictional). Who most wanted to get close to the Holy Maiden? Naturally, it was her faction! The answer is self-evident…

Taking advantage of this purge, the Senate completely seized control of Janusapolis's remaining power.

For a moment, the elders were all beaming, as if they had truly won some great victory and reached the pinnacle of power.

Now that the internal and external troubles (in their view) have been eliminated, the next step is naturally the age-old and much-anticipated part – infighting.

Their factional infighting and power struggles are more chaotic and brutal than ever before.

That's how the game of power works; wins and losses come in cycles, and today's honored guest can be tomorrow's prisoner.

As for those former "loyal dogs" whose tendons and limbs were severed by Russell and who lay sprawled on the ground like mud?

Before leaving, Russell, out of a doctor's instinct, still performed simple hemostasis for them to ensure they would not die immediately from blood loss.

Subsequently, the newly appointed guards of the Senate received orders to dispose of these useless rubbish.

No one remembers that they had once used a deadly move against Russell for the sake of the Senate. In the eyes of the senators, it was their duty.

Since they failed to protect their master, they deserved their fate. Should the Senate be held responsible for their incompetence?

Just as the guards who followed Russell had predicted, these abandoned "loyal dogs" became the cheapest sacrifices for the Senate to vent its anger and cover up its shame.

A simple "missing" erased all traces of their existence.

After all, the fewer people who know the Senate's current sorry state, the better.

……

Okay, still asking for votes. After that, please read the rest of the book, as advancement depends on the number of reads. Thank you all for your help.

Then let's recommend a book, and let the new books help each other out.

Uma Musume Pretty Derby: How Can You Become Everyone's Hero Without Some Tech-Savvy Skills?

Amber Medicine Scroll: Chapter Twenty-Five - Where the West Wind Ends, Hope Begins

The order to imprison the senators was given by Russell himself.

He knew all too well how low these people's moral standards were, and releasing them would be tantamount to letting tigers return to the mountains. Although they had temporarily yielded under the threat of violence, their ingrained instinct to betray were hard to erase.

Russell was not keen on political games, but he was far from naive. Controlling them was essential to ensuring his and Tirispius's safe departure. Once released, the fragile agreement that had just been reached could collapse instantly.

So he ordered his guards to detain these once high-ranking nobles, making them experience what it meant to live a life of hardship and uncertainty.

All day long, the elders lived in fear, lest Russell change his mind. Their pent-up resentment naturally fell on the remaining members of the saint's faction, a misfortune undeserved.

When the procession finally emerged from the city-state of the three Titans of Fate, it had grown to nearly a thousand people. It included not only the families of the guards, but also devout followers of Tirispius who had voluntarily chosen to follow him, and descendants of those whose ancestors had received favors from Russell and who now regarded him above the Titans.

Bertrand Russell never imagined that the seeds of goodwill he casually sowed hundreds of years ago would bear fruit today.

Knowing that the Divine Tree Court was short-handed, Russell naturally accepted all offers. He walked alongside Tirispius at the head of the procession.

At the last moment before stepping out of the magnificent gates of Janusapolis, Tirispius paused, looking back at this city where fate and intrigue intertwined.

"What's wrong? Are you reluctant to leave?" Russell noticed her gaze.

“No,” Tirispius shook his head gently, his eyes tender and profound, “I just feel… that someone is watching us in that direction. Perhaps, in the Temple of the Three Fates, they are the ones silently helping us. I think we should say thank you.”

“That sounds like the kind of idea only a romantic Titan like Meneta would have.” Russell’s pale blue eyes also looked in the direction she was pointing, as if they could truly pierce through time and space. “How poetic.”

“That’s why the story is so full of anticipation. Time is a magical thing, isn’t it, Mr. Russell?” Her voice carried a hint of fantasy. “Perhaps, right now, someone in the future is looking at us with a surprised expression.”

“Yes,” Russell said in a voice so low that only she could hear, “to talk to the future… is indeed romantic. So, my friends of the future, may your era be free from the Black Tide, and may everything be as peaceful and beautiful as the Golden Age.”

Tirispius laughed. This physician, who had walked the ages, also had such a romantic side, quite different from the stereotypical image he held in history books.

She couldn't help but ask the question that had been lingering in her mind for a long time:

“Mr. Russell, you have been on the continent of Onpharos for a thousand years... Are you a descendant of the Golden Race?”

“I wish I were,” Russell said, turning his gaze away from the distance to look at her and shaking his head. “But unfortunately, I am just an ordinary person forgotten by time and death.”

“Then you…” Tirispius began, but then paused, feeling that the question he was about to ask was inappropriate, as if it were a denial of his thousand-year-old conviction. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked that.”

“Duty, is that it?” Russell said for her, his tone calm. “For an ordinary person, bearing the fate of the entire Onphalus is indeed too heavy a burden.”

“But for me,” his voice held a rock-solid firmness, “it is my life’s desire to see every Onphalus man look up at the blue sky free of the Kuroshio Current once again. For the past thousand years, I have only been moving toward my ideal.”

“From my fiftieth year as a doctor, I have been thinking about how to protect this land from the ravages of plague, disease, famine and war.”

"Two hundred years ago, the doctor named 'Russell' had already 'died.' Now it's the story of 'Amber Doctor'."

"He will use his own hands to heal the wounds inflicted by the Kuroshio Current and to fulfill the shared expectations of those who once walked alongside me."

“I know I shouldn’t bear so much. To be honest, these past thousand years have been exhausting, so exhausting.” His voice was filled with deep weariness. “I’ve watched countless people leave, and in the end, I’m all alone. Some of their faces, I can’t even remember anymore…”

"But I have never forgotten the hope for the future in their eyes. A thousand years cannot erase it."

“I have witnessed dozens of generations dedicate their lives to fighting the Kuroshio simply because they listened to my words. They revered me as their teacher and always believed that their teacher could lead them to finally defeat the Kuroshio.”

“Even if their generation fails, there will be the next generation, and the next generation after that… until the day the Black Tide is dispelled. They, like me, firmly believe that humanity will ultimately prevail.”

In Russell's pale blue eyes, the burning light grew stronger, and his tone changed from calm narration to impassioned and powerful, as if he were making a solemn vow.

"For me, fifty years have passed in the blink of an eye; for them, it has been a lifetime. I still remember the hope on their faces for overcoming the Kuroshio Current, and the regret on their faces for their impending death."

"They dedicated their lives to fighting the Black Tide. As for me, I only gave up some years. What is there that I cannot bear?" His words were simple, yet they carried immense weight.

"So, as long as I stand, I will continue to raise the banner of resistance against the Black Tide. Even if fate truly foretells my defeat and death?"

"That doesn't matter. If fate is unchanging, why should Miss Saint go to deliver divine pronouncements? Wouldn't it be better to simply wait for the savior to arrive?"

"The belief I have always held is this: man must save himself. Waiting for the handouts of fate will never bring mercy. This is a truth I have learned over a thousand years. Miss Saint, I hope you can understand it too."

"Fate only favors those who strive hard."

“I understand…” Tirispius nodded vigorously, his eyes sparkling with a new light. “Then I will also be like you, measuring the earth with my own feet, bringing divine revelations to all the city-states. Let ‘see you tomorrow’ be the most beautiful expectation.”

“I will witness all of this,” Russell promised, then changed the subject with the keen insight of a healer, “However, why do I feel that your soul… seems to show some signs of being broken? Is it a side effect of fusing with the Fire Seed? I’ve never really studied this kind of case before.”

He could clearly sense that Tirispeius's soul was like cracked glass, exceptionally fragile.

“It’s alright,” Tirispius said with a calm smile. “This is the destiny I must bear. Janus once told me: ‘You will be reduced to a thousand pieces, bringing divine pronouncements to all.’ This is the fate of those who bear the flame of the Titans. You have your mission, and I have mine, don’t you, Mr. Russell?”

“Yes,” Russell smiled with relief, “I’ve heard that Janusapolis’s most beautiful prophecy is ‘See you tomorrow.’ So, Miss Saint, I hope we can both complete our missions and meet again at the end of the west wind, to witness the birth of a new world together.”

“Yes,” Tirispius replied solemnly, “it’s a promise, we will meet again at the end of the west wind. See you tomorrow.”

The two exchanged a smile, silently continuing their journey to the Divine Enlightenment Tree Garden. There, their respective missions would culminate, and a new beginning would unfold…

……

Amber Medicine Scroll: Chapter Twenty-Six - The Fire Never Ceases

After resting for a month in the Garden of the Gods, Tirispius resolutely embarked on her mission. As if she had made an unwavering decision, she walked out of the magnificent gates of the Garden of the Gods without looking back.

The instant she passed through the ancient door, a strange change occurred. Under Russell's gaze, Tirispius's figure suddenly disintegrated, transforming into a thousand tiny children.

Each child is like a miniature mirror image of her, and what they hold tightly in their hands are the thousand oracles written by Tyresipius with all his heart and soul.

These little "Tibos" carry the last will of Tirispeius before his demise. Their goal is clear and grand: to spread this oracle throughout Onphalus, to unite all the oppressed and neglected Golden Children, to embark on a fire-chasing journey to save the world, and to create a new world.

Tirispius had vanished completely. Now, it was time for the Tibos to shoulder their mission. Russell silently watched as the thousand tiny figures scattered and departed.

As the supreme leader of the Divine Tree Court, he officially endorsed Tibo's actions. While not as solid as military intimidation, it was enough to make some restless city-states temporarily withdraw their greedy hands—a saintess with prophetic abilities was a treasure coveted by countless city-state rulers, and the opportunity before them was once in a lifetime.

However, considering Russell's city-state that intimidated Onphalus with its cutting-edge academic and technological prowess, most of the covetous individuals ultimately restrained their impulses.

Greed has its limits, and the price of completely offending the Divine Tree Court is far too heavy: being cut off from all technological support except for basic survival is tantamount to cutting oneself off from the future. After all, no one wants to be the fool who is abandoned by the entire era because of a moment of greed.

Not everyone harbored ill intentions. For centuries, the Golden Race, struggling to survive under the discrimination and oppression of the rulers of various city-states, were like parched earth yearning for rain; they saw hope in the divine oracle.

Soon, news arrived from afar like wildfire: the first responder, the Golden-blooded [Sunlight Knight] Seneos, following the guidance of Tibo's oracle, challenged the Sky Titan Aegler. After an earth-shattering battle, Seneos ultimately defeated the powerful Titan.

But the price of victory was incredibly heavy. As Aegler teetered on the brink of destruction, the sky it supported began to crumble, and massive fragments of the heavens, carrying an aura of annihilation, crashed down upon the earth. A cataclysmic catastrophe was imminent.

For the sake of countless lives, Seneos made the most heroic choice—she gave up the chance to seize the fire of Aegler, and instead became an indestructible pillar of thunder, forcefully supporting the collapsing sky!

The sky temporarily stabilized, and the catastrophe was delayed. For the first time, the sky people, who had never set foot on the ground, truly descended to earth, communicating and integrating with the inhabitants, shedding their veil of mystery.

Seneus's actions were like the first resounding horn, officially heralding the start of the journey to seek fire. For the first time, the light of hope pierced so clearly through the somber, dark clouds above Onphalus.

Inside the Divine Enlightenment Tree Garden, Russell felt the surging power of this hope. Now that the Tibbers were already taking action, how could he, as the leader of the Tree Garden, slacken his efforts?

During the ten years that the Tibos traveled across the continent of Onpharos, Russell led his scholars to a crucial breakthrough—a cheap potion that could effectively slow down the erosion of the Black Tide was created in the Garden of Divine Enlightenment and made available on a large scale.

The medicine acted like an invisible dam, temporarily halting the Black Tide's rate of devouring lives and buying precious time for the world.