Silent Crown

by Feng Yue

  “You’re right.” Charles nodded and smiled in agreement.

  “Have you come for revenge?” Gaius took up the hot water and the pills, blew on it, and then decided that there was no need for more medicine. He put them aside and sat up straight in his chair to face his death.

  But Charles did not cut off his head. He did not move at all.

  Instead, he bowed his head and fell into a deep silence.

  He was formulating his next sentence.

  “Although I was originally very angry, I thought it through on the way here.” He said this calmly. “Giving the world to someone like me would even make you uneasy, no, Mr. Gaius? If I was still like before, then after spending a bit of time I could make a stable transfer of power. I could conceal my identity after this and not trouble the world again. But after receiving too much responsibility, I’ve become a bomb. If you don’t eliminate me, I will feel that you’ve become too softhearted. Although I’m very angry, after thinking it through, I understand.”

  While speaking these lenient words, Charles’s expression was calm. There was no hatred in his eyes, just pity. “After all, people have such limited vision. This isn’t your fault. I was just too arrogant.”

  What he said was so forgiving, and his eyes were so merciful.

  But even a bystander like Ye Qingxuan felt an indescribable chill. It was like seeing something gradually transform into something unintelligible.

  The love and hate of mortals had lost all its meaning for Charles.

  “Do you really want to become a god, Charles!?” He looked at the calm face in the memory, and remembered Charles’s face when the Sacred City had ignored him.

  So high and mighty, so… sad.

  “You came here just to show off your winner’s compassion? Charles.” Gaius lowered his eyes, and for the first time, Ye Qingxuan felt a bit of remorse from his heart. “You want to let me live? Charles, if I live I will do all I can to kill you. I will use the evil things that I have personally created to destroy you, no matter the cost! Even so, you will let me live?”

  “Mhm.” Charles nodded and grinned. He slowly got up. “You have guided and cared for me for so long. This time I came back not for revenge, but to pay you back in some meager way.”

  He reached out and touched Gaius’s forehead.

  “For the future.”

  At that moment, the world changed suddenly.

  Time passed by at a rate hundreds of times faster than normal.

  Gaius was thrown from his original time and rolled around in the turbulent flow of information as countless bits of information ran through his consciousness and then disappeared.

  In a flash, he fell out of centuries of history towards the future.

  805 Future Part 2

  In the blink of an eye, Gaius fell towards the future through thousands of years of history.

  Amid the chaos, Ye Qingxuan could only catch a few fragmentary pieces.

  “Asset mergers…““Age of data…““Breakthrough in polymer material…““Large Hadron Collider…““Human-machine revolution…”

  In the end, the speed was so fast that he couldn’t catch up, and he couldn’t even make out fragments.

  In just a moment, Gaius fell from the ancient palace and arrived in a pitch-black world.

  Countless dark clouds shrouded the sky. A pungent smell lingered in the air, countless towering chimneys spewed thick smoke into the sky, and stinking torrential rains poured from the sky, landing on the ground after flowing along innumerable flashing giant trees.

  But when he looked at it carefully, he discovered that the things propping up the sky and extending into the dark clouds were not giant trees, but shockingly tall buildings. From across the railing, the hurricane below blew in his face. Looking down, he was able to see dark clouds surging. The earth was covered in dense fog, and it couldn’t be seen clearly.

  The next moment, Gaius was no longer looking at it from a human perspective, and he gained an incredible field of vision which allowed him to overlook almost the entire region. He saw the land covered in steel beneath the heavy fog, and the countless buildings rising into the sky like forests. In the innumerable rooms that resembled pigeonholes, the deformed and hunchbacked slaves were slumbering.

  And at the very top, above the clouds, in the gorgeous homes that could enjoy the sunshine and fresh air, the well-dressed nobles were partying, tasting the wines and delicacies that had long since disappeared from the earth.

  “What… is this?” Gaius looked back, stunned, and saw Charles’ smile. The smile seemed to be full of pity, and it also had the calmness of a high and mighty God.

  “It is the world that you forged with your wishes.” He looked down at the heavens and the earth, answering Gaius’ question. “A ‘wonderful future after capital freedom is achieved.” As he said so, he brought Gaius forward. He took a step, and the rumble from a workshop hit them in the face. In the pungent smell of chemicals, along the huge assembly line, countless man-made creations were moving fast, being assembled by the workers on both sides. The thin and withered workers who were hunched over in their narrow workstation possessed an indescribable calmness.

  It seemed as if they had been assimilated by machinery.

  More even had machinery implanted in parts of them.

  “They are slave laborers, the people of the lowest class in the world. They work more than 18 hours a day in exchange for pay,” Charles introduced the place to him. “It is a factory that processes filters. If filters are not installed, humans cannot even survive for three hours in the terrifying air outside.

  “Tens of thousands of people work in the workshop. It operates 24 hours a day and never stops. There are hundreds of thousands of such workshops around the world, sustaining incredible prosperity.

  “It’s a pity that they don’t really have any asset or freedom, as they have already sold the ownership of themselves to the workshop.

  “They are the slave laborers of the lowest class, used as tools, and they have mastered no technology. They can only perform the jobs that have yet to be replaced by machines as of now and are not seen by others as human beings.

  “And you… are over there. ” As he said so, he looked up at the highest point of the workshop, at the huge portrait located there. The man on the portrait was majestic and noble, like the one God had chosen.

  When the monotonous ringtone rang, the mechanical assembly line came to an abrupt stop, and all the slave laborers got up in unison, lifted their heads, looked up at the portrait above, and began to sing songs of praises devoutly and uniformly.

  They praised Gaius, the great leader of the revolution, and they praised the great head of state…

  “You are the founder of the country’s assets, known as the father of civilization, and you have been revered for thousands of years, becoming a true god. Countless people are striving to uphold your ideals.”

  Gaius took a step back, staggering. “It’s not right…”

  The next moment, they came to a huge and cold building. The emblem representing the Republic hung high on top, reflecting off a cold brilliance.

  “Here is the branch of the Purge Management Committee, generally referred to as the Authority.” Charles opened the door for him. “Would you like to go in and have a look? A child who drew graffiti on your portrait is on trial. The person who reported him to the Authority is his brother, that child over there. As a result, he received rewards and praise from the great leader.”

  In the line of sight of Gaius, who was stunned, the child wearing a badge with Gaius on it on his chest was stepping on the red carpet, heading out of the Authority with his head held high and his chest puffed out, his gaze determined and calm.

  “Do you want to talk to him?” Charles asked, reaching out and stopping the child. The child frowned and looked at them on the chest, and soon, his expression became one of disgust.

  “Oh, I forgot, you didn’t wear this.” Charles reached out and put two badges
on Gaius and himself, gave a wave of his hand, and the distaste in the child’s eyes disappeared.

  “How can I help you, gentlemen? Ah, I know.” The child seemed to have expected it. He lifted his sleeves and wiped the badge on his chest. “Please feel free to look at it, but don’t dirty it.”

  “I… ” Gaius looked at him, stunned, his lips moving, but until the child left impatiently, he could not say anything. “It’s just a badge… it’s just a badge…”

  “One must not dishonor authority. The sacred bourgeois revolution is the cornerstone for the establishment of the country. Even a holy emblem must not be defiled.”

  Charles turned around. “Let’s go, sir, we still have a lot of places to visit. It seems that you have not gotten used to being a god.”

  The memory after that had already fragmented under the huge impact.

  Gorgeous palaces, soft anthems, celebrations… Mutated human bodies… Experiments… Surveillance… Reporting to the authorities… Acquisition… Asset change… Falls… Rises…

  Ye Qingxuan could see Gaius roaring angrily at Charles, questioning Charles, defending himself. Then the future changed, once again becoming… even more difficult to understand.

  In the wonderland that seemed like a kaleidoscope, the will of the weak would be worn away quickly.

  In the end, only ruins were left.

  Innumerable rays of vicious radiation were everywhere on the surface of the earth. Deformed humans crawled on the deserted ground, licking the mud greedily.

  Amid the wreckage, Gaius’ statue shattered, having fallen to the ground.

  The majestic face was covered in dust.

  Gaius fell to the ground, his hair hanging disheveled around him. He looked at the barren ground around him sluggishly, murmuring something, but even he himself could not make out his words. In the end, he turned madly, pouncing at Charles, tugging his collar.

  “No! Let me see more! Something must have gone wrong! The human world should be perfect! This time around, I will certainly be able to…”

  “It’s ok.” Charles smiled with pity, saying the last words in Gaius’ memory, “You can watch on for as long as you like to…”

  At the moment, Ye Qingxuan’s traceback came to an abrupt end.

  It was because the old man screamed.

  He woke up from his dreams, struggling wildly, scrambling down from the operating table. Screaming, he frantically tried to make it past the people in front of him, destroying everything.

  “No! No! It isn’t right! It should have been perfect! It’s not my fault! I am not wrong!” he screamed hysterically, his bloodshot eyes looking at everyone. “I am not wrong! I have not!!!”

  No one responded.

  Everyone looked at him quietly, watching him roar desperately. In the end, he sat down on the ground, exhausted. He began laughing like an idiot, then teared up immediately, tearing at his own hair and face. He curled up in the corner, talking to himself, “Sorry, sorry, sorry, please forgive me, everyone, sorry, sorry, sorry…”

  Sorry.

  Ye Qingxuan closed his eyes.

  Gaius has already gone crazy.

  It isn’t even because of Charles’ revenge.

  From the very beginning, when the countless sacrifices crushed him, causing him to lose his way, his fate has been doomed. He can’t face the sacrifices of his peers, he can’t face his own kind, and he can’t face so much pain.

  He can only deceive himself, that all the sacrifices are worthwhile, for the sake of the future, or for something else.

  For whatever.

  He will never find the perfect world.

  When the bubble is popped, there was no longer anything between him and madness.

  He is overwhelmed by guilt and despair. The things he has been pursuing his whole life are destroyed. After the price he has been paying his whole life and the sacrifices made lost their meaning, how can he face the world?

  “Kill him.” Ye Qingxuan kept his eyes low, clenching his fists. “Whenever I remember that my teacher sacrificed himself for such a madman, I feel that… it’s not worth it.”

  “I regret to inform that we can’t do it,” the person in charge of the Silence Governance answered.

  “What do you mean?” asked Ye Qingxuan.

  “I mean it literally, we can’t kill him.” The old musician replied, “His body has become so healthy that it is non-human. Even the lethal brain tumor that has originally meant imminent death has been taken out.

  “Something is supporting his life, and every time he is on the verge of death, it will restore him to his original state, just like this.”

  He pulled out his sword, and with a clean strike, he chopped off Gaius’ head. But as the head rolled on the ground and blood spilled out, the blood then flowed back towards the wound, with not a single drop left behind, and finally, the head returned to its original position.

  No wound could be seen anymore.

  “We have tried various means. In a sense, he has become a catastrophe and is almost immortal.” The person in charge sighed softly. “Even if he is burned to ashes, he can be reborn again from the fire. I am afraid that the god doesn’t want to let him off so easily either?

  “Originally, we were able to inject sedatives and hypnotize him, letting him fall asleep. But now, his body has become resistant to it, and it will not be long before dreams become a luxury for him even.”

  Ye Qingxuan was silent.

  The average person probably yearned dearly for such immortality, but for Gaius, It was an eternal punishment and torture.

  He could no longer escape from anything through death.

  He would live forever in pain.

  He would face everything painfully forever.

  “I have noted the information you provided. You can go, and take him with you… I don’t want to look at him again.” Ye Qingxuan withdrew his gaze and pushed the door open.

  He paid no more attention to the person in charge who chased after him. The man was stopped by his own subordinate, and shouted something at Ye Qingxuan from a far distance.

  But Ye Qingxuan was unwilling to listen any further.

  But when he pushed the door open, he saw the man below the steps.

  And the familiar face.

  “Nice to meet you, Grand Inquisitor. Do pardon my manners for taking the liberty to visit you without prior notice.”

  Below the steps, the first citizen of Burgundy, the great emperor, ‘Don Juan’, gave him a familiar smile. “Can we talk in private?”

  806 Choice

  A fire was burning in the fireplace as pinewood crackled in the flames.

  Don Juan was sitting on the sofa beside the fire. He remained silent while the other uninvited guest stood at a corner of the study room. The latter was carefully looking through all of the Chief Inquisitor’s collections. Clad in a greyish-black old robe, he looked like a vagabond and presented quite a huge contrast with the sophisticated and classy setting. Yet, there was an air of authority about him that was hard to describe. Even though he did not say a word, it seemed like he was the host here. He was the King of Blue.

  “Coffee or wine?” Ye Qingxuan stood in front of the bar counter and turned around to ask Don Juan.

  “Water will do.”

  Very soon, a cup of water was placed in front of him as Ye Qingxuan sat on the sofa opposite him. He waited silently for Don Juan to speak. Don Juan moved around on the sofa uneasily. In the end, he took a glance at the old man in a grey robe and sighed, “I’m sorry…”

  “Doesn’t matter.” Ye Qingxuan shook his head. “Very few people in this world can resist the King of Blue when he makes use of his seniority to get his way.”

  “No, in fact, I was the one who brought him here.” Don Juan lowered his eyes and sighed. He had gotten over his hesitation and skipped past the usual greetings and courtesies. When he looked up once more, the look on his face was calm.

  “Little Ye, I was the one who brought him here,” ss if he was
determined to make sure that there was no turning back, “to ask you to kill Charles.”

  In the long ensuing silence, Ye Qingxuan closed his eyes.

  “Mr. Bach, in accordance with our agreement, I have already brought you here so I will not be responsible for or involved in what will happen next.” Don Juan stood up and tried to contain his self-loathe. He did not wish to stay here any longer. “In that case, please excuse me.”

  The sound of the footsteps grew distant and the door was closed.

  Bach stretched out his hand and placed a palm-sized black metal box on the table in front of Ye Qingxuan, then he sat down opposite him.

  “No matter what, I think I have to have a talk with you.” He continued, “You need to take a look at this, at least.”

  “What’s this?” Ye Qingxuan looked up coldly. “Local specialty of the Sacred City?”

  “Probably.” Bach remained calm. “Back in the times when the first generation of three kings decided to create the Holy Caldron, they were already prepared for all the different problems that might occur. This was prepared for ‘catastrophe’ created by the Originator. This was a weapon that was created by the earliest three kings, who used the technology of mankind before the Age of Dark and was also destined to be this world’s last movement. Once it is played, it will destroy the balance within the Holy Caldron as well as its foundation, from top to bottom. In the end, the system of the Holy Caldron, which was built within the realm of aether, would collapse completely, including everything that was created using the Holy Caldron. Even musicians, who had yet to break off the connection, would be devoured by the turbulent aether… an unprecedented wave equivalent to the power of everything collapsing would hit the realm of aether and destroy all barriers. Then, it would gush into the Originator and clean up all the records once again.”

  He continued, “Including Charles.”

  Once the Holy Caldron was lost, the final afterglow of mankind’s Golden Era would be completely extinguished and the entire world would revert back to the Dark Age. And in this process, everything related to the Holy Caldron would lose its foundation along with the collapse of the Holy Caldron, including Charles, who was born from it.