Chapter 64.1

However, even if he were to declare a promise to the emperor, His Majesty would not be fooled by a fake corpse.

Oswald fell like a plummeting stone into the depths of the sea. The water rushed past him, cold and unforgiving. He forgot to breathe, and his lungs began to burn. He didn't even struggle. He was too stunned by what had just happened.

The last words Melo had spoken resonated repeatedly in his head: "Your Highness, the God of Light."

God of Light...

Kevin...

Sirius rumbled in disbelief, feeling like someone had struck him over the head with a club. He was so dazed that he didn't know what was happening.

How could the God of Light be that spineless, directionless, and disgusting creature who hunted and fought all day, represented in the Sacred History?

Oswald thought it was an absurd joke. Big, ridiculous joke!

Yet reality slapped him in the face several times. When he had flown Kevin from the small wooden boat to the large wooden boat, this suspicion had flickered in Oswald's mind.

The thought had stunned him when it flashed through his consciousness, but he had dismissed it as impossible.

But now, Oswald's suspicions had been confirmed, and he felt even more lost than before. It seemed unbelievable, but every detail reinforced the fact.

He had always known that Kevin was different, but he had never imagined that he was this different. He had never imagined that Kevin was a god.

Oswald didn't know what to do. He didn't know how to process this information.

How could an ordinary person live for such an extended age or be bestowed with such an immense curse?

How could an ordinary person have knowledge of the age of the Old Gods?

Who but Kevin could have known about the Tomb of Phae and been brave enough to kill it single-handedly?

It also explained why Kevin had been astounded upon seeing the phoenix totem arise in the priest's pool.

Oswald's mind wandered back to the incident in the Old Rose Castle's dungeon. He remembered how Kevin had not woken up early, but had remained conscious the entire time.

He had only pretended to wake up when he had moved everyone into the underground palace.

Oswald had been puzzled by Kevin's behavior at the time, but now he understood. Kevin had been playing a part, all along.

He had been pretending to be weak and helpless, when in reality he was anything but.

Who else but Kevin would have carried out the despicable arrangement of disarming the frontier guards of the Northern Emerald Country and allowing the soldiers of the Golden Lion Kingdom to take advantage of them?

The closer Oswald scrutinized these details, the more frozen he became, for he had no choice but to accept the truth.

Oswald felt a chill run down his spine. He had been fooled by Kevin, and he didn't know who Kevin really was.

The God of Light that he had worshipped during his childhood was none other than Kevin.

The giant beast opened its eyes in the sea, looking mournful.

Sirius's robust body had finally stopped its sinking and was now rising with the seawater's natural buoyancy, drawing nearer to the surface.

The scenery beyond the sea distorted in his eyes, and he could barely make out the tall mast with someone standing calmly upon it.

Oswald understood suddenly whence came Kevin's countenance that didn't match his age when they had first met. It was the Divine's gaze observing all living things.

However, this god's character was a little wicked and not terribly serious.

When Sirius finally floated on the surface of the sea of ​​corpses, his eyes widened. The monument in front of God Phae's tomb entrance popped into his mind.

It stated that there were only two methods to opening the tomb's door. Upon reflection, Kevin hadn't used the "dead open the way," but instead, the latter section of the inscription—God himself opened it...

Sirius's colossal wings drooped despondently over his face as he pondered his latest transgression.

What had he done? He had rummaged through the God of Light's tomb not once, but twice!

The last time, he had committed the sacrilege in front of the God of Light himself by blasting the door off its hinges and exploding his statue right under his nose. To add insult to injury, he had then foolishly brought back someone else's footprints.

He could only imagine the god's wrath when he discovered what Sirius had done. He would surely be punished severely, perhaps even with death.

Tears brimmed over in Sirius's eyes as he recollected every word he had said about the God of Light to Kevin. He wanted nothing more than to commit seppuku.

Oh, how desperately he wished he could turn back time to those moments, so he could tear his mouth open.

Kevin hooked two fingers around the mast with his free hand and lifted Sirius up with his power, effortlessly hoisting him up entirely into the air.

Oswald was not aware that Kevin had turned around, but he heard the latter's voice close to his ear, and responded with anger. "Can't you pick a better time to throw yourself into the sea? What about those who haven't died yet, don't they matter? Are you out of your mind?"

The Emperor retorted with a loveless voice, "How do you know what I am thinking?"

Kevin replied self-assuredly, "I don't. That's why I checked what you were thinking after seeing you fall like a paraplegic."

Despite his boldness, Kevin remained standing tall on the mast, his eyes fixed on Melo. He did not bother to speak, but his silence was more eloquent than any words could have been.

Oswald let out a deep breath, closed his eyes, and was about to turn over to flap his wings when the wicked God of Light comforted him. "Why bother with digging graves and blowing up statues? In the end, you still use iron shackle. Have I not been chained for days?"