Confession

Translator: Cinder Translations

...

"Lord Grayman, the visions you showed me in your mind, they must have come from the Divine Kingdom, right?" 

The mage named Derson looked at Paul with shining eyes.

Paul shook his head. "I'm neither a god nor from the Divine Kingdom."

However, the mage sitting across from him still wore a look of "you can't fool me."

Paul decided to give up on correcting his misunderstanding. "By the way, Derson, how should I deal with you?"

The mage was taken aback. "Ah?"

Paul threatened him, "Even if you didn't cause me harm, you certainly had the intent to. At the very least, it counts as an attempted attack!"

"Oh! Lord Grayman, I confess!" Derson said hurriedly.

"You... are confessing this easily?" Paul asked.

"Yes, I am guilty! I'm willing to accept any punishment you deem fit! Otherwise, I wouldn't have come to see you as soon as I woke up. I've already thought through all the possible consequences before coming!" 

Derson's face was sincere, with no sign of deceit.

Paul was at a loss for words.

Derson's face showed a longing expression.

"Though it may be a little shameless, I still want to ask you for a chance — a chance to redeem myself. I wish to offer my loyalty to you, as your servant, to witness many miracles, and contribute my humble power."

Was this the so-called royal aura at play, a subordinate bowing down before the master? 

Paul asked in confusion, "Why are you doing this? Why abandon your fellow mages?"

"Lord Grayman, the things in your mind are real, and achievable. Although I've only glimpsed a small part of it, I know you have a clear and defined path. For me, rather than participating in a gamble with many uncertain outcomes, it's better to follow a guide who knows the way."

Paul still didn't understand Derson's reasoning.

Derson continued: 

"I've encountered things far beyond the understanding of anyone in this world. A mark has been deeply etched into my soul — only under your guidance can this world become better, and only by following you can I walk the right path."

Get lost! Paul thought to himself, not at all impressed.

"Even if you say that, I cannot accept someone of unknown origins — especially a mage — as my subordinate. Neither rationally nor emotionally can I allow it."

"I know, it's sudden," Derson said sincerely, "but please at least give me some time to prove my loyalty. Until then, I am willing to tell you everything I know. Even if you don't accept my loyalty, I will still tell you. After all, our time is limited."

"Limited time?" Paul was startled. "What do you mean?"

Derson's face grew serious. "Humanity's greatest enemy is coming!"

Paul's eyelid twitched. "Orcs?"

"No, something far more terrifying than orcs — demons!"

"Demons?" Paul's heart stirred.

TMD, is the ultimate villain of the fantasy world finally making its appearance? 

TLN: "TMD" is often used as an abbreviation for a Chinese curse or exclamation, "他妈的" (tā mā de), which literally translates to "his mother's," but is commonly used as an expression of frustration or anger, similar to the English expletive "damn" or stronger curses.

Paul tried to maintain his composure. "Speak clearly."

"Earl, since you have mage subordinates, I'm sure you're familiar with the Arcane Order, right?"

"I know of it."

"This involves three aspects: the ancient legend of the human-demon war, the inheritance of the Arcane Order, and the mysterious celestial phenomenon."

And so, Derson began to recount everything he knew, including the alliance between the Arcane Order and the Scholar's Tower, and their long-term plans.

"The Scholar's Tower's interpretation of the celestial phenomenon caused a huge panic and merged with the Arcane Order."

"First, control a large and influential nation on the continent, using the power of the regime to cleanse the mage's identity, allowing them to walk under the sun."

"Because of Antonio's special identity, he is not only an heir to the throne but also possesses the bloodline and abilities of the founder of the Arcane Order. He is the one chosen by fate to be the natural leader of the Order."

"To ensure the process of controlling Gabella is unaffected, it is necessary to weaken forces like Aldor and the Church."

"Once Gabella is stable and other continental forces grow weaker, it will be time to initiate the unification of the human kingdoms."

"The ultimate goal is to consolidate the power of all humanity to face the legendary enemy, the demons, with the focus being on gathering all mages and researching magic to promote it."

"Because the demons in the legend possess powerful magic, only magic can counter magic, and humanity needs this power."

...

The more Paul listened, the more shocked he became.

The internal turmoil of Aldor, the witch hunts of Horns Bay... It turned out there was an invisible hand operating behind the scenes.

This hand had even reached the Northwest Bay years ago. The pirate invasion was their doing, and the mage who attacked him on the way and was shot dead by a random barrage was from the Arcane Order!

"How ridiculous! Just because of some vague ancient myth, other countries are being thrown into war and turmoil?" 

Paul couldn't help but grow furious.

"I see it now. Mages are just looking for a grand reason to make themselves the ruling class!"

Paul had heard the legend of the human-demon war since he was a child, but he wasn't really interested in it.

It originated from an era where writing hadn't even been invented, passed down orally for generations, continuously embellished. How much truth was left in such legends?

Paul was highly skeptical. Perhaps it was just two primitive tribes fighting.

Earth's various civilizations also have legends of ancient wars, and those battles were something else!

A human-demon war? Could it compare to the villagers' conflicts on the coast of Fujian?

At least the latter involved documented gunpowder weapons.

Derson didn't comment on Paul's criticism.

"They believe it. The Scholar's Tower has studied many ancient human civilizations and concluded this."

Then, Derson began reciting a prophetic poem derived from ancient civilizations.

"The Great Destroyer came through a non-existent gate from another world."

"He created his own kin on earth, and forged an army from steel, wielding fire-spitting weapons, slaughtering all living beings…"

"The kin rejoiced in victory, erecting stone pillars for sacrifice across the land."

"Malicious black mist poured from the tops of the pillars, obscuring the sun, moon, and stars. Nauseous black water flowed from their base, invading rivers and oceans, spreading countless plagues and aberrations among humanity…"

...

Paul quietly listened, but Derson's voice grew fainter and fainter, until it was almost inaudible.

He stared at Paul, frozen in place, a hint of terror flashing in his eyes.

Paul was puzzled. "What's wrong? Continue."

At this moment, Derson was filled with doubt.

It's... too similar!

No, no, the visions I saw were bright, creative, forward-moving, full of positive energy, not dark, decaying, or regressive.

It must just be a coincidence.

(End of the Chapter)

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