first player

Chapter 1671 Final Chapter: Crossing the Shore [15]: [The Deconstructor is confused about the origin.]

"—The Pope killed the Imperial Tutor!!!"

"Your Holiness... he, he suddenly... towards the Imperial Tutor... right there in the Holy See!!!"

"Blood...so much blood...Your Majesty the Imperial Tutor...!!!" The servant trembled all over.

Su Ming'an's expression went blank for a moment.

This blankness appears on many people's faces.

what?
Pope Chi and Imperial Tutor Bi, the world's highest rulers and spiritual symbols, were both ambitious men who supported the heir of the world's monarch. Did one kill the other? Weren't they in cahoots?
Su Ming'an had considered many possible developments. For example, Hui Chi might be someone similar to "Sacred Enlightenment," seemingly imprisoning him, but ultimately handing over the Holy Sword. Or Hui Chi might appear to be seizing power, but in reality, he was his "biological father"... He never imagined that Hui Chi would kill Hui Bi.

"Holy crap... the plot has gone completely awry?" one player murmured.

"This development...it's not in the original work at all! Wait, is this even in the original work?" another person complained.

The established development has sped away like a wild horse.

Su Ming'an charged toward the temple. The white feathers of his crown billowed backward as he sped, his fur robes unfurled behind him, and the epic tale of flowers came to an abrupt end.

The hero did not head towards the dragon's lair.

One dragon killed another dragon.

……

The temple, the rear hall, and the crimson room.

“…So that’s how it is. The original three gods created all the gods.” Zhao Yuan closed his notebook, intending to look for any more big news.

Suddenly, her ears twitched.

"—Oh!" A surprised female voice came from behind.

Zhao Yuan darted forward and saw that it was a young maid carrying tea and snacks. Just as Zhao Yuan was pondering how to handle the situation, the maid suddenly realized and exclaimed, "Ah! You must be the guest His Majesty mentioned yesterday!"

Huichi frequently invited all sorts of guests to his room. The guests came from all walks of life, and the topics of discussion were unpredictable, ranging from world philosophy to the taste of bread, as if Huichi were gathering material.

Zhao Yuan's hand slid rapidly behind her back, and in just three seconds, a forged invitation took shape at her fingertips. She smiled and handed it over, a confused glint in her eyes: "Yes, I am a guest."

She gave herself the identity of a "reporter," and the maidservant, unsuspecting, led Zhao Yuan to sit down at the small round table in the center of the room.

—The tea is hot.

The moment Zhao Yuan lifted the lid of the porcelain cup, she noticed the tea was warm. Could it be that Hui Chi had originally planned to receive guests today, and she had simply slipped in, only to be mistaken for a guest by the maid?
Having finally gotten a chance, Zhao Yuan immediately asked the maid about the "big news".

The young maid wasn't shy at all; she blurted out, "You want to interview me? I don't have any news stories about me. I don't know anything about gods or heroes. The pay is high and the benefits are good here, so I'm working here."

"What do you usually do?" Zhao Yuan took out his notebook to write it down.

"Wipe the table, move the chairs, sweep the floor." The little maid blinked and touched her lips with her finger. "Hmm... Reporter, maybe the reputation outside isn't very good, but please don't write anything bad about His Holiness the Pope. We have clothes to wear and books to read here, and His Holiness the Pope won't treat us like slaves. When we're old enough to work, he'll send us out to find jobs."

Following up on the conversation, Zhao Yuan casually inquired, "The square outside was so lively today, but the palace seemed quite quiet? Isn't anyone curious?"

Everyone would pay attention to such an important event, let alone a personal maid who would surely know some secret information.

The maid tilted her head, looking bewildered, and asked, "What?"

"Huh?" It was Zhao Yuan's turn to be stunned.

“The square? Oh, you mean the succession ceremony of the Lord?” The little girl blinked, her tone as casual as if she were just saying the weather was nice today. “That’s for important people and knights. We still have our work to do. Aunt Martha instructed us early this morning to prepare the stock of incense and candlesticks.”

"Why?" Zhao Yuan asked, puzzled.

"Why what?"

"The world has changed... Don't you care what these things are used for?"

The young girl scratched her head and said awkwardly, "I don't have that much time. I only know that if I'm not prepared, my wages will be docked."

She paused, then added softly, "Actually, I think gods and holy swords are too far removed from us. I'm content as long as I can send money back home to support my family and send my younger siblings to school. What I'm most worried about is who gets the holy sword, what happens when my boss changes, and what if I lose my job."

She didn't care about cat boxes, fate, or scripts.

Zhao Yuan listened, momentarily at a loss for words. Outside, gods and demons descended, flesh and blood flew, a battlefield capable of deciding the fate of the world; yet within the high walls, an ordinary maid was concerned with accounts, incense, candlesticks, wages, and her family's school. Even now, the vast majority of people in Rovasa were still living their ordinary lives, some even continuing to study and work as usual.

The sun rises every day as usual.

For ordinary people, the ideals of "freedom" or "perfection" pursued by those in power are neither their concern nor their concern.

Zhao Yuan tried to guide the conversation further: "I've heard that His Holiness the Pope and the Imperial Tutor seem to be preparing for something very special lately?"

The maid thought for a moment and said, "Something special? Hmm... His Holiness the Pope seems to be quite busy lately, often discussing matters behind closed doors with the Imperial Tutor. But how could we possibly know the specifics? The Imperial Tutor is very kind. Last time I spilled the snacks that were being sent to the study, he happened to be passing by and didn't scold me. He even had the kitchen send me a new one."

Throughout, she showed no surprise or curiosity whatsoever about the tremors coming from the direction of the square. It was just part of the "lively ceremony for the important people."

"My only fear is that His Majesty and the Imperial Tutor are really doing bad things," the little girl prayed, clasping her hands together. "Then my resume will be tainted, and I won't be able to find work anymore... And also, I've recently heard some rumors that the Mother Goddess is an evil goddess who wants to lock us all in a cage... But I'm standing right here! I can run, jump, move, and walk. When have I ever been locked in a cage..."

"You hope that the Radiant Mother Goddess is a good goddess?"

“He is such a good god!” The little girl nodded, her pigtails swaying back and forth, showing complete worship and reverence for the Radiant Mother Goddess.

Seeing the little girl's bright eyes, Zhao Yuan pursed his lips. This couldn't be judged by words like "stupid" or "foolish." What the little girl cared about wasn't whether her faith was correct or not, but that believing in an evil god would be a stain on her reputation for life, meaning no school would accept her and no job would be available.

For a fleeting moment, Zhao Yuan thought of the phrase "honor killing." The maid's innocent expression reminded her of the tragic fate that befell this innocent little girl after she learned that her mother was an evil god...

“I haven’t seen the fate of those who believe in evil gods…” Zhao Yuan exhaled softly, “but I’ve been to many battlefields, and I know the fate of the defeated… Many of them hadn’t done anything wrong; they were just heroes who defended their country. But after defeat, they were nothing more than prisoners without dignity, and were even subjected to all sorts of inhumane treatment for amusement…”

History is written by the victors, and the East Wind will prevail over the West Wind. Today, faith in the Radiant Mother Goddess is considered correct, and believers are found throughout Rovasa.

—But what if a righteous god becomes an evil god, and an evil god becomes a righteous god?
“Many people will commit suicide!” the little girl added. She was really scared, after all, there were too many rumors, and in a sense, they were indeed true. “My mother said that if that situation really happened… she would have to take her younger siblings and leave for a distant land, to a country without faith, while I, I probably wouldn’t be able to clear my name, and would just end up killing myself.”

She shook her head and touched her arm repeatedly, trying to calm her fear.

Therefore, she could only believe in the "correctness" of the Radiant Mother Goddess.

—Believe in the “justice” of your own beliefs.

—Believe in the “legitimacy” of Hui Chi’s actions.

—I believe that the current world order is a complete and absolute order and "perfection".

perfect.

For someone like her, everything she's experiencing right now is already 100% perfect. Their world is like a small, fragile glass bottle; the slightest movement and it will shatter.

The little maid was named Meimei, an ordinary name. Zhao Yuan couldn't imagine how the newly risen "Nest" would treat these "Meimeimeis" after the truth about the Radiant Mother Goddess was revealed.
New flags need new blood, and a new world full of flowers needs no old ashes.

Throughout history, all players or enlightened individuals attempting to break the deadlock have naturally shared a common perspective: they witness injustice, uncover conspiracies, resist a manipulated fate, and pursue "truth" and "freedom." Their fight is to save the world and liberate it from the clutches of an evil "controller."

But for whom is this "truth"? For whom is this "freedom"?
For Meimei, and for millions of other Rovasa like her, freedom means receiving their wages on time at the end of the month.

Under the current order, Meimei has already gained this freedom and found a place suitable for her survival. Although this system is built on lies and manipulation, it is enough to provide stability for her survival.

Once the conclusion that "the Radiant Mother Goddess is an evil deity" is established, Meimei's faith immediately becomes an original sin, her resume stained with an indelible mark. The new "righteous god" needs to demonstrate its authority, and the old believers become ready-made sacrificial offerings.

“If most people are content to live with the ‘perfection’ portrayed in writing, then…” Zhao Yuan murmured to himself, his fingers gradually clenching, “the act of forcibly prying open the cat carrier deprives them of the stability and security upon which they depend for survival…”

Food, dignity, and the anticipation of tomorrow.

Cognition, destiny, and being limited by narrative.

The question of which is more important has become an unsolvable moral dilemma.

"—Miss reporter, I'm sorry I'm late. Let's begin the interview we arranged."

Just then, a gentle voice came from inside.

Hidden among the heavy books was a head of golden hair that seemed to be imbued with holy light, like waves of wheat dyed at dusk. The long hair was meticulously combed back, with a few strands falling across the broad and full forehead. The perfect majesty was reminiscent of the solemnity of ancient murals.

Beneath his long eyebrows, his eyes, like deep-set rubies, held a gentle tolerance. He wore a faint smile, as if he were listening to a believer's confession, his eyelids casting a compassionate shadow.

Zhao Yuan was very familiar with this look; many of the world's top figures she had met had this look—a look that only those at the pinnacle of power and knowledge possessed, a look that was gentle to the point of being compassionate, and calm to the point of being ruthless. They were adept at offering the most magnanimous compassion to the weak, and also adept at giving the most cruel judgment to those who transgressed the rules.

Meimei quickly bowed and said, "Your Majesty has arrived. Please have a seat, reporter. I have to hurry to the warehouse!" She grabbed the ledgers and ran off, soon disappearing into the depths of the corridor.

Hui Chi approached, the hem of his pure white robe rustling softly as it passed by. He stopped beside a small round tea table in the center of the room, where a set of white porcelain teaware emitted wisps of steam.

—The tea is hot.

He had expected someone to come.

I expected... Zhao Yuan would come.

“No need for formalities, Miss Zhaoyuan. Please have a seat. The tea is freshly brewed; it’s a new Morning Dew Silver Needle tea from the Eastern Territory,” Hui Chi said with a smile.

Zhao Yuan made her expression appear natural as she walked to the armchair and sat down, her body still taut beneath her leather vest. She had sneaked in, but Hui Chi treated her as a guest.

"Did His Majesty know I was coming?"

“A good recorder deserves to be known. You don’t need to feel guilty; the anticipated visit wasn’t an intrusion, just an early arrival.” Hui Chi elegantly picked up the teapot and poured a cup of tea for each of them. The light green tea rippled in the white porcelain cups.

Before Zhao Yuan could press further, Hui Chi looked up and asked, "Miss Zhao Yuan, you're here for 'big news,' right?"

Zhao Yuan was shocked. He actually knew even this?
“Don’t be surprised.” Hui Chi seemed to see through her thoughts. “I’ve seen too many guests who come here with different purposes. Scholars seek knowledge, politicians seek power, artists seek inspiration, the confused seek answers… and recorders seek truth.”

He did something that caught Zhao Yuan off guard: he took out a roughly square, dark black box, neither gold nor wood, from the drawer next to the armchair and pushed it in front of Zhao Yuan.

The Pope’s voice was clear and calm: “Here are the records and contracts of all the projects I have participated in since I became Pope, as well as some letters and warrants that could constitute evidence of a crime.”