Shadow of the Evil God

Diana felt that those with base souls possessed despicable desires, unworthy of such complex flesh and blood. What she found most intolerable was that their flesh and blood were no different from those of those possessing great wisdom. If she were to make the arrangements, these people's skins would only need two holes: one for food and one for excretion. The rest would be unnecessary.

Why not? Because they are nothing but good-for-nothings who can only bribe, and are dung-making machines that line their own pockets. They can’t bring anything to the world except shit and urine.

So this was the reason why she had been so cruel back then? She couldn't explain it, but for a while, she did feel that those people only looked and sounded like humans, and the rest had nothing to do with humans. Even the beastman Nauzog was more human than them.

Diana shook her head. She saw several Hiel monks browsing the bookshelves, perusing the medical texts of the Kasar Empire. While they had no intention of turning this place into a great library, Altinia had entrusted Brother Mira of the hermit sect with a number of the Empire's medical texts. When the Great Library was still in existence, scholars often gathered in its various rooms, including Chief Musali, who had been a visitor there.

She walked between the already sizable bookshelves, hoping that books and knowledge would obscure any traces of the local nobility. Altinya rarely expressed her likes and dislikes, but she was different; she had this mouth for scolding.

Chapter 291 Diana and Her Mother

Diana finally arrived at the location agreed upon in the letter. She sat down in the quiet room at the innermost corner of the library and wanted to speak, but she saw the school's mage standing nearby in the shadows, showing no intention of sitting down or even speaking. She realized that this person had come alone simply to serve as an anchor for the teleportation spell; the person actually convening the meeting would use him as an anchor to enter the quiet room.

"Who's coming?" she asked.

"Head of the school," he said. "You know, you haven't seen your mother for many years."

"I heard she struggles to even take a few steps," Diana said cautiously. In the Yesterlen School, words are always carefully considered. However, her skepticism is natural. Many people like her mother, lacking the necessary qualifications, have taken the helm of the school, inevitably overdosing on potions to enhance their spellcasting abilities. While this approach is effective, the side effects are numerous and varied, and the effects vary from person to person.

"Trust me," the wizard said, "there are many spells that can replace walking on two legs."

"A spell? But how long can she maintain it? She's already struggling to steer the school, and now she has to come here herself?"

"She's more capable than you think, Diana," the wizard said. "I'd even go so far as to say that the spells she chose for herself were quite impressive. Every servant kneels before her legs, kisses her boots, and pledges their loyalty to her authority. The fact that she lost all feeling in her legs and can move them freely again is a testament to her ability. All she lacks is talent, isn't it?"

"But she still has no feeling in her legs and feet." Diana stared at him. "Have you ever heard of a fanatic who loudly recites the scriptures in his right hand to divert attention from the whip in his left hand?"

"You're wrong, Diana. There are no such things as whips or scriptures in our thinking. This is just a path. As long as it leads to the result, there's no distinction between good and bad paths."

Yes, he didn't have any whips or scriptures, but the image of him ten years ago still lingered in Diana's mind, causing her to clench her fingers and close her eyes. After taking over the leadership of the school, her mother consumed large amounts of potion concentrate daily, her skin covered in white frost, blood seeping from broken wounds, and her lips cracked and blue from the cold. She did this for one thing: to make up for her lack of talent.

This witness, this feeling, never faded with the passage of time. Like a poison, it spread from a stagnant yesterday, constantly infecting her present, leaving an incurable scar in her soul. Even in Sodoris, even after so many years, when Diana recalled those days, she could still remember her frostbitten fingers—and that was just because she wanted to touch her mother's face.

The last time I saw my mother, she was already very abnormal. What would happen to her now?

Diana looked toward the corner of the quiet room and felt a familiar chill creeping in. It gradually transformed from a vague feeling into something tangible and real. Then, a figure drifted out, like a white ghost shrouded in snow and wind. It floated until it stopped in front of her, looking down at her.

The figure was more than disorienting—her skin pale with a pale blue frost, her eyelashes stained with snow, her hair a film of ice crystals. Diana could even see the pale blue veins through her skin, which was almost translucent. She basked in her own chill, her feet about an arm's length from the ground, her expression serene, her blue eyes as still as if they were staring into two vast voids.

The lingering energy lingered and swirled around her body, seeping out of her almost translucent skin and turning into flakes of frost and snow.

"It's time to continue the school war, Diana," the man said. Apparently, an overdose of the drug can completely suppress one's rationality and other emotions. Bernadette, floating here, represents only the helmsman of Yesterlen, not anyone else, not even her blood relatives.

"I've only heard some rumors."

"It's more than just a rumor here," Bernadette said. "It can even be said to be an indisputable fact. The Xisai School participated in the war initiated by Clefas, stationed in the deepest part of the imperial army with a large number of military slaves. They are heading towards Olidan. Although the School of Magic has heavily intervened in the secular war, the almost inevitable political struggle has not occurred. The Temple of Sagaros fully supports them and even blocks all resistance and protests from other temples on their behalf. We tend to believe that the school war that the Xisai School wants is more than a conspiracy in the shadows - it is a complete and annihilative struggle. No matter which school is destroyed, the aftermath will affect the entire Origin Society."

"If you don't want to miss the opportunity," Diana said, choosing her words carefully, "aiding the Gural Fortress is the best option."

"We have heard that you arbitrarily pardoned him for murdering your commander."

"I could argue that Cesar had to do it, but now I want to say that he is more important than Sibyl in every way."

"Indeed," Bernadette said, "The school also believes that this man is extraordinary, because no one can be like Cesar, who jumped from the illegitimate son of a local lord to the de facto governor of the entire northern territory of Olidan so quickly, in less than a year, with such a sharp skill.

It's hard to imagine how flexible he is. This Cesar is not only a military commander like Urbino, but also a politician and executioner who carries the smell of blood wherever he goes.

Diana frowned slightly, "Why do you say that?"

"We already know that within a year of taking office, Cesar expelled a hostile border governor and wiped out an entire family of aldermen who had intended to oppose him. Now Gonzales is completely his, and Sodoris has become a bargaining chip in his quest to win over the Temple. Given his cruel actions, it's not surprising that Sibyl died at his hands."

Diana discovered that the school had a profound misunderstanding of Cesar. They understood the general situation, but not the detailed cause and effect. In their judgment, whether it was the expulsion of Gonzales' Governor Vermier or the destruction of the alderman family of Sodorius, it was all Cesar's single-handed act, driven by his own political agenda. They all reflected his ruthless political tactics and methods.

However, the former was the result of coercion, while the latter was the result of Altinya's determination to eliminate the threat.

Diana now understood why the school had remained silent about her. It wasn't because they admired her feelings, but because they wanted to judge Cesare's political skills, the power and position he could seize. They had abandoned Urbino because they saw her father, Urbino, as a carefree individual, leaving everything to Efred IV without intervening. Now they were actively approaching her because Cesare had demonstrated a thirst for power and the means to do so.

Therefore, this is just an exploitation, and has nothing to do with anything else. The meaning of Cesar in Diana's words is more important, and the Cesar in Bernadette's words is more important, the two have completely different meanings. The latter is saying that a sharp knife is sharper and is more likely to draw blood when used to kill people.

"I thought you would wait in Anglan," Diana said. "It was the school that insisted on giving up its seat in the Origin Society and going to Olidan, causing me to lose everything I had. Now you are telling me that there is no hope in Anglan?"

"Because King Evered IV is a fool who plays both sides," Bernadette said. "So far, everything he's done has demonstrated his lack of political shrewdness and military ability. His only advantage is that he befriended a few classmates many years ago who not only helped him defend the north and expand his territory, but also returned to help him quell rebellions. But he still lacks wisdom. He still clings to Urbino and refuses to let him leave the capital or fight. There are some things that Urbino could have solved, but he waited until the situation deteriorated, forcing him to seek further help from the Kingdom of Domini."

"In other words, Dominion will send more troops?"

"That's not the most important thing. It seems that because of the agreement, King Evered IV is mobilizing troops from the north. The more he mobilises, the more manpower-starved the north will be. Not only will recruitment be affected, but the number of workers needed to supply the army will also decrease. The conclusion of the academic discussion is that he is isolating the Gural Fortress and will not provide any support."

Diana stared at her. "You mean to sit back and watch... or even hope for the fortress's fall?" She suddenly felt a little depressed. Such a thing would have seemed absurd in history, but it was deeply depressing to her. "But even if Dominy provided a massive army, holding a fortress is always easier than a direct battle in the wilderness. We shouldn't hope for the fall of Gural Fortress, as that would allow the Beastmen and Imperial armies to march straight in..."

"Of course, you're right, Diana," Bernadette said, her tone still calm. "However, this is only a superficial reason that people can understand. The reason that only the king can understand is that Cesar has risen too quickly, too unreasonably, and has occupied too much territory. If anyone wanted to harm Cesar through political means, they only need to whisper to Evered IV, suggesting that his territories are too large and too extensive, that his army is composed of mercenaries, and that he only recognizes Cesar and not the king. Things will become tense."

"Are you trying to say that King Evered IV wants to abandon us and leave us to die for some undisclosed agreement?" Diana asked. "So, whose side are you on now? How about you make your position known?"

Chapter 292 Your Sweetheart

"That depends on the support provided by the temple," Bernadette said. "So far, we have indeed seen many members of the Mantle Order arrive in Sodoris. After all, this place is the most popular supply transit point in the north and the major town most frequently passed by refugees fleeing south. The reform is of great significance. However, this is not enough. Most of the Mantle Order members who come to Sodoris are monks specializing in academic studies. The school hopes to see the knights and priests of their great temple."

Diana frowned slightly. "The last time the major temples publicly condemned Itris was over a hundred years ago," she asked. "Now, the schools are already trying to show off their power behind their knights and high priests?"

"We left Istria not only to accept worldly alliances."

"I've never heard you say that."

Bernadette sat down behind an invisible barrier, adjusting her snow-white, wide-sleeved gown as if she were sitting on a real chair. It was clear that the gown preserved her graceful demeanor, as if the pain of the past had never occurred. Diana felt that the person before her was both familiar and unfamiliar. Familiar, in that she was as youthful and elegant as she had been when she was a child; unfamiliar, in that she had completely changed.

She was no longer the mother who would lean on her pillow and soothe her to sleep.

Maybe it was the blue eyeshadow she wore, in keeping with the norm, or the frosted hair that flowed freely, like a meticulously polished ice sculpture, too radiant and dazzling, or maybe it was simply the way she looked down upon everyone. Whatever the reason, Diana felt different.

She is too much like Grandmaster Ferrieres, not the Bernadette of the past.

Honestly, her impression of her mother had always been stuck in her own childhood. Back then, before she took over the school, Bernadette's face held a simple, calm frailty, her hair often tied in a bun around her shoulders, lending her a strangely gentle air. Even birds would perch on her shoulders and wrists. When she had nothing better to do, she would embroider by candlelight, and when she was finished, she would show Diana her less-than-exquisite embroidery. Every time she heard her daughter's praise, her smile was unforgettable, her white teeth set delicately between her full lips, her eyes shimmering with water.

Even now, Diana still firmly believes that it was the most beautiful smile she had ever seen. At that moment, she leaned against her chest, tilted her head back, and reached up, touching her face as if to touch a dream. She wanted to touch that smile—not just to see it, but to touch it. To this day, she can't describe that strange feeling.

"You hadn't heard," Bernadette said calmly, stripping away her memories. "But you've heard now, haven't you, Diana? Ever since we decided to leave Itris, you turned and rushed to Olidan, expanding your influence and connections in the royal capital of Anglan. But you soon discovered that the school wasn't fully committed to Anglan either, so unfortunately, your efforts were in vain."

Diana glared at her, "I should have expected this, but I didn't expect you to just watch."

After she realized everything she had done in Itris was meaningless, she should have realized something similar would happen again. From Itris to Angland, the fundamental premise for her development of power and connections had always been Diana of the Yestren School, not Diana herself. If she couldn't make herself, without the school, the foundation of everything, then everything she did would be in vain, vanishing in the school's repeated decisions.

"Of course, you're right. This is indeed very sad for you." Bernadette's words were devoid of any comfort. "But we have something more important to say. In this noble rebellion, almost no temples explicitly supported Evered IV. At first we thought it was Hiel or Helgast, but then we discovered that these two temples only vaguely supported everyone and all forces. If the conflict intensifies, they will certainly not continue to block Sagaros's path. Therefore, the only change is not Evered IV, but Cesar and Sodoris in his hands."

"It's rare that the school values ​​Sodoris so much. I thought you wouldn't take secular small towns seriously." Diana said.

"Sodoris is a model," Bernadette agreed, her agreement irritating. "It's really insignificant, just a large hospital for refugees and the sick, but that's what the Shawl Society has been lacking."

"I'm afraid I don't understand you, Mother. You say we should wait for the Temple to make a greater investment, yet you also say this place is of vital importance. If you believe that Sodoris is a model and that its significance should be further enhanced, why don't you intervene first so that the Temple can value it more?"

Bernadette shook her head. "That may appear so on the surface, but think carefully, Diana. From what we've observed, the Hiel Temple is too dispersed, practically everywhere in the world, from Noyen in the south to the Kasar Empire in the north. This means they have widespread influence, but it also means they can't concentrate their manpower, let alone confront a temple like Sagaros that can easily unite its forces."

"You mean, if the scale of the school war escalates further, and a large number of people in the secular world are killed or injured, then the Temple of Sagaros will definitely stand for the Xisai School.

It is almost impossible for the Yesterlen School to gain strong support from the Xiel Temple."

Although the secular world believes that it is the Ritual Stone that holds mages in check, truth be told, that thing is only a physical threat. The true constraints on the various schools of magic are actually the decisions of the major temples.

In many ways, mages are like gods compared to ordinary humans, and they have no problem fighting against the temple monks. However, they are always seeking truth in the wasteland. Once there, many things are beyond the mages' control. If they don't want to be like her and Cesar, who had to flee the wasteland upon entering, and endure the terrifying gaze of the gods, even if they escaped, they would sit on the brink of collapse for months, years, or even decades, but in reality, it only lasted a night. Maintaining a harmonious relationship with the temple is absolutely necessary.

"Can they?"

"Why not?" Diana asked, "Perhaps the school just can't imagine it, or dares not imagine it, just like you can't imagine that Sodoris would go from a filthy cesspool to what it is today."

"Are you deifying your sweetheart to me, Diana?"

Chapter 293 Brother Mira's Private Library

Diana shook her head slightly. "If I had told the school shortly after Sibyl's death that we could reach this point today, you would have questioned me with the same rhetoric, Mother. For us mages, the word apotheosis is already derogatory enough."

"This man is cunning and ruthless, but all of this is worldly decision-making. You know very well, Diana, that each temple has its own vision that ordinary people cannot understand. Just like the temple of Sagaros, the school still does not understand why they gave up everything else to aid the nobles of Olidan."

"Maybe the school just doesn't understand." Diana stared at her.

"We don't need to understand," Bernadette said indifferently. "We all know that faith has nothing to do with reason. When it comes to the paths and visions of the major temples, they are no different from madness."

"In other words, you want the Temple's support, but you don't intend to understand what they are doing."

Bernadette tilted her head, a hint of confusion. She wasn't confused by the question itself, but by Diana's willingness to ask something so unanswerable. "Are you trying to understand them, Diana? Understand those..." She paused, seemingly searching for the right words, "the fanatical beliefs and sermons?"

"Yes, I will understand," Diana replied. "If those around me can achieve things I can't through understanding and insight, it just proves that there is still a lot I need to master. I don't want to be just a school mage, and I don't want to have the same vision and thinking as my ancestors. If I do, I will be too old-fashioned."

"Yes... You can indeed think so. After all, your qualifications are inherently superior to all of ours," she said. "Then I hope you can tell me clearly: will you use your insight and understanding to gain more assistance from the Temple? If you can, the school will hand over its name to you in advance. You can use the school's name, and you can represent all of us in the secular world, as long as you are truly capable of doing so."

Diana raised her voice, "Can I serve as a bridge between you and the temple? Is that what you want to ask?"

"I've made myself clear enough," Bernadette said.

Despite her pointed words, Diana had been trying to see a different kind of emotion in her eyes. Sadly, so far, she had found nothing. Bernadette maintained this unwavering attitude. Not only was she shrouded in a chill, but her thoughts and emotions were completely flat.

She didn't want the person in her memory to become like Grandmaster Ferriers. Could things still be salvaged? There had to be some way to salvage them. She simply used too much undiluted potion; she hadn't severed or discarded her soul.

"Yes," Diana said, trying to remain calm. "Not only can I, but I will also take charge of this matter and have you come to the fortress to participate in the defense through me. When that time comes, you will know what your attitude should be, both towards me and towards all of this."

......

"Who's here?"

Cesar was stunned for a long time. He didn't say anything. He found it hard to understand why someone would ask him a question. This place was a cave deep in the wilderness. Apart from him and Diana, and Ajiehe who would occasionally make a sarcastic remark, there was no one else who could speak.

"People who can't dream." Cesar finally replied.

"Someone is dreaming here. If you don't mind, I can invite you in and let you know what it feels like to dream."

Cesar found this answer strange. He looked around, took a few steps from the couch where he had risen, and saw darkness in a secluded stone chamber. He could make out a tall, vague figure moving. A chaotic cacophony of shadows stretched out from this darkness, which, upon closer inspection, resembled piles of scattered books. "Did Diana invite you in?" he asked. "I have no memory of you at all."

"The gentleman didn't invite me in, but the one who was invited in was dreaming." The figure stood in front of Cesar. He found that it was not human, but a vague figure, or a paper doll. It had a book around its neck, and below it was a crude body made of paper and wood.

"Who is the dreamer?" Cesar said as he walked forward and stepped into the darkness.

The puppet didn't answer, but bowed to Cesar. He thought he heard a door open, and suddenly felt like he'd stepped over something extraordinary. All around him was darkness, for the edge of dreams, where the owner's consciousness had never reached, was inherently dark and void. A bell rang, as if admonishing the visitor to respect the owner's dreams. The puppet didn't follow, but was replaced by another, taller than the first.

"Are you the master of Gular Fortress?" asked the paper puppet.

"I'm not the owner of anything."

"But someone regards you as the master?" the paper puppet asked.

"I've always believed that the many individuals in dreams are extensions of the dreamer's will. If you want to pretend to be a paper puppet and ask me some questions that are difficult to ask in person, we will have something to discuss later, Brother Mira."

“You can’t really say I am her, I am

"This is a dignified paper puppet." The puppet muttered, "And this is not a chaotic dream of ordinary people. This is a well-organized room, her private library."

"So you are the library assistant she created?" Cesar asked it.

"Yes, sir, that's exactly it."

"Did Diana also talk to a paper doll in Brother Mira's dream?"

"I don't know. You'll have to ask her yourself, sir."

"I didn't come here to read in other people's dreams!" he almost shouted. He came to see Diana, not anyone else. "Never mind. I'm tired and don't feel like arguing." He shook his head, suppressing the thought of exploring love in someone else's dream. "It just so happens that I'm in Clefas's territory... Where is the map of the Kasar Empire in the library?"

"Then we have to find Rhine. Wait a minute." Before Cesar could react and realize he had heard the name before, the paper puppet raised its hands to its mouth, forming a trumpet shape. "Rhine! Rhine!" The name struck like the sound of a bell, soaring from the darkness all the way forward, echoing continuously. Cesar felt that this library was not very particular, at least not very particular about quietness.

A response came from the distance, and Cesar realized the voice sounded very similar to that of a dog. Of course, it actually sounded very similar to that of the deceased Miss Rhine. He waited for a moment, and finally saw a beam of light emerge from the darkness. Another paper puppet approached, holding a candlestick, but this one was shorter and wearing a skirt. The taller paper puppet next to him breathed a sigh of relief. "You're finally here, Rhine. Do you remember where the map is?"

"I remember, Lemon, this is a visitor?"

"It's a visitor," said the paper puppet Lemon, then turned to Cesar. "This is Miss Rhine, the historian, and I am Lemon, the master of the library. You don't have to look at me so strangely, sir. We continue the way of the Great Library and manage this dream like the real Imperial Library."

Cesar felt that Sister Mira was really childlike. She had made paper dolls of everyone she knew, given them names, background identities, and even reconstructed the voices from her memory, letting them manage her memories and dreams that piled up in her books.

"So do you know what Diana is doing?" he asked.

"Another visitor is looking through religious texts," said the paper puppet Rhine. The book cover around her neck had Rhine written on it, which was a rather casual name for a human face. "She seems very busy. Every time she comes, she's just flipping through the books. She keeps flipping until she has to wake up, and then she's back again. I've never seen her do anything else. I heard you're good at religious ethics, so why doesn't she come to you?"

"Anyone who thinks he is wise hopes to gain wisdom itself through his own thinking," said Cesar.

"Exquisite," said the paper puppet Lemon, "this young man really caught my eye." He patted Rhine's shoulder, and Cesar realized that this paper puppet Lemon might be older than he was—not Lemon as a human, but Lemon as a paper puppet. Sister Mira didn't make these puppets as souvenirs after people died. She made them as paper puppets while they were still alive, even when Sister Mira was still working with them.

The two puppets spoke, inviting him to delve deeper into the darkness of his dream, down a long, narrow passage. As they advanced, the darkness gradually faded, bathed in the dim light of candles, illuminating the walls lined with bookshelves. Soon, the puppet Lemon separated from them, and the puppet Rhine, holding a candlestick, led him on. Cesar suspected Brother Mira was a bit curious about the rumors about him and Rhine, otherwise he wouldn't have allowed this puppet to guide him.

After a while, Paper Rhine asked him who he wanted to see first.

"I don't want to disturb someone who's concentrating on their thoughts," Cesar said. To be honest, he would probably hold Diana on his lap and whisper in her ear to see how long she could concentrate on her thoughts. But there were too many paper dolls here, and it was someone else's dream, so he couldn't do anything about it.

He looked around the corridor, seeing that wherever the candlelight illuminated it, it was filled with crowded bookshelves, stretching from floor to ceiling. Some shelves were a complete mess, like the fragmented nature of human memories, while others were relatively neat, perhaps relatively intact memories. He saw that at regular intervals along the way, paper puppets were busy sorting books, rearranging them from chaos to relative order—like a person sorting through their own distant memories.

So Sister Mira did remember the books in the Great Library, but the index in her mind wasn't working well anymore?

Chapter 294: The Strange Path of the Lonely Old Man

Compared to the endlessly sprawling library deep in the jungle, this old, run-down library held a unique charm. The deeper he walked into the corridor, the more books surrounded Cesar, until they gradually filled the floor and ceiling, leaving him with nothing but books. He had to take off his shoes to walk, as the floor was covered in books, and the piles of books above him threatened to collapse at any moment, crushing him beneath them.

There were endless books, of all sizes and shapes. The spines alone were dazzling. There were spines made of cowhide or sheepskin, spines made of patterned satin, spines made of paper of different textures, and spines made of many other materials that Cesar couldn't even name. Some of them might have been lost in the territory of the Franks.

Along the way, he saw paper puppets putting labels on the spines of books, indicating their origins and uses. Some of the labels had been put on, but there were still an exaggerated number of books whose purpose was completely incomprehensible.