Shadow of the Evil God

He said, “When doubting something is useless, it is better to try to believe it…Believe that you can gain more than you lose from it.”

"And you believe too much," Cesar said.

Phils raised her body and

Her hands gripped his shoulders tightly. "First of all, I don't believe in much," she said, staring at him. "Secondly, if I can't find people and things to believe in, then what place do I have in this world?"

She believed more than just a little. If it were Cesar himself, with so many bloody records as evidence of his crimes, he would not be able to let go like she did and let him hold her in his arms to satisfy his desire. Those wriggling shadows just now spread throughout the room like branches. She should have quickly cast a spell to subdue him instead of handing herself over without resistance.

Cesar saw her swallow, then turned away before he could, her fingers clasped together, pressing against her collarbone. She had exhausted her courage by saying this, and she could no longer muster the courage to anticipate an answer.

"I mean... I mean..." Phils' voice became increasingly low. "Don't doubt those things anymore... Just, just promise me that you will do it just like I blindly believe in you..."

He was devastated, for no real reason. He wanted to hold her tightly in his arms, to kiss her half-parted lips, to caress her curved back, to hear her whisper inaudible words in his ear. To do this, he had to let go of all the doubts and reflections that had sustained him to this point. It had been a difficult choice, with layers of ominous signs entwining his soul, constantly warning him to weigh the pros and cons. But now, all he could hear was her silent heartbeat.

Cesar took her hand, raised it in front of him, and covered his eyes with it.

"It doesn't have to be so serious... The blindness I mentioned was just a metaphor... a metaphor. I..." Phils began her usual vague mumbling again, "So you agree?" She asked in a low voice, carefully separating her fingers and releasing his eyes through them.

"There are a lot of materials in the warehouse that are said to have been obtained from Iris," Cesar agreed with a casual air. "If you need anything when you use me for experiments, I can take you there to choose from."

Her eyes widened. "Is this using military supplies for personal gain and abusing the law?"

Cesar blinked. "You're right," he added. "And it's all to please your lover. As someone involved, do you feel any moral pressure now?"

"Eliminating unnecessary moral burdens is our specialty," Phil said nonchalantly.

In the past, Cesar would have simply laughed off her smug remarks, but after meeting the mage who treated people like books, his thoughts had changed. The remarks, though childish at first, were in reality incredibly cruel, perhaps perfectly representing the attitudes of the many schools of magic in Istria.

"So, is connecting with your fellow mages your specialty?" Cesar thought for a moment and asked, "The person who collected the supplies we have in Itris is about to arrive in Gonzales. He's a young mage. I'm not sure how to get along with someone like that... you know, someone who treats ordinary humans like they look like humans but isn't really worthy of being human. I don't know how to get along with such a person. As a mage, or rather, the heir of an ancient school, can you have a conversation with her as an equal?"

"Uh... I'll try. I'll try my best."

It seemed like Firth had no confidence in making friends with others, but even if she lacked confidence, it was better for him to get to know them first. Some things couldn't be made up with words. If he hadn't assumed a false noble identity, no one would care no matter how much he pretended. Now that this noble identity had been replaced by that of a mage from the Origin Society, naturally, a more suitable person had to take on the role.

Chapter 118 True Knowledge and Secret Codes

......

Diana knew that the cause of their school's split, the current Court Mage of the Kasar Empire, Firiels, had been the subject of ongoing research. Their research had various avenues, encompassing manuscripts from her teachers and her own. While the manuscripts were few in number, they had studied them for centuries, and continued to make new discoveries to this day. The root of their findings lay far back in time, all the way back to the Kuna temples.

In other words, it is the origin of the various schools of magic today.

To study the Kuna people's worship of Analik, there's one crucial barrier: the sacred text. The origins of the sacred text involve a vast history and numerous metaphysical propositions, and the related writings are so numerous that even if she were to spend days discussing them, she wouldn't be able to fully explain them. Fortunately, the branches of the sacred text are widely used in various schools of thought, and understanding the sacred text itself is not necessary. Within this, the concrete branch is called true knowledge, while the textual branch is called secret code.

True knowledge is highly readable, a meticulously detailed means of transmitting knowledge, like a bee trapped in amber, immune to the passage of time. In contrast, ciphertext is far worse. Ciphertext, as its name suggests, is not a form of text that cannot be read by ordinary means. On the contrary, it is readable by everyone, even an illiterate person, who can read from it many things that others cannot.

But, that’s exactly the problem.

If a sacred text describes a mountain's birth

Everything that happened from the beginning to the end of the mountain's existence includes the sum of all time and space during its existence. So the so-called true knowledge is the interpretation of the sacred text. True knowledge will reproduce the history of this mountain, and people will be in the reappearance of true knowledge.

The records clearly show the reproduction and alternation of birds, beasts, plants and mountain residents from generation to generation. Even the details of a wild animal's fur fluttering in the wind are not different at all.

These details are expressed in the sacred text itself, and can be simply described as a series of complex and varied patterns in the sacred text.

Compared with true knowledge, ciphers are indeed much worse. If true knowledge is people's interpretation of divine texts and truth, then ciphers should be considered a misuse of divine texts. Many mages who have been troubled by ancient ciphers have devoted their lives to prohibiting the abuse of ciphers.

To say what the characteristics of ciphertext are, it is actually very simple:

Anyone can read the ciphertext, even illiterate users. However, anyone reading the same ciphertext will receive a different reading, even if the same person reads it over time. The strangeness of this text is beyond description. While it cannot be called alive, it certainly changes, disguises itself, and even distorts itself.

Secular people called the cipher a demonic language, and they weren't entirely wrong. After all, a cipher manuscript once reached the secular world, and many illiterate peasants were driven mad by it. They claimed the manuscript was alive, speaking to them, treating them better and more intimately than their closest relatives. The cipher text incited them to murder each other, ultimately sacrificing an entire town, turning it into a slaughterhouse.

This is the worst impact of the cipher text, but in the eyes of cipher supporters, this is not the problem with the cipher itself. They say that the cipher text is like the light from the sun shining into a cave. The sunlight passes through the pores of the cave, leaving knowledge in the dark cave. Different people have different pores to peek into the sunlight in the darkness, and naturally they see different results.

Regardless of the truth of such claims, one thing is certain: if someone had attempted to write a manuscript in cipher text, they would have filled it with poison and thorns. The researcher who traversed the thorny jungle of the cipher text might find great knowledge, a symbol of their reward after many trials, or a malicious mockery of their efforts so far.

Although there are not many great wizards who want to cause trouble to their descendants when they are about to die, it cannot be said that there are absolutely none.

As someone who had long been exposed to Ferrieres's original manuscripts, Diana understood the above descriptions. Even now, on her way to Gonzales, she was studying the cryptic manuscripts left over from that period, trying to see if she could decipher something different.

Now this manuscript comes from Ferriers' mentor.

"When the two sisters first accepted me as their teacher, one was seventeen or eighteen, and the other fifteen or sixteen. The older sister was the quintessential perfect chosen one, her fate already sealed, needless to say. The younger sister, while exceptionally gifted, was slow to develop and possessed a sullen and self-absorbed personality, making it difficult for her to assume significant responsibilities at such a young age.

What's following them? Is it a human? Its back is bent like a wolf's.

I repeat, I believe that the selection of a school's successor is like breeding livestock. Is that even necessary? We have found all kinds of excuses to justify ourselves and emphasize the legitimacy of this matter, but so what? If we cannot treat our fellow mages fairly, how can we treat ourselves fairly?

From any perspective, this fate is tragic. Those who endure this tragic fate are the chosen ones, gifted by nature, gifts from truth to the world, perfect uncut gems. Our school's attitude towards these uncut gems is even more pathetic than that of the barbarians.

I tried to convey some rebellious cues to them, but I discovered that some people viewed this tragic fate as noble, believing it to be a symbol of their being chosen. Yes, she was indeed a perfect chosen one. When she studied magical theory, it wasn't like she was learning new knowledge, but rather like she was remembering what she already knew. It was eye-opening to me, and she was consistent with every generation of chosen people in recorded history. However, her personality was simply a piece of unbearable stone, refusing to accept any doubt or self-examination.

If you're reading this now, no matter who you are, I'd say you're just as pathetic as she is. Do I have to teach you about will and thought when you're five so you can question yourself?

I just discovered something: your ancestor completed this process and fell in love with another of your ancestors before the academy assigned her a breeding partner. Is this truly a romantic accident? I don't believe it for a second. I must point out here: if you find yourself suddenly falling in love with someone out of nowhere, please also think about it: is this truly a romantic accident?

I guess there's no point in telling you this, but I have to repeat it anyway - was this really a romantic accident?

Now I find myself discussing academic matters with a young woman who had an hour-long sex session at noon, teaching her a deadly spell. The good news is, she doesn't come to class with a flushed face, nor does she experience shortness of breath or rapid heartbeat during the spell. The bad news is, she learned the advanced spells from her lover in advance. No one helped, no one taught, she just listened and learned. So, maybe I'm useless now. Maybe I can teach some normal students and do some normal academic research?

Correction, the Grand Master just told me that most people who are assigned to be mentors will lose their mentorship at this stage and be forced to take on the responsibility of -"

read

At this point, Diana noticed a semantic gap, shifting to a seemingly plausible direction, discussing her ancestor's younger sister, whose talent developed later, the one who later split the entire school, Firiel. Forced into what? Diana couldn't read, perhaps lacking some cognitive capacity. However, she did say goodbye to her mentor when she was in her teens, and until she received a letter a few days ago, she had no idea where he had been transferred.

Although the opinions raised in this letter were indeed strange, it was related to her further reading of the ciphertext, so she naturally would not neglect it. After all, she had learned many war spells of the past from this person's ciphertext.

Chapter 119: Hard Days

However, before going to Gonzales's fortress, she could still visit her acquaintances.

......

Despite tensions between the two nations, the presence of the Kasar Empire ensured that Ouldan and Dominion would maintain a formal peace and uphold their agreements on the battlefields of the border. Diana, a native of Istrias, had limited contact with Ouldan, perhaps even less extensive than with the other side, so her presence at Dominion's base was hardly surprising.

Late at night, she walked through the military camp, flanked by tall metal figures in the shadows of tents. Occasionally, she could see flashes of gunfire, lit by long torches like giant insectoids.

Honestly, this journey had given Diana a wealth of insights, considering she had never experienced a real wartime camp before. Every tent she passed, every face she saw, every column of soldiers she passed gave her a different perspective. Combining what she had seen so far allowed her to formulate a more concrete vision for the future.

Years ago, she had seen many historical plays at the theater in Istria, and the epic scenes had left her in awe. But now, here, it felt as if hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of scenes were unfolding simultaneously, giving her a completely different experience. In other words, here, she truly felt the power inherent in the word "war."

Even if it's just a local rebellion.

Diana pondered the implications of this as she slowly entered the tent, ushered in by a servant. Compared to the other tents nearby, this one was vastly grander, its interior divided by silk curtains into numerous compartments. After passing a conference hall and a small chapel, they turned two more corners, skirting the quarters of other high-ranking military officials before reaching their destination. Diana noticed that the Highness's quarters were deeper than usual, suggesting a higher status.

"Leaving on her own initiative is the most satisfying decision Her Highness has made so far," the old servant explained. "After coming to Dominy, she can fight for everything on her own."

That was true. The person Diana wanted to see, though she claimed to be a princess of the Kasar Empire, was actually two generations removed from the emperor hanged in the capital. She had over a dozen siblings, and if you count cousins, the number would rise to dozens. The bloody struggle for imperial power continues to this day, and there are more than a dozen first-generation heirs claiming to be kings. As for the second-generation direct line of princes and princesses, it would be a bit of an exaggeration to say there are over a hundred, but there are definitely dozens.

In the princess's own words, for someone who couldn't even be called the eldest daughter of a royal family to claim imperial power, or that she had any hope of achieving it, was sheer wishful thinking. Otherwise, those bearing the title of princess wouldn't be so easily dispatched to the Southern Kingdom as military cadets. If someone tried to count the number of princes and princesses in the modern-day Kasar Empire, it would be like counting chicks crammed into a bamboo cage—laborious, thankless, and meaningless. At least that's how the princess mocked herself.

The old servant stopped before a spacious compartment and lifted a crimson silk curtain, revealing the room within. Diana nodded and went inside. She soon found Altinya, one of the few royal descendants to have escaped the power struggles of the north, deep in thought before a table map.

Although Diana had already recognized Altinia, she still paused in the darkness beside the oil lamp, observing the changes in her. Three years had passed since their last meeting, and Diana had been busy with Itris's affairs and preparations for her trip to Olydan, leaving her completely unable to pay attention to anything else. As for Altinia, she could tell from the new aristocratic military uniform she wore, which was the same for both men and women.

Just like she was now wearing a traveler's cloak and men's trousers, they first met because they didn't wear a whalebone skirt at the ball and tried to pretend to be a young man by wearing a men's suit, but were discovered. According to the elders, they were like "two foolish sisters who thought others couldn't tell they were women."

Of course, they didn't look alike, nor did they consider that the beginning of their friendship—despite the outside world's tendency to assume so. Like Diana, or perhaps like any arrogant person, Altinia refused to accept her parents' dictates, believing she could chart a course for her own future. They were both spies in Itris, and they bumped into each other. Spy meets spy, intent meets intent—that was the true reason for their acquaintance.

The word "arrogance" is not very pleasant to hear, but after many arguments over the years, they all believe that only arrogance combines self-irony, which can not only express one's own mental state, but also serve as a warning to themselves to a certain extent.

Artinya stood bent over in front of the round table, walking around the military uniforms on the table.

She paced around the map, studying a letter in her hand. She looked a little tired, but her expression was focused, and she looked quite confused because she held her chin. To a large extent, Diana didn't want to pay attention to her father.

The reason for her request was not because of the guys in Olidan who were locked up for fighting, but because she had a closer and more knowledgeable choice.

Of course she couldn't tell this to her father.

Altinya looked up, then suddenly came to her senses, her eyes wide. "I almost forgot you were coming, Anne," she strode over and patted Diana's shoulder. "You smell like a wild animal, it's really unpleasant. What kind of beast's den have you been staying in again?"

"It's the den of a mountain wolf pack," she said. "We're so busy on the road, we have to endure a few hard days. We have to find shelter along the way, otherwise we won't be able to sleep well."

"Busy? I don't know what else you need to be busy with, unless you want to tell me that your plans have changed."

"There has been a change, and it's related to the letter you have, Al." Diana looked at the military report in her hand. "You are also paying attention to Gonzales's recent military movements, right?"

"Yes," Artinya brushed a few strands of hair out of her eyes. "A young commander appeared out of nowhere, claiming only to be the illegitimate son of a count from a southern border fortress. Our instructor is asking us to analyze his tactics in recent ambushes. I think he's planning to use him as a test subject."

"I want to talk to you about this in detail," Diana said solemnly.

"Judging from your expression, you are going to have a hard time again?" Altinya looked at her and said.

She sighed, "I can't tell whether it's difficult or not, but my original plans have been disrupted. Now I have to do this, so I have to prepare first."

"Is it related to this illegitimate child who appeared out of nowhere?"

"Of course. Could it be a local governor who rose to power through scheming? Gonzales doesn't have many nobles to begin with." Diana waved Altinia's servants away. "But that damned Vermeer has caused me a lot of trouble."

A playful glint flashed in Her Royal Highness's eyes. "I've heard some news. Could it be that the missing supplies came from you?"

"Where else could it come from?" Diana raised her voice, practically shrieking. "Trade with the Sassulai has only just been established, and Olidan's economy is still in tatters. Out of brotherly love, my philanthropic father certainly wouldn't trouble his king, let alone pay for it himself. And now we have a batch of supplies we can't use, so whose else could we use if not mine?"

Altinya put her hands on her waist and asked, "Do you think that it's because Governor Vermier of Gonzales has amassed too much wealth that someone has to be the one to pay the bills?"

Diana stared at her. "It sounds like you have a different perspective, Al. Why not share it?"

"Our inside information is that Gonzales' funds are not flowing to the Governor himself," said Altinya with a soft but ominous smile.

"Are you serious?" she demanded. "But I've heard there's a magnificent Governor's Palace in the heart of Gonzales's fortress. I even asked Olidan's friends about it, but they just said he's a shallow, foolish money-grubber. Let him get rich quick, and when the time comes, just tear him down and get his money back."

"I'm afraid it's no use tearing it down," said Altinya. "The so-called magnificent Governor's Palace might just be a gilded fake."

"You're saying the story of excessive wealth might be fake?" Diana felt her mind tingle. "If that's true, excessive wealth is bad enough. The only explanation for Vermeer using it as a cover-up is that he's trying to hide something worse..."

"As far as I know, Anne, even though Gonzales is in rebellion everywhere, Vermeer's soldiers still love him and are willing to serve him, perhaps even taking the best supplies and equipment and willing to die for him. I'm no longer within Olidan's influence, so it's inappropriate for me to clearly state what kind of noble would ignore local rebellions while concentrating their wealth on their own army to relieve the soldiers' worries. However, even before the rebellion broke out, a large amount of equipment was flowing from Domini to Olidan. Our officers are all well aware of this, and it's a difficult issue that we need to thoroughly investigate."

Diana slowly shook her head and said, "I heard in Gonzales that the new commander has taken command of all military forces except the Vermeer Guard."

Altinya nodded and said, "That's true, because he relied on Gonzales' soldiers to defeat many ambushes, and no one expected him to set an ambush in a place like this."

"I really need to go to Gonzales to meet him in person and do a thorough check."

"Perhaps you can do it today," Her Royal Highness said. "It seems that in order to boost morale, this commander, who has been stationed in the rear, is going to the front line for a rare visit. The front line is a place where accidents are frequent, but it is also a place where people can see a person's true face. If you are not busy going to the fortress, perhaps we can find an outpost to see what accidents may happen."

Chapter 120: The Governor's Sheepskin

Diana realized there was something behind Her Royal Highness's words. "You've already assumed there would be an accident," she said.

"or

"So what do you think I'm confused about?" Altinia said, and then briefly stated her own inference, "According to the informant's report, there is a constant supply of smuggled materials from Dominica, but so far, we have not found them in any public place. Since you mentioned in your letter that Gonza

"Commander Cesar of Reis used supplies that were transferred from your name, so I assume the smuggled supplies didn't fall into his hands. In that case, their true whereabouts are very interesting. Either they were provided to Gonzales' rebels, or the governor seized them."

Diana considered her tone and said, "As far as I know, Vermeer is still asking the Kingdom for supplies. However, he has indeed established several rapid reaction forces."

Altinya smiled. "You're still so fond of talking in reverse before revealing key information, Annie. But sometimes you can't hide the smug look on your face."

Diana acted as if nothing had happened. "A dramatic turn of events makes it more memorable."

“How dramatic is it?”

"The rebels do possess armor of unknown origin—obliterated of all recognizable emblems and insignias. This is what Commander Cesar reported shortly after arriving in Gonzales."

"Sounds like he first ambushed the rebels." Altinia bent down and placed her index finger on the freight path on the map. "Rumor has it he took over a dozen prisoners and brought back all the identifiable bodies. So can I say that Olidan knew nothing about the Gonzales rebels until the new commander reported the suspicious information?"

"Fermier never provided any specific intelligence. The old idiot only said that he was doing his best to stabilize the situation, or repeatedly assured that the rebellion would not spread to other parts of Olidan." Diana explained.

"How did your rebellion in Gonzales begin?" she asked. "Is there a consensus in the Kingdom of Olidan now?"

"Yes, but that's what Vermeer said." Diana studied the map in her hand. "The Governor claimed they'd underestimated the brutality of the Gonzales residents. They were better at banditry than toiling away in the mines. He didn't realize the bandits had become a rebellion until the cargo bound for the capital suffered massive losses."

"Bandit? What a subtle term."

"That's what Vermeer has always called the rebels."

"You mean he never investigated or reported the rebels' origins, but he still defined them as gangsters."

"Or rather... they claim they've never conducted a thorough investigation," Diana added.

This thought led her to further speculation. Although Urbino suspected the Gonzales rebellion was more of an army than a bandit, he, like others, never made the connection to Vermeer. As a governor widely considered corrupt and incompetent, his scheming and money-making were no longer just irony, but a cover for his crimes.

Most likely.

"The rebellion certainly hasn't spread to other areas of Olidan," Diana said thoughtfully. "Although there have been losses in the transportation and mining of metal minerals, they've been maintained within an acceptable range. Even now, Olidan prioritizes other areas over Gonzales. Now with Noyen and the trade agreement with the Sasule people, people's attention to Gonzales will be further reduced. The recent reduction in supplies to Gonzales is simply due to a tight treasury, but once the economic situation improves..."

"They demanded a steady supply of supplies from Olidan to suppress the rebellion, and then smuggled a steady supply of military equipment from Donimi. The biggest suspicion still centered on Vermir. With this in mind, it's clear who is the biggest obstacle to their problems," said Altinya.

Of course, they know that whoever performs best in the counterinsurgency battlefield at this stage is the most troublesome person.

"Cesar was never killed, perhaps because he never went to the battlefield in person. As for Vermeer's thoughts, I guess he just didn't want to leave obvious evidence of his crime in Gonzales," said Diana.

"Look, now's our chance to eliminate him," Altinia said with a smile. "The battlefield is a constantly changing place. If our theory is correct, something unfortunate will happen soon. Don't you want to see, Annie, the true capabilities of the commander the school has summoned you to, and how he will handle this matter?"