Chapter 63: The Actor’s Self-Cultivation
“The Azure Court is destroyed, and twilight descends.”
Eight simple words, yet they sealed the fate of this ancient kingdom.
A light flickered within Norton’s gloomy eyes.
A fire named ambition.
“Remember, although those cultists are currently our allies.”
“But when the great chaos erupts—they will no longer be allies, but enemies.”
Norton looked at Shaya, who was standing respectfully to the side, and slowly spoke again.
“This country is destined to end.”
“When a giant falls, everyone will crawl over its carcass to feast on its flesh and blood.”
“And amidst the coming turmoil, Sylvia will become the focal point of everything.”
“Twilight is about to break free from its seal and descend upon the mortal world. She is the only key, directly determining the final belonging of that ancient god…”
Norton’s hoarse voice reminded Shaya of a desert-dwelling sand viper.
“After the riots break out, I cannot act personally. My status is too high, too conspicuous. Any unusual move will attract the attention of those elders who support the family head’s faction.”
“Besides, those cultists are not fools. Although we are currently cooperating, they will certainly be wary of me during the uprising and will never fully trust me.”
He swept his eyes, sharp as a falcon’s, across Shaya, and after a long while, spoke again.
“At that time, you will be the variable that breaks the balance.”
“Bring Sylvia to my side, to where she belongs, and let her fulfill her duty as a key.”
“Remember, no matter the means.”
“Yes.”
Shaya responded respectfully.
Norton nodded with satisfaction at Shaya’s reply.
Then, he stood up from the wide sofa.
Through the swirling smoke of the “Dreamland,” Norton looked down like a monarch upon the dim city outside the window.
His aged voice suddenly softened.
“All my few offspring have passed away.”
“In my eyes, you, whom I took in and raised since childhood, are my own child.”
“The Azure Court is like an old man lying in bed, no matter how hard the family head tries to support it, it’s hard to hide its ugliness and sickness.”
“When I seize the Divine Throne of Twilight, we can build a new nation, far more glorious than before, upon the ruins of the Azure Court after the great fire.”
“And you will be my sole heir.”
“When I truly ascend the Divine Throne, you will be the new king of this lost kingdom.”
Damn, as expected of a scheming old fox who has planned for years, his ability to paint a grand picture is truly extraordinary.
And why does it feel like everyone wants to adopt me as their son?
Shaya couldn’t help but complain inwardly.
Even the classic lines like “my sole heir,” “future king,” and “I have no children, I regard you as my own son” are being used.
If this old man truly had such deep affection for the orphans he took in, why did he so easily abandon those outside family members who were loyal to the family, but not to Norton?
Of course, if Norton really usurped the authority and status of that Twilight Ancient God, he would need manpower.
After all, gods require faith, otherwise, the Holy See and those cults wouldn’t have been established.
It’s just that the methods of these evil gods are well-known: proselytizing is essentially corruption, pollution, and brainwashing.
And I, the heir designated by Norton, would most likely become the leader of a cult, only knowing how to praise Twilight and regard Norton as the “Supreme Master.”
However, despite his internal complaints, Shaya naturally showed no flaws externally.
His body trembled slightly.
Revealing a suppressed excitement, as if forcing himself to endure.
Even Shaya’s words carried a slight tremor at this moment.
“Lord Norton, your subordinate will surely not fail your expectations.”
What is this if not the actor’s self-cultivation?
…
After leaving the Grand Duke’s Mansion and arriving at the outskirts of the city, Shaya finally let go of his feigned composure.
He pondered the information Norton had provided.
Only seven days remained until the catastrophe that would destroy the Azure Court Duchy.
This was somewhat beyond Shaya’s expectations, but the time was still barely enough.
He probed his surroundings with his mental power, and after confirming he was not being monitored, his “Spatial Pocket” was quietly activated.
Two small figures appeared in Shaya’s hand.
These were two mechanical creatures resembling birds, made entirely of metal, with simple positioning and functional magic arrays inscribed within.
“Mechanical Messengers,” a proprietary product of the Knowledge City’s Steam School, each costing five hundred Rhine gold coins.
As for their function, it was simple—
As the name suggests, they deliver messages.
Shaya took out two pre-prepared envelopes from the secondary dimension of his spatial pocket, folded them, and placed them into the storage compartments in the abdomens of the two mechanical messengers.
Then, he set the destination and recipients for each mechanical messenger.
One mechanical messenger’s destination was the border fortress in the northern part of the Azure Court Duchy, directly adjacent to the Lost Domain, and the recipient was Grand Duke Brunstadt himself.
The other mechanical messenger’s destination was located to the south of the Azure Court Duchy, in a neighboring country called Buzer.
This was a small country not particularly notable on the Western Continent.
However, because it was subordinate to the Holy See and believed in the Dawn Gods—the capital of Buzer housed a grand cathedral of the Dawn Holy See, with a high-ranking official of the Holy See at the level of a Cardinal stationed there.
That was precisely the target Shaya had set for the mechanical messenger.
Clack—
Clack—
The two mechanical messengers flapped their metal wings and flew into the sky, quickly disappearing from Shaya’s sight.
After completing this, Shaya returned to the Grand Duke’s Mansion, to his own room.
After the Coming-of-age Ceremony, Shaya’s room had also been changed, becoming much more luxurious and spacious.
He took out a terminal from his pocket, on which the terrain around the Royal Capital was displayed on the magic light screen.
The light spots representing the two mechanical messengers were constantly moving, moving away from the Royal Capital towards their preset destinations.
Shaya emptied his mind and entered a meditative state to cultivate his mental power.
Occasionally, he would open his eyes to check the situation on the terminal screen.
Several hours passed without incident.
It wasn’t until the eighth hour that the light spot flying towards the northern border of the Azure Court Duchy on the terminal screen emitted a violent fluctuation and disappeared a few seconds later.
Half an hour later, the light spot flying towards the Buzer Kingdom in the south also lost contact after a fluctuation.
