Chapter 921
What if the Fire Isn’t Hot Enough?
With the number of accompanying personnel reduced, Eivass’s mobility significantly increased.
Although Cardinal Galatea’s presence was indeed heavy, starkly contrasting with her delicate appearance, she was easily carried by Helchin, who had transformed into a Pegasus.
“Thank you for your hard work, Galatea,” Eivass sighed. “I know you wish for retirement, or rather, a sufficiently long vacation. But given the current situation, I still need you for a while. I’m afraid I can only send you home after the Fallen Heavenly Envoy has been apprehended and annihilated.”
One of the reasons he had pulled Cardinal Galatea aside was to speak to her alone. Otherwise, Eivass and Helchin would have been sufficient.
“It’s no matter to me, Your Holiness the Pope,” Galatea said softly, her voice as clear and crisp as a mountain spring. “I’ve waited thousands of years, a few more months won’t make a difference. Besides, I can’t just abandon my responsibilities here. No matter how tired I am, I can’t selfishly leave while others suffer.”
She sat behind Eivass, her arms wrapped around his waist.
“Ugh…”
Just then, Eivass felt a powerful force constricting his waist. Galatea tightened her embrace, and Eivass felt as if he were being flattened by a hydraulic press.
“I need to make one thing clear, Your Holiness the Pope – there’s something I need to understand right now,” Galatea asked sternly. “Exactly how many people do you intend to take with you?”
Eivass raised an eyebrow and casually replied, “As many as possible. At least the Spirit Tower – that was agreed upon beforehand. They were meant to come to Avalon anyway, they’ve just been intercepted.”
“Besides the Spirit Tower?” Galatea pressed. “What about the other civilians?”
“I plan to issue a general call to action, something I’ve been laying the groundwork for since I was Pope,” Eivass said immediately, clearly having thought this through. “The Daffodil Duchy is short-handed, and the Church can accommodate many. If I issue a call in the Church’s name, both the Black Eagle and Iris Flower orders should be willing to take in some refugees. I’ve already contacted the people I need to for this.”
“Furthermore, Avalon can also house a number of refugees. If that’s still not enough, I still have contact with the troll tribes on the Southern Continent. Avalon is planning to develop the Southern Continent and needs manpower. We can also hire some Star Antimony Extraordinary individuals at a high salary to help build infrastructure on the Southern Continent – something Avalon can’t easily provide.”
“…It seems you’ve already made thorough preparations.”
“Of course,” Eivass replied, his voice clear and full of vitality. “Because even without the Fallen Heavenly Envoy, Star Antimony is already in an economic crisis. Coupled with the undead calamity caused by Valentine VII, who has turned into an undead, the Star Antimony army is divided, the Queen is in charge, and even the public security forces can’t be paid. The Star Antimony Kingdom is already a mere shell of its former self.”
“Here’s another detail – many Star Antimony people hold grudges against goblins. Goblins, in turn, hold grudges against trolls. The largest troll tribe has approached me, and I’ve pushed them towards Avalon. This means that goblins and I are now on opposing sides.”
“Although Avalon’s railways also received sponsorship from the Goblin Merchant Guild, the money has already been received. The Goblin Merchant Guild’s original objective – to completely collapse Star Antimony’s economy – has long been achieved.”
“The investment they made in Avalon was to bribe a ‘Minister of No Portfolio’. Now that I am Pope, that price is far too low – a price they cannot, and will not, offer. I took their money, and I must fulfill my end. But after I’ve done my part, I must also orchestrate the aftermath – sending those who harbor hatred towards goblins back to their ancestral homeland. Granting them the Church’s – originally Avalon’s – support, giving them a chance for revenge and to rebuild their nation. That was my original plan for them.”
“…This means I am partly responsible for Star Antimony’s current predicament. Therefore, the safety net I prepared for the Star Antimony people is partly to wrap up my own plan. However, with the descent of the Fallen Heavenly Envoy, this refugee plan has been repurposed.”
Eivass tilted his head slightly, looking at the silent Galatea, and asked humbly, “What do you think, Cardinal Galatea? Do I seem too evil?”
“—Precisely the opposite, Your Holiness the Pope,” Galatea’s voice was cold. “I believe you are too benevolent.”
“…Don’t be sarcastic,” Eivass felt a sense of helplessness. “I know this isn’t ideal…”
“No, I mean it literally – you are too benevolent. And that is not a good thing.” Galatea said seriously. “If you were wearing the Supreme Holy Crown right now, I would not question your decisions. Even if all elves were burned to ashes, they would still illuminate the path you point towards. However, you are not officially the Pope yet, so I dare to offer an explanation… Just like the rules you mentioned – demons wouldn’t interfere with your evacuation because you are taking away individuals they would risk their lives to defeat anyway. Their manifestation rules are different here; death here is final. Therefore, they choose to stand by and do nothing.”
“—But if you try to take civilians, will the demons truly stand by? I doubt it. That would only incite more intense conflict. Not only will the demons’ actions become more aggressive – residents who wouldn’t have died otherwise will be killed by the demons as a deterrent while trying to escape. And the righteous forces coming to their rescue will face even greater danger. Legions composed of Upper Demons are an insurmountable existence for the vast majority of countries, akin to gods.”
“Although the Fallen Heavenly Envoy and the Upper Demons directly summoned by Him cannot leave the country bound by this ritual, they can create new Upper Demons at any time. Attempting to rescue Star Antimony will only lead to interception by Upper Demon legions and the loss of precious manpower. By then, when they are attacked by demons transformed from Star Antimony residents, they may not even be able to preserve their own territories.”
“—Fire needs fuel to burn. If you refuse to sacrifice anything, you might lose everything.”
This was not an unfounded concern. It was a conclusion reached by Galatea through cold, ruthless logical deduction. — Perhaps this chosen of the Twin Mirror was the one who least believed in romance and ideals.
“…You mean,” Eivass only now understood her meaning, “you want me not to save them?”
He detected a familiar trace on Galatea. It was… Controlled Fire. The predecessor to Cardinal Loki’s concepts of “Necessary Evil” and “Preemptive Death.” This ideology was quite popular within the Church… It seemed a number of Cardinals agreed with Cardinal Loki’s philosophy.
“Just as you said, according to the rules – as long as we secretly transport the talented, the clear-headed, and those not easily deceived by demons, the demons will not do anything extremely bad to others. Instead, they will try to maintain a friendly attitude.” Galatea said calmly, “Therefore, a large-scale rescue must not be attempted. Even if someone needs rescuing, it must be done like we are doing now, with small groups of elites escorting a few individuals. A small number of times, through this method, we can delay the demons’ actions.”
“And to satisfy the demons, we cannot even publicly announce that ‘we will gradually rescue people.’ This would give people hope, and the demons, in an effort to crush this sliver of hope, would inflict even harsher treatment upon these civilians. This would be counterproductive.”
“—In other words, our goal is to ultimately save more people. For this purpose, the sacrifice of some, the fall of some, are necessary. To achieve the longest possible peace and save the most people with the fewest sacrifices, without infringing upon the interests and safety of other countries – this is the best strategy of devotion.”
Galatea said this with a hint of complexity. “If it were the previous Pope… I think he would have thought the same.”
“…But he isn’t me.” Eivass sighed. “Or rather, not entirely me.”
“Are you still planning to—?”
“Galatea,” Eivass interrupted the puppet Cardinal. “Among all things that emit light or heat, what do you think I am most like?”
“…You…” Galatea fell silent for a while before answering. “You are like the sun, impartially giving light and heat to all things. Of all the Popes I have ever seen, you are the most fitting of the word ‘Sun’.”
“…That’s quite high praise.”
“Not at all,” Galatea said coldly. “The sun’s light – it is too weak at times and too fierce at others. Some will freeze to death, some will burn to death… But at least the entire world has gained vitality because of it. However, this light is so taken for granted that people even forget its existence and go so far as to seek shade from it. When someone needs more help, this light is insufficient; the sun cannot cover the entire world. The brighter it makes the day, the more sinful the night becomes, merely ensuring that those sins do not appear within the sun’s sight.”
“But fire needs fuel. Even the sun is no exception – the Xi Tian Si burned themselves to illuminate this land. The same applies to the Great Sun of Creation in the past… It is perhaps because they burned out that they welcomed a peaceful death.”
“Like the light and heat emitted by lighting a match or a candle, the further away you are, the more it dissipates… that heat is wasted. To illuminate the entire world, the wasted heat is infinite. That ‘fire’ could have been used to change everything, create everything, destroy everything. Now, it is merely used to make this world appear prosperous…”
Galatea’s voice was clear and her tone was calm, as if devoid of emotion. But Eivass felt that her words were filled with emotion, perhaps even a hint of excitement. — These were the most sincere words from a scaled being who had survived since the era of the Second Sun. The depths of the sea, from which she originated, could not see the sun. They were not born because of the sun, so for their civilization, the sun was not the origin of all things. Rather…
— She feared the sun. Or rather, she feared Eivass’s desire to become the sun. Perhaps… she feared the Fallen Heavenly Envoy. For Galatea, who was once merely a researcher doing odd jobs, Lucifer, the former Lord of the Sky-Piercing Tower, was almost impossibly powerful. Even though she had lost her heart and was left with only lingering thoughts, that fear had not dissipated. Unbeatable, unchallengeable – from the moment she learned of the Fallen Heavenly Envoy’s descent into the Material Realm, she had felt a sense of despair and apathy.
“Galatea,” Eivass suddenly said, “you must have experienced it too – that era without light. The Second Sun extinguished, and the Sun God Mithra, who should have been born, was not. The land was plunged into darkness, and cold and hunger made everything desperate… Am I correct?”
“…Did you recall something?”
“No. That is merely information that can be inferred,” Eivass shook his head and said softly, “You said, ‘that heat is wasted,’ but I don’t think so. The world back then was much colder than it is now. Without the sun’s light, all things lost their vitality.”
“That ‘heat’ was never wasted. It merely changed the most basic environment, altering this world in the most imperceptible way. Thank you, Galatea. You compare me to the sun – I intend to become like the sun.”
Eivass smiled. “Do you know why the Xi Tian Si became the Third Sun?”
Galatea calmly deduced, “According to the secrets we found in the Sky-Piercing Tower ruins, fragments of the sun fell into the sea. That was the birth of the Beast Lord – the Beast Lord is a forbidden child. Before gaining the ability to evolve, He was a sea monster at the bottom of the ocean. It was precisely because of the power of creation that there came to be a hundred kinds of beasts on land.”
“And the Beast Lord and Hengwo are two sides of the same coin. The Xi Tian Si, as Hengwo and the child of Hengwo, possesses the residual part of the Second Sun expelled by Hengwo, as well as the power of creation wielded by the Beast Lord…”
“No, that’s not what I’m talking about,” Eivass shook his head. “He ignited himself under the persuasion of the Hourglass, becoming the Third Sun – precisely because people had once seen the sun. Although people fear the night now, they are not desperate. Because people know that the sun will rise tomorrow… It was the same back then. People knew that there had been a sun, and they remembered the sight of the sun illuminating the land. It was beautiful, worth remembering. The Xi Tian Si chose sacrifice for this reason… igniting the Dawn Fire that burned himself.”
Eivass thought of the illusion he saw while reading the Grimoire of the Morning Crow. The Xi Tian Si’s self-immolation was painful. He worked tirelessly, sometimes even falling asleep, causing a region to fall into perpetual daylight and drought, while neglecting to bring light to the night on the other side. — But he preferred to burn for it. That was to bring light back to this world.
“Despair can kill, Galatea. If we don’t give people hope and make them realize they’ve been abandoned, when the demons are repelled, they will become the new demons… harboring despair and rage, hating everything. If even the sacred Church abandons them, then what reason do they have to live?”
“We must give people hope! Let them know that the sun sets but rises again; let them know that the light that departs will eventually return…” Eivass said calmly. “This is not just for the Star Antimony people. It is also for others – struggle is the path to survival. The descent of Heavenly Envoys will not be a one-time event. The population preserved through ‘compromise’ is merely borrowing against the future.”
Galatea seemed unable to comprehend. “What if the demons resort to radical measures?”
“Then we fight them, and I will lead the charge.” Eivass shook his head. “Galatea, if you fall into the trap of ‘Preemptive Death’ and ‘Necessary Evil,’ you cannot save the world. When disaster truly strikes, sacrifice is not a one-time event. Always sacrificing the few for the many, retreating further and further… That is not salvation – at best, it is loss mitigation.”
“…But what if sacrifice is necessary? If one side must sacrifice… sacrificing the few to preserve more people is better than letting more people die because of it. It is in this way that the [Civilizations] of the world have survived since ancient times.” Galatea’s ideology remained firm. In her understanding, it was precisely because of this that the concept of the Origin River of Civilization was devotion. Sacrifice the individual to perpetuate civilization. Even though the current civilization is no longer the civilization of the past, just as she is no longer a scaled being… civilization has persevered.
“—You have all missed one point. It is not ‘necessary,’ but ‘helplessness’… It is due to insufficient ability that there is ‘sacrifice.’ It is not that because of their sacrifice, civilization exists.” Eivass said decisively – he was instead provoked by Cardinal Galatea’s pessimistic remarks. “Just as if the fire is not hot enough, some must endure the cold. Not that some must endure the cold for others to get warm. When encountering problems, solve them, that is the correct way! Even if some must sacrifice, it must be at the hands of the enemy’s destruction, not our own abandonments. Devotion should be voluntary, brave, and fearless… not cold-blooded, callous, and rational. I believe you have taken the wrong path – I am the Pope, I am the Child of the Candlemaster, so listen to me.”
“Let me show you – this mere Fallen Heavenly Envoy, we can defeat them! If we cannot even defeat this mere Fallen Heavenly Envoy…” — How then could we resist the end of the world?
Eivass swallowed the latter half of his sentence at this point. He sighed, making Helchin stop. Eivass turned his head and looked at the completely silent Galatea – she clearly still harbored an ingrained fear of the Fallen Heavenly Envoy. She wasn’t convinced by Eivass, but merely ceased to oppose him.
He reached out and gently stroked Galatea’s head. The ice-cold girl, like a doll, looked up with a hint of confusion. Perhaps only at times like this did she seem like a girl who died before adulthood, rather than a powerful Cardinal.
And Eivass whispered in her ear, “If the fire isn’t hot enough, then burn me first.”
(End of Chapter)
