get-shopping Chapter 181
Chapter 181
They couldn’t help but feel nervous.There had never been a time when Arendt spoke like that and things turned out well.
That didn’t mean they had any veto power.
Finally, Cantares let out a deep sigh and spoke first.
“What do you want to say?”
“It’s nothing, so just ignore it. Why are you all so scared? You look pathetic.”
However, what came back, making that resolve seem meaningless, was nothing but a blunt rebuke.
Arendt, with his hands deep in his pockets, asked an unexpected question.
“Who do you think decided to destroy all records of the Chernion Cult after the war?”
“What?”
The Crown Prince arched an eyebrow slightly at the incomprehensible words.
“Well…”
“Wasn’t it vaguely thought to be that His Majesty the First Emperor implemented it right after the war?”
Just as Cantares was about to answer, Arendt struck first.
Cantares nodded his head sheepishly.
“I guess so.”
Others also seemed to think the same way, and raised no objections.
Llewellyn and the two knights looked at Arendt as if they had no idea what he was talking about.
“Let’s look back for a moment. Before the incident, the only one who was properly aware of the existence of the evil god was the royal family of the Caerleon Empire. In other places, the story was that the first emperor of the Caerleon Empire, Hero Khan, fought against the evil god and saved the world… That was all that was told.”
“That’s right.”
This time, Cantares had no choice but to nod his head at the tone that seemed to be seeking an answer.
“In the records left behind by His Majesty the First Emperor, was there also a description of the existence of evil god being intentionally erased?”
“Uh?”
Cantares let out a dumbfounded sound at the unexpected question.
Arendt just stared at the Crown Prince with blank eyes.
His face was expressionless, as if he was expecting a definitive answer.
The Crown Prince felt his stomach tighten as if his voice was caught in his throat due to his instinctive aversion.
However, Cantares, unable to resist the gaze of the apprentice knight who was quietly urging him to respond, had no choice but to tell the truth.
“No, come to think of it, the entity that gave the order to erase the existence of the evil god was not clearly stated.”
“Is that so…?”
Cantares answered Llewellyn’s bewildered question.
“‘.’ The book begins with this preface.”
Of course, it was difficult to clearly distinguish whether it was the hero Khan who ordered the erasure of the records or someone else based on this sentence alone.
But Llewellyn was not easily convinced.
“But at that time, there would have been no one who could go against the will of His Majesty the Hero Khan, the first emperor…?”
“That would be true among humans. However, at that time, various races had united to oppose the Chernion Cult, so we cannot be certain that there was no external pressure at all.”
Arendt responded.
“His Majesty the First Emperor left records in preparation for the war that might break out again someday. If we assume that this is the only unchangeable truth, then some contradictions arise.”
“What do you mean by contradiction?”
This time it was Richt who asked the question.
“In order to inform future generations about the dangers of the evil cult, it would be normal to convey even the most trivial details.”
Arendt continued calmly, counting on his fingers.
“What are the signs that they will appear, how can we distinguish the evil cult hiding among people, what are their weaknesses, what tactics they use… Since they are an opponent they have fought once, there would be endless information to leave behind.”
“…”
“The world almost came to ruin once at the hands of the Chernion Cult. So they had to find a way to eradicate them in the future, and it was not an issue that could be buried just because the war was over.”
Each and every point was valid.
Arendt told them to just listen in moderation, but they had no choice but to listen.
“His Majesty the First Emperor must have known about this fact, as he wanted to leave a clue for future generations. But would he have personally ordered the destruction of the records?”
“…”
“The time when the records disappeared and the time when His Majesty the First Emperor left behind his books are almost the same. If it is true that His Majesty the First Emperor did not put down his sword until his later years, he must not have already become senile at that time…”
“Hey, hey hey hey hey!”
Arthur and Richt, who had been listening to Arendt’s ramblings, were startled and rushed to cover his mouth.
“What are you doing again after everything was going well, you punk! The Crown Prince is here!”
“Arendt, mouth. Mouth. Please. Please, I beg you, shut your mouth, please!”
“Oh, this is really annoying.”
Arendt added, accustomedly avoiding the harsh touch of his seniors.
“Anyway, if it weren’t for His Majesty the First Emperor deciding to erase the records, things might have been very different.”
“You really… how can you say something like this like nothing?”
Cantares pressed his temples, feeling a pounding sensation in his bones.
“While we’re on the subject, let me ask. So, what made you suddenly come up with such an absurd idea?”
“I was curious from the beginning. I was curious as to why he left only this clue, even though he was worried that the evil cult would reappear.”
Arendt shrugged his shoulders as was his custom.
“The founding story of the Caerleon Empire is only told in the form of a heroic epic centered around the first emperor, the hero Khan. The true nature of the story is cleverly concealed.”
“What does it mean that the true nature has been concealed?”
“I think I had a long conversation with Your Highness before. You are a hero because you survived. No one is born a hero.”
“…”
Cantares, who was about to say something more, closed his mouth.
Arendt, who had complete control of the conversation, continued his story leisurely but steadily.
“The process of survival couldn’t have been all that beautiful. Of course, there were times when it was dirty, deadly, and ugly. But all of that was omitted, and the hero Khan fought the villain and won… Up until now, this has been the only story that has been passed down as the standard.”
“…”
“Do you know why old tales are so great? Because the enemy who was completely defeated never appears again, and the hero who achieved complete victory enjoys peace and happiness for generations.”
Arendt added coldly.
“But this isn’t a fairy tale, it’s reality.”
Eventually, the enemy crawled out again, and they were left bewildered, unable to even properly grasp their true nature.
“We’ve already moved on from the idea of ending it with a nice story, so let’s think realistically.”
“I have a rough idea of what you are trying to say.”
Llewellyn, who had been listening silently, began to speak.
“His Majesty the First Emperor opposed the destruction of the records, but in the end he was unable to stop them, and instead wrote a book himself to pass on to his descendants?”
Since it was certain that the book would be destroyed if its existence was ever known, he passed it on to his bloodline in a vague story containing only the bare minimum of information.
“If what you say is true, then who was the one who pressured His Majesty the First Emperor? He was a hero. Even a foreign race would not have been able to easily oppose him.”
“The most common scenario would be that there was some sort of political division within the Empire… but as you say, the probability of that happening is extremely low. His Majesty the Emperor’s power at the time would have been beyond imagination.”
Then what was left were the other races.
At Arendt’s words, Llewellyn furrowed his brow slightly and fell into thought.
“Beastfolk like werewolves didn’t have developed writing systems, so they wouldn’t have been interested in passing down their history. And in the case of elves… ah.”
Arendt nodded slightly as a short sigh escaped Llewellyn’s lips.
“They are in a similar situation.”
Although the elves had incredibly long lifespans, there were no survivors of the war, and little is known about the events of the time.
Moreover, they had recently seen an elven child join the Chernion Cult.
“Even the elf named Jin didn’t seem to know much about the past evil relationship with the Evil Cult. She seemed more interested in the long-forbidden magic and alchemy, but I can’t be sure since the elves might be hiding the remaining records.”
The damn apprentice knight, who was casually picking up on such a huge topic, continued his speech in a rude manner.
“In the end, it seems that the only beings who have clearly recognized the true nature of the Chernion doctrine from the past to the present are the dragons… Since they are hiding behind the scenes and have no intention of coming out, it is unlikely that they helped erase the Chernion god.”
“Stop beating around the bush and get to the point.”
Unable to overcome his frustration, Cantares eventually hardened his face and urged him on.
Arendt responded to the Crown Prince’s wishes.
“It is possible that God himself intervened in the work of erasing Chernion.”
“…”
A cold silence settled in the office.
Arendt said nothing more and just stared at his seniors, Llewellyn, and the Crown Prince.
As if waiting for the next line.
That calm look was even more suffocating.
Eventually, Cantares ended up rubbing his face with his hand.
“…Do you know what you’re talking about right now?”
“I told you from the beginning. Just ignore it.”
Arendt responded to the Crown Prince’s words, which contained a hint of resentment, in a natural, yet somehow cold tone.
It was certainly as he said.
This was a conversation that shouldn’t be taken seriously.
Why information about the Chernion Church was almost completely destroyed throughout the world, why the first emperor left behind only so many records, etc.
If God really did intervene as Arendt hypothesized, it would certainly answer many questions.
It was a somewhat burdensome topic for those who had lived their entire lives as God’s creatures, but Arendt was merciless.
“The one who benefited the most from the blocking of information during the war was the Chernion Church. Since nothing was known, it was the best place to start their activities in secret. After the Chernion God lost the war, he completely erased his traces in order to plan for the future, and went into hiding with his remaining followers. What if we assume this?”
“But by then, the evil god had already been defeated. And the evil god was influencing the continent?”
Arthur barely managed to refute it, but that too was meaningless in front of that bastard junior’s annoyingly calm response.
“The cult was defeated, but God was not defeated. You could also think of the opposite. The god Luce, worried about the resurrection of the evil god, ordered that all records of its existence be completely erased. However, the hero Khan thought that was the wrong way to go.”
“…”
“So the hero avoided the eyes of the gods, passed the records only to his own blood relatives, and hid any clues he could find throughout the empire, while destroying the rest of the records… that makes sense, too.”
Either way, it was not a pleasant story for the Crown Prince, the knights, and Llewellyn.
“….”
The faces of those who failed to control their facial expressions hardened.