Uncle here isn't your average office worker!

What lies beyond the stellar pod? Do the two moons above us actually look like that? Why is there a large crater on one of the moons? Has it existed since time immemorial?

These questions may still be naive, but they are already exciting enough. It means that after tens of thousands of years, finally, on a planet called Terra, so many people have begun to look up at the stars and wonder about the universe.

Where this curiosity will lead Terra—to a journey through the vast cosmos or to an abyss of no return—no one can say for sure. But on Earth, an old man, also gazing at the stars, already has his own insights.

"The starry sky, like the ocean, should also be the boundary of civilization."

A fire burned in front of Carmen, several planks of wood salvaged from the building crackling and popping. The flickering firelight illuminated his face, reflecting in his perpetually pensive, gray eyes.

Suddenly, as if sensing something, he released his hand from the musket at his waist, a relieved expression on his face:

"I thought no one would find me."

Roy dismounted, removed his helmet, revealing his long, bound blue hair and face. He looked at Carmen, about to ask about his condition, when Carmen smiled, shook her head, and pointed to the other side of the fire.

Roy understood his meaning, hesitated for a moment, and then whistled. Rocinant immediately understood and leaned down, using his body as a backrest for his master to sit and lean against.

Carmen watched this scene in silence until Roy was finished, then he sighed.

"I thought it would be Dario who found me."

“Iberia has just repelled the Great Tranquility, and Inquisitor Dario has many matters to attend to. He truly cannot leave,” Roy explained. Dario must be concerned about Carmen's whereabouts; otherwise, he wouldn't have sent Roy specifically to search for her. But in his heart, the safety of Iberia is paramount.

The Great Calm has passed, but this does not mean that Iberia has overcome the crisis. More terrifying and troublesome than the disaster itself are the post-disaster reassurance, stability maintenance, and reconstruction.

Carmen nodded, her aged face full of satisfaction: "He took over the responsibility from me and made a promise to me; he deserved to do so."

"I didn't say that to complain. I was just feeling sentimental," he sighed. "What elderly person wouldn't want to see their child one last time before they die?"

Carmen y Iberia was childless throughout his life. The secret of longevity did not deprive him of his fertility, but from the moment he established the Court of Judgment and swore to become a saint, he had already put aside all personal feelings and remained unmarried for life.

Therefore, Dario, Eleanor, and all the judges he had raised and trained were like his children. The older he got, the more he wanted to do more for them, to leave them something behind.

He didn't want much; he just wanted to be able to watch over these future generations one more time.

But as he said, although he was moved, he did not complain. He understood and even praised Dario's choice. He did not need to waste his precious time on himself, a half-mad old man. He should save more people.

"Cough cough cough—" Carmen coughed heavily a few times, as if he were about to cough up his lungs. Roy noticed that although he seemed to be fine, his mental state was genuinely weak.

"Lord Carmen, are you alright?" He immediately stood up and went to Carmen's side. Just as he was about to reach out to check on her, he was forced back by Carmen's cannon, which she drew almost instantly.

"Ahem, sorry." Carmen moved the dark muzzle of the gun away with a slightly helpless expression. "You have Hai Si's scent on you. It's an unconscious reaction."

Roy frowned: "You can sense it?"

Roy had encountered many people who could detect the aura of the Sea King on him. But that didn't mean the aura of the Sea King was so easy to detect. Roy had never actually been to the sea, so he didn't have a fishy or seawater smell.

Those who can detect his aura of the Sea Spirit, whether they are Deep Sea Hunters or Deep Sea Cultists, actually belong to the same category—creatures that have merged with the Sea Spirit.

Kal'tsit is a special case and will not be considered.

Since Carmen can subconsciously distinguish and react to the aura of the Sea Spirit on his body, it can be almost concluded that he has been infected by the Sea Spirit, and deeply so!

“Hmm.” Carmen’s subsequent nod confirmed Roy’s guess. “So, I also have something I’d like to ask you for help with, Knight.”

"I'm Roy." Roy then realized that he hadn't actually introduced himself to Carmen, or even revealed his identity. But Carmen trusted him and hadn't fired immediately when he approached because of his aura.

“Mr. Roy, please do me a favor. After I die, I promise I will never get up again.”

Carmen raised his hand and pointed the gun at his head.

He had seen many humans infected by Haisi cells who, after death, were not truly eliminated. The consciousness contained within their infected flesh replaced them, revitalizing their dead remains and adding them to the horde.

This is why Carmen didn't immediately commit suicide with a cannon; he didn't want to become one of them.

Roy opened his mouth, intending to say that he might have a way to save him, but after thinking it over, he remained silent.

His method was actually quite simple: he used his Sea Child ability to activate the infected parts of Carmen's body, replacing the aging parts and giving Carmen's body a new lease on life. Then he activated the [Water Moon] module to separate Carmen from the large group network, making her a separate Sea Child.

Although Roy has never tried this method, it is theoretically possible, and the probability should be quite high.

After all, in the original timeline, Suigetsu himself was a separate sea creature created by Cicero through such brutal human modification.

But he knew without saying a word that Carmen would never agree to this plan.

He would undoubtedly consider this a desecration, a desecration of his efforts to persist until this moment, to wait for Roy to arrive, a desecration of his anger and persistence in fighting against Hai Si for over a hundred years, a desecration of his determination to never compromise even in the face of death.

Saints die for the truth, never seeking a life of dishonor.

Is there anything you'd like to leave behind?

Roy asked finally.

Carmen smiled with satisfaction, took a key from her waist, and handed it to Roy:

"Give this to Dario; it's the key to open the [Inquisition Fire] warehouse."

"As for the rest, if you wish, you may take up my gun and lamp and, on my behalf, interpret the wrath of Iberia."

"——————Thump!"

Gunfire echoed across the wasteland, startling homeless winged beasts.

Volume 1: Chapter 297 Promise to Send Troops

The court's chariot arrived quickly. Roy watched as the coffin was carried onto the chariot, and when he came to his senses, Dario was already standing beside him.

Roy pursed his lips and said from the bottom of his heart:

"I'm sorry, Saint Carmen has already..."

"I understand, I expected it."

Dario appeared much calmer. As the current administrator of the Inquisition and the leader of Iberia, he could not afford to show any signs of instability at this moment. But Roy clearly remembered the emotions behind Dario's several deep breaths when he called the Inquisition to report the discovery of Carmen.

He was more sorrowful than anyone else.

Roy found it difficult to offer any comfort. Nothing in the world is more painful than the pain of separation by death; no amount of words could mend a wound that had already opened. All Roy could do was reach out and press Dario's slightly trembling shoulder, and say earnestly:

"Carmen asked me to tell you: He is very pleased that you made the decision he is most proud of, and that you did not let him down."

Dario took a deep breath, nodded slightly, and did not answer.

Roy took the key out of his pocket:

"This is what he asked me to give you. The key to unlock the [Fire of the Judgment Court] warehouse. As for his gun and lamp..."

Dario solemnly accepted the key, and said, "He entrusted the gun and the lamp to you, didn't he?"

“Each judge’s lamp is unique. It burns through the judge’s will and never goes out. If an outsider picks it up, the light in the lamp will dim. But this lamp remains unchanged in your hands. This means that the teacher has finally approved of you and given you the lamp.”

Dario forced a smile, overcoming his sadness: "Although there is no precedent for this, the court welcomes you."

Wasn't this a form of forced sale? Roy had no idea that lanterns could choose their owners when he accepted them. Carmen, that old man, actually got a good deal out of him in the end.

Roy muttered a couple of complaints to himself. But he didn't refuse Dario's invitation; instead, he shook Dario's outstretched hand.

He wasn't averse to becoming a judge; on the contrary, he always felt that the Iberian judges, in terms of principles, attire, weapons, and symbolism, perfectly suited his taste. Moreover, for someone about to embark on his "deep dive into the sea," having an official position in Iberia, the country closest to the ocean, would undoubtedly provide considerable convenience.

As for the duties that judges are supposed to undertake, Roy thought to himself, "Haven't I already been doing them all along?"

He'd been working on expelling the Sea Heirs, fighting the Deep Sea Cultists, and maintaining order in Iberia for almost half a month now; all he lacked was the title of Inquisitor. As for the Inquisitor's national duties, such as whether or not to fight for Iberia, that was another matter.

Let alone whether Iberia has the capability given its current situation, even if war were to break out, the newly established Terran Conference is not the League of Nations or the United Nations.

Trevor Friston wrote to himself, instructing him to be "efficient." The League of Nations might only impose international sanctions on you for not following the rules in war, but if the International Conference, chaired by Trevor Friston, saw you not following the rules, it might issue a divine judgment!

Roy thought it unlikely that any Terran nation would want to try it out.

"Then it's better to be respectful than to obey."

Having accepted Dalio's invitation, Roy paused, then suddenly asked:

How many troops can Iberia still muster?

Dario was clearly taken aback by the sudden question. He glanced at Roy in surprise, hesitated for a moment, and then answered somewhat hesitantly:

"If you include some retired punitive troops, it's less than ten thousand."

With fewer than 10,000, for a country as vast as Iberia, this is practically considered completely demilitarized.

Moreover, according to Dario, many of the less than 10,000 troops are retired veterans. Given their age and injuries, it's questionable whether they can be considered a complete fighting force, let alone defend the country.

To put it bluntly, the Ursus army that Roy wiped out at the White Wave River had 60,000 to 70,000 men. If you round it up, Roy could even achieve what Kal'tsit did: single-handedly destroy a nation if he wanted to.

While surprised, Roy quickly realized that combat strength units couldn't be calculated like that. Iberia implemented an elite force system, and combat strength like that of the Grand Inquisitor, who could hold his own against Skadi, was naturally not comparable to the soldiers of the Ursus Army Group. Although the total strength was less than 10,000, in a real battle, he probably wouldn't be too afraid of the 20,000 or 30,000 soldiers on the other side.

However, this cannot mask the fact that Iberia's military strength is severely depleted.

Seeing that Roy hadn't responded for a long time, Dario felt a little uneasy: "You're asking this because you want to know?"

“I was just thinking about whether it would be possible for a large-scale counterattack on the sea, but now it seems unlikely,” Roy answered honestly.

This gave Dario a real scare.

Good heavens, I'm still thinking about how to rebuild after the disaster, and you're already thinking about counterattacking the sea?

To be honest, has Dalio never thought about one day leading a million troops to the sea and giving the Sea Kings a little land-based shock?

He had certainly thought about it, but that was all he could do. If the ocean were so easy to conquer, then the old capital of Iberia wouldn't still be submerged.

Therefore, he naturally advised, "Mr. Roy, let's put this matter on hold for now. Given the current situation, it's difficult for Iberia to spare any more troops to form a fleet for an expedition to the seas."

Roy nodded in agreement: "But what if I could borrow the army myself and solve the Sea Children problem once and for all?"

He looked into Dario's incredulous eyes, making it clear that he was not joking:

"Would Inquisitor Dario do me a favor?"