Uncle here isn't your average office worker!

A permanent solution to the HIFU problem?

Does Dario believe this? Half and half. He has witnessed Roy's abilities, but the terror of the Great Silent Period is also imprinted in his mind. He is not afraid, but he has a clear understanding of it.

It would be very difficult to assemble a large, well-organized army like the Hai Si with manpower alone, let alone take them on an expedition to the ocean. Where would they get ships?

If anyone else had said that, Dario would probably have laughed out loud, but it was Roy who spoke, and considering the world-renowned Pillar of Light, he couldn't bring himself to say it outright.

Therefore, he could only manage to say:

"If such an opportunity arises, I would certainly support it."

"Your words are enough!"

Volume 1: Chapter 298 Old Stories

After finishing his business in Iberia, Roy was preparing to return to Lateran when he received an email from Trevor Friston.

"A creature that explodes like jelly after death? It looks like a disguise?"

To be honest, when Roy first saw the email from Trevor Friston and the accompanying photos, he didn't really realize what that puddle on the ground was.

Trevor Friston's description is clearly somewhat abstract, essentially pointing to a lump of meat on the ground and asking what type of animal it belongs to. Roy isn't a biology expert, so without any distinguishing features, it's indeed difficult for him to identify it.

But when Trevor Friston suggested that "the dead creature appears to be just a disguised clone, and is a native of Terra," he reacted quickly.

As is well known, in the ancient times of Terra, behemoths and beastmasters ruled this land, while the gods and first humans gradually developed and grew stronger, until they outlined the contours of their civilization through a series of explorations and wars.

But few people know, and perhaps no one wants to mention, that in the era before the appearance of giant beasts and beast lords, the true rulers of this land were the natives called the Tikkaz.

The original inhabitants were not the Terrans who evolved from the small animals brought by human colonization. According to Trevor Friston's recollections, the original inhabitants had bizarre appearances, each distinct from humans. The reason the Terrans evolved into their current form, which is more similar to humans, is due to the energy and will released from the Originium that modified them.

As a product that matches the Black Crown, which coordinates the memory and history of human civilization, if the Black Crown is released, the Originium will also be released, and human civilization will quickly transform from abstract to reality and be rebuilt in fact. This is also the theory of the Originium End Crisis.

In this situation, to put it less seriously, it's like Priscilla knows your aesthetic sense, so she deliberately molded everyone in the world according to your preferences. Quickly thank Priscilla.

Getting back to the main point. Among the Tikkaz, who are native inhabitants, there is indeed a group, or rather, one individual, who possesses the ability to change their form and mimic others.

Roy replied to Trevor Friston:

"You have encountered the ruler of the Royal Court of the Shapeshifters, who is the King of the Shapeshifters himself."

"Perhaps you have some doubts about this, and I can answer them for you. The native inhabitants of Terra, those strange and wonderful Tikkaz races, did not become extinct after the human colonization period and the long period of barbarism. On the contrary, they were also shaped by Originium, becoming humanoid in appearance and with names. Now they are called [Sarkaz], or [Demon Race]. The Sarkaz, the rulers of Laterano City where you are currently staying, are a branch of the Sarkaz."

"As descendants of the original inhabitants, the Sarkaz are a mixture of many kinds of native creatures. They also distinguish between them internally, and divide the ten largest lineages into ten families, which they call the 'Royal Court'."

"The King of Shapeshifters is a special one in the royal court. His body is somewhat similar to the fantasy creatures in our human games—[Slimes]—and he can transform, mimic, and perform other similar actions with remarkable realism, making him difficult to distinguish. He often acts as a spy, gathering information. It's a pleasant surprise that your drone can identify him."

"This also reminds me that while the Conference of Nations includes many nations, it does not encompass Terra. Apart from the Agor civilization in the ocean, the Sarkaz, a large but still powerful nation, is excluded. Their royal court is now located in Lentinium, the capital of Victoria, a usurper's place. Perhaps I should go and have a word with them."

"Your compatriot—Roy"

After sending the letter, Roy tugged on the reins, and Rocinant immediately changed direction, but instead of heading straight for Lentinium, he headed towards Kazimir.

After the events in Letania, Kal'tsit made a promise to Roy that Rhodes Island would make a short stay in Letania and then travel to Kazimierz for a medical mission that would last for several months. At that time, if Roy wanted to find her, he could go directly to the Grand Knights' territory.

Judging by the time, Rhodes Island should still be here.

Since the goal is to find the Sarkaz in Londinium, it's inevitable to involve Theresis and Theresia. And if Roy doesn't bring Kal'tsit along, the lynx might really have something to say.

Moreover, after so long and experiencing so many earth-shattering events, Roy was starting to miss the peaceful life he had spent on Rhodes Island.

.........

Victoria, Londinium, Iron Palace.

Therese remained standing on the throne, with the long-vacant Iron Throne beside her.

He was entitled to sit there long ago; he was the victor of the civil war and the de facto leader of all the Sarkaz who were loyal to Kazdel. But he was just as he had always claimed—the regent—standing on the side of the throne, borrowing power but never truly possessing it.

The true demon king of Kazdel, Theresa, Theresis's sister, did not sit on the throne. She simply stood on the other side of the throne, staring at Theresis as if in a huff.

Is there anything that's bothering you?

"Therese asked."

"No," Theresa replied with a calm smile.

Therese couldn't think of anything to say next, and could only watch helplessly as the topic she had finally managed to get started froze. She felt frustrated, but even more so, angry and heartbroken.

These emotions were not directed at Theresa, but at the absolutist and himself.

A few days ago, the Exonerator formally reported this news to him—their experiments on the mysteries of life had finally achieved a major breakthrough. With the ability to communicate with the spirits of the Sarkaz, they were confident in resurrecting Theresia, and were only waiting for Theresis's approval.

When he heard the news, Therese was furious. He almost drew his sword and rushed down the steps to kill the pardoner who was reporting the news to him.

But a single sentence from the pardoner made him stop his left hand, which was almost gripping the hilt of the sword:

"The Sarkaz need your and His Highness's leadership. Only when those two heroes stand before everyone again, witnessing their close bond as before, can the Sarkaz believe that you and your grand ambition, our Kazdel, are not unattainable!"

The nation, the nation is more important than anything else. For Kazdel, the Sarkaz must unite!

A regent alone is not enough. No matter how much Theresis despises the title of Demon King and is unwilling to accept it as his own, he cannot deny that Theresa is always the totem in the hearts of half of the Sarkaz people and the white moonlight in the hearts of almost all of them. With her recognition and help, the united royal court can truly be legitimate.

He dismissed the pardoners, and after some unknown struggle, he finally agreed to let them take that final step that night, handing over Theresa's body to them.

And so, there she was, standing alive and well before him once again.

For the first time in centuries, Therese felt not warmth and comfort under those eyes, but a profound unease. It was even more intense than when she sent assassins to kill Theresa.

He knew that from that night onward, he was destined to have no peace.

Volume 1: Chapter 299 Wouldn't I lose face?

"Suppress Princess Theresa's main consciousness with the consciousness of the Sarkaz spirits, and create a demon king who is only devoted to Kazdel."

What consequences will this have?

“She will forget some of her memories and emotions. Your Highness, for the Sarkaz, memories are like the blood flowing in our veins. The Exorcist cannot erase this part, so it can only hide it.”

"That is to say..."

“Yes, what is forgotten can still be remembered, and what is hidden can still be found. These are unavoidable risks. But you can rest assured that as long as the Sarkaz spirits are on your side and loyal to Kazdel, Princess Theresa will never be able to awaken herself.”

Therese looked at the pardoner before her, struggling to nod, when she noticed that the pardoner suddenly stood up, raised his hand, and slowly removed his mask.

Behind the mask, Theresa's bright pink eyes gazed at him, her face filled with deep sorrow. She questioned him:

"But Theresis, are you really going to do this?"

Therese suddenly opened her eyes and couldn't help but gasp for breath.

This is the council hall of the Iron Palace. After convening the last military meeting, he waited here for the return of the King of Shapeshifters, but for some reason, he fell into a dream.

He couldn't help but turn his head to look at the other high-backed chair beside him. Theresa was still sitting there, just like during the military conference. Facing Theresa as she turned around, she smiled and nodded.

"You're not sleeping very well, do you need my help?"

Her Originium Arts could soothe the mind and emotions, making it an excellent treatment for insomnia and mental illness, but Theresis pursed her lips and shook her head in refusal:

"No, that's not necessary."

He found it hard to accept this "kindness." He also didn't want to speculate whether his recent dream was Theresa's doing or a reflection of his own guilty conscience.

Therese rubbed her temples to ease her weariness, and asked, "Has the Shapeshifter returned?"

Theresa nodded: "He's back. Shall I summon him?"

"Thank you." Theresis nodded.

Theresa closed her eyes, and a few minutes later, the doors to the conference hall opened, revealing the brightly colored figure on the opposite side of the round table.

The King of Shapeshifters frowned deeply. Upon entering, he didn't utter a single word to Theresis, instead fixing his gaze intently on Theresa. It wasn't until Theresa spoke that...

"You're surprised, Shapeshifter. But all I want to say is, it's been a long time."

The shapeshifter's body seemed to stiffen abruptly for a moment, and his expression turned grim. He looked at Theresis and asked:

"Did the absolutioner do it?"

Therese did not answer.

"What about the others? They all know? They all agreed?!" His voice carried a hint of anger.

Theresis replied, "The Blood Lord and the Carrion King have already met with Theresa, the Dead Souls have openly expressed their support, the Royal Army warriors have been inspected by Theresa, and I have already sent messages to the Banshees, Liches, and Cyclopes..."

"Tsk." The King of Shapeshifters clicked his tongue, glanced at Theresa again, and then slowly said:

"The infiltration of Laterano has failed."

“Although it was expected, what exactly happened?” Theresis asked.

“I can’t explain it clearly, but something’s been off in Laterano lately,” the shapeshifter said frankly. This made Theresis’s heart skip a beat.

The Shapeshifter King can be considered the oldest ruler of the Sarkaz court, or even one of the oldest Sarkaz. His court is the only one that has never changed. With its vast knowledge and experience spanning tens of thousands of years, it can almost be called a living fossil of Terra's history.

In a way, he was one of the few people who could rival Kal'tsit in age, though that was all there was to it.

The Originium sculpted the Sarkaz into their current humanoid form. The original inhabitants, the Tikaz, were merely a diverse group of creatures. Following the customs of human colonization, they likely lacked sufficient intelligence and were simply animals, gradually evolving into their present form. In terms of knowledge, they certainly cannot compare to Kal'tsit, who is born with innate knowledge and possesses some human knowledge reserves.

Even so, there are very few things on the entire land that can make the shapeshifters feel "something is wrong".

"Is there anything specific?"

Therese pressed on.

The shapeshifter raised his hand, and an arm slid off his body, quickly transforming into an object resembling an angel drone, which appeared before Theresis and Theresia.

"It was this thing that saw through my disguise, preventing me from even entering the gates of Lateran. And according to my observations over the next few days, there are quite a few similar machines in Lateran."