Miss Wang Weina, even your cousin won't do!

She wasn't cunning and always maintained a positive and optimistic attitude, doing what she loved. Therefore, even Theresa and Theresia couldn't make her leave the land she loved and go to a foreign land. But similarly, a pure person like him detested those whose ideals differed from hers, or even those who trampled on them.

There aren't many people like that, after all, most people in Terra still have a pursuit of the concept of "life". But today, Bozokasti has angered her.

What a person who regards life as dirt! What I have pursued all my life, you were born with, yet you discarded it. I even gave you a second chance, offering you your lifespan, but you still refused to accept it.

All for one Carter.

Cartes, a short-lived creature. Can you protect her for a time, or for a lifetime? One day in the future, you will be forced to separate from her for various reasons, and malice from the outside world may devour her completely during this brief separation. Then you will regret it, regret why you sent her on her journey to death, regret why you could only watch helplessly, regret why you didn't prepare sooner.

She regretted why she was so vulnerable. She regretted that she was Carter's.

“Bozokastie, the fact that you made this decision only shows that you haven’t witnessed or experienced enough separation.” Ellefi seemed to remember something, and said through gritted teeth with a slightly trembling voice, “But you don’t have a third chance. Now, leave here. I don’t want to see someone in my territory who has such disrespect for their own life.”

Bozokasti silently bowed slightly to the Banshee Master before him, then turned around and prepared to leave.

Ellefi watched Bozokasti leave, and after he walked out the door, she manipulated the magical mechanism to close the heavy stone door.

The Banshee Master, whose lifespan spanned the history of Terran script, turned around and walked to her altar, which was filled with tools. She reached out and lifted the altar's disc, revealing the pillar beneath.

The pillar was hollow, filled with all sorts of things. There were Caprini's broken horns, a cat's eye encased in amber, and Draco's longsword engraved with a forgotten name...

She took out the items one by one and placed them on the magic circle she had drawn in the center of the house, until finally, she took out her most precious "treasure," a crystal skull with Sarkaz horns.

She placed the crystal skull, which had once belonged to someone, in the very center of the magic circle. Finally, she brought a chair and sat outside the circle, gazing at everything before her. It was as if those things bearing various racial characteristics or marks were themselves, standing in different areas of the magic circle.

“You haven’t seen enough, Bozokasti.”

"Of course you wouldn't understand. A person dies three times in their life. The first time is when your heart stops beating and your breath ceases; you are declared biologically dead. The second time is when you are buried, and people dressed in black attend your funeral; they declare that you no longer exist in this society, and you have quietly departed. The third death is when the last person in this world who remembers you forgets you, and at this point, you truly die. Everything on this earth will no longer be related to you."

"No matter how you try to protect her, your daughter will face the same first and second types of death as 'them'. The difference is that you don't know how to cherish your life; you shorten your long life and your vision is too short-sighted. So your daughter will soon face her third death; she will disappear completely."

Ellefi's gaze pierced through millennia, projecting onto the figures on the magic circle before her, each one seemingly beckoning to her.

"And I will live forever, so they will live forever too."

The Sarkaz bloodline's magical power flowed into the large magic circle before them, activating the Originium casting units buried throughout, and the magic circle began to operate once again.

However, before the crimson light could shine for long, the magic circle dimmed again, and the Originium casting unit emitted overloaded black smoke, with most of the Originium structure inside having been directly melted away.

"Failed again."

She said this without any surprise, while writing a new page in her notebook.

"Experiment 130024 failed. Reason: Overload. Suggestion for improvement: Wait for the development of more powerful energy-receiving materials."

No one understood the meaning of the word "waiting" better than her—the bittersweetness, the excitement and disappointment, the joy of meeting and the sorrow of parting. Waiting is the word in the world that encompasses the most emotions. She had waited for thousands of years, tried the Sarkaz altars, and used Originium magic. She didn't mind waiting for thousands more years; she would live on. As long as she lived, they would not die.

When everything has passed, only she remains "waiting," waiting for an opportunity to create a chance to "reunite" with everything she has lost.

On the desolate wasteland, the Sarkaz Banshee Master still tenaciously pursues the path to immortality.

But all of this was no longer relevant to Bozokasti, who had left the "Land of Immortality," having personally relinquished the life he had so tightly held. This was his philosophy.

He doesn't care about the future; he only believes in what he holds in his hands and what he sees with his own eyes. If fate makes him wait or give up, he will never bow his head.

Bozokasti, wielding a heavy halberd, stopped shortly after leaving Elfhi [the Place of Immortality].

He gazed at the seemingly empty desert before him. The tracks left by the mobile city had been smoothed out by the wind and sand, and exposed Originium crystals mixed with various unidentifiable plants were sparsely distributed on the loess.

But he saw something different in it.

He raised his heavy halberd, pointed it forward, and said:

"Come out... Pardoners... I see you."

Silence fell, until a gust of dust swept across the wilderness, and a black figure appeared in sight.

Chapter Ninety-Five: His Highness Wants to See You

“Bozokasti, we mean no harm.”

The pardoner said calmly,

"Any foreigner entering Kazdel must be vetted and approved by the Kazdel Military Council, or they will be under close surveillance by the Pardoners. You do not have either of these documents, and I hope you understand our rules."

"Foreigner...?"

Bozokasti paused for a moment, then lowered his head helplessly.

"I never imagined... I'd become... a foreigner?"

"Captain Bozokastie, a professional soldier of the Ursus Empire, your active presence on the battlefield is known to everyone from Laterano to Sami. The Military Council has long been aware of your existence. However, given that you are a Sarkaz who left Kazdel with the personal approval of His Majesty the Demon King, General Theresis has not classified you as a [traitor]. You need not worry about your safety."

Faced with this undisguised threat and condescending attitude, Bozokasti sneered and retorted:

"You... can kill me?"

“I may not be able to, but Kazdel has plenty of people who can deal with traitors. Don’t underestimate the state’s punishment for traitors, Bozokasti. You are not the only one of the Ancient Blood.”

Bozokasti narrowed his eyes; he knew the absolutist wasn't lying.

Borocaste is not the strongest among the Sarkaz; his combat power doesn't even rank in the top three within the Sarkaz race. For one thing, Princess Theresa, at her full power, is certainly stronger than him, and although Chairman Theresis lacks the Demon Lord's Originium Arts, his demonstrated strength and innate bloodline are definitely no weaker than Borocaste's. Besides these two Sarkaz royalty, the vast Sarkaz royal court and its various rulers are far beyond Borocaste's reach. The King of Carrion, the Queen of the Banshees, and their own Wendigo clan's aging leader—though rumors of his impending death have circulated many times—Borocaste doesn't believe he can defeat him.

But these people are just a disorganized mob. The Sarkaz are a race alienated from one another; they haven't truly united in a long time. Otherwise, the ridiculous situation of having a Demon King yet still having a hindrance like the Royal Court wouldn't exist.

Just like the Holy Roman Empire (or its brother) with its seven electors (monkeys), one emperor, and a bunch of scattered member states, the Holy Tikkaz Empire that Theresis dreamed of building was neither holy, nor Tikkaz, nor an empire on the day Bochokastie left.

But now, the Master of Pardons dares to openly suggest that he can summon those ancient beings to "cleanse the rebellion"?

Has Princess Theresa's prestige reached such a level in just a few decades?

“I have no intention of...becoming an enemy of Kazdel…” Bozokasti was the first to lower the heavy halberd he had raised.

"But please don't let Kazdel become your enemy." The Exonerator also released his hand from the hilt of the withered branch-shaped sword at his waist.

“That’s natural,” Bozokaste nodded. “I…didn’t see…Kazdel…the city…destroyed again?”

The pardoner shook his head: "No, Kazdel still exists. His Highness the Demon King and the General have preserved the Sarkaz people's homeland well. Kazdel is safe now; it's just that they haven't stayed here."

"Where did it go?...I have some...old friends...I want to see them."

"Bozokasti asked."

Returning to Kazdel, returning to his homeland, was a meaningful event for a wanderer far from home. Although he had lingering attachments and would eventually leave, during the seven-day cycle of the amulet's creation, Bozokasti longed to return to the cities of Kazdel, to see the changes in the Sarkaz Kingdom, and to visit his few remaining, long-lost friends.

But the absolutist remained silent. He raised his hand, gesturing for Bozokasti to wait, while he himself placed his hand to his ear.

This is a communication from the [General].

The Absolutioners possess a unique method of communication. Their Baphomet masks are not merely decorative items to conceal their identities, but also tools for connecting with one another. Wearing these masks, Absolutioners can maintain contact with their colleagues anytime, anywhere. This stems from the interconnected bloodlines of the Sarkaz and their profound sorcery... and of course, the emerging Originium technology of the modern era.

"General, Bozokasti is asking about Kazdel's current location. Should we inform him?"

"Say it, but not completely? What does that mean?"

"Do you need to exchange information about Ursus's current situation with Bozokasti? Understood."

The absolutioner cut off the communication, looked at Bozokasti, and asked in return:

"Before that, shouldn't you explain your reasons and purpose for entering Kazdel? I hope you understand that the Military Council must be wary of a high-ranking foreign officer. We cannot determine whether you are a returning traveler or a vanguard of war."

“My return…has nothing to do with Ursus…” Bozokasti shook his head and said, “I…am no longer…a soldier of Ursus….”

"Not a soldier of Ursus anymore?" The Pardoner narrowed his eyes, a hint of surprise in his voice. "So you've returned this time to go back to Kazdel?"

This is a good thing! Although Bozokastti had defected from Kazdel once, at that time, almost everyone in Kazdel believed the country was on the verge of civil war. The military council was filled with nothing but arguments, and Theresa had practically given up control of the situation, focusing solely on promoting peace among ordinary people while simultaneously clinging to her official position. To put it bluntly, she was occupying a position without fulfilling its duties, much to the frustration of the military council members. Under those circumstances, the more rational Sarkaz people simply gave up and surrendered, while the more radical ones either joined Theresis, Theresa, or fled. Bozokastti was just one of them.

He wants to return now, and if his claim of leaving the Ursus army is true, Princess Theresa and the Chairman should likely agree. After all, the fighting prowess of pure-blooded Wendigos is no joke. With the old Wendigo patriarch in the royal court nearing the end of his life, Bozokasti's return, while not necessarily restoring the glory of the Kazdel Wendigo Legion, can at least mend and raise that banner again.

But Bozokastie shook his head:

"No... I didn't... come back... I am now... the leader of the guerrilla group [Shield]..."

"Guerrilla?"

"[Shield]... Fight against oppressors!"

"Then... can you tell me... where... Kazdel... is?"

After Bozokast finished speaking, he asked again.

The pardoner paused for a moment, then reported the news to Theresis. After a long pause, he looked up at Bozocasti and said:

"Come with me, His Highness wishes to see you."

"Who?"

"Only one person in Kazdel can be addressed as 'Your Highness.' What do you think?"

A white figure flashed through Bozokasti's mind.

Then he nodded and followed the pardoner.

P.S.: As I mentioned at the beginning of this book, I would reference the Regent's faction's settings. Furthermore, it's not surprising that the Wendigo, as a branch of the Sarkaz race, would have a royal court according to the established lore. The ruler of the royal court, ranked by combat strength, should be no weaker than Big Daddy, which is also reasonable. Therefore, I set the ruler of the Wendigo royal court as an [elderly pure-blooded Wendigo who was supposed to die in the Kazdel civil war]. After his death, Big Daddy became the last pure-blooded Wendigo. This setup isn't surprising, is it?

YJ dug a hole and didn't fill it in, leaving a lot of things to fill in with your imagination. If he betrays you later, please don't bring it up, since there are too many gaps in his knowledge. Even if he says he's going to paint an oil painting in the end, it doesn't mean that the ink painting I added is unreasonable or ugly, right?

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Chapter 96 Kal'tsit has been avoiding me, do you have any clues?

Wayne prepared to leave. Things at the city hall had gone surprisingly smoothly. Count Doron seemed quite afraid of him, looking utterly terrified, and appeared he was unlikely to accept bribes again. As for the two leather trunks in front of him, Wayne didn't intend to take them. Firstly, he didn't need the money, and secondly, it would be another favor to Rhine Life.

I caught you trying to cheat this time, but I'm being lenient this time since it's your first offense. There won't be a next time. Next time, I won't be a guinea pig and turn a blind eye; I'll handle it impartially, understand?