Shadow of the Evil God

"I know that, but I'm also curious about what attitude he will express," said Cesar.

"It's not entirely up to Evered IV."

"Does it still depend on the royal factions of Heanria and Dominy?"

"It depends on how much they're willing to invest in your thwarting you," Brother Mira told him. "Regardless, your reforms from Gonzales to Fort Gural were too thorough and harsh. Not only did the entire family of the aldermen of Sodoris perish, but many local nobles also fled to Anglan seeking political asylum. They believe you're a mad barbarian, willing to do anything to win the war, and turning the entire territory into a hotbed of support for your bloody rule."

Cesar couldn't help but frown. He knew that Altinya's tricks would be attributed to him. He would take the blame for now. Next time he spanked her, he would give her an extra spanking.

He looked toward the meeting. The faction representing the royal family had already drawn a clear line between themselves and the other factions. Of course, they claimed to represent the Kingdom of Olidan itself. "Is this why many of the knights and minor nobles who had supported Urbino earlier have wavered?" he asked.

Brother Mira nodded in agreement. "In fact, many of these knights and minor nobles who followed you all the way from Gonzales have already received olive branches from their families, promised a brighter future. When they were abandoned by their families, many would have thought of pursuing a glimmer of hope. However, if power is readily available, hope is no longer necessary."

"Internal division?... This method is indeed feasible, but I don't know whether it was King Evered IV's own initiative or the Empire's support."

"The empire under Heanria's rule is very prosperous," she said softly. "These days, even the local nobles are having a hard time. Many families are deeply in debt, and they'll agree to any request as long as someone is willing to pay their bills."

Cesar studied Mira's calm expression and asked, "How do you know everything?"

"I often observe what is happening silently, that's all. Usually I just record it in my mental library."

Cesar remembered. Brother Keith had found Altinia on the city wall, intending to have a private conversation with the princess, only for Brother Mira to observe and record their conversation from a distance, seemingly unconcerned. Brother Keith was completely unaware of this, and Altinia, with her exceptionally sharp intuition, had found her.

"Now?" he asked.

"You have interfered with my master Zawulong's plot. I think I can tell you something necessary."

"That's a really harsh condition," Cesar frowned. "What happens if it doesn't come true? You just stand by and watch people die, then walk away without saying a word?"

"I don't deny it, and that's why I've remained silent until now and never intervened in anything."

He raised his eyebrows. "Well, Brother Mira, if I died in the Abyssal Tide, would you make a paper doll of me as a memorial?"

She pondered for a moment. "What does this mean? I can't quite make it out, and I don't want to make any hasty judgments."

"Meaning? You've made so many paper puppets, what meaning can it have?"

"Someone said that I should think more about the meaning behind the private conversation Cesar proposed." Brother Mira said, "I will record all of this and wait for later-"

"No," Cesar denied. "You want to observe me from afar and write about my actions in a book. You should be the one taking a few more steps forward. If there are only records and observations without personal experience, the book is not really a book, but just empty words. Have you never considered that the records you write are very different from the documents and books in the library? Those authors live in their books, in every word and line. They exist with the people who read their works, and although they are dead, they live forever in the books. But you, except for standing here, you are nowhere."

This guy sees others clearly, but never looks at himself in the mirror. It feels very strange. However, perhaps it is precisely because of her eternal observation of others and eternal disregard for herself that she has lived for so long without changing, and her soul is still the same as before.

Brother Mira frowned slightly. "Book..."

"Have you ever written a cipher manuscript? Although cipher manuscripts are dangerous, I think that is the most commendable manifestation of a work. Reading a cipher manuscript is like writing yourself into the manuscript and letting your mind follow it.

"If the book you write contains no self of your own, but only empty words and images, you cannot say that you wrote the book yourself; you are just making an empty description."

She was silent for a long time. "I can't object to that," she said finally.

"You see," Cesar smiled at her, "it's the truth."

"Those people are completely wrong to think of you as a barbarian," she added.

"Of course it's wrong," he shrugged. "You have your reasons, which I cannot refute, and I have my reasons, which you cannot refute. The so-called intersection of ideas, or the touching of souls, is actually this. It's like reading a book, we read each other, but in the process, we don't write words on paper."

"That's true," she agreed.

"As you can see, monk, I'm not a smooth talker who only knows how to speak. It's just that most people need words to open their hearts, so I have to use words."

"I really don't know whether to say you are dangerous or you are intelligent, Cesar."

"I think the former is prejudice, and the latter is your own opinion," Cesar said, taking an apple from his hand and chewing it while overlooking the meeting. "Let's not talk about this for now. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future anyway," he said. "According to the minor nobles at the conference table, the envoy sent by Evered IV will be arriving soon. Is that correct, Brother Mira?"

"Indeed, they will arrive soon. Undoubtedly, the envoys will question your governance of the territory and hold you accountable for your persecution of the local nobles."

"Considering that reasoning is definitely useless, we need to raise the banner of the temple. However, the Yesterlen School must also be taken into consideration. With this in mind, Sodoris seems too small," he said.

Brother Mira tilted her head, looking confused.

"We?" she asked.

"You are a participant in this matter, and now you can even be said to be an accomplice," said Cesar.

She frowned slightly. "You're exaggerating, Cesar."

It was really strange that two different expressions appeared on Sister Mira's face in succession. When she had been keeping a straight face just now, Cesar almost wanted to force a smile on the corner of her lips.

"Perhaps you've been observing too much," he denied, then returned to the meeting. "Considering this, the meeting we're having is actually meaningless. Since the Kingdom's envoys haven't arrived yet, those speaking on behalf of the Kingdom of Olidan will inevitably delay and refuse, disrupting the normal operation of the meeting. What I need is to speak with them separately in private."

She pondered for a moment, "That's a solution..."

"Of course, if they think they can show off their competence by arguing over the conference table, then let them continue arguing. I just need to be a good Sasoulai."

“So what it boils down to is you just don’t want to be in the meeting?” she finally asked.

"You could have said it more tactfully, Brother Mira. Of course I admit that I just don't want to. I would rather flee to the edge of the Sanctuary Abyss again than get involved in this damn meeting." Cesar said, greeting the servant passing by the door, and took a portion of the meal that was supposed to be delivered to the conference table for himself.

He lifted the lid, letting the savory aroma of roasting meat slowly permeate the room. Needless to say, the contentious meeting below pales in comparison to this plate of roast meat. He shook his head and reached for his fork, but just as he touched the meat, he saw Brother Mira staring at his plate, lost in thought.

"Do you eat like humans?" he asked.

"I don't have any physical needs in this regard. I've always been accustomed to doing one thing until I die, and then continue doing it when I come back to life. During this period, I don't need anything except reading." She said calmly, "However, I have other needs for it. If you agree to share, please give me a part."

Cesar cut the meat in half with a knife and handed the barbecue plate to her. "Record?"

"Yes, record." Mira picked up a piece and tore it apart with her teeth, eating it quickly and cleanly, not a trace of grease on her thick gloves of unknown material. Then she produced a vague manuscript from the void and wrote a few words on the page. "Record a food I have never tried before," she said as she ate and wrote. "This thing uses very exquisite spices, and the texture and cooking time are consistent with my experience from all the way north. It must have a long history. The main difference between it and the barbecue in the north is..."

"You're really good at keeping records, Brother Mira," Cesar exclaimed. "It's the same as a construction worker analyzing scaffolding or an engineer analyzing the metal texture of a cannon."

Chapter 354 Even the Herd Needs to Rest

......

As expected, the meeting was fruitless. As dusk approached, after a long silence, someone suggested adjourning the meeting for the day. As a result, everyone present fell into chaos and noise again.

Cesar noticed that in the days immediately following the siege, the meeting hall had been relatively sparsely populated, but now, the number of people seated in the hall had reached nearly a hundred. Although they could be roughly divided into the Temple and the Mages, and into the South and the North, each group had numerous people waiting to make proposals, and the next person could overturn the previous one's proposal with just a loud speech.

He saw similar things at least a dozen times during the entire meeting. Even Altinya was caught in the dilemma of vetoing the previous person's proposal only to have it overturned by the next person.

During this time, Diana was the one who spoke and coordinated the situation. Although she frowned when she spoke to Cesar about the meeting, in the actual meeting, she either smiled, as if everything was under control, or remained indifferent, defusing any issues that were unfavorable to them. People listened to her opinions because Artinia had to represent the Casal Empire, which had a certain degree of conflict with other factions. Diana, on the other hand, did not have to represent the school, but only represented the lord's lover.

Although this matter hadn't been announced, those in the know had already tacitly accepted it. Brother Mira said that if it were years ago, if Cesar were a Frank noble, Diana's identity would have undoubtedly created endless troubles for him to deal with. But now, with the Kingdom of Olidan in turmoil, and his reputation as a ruthless and bloodthirsty Sassulai, people would instead remain silent and distance themselves from their affairs.

If Cesar were a Frank, he would also think that the Sassulai people must have some ulterior motive for guarding the Franks' precarious border. The most understandable and likely speculation is that Evered IV had made a dirty deal with the Sassulai people.

At this moment, if one glanced around the Sassulai people, one would see a slender figure beside this stern-faced, burly executioner with exotic features—the one who had been confirmed responsible for the extinction of the alderman's family in Sodoris—and the reason for the incident became clear.

Although it is not a good reputation, with his identity as a Sassuale and stereotypes as a shield, many of his decisions will be interpreted more superficially and crudely.

Cesar's abandoning of Sodoris to various workshops and local temples didn't necessarily have any deeper meaning; he simply killed off the local rulers and then imprisoned a bunch of people to take over management. His governance and restructuring methods, from Gonzales to Fort Gular, were a reflection of the Sasoulai's lack of understanding of territorial operations, adapting everything to best suit the needs of war.

Does someone always have to bear the burden of a terrifying reputation? The ruthless Sasule warrior ruled his territory through bloody means, winning victory through incredible ferocity and the inexplicable favor of fate. When he emerged from the abyss, no one survived except him and the princess of the Kasar Empire.

But then again, excluding his identity as a Sasule, his actions do fit the definition of cruelty. He is indeed changing everything to best suit the needs of war - logistics routes, material production, everything that can change the way war is conducted today.

These days, supplies depended on looting, and wages were in arrears. Stable logistical support and stable wages were practically nonexistent. All the nobles were burdened with increasingly larger armies than they could afford to meet the demands of the ever-increasing war, and all the mercenaries, naturally, would plunder under the pressure of ever-increasing wages.

To change this situation, or at least prevent similar incidents from happening under his banner, he had to do something. Since he couldn't conjure up logistical supplies and salaries, he had to sacrifice some people. He had never considered the local nobles, whether they were from the Kingdom or the rebels. If they hindered his war supplies, he would use the Sodoris alderman family as a reference.

Thinking about it this way, Cesar had indeed killed and tortured many people, and forced many into desperate situations. But there was no other way. If someone had to die, these people who had a lot of wealth and money and were hindering his military mission were of course the most suitable to be killed.

How much of the money he used to build his fortress and territory came from the wealth of the nobles? He hadn't even considered the question, because everything had been completed swiftly under Altinia's instructions, with such efficiency that he barely even realized it. By the time he realized it, the nobles who had fled to Anglan for refuge were already denouncing his bloody methods.

If you really trace back to Altinia's actions, it was him. He was the one who first proposed the overall decision, and then Altinia brought her own understanding and opinions and fought all the way from Gonzales to Sodoris. That's basically it.

Diana loudly announced the adjournment of the meeting. There was silence in the meeting room at first, and then someone raised questions again.

"I haven't spoken yet!" Because there are too many people, and every day there are more than the day before.

"My opinion was rejected by the temple before I even finished speaking!" Indeed, many people directly denied the previous person without waiting for the previous person to finish speaking, just to use the previous person as a stepping stone to express their own views.

"

We can discuss your conflict with the temple tomorrow." Diana said with a calm smile, "Or you can arrange a time and organize a small meeting. I will bring Cesar over to give an explanation." Cesar knew that Diana had always wanted to pull him over.

"Why can they have small meetings? Where are our small meetings?" Contradictions are everywhere.

The noise and bickering spread rapidly. If it continued, many people would likely have to spend the night in the conference room. While Cesar didn't mind the meeting lasting past midnight, Altinia still needed to return home to recuperate, and he couldn't sleep well without tormenting Diana. Getting dragged into the conflict at the meeting wasn't a good idea, but with the impression Brother Mira had given him, he could certainly forcefully change the situation.

"Even the herds need to rest!" Cesar shouted in Musali's usual language, which was of course also Ajeh's memory. "The war in Olidan is not over yet, and everything must continue as if it were wartime. It is now dusk, and I do not want to see unnecessary politics and conflicts of interest in a fortress built for war."

Chapter 355 You Really Look Like a Savage

"We believe that the wartime state in Gural Fortress should be ended," said an elderly nobleman in the meeting room. "The displaced people should return to their homeland."

"We still face the threat of the Abyssal Tide," said the Temple Knight.

"The disturbance in the Sheltering Abyss is not a war!" another young nobleman shouted.

"The army Cleface sent isn't all there is. The Beastmen still threaten to move southward," Cesar said, slowly scanning the room. "I came here for war. Everything I do is to resist the threat from the north—no matter what threat it is, it's a threat of war. As for those displaced, I think I'm just asking those who hinder the war to leave."

"That's just an excuse!" someone shouted. "So many people have lost their land and estates and are now trapped in Anglan. How is this any different from the raging flames of war and the displacement of people? Yes, you defended Fort Gural, but you failed to protect the innocent people south of the fortress!"

"Sir," Diana continued smiling, but her smile sometimes betrayed a threat rather than gentleness. "I urge you to first consider the meaning of innocence. Is it innocence to withhold your wealth and refuse to donate to the kingdom during a critical moment of war? Is it innocence to obstruct logistical routes during a critical moment of war? If you believe you are innocent, then what exactly are you supporting? Throughout the entire war, it was Cesar who donated the most to His Majesty."

Someone stood up and waved his fist, "That's our property!"

"If you think your property is more important than His Majesty," Diana said, her smile softening, "then I have to wonder whose side you're on."

Someone was furious, "This goes against all rules, neither side can do it!"

Diana frowned. "Every front line, no matter which side, is deeply in debt because of this war, and you guys in the rear are saying that neither side is doing well?"

Someone had already jumped out of his chair, "You're making threats! We don't accept threats!"

Cesar stepped forward and punched the conference table, creating a dent that shook the entire conference room.

"I'm the lord guarding the frontier!" He opened his eyes wide and roared at the crowd. "I came here for war, to fulfill my duty as a frontier defender! I spent the first half of my life killing and plundering, but now, for the sake of my family, I've given up all that pointless looting. The money I earn is either sent to the treasury to support military expenses on the front lines or used to build projects in my territory. Now, to repair the fortress and for more wars that are bound to come, I need more funds! I didn't chase you misers who fled to Anglan to ask for more property, but you actually want to bargain with me?"

Cesar walked slowly around the conference table, using his eyes and body to suppress the people who clenched their fists one by one. When all the disgruntled people slowly sat back on the benches, he came to Diana and put his hand on her shoulder.

"You know exactly what I'm doing here," he announced loudly. Then he leaned over, kissed her sweaty forehead, and whispered softly in her ear, "I apologize for being late, but you see, it would be better to take advantage of the situation, don't you think?"

Then he stood up, his voice rising. "Have you ever seen me amass wealth without measure? Have you ever seen me care about any power? Have you ever seen me foster any people or forces loyal to me? Everyone knows I haven't. I first resolved the crisis in Gonzales, then assumed the responsibility of Fort Gular. I personally led the troops on that crucial long-distance raid in Gonzales, and I personally arranged all matters related to the defense of the fortress. When the war stabilized, it was I who infiltrated the darkness with my sword!"

Cesar took Diana's right hand, which had reached to her shoulder.

"What is this for? Honor? Military exploits?" He shook his head slowly. "No, I don't care about the things that make you weak. I just delve into the war itself. I am keeping company with this dark and bloody thing and regard it as a part of my life. This place has no exquisite decorations!" He said and gradually smiled. "I don't need honor or military exploits as rewards. Why is that? Need I say more? My family sitting around the fire with me is all my reward. Meanwhile, you are here arguing about how to take the fruits of war?"

As he finished speaking, the high priest who had met him in Neuen slowly stood up. "I, Ostein, on behalf of the Grand Temple, agree with this man's proposal," the old knight said. "Cesar's decisions regarding the territory are unquestionable, for they are free of favoritism or greed. Anyone who wishes to question him should first ask themselves: how much wealth have you amassed during your time in power? How much personal gain have you pursued?"

Of course, Cesar dared to say this because his fundamental needs were so far removed from the mundane. Perhaps this was a circumvention of the main point, or even, like Zaburon, a selective statement, using partial truths to mislead the listener, but it didn't matter. To control the situation, many tactics were necessary.

"That's right," Diana's mother, Bernadette, said. Her voice was chilling, but it was quite comforting in the stuffy conference room. "Although we have many conflicts with each other, we should not question the lord who has resisted the tides of the Abyss, the migration of evil monsters, and the siege of the Empire. Although this man murdered our school's highly respected mentor and used my child as a political bargaining chip,

But outside of my personal feelings, I can still agree with him."

Bernadette's words were truly worth pondering. Cesar couldn't tell if she was using this opportunity to threaten him or to subtly express their school's relatively neutral stance. Either way, this woman, whose mind had been warped by the school's decisions, made him wary—she was completely different from the Bernadette Diana remembered.

It doesn't even look like the same person.

It was as if something was stimulated from the blood.

Cesar could see that both the priests who arrived later from the temple and the mages from the Yestren School still had many objections. However, Osstein held a high position, and Bernadette was at the helm. After they spoke, these people could only choose to remain silent, expressing a certain degree of agreement with their silence.

Organizations are usually not monolithic entities, and their internal conflicts are no less numerous than their external ones. He didn't expect these two people to represent their organization. As long as they could use their voice to suppress discordant voices, he wouldn't ask for more.

Once the results are presented at the long table, there will naturally be no need for further debate.

Cesar walked over to Altinia, smiled, and shook her hand. Then he went to the nobles who had reacted violently earlier, forcing them to shake his hand with a smile frozen on his face. Finally, he arrived at the conference center and announced the end of the meeting. Only then did the entire hall erupt in reluctant applause, and people stood up and left one by one.

Judging from the attitudes of many people present, they must be going back to hold their own private meetings.

......

Diana felt incredibly exhausted today. She barely managed to breathe a sigh of relief until she gave Altinia her bedtime medication, prepared her medication for the next morning, and returned to the testing ground where Fils was muttering over Isley's head. She took off her conference jacket, carried a pile of documents to the desk, and then forced Cesar toward her with a silent stare.

She nodded only after he sat down on the bench.

"Is the barbecue delicious, my dear lord?" Diana said, crossing her arms and tapping her index fingers on her elbows. If she had the slightest chance to get up and leave, she would have cursed the barbecue in his mouth into a pile of wriggling maggots.

"I'm here," he said, frowning in thought, "uh, reviewing the current state of the meeting and thinking about how to stabilize the situation."

"That's right," she nodded. "I've always believed you could hold the line, and the results have proven my trust. But I also believe that if you feel even the slightest bit of impatience, you won't want to take a single step forward. You won't start working unless there's a reason to force you to take the first step."

Phils pulled up a chair and sat down, admiring it from the other side of the desk.

"Yeah," Cesar muttered, "what's the reason?"

Diana sighed. "You don't need to explain the reason; I know it all. What I want to know is, when I thought you would accept persuasion and participate in the meeting, you actually persuaded Brother Mira instead, and then stood by and watched all day? And you ate while you watched? Are you making fun of me?"

"That's because, uh..."

"Since you were the one who finally stepped up to clean up the mess, there's no need to explain any more." She spread the papers out on the desk. "I'm going to take a shower. Please finish these papers."

"Why is it piled up more than yesterday?"