Save the simulator and make Sarkaz great again!

"Is this your first time in Kazdel?"

The man turned his head, his tone gentle.

His steps were steady, and his black trench coat swayed gently in the breeze, giving him a calm and reliable air.

Quessina pushed Liz's wheelchair behind him, and a sudden feeling of embarrassment, like that of a country bumpkin visiting the city, welled up inside her.

However, when she thought about the spirit of those Sarkaz people, she couldn't help but sigh.

"Yes...we just came in from the outer city, and the changes here...have surprised us quite a bit."

“We have witnessed so many incredible things along the way… We never imagined that the Sarkaz people would one day be able to stand openly in the sunlight.”

Upon hearing this, the man simply let out a soft sigh.

"Standing in the sunlight..."

"For any individual, the Sarkaz people standing in the sunlight is not an excessive request; this yearning for survival is never excessive..."

"But you know, there are always some people who want to take away this freedom from us, and most of us would gladly give it up."

"But one day we suddenly realized something—that we do have the ability to choose, which is a right we have as human beings."

"No book or teacher can give them the answers or point them in the right direction."

"It was hardship that taught them to grow; only by breaking through the soil of hardship can hope sprout."

Liz's gaze had been fixed on the man from the very beginning, and she looked up.

"The Sarkaz I've seen elsewhere... they were all trapped in wood."

"The flame is the sun that frees itself from the wood. I can feel that every Sarkaz person here has their own inner voice, and I envy them."

"The Demon Lord who could build Kazdel... I think he must be a very great person."

Upon hearing this, Quesasina's heart raced as she recalled everything she had seen and heard along the way. She became curious about the person who had changed Kazdel's fate.

Because of his current achievements, which are enough to occupy several pages in the history of the Sarkaz.

"..."

Upon hearing this, the man paused for a moment, then simply smiled.

"The construction of Kazdel did not originate from any one person... it originated from a belief, an ideal, and from every Sarkaz who contributed to it."

"Everyone calls him a Sarkaz hero, but I think he may have just been a soldier who didn't want to die."

As Quessina opened her mouth as if to say something, her eyes suddenly narrowed.

With a barely perceptible sound of footsteps, a figure slowly approached from afar.

Upon seeing the person who had arrived, an uncontrollable chill emanated from Quessina.

She stepped forward and blocked the man and Liz's path, her fingers gripping the hilt of the sword at her waist tightly.

"It's you……"

Her voice was low and cold, as if it were being squeezed out from between her teeth.

This is her nightmare, the person she least wants to see.

Standing in their way was Quesatushta—the former leader of the Pardoners, his face still bearing that faint smile.

He walked slowly to within two meters of Quessana, but his gaze fell on the man behind her.

The next moment, Quessina's breathing suddenly stopped, her pupils contracted sharply, as if time had frozen at that moment.

She saw her once arrogant "father and brother" bow their heads before her for the first time.

"I apologize for my good-for-nothing daughter, Your Highness."

Chapter Ninety-One: I am free, Quessina

In the quiet private room of the coffee shop, soft lighting shines on the wooden tabletop, and the air is filled with the faint aroma of coffee.

Quessina and Liz sat to one side, while Shen Lin sat opposite them, holding a steaming cup of coffee in his hand, his expression calm and composed.

Quesatushta was assigned to stand outside. The moment that guy arrived, the two in front of him seemed to get all worked up, making it difficult to have any effective communication in that atmosphere.

The atmosphere in the private room was somewhat subtle. Quessina's fingers unconsciously traced the rim of her coffee cup, her heart still filled with complex emotions.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness, we didn't recognize you just now..."

Quessina's mind was in complete chaos, as if all her thoughts had been shattered in that instant. She had heard the legend of that demon lord countless times—the man who had left an indelible mark on the history of Sarkaz.

That being who unified Kazdel with ruthless methods and changed the fate of the Sarkaz. His name was once the hope of countless Sarkaz people and the nightmare of countless enemies.

She had always imagined that the Demon Lord would be a ruthless and cold-blooded being, a tyrant who ruled Kazdel with an iron fist. However, Shen Lin before her completely overturned her expectations.

However, she never imagined that the legendary demon leader was actually the seemingly gentle and composed man in front of her.

He wasn't as imposing and cold as I'd imagined; instead, he gave off a calm and reliable feeling. There was no arrogance or oppression in his eyes, only an unfathomable tranquility.

"Your Highness...we are truly flattered. We never expected you to be so approachable, and..."

"I'm completely different from how people in other countries describe me, right?"

"Don't be nervous, there's nothing here that can hurt us."

Quessina's fingers continued to unconsciously trace the rim of her coffee cup, her gaze fixed on Shen Lin, her heart still filled with complex emotions. She remained silent for a moment before finally speaking, her voice tinged with hesitation.

“Why…why are you helping us? We are just two ordinary Sarkaz, or even…fleeing people.”

Upon hearing this, the man paused.

“Quesatushta mentioned your matter to me by chance. After I learned about the situation, I gave him a good scolding and made him cancel those operations.”

Shen Lin gently put down his coffee cup and looked through the glass window of the private room at the Sarkaz children chasing and playing in the square.

"Does every Sarkaz person have to be different or bear some kind of responsibility?"

“I have never thought that way. What the Sarkaz had to bear in the past, we now need to break those shackles. That is the meaning of what I am fighting for.”

“In the past, in Kazdel, Sarkaz children were labeled as devils from birth, and from then on they were forever inferior to others.”

"At least for now, the children of the Sarkaz don't need to be great or better than others."

“Look how lovely they are. Those children are already extraordinary because they were born into this Kazdel.”

Quessina's gaze followed Shen Lin's, looking through the glass window at the children playing in the square.

The setting sun cast its golden rays upon them, illuminating their innocent smiles. The children chased and played, their laughter ringing out, as if this land had never known hardship or oppression.

For a moment, her gaze was somewhat unfocused. Now she finally understood why the absolutists, who had always been like a leech, had vanished without a trace.

An indescribable emotion welled up inside her, and she opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say.

Liz sat quietly in her wheelchair, gazing tenderly at Shen Lin.

A small flower had appeared in her hand without her noticing; its petals were as white as snow, and its stamens emitted a faint golden glow.

She gently handed the flowers to Shen Lin, her voice soft yet firm.

"Your Highness, this flower is for you."

Shen Lin was slightly taken aback, his gaze falling on the flower in Liz's hand, a hint of surprise and gentleness flashing in his eyes.

He put down his coffee cup, took the flower, and gently touched the petals with his fingertips, as if feeling its vitality.

“I can feel the weariness in your heart and the hopes of countless Sarkaz people…”

"Take this flower with you and keep going. Follow your heart and move forward freely... Believe in yourself!"

A slight emotion flickered in Shen Lin's eyes. He remained silent for a moment, as if deep in thought. Then, he slowly raised his hand, a faint golden light emanating from his palm.

The light was as gentle as the morning sun, yet it carried an undeniable power.

"Liz".

His voice was low and firm.

"If you give me a flower, I will give you a gift in return."

His palm gently hovered above Liz's knee, and golden light flowed slowly, like a warm river seeping into her body.

A hint of surprise flashed in Liz's eyes, then she felt a warm power spreading from her knees, gradually extending to her legs.

"This is……"

Quessina's voice trembled slightly, and her eyes were filled with disbelief.

She had just lost hope after the hospital examination, but she never expected things to take a turn for the better.

“This is my blessing. It won’t heal your legs immediately, but it will gradually restore your sensation. You need time and patience, but one day you will stand up again.”

Liz's delicate face showed confusion. Her fingers gripped the armrests of the wheelchair tightly as she felt a faint sensation in her legs. That long-lost feeling seemed to rekindle a hope she had long lost.

"Your Highness..."

Her voice was full of gratitude.

"Thank you... I really don't know how to thank you enough."

Shen Lin gently put down his coffee cup and slowly stood up. His black trench coat swayed gently with his movements, as if a breeze was blowing.

“Liz, Quessassina…you don’t need to make a decision right away. Kazdel is your home; you can find your future here. As for Quessassina…”

He paused slightly, a faint smile in his eyes.

“If you don’t want to see him, I can let him continue with his work. He certainly has a lot to do.”

Quessina's gaze remained complex; her fingers unconsciously traced the rim of her coffee cup, her heart still filled with conflict. She looked at Shen Lin, a flicker of hesitation crossing her eyes.

"Your Highness...we..."

Shen Lin shook his head.

"There's no need to rush to answer, Quesasina. You have plenty of time to think and adapt. The future of Kazdel belongs to every Sarkaz, including you."

"Remember, no one here can hurt you. You are free."

After saying that, he pushed open the door and disappeared outside. The private room fell silent again, with only the aroma of coffee lingering in the air.

……

Quessina's gaze remained fixed on the doorway, her heart still filled with complex emotions. Unconsciously, they all felt a strong sense of trust in Shen Lin.

In the end, they decided to meet with Quesatushta.

The trouble should end it.

The door to the private room closed gently, and a moment later, Quesatushta pushed the door open and entered.

“Quisassina, every time you see me, the wariness in your eyes is never hidden.”

His voice was deep and calm.

A cold smile flashed in Quessina's eyes. Her face was expressionless, and her voice was icy and sarcastic.

"I just feel sorry for you, a former hero who has ended up like this."

Under their sharp gaze, Quesatushta slowly sat down opposite them.

"Hero? I stopped wanting to be a hero a long time ago."

“Everyone sings of it, everyone admires it… yet it still vanishes as easily as sand. No matter how I play with time, it will never stop for me.”

“I will die, the city I built will collapse, and the people I love will have to continue to be displaced.”

"This hopeless cycle... torments every Sarkaz, and it torments me too."

"Quisassina, I know the past cannot be easily erased. But I hope you can understand that everything I did before was for the future of the Sarkaz."

Quessina gazed at the pardoner before her.

"Quesatushta, the real you, has been dead for thousands of years."

"That legendary White Horned Demon King, who defeated countless powerful enemies and built an immortal Kazdel under the dawn and dusk—is long dead."

"

Quesatushta, we don't need your explanation. We just want to know, what is your purpose in being here now?

Faced with the two men's sharp gazes, Quesatushta did not answer the question. His gaze lingered on Liz for a long time, a hint of envy flashing in his eyes.