W-what......

Holy Cross... Is the plan he just said really, really the Holy Cross?!

Under the vast starry sky, the black-haired wizard stared at the grave keeper in astonishment, only the blue flames in the skeleton's eye sockets were incomparably calm.

Cold sweat slid down his cheeks and disappeared without a trace.

This answer was beyond all his expectations and imagination.

Asreel, Ariel, Mezca, Lemantes......

Farnesis, Knights of the Guard, Brandon......

Dalton, Corona, Peter, Freiswalker......

These names, all of them.

Feared by the gods, worshipped by the Church, despised and disdained by the wizards, what has happened in the Sakran Empire for thirteen generations since the beginning of the Wizarding Age......

All of them are the collection of the research results of the "wizards" of the Dragon Kingdom, and the supreme masterpiece that was born?!

For a moment, Loren suddenly felt a little dazed, and his breathing became much shorter.

"You... Succeeded?"

Before he could finish speaking, Loren regretted it - if they failed, what happened after that.

"It depends on what 'success' is judged and what the ultimate goal of the whole project is. The skeleton said very coldly:

"Back then, I was just a minor assistant, and by your standards I was supposed to be only at the level of a 'wizard's apprentice', so in fact my knowledge of the project was also very shallow. ”

"However, strictly speaking, you are right, the research is going very well, everything is going in a good direction, all the difficulties have been overcome, and the project has been successfully completed. ”

"Or... It was too successful. ”

At that moment, Loren clearly noticed that the flames in the skeletal eye sockets had dimmed a lot.

The black-haired wizard, who slowly calmed down his breath and calmed himself, tentatively spoke, "Why, that 'thing' is too powerful, and the result is beyond your control?"

"Or is it because of this 'threat' that the evil gods will completely destroy the Dragon Kingdom at all costs?"

The grave keeper bowed slightly, as if looking at the black-haired wizard in front of him:

"It's both. ”

"The vast majority of evil gods in the void don't really have any desire for the material world - just like we don't all want to touch the void, in the beginning, we only hope to end the chaos of the void in this way, and finally achieve the goal of destroying the evil gods. ”

"But in the aftermath of this, we greatly underestimated the threat that this event felt to those who existed. ”

At that moment, the grave keeper's ethereal voice suddenly became extremely cold, with a little sigh:

"What happened after that... Lord Loren Turin, you should be able to guess. ”

The invasion of the evil gods began...... The black-haired wizard said silently in his heart.

"And what about the Dragon Kingdom at this time?"

As if asking itself, the skeleton was asking itself: "There is constant strife and turmoil, and the 'common people' who drive the dragons and the 'wizards and royals' who control the dragon's tower are still in a civil war with each other, and no one has taken into account the more terrible enemies and opponents that have descended on us." ”

"And all of this comes from a threat called the Holy Cross that we have created ourselves. ”

"On the other hand, although the 'Holy Cross' is indeed as we expected, it is constantly calming down the chaotic and fluctuating void and having certain 'rules' to be found, and at the same time, it is constantly destroying the evil gods that exist in the void, or forcing them to descend or fall into the material world. ”

"Unfortunately, this power did not dispel the strife between the two estates of the kingdom - although we did use this plan to make some of the commoners loyal to us, the flame of rebellion was never extinguished. ”

"Rightfully so, and not surprising at all. ”

Loren interrupted the grave keeper and silently spoke, "As you say, there is always reverence and obedience in the souls of intelligent beings...... In the same way, indomitability and resistance never disappear, one person will fall, but a group of people will continue to get up. ”

"Because we're so contradictory. ”

The grave keeper's appearance was calm, at least the black-haired wizard didn't feel any anger from the other party's body, and the ethereal voice sounded again:

"You're quite right. ”

"I have a question. Loren said lightly, his expression very suspicious: "According to what I know so far, the Holy Cross is the natural enemy of almost all beings who use the power of the void - not only evil gods, but also wizards. ”

"Haven't you, who created the Holy Cross, ever worried about revolting against you?"

"Never. The grave keeper denied it very lightly:

"No offense, Lord Loren Turin, the reason why you have such concerns is because your study of the Void is at a very primitive level. ”

"I've watched you and your friends very closely since you arrived in Nidhogg—your metallurgy, occult studies, and spell studies are only rudimentary, and there was no wizard in the dragon kingdom of my time who could cast spells on his own. ”

"It was a suicidal act, and it was no different from spilling fire oil all over your body and rushing at your opponent. ”

Although the grave keeper's tone was still so flat, Loren did hear a hint of irony, and twitched the corners of his mouth in embarrassment.

Although I have committed this kind of "modern people look at ancient people" and "city people look at country people", I am really uncomfortable when I become the object of "contempt".

"Although it did not have the desired effect, the whole project is still going on in an orderly manner - according to your history, the belief in the Holy Cross was spread to the south basically around the time of the invasion of the evil gods, and spread around the kingdom of Sakran. ”

The grave keeper continued, the flame in his eye flickering slightly: "For some special purpose. ”

"A special purpose?"

"As you know, the Holy Cross is able to suppress the power of the Void - by spreading its teachings on a large scale, we can further weaken the power of the evil gods, and of course, it is thanks to the Holy Cross that your empire was built, and after the power of the four evil gods weakened, it was able to withstand the subsequent invasion. ”

Wait a minute... No, it shouldn't be that way.

Weaken the evil gods, the establishment of the Sakran Empire, and resist the invasion of monsters...... None of this would have been the original intention of the Dragon Kingdom, let alone the wizards of the Dragon King's Tower.

A group of people who were able to use their blood-related compatriots as slaves, and the weak southern kingdom at that time was probably not as good as livestock and grass for them.

And how can it be "kind"... Reaching out?!

"Judging by your expression, it seems that you have guessed something. The grave keeper's ethereal voice became very meaningful: "That's right, these are not the original intentions of the Dragon King's Tower. ”

"With the help of the 'sanctity' of the Holy Cross Church, the original goal was to let the married Princess Brünnhilde and her descendants maintain absolute rule over the South. ”

"At the same time, because the Holy Cross can suppress the power of the Void and the repulsion of its doctrinal content to all people and things that come into contact with the Void, it can also suppress the progress of the Southern Kingdom's research on the Void to the greatest extent. ”

"It's... is the original intention of the Dragon King Tower. ”

There was a long silence, and the grave keeper just silently looked at the black-haired wizard whose expression changed, and did not say a word.

"I see... I kind of get it. ”

Taking a long deep breath, Loren, who had forced his composure, asked him one last question in the calmest and calmest tone:

"If that's the case, then why are you telling Logan the truth again? If it weren't for him, there wouldn't be a wizard in the Sakran Empire under the rule of the Church for a few hundred years!"

When the words fell, the grave keeper bowed slightly:

"Because I think... It's time. ”

Well... What do you mean?

"Because when that priest came here, I suddenly realized that it was impossible to completely block your study of the Void - deliberate suppression would only lead you down another completely wrong path"

"In that case, then it's up to me, the 'loser', to enlighten you, at least ......"

"Boom ——————!!!!!"