Chapter 160: CH 160

“Father.” The young Godwin was much more cheerful than the one they knew. He looked like he was four or five years old. “I want to eat that—”

Emanuel was leading him to practice in the backyard. The honest Chief Justice didn’t buy a luxurious house for himself but chose an ordinary home. Two children from the neighbor’s house climbed onto the wall and looked curiously into the courtyard. They were holding honey cookies in their hands and their eyes was shining on Godwin’s sword.

Although Godwin Lopez was still young, that sharp iron sword was indeed real.

Godwin inserted the sword into the mud, wiped the sweat from his head with his sleeves, and had a pure smile unique to a child on his face. “If I have completed all the training today, can I eat one?”

“No.” Emanuel’s voice was cold and hard. “Sweetness will corrode your soul, and pleasure will make you fall. Godwin, you’re different from them.”

The smile on Godwin’s face solidified, and he flattened his mouth aggrieved, but finally lowered his head. “Yes, father.”

Even though he knew that it wasn’t his own feelings, the dark emotions that seemed to burn his internal organs still made Nemo very uncomfortable. Nemo didn’t think that Emanuel in this memory still retained his sanity— The pain of contradiction almost dried up the young knight’s heart, making it as dark and hard as a rock.

Entertainment wasn’t allowed, crying wasn’t allowed, weakness wasn’t allowed, and escape wasn’t allowed. The two words he said the most to Godwin was either “not allowed” or “not enough”.

In Emanuel’s sealed memory, he had looked into Godwin’s eyes many times, trying to find resistance and hatred from the depths of those eyes, but he only found full trust and love, and that unreserved affection drove him crazy. A living person trusted himself wholeheartedly, and he never thought that this relationship would be so heavy. People always say that parents are the gods to their children but look at what he had done himself— He was clearly not worthy.

He didn’t deserve to be loved. Emanuel thought to himself. Why doesn’t this kid hate him?

Godwin was a good boy, and Emanuel knew this very well. His son was strong and well-behaved, and never cries. The same question was never asked twice, with one exception.

“Can I have a piece of cake, father?” Although for some reason, Emanuel had never held a birthday celebration ceremony for his son, but on his birthday not long after a day of training, his son asked cautiously for a second time.

“No.” Emanuel’s answer had not changed.

Godwin had never asked that question again.

As time passed, Emanuel became surer that his son was the one in the prophecy. Yes, he himself did make a lot of efforts in it, broadening his contacts for his son and introducing him to dignitaries, and Godwin had never let him down. His son became a perfect and noble warrior as he expected.

Just the right kindness, unshakable principles, absolute control over one’s own desires— Godwin Lopez was even stronger than Flint, who occasionally would laugh back then. His son would not relax, would not hesitate, and would not let himself indulge in useless pleasures. Godwin lived extremely “standard”, like an ideal puppet.

Flint was hit by what happened at the bottom of the Abyss, but his son would not. Being too kind and soft-hearted had always been the weakness of his brother. Emanuel knew this well and had personally created a strong man who could surpass his brother.

But his son rarely showed a real smile, and the smile on his face would never reach his eyes.

After dragging down his favorite brother, he personally ruined the lives of his wife and child. Perhaps this was all fate, at least that was what he wanted to believe.

Emanuel looked at his hands, and under those shiny armor, the blood vessels were almost black. His will was twisting. As a Chief Justice who had been on the edge of the Abyss for a long time, the demons he killed began to show ambiguous smile at him before they died. The power of darkness was gently engulfing him gradually.

No, perhaps it was precisely he himself who was chasing death, deliberately touching the magic that was destined to corrode him. His spirit had long been like a piece of gravel that had been weathered for a long time, and it would collapse into dust when touched.

You can let go.

Before he was completely swallowed by the darkness, before he completely lost his mind because of guilt, he wanted a meaningful end. Emanuel could feel the rapid passage of his health and reason— He couldn’t sleep at night. Every breath became a burden, and his eyes seemed to have lost the ability to distinguish colors.

[Step over the bones of your dearest relative.]

‘It’s time,’ Emanuel thought. Godwin was strong enough and no longer needed a bad father like him. He dedicated his son to God and dedicated it to the world as a sacrifice. If one day, Godwin Lopez could really end all the turmoil, would there be at least some value to everything he had done?

As someone who chased demons, he knew very well how catch a superior demon and how to temporarily suppress it.

Emanuel Lopez sat in the living room, wearing the armor that had accompanied him for many years, waiting for his son to come home. The letters Flint had sent him was burning in the fireplace, and the dry petals exuded a faint aroma in the flames, and then quickly turned black. That was the last evidence of him as a person made of flesh and blood, and they didn’t need to exist anymore.

Godwin will definitely come. His son had always been very obedient.

This would be the last cruel thing he could do in his life, and it would also be the last time he hurt his close relatives. Emanuel closed his eyes.

Everything happened very quickly.

Before the darkness completely invaded, he grabbed Godwin’s placket and nervously explained his final entrustment. He put a simple word at the end, but he didn’t have time to say it—

His son attacked him in the gentlest and fastest way to death.

He didn’t have time to say “sorry”.

Then the memory turned into darkness.

“Generally speaking, the memory fragments in the glory records and confession records needs to be reviewed,” Emanuel’s phantom whispered in the darkness. “I did something to hide this part of fragment and recorded my memory in real time, so don’t be surprised if you see my death.”

After that, he was silent for a while. “…This illusion is just a message. I don’t know how I’ll die, but it must be extremely ridiculous. This is what you see, young man. I was a strong man for a moment, and I hope these memories will give you some insight.”

“Don’t follow the path as I did. As you can see, I am a miserable failure.”

The illusion disappeared.

The two sat back at the table and fiddled with their quills stiffly. Oliver couldn’t write a word right now; he was about to break the fragile pen. Emanuel Lopez’s confession record didn’t solve any problems but made everything even more confusing. And he seemed… unable to deny Godwin Lopez from his heart again.

Oliver couldn’t imagine such a childhood. As a father, Flint was very conscientious despite his awkwardness. He had been dissatisfied with his father’s concealment from the bottom of his heart, but in comparison…

“Something’s wrong,” he sighed fiercely. “Father’s behavior is a bit strange.”

“Nn,” Nemo replied with a sullen face. “Although I’m not familiar with your father, I have read a lot of biographies about the Tin Soldiers. Combined with the memory fragments just now, Flint Lopez shouldn’t be the type who would just disappear without a word. And…” Nemo’s voice hesitated.

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“And?”

“In the previous generation, the Demon King Ulysses… No, in my memory— I did kill most of the members of the Tin Soldiers.” Nemo clenched his fists and said almost coldly, “But it was a dignified battle. Before that, I shouldn’t have done anything to your father, at least when we were separated, he was in a good mood.”

“I believe you.” Oliver frowned and fell into contemplation. “To be honest, Nemo. I don’t think my father left his brother because of the collapse. There must be other reasons. In Uncle Emanuel’s cognition, my mother died when she was five months pregnant with me, and it didn’t take long for Godwin to be born, right? But before that, my father disappeared completely. This doesn’t make sense— I know my father, no matter how decrepit he is, he would definitely not ignore Godwin’s birth.”

“The biographies I have read are probably the same.” Nemo nodded. “It’s the same as the memory fragment, so it should be true. The child died five months into the pregnancy… Most people really didn’t think that the child would survive. I suspect that Godwin has also investigated your father’s affairs, and he seems to be more receptive to the matter of ‘you’re still alive’ than his father.”

“My mother…”

“Oliver,” Nemo cleared his throat. “Did Flint mention to you anything about the Trent Plague?”

“No.” Oliver propped his forehead with both hands and scratched his hair into a mess. “Why?”

“…It’s fine. I’ll continue to check it myself, but I have a guess about the reason why your father didn’t tell Emanuel.”

“I have one too.” Oliver smiled reluctantly. “But I sincerely hope I’m just thinking too much.”

“It’s estimated that our guesses are very similar,” Nemo said with difficulty. “Let me make it clear that it was your father who gave me the final blow last time, not Abbas Alastair. He was… killed by me in the middle of the war… In short, your father should have been the true hero, but he gave false evidence, insisting that Abbas Alastair was the one who gave me the last blow— If I guessed it correctly, he and his deputy commander must have a pretty good relationship.”

Oliver nodded bitterly. “Honestly, I’m not surprised that my father did this kind of thing. Every time the bard makes a fuss about the brave, he always drives them out of the inn.”

In Emanuel’s memory, Flint Lopez’s strength was an unquestionable fact. Oliver’s thoughts were very pure. If there was anything that can make that power completely bow down…

“He gave up this glory and gave it to the fallen Abbas, who was killed in battle. From the overall situation, this was indeed the wisest thing to do. And before that, whether he had contacted the royal family of Alban through Abbas or not, he would assuredly reach out at that time.” Seeing Oliver didn’t say a word, Nemo continued to analyze in a low voice. “Flint Lopez was always a citizen of Alban. If he was forced to give in to something…”

“The Alastair family, right?” Oliver twiddled his fingers; his voice was becoming a little erratic. “Yes, the royal prince was killed, but he won the title of the ‘Hero’ on the surface. This was indeed very important to Alban at the time, and it could even gain a certain advantage in the war. For such a big matter, my father must have been in contact with the Alastair family.”

“Emanuel Lopez was the Chief Justice of the Knights of Judgement at the time and was sheltered by the Laddism Church. Even the royal family couldn’t take action against him without clear evidence. Ollie, your father is probably protecting Emanuel, but I really can’t think of a reason. According to what we seen, he should’ve befriended the royal family.”

“The most I can guess is that this matter has something to do with the royal family.” Oliver shook his head. “As for the reason… I said that he never told me anything about his past… Is it because he was protecting me?”

They found out more, but the truth seemed to become more distant.

“Forget it,” Nemo sighed and tugged on the quill pen in his hand. The moonlight poured in from the window, and the sky had darkened quietly for some unknown time. “Let’s go to sleep first, Ollie. There’s still clues here, so I’ll check them tomorrow.”

“But my report is still…”

“I finished writing it for you,” Nemo said, pushing the roll of parchment paper to Oliver’s elbow, which was undoubtedly in Oliver’s own handwriting. “Rest early. This have been a long day.”

They tacitly didn’t mention Godwin again, and the two of them huddled on the couch and laid down quietly. Nemo stayed up all night again, staring at the black book with Emanuel’s name on the table as Oliver embraced him tightly.

Not far from them at the Clementine Cathedral.

Adrian Cross knelt on one knee on the thick carpet, praying at night in the prayer room attached to the church residence. Since meeting the Pope, Jesse Dylan was much more peaceful. It was just that on the night of meeting the Pope, the blond young man disappeared again before he could ask what he was planning…

Cunning guy. Adrian ended his prayer, pinched his brow, and felt a headache was coming.

“Thinking of me?” a frivolous voice sounded from behind.

“Please remember to knock next time,” Adrian said without looking back.

“You didn’t deny it, so you’re thinking of me.” Jesse, who disappeared for a day and a night, leaned over to him, with a trace of cool air belonging to the night on his blue coat. “How untruthful.”

“Indeed, because you promised me to be ‘straightforward and not say thing half-assed’, but then turn around and ran away.” The knight commander’s face was expressionless. “Although I don’t know what level your strength is, the Great Isamel Labyrinth may be more dangerous than you think… At least for me, it’s not a place that’s easy to deal with.”

“Thank you for your concern.” Jesse bent down. His long blond hair hanging down on the black monk’s uniform looked particularly dazzling in the candlelight. “I do have a good plan, and I’ll tell you all about it… But, it’s still early and the atmosphere is nice. We might be able to do something else first.”

He breathed into Adrian’s ears suggestively. “How about it, Adri?”

Adrian pressed his forehead and replied in a flat tone, “I have no problem with it, but I need to prepare a little—”

Before he finished speaking, there was a dull heavy noise behind him. Jesse made a random gesture causing the door of the prayer room to slam shut and he stuck the latch on himself.

“…Please don’t do this.” The voice of the former knight commander sank as he glanced unintentionally at the chandelier and the small statue of Zenni. There wasn’t even a chair in the small prayer room. “This is a prayer room.”

“I think it’s fine.” Jesse shrugged. “Why not?”

This time instead of sticking to him like a bone, the blond young man held up his arms and smiled ambiguously. “I said you’ll definitely regret it.”

The author has something to say:

The identity of Tumbleweed big sister (?

…And why do I always turn off the lights too often???

Toeing the line makes me happy! _(:D”∠)_

Kinky Thoughts:

So many bombshells in this chapter, but more importantly; Author, please stop turning off the lights T__T. I want to SEE EVERYTHING!!!

From the looks of things, Adrian’s gonna bottom, and I’m all for that. Get ready for a really spicy chapter.

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