32 FATE, DESTINY (2/2)

'I will still do it.'

'The world will burn' The Old Monk said

Only if the old world is burned, a new world could emerge. This world…is cruel. The common people did not have enough food to eat in some Kingdoms and when the war will come, imagine their plight. Suffering is everywhere.,

'And you are the solution?'

'Yes.' Charles said, his confidence could not be broken. He truly believes that from the ashes of the old world, a new world, a better world would emerge under his rule.

'Since that is the case, let us talk about the world, little child' The Old Monk said and then he ask

'What will make a country prosperous and profitable little child?' Charles also sit down on the wooden floor. And then thinking for a while he said

'Benevolence and righteousness.'

'And how would that be achieved?' The Old Monk said. Charles take a moment to think and then he said

'When a ruler say ”What is to be done to profit my kingdom?” the great officers and officials will say, ”What is to be done to profit our families?” and the inferior officers and the common people will say, ”What is to be done to profit our persons?” Superiors and inferiors will try to snatch this profit the one from the other, and the kingdom will be endangered, full of chaos and evil.'

Then smiling maliciously Charles explain to drive his point home

'In the kingdom of ten thousand chariots, the murderer of his sovereign shall be the chief of a family of a thousand chariots. In the kingdom of a thousand chariots, the murderer of his prince shall be the chief of a family of a hundred chariots. To have a thousand in ten thousand, and a hundred in a thousand, cannot be said not to be a large allotment, but if righteousness be put last, and profit be put first, they will not be satisfied without snatching all.'

'Righteousness be put last, the kingdom would be chaos, not satisfied, the heart will rot' the Old Monk said.

He nodded.

'While it did not conform entirely to the doctrine of the Enlightened One teaching, of the Path of Nirvana, this policy would bring peace if implemented and practiced.'

Charles continued

'There never has been a benevolent man who neglected his parents. There never has been a righteous man who made his sovereign an after consideration'

The Old Monk nodded then he proposes another question

'Then how will you conquer the Seven Kingdoms?' The Old Monk was expecting an answer in line with what Charles has just said.

'With steel, fire and blood, with my body and mind, I will conquer the four corners of Midgard and pacify the world. Whoever in my path I will cut it down. Nothing and no one would be in the way of my ambition!' Charles said, his voice is loud and full of excitement, his eyes flashed with such unwavering confidence that it is infectious.

Hearing this the Old Monk frown.

'Didn't you just say Benevolence and righteousness as the way of governing a Kingdom?' The Old Monk said, clearly baffled by the different method

Charles laughed

'The way of the world is not pretty. Words are always pretty as long as it did not touch the boundary of truth'

'Then did you just lie to me?'

'I did not lie'

'Then what it is your meaning, little child'

Then Charles explained

'You ask how best to govern a kingdom, then I answered. Then you ask how to conquer the Seven Kingdom, so I answer. One question, inquire how to govern. The other question inquire how to conquer. The nature of both question differ, so the answer would also differ.'

'To govern a kingdom, first one must have a kingdom. How would one have a kingdom, if you did not fight for it, to wage war for it? And in war, blood will certainly spilled, and lives will be reaped. Being merciful to an enemy, is being cruel to yourself. Only when there is a kingdom, and people to govern, and the world at peace can a ruler govern with benevolence and righteousness. If the world is in chaos, ruling with righteousness and benevolence is easier said than done. As long one do not lie to oneself, then that is good enough.'

The Old Monk pondered Charles word and look at him.

Sinful, sinful' he said. But he saw it of course. There is a Dragon aura coming from this young child. The aura of a ruler.

And the Blessing of Ulr.

Ulr is the God of Thunder, one of the most favorite child of Aesiron. In the myths of the Northmen, Ulr was born from the stormy emotions of Aesiron when he is about to create the Seven Realms.

When he was born thunder fills the world and strike the world, creating fire and allow human to survive the cold and harsh world full of beast and darkly creatures.

Aesiron then bless him with a thunder shaped scar, as a right to govern when he is slumbering. It give shim good luck, a strong fate and accumulating the fate of the world.

Blessed by the Gods.

The Old Monk knows only one person that also possess this kind of scar in his life.

A fate of a Founding Emperor…..this is a momentous event.

But whether he truly will become the Son of Heaven and sit on the Dragon Throne, nothing is certain Fate and Destiny could be cut short.

It is the accumulation of one deeds that leads to the Fate being fulfilled.

But….this Old Monk could cut that Fate and Destiny short. If he killed this child right now, would there be a new Empire?

He saw that this young child will bring fire and blood with him and the lives that will fall under his hand would be numerous.

This is sinful. But the Old Monk also saw the possibility of a new world emerging, a world that is better.

If this is when he was young, he would surely kill this young child even though he is a monk.

But, season have come and passed and he has seen many things. Would it be so bad for this old world to burn….and for a new world to emerge? He shakes his head but then he stands up and move beside the stair case.

Then he sits back down. The path to the fourth floor is opened. Charles who was looking at the old monk is shocked.

'This…' The Old Monk jus nodded and Charles smiles as he quickly rushed forward to the fourth floor. The Old Monk watch Charles back and said to himself

'I hope I make the right decision.' Then he jumped down from the third floor as he flies down from the third floor and rushed towards the forest to return to his residence.

The Old Monk return to the Sweeping Courtyard. And then he enter his room and meditate. Yet, his forehead is relaxed and there is a slight smile on his ace.

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