568 The Evil of Humanity Part 1 (2/2)
After a good while, a faint pattering sounded for a while, then disappeared once more. Mephistopheles breathed in relief and buckled his belt, finally escaping from the awful awkwardness.
Aging is really awful, he thought.
…
In the empty courtyard, the two sat on a bench and exchanged information on what had happened in the past few days. Shi Dong contemplated his thoughts for a long time, scratching at his bald head. ”How much longer are you and the rest of the Church planning to keep it from the public eye?” He continued, ”At least we should let the people die knowing the truth?”
”After all, it's a shameful thing.” Mephistopheles also frowned gloomily. Halfway through his sentence, he lowered his voice and asked, ”Can you help me see if anyone is around?”
”No one else is here,” Shi Dong answered, expressionless. ”Feel free to smoke.”
”Sorry, I have finally freed myself of this burden before Avalon is destroyed. After stepping down, I slackened slightly.” Mephistopheles lit another cigarette. ”I was under stress. I'm old already, and my heart can't take it anymore, such matters are best left to the youngsters.”
”You handed Westminster Abbey over to our Grand Inquisitor because of this?” Shi Dong asked.
”Yes, what else?” Mephistopheles asked. ”The entrusting of a mission to someone else at a critical moment is a form of political wisdom... Oh yeah, where were we?”
Shi Dong looked at him and said, ”Such a disgrace.”
”Yes, a disgrace.” As if he did not realize that Shi Dong was criticizing him, Mephistopheles wore an indifferent expression. ”After all, it's a shameful secret of the royal family.”
”Anglo and Leviathan are mortal enemies, but hasn't the royal family ever explained why? Countries on the sea are aplenty, but why has Leviathan been targeting Anglo and only Anglo for so many years...” Shi Dong asked.
”Explain? How to explain?” Mephistopheles said. ”Surely they can't say that it is all because of the wrongdoings of their ancestors? Just look at them. In order to explain how wise and brave King Arthur was, they have even gone to the great lengths of making up a tale about the Lady of the Lake.”
”Whose idea was it? It totally sucks... Look at the terrible script written by some third-rate writer.” Shi Dong couldn't help but want to spit. ”The wise and brave King Arthur won the heart of the Lady of the Lake. The fairy lady gave him a sword, a kiss, and her blessing, so he became the king chosen by destiny.
”He conquered the seven seas, made Avalon his capital, built the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth, and made it his betrothal gift to the Lady of the Lake. He married her and made her his queen, and let her give birth to his descendants of dragon blood.
”God knows where did the dragon blood come from. Arthur was merely a fisherman before he met the Lady of the Lake... From the beginning to the end, you all have refused to admit that the so-called royal family is the actual vile spawn of the sea.
”The so-called Lady of the Lake, the so-called queen — is Leviathan, which King Arthur killed! ”
”We can't admit it.” Mephistopheles shook his head. ”How can we admit it?”
In the silence, Stone leaned back against the chair, closed his eyes, and hummed the hallucination-like song. ”The king and his accomplice kidnapped the queen and jailed her in the dream… We have the power, yet where should we go? Oh, men, hoist the sail!
”Pull, thieves and beggars, we'll live forever…”
”Stop singing, it gives me the willies.” Mephistopheles threw the cigarette on the ground and crushed it, putting out the flame.
”It's ridiculous, Mephistopheles, a catastrophe falling in love with a human.” Shi Dong said calmly, ”She loved Arthur so much, loving a human being to the extent that she did not hesitate to give him her own power, and did not hesitate to satisfy any wishes of his... She used her power as a catastrophe to foot the bill for Arthur's wild ambitions.”
Mephistopte shook his head in pity. ”Unfortunately, the interest charged is too high for Arthur's descendants.”
”People have to pay their debts. After all, Mephistopheles, Anglo should have gone bankrupt a long time ago.” Shi Dong said coldly, ”Like what I said—If an old house is on the verge of collapse, one should consider other options besides fixing it. I can sort of understand why Maxwell has rebelled now. Such a kingdom has been founded on wrongness from the very beginning.”
”Actually, he has always held the role of the one fixing the house.” Mephistopheles smiled bitterly. ”Despite the fact that he has failed to resolve many internal and external issues if it isn't for him, I'm afraid that the declining royal family cannot even survive until now, we have to give him that.”
”I have been pondering this question for a long time. Is he a representative of one of the old devils?” Shi Dong wondered out loud.
Mephistopheles replied, ”I don't think so. Why would a person with such abilities hide behind the scenes? Moreover, choosing someone like him to be one's chess piece is not just a matter of having difficulties in controlling him, but a decision that is way too dangerous.”
”What else do you know about him?” Shi Dong asked.
”Next to nothing.” Mephistopheles shrugged. ”He is a person who suddenly appeared in this city one day. We know nothing of his roots and origins, nor do we know anything about the identities of his father and mother. It's as if he came from the stone split opened by the stone sword.
”At the beginning, when he first appeared, he was serving as the private secretary of the previous emperor. Later, he succeeded the Principal of the Royal Academy of Music. Then, his scope of power began to expand rapidly and got out of control.
”In many instances, he acted without scruples, being willful to the extent that it was impossible for any emperor to tolerate him by right, but he remained deeply trusted. He was even appointed as the sword bearer, and many domestic affairs were entrusted in his hands. He was even allowed to form the Fifth Department, a twisted intelligence agency.
”His own ability can only be described as incredible, and he knows everything that happened in this city. In the past few decades, all of Avalon was like a toy that he could fiddle with in his hands...”
”A descendant of the royal bloodline?” asked Shi Dong.
”Impossible. No records of him have been found, and he doesn't match up with anyone born into the royal family in these years. If he had royal blood, how could anyone else have a chance to sit on the throne?”
Mephistopheles sighed. ”Unfortunately, he is not the emperor.”
”Yeah.” Shi Dong smiled gloatingly. ”Fortunately, he is not the emperor.”
Mephistopheles remained silent for a long time, and his expression became one of vigilance. ”What mischief are you plotting this time around?”