Chapter 660 I Shall Watch Over This Nation (1/2)

The tempest continued surging from the North, carrying unusual heat and a distinct metallic odor.

Beneath the backdrop of a dull sky and dark clouds, Israel Diamond stood upon the huge watchtower at the center of the East Barnett Highlands, watching as the warm, humid air stretched along the steel grey horizon. Torrential rains descended, turning little streams in surging rivers, the lakes that dried over winter thus welling up again while stagnated packets of water flooded incessantly, with withered plants sprouting new shoots.

Spring has come, but this one was different from the ones before. The warm air currents that flowed from south to north had been redirected toward the opposite direction by the power of a certain Legend, breaking the thousand-year tradition where the searing tempest and chilling rains that had always streamed from the Northern Ural Plains, returning it tidily to the Helgamoth plains at the heart of the Empire. It did not stop there either, and arrived at the Empire-West Mountain border, the Barnett Highlands.

The Emperor watched as rain poured down from overhead, the rainstorm striking the canopy over the watchtower and the expanding magically-powered base. There were now more and more surface buildings of the Void warship production line that was now named 'Apocalypse', burning tons of magical crystals and emitting myriad-colored smog at any given moment. At present, the rainwater was pushing the smog back into ground, forming clusters of waterholes that had different hues, the multicolored like of mana flowed over the land like rainbows.

Israel was watching the land that was his Empire. His gaze could sweep across all borders of the Empire, and he could distinctly observe the Dark Forest Fortress to the south and the Lost Sea at the Icy Plains of the Extreme North. Whether the person he saw in the forest was a druid isolated from the world, or a villager living in seclusion amidst the mountains, he would know it all.

And yet, the only thing he could not tell was the human heart.

Under such torrential rains, most hardworking citizens would not venture outdoors. Only those people who are forced to work outside due to special reason and merchants moving their stocks would bite down and advance against the lashing of the rain. Apart from them, there was also a certain type of human who especially liked such weather… or more precisely, they loved any weather as long as it was no bright, peaceful day.

Israel could see a merchant convey moving purified Kaman Cinquefoils powder were hurrying along under the rain to the southern mountain chain of the Helgamoth plains, with four leather-armored escorts staying vigilant and surrounding the dragon caravan. They dashed along, ignoring wind and rain as they traveled past the rugged path toward a city nearby—but just as the lights of the city were in sight, shuffling sounds echoed from the forests on both sides of the road. Dozens of unorganized men with worn weapons leaped out at a whistle, laughing as they charged toward the carriage, madness concealed beneath their apathetic eyes.

Bandits never mind the weather when prey worth hunting for appeared before their eyes.

His coronation having passed over dozens of years, Israel had originally believed that he knew the sins within the borders of Empire well. He had come across much, whether it was the triads who extorted protection money from the elderly or nobles who oppressed citizens and rob virgins off their virtue. Even in the army, there were scoundrels who drank heartily over spilled soldier blood and concealed reports of troops who died in battle—though the Emperor sentenced such people to death on more than one occasion, such actions were meaningless: Tearing apart the shadows from the face of the Empire would only reveal more shadows that lurked beneath. Lust, tradition, hidden rules, bloodlines, passions, profits… policies itself were the breeding ground of evil. Culling the first batch would come the second and the third. There is no end to it.

Human society is imperfect in the first place; it could only wander between lasting and endurable. Typical dynasties would change over a few centuries, with even empires that hosted Legends unable to avoid decline: what was born from ashes could never bloom perfectly.

Israel himself had been irreparably dejected in those days where he was slowly dying due to his internal injuries—he smiled bitterly over his own throne as he watched his own advisers and lieges make eyes at each other. The war against the orcs was over, and those new nobles who ascended thanks to the skirmishes were certainly unwilling to relinquish their authority. They would bribe advisers, even princes, and try to incite war against the West Mountains or the Eastern Plains by any means necessary.

'Let them be.'

His Imperial Majesty had such a thought then, having no time left to amend his own Empire and not even caring about where it would end up in the future. After all, he had wiped out the orcs, sending the behemoth that had entangled with the Empire over four hundred years down to hell. Israel believed that he had done enough that he could hold the great name of Emperor, with no monarch in the last few centuries accomplishing so many feats as he did.

And now, Starfall Year 837, tenth of March.

Israel's eyes were flashing with divine radiance, a series of runes reflecting behind his back. Pale-blue data flow surged like a waterfall, as if calculating, adjusting—Israel stared as the bandits charged at the bewildered merchant convoy thousands of miles away, and extended his right hand.

Thus, amidst the raging flow of runic data, his will became Light of Divine Retribution. Dazzling radiance of gold transcended space, turning into thousands of fiery arrows hotter than the blazing sun that pierced the clouds and gloomed and rained down alongside the downpour, turning the bandits to dust before they could feel the pain.

The corners of Israel's lips lifted at the sight.

He realized that there is still much that he could do.

Hiss—

Nearby, dimensional signatures rippled suddenly as pale-blue light appeared to his rear. Two profound presences that would make anyone shudder arrived, causing even the 'Apocalypse' production line paused for an instant as the magical energies over hundreds of miles froze due to the two presence, ignoring the commands of their wielders.

Israel, however, did not turn. He knew who the arrivals were as well as their intentions, and that one of them was his most loyal and closest comrade, the other a friend worth fighting for as well.

”Master Nostradamus, Noble Radcliffe.” Israel kept standing on top of the watchtower, watching everything in the distance. ”My dream is about to come true.”

”Wasn't your dream leading the people beyond this world, toward the other side of the stars?”

A voice that was monotonous and unemotional as if it was scraping steels wafted to him. It was the voice of Joshua van Radcliffe, Sage's Successor, Godsent Hero— and yet his voice was as unsentimental as the person he was, carrying a fearsome spirit that would make mortals shudder and kneel. Still, there was hints of emotion when he fought or when he was with family, resembling a man and not a deity of death.

”What, the Void warship is completed?”

Joshua's voice appeared relaxed as he arrived right behind Israel, but the Emperor sneered in response. ”Lead who to the other side? A bunch of conmen, robbers, thieves, cowards, and sadists? Leading madmen beyond this world isn't actually my dream.”

”I would not dream so innocently that I could reach the heavens with a single stride—I would walk slowly to the things I desire, even if it takes my whole life to reach it.”

There was slight emotion in Israel's voice at first, but his voice became more determined the more he spoke, until it turned calm as it always had been. Be that as it may, everyone present could sense that the air around them was heating and boiling, for an indescribable might was spreading from the Emperor. ”And it's all thanks to you, Noble Radcliffe. There won't be the Empire of today or Apocalypse Installation if not for you, nor would there be the Information Terminal or the Mana Net. Of course, that also includes everything that exists now and myself.”

”You once asked me why I did not promptly enforce reforms? That's because I knew very well that the time has yet to come. Purging one crowd and another would come because sins are like weeds: they grow taller the next year after you mowed them. The strong would naturally oppress the weak, just as those on the same level of hierarchy must oppress those of another level.”

”And now, that time has come?” The warrior's curious voice wafted from behind him once more.

”Yes. The time has come.” Israel nodded slowly.

”Let him witness the fruits of labor over these few days.”

Nostradamus, who had been quiet all along suddenly spoke. Flanking His Imperial Majesty with a smile, the old mage suddenly drew out a bizarrely shaped steel bar forged from unknown metals. Joshua could see that it was half of a prism, and that Israel had taken out another identical one while taking the other half from Nostradamus.

'That's the Information Terminal!' Joshua promptly realized. 'Why is it so huge?!'

Just as the thought struck Joshua, Israel closed his palms and combined the two. Light blue radiance shot out from beneath the prism at once: it was data flow constituted entirely of runes, containing such massive volume of information Joshua could not analyze it all instantly.

”Look, Joshua.” Israel's serene voice could be heard. ”The time for revolution is at hand.”

The watchtower at the center of the Apocalypse Installation started to tremble suddenly. The steel plates at the roof started to whirl and protrude outwardly, forming an elevated platform. At the center of that platform was a deep pathway whereby a blue beam shot out from beneath like the prism, blending with the light from the 'key'.

[Information Terminal Codename 00-00. Intercession with highest administrative privileges detected, executing Project One.]

[Highest Administrator-Codename Israel. Energy signature confirmed, soul resonance confirmed.]

[Project commencing—]

[May you illuminate this world like the sun.]

The metallic prism in Israel's hand was already liquefied under the rush of high-intensity energy, but instead of being destroyed it was more akin to being reverted to its original state. The silver metal that contained light blue radiance unfurled and transformed in the palm of the Emperor, shifting unpredictably like the human heart.

A tremendous rumble echoed; everything was now ready. As if alive, the lofty watchtower began to shift as well—as the acknowledged program executed itself, the three Legends watch as the massive magical machine transformed. Amidst the scraping noise between steel and the muffled hum of mana resonance, the lower half of the watchtower detached from the colossal installation of steel, floating in the air through incredible mana anchor and rising incessantly up above.

Neither Joshua nor Nostradamus paid attention to the now-transformed watchtower even as they stood over its unchanged section, their gazes remaining on that person—at that very moment, His Imperial Majesty spread his palm, the liquid metal slowly rising from it and spreading in the air rapidly, turning into a throne seemingly built out of light. Israel looked on as the throne eventually landed, inserting itself into the elevated platform reserved for it.

The Emperor settled upon his throne, and conveyed his first command.

”Display complete observation angles.”

[As you command, Highest Administrator.]

The unemotional voice replied with a voice that was pure information. As invisible energy waves swept through every corner of the Empire, countless screens hence displayed themselves before Israel's eyes.

His mind completely befuddled, Joshua's widened as he watched those screens with Nostradamus.

Everything in the entire Helgamoth plains were reflected in his eyes. Furthermore, from the Eversong Lake to the Thomas Grand Canyon, the Tartaros Highlands to the Great Ajax Mountains, every city and every domain northwest of the Empire were displayed in those screens. Even mountain villages and underground dwarven dwellings were shown, and the warrior could even see some dwarves herding some moles to build a tunnel that stretches deep underground, which was a bare few meters away from another underground cavity.

Meanwhile, the hot and humid winds blowing backwards from the North had yet to arrive at the southern fortresses, but the dull dark clouds had already appeared over the skies of the North. The military families hence hurried away to retrieve everything they were hanging out to dry sot that the clothing they had cleaned with much difficulty would not be wetted by the filthy rain. In the southeastern swamps, thick grey clouds wafted slowly like mountains, with lightning weaving amongst them, although the local tribes were used to that and simply continued their daily rituals.

By the eastern coasts, the residual golden light from the setting sun was reflected upon the sea surface beside stony harbors, illustrious as pure gold itself. The tides overlapped, and starry radiance slowly appeared over the horizon. On distant islands, the illumination from the lighthouses guided merchant ships to evade corals and sail smoothly toward their respective headings.