"Rita, Durandal, you both..."
"Guanxing-sama, sacrifice has always been inevitable. What matters is for what cause one sacrifices and what can ultimately be achieved."
Durandal gently patted Guanxing on the shoulder, her dazzling azure eyes showing no trace of wavering or hesitation.
"... Have you thought about their families? Haven't enough people already died in the two xenobeast wars?"
"Guanxing-sama, during the first xenobeast war, I was the commander leading from the front lines. It was under my orders that our thirty-thousand-strong army perished entirely. This time, Durandal will once again stand at the forefront. All I can assure you is that we shall emerge victorious."
"Aren't you afraid of having nightmares?"
"Ever since that day, I've been haunted by nightmares every night," Durandal said with her usual calmness.
If there were indeed an underworld where all deeds would be accounted for after death, Durandal would willingly bear this unimaginably heavy burden of sins. She was prepared for any punishment, whether it involved excruciating torment or gruesome retribution. That's just the kind of person she was.
Guanxing lowered his head, clenching his fists tightly, unable to find further words.
Rita reached out silently, gently stroking Guanxing's hair and sighing softly. However, even with their close relationship, she couldn't truly comfort him on this matter. In this instance, Rita aligned herself with Durandal's stance.
Zeke leaned back on the throne, tapping one hand against the golden armrest while resting his chin on the other, and said, "There is yet another issue you should understand: We come from beyond this world and will eventually return to our own. Now, I can directly help eliminate a challenge you're striving hard to overcome, but what about the future? You cannot rely on me indefinitely. To safeguard your nation long-term, you need independence and self-reliance; you must face threats on your own."
Despite Zeke's casual tone, his words sent shivers through the three individuals below him.
Yes, Zeke would eventually leave. But after his departure, could they truly navigate this new world order without faltering or steer it flawlessly forward?
Zeke observed their confusion but said nothing. He understood that these individuals needed to grow and adapt, grasping the pulse of the emerging era. If they couldn't... well, that would be on them. Dealing with Finality already consumed all of Zeke's attention; he had no bandwidth to concern himself with the future of such a tiny world bubble.
Suddenly, Zeke glanced beyond the palace walls.
On the brightly lit steps outside, Senti strode confidently, carrying the motionless Kiana over her shoulder. With an air of arrogance, she crossed the threshold.
"Hey! You're all here? Perfect timing—I'm bringing this one back home, but I've never been there before. Don't know where it is."
Senti approached, stepping past the ceremonial throne stairs, and effortlessly tossed Kiana onto the desk in front of Zeke.
Though the gesture appeared rough, thanks to precise control of force, Kiana felt no discomfort whatsoever. Instinctively curling up, she sucked her thumb contentedly, emitting soft purring sounds.
"Hmm? Why so quiet all of a sudden? What were you discussing?" Senti shook her hand and shrugged, curiously glancing back and forth between the four individuals present.
Zeke stood up, leaned forward, and gently poked Kiana's soft cheeks without answering Senti's question. Instead, he asked, "Drunk again?"
"Oh yeah, she was almost hugging street lamps to hurl everywhere."
"Did you partake as well?"
"I certainly did not! Wait, why ask me? I bet you've been keeping tabs on me the whole time!" Senti pointed at Zeke, visibly annoyed.
Zeke paused momentarily before responding, "Why would I bother watching you unless you're out there committing crimes?"
"Just...just crimes, huh? You don't observe me otherwise?" Senti blinked, taken aback.
Could it be that she misunderstood Zeke? Perhaps he wasn't as intrusive as she had imagined?
Zeke shook his head.
"Don't forget that your body belongs to Fu Hua. I wouldn't invade my friend's privacy without reason. As long as you don't engage in any mischief, I won't specifically monitor your actions."
"Oh... I see," Senti scratched her head, feeling somewhat awkward.
During their time together, based on Zeke's constant surveillance, Senti had secretly labeled him as psychologically disturbed—only now realizing it might have been a misunderstanding, making her feel guilty instead.
So, she attempted to change the subject.
Just then, Kiana's drunken ramblings before falling asleep resurfaced in Senti's mind.
Feeling slightly disheartened, she tapped her forehead and asked, "Zeke, recently... has anyone starved to death in this country?"
"No. Food scarcity was one of the most challenging and fatal issues during feudal times. Therefore, the Central System's first priority was food production and distribution. Since implementing the Central System reached one-third coverage, no one in this country has died from starvation. Why do you ask?"
"Because before passing out from drunkenness, he kept mumbling about seeing many people starve to death and even sobbed uncontrollably on the ground... Anyway, I'm glad it's resolved now, Zeke. You're truly skilled at handling such matters. When I was guarding Shenzhou, countless famine victims perished each year... If only you had been there back then, perhaps things might have turned out better."
Senti tilted her head with a wistful sigh.
She couldn't quite explain why she suddenly felt so uneasy. After all, these individuals were insignificant, akin to ants—why should their survival matter to her? Yet after hearing Kiana's lamentations and recalling scenes from Shenzhou's past, she found herself deeply disturbed.
Senti's words and sigh momentarily silenced Zeke, but his gaze softened slightly as he looked at her.
Below them, the conversation resonated with all three women present.
The notion of no more deaths by starvation seemed like a luxurious fantasy, existing only in fairy tales or dreams for those living in feudal times.
But they knew firsthand that this dream had become reality.
Rita gazed tenderly at the sleeping Kiana on the table and said:
"I remember this incident well," Rita reminisced with a hint of warmth in her eyes. "It happened when Lady Kiana was still young. Her spirited nature couldn't bear being confined within the imperial palace all day, so she often defied the late emperor's decrees to venture outside for leisure. During that time, the snow in the north refused to melt, while severe floods plagued the south, severely impacting agriculture and leading to widespread famine. Even the Imperial City struggled to manage the crisis.
On one such outing, Lady Kiana witnessed starving victims dying from hunger. As recorded by the court chronicler, following this event, Lady Kiana went on a three-day hunger strike. However, instead of refusing meals outright, she secretly packed away her food behind the attendants' backs, scaled over the palace walls, and distributed it to the famine-stricken people outside. She persisted until collapsing from starvation before anyone discovered her actions."
Rita narrated with emotion, leaving Durandal and Zhuge Kongming, who were unaware of this story, utterly captivated—could it be true that Kiana, despite her carefree and seemingly unreliable demeanor, had such a past?
In a corner unseen by others, Kiana's eyelids subtly twitched, and her toes curled inside her shoes.