Feet white as snow upon the shoes, unadorned by socks.
Roy cradled that dainty, petite jade foot in his hands, observing the slender toes, tender as budding flowers, curling slightly—utterly adorable.
He scooped up a handful of clear river water and let it trickle over the faintly fragrant foot. The chill of the water caused the faint veins on the pale instep to flush with a delicate pink, a beauty crafted by nature itself.
Yet Roy's mind was somewhat adrift.
Wherever humans existed, there was the Human Order. This was precisely why Roy was concerned about the curse of the Human Order. The Human Order was not something unique to a single world—it was a concept that spanned countless realms. To be cursed by the Human Order was akin to being cursed by fundamental concepts like time and space, an exceedingly troublesome matter.
He had already spent years in this world of the moon. Under normal circumstances, his curse should have deepened, bringing him misfortune and reducing his Luck to an immeasurable EX rank. Yet now, Roy found that not only had his Luck not dropped, it remained at normal levels—even the curse itself had grown faint.
From this, Roy knew that everything he had done since arriving in the Qin Dynasty's twilight period of this world was correct. The Human Order of this world was indeed flawed. Though Roy did not know the exact nature of the flaw, by becoming Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, and guiding human history along the proper course, he had earned the Human Order's approval. Thus, the curse had gradually begun to fade.
Once Roy fully resolved the issue with this world's Human Order, the curse would dissolve on its own. At the same time, Roy would gain a tremendous boon—the ability to activate the Human Order Correction Formula, granting him the Protection of the Human Order!
If the "Curse of the Human Order" reduced Roy's Luck to an immeasurable EX rank, then the "Protection of the Human Order" would elevate it to an equally immeasurable EX rank—so high that he could even twist causality with sheer luck. After all, so-called "luck" was merely a manifestation of causality.
By then, even a causality-reversing spear like Cú Chulainn's Gáe Bolg would fail to harm Roy, even if he stood motionless.
King Solomon had created the Human Order Correction Formula before his death. Whether correcting or destroying the Human Order, both required vast amounts of magical energy. Since this magecraft formula could function even after Solomon's demise, it must possess its own source of magical energy. So where did the Human Order Correction Formula draw its power? Naturally, from the Human Order itself!
The world of the moon possessed the Third Magic, a means to materialize the soul and attain infinite magical energy. Similarly, the Human Order Correction Formula could draw upon the functioning Human Order, siphoning an appropriate amount of its magical energy for its own use—thereby achieving infinite magical energy.
The history of humanity is vast beyond measure, with every passing moment generating immense magical energy. If the Incineration of Human Order was a violent means to instantly obtain boundless mana—capable of destroying planets, even reversing the river of light, and wielding the power to create worlds—then the Correction of Human Order is like an unending river. Though it cannot directly grant the unrivaled mana of the Incineration, it flows ceaselessly, never stopping.
As long as Human Order endures, this is practically a perpetual motion machine!
The wisdom of King Solomon truly reached divine heights. This ritual is less a magecraft and more a true Magic in its purest form.
Once the "Human Order Correction Formula" was completed, Roy would no longer have to worry about mana depletion. As long as his consciousness remained and he had sufficient energy and stamina, he could wield his Authority without limit. Though his maximum output still had its constraints, given enough time, he could destroy the world.
With infinite mana and the knowledge Roy now possessed, crafting a Holy Grail by hand would be no issue at all.
Others who sought to create a Holy Grail needed to seek the bloodline of the planet and locate superior ley lines to forge it. But Roy could simply use himself as the ley line—as a relay station for the Human Order—transforming the boundless mana generated by its operation into a tangible Holy Grail.
Thus, the "Human Order Correction Formula" was a magecraft Roy was determined to obtain. Only with ample mana could many of his ideas and the construction of new spells begin to take shape.
"My King, what are you thinking about?"
Roy's distraction was noticed by Yu Ji, whose soft whisper brought him back to the present.
"Ah, my apologies, my beauty. I was just thinking... about something I must do."
Roy offered Yu Ji an apologetic smile before pulling out a clean handkerchief from his robes. He gently wiped the water droplets from her delicate feet, then cradled them in his arms, wrapping them in his fox-fur coat.
Her skin was cool to the touch—whether naturally so or from the river's chill, he couldn't tell—but the sensation beneath his fingertips was soothing, like holding a piece of cool jade.
"Does my King still refuse to say what it is he intends to do?"
Yu Ji shifted her feet slightly, adjusting to a more comfortable position so Roy could caress them more easily.
Roy fell silent for a moment before speaking, "...I don't wish to deceive you, Yu Meiren. Though there are things I haven't told you since we first met, I can swear I've never lied to you."
"Ah, I know... My lord has never lied to me. You've merely kept some things unspoken."
Yu Ji bit her lip lightly, visibly moved as she said, "...This concubine also hopes my lord will never deceive me. If you were to lie to me... I... I fear I might break down in tears."
If Roy were to deceive her, Yu Ji would likely never interact with humans again—she might even grow to despise them. It was precisely because she knew human language was filled with lies and deceit that she had avoided contact with them. Yet this man before her had forcibly kept her in the human world and made her feel a sense of security she had never known before.
"Of course not. Even if I deceived the entire world, I would never lie to you, Yu Meiren... In truth, what I aim to do is guide human history onto the correct path—to save the distorted Human Order and bring about 'peace under heaven.'"
For the first time, Roy revealed his intentions before Yu Ji.
"The correct path of human history? Saving the distorted Human Order?"
Yu Meiren set aside her usual gentleness, her expression gradually turning serious as she furrowed her delicate brows, pondering Roy's words.
"Then, my lord, what is the correct history? Could it be... Liu Ji?"
"Exactly. She is the correct history. That's why my actions may seem incomprehensible to you, as if I'm merely paving the way for her."
Roy nodded lightly.
"My lord, I dislike the phrase 'paving the way.'"
Yu Meiren pouted slightly.
—Especially paving the way for Liu Ji.
Hearing this, Roy laughed heartily and pinched Yu Ji's delicate nose.
"But... if that was my initial goal, I now have a new purpose... Only with the stable development of the Human Order and human history progressing along the correct path can you have a future, Yu Meiren."
Roy sighed deeply. If the Human Order were to be pruned, the Yu Ji before him would also be erased.
It would be like using scissors to cut away erroneous history, tossing it into the trash bin, completely vanishing from the timeline.
Such was the power of the Human Order—it surged forward with the tide of the world, unstoppable and unblockable. Only by eradicating all humans across the multiverse could the Human Order truly disappear.
Even the world of the 'Garden' was built upon human history, existing because of the Human Order.
The so-called Human Order was never exclusive to the world of the moon—it existed in every corner of the infinite worlds where humans dwelled.
The Human Order was humanity itself!
"Sometimes I grieve at the thought—if I were gone, would anyone else understand you? If I were gone, what kind of life would you have to endure? If I were gone, who could give you the stability you desire? The very thought keeps me awake at night..."
Roy's words made Yu Ji pale. She grabbed his collar and pressed her lips to his, silencing him.
Roy suddenly felt the urge to lament—
Oh Yu, oh Yu, what is to be done with you?