Night was beginning to deepen.
The New World existing within physically imitated Earth's environment, yet its starry sky was incomparably brighter than the usual night sky of human history, which had been obscured by light pollution. The Milky Way stretched out like a ribbon, the stars appearing like an ocean, as if quietly whispering some mystery about eternity.
The tea party held atop the ruins had long since progressed from its initial polite greetings into a profound discussion that touched the depths of the souls between the two Emperors.
"I see…" The First Emperor set down his tea bowl, which had long gone cold. In his phoenix-like eyes, which seemed to see through everything in the world, shone a light he had never shown before. It was a mixture of surprise, admiration, and something extremely elusive… a trace of envy.
He gazed at Steve sitting across from him. His tone was no longer as critical as when they had first met; instead, it carried respect for a fellow human—or rather, a fellow pioneer.
"Facing predators that assault from the abyss of the sea of stars, battling the ultimate lifeform sleeping underground… you single-handedly overturned the fate of an entire civilization."
The First Emperor sighed. "Uniting all of humanity, discarding the borders and prejudices of the old era, mobilizing all humankind to climb the tree of technology, and even sending 90% of the population into that desolate void—all of it was to liberate the very concept of humanity from the shackles of the earth…"
"At first, I believed that my Great Qin had reached the limit of human potential."
The Emperor shook his head lightly and smiled self-deprecatingly. "I never imagined that, at the end of my protection, someone like you would appear… someone who had no choice but to transform into a dragon to survive, dragging your entire clan into the starry sky with such a grand vision."
"Savior from a foreign land, you are clearly not a Purifier."
The First Emperor stared intently at Steve and spoke each word with care. "You are unmistakably a dragon of the new era, lurking within the remnants of the old era and striving to pierce the heavens… the dragon the new age."
"Your Majesty's praise honors me."
Steve leaned back deeply in his chair and looked up at the dazzling artificial starry sky above. There was no pride on his face—only the calm that came from experience.
"Just like you, I am merely a human with no choice swept along by the times."
He gently swirled the teacup in his hand, as if recalling that long and tumultuous era.
"We are truly very similar."
"To confront the ultimate question of extinction, we both chose the most extreme path: unification."
"We both believe that only by concentrating the power of all humanity and establishing absolute order can we find a sliver of hope in a despairing future."
"Whether it is the Great Wall or my Earth Sanctuary Project, they are essentially the same. Both aim to give fragile human civilization armor capable of withstanding the cold winds."
At this point, Steve suddenly changed the subject.
"However, Your Majesty."
He looked at the First Emperor with sharp eyes. "While our starting points are the same, our destinations… are complete opposites."
"Oh?" The First Emperor raised one eyebrow. "Do tell me the details."
"You did it for love." Steve spoke in a calm tone. "You love your people as if they were your own children. No… rather, as if they were your pets."
"You think they are weak, ignorant, and unable to withstand the storms of life."
"That is why you chose to rob them of wisdom, strip them of the right to choose, and shoulder all their burdens, sins, and glories upon your own eternal, immortal holy body."
"Why is that wrong?" the First Emperor countered. "Without my protection, they would have long since turned to dust in wars and famines."
"I gave them eternal peace. Is that not the greatest mercy a human can show to their fellow humans?"
"It is mercy, and at the same time, a curse." Steve shook his head. "Because you denied growth."
"In your world, humanity remains forever an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes."
"As long as you are here, they can live happily."
"But what if you—the sole pillar—were to collapse? The greenhouse you have painstakingly cultivated for two thousand years would freeze solid in an instant under the cold winds of the outside world."
"And I…"
Steve reached out his hand as if trying to grasp the stars shining in the void.
"It is because of fear."
"I am afraid of the monster called ORT."
"Even if I possessed wisdom enough to shake the world, even if I could manually construct cannons capable of destroying planets… I know that before the boundless malice of the universe, I am insignificant."
"That is why I chose to believe in the collective."
Steve's voice gradually grew passionate and carried a persuasive power.
"I did not choose, like you, to concentrate all my wisdom upon myself alone."
"On the contrary, I shared everything I knew—magic, technology, the truths of the universe… without the slightest hesitation."
"I forced them to learn, forced them to evolve, and forced them to adapt to that cruel vacuum environment."
"I am not raising pets. I am training soldiers."
"I have never once wanted to become an eternal ruler. That position was merely a means to achieve my goal, and at times, even a burden."
Steve looked at the First Emperor and smiled with relief.
"That is why, the moment I became convinced that they had learned how to survive in space and possessed the power to pulverize stars, I abdicated without hesitation."
"I returned the world to them."
"Because I know that a civilization composed of billions of people with independent wills and infinite creativity is far stronger and far more enduring than a paradise ruled by a single god."
The First Emperor remained silent.
He offered no rebuttal and showed no anger. He simply quietly pondered Steve's words.
After a long silence, he finally spoke in a tone filled with complex emotions. "So… what was the result? How long did those fools you trusted manage to survive in that endless sea of stars?"
"Over one billion years."
Steve casually uttered a number that would make even gods tremble.
"What?!"
Even the First Emperor, known for his calm composure, was shocked. "B… Billion years?!"
"Yes, billion years."
Steve nodded, his eyes filled with pride. "After my death, that civilization did not collapse. Instead, it revived with unprecedented vitality."
"They left the solar system, spread throughout the entire galaxy, and even began advancing into higher-dimensional worlds."
"I saw it just before becoming a Heroic Spirit."
"To fulfill their oath to live with the stars and die with the stars, they installed ten thousand planetary engines on Earth and the Moon. It was quite an outdated method by the personal tastes of my era, but through hyperspace gates that allowed instantaneous traversal of the galaxy, they propelled their home planet and set off together toward a new homeland."
"Your Majesty, this is the path I chose."
Steve raised his teacup in a toast toward the starry sky. "It is not eternal stagnation, but eternal wandering and evolution."
"…"
The First Emperor remained silent for a long time.
Looking at the man before him, he felt as if he were gazing upon a towering monument, a grand epic that transcended time and space.
One billion years.
It was a span of time that even his own great Qin dynasty could never have imagined.
It was a miracle that surpassed magic and machinery, and even the very essence of Human Order.
"…Hah… Hahahaha!"
Suddenly, the First Emperor burst into loud laughter once more.
This time, the laughter contained no self-mockery or regret—only pure, heartfelt admiration.
"Good! Good! Good!"
He said "good" three times, then suddenly stood up and bowed solemnly to Steve. Not as an emperor, but as a seeker of the path, as a pioneer, with the utmost respect.
"I have lost. Completely."
The First Emperor stated frankly. "My Great Qin enjoyed two thousand years of peace, but in the end, we were nothing more than birds in a cage."
"While your civilization overcame countless hardships and transformed into a heron soaring high into the heavens."
"Savior from a foreign land… no, Steve."
"You are truly worthy of being called the Dragon of this new era."
"Being able to discuss the path with you here is the greatest blessing of my life."
"Your Majesty is too kind."
Steve stood up and returned the greeting. "We simply made the choices we believed were right in our respective eras."
"As rulers, although we have traveled different paths, our essence is the same."
"We all attempted to overthrow the old world and establish a new order. That is enough."
"Different paths leading to the same destination…?"
The First Emperor pondered those words carefully, and his smile grew even gentler. "Wonderful. Truly wonderful."
It was late at night.
He looked up at the sky, waved his sleeve, and said, "It's about time I returned to rest… This humanoid terminal is convenient, but staying up too late might cause wrinkles."
"Steve, come visit whenever you have time."
The First Emperor turned his back and walked deeper into the ruins. His retreating figure was exceptionally proud and majestic. "The ruins of my great Qin dynasty are always ready to welcome you, my visitors."
"Next time… don't forget to bring the detailed information on that Life's Joy Patch you mentioned."
"…"
As he watched the First Emperor's departing figure, Steve's mouth twitched slightly, but in the end, he could only smile helplessly.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
...
Private Room of Steve in the New Chaldea Headquarters Located in the Wandering Sea
Pink light flashed, and Steve's figure appeared in his room.
"Phew…"
Completely exhausted, he let out a long sigh and collapsed onto the soft bed.
He was tired.
Both physically and mentally.
The conversation with the First Emperor had brought him a rare sense of exhilaration, but more than that, his chest was filled with satisfaction at having met a worthy opponent and found someone whose soul resonated with his own.
However, engaging in such intense philosophical debate with an existence of that level consumed far more brain cells than fighting in a Holy Grail War.
"One billion years…"
Steve murmured to himself while staring at the ceiling.
In truth, he had not told the First Emperor the entire truth.
The end of Wandering Earth one billion years in the future… Indeed, that was the true history of his world, but could the hardships, sacrifices, despair, and madness within it be explained in just a few words?
It was a path paved with the blood and bones of countless generations.
It was the result of him struggling alone through countless dark nights, bearing the heavy burden of all humanity's fate in the chasm between morality and survival.
In comparison, the path walked by the First Emperor, who shouldered everything alone, was probably… far easier.
"However… the choice has already been made. There is no room for regret."
Steve rolled over and buried his face in the pillow.
A faint, nostalgic scent tickled his nose.
Was that… Sion's scent?
It seemed that while he was away for his strange research, the female alchemist had sneaked into the room again.
"Sigh… what an unfaithful man I am."
A warm smile appeared on Steve's lips.
In any case, he was no longer the lonely leader he once was.
He had a Master, companions, and a home called Chaldea. It was noisy, but filled with human warmth.
That was enough.
Good night… Chaldea.
In the final moment, as his consciousness began to fade, this savior from a foreign land finally cast aside all his defenses and burdens and fell into a deep sleep.
Tomorrow… a new day would begin.
…
…
PS: Support me and read advanced chapters at patreon.com/AbsoluteCode