Tyrant Code

When the new emperor came to the throne, the atmosphere in the capital did not change much, it was as quiet and peaceful as ever—or, in other words, it was quiet and peaceful after the various forces were carefully designed.

Goldo thought that after becoming king, his work would double as visible to the naked eye, but in the end he found that his busyness was about the same as when he was working in the king's court.There is no other reason. The Duke of Demont took over most of the government affairs in one hand. He skillfully and easily solved the messy government affairs. The problems that were finally submitted to Gordo were important but very important. A good problem to solve --

Let's just say that while Gordo is a genius, he's really a novice at state affairs.Demonte, on the other hand, has almost reached the full level of the political skills.It can be said that leaving Gordo aside, he and his team are enough to arrange everything in an orderly manner.

Under such circumstances, the Duke of Demont neither took credit for himself, nor tried to sway Gordo's power, and always maintained a humble and respectful attitude... This is really incredible.

Even Gordon himself thinks so.

Recently, the Duke of Demont has become Goldo's "teacher", teaching him various political affairs skills while reporting on government affairs.After the Duke of Demont reported on the upcoming tax reform plan, Goldo couldn't help admiring Demont, and sincerely asked a question:

"In this way, you should be more proficient than me in how to be a king. Then why did you give up the right to inherit the throne and let me be the king?"

The Duke of Demont was startled, subconsciously twitched his eyes, and quickly reflected on his recent behavior, and couldn't help but feel annoyed: Since Gordo finally became king, while he was excited, he also felt deeply that he had been hurt for many years. The wish finally came true, so it is inevitable to get a little carried away.And De Monte's complacency is reflected in his undisguised self-disguise.

In the past, before Goldo succeeded to the throne, Duke Demont still remembered what it means to hide one's strength and bide one's time.But now that Gordo has sat on the throne openly and aboveboard, Demont only cares about stabilizing the government for Gordo who has just ascended the throne, but he doesn't care whether such a steady and sophisticated method is in line with his current age and qualifications.

"... What you see is my ability to govern as a prime minister, but if you really let me be a king, I am indeed far inferior to you."

Goldo was not so satisfied with De Monte's answer.

"You are deliberately belittling your own abilities," Goldo said.

No, it doesn't.

Duke De Monte closed his eyes in some pain.

Gordo had said the same thing as him in his previous life—there was no successor to the huge empire at that time. After Gordo died, the Celanca Empire was entrusted to Prime Minister Dement.

But he failed to maintain the huge empire left by Gordo.

The Celanca Empire, which lost its monarch, fell into endless chaos, and the previously conquered countries and lords launched rebellions one after another.In the beginning, Demont could rely on the wealth and abundant manpower left by Gordo to suppress, but in the end, he was still unable to restrain the decline of the empire, and witnessed the disintegration of the empire.

After the death of the talented dark king, the belief in light that dominated the mainstream among the people once again defeated the Seranka royal court composed of black mages.

It is true that the decades when the dark emperor was in power created a new pattern for the Western Continent, and people finally began to face up to the existence of black magic.But ruling the Western Continent in the name of darkness gave many lords a reason to rebel.

Thousands of years of light belief is not so easy to shake.Justifying the name of black magic is already the limit.If you want to rule in the name of darkness, if the means are not severe enough, you will be in danger of being overthrown at any time.

But this time it's different——

Gordo participated in the competition for the throne as a clergyman "fairly and aboveboard".He can be a benevolent king, a virtuous king, no need to play the role of a "tyrant", but he can also rule the Celanca Empire in a stable manner.

On the contrary, it was the Duke of Demont who had been introspecting himself.

In his previous life, he failed Goldo's expectations. This time, all the conditions are perfect, and he will never make the same mistake again.

"Please believe that the stability of Celanca depends on you." Duke Demont said seriously, "Not everyone can be a king—a person who lacks the heart of a king will have nothing to do even if he sits on the throne." no."

His current methods are all learned from the king he once served.And what he has is only these means.

Gordon smiled: "You don't have the heart of a king, do I have it?"

At first, he obviously just wanted to be a salted fish.

Duke De Monte was very sure: "You definitely have."

Goldo took this sentence as a compliment, laughed it off, and then his eyes became more serious: "To be honest, sometimes I always feel that you are looking at others through me."

Duke De Monte was slightly taken aback.

"Although I don't know exactly what you've been through...but there is one thing you have to see clearly." The young king looked down and flipped through the documents in his hand, as if he said casually, "It's me in front of you now, Gordo Moran—I have received a lot of help from you, and I believe in your loyalty. But you must recognize this."

Duke De Monte: "..."

He was silent for a long time, some dark eyes lit up again, with a little youthful vigor: "Yes, Your Majesty."

*

After Gordo became king, the temple can be said to have fallen into an invisible carnival.

Although the former king clearly regarded the seminary as the highest institution of learning in the capital, he didn't care about the many researches of the seminary, and sometimes felt that the seminary was simply a gathering place for lunatics.

But after Goldo Moran, who was once the chief graduate student of the seminary, became the king, the seminary can be said to be proud.Both their research and activities are supported by the King.As long as it is a project that has been reviewed by the mentor meeting and judged to have research value, it can even get direct help from the king.

The dean of the seminary was also very happy this time, and with a big wave of his hand, he added another school anniversary to commemorate the king who left the seminary, Gordo.

So, as a matter of course, Gordon was once again invited to the seminary for inspection and speech.It's just that this time the battle is huge.Goldo was acting like a king all the way to cooperate with the various ceremonies of the seminary, but privately said to the dean: "Let's not make such an exaggeration next time. I have lived in the seminary for so many years. The temple is like my second home. It always feels weird to be surrounded by so many people to salute when I return to the temple.”

The dean laughed and said, "If your majesty wants, you can come secretly next time."

"By the way, Mr. Dean, how is Atrium recently?" Goldo asked secretly, "I haven't seen him for several days."

"Art?... He asked for leave. He hasn't attended class recently." The dean sighed, "I don't know what's wrong with him—are you guys arguing again?"

Goldo: "..." Why did you add the word "and"?

After bidding farewell to the dean, Gordo followed the dean's advice, and came secretly again in the middle of the night—this time he sneaked out of the palace and entered the temple over the wall. All kinds of magic along the way It was used, without disturbing anyone, and smoothly entered the tutor dormitory building of the seminary.

Goldo has been here a few times before, but it was before he fell in love with Atrium, and he came here as a student to make up lessons or borrow books.Now he came to pick Attricia's window sill as a lover... On the contrary, he felt that there was something weird, as if he was a perverted voyeur.

Gordon sighed, but his movements were very neat.He landed lightly on the window sill, and through the window glimpsed the dim light and the books piled up on the bookshelves and corners of the room.

He reached out and tapped lightly on the window.

The figure in the room paused and walked towards the window sill.Goldo only saw a white and beautiful hand pushing open the window, and then Atrizia's delicate face with a sense of distance looked towards him——

"……Hey."

Gordon held out his hand and greeted him.

Yatricia Horn froze in place, with an obvious puzzled look on his face.Then he smiled unceremoniously, his emerald green eyes shining brightly.

"I thought it was some kind of thief, but it turned out to be our incomparably noble His Majesty the King."

"You can call me a thief." Goldo said, "Anyway, I came here to steal someone's heart."

"Stop being glib -- who taught you this trick?" Atrium complained, but his face was full of joy. He stretched out his hand and pulled Gordo in from the window sill.

"The dean taught me this trick." Goldo stepped into the room, shaking the dew on his body, "We haven't seen each other for several days, and you didn't even show up for my coronation, I thought You're angry."

"I didn't." Atrium said calmly, "I had to do this to deal with the Pope. But what are you going to do next, even if De Monte is clever, we won't be able to shake the Holy See for a while .”

Gordon went to a chair beside him and sat down, raised his head and said, "Actually, I think the former king was right about one thing. We can't abolish the Holy See in a short time, and there is no need to do it—we have to deal with it. In fact, it’s just the Pope. It’s much easier to attack him personally than to attack the Holy See.”

"Then what shall we do next? Assassinate? Poison? It's all too old-fashioned, and the Pope can see through it at a glance." Atrichia said, "His own magic power is also very outstanding, but he is not easy to deal with."

"But he also has weaknesses that belong only to him."

Gordon said, pointing to his temple.

"You mean...skull." Atrichia frowned slightly, "He had always hoped to put his soul into the skull, and then possess other people through the skull, and be resurrected in other people's bodies. This It is the eternal life he pursued..."

"The vitality he absorbed in the border territory last time can only restore his youth for a moment. He has exhausted his efforts for the skull for many years, and it is not easy to maintain the current appearance that is not very old." Goldo said "According to him, to complete the soul magic of the Shenna Cult, you need to study three skulls. He already has one in his hand, and he has been coveting the one on you. He didn't rush to do it because He doesn't know where the third skull is to this day."

"But what if... I tell him where the third skull is?" Goldo said.

"You want to tell him that you also have a skull? Then what?" said Atricia, "I'm afraid he will only persevere in killing you and then me. In this way, he can successfully inherit the remaining two skulls .”

"But he has never been recognized by any skull." Goldo said, "He can't communicate directly with the sage soul in the skull-but now with you and me, we only need one successor to gather All the knowledge of the Shenna religion passed down in the skull."

"Claudius didn't teach me about soul magic." Atricia pondered for a moment, and understood Gordon's intentions, "...However, this does not prevent us from deceiving the Pope."

"We insisted that the secret soul technique of the Shenna Cult requires the gathering of three skull heirs to open it." Goldo said, "The pope will definitely be the third 'successor' in a hurry. And he will do it himself. "

"He can't fuse the skull he has, he must be dying. When the time comes, we can help him."

*

Pope's Hall.

This is the second time Goldo has set foot in the Pope's study.

He didn't wear a crown, and he didn't bring any Templars with him, but only Timothy, a subordinate who had been taken from the Pope-this showed his full sincerity.

The Pope sat in front of the bookcase, spread out a book on theology and read it seriously, like an ordinary scholar, but when he opened his mouth, it was clear that he was a pope with a high status:

"Good evening, son. Please forgive me for disrespecting you as a king on this occasion-after all, I know your mother well, and I hope that the close relationship between teachers and students can continue in us...Of course, if If you mind, I'd still like to call you by your honorific title."

In the entire Western Continent, apart from the kings with the same status as Gordo, only the Pope could talk to him like this, but it couldn't be considered very rude.

Gordon smiled and said, "Of course I don't mind."

The Pope smiled, looked up at him seriously through the light of the candle, and said with emotion: "Sure enough, you are a young man. Just looking at you reminds me of when I crowned you—I used to Presided over the coronation of another king. But he is now... imprisoned in the tower is a good ending for him. Duke De Monte is always vengeful, which is also in line with his style. Such a person It's hard to really tame, you just have to be careful."

Duke De Monte's mother, Mad Queen Anna, was once imprisoned in the tower.Both the queen mother and the former king who was put on the throne chose to remain indifferent.

This is Duke De Monte's revenge on the world.Because they talked about Demont's background behind his back.And Demont slapped those people with his behavior - so what about a sane king, he can still send people into the tower for a lifetime.

In fact, the Pope should be included in Duke De Monte's revenge.It's just that Goldo knew the inside story of Queen Anna's murder, but De Monte didn't know it yet.Goldo remembered this incident in his mind, and planned to explain it to Demont after cleaning up the Pope.

And the Pope said this to remind Goldo not to let the Duke of Demont monopolize the power.From an outsider's point of view, this is indeed good advice, but coming from the Pope's mouth, it still makes people feel uncomfortable.

Gordo endured the displeasure in his heart, nodded and said: "Thank you for reminding me, I know it well."

Seeing that his "well-intentioned advice" was adopted, the Pope felt more and more that Gordo was a man to be made.

"So, boy, what do you want to discuss with me today?"

Goldo looked at the pope's peaceful face and said, "Do you remember what we traded last time?"

Pope: "Of course I do."

Goldo: "I'm on the throne now - your help has been critical and timely. I think you've been the most reliable partner I've ever met. So, I'd like to share some Only what I know can help us achieve our goal as soon as possible."

"... Oh?" ​​The Pope was slightly moved, "What is it?"

"About the whereabouts of the skull and the secret of soul magic," Goldo said.

The pope's breath became short of breath.

"I've actually got the third skull." The arc of Goldo's mouth was elegantly revealing a trace of pride, "Guess—where is it now?"

The pope's eyes lit up with scorching light. For a moment, Gordon even thought that the gaze penetrated his head and really saw the existence of the skull.

"This is really... God's will." The Pope said after considering, "The owner of the skull became the king-it seems that the King of Destiny's statement does have some truth, but what you inherited is not the skull of the Emperor of Radiance, I guess, Is that a black magic skull?"

Gordon: "Exactly."

The pope stood up with a bang, and walked half a circle around the desk: "Three skulls... three kinds of magic. Light magic, dark magic, and elemental magic that transcends light and dark attributes that the Shinna Cult is good at." He He stopped, and there was an uncontrollable excitement in his tone, which was transmitted from the depths of his soul, "Three skulls are gathered here, this is a once-in-a-century opportunity!" He asked Gordon, "Where did you get this skull?"

"The information came from a believer of the Shenna religion. As for the fusion of the skull, it was a complete accident." Gordon smiled bitterly, "Now that believer is in my hands - he also brought other information .”

There is indeed a Shenna under Gordo, who was dug out from the Inquisition. If the Pope really went to investigate, Gordo would let him come to such a result.

Pope: "What message?!"

"Gather the heirs of the three skulls... the true meaning of magic will emerge." Gordo took a deep breath, and when he mentioned soul magic, his tone became lighter, as if he was referring to some miracle Yes, fully whetted the Pope's appetite, "I know that the remaining skull is in your hands - but we all know how difficult it is to find a successor who suits the skull's appetite. How many years we have to wait, no one knows." not sure."

"...and Atrium Horn." The Pope said suddenly, "He is a tough nut to crack."

"This is eternal life, His Excellency the Pope." Goldo laughed, "Since we can't solve the secret without him, why not let him join? When faced with the secret of eternal life, will he refuse it! Important It's the third guy—"

"In that case." The Pope said suddenly, "Then I will be the third person myself."

Gordon said with some surprise: "But you are not..."

"I know that the reason why I cannot be recognized by the skull is that my magical talent is not strong enough." The Pope took a deep breath and said in a somewhat dry language, "But I have studied it, and if I have enough magical power, I will still Those who can break through the checkpoint set by the skull."

In fact, it is not only a question of talent, but also a problem of inappropriate magic attributes-the pope once owned two skulls, which could not be fused together. The skull stolen from Claudius' tomb actually matches the magic attributes of the pope. But the skull still didn't choose him, but accepted Atricia.

The remaining skulls are the ones that house the souls of sages who were good at "elemental magic".

What kind of person is better at elemental magic?There is really no threshold for elemental magic, as long as the perception is high enough, and the magic power is strong enough.

The pope's eyes shifted to Gordon.

"...help me, boy," said the pope in a slightly trembling voice, "we are only one step away from success."

Gordon looked at the Pope, raised his eyebrows slightly, and then took a deep breath as if he had made a major decision:

"Okay, I'll help you."