Chapter 560: Individual Aesthetics (1/2)

This period of time was totally disastrous for the Reformist Party.

Firstly, the Undead Army in the Grosso region. Although they were eventually exterminated, thousands of refugees were still homeless in the city. They used to have a home to return to, but their homes had been devoured entirely by the flames. Their only choice left was to wait for their fate in the city miserably. The conflagration in the Grosso Plain had burned up all the foodstuff reserves in the Southern region and the foodstuff crisis had given the Reformist Party a huge headache. Although the danger period had ended, they knew that this was only temporary. If they failed to search for a substitute foodstuff transportation channel, they would be in big trouble.

Due to this reason, the Southern Parliament had agreed to Baker's risky plan. They had intended to attack Paphield in the shortest period of time. However, they were unsure if their side was too weak or the opposing side was too powerful because their attacks on Paphield's defensive line had failed again and again and Baker's battle plan had become the only lifeline for them.

Then, what happened next left the Reformist Party over the moon. Not only did Baker's army break through Paphield's defensive line, but they also conquered Callenbach City! When the Southern Parliament received this news, the room was filled with applause and the huge conference room became a sea of joy where everyone was grinning from ear to ear as though the darkness had passed and the bright future appeared before them. On that night, the entire Southern Port became a city that did not sleep. The civilians sang, danced, and celebrated their 'difficult' and 'well-earned' victory.

However, this dream lasted for merely a night. On the second day, they received a piece of shocking news.

The Northern 5th Legion [Sword Lion] has gathered in Feralas with 25,000 soldiers!

The Northern 3rd Legion [White Eagle] and the Eastern Plain 5th Cavalry Team [Wing of Glory] has gathered in Dagger Valley River with 20,000 soldiers!

And the Senia Family [Ring of Magic] Magician Knights has led the Noble Allied Armies into the Red Leaf Forest with 17,000 soldiers!

A total of 62000 King's Party soldiers had surrounded Callenbach entirely from all directions and will attack anytime!

The cheers and laughter from the day before were nowhere to be heard and they were replaced with an unprecedented tense atmosphere. Now wasn't the time for them to ponder about why they weren't notified of such a large-scale mobilization of troops because the King's Party had presented their shimmering sharp blades and was ready to lay their hands on the rebellious defectors!

The Reformist Party was panic-stricken. During the emergency meeting on the second morning, the 75 year old Parliament Chairman stood to his feet, smacked the table, and bellowed frantically! "Send more troops! Tell Baker that I represent the Parliament to order him in defending Callenbach with all his life! We will give him all the manpower that he asks for! But we have one request! We must defend Callenbach before the Country of Light's Parliament intervened! We must never fail and never back down until the very end! I represent the Southern civilians, the Southern Parliament, and the people who pursue freedom and independence to request that Baker defends Callenbach with all his life!!"

A lot of them in the Reformist Party remembered the bloody night slaughtered by Lydia. Back then, they held the hopes of saving their loved ones and companions through the Country of Light's Parliament. However, Lydia's response exceeded their expectations. She decisively hung everyone to death before the Country of Light's Parliament's reinforcements arrived at the Munn Kingdom. Most of them still remembered the scene when they arrived at the Golden City with the Country of Light's Parliament's emissaries. They were greeted by ice-cold corpses swaying in the wind.

And now, they couldn't help but recall that scene when they heard this news. Could it be that the vicious, brutal monster had decided to wipe out all their troops before the Country of Light's Parliament's reinforcements arrive? If that's the case, we can't allow that tyrant to get away with it!

The Reformist Party dispatched their messengers to the Country of Light's Parliament immediately, hoping that they would stop the confrontation using the name of the Light Dragon and request Lydia to stop her merciless suppression and massacre of innocent civilians.

When the messengers of the Reformist Party stepped into the land of the Country of Light, Rhode had just arrived at the Golden City and he was waiting for Lydia's summon.

The smooth white marble floor reflected off the corridor. Rhode admired the city by the window. The dark clouds of the war didn't affect Golden City at all. It was still as breathtaking and the civilians were walking on the streets as calmly as always. Rhode let out a sigh as he recalled the scene where the army of Country of Darkness slaughtered their way into Golden City in the game. Back then, this glorious city had as though been smeared with dark paint and desperation spread in everyone. Death and sins laid in every corner and this beautiful city had chosen to be destroyed to prevent further invasion by the Undead Army.

This city was as dazzling and eye-catching as its ruler no matter if it was dead or alive.

However, Rhode wasn't feeling sentimental over this problem. He was pondering over the purpose of Lydia's summon.

Rhode always thought that the kind Angels were the representative of clean-living. Although Lydia's behavior overstepped these bounds, her nature hadn't changed at all. But after the incident in Grosso, Rhode realized that his impression of this Archangel had slightly changed.

Humans understood Angels using their human perspective, where they thought that Angels were incarnations of justice and kindness and they would never go easy on evil. Not only that, but the Angels would also often adhere to their own principles and were difficult to be convinced. But on the Grosso Plain, Rhode suspected that his impression on the Angels was somewhat subjective. His impression on Lydia was similar to the impressions he had on most Angels: kindhearted and upright. However, when he summoned the Undead Army for the massacre in Grosso, she remained silent and didn't respond at all. This was unusual of Angels who persisted on their principles. Besides, she was also engrossed in the show that he had put up and there didn't seem to be anything wrong. Afterward, Rhode had observed Celia for a period of time and discovered that she didn't give him the cold shoulders due to the incident in the Grosso Plain. She was still behaving the same as before as though she didn't take it to heart.

Rhode didn't feel strange that Celestina was unconcerned because Demons were born this way. But Rhode felt that it was worth his time to understand why Celia didn't care at all. Besides, the words that Celestina had said... Although this Demon young lady spoke indistinctly, Rhode discovered that these ancient creatures seemed to follow an old and sacred oath based on Celia's reaction. They would be punished if they violated the oath and Celia didn't see it as a violation of her own principles.

Come to think of it, Lydia seemed to have also behave the same way. The Reformist Party attacked her brazenly and the root cause was due to the bloody night from years ago. Frankly speaking, Rhode didn't feel that this corresponded with the Angels' method of handling matters. It wouldn't be peculiar for a human ruler to do this in order to stabilize his position. But what about an Angel? Furthermore, none of the Angels complained after Lydia did such a thing. If it was said that the Angels were lower in identity and position and they didn't have the rights to complain, why didn't the equally-ranked Archangels speak of anything before the Light Dragon? Even the Elf Kingdom, which was generally considered to be the guardian of kindness and order, didn't express any opinions on this matter. Although there must be reasons for Lydia's way of handling the situation, wasn't this cruel punishment enough to give rise to resentments? Even though the Dwarves living in the Dragon Bones Mountain had cut off from the rest of the world, they were still stubborn and upright. So why didn't they comment on anything?

Interestingly, even the Creator Dragon Souls didn't express any opinions. Apart from the puppet in the form of the Light Dragon Soul, the Judgement & Ruling Twin Dragons valued this highly. Rhode remembered clearly that they had sent troops more than once to stop the lords and rulers who cruelly killed their own people. Moreover, even the Church chose to remain silent on this matter. The Reformist Party had made known to the entire continent, but only the Country of Light's Parliament expressed strong dissatisfaction?

Ironically, the Country of Light's Parliament was dominated by humans.

After linking everything together, Rhode realized that there was something which he couldn't understand in the Dragon Soul Continent. He wasn't concerned about these matters because they didn't concern him as a player. But now, he was involved in it personally and he discovered that something was affecting the entire continent. More interestingly, those who were treated as righteous and kind and didn't oppose Lydia's violent means were mainly long-lived races. The Dwarves could live up to 150 years old and even the heirs of the Creator Dragon Souls could live up to 300 years... Humans were the only ones who could live less than 100 years old.

Rhode knitted his brows as he recalled the words that Celestina said in the burning village that night.

[Creation Pact]

In the game, this pact existed for the background of the game and the players understood it as the pact to protect this world after the Five Creator Dragon Souls created it. Back then, all the races had to adhere to this pact. However, as time passed and changes took place, the players thought that this pact was long nullified.

But now, it seemed that this pact was still in effect. Not only that, but the signing of the pact also didn't require placing one's mark. Instead, the pact was executed ever since the party involved was born. Rhode was sure that the Southern farmers weren't aware of the Creation Pact, but they were deemed as traitors who violated the pact by Celestina. From Celia's point of view, she seemed to think the same too.

Was it because the group of rebels that Lydia had hung to their death was treated as betrayers of the pact and that was why they chose to remain silent? And Lydia dared to do that because she knew that her actions were supported by the pact?

But what exactly was the pact that they betrayed?

What's the content in the Creation Pact?

Rhode disliked archeology, but he felt that he needed to understand the content of the Creation Pact. He didn't wish to end up like the Reformist Party who foolishly thought that the world supported them and was eventually helpless and alone without any help.

At this moment, a female servant approached Rhode and gestured. "Mr. Rhode, please follow me. Royal Highness is expecting you."