Two weeks after Sean's urgent report, the sun once again appeared in the Western Region of Graycastle!
The Months of the Demons ended without warning.
This was probably the most peaceful demonic month in hundreds of years. There were no demonic beasts attacking and no cannon fire. The snowy plains outside the city walls appeared empty and flat. The thick snow reflected a dazzling golden light under the sun, like a flawless mirror.
Therefore, this year's Victory Day was exceptionally lively.
Many residents entered the wilderness before the snow melted, dug up a clump from the knee-deep snow, brought it home, boiled it and drank it, both to celebrate and as a form of commemoration.
Only a very small number of people knew about the undercurrents beneath this calm.
Third Border City, Hidden Rock Grotto.
Roland received the expected reply.
"There is no mention of this in any record, not even in the literature left by the Underground Civilization," Celine said wearily, leaning against the corner of the wall, surrounded by opened ancient books. "And the first record about the Southernmost Region is about one hundred and sixty years ago. It was a travelogue, probably written by a witch who was quick on her feet, describing it in just a few words, but it confirms that Endless Cape was already a desert at that time."
It was the first time he had seen "Fleshy Tumor" so tired—the three High-Tier Witches rarely sat down, usually hanging from the dome by their main tendrils, with the fine tendrils on their bodies always dancing. But now, all of her tendrils were drooping down, covering her surface like fur, and at first glance, she looked a bit like a radish just dug out of the ground.
"Perhaps you should rest for a while."
"I want to, but my body simply can't stop," Celine gave a wry smile. "Your discovery is truly shocking, it can be said to have overturned the Union—no, all of recorded human history!"
This was also the reason why Roland had expected this answer—if there had been relevant discoveries during the Union era, it would have been impossible for no trace to have been left. After all, it involved the Battle of Divine Will, and even if it needed to be kept secret, at least the entire high command should not be completely unaware.
The race in the murals was perhaps even more ancient than he imagined. One hundred and sixty years was just a clearly documented confirmation, and did not mean that the Southernmost Region was full of life before that. In this light, the Mojin folk myth of the "Three Divine Messengers" and the "Thousand-Year War" seemed a bit more credible.
At that time, the First Battle of Divine Will had not yet begun.
"Your Majesty, don't laugh at me," she sighed. "We have clearly taken a big step forward in cognition, but why do I feel so confused? It's as if I've lost something."
"These are all normal phenomena," Roland comforted. "The more you know, the more you realize you know nothing. In the end, all doubts can be reduced to three questions."
"Oh? Which three?" Pasha asked curiously.
"Where am I, who am I fighting, and who is fighting me."
"..." There was silence in the Sea of Consciousness.
"Ahem, okay, I just wanted to relax you," Roland coughed twice. "The real answer should be who am I, where do I come from, and where am I going."
"Where do I come from... where am I going..." Pasha murmured. "Indeed, these three questions seem very simple, but on careful consideration, they are not so easy to answer. Just slightly changing the position can lead to completely different answers."
"Heh, are you also getting confused?" Elhia couldn't help but interject. "What's so difficult to answer? I am Elhia, from Taqila, and I will return to Taqila in the future—is that not allowed? I think you're just being intimidated by him."
"This is the reason why I sometimes envy you," Celine said weakly, placing her main tendrils on her head. "Having a simple mind is sometimes a blessing."
Pasha shook her head with a smile. "Thank you, this has indeed made us feel a lot better. However, your reaction is also truly surprising. Not only are you calm and composed, but you can also consider our thoughts, as if you are not surprised by this matter at all."
Because this world is full of uncertainty for me... Roland smiled noncommittally and changed the subject. "Now that we have confirmed the existence of the completely unknown Battle of Divine Will and a new race, let's have a meeting to discuss it—such important news is best known as soon as possible."
"As you wish, Your Majesty," Pasha replied, bending her main tendrils.
……
The internal meeting was quickly held in the castle's reception room. Its confidentiality level was classified as top secret, and the participants were all representatives of various forces in the United Front. Even the ministers of the Administrative Office were not invited.
When Roland announced this unexpected discovery, everyone showed an expression of disbelief, and he rarely gave them a ten-minute buffer period so everyone could discuss among themselves.
The Battle of Divine Will was not a destiny unique to humans, but most likely a "special" norm, which was simply beyond everyone's imagination. If these words were not spoken by him, perhaps few people would believe it.
As the hall gradually quieted down, Tilly was the first to stand up. "If this is really a Battle of Divine Will, then what about the victors? Not devils, sea monsters, Underground Civilization, and certainly not humans... Where are they now?"
This was also the first question that came to most people's minds.
Roland looked at Pasha behind the light screen, who nodded. "I wonder if you still remember that in the records of the Underground Civilization, there are these two sentences—magic makes us extraordinary, and mastering magic is the ladder to pursue Divine Will. We might as well assume that all participants in the Battle of Divine Will can use magic, so will the victor elevate the power of magic to a new stage, thereby going to a place we cannot see? Like... the world in the sky."
This was also the speculation that the three High-Tier Witches had racked their brains to come up with. Although Roland felt that there were many loopholes, it was better than a simple "I don't know."
After all, not knowing means nothing—according to common sense, the more powerful a civilization, the longer its footprints will last. The ancients used thatch and adobe to build houses, and a thousand years is enough for them to weather into dust, while the concrete buildings of Neverwinter City can still leave an outline even after a thousand years. A civilization that can win the Battle of Divine Will, but disappears after the war, can only have its existence known from scattered ruins, which undoubtedly makes it easy for people to think in a bad direction.
If victory cannot reverse the fate of extinction, it may dampen everyone's determination for war.
And Taqila's speculation can at least set a goal.
"So the content recorded in the murals is at least fourteen hundred years ago?" Edith pondered for a moment. "Then what mankind has experienced cannot be called the First Battle of Divine Will."
"That's true, but changing the name is easy to confuse people," Roland replied. "So I tentatively call it the 'Lost Battle'. As for how many times this is for us, it's not the point."
"Your Majesty," Barov hesitated, "then the expedition plan scheduled to be implemented after the spring—"
"Execute according to the planned plan," he interrupted without hesitation. "Even if the Battle of Divine Will has many unsolved mysteries, we must move forward! Perhaps war itself is a way for us to approach the answer, and if we lose to the devils, then there is no hope."
Roland paused, swept across the entire hall, and said word by word, "This time, we will completely sweep the devils out of Fertile Plains. This is not only to win a vast space for development for Neverwinter City, but also to lay the foundation for the final victory!"