Chapter 152: A 7,000-Year Drama Stage
"Pfft! Sorry, Master, I was just joking," Miranda laughed, covering her mouth when she saw Leon's surprised expression.
"You..." Leon felt the corner of his mouth twitch.
He hadn't anticipated being tricked like this, leaving him feeling somewhat helpless.
Miranda giggled for a few moments before finally stopping and coughing slightly.
"Ahem! I'm sorry, Master, but your face was too serious, and I just wanted to break the ice," Miranda admitted with a smile, giving Leon a teasing wink.
Leon wasn't upset; he just chuckled and shook his head.
"It's okay. I know I was being too serious because my curiosity was really piqued," Leon remarked lightly, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Then, taking the last sip of coffee in his cup, Leon asked again with a more relaxed expression, "So, can you tell me about the matter?"
Miranda smiled and nodded, wiggling her fingers to refill Leon's previously empty coffee cup.
"As I mentioned before, Master," Miranda began, "the war between the Demon race and humanity serves two purposes: seeking the Fated One and deceiving the Evil God."
"Seeking the Fated One"—these four words seem simple, but in reality, it's an incredibly difficult task. At the time, the First Hero of Mankind, Luminus Troya, who conducted the divination regarding the Fated One, knew that this figure would arise from humanity, but he had no idea of their identity or the era in which they would appear."
"He also realized that by performing the divination, he had altered the course of the world's future, and this realization made him fear that if he did not take any action, the fated one might never be born." Miranda paused to take a breath, closing her eyes for a moment.
As she opened her eyes again, her previously graceful and gentle expression turned cold as she continued, "Therefore, in order to find the figure of the fated one, Luminus Troya resorted to the cruelest means, the one that makes me hate him the most—he used a forbidden technique.
This technique caused my sister Sylvia's soul to split into three, with two of the souls placed on the two weapons you are familiar with—the Celestial Frost Holy Bow and the Soaring Heaven Holy Spear."
Having said that, Miranda once again paused, her breath caught, and both palms clenched tightly.
Her beautiful face now bore a mixture of anger, disappointment, and sorrow, reflecting the depth of her hatred towards Luminus Troya for what he did to her sister, Sylvia.
Across from her, Leon, having listened to the entire story and observed the intensity of Miranda's emotions, could only bow his head and let out a small sigh.
He hadn't anticipated the dark history behind the three holy weapons.
Splitting a soul into three... Leon couldn't even fathom how cruel and painful that must have been.
If he were in Miranda's shoes, he too would harbor resentment towards Luminus Troya for doing such a thing to Sylvia.
However, Leon refrained from passing judgment on Luminus Troya's actions. He couldn't grasp the challenges Luminus Troya confronted in an era freshly adorned with peace, following a harrowing battle against an unimaginably powerful evil god.
Therefore, he remained silent, offering no words of comfort to Miranda, patiently waiting for her to calm down.
After a while, Miranda regained her composure and looked at Leon with an embarrassed expression.
"I'm sorry for showing such a vulnerable side, Master," Miranda apologized, her cheeks slightly flushed with embarrassment, giving her a charming and alluring appearance.
"Pfft! It's alright; I understand," Leon reassured her, a touch of laughter in his voice.
Miranda let out a sigh of relief, her lips curving into a gentle smile as she continued, "After Luminus Troya split Sylvia's soul into three, he didn't stop there. He performed another forbidden technique called the Endless Cycle of Reincarnation, which is responsible for the birth of heroes in each era wielding the three holy weapons, all in pursuit of finding the 'Fated One'."
Upon hearing this, Leon narrowed his eyes with a contemplative expression.
The birth cycle of heroes had been the biggest mystery that piqued his curiosity.
After all, even the strongest magic he knew of couldn't possibly accomplish such a feat, adding to its mysteriousness.
Now, after hearing Miranda's explanation, he finally had the answer, which brought him a sense of relief.
'Endless Cycle of Reincarnation...' Leon muttered to himself, taking a long breath.
A technique capable of creating a cycle of heroes spanning 7,000 years surely carried dire consequences, didn't it?
Driven by curiosity, Leon turned to Miranda and inquired, "Using two forbidden techniques such as splitting Sylvia's soul into three and creating a cycle of heroes being born in each era... are there any side effects for Luminus Troya?"
Miranda nodded slightly and replied, "Yes, there are. The price for wielding these two forbidden techniques is death, but not just any death. Luminus Troya faced a severe punishment: to be forgotten by the entire world, erased from existence in all time—past, present, and future—save for a select few, one of whom is me."
As she spoke, a complex expression crossed Miranda's face—one she didn't try to conceal.
Although she harbored deep-seated hatred for Luminus Troya, his sacrifice still managed to stir her heart.
Meanwhile, upon hearing this, Leon couldn't help but shudder.
Being forgotten by everyone in the world was indeed a dreadful punishment, perhaps even worse than death and torture!
He couldn't fathom the idea of being erased from the memories of his loved ones, including Liliana, his three daughters, Arshley, or even Luna.
The mere contemplation of such a fate filled him with dread, intensifying his reverence for Luminus Troya.
'He is truly a hero...' Leon whispered inwardly with profound reverence.
Despite Luminus Troya's ruthless and daring methods, his profound sense of responsibility compelled Leon to acknowledge him as a true hero.
Swiftly, Leon snapped out of his reverie and took a sip of the hot coffee Miranda had just refilled. As the warmth seeped into him, his mind relaxed.
Placing the cup back onto the saucer, he turned his gaze toward Miranda, curiosity etched across his face.
"Now I understand the whole story. But how does this connect to the war between the Demon race and the Demon Emperor that spanned these seven thousand years?" Leon inquired.
Upon hearing this, instead of providing an immediate answer, Miranda posed a question: "Master, do you recall the second purpose, which is to deceive the evil god?"
Leon blinked, his curiosity intensifying as he nodded in affirmation.
"Actually, though the evil god has been successfully sealed, it doesn't mean he's unaware of events in the outside world. To circuNovelFireent this, the Hero of Mankind, Luminus Troya, and the Demon Emperor, Amon Crimson, forged a cooperative agreement. This pact became the catalyst for the war between the Demon race and mankind," Miranda explained succinctly, leaving Leon visibly shaken.
Taking a deep breath, Leon sought clarification: "So, is this 7,000-year conflict between humanity, led by the three heroes, and the Demon race, under the command of the Demon Emperor, merely a charade?"
"A charade, huh?" Miranda whispered, pondering briefly before nodding in confirmation. "If you consider it a charade, you wouldn't be entirely mistaken. To deceive the Evil God, they orchestrated a staged war, depicting the two races—leaders in the battle against him—as adversaries. This was intended to lower his guard for you, the fated one, in the impending confrontation."
Leon's breath caught in his throat at this revelation. His heart raced, cold sweat trickling down his back.
If Miranda's words held truth, then all the Demon Emperors, from Morgan Crimson to Liliana, and the Three Heroes of Humanity from the first generation to his, were essentially dramatists, with the war serving as their stage.
Contemplating this, Leon was overcome with a mix of horror and awe at the audacity of Luminus Troya and Demon Emperor Amon Crimson in orchestrating this 7,000-year saga.
"These two individuals are utterly insane..."