Xyrin Empire-Chapter 670: The Second Meeting

Two people stood facing each other, silent.

After a few minutes, it was I who first broke the silence, "Bellavira?"

"——Ah?" The other person dragged out their response slowly, a puzzled expression on their face.

I chuckled at the girl in front of me, "Stop pretending. If you were really Silvia, you would have said ’ah’ after a few seconds."

The silver-haired girl in front of me obviously had a blank look cross her face, then sighed, "You really do understand the other me well, don’t you? Well, we meet again, strange Emperor."

"Do you make a habit of adding such impolite annotations to people you know?" I glanced at Bellavira sideways, but my face already wore a smile, "This is really surprising. I thought you had disappeared forever."

"Feeling sorry about that?" Bellavira took a couple of steps forward, standing close to me, and then suddenly, her face came right up close to mine, those bright eyes almost filling my entire field of vision, "A powerful Fallen Apostle is still alive and in a state that you absolutely cannot eliminate. Does that bother you?"

My expression remained unchanged, ignoring the deliberately sinister tone of the other party.

"Boring person."

Seeing that I wasn’t cooperating at all, Bellavira exaggeratedly sighed and stood up straight, "Not calling the guards? I’m free now and you’re all alone, unlike last time."

"No need, you’ve already awakened, haven’t you?" I smiled, unable to understand Bellavira’s suggestion.

"Well, you really are... unspeakable," the Former Fallen Emperor concluded after summarizing her thoughts about my nonchalant, unleader-like demeanor, "Such a person becoming a leader, there must be something wrong..."

Honestly, I had not expected Bellavira to awaken suddenly and come to me on her own—her soul had shattered, and sustaining wakefulness was impossible, so she didn’t have the time to wander around, let alone come to me after waking up. This Empress must have deliberately sought me out. But despite the surprise, I had no intention of alerting anyone else. This ancient Empress always felt like a very thoughtful person. She chose this time, without disturbances, to come to me, clearly having something to say.

"Don’t think too deeply about it. I just woke up suddenly and from that person’s memory, I learned about the carnival and wanted to come to see what the fuss was about." Facing my question, Bellavira simply snorted with laughter, then gave such an indifferent response.

"How does it feel?"

"Relaxed, unregulated, chaotic, noisy, boisterous, completely trampling the disciplinary and efficiency of the Empire," Bellavira unhesitatingly spat out a string of fiercely derogatory terms, her Poison Tongue Skill instantly giving me a stunning five-hit combo, but just as I was about to be utterly embarrassed, she suddenly stopped and softly uttered the last word, "but very... enjoyable."

"Maybe what we’ve been searching for, the only racial flaw of the Xyrin Apostles, is this kind of laxity, you, after the fall of the Empire today, have you finally managed to remedy this flaw?" freēwēbnovel.com

"I completely don’t understand what you’re talking about."

I gave Bellavira a dry smile, since we weren’t very familiar, I might as well suppress my spirit of mockery a bit, I definitely wouldn’t confess that my behind-the-scenes identity is that of a Destroyer of Morals!

"Let’s find a place to sit for a while."

Feeling that standing silly in the square was not a good atmosphere for a conversation, I took the initiative to invite, Bellavira nodded and pointed towards a distant spot, "There’s a resting place over there."

Several minutes later, a former Emperor, a current Leader, sat down on a bench under the streetlights at night.

"It’s truly peaceful," Bellavilla leaned back comfortably on the bench, sighed with her lazy, magnetic voice, which was utterly different from Silvia’s, "No responsibilities, no considerations, just sitting somewhere peacefully, chatting with someone you could barely call a friend, or simply daydreaming—This is exactly the kind of unambitious life that we Xyrin Apostles used to despise, but now, I find it quite nice."

I looked at the girl somewhat surprised, "I didn’t expect you to feel that way, Visca even told me that you were a very strict person."

"7535?" Bellavilla looked up at the sky, her expression unreadable, "That child got her own name, huh? She always wanted a name... Last time she woke up for only a few hours, spent all of it answering your questions, didn’t even get to talk properly with 7535... She probably doesn’t mention me much, I wasn’t very nice to her after all."

I fell silent for a while, recalling what Visca had once mentioned about Bellavilla.

"Indeed, Visca mentioned that you were very harsh, and that you even punished her several times, but that girl always affectionately called you Sister Bellavilla, you probably didn’t know that, right?"

The silver-haired girl looked at me in surprise, her eyes filled with doubt, "Really? I don’t recall that. She should hate me, actually, because I sent her on countless life-threatening missions, though she always managed to return heavily injured."

"But you were the only one who visited her at the repair center afterward, even if just to throw a few sarcastic remarks, Visca took those as visits," I showed Bellavilla a smile, "And if it weren’t for those harsh missions of yours, Visca might have faced even more perilous situations."

The girl beside me fell silent, then sighed softly after a long time, "... Fallen Apostles weren’t united as iron. After losing a certain ’Racial Soul’, the once glorious and cohesive Xyrin Apostles began to embrace deceit, betrayal, selfishness... those vulnerabilities of primitive species we deeply despised. I don’t know if the Abyss is at work here, but it filled the world of the Fallen Apostles with deadly conspiracies, many aimed at 75... at Visca. She has been considered a destabilizing element since the beginning, her madness and recklessness almost never following any commands. Even after the corruption by the Abyss Energy, I was barely able to control her."

"So, those high-level cadres opposed to me saw Visca as a breach; believing such a powerful warrior, who only followed my commands, as a threat to their ’grand cause.’ They wanted to dispose of Visca openly but couldn’t due to the ’no internal conflict’ rule, so every moment there were plots being crafted to put her in jeopardy."

"You couldn’t protect her openly because that would put her in an even worse situation."

"Pretty much, the Fallen Apostles have abandoned the honor of their former race, and negative emotions spread wildly among us. Meanwhile, the reckless Visca was like a blank page, a mess-maker who didn’t know how to protect herself, like a little hedgehog."

I remained silent, just quietly listening, then looked up at the artificial moon over Shadow City.

The night was serene, a perfect night to uncover secrets.

I could finally confirm the true nature of Bellavilla, who even during her time as a Fallen Apostle, was protecting Visca.

I should thank her, although Visca’s sufferings during that wild time were partly caused by Bellavilla, the latter was trying to ensure her "Little Sister 7535" could survive safely. It was just that one was mad, and the other couldn’t speak openly, so they could never quite open up to each other like real sisters.

It was comforting that in the end, both found their peace.

"Living in your kingdom has been happiness, although I didn’t quite appreciate your character initially," Bellavilla’s gentle voice resonated in the night air, "I’ve always been curious about your way of kingship: not inclined to conquest, not cunning, disinterested in power, even ignorant of ruling. Someone like you contradicts my idea of a king. Far from being a ruler, you didn’t even qualify as a warrior at the beginning... But the true kings chose to stay by your side, and the best subjects kept gathering. The shattered Old Empire genuinely started to recover under your insufferable ’good person’ theory, and you even created something with immense strategic value like Macro World, although you use it to host carnivals."

Bellavilla’s somewhat toxic description made me feel utterly awkward, ultimately leaving me scratching my head with a silly grin, having no comeback.

"Actually, I think I just got lucky to end up where I am today," her sharp gaze made me quite uncomfortable, "If you talk about the way of the king, I think I’m not even on par with a housemaid at home."

Indeed, even though Lady Shining often spoke of "the pride of a king," my life’s biggest goal was merely to idle away my time, while the Queen’s biggest ambition was still a three-bedroom flat...

Thinking like this, I realized it was amazing that under my rule the Empire had managed to survive until today, more amazing than the worlds that survived under Dingdang’s rule!

"I admit, I completely lack the so-called kingly way, even the basic administrative experience was cram-studied from Sandora."

Speaking with Bellavilla seemed to easily pressure people, her occasional poison-tongue attribute was just one of them, more importantly, it was her hidden strictness and the qualifications as a former Imperial Leader — Sandora was also an Imperial Leader, but she had the attributes of a Glutton and the identity of a younger sister in her house to soften things, while Bellavilla only made me feel the tension of a newbie facing a veteran. By the time earthly life was still single-celled, they had been revered for millennia.

"Is that so," Bellavilla quietly looked this way, her face, always dumb and dazed, making such a wise expression was indeed full of contradiction, but I involuntarily became serious myself as she stared at me, suddenly smiled, "We’re more or less colleagues, so let me give you a bit of advice, because I truly worry that without the guidance of an experienced predecessor, you, crowned by humans, might at any time walk down the wrong path — look at them!"

Bellavilla suddenly raised her voice, pointing in a direction: it was the place we had just come from, the Totem Area with monuments projecting the heroic deeds of heroes from various worlds.

"They, and everyone around you, those are your kingly ways."

I thought for a while, looking perplexed: "Can you clarify?"

Bellavilla’s carefully cultivated atmosphere collapsed alongside her: "You... well, I finally understand why a famously known Battle Song Princess turned into a Glutton when around you; people who stay with you will eventually catch something. My meaning is simple, the people gathered around you are your path of an emperor, a king can be benevolent, iron-wristed, wise, or autocratic, but you are unlike any mentioned before, you are not a ruler, and you might never learn to become an excellent emperor, but you can inspire those with such talents to gather around you, to band together for a common goal as brothers and sisters, this is your path. There’s no use in vainly learning the ways of governing for you, but at least you have the ability to gather those who know how to govern around yourself, so keep walking the path you’ve walked till today, this is the advice I give with my experience and wisdom. After all, I do fancy this city, but you, you worry me."

I was taken aback, summarizing Bellavilla’s words into the following:

Stop dreaming of being the protagonist who defies fate, that’s not your cup of tea! Just honestly be the patriarch!

My summarization was very precise, it was tear-jerking.

"Alright, now there’s one last question," I glanced at Bellavilla’s complexion, noticing she seemed fatigued, knowing that not much time was left, "Why did you suddenly decide to tell me all this?"

As a former Fallen Emperor, even though she had now regained her senses, I didn’t think there was much affection between us, our relationship was merely like that of tenant and landlord, and given her bizarre existence, she barely counted as half a tenant; with such little connection, there was really no need for her to come and have a heart-to-heart with me in the middle of the night.

It was just a chat, but any discerning person could tell, everything she had said was heartfelt, it was almost like giving a beacon to me, who was confused.

Although I am doubtful if this is being confused or if I’ve always been in such a state of confusion...

"Why tell you all this?" Bellavilla scoffed, seemingly mocking, but her facial expression was genuinely benevolent, "I was just asked to."

"Asked?"

I curiously asked back.

"I was asked by another self..." Bellavilla said in a self-mocking tone, then suddenly assumed a dumbfounded look, mimicking Silvia’s leisurely tone, "Chen is a good person but his burdens are too heavy — I know I should help him — but I am too foolish — not sure how to do it — if it were you, you would definitely know — what to do — please carry out my sentiments... Ah, speaking this way is really tiring, the other self is indeed a very impressive person in some ways!!"

Bellavilla exaggeratedly sighed, then with a mockingly amused look watched this way: "So, I came looking for you in the middle of the night to provide guidance to a newbie."

"This newbie guidance came three whole years late," I suppressed the emotions within me for Silvia, showing a grateful expression to this slightly cunning but also sincere former Fallen Emperor, "But I really should thank you, I do feel much more assured now."

"The subtext is, in the future, slacking off could finally have a noble excuse: just look at the Skill Tutor in Newbie Village, that’s what she told me!!"

"Should we call Visca over?" I felt that Bellavilla and I had finished our conversation and started to wonder whether I should invite that little loli, always missing her big sister Bellavilla, to come and catch up with her, although there was a weird feeling of "my baby sister actually got stolen." But if it would make Visca happy, then it might be a good choice.

"No need," Bellavilla lowered her head, her voice sounding a bit muffled, "There’s not much time left today, and suddenly falling asleep in front of that child isn’t a good way to say goodbye. But don’t worry, maybe I’ll have more chances to awaken... We’ll talk next time, don’t make her worry..."

Her voice gradually faded and finally disappeared. I gently touched the arm of the silver-haired girl beside me and whispered, "Bellavilla?"

"Did you guys not delete my save file?"

She suddenly lifted her head, and that was the first thing she said.

"And my Magic Cube!"

Me: "...If you’re not sleepy, can you stop startling people like that?"

"There’s no helping it, soul fatigue isn’t the same as dozing off," Bellavilla’s eyelids were fighting each other, yet her voice betrayed no tiredness, "I just know I’m about to sleep, but when depends entirely on when Silvia wakes up: you still don’t know how slow she is?"

I froze, then spread my hands in resignation, "Okay, let’s talk about the issues with the Wind Armor..."

Before I could finish, I felt a sudden weight on my shoulder, and a fragrant, soft body gently leaned into my arms: Bellavilla had fallen asleep instantly.

...There was really no telling with her!

"Bellavilla?" I lightly pushed her body, but the response was only a series of gentle, slow breaths. "Silvia?"

Still no response: Silvia was a good child who went to bed punctually after ten at night, more timely than any loli at home.

Soul sleep and physical sleep are different, just as soul awakening and physical awakening are not the same.

The silver-haired girl let out evenly spaced little snores, seemingly uncomfortable sleeping in an unfamiliar bed. She snuggled twice in my arms, then directly used my arm as a pillow.

Feeling the soft touch on my arm and seeing the delicate face so close, my mind was tumultuous. At this moment of beauty, numerous heroic figures flashed through my mind, like Mr. Ximen.

Fortunately, what ultimately stood out in my mind were my own Qianqian and Sandora—more importantly, taking advantage of a slow-witted silver-haired mole just didn’t bring any sense of accomplishment.

"You really have patience," Bellavilla said faintly.

Me: "..."

I hate these cunning creatures! (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote and support on Qidian (qidian.com); your support is my greatest motivation.)

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