Chapter 4: The Demon Realm (5)
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In the elegantly decorated study, where precious ancient books and antiques shared space on the shelves,
Monroe looked at Trissa with a serious expression, “Do you have any thoughts on Lord Lin’s true identity?”
Trissa replied, “Well, first I need to know what Tom and Jerry reported to Dad.”
“They started from the moment they first met her at the tavern and went all the way to the part where they had a collective dream in the Sky Tower.
In their narration, Lord Lin appeared to be a powerful, all-capable deity, which makes me worry if their heads got filled with night dew because they were in such a hurry.”
“Oh? Does Dad really think she could be a god?”
Monroe said, “Based on the information we’ve gathered so far, I can only say there’s a possibility. I believe the conclusion drawn from His Majesty the Emperor will align with mine.
I’d like to hear your opinion.”
Trissa recalled the scene from their first meeting,
as the embassy found itself in the monster-populated Black Stone City. She instinctively thought Lin Nan was a transformed monster.
A tipsy Morris immediately took a liking to her beauty and attempted to flirt, only to be rejected.
Fuming with embarrassment, Morris planned to use force, and Trissa, who had a bone to pick with him, immediately stepped in to put him in his place, hoping to undermine his authority and build her own prestige within the embassy.
Little did she know, Lord Lin challenged her to a harp duel.
That was quite amusing and filled her with contempt for Lord Lin’s arrogance.
But the facts proved she was wrong.
Compared to Lord Lin’s superb harp skills, she was like a frog in a well.
If there truly is a God of Harmony in this world, then Lord Lin must surely be favored and blessed by the God of Harmony, for possessing such songs and skills that even the Harpist Academy did not have.
And this was just the beginning.
After entering the Sky Tower, the moment the God of Harmony, Muse, made her appearance still sends shivers of excitement down her spine.
As Muse’s earthly representative and guardian of the Sky Tower, Lord Lin had the duty and responsibility to prevent outsiders from disturbing the tranquility within the tower.
Trissa, along with Tom and Jerry, were fortunate enough to participate in this defense plan.
“I’ve heard all of this from Tom and Jerry,” Monroe said, “but if she’s merely a devout follower of the Muse, then how could what happened next…”
Trissa understood her father’s confusion.
No matter who it was, reflecting on the series of events they experienced in the Sky Tower would definitely lead to doubts about Lord Lin’s identity being more complex than it seemed.
The developments afterwards were even more bizarre.
When the coalition led by Prince Eric and Fu Yetian broke through the 60th level and entered the 70th level,
everyone was instantly transported to another world, which was almost completely different from the Asking Dao Continent. The geography and the strange sights dazzled first-timers, leaving them both shocked and yearning.
Trissa, aligned with Lin Nan, had initially received orders to defend the city.
Just like the first round.
But within a couple of days, they became the attackers, while Fu Yetian transformed into the final boss of this world.
This sudden shift took her completely off guard. She couldn’t fathom how Lord Lin managed to pull it off.
Monroe immediately said, “Hmm, I have a theory.”
“Please, go ahead, Dad.”
“Since Lord Lin can freely switch between guarding and attacking, it means the Sky Tower is like a toy for her with adjustable rules. And you just happen to be caught up in it, becoming her pawns in a one-person game.
Trissa, lucky you expressed your allegiance after losing the harp duel.
Otherwise, your fate might have been the same as Fu Yetian and Eric, never having the chance to leave the Sky Tower again.
Including that fortunate Morris.”
“Yes, Dad, I ran into that guy right in front of Lord Lin’s door.”
Monroe nodded, “Also after that, you all had a collective dream where, as mere spectators, you witnessed how Lord Lin maneuvered through another world, carving out her path.
I think this was actually Lord Lin granting you a close-up chance to observe her.
If we can’t figure this out by now, the entire empire might face disaster.”
Trissa gasped, “Is it that serious?”
Monroe stroked his smooth chin, “Do you remember the legend of the Four Warriors?”
“Of course. They were the founders of the empire, achieving great feats.”
“According to a recently unearthed ancient book, the Four Warriors received the blessings of the Goddess of Destiny beneath the Sky Tower, which endowed them with earth-shattering abilities.
Otherwise, how could the empire have mobilized its entire power hundreds of years ago to construct such an impressive temple for the Goddess of Destiny?”
Trissa blinked her beautiful eyes, staring motionlessly at her father.
“You don’t mean to say that Lord Lin is the embodiment of the Goddess of Destiny?”
Monroe quickly shushed her, glancing around, “Keep your voice down. The most favored deity in the empire right now is certainly not the Goddess of Destiny; her temple has been reduced in size multiple times and even had two-thirds of its space taken over by the Church of Light.”
Trissa sighed, “Yes, I see the emperor is clearly aiming to replace polytheism with the Church of Light; this trend has become more apparent in recent years.”
“Exactly. Certain less-favored shrines have quietly disappeared without a trace.
Many have converted to the Church of Light, while polytheism has become a scattered mess, completely incapable of competing with the dominant followers of the Church.”
Monroe looked out the window at the lush, vibrant garden under the sunlight, his gaze distant and melancholic.
“I worry that Lord Lin, as the representative of the Goddess of Destiny, or perhaps even the goddess herself, has come to the empire upon sensing the decline of beliefs here. She might seek retribution from the descendants of the Four Warriors.”
Trissa shuddered, “This… this…”
She instinctively wanted to dismiss the idea as impossible, but then remembered that the events she encountered in the Sky Tower were even more bizarre than she could imagine.
So what’s impossible in reality?
What frightened her was the thought of what kind of upheaval Lin Nan, as the Goddess of Destiny and the master of harmony, might unleash in the imperial capital to feel satisfied.
That was a highly concerning question.
“Of course, all of this is merely our speculation. Until her intentions are made completely clear, no, even if she intends to do something extraordinary, you’d better stay by her side at all times, ready to serve her.
That’s probably the only way our family can survive the upcoming storm.”
Trissa said solemnly, “I understand, Dad.”
