Chapter 1296: Chapter 1296

"——That’s truly admirable."

Annan sighed with emotion.

[Are you referring to Daryl, or to those players?]

Annan answered earnestly, "They are all admirable.

"Daryl, as a mortal among mortals, eradicated poverty completely within a century while living in the mundane world... and yet never wavered in his resolve. He is undoubtedly admirable.

"My children, despite gaining power and authority, did not misuse it, did not indulge in frivolity, or act recklessly—even when they possessed immortal bodies. This makes them even more admirable."

[On this subject, I must clarify something.]

[The players do not possess absolute immortality, as their immortality stems from you.]

[Their souls are stored within the Book of the Celestial Chariot, and their bodies are constructed through the book’s power. This means that after you depart, none of the players can achieve literal eternal life... they rely on the presence of the "Chariot" to resurrect.]

[In other words, apart from those who have ascended to godhood, all the players have died one by one. But as long as you return and allow the concept of the "Chariot" to exist again, they will instantly revive across the world.]

"Ascended to godhood..."

Annan murmured, "Which of them have ascended to godhood?"

But Qingdiao immediately detected Annan’s underlying intention.

[Once they ascend to godhood, they detach themselves from the First History. This means they can no longer serve as your anchors.]

[However, I can answer your question. Of those who ascended, the first was Husky.]

[She, relying solely on her own strength, invented numerous games and convenient technologies without the aid of the Chariot. Revered by people, she ascended and became the "Goddess of Play and Convenience," respectfully titled the Daughter of Delight, following Father Flints.]

[Defu became the Goddess of the Hunt, serving under the Grandmother, and is called the Huntress.]

[Maria ascended as the Storm Goddess, whose divine name is the Lady of Howling Winds, also following the Grandmother. Thus, she is also known as the White Dragon Princess.]

[Tasty Goose, Wandering Child, Yi Yi, Snow Puff Pastry, and Aden, along with fourteen other players, failed their ascensions and died in history. However, if you return, they can all be revived and complete their ascensions.]

[Meanwhile, Dragon Well Tea has become the holder of the Eye of Patience and survives to this day.]

[Four Concealed melded with the "Skull of Honesty" forty years ago after Saint Peter’s death.]

[Many other players chose not to ascend, instead supporting the empire in various domains. Among them, some have passed away, some retired, but a small number still remain in their posts.]

Annan suddenly realized something.

He hesitated for a moment before asking, "Then... what of my wife, Kafney?"

[She is still alive—as your only Angel Envoy.]

At this, Qingdiao’s tone carried traces of reproach.

[You should not have made her your Angel Envoy.]

[A world without you is far too lonely for her. Kafney also fears her own transformation. She knows you will return someday, but worries that a hundred years from now, though her body won’t age, her heart will grow weary and not be worthy of your love.]

[If not for her existence embodying the continuity of the "Emperor," she might have chosen to end herself within ten years of your departure, ensuring she would still be the girl in your memory when you meet her again.]

[But she shoulders too many burdens. People believe the Emperor still lives, still reigns, because Kafney issued many beneficial policies in your name.]

[Even now, people believe their lives, the empire’s achievements, all stem from you... They even think the God of the Chariot has already ascended. That you already possess a divine temple, a Pope, followers, rituals, dogma... yet your Angel Envoy remains solely Kafney.]

"...It shouldn’t be this way."

Annan sighed, "There should never be gods, never any beings worthy of people’s worship, faith, or reverence. I myself am not worthy.

"To be human is to err. And for gods to preserve their own humanity, they are fundamentally no different from humans—they feel touched, they feel anger, sadness, embarrassment... hatred, and love.

"The perspective of gods differs from mortals, seeing from higher planes. But even the gods are ultimately mortal beings. And mortal beings, by nature, err.

She’s endured too much hardship, too much loneliness.

Annan swallowed his words.

But Qingdiao still heard the unspoken whispers in his heart.

[To Kafney, every single day without you is solitude. Yet she must remain strong because she is the matron of this empire.]

[She cannot falter, for in people’s eyes, Kafney is merely the deliverer of commands. Any mistake she makes will inevitably be attributed to you, the God of the Chariot. To preserve your reputation, Kafney has to deliberate over every single decree.]

[At the same time, she cannot allow her heart to grow too rigid, too rational, fearing she might lose her "adorable nature." This, to her, is an even greater torment.]

[Thus, Kafney is the least likely person to err. She cannot accept failure, cannot become tyrannical. The present Kafney is the very manifestation and embodiment of the empire’s collective wisdom.]

——And all of this stems from [love].

In his mind, he suddenly recalled the final passage of the Book of the Praise of the Chariot of the Heavens:

He recited softly, "I watch over the remains of my beloved, not to seek anything..."

——Her face grows old, her eyes hiding the stars are closed.

My love in my heart shall never cease in death; it did not manifest of its own will.

But as I gaze upon the grave, tears fall from my eyes as they do when I stare at the sun.

I am but human; a mere human who loves another.

My soul is the kindling, this love the flame; my soul burns with fire, like smoke rising; I embrace the sun—like a moth drawn to light.

"...’That is my light! The eternal, unyielding love, the third reverberation from the sun’s core’—

Annan came to a realization.

——Neither [Truth], nor the need to become a [Saint].

Simply ascended for the sake of an unwavering love within the heart...

The ascended one was not Annan, but Kafney.

Now, she lacks the Book of Truth and is not a Saint... Because for her, those two paths were closed.

Annan suddenly remembered the moment he first met Kafney, when she raised her head to gaze at Mr. Radiance:

"——I look at the sun, seeking the light that could be sealed in my pupils. But when I gaze at the sun, all that falls are tears... I know deep within that I am but mortal."

Annan murmured softly.

He recalled another passage:

"I gaze upon her as one gazes upon the sun. Tears fall from my eyes, sealing light within my pupils.

"I am the moth entranced by the light, loving her as if rushing into the flame.

"Her starry eyes reflect my gaze, and within them lies a mirrored image—not of light, but of love."

Gazing at the sun—is Kafney.

Being mortal—is Kafney.

The moth drawn to the light—is still Kafney.

And Annan is the light. He is the sun. His starry eyes... the radiance sealed within Kafney’s eyes...

Now, she governs the empire, yet her eyes remain fixed on Annan—Annan is the light sealed in her eyes through love.

——So it turns out, "Odes to the Celestial Chariot" is truly a prophecy!

But the era it foretold was not the one when Annan appeared... Instead, it was a prophecy about Kafney after Annan’s disappearance!