Chapter 1505
Can't You Lie?
"Offer your faith to her, son of man."
In the distant darkness, amidst shattered dreams, beneath the glowing tree, Lady Tree's face still bore a gentle smile, yet a hint of solemnity lingered: "Just as you have always done, as long as you are willing to believe in Her Highness the Princess, then she is capable of anything."
Because the faith of young people is the most powerful force in the world.
Ling Ge fell silent for a moment, seemingly deep in thought, but Madam Tree was certain he wouldn't refuse, nor did he have any reason to. Because, from the moment they embarked on this journey, the relationship between this young man and the young queen had been freed from any worldly interests or gains, consisting solely of absolute trust.
If it weren't for mutual trust, he and they would never have made it this far, and although this trust has always been tested by the outside world, it has never wavered.
Therefore, the young man's hesitation is simply because he still can't figure out a certain problem.
“Even if my faith is required,” he asked, “can’t it be done in reality? After all, you haven’t answered my initial question: why did Ovira insist on keeping me in the dream?”
Lady Tree smiled slightly and said, "Haven't you already seen it? The power of the Plague Witch Perece can even corrupt people's hearts and faith. Even Her Highness the Princess could only rebuild her corrupted faith by relying on the power of the Mystic Kingship and the Holy Grail to grant a miracle of salvation to living beings. Therefore, Her Highness's wish for you to remain in the dream is precisely to protect you, Son of Man..."
“You’re lying.” The young man interrupted her expressionlessly. “The Plague Witch’s power is indeed terrifying, but if it were me—”
He paused briefly, then repeated himself, not to emphasize anything, but rather as if reminding himself: "If it were me, I would never let her corrupt my faith."
The young man's resolve was so unwavering, never swayed by any external factors, not even by the power of the young queen. This was not boasting, but an inexplicable premonition. It seemed that long ago, the young man realized that he could be the most indifferent person in the world, unmoved by the missionaries moving through the crowds and their impassioned speeches, and even the goddess doctrines that his foster father always spoke of could only elicit superficial respect from him, but could not truly win his heart; yet, under certain circumstances, he could also be the most devout believer in the world. Once he decided to entrust his faith to someone, he would probably never regret it for the rest of his life, nor would he waver in his original intention.
Such people are actually quite dangerous. They may not possess the ability to decide a war, overthrow a civilization, or change a destiny, but they are destined to inspire those around them with a fervent, moth-to-a-flame mentality, sometimes inspiring awe, sometimes fear. The young man understood this better than anyone else, and therefore never easily revealed his true nature, or rather, even if he wanted to, he couldn't, because at least before he met Saint Charlotte, there was no virtual dogma or concrete object in the world worthy of his faith.
But was he really hiding himself well? The young man dared not make a definitive conclusion, but at least Saint Charlotte must have seen through him, and he believed that if it were Ovira, she would think the same way.
Therefore, the claim that keeping Ling in the dream was to protect him is no longer valid.
The young man wanted to know the real reason, even though he knew it wouldn't change anything. But perhaps it would help him understand the girl better. He thought sadly, realizing once again that he was always slow to understand. This slowness was not only reflected in his emotions, but also made him deliberately ignore certain things that were right in front of him, until he was destined to lose them and then suddenly woke up.
But in Mrs. Tree's eyes, he remained as perceptive as ever. Even if his attention was momentarily captivated by unimaginable truths, he would quickly regain his composure. Or perhaps it was an instinct that made young people habitually focus on the fragile essence of things. And that was precisely the image of him that Ovira remembered most vividly: fearless, never confused, walking at the forefront of the crowd, clearing away the fog, and moving forward with unwavering determination...
“You have an extraordinary intuition, young man.” Lady Tree sighed, then shook her head slightly, her tone still calm: “But I have not deceived you. Her Highness the Princess kept you in her dream to protect you. This is an indisputable fact.”
Linger frowned deeply. He still believed that his intuition was correct, but Mrs. Tree did not seem to be lying. Could there be some secret hidden in the matter that he did not know about?
Seeing the young man's thoughtful expression, Mrs. Tree smiled gently again. She knew that if she didn't explain clearly, the young man probably wouldn't accept it. He had a strict set of standards and expectations for the world, for others, and for himself, which was probably why he always seemed out of place.
“Your will, your beliefs, and your rationality truly transcend the many sufferings of this world. Even the power of the plague-ridden monarchy would likely have little effect on you, and Her Highness is well aware of this.” Lady Tree gave the young man a deep look: “But what prompted her to make this decision is related to your true identity.”
Furthermore, they are an inseparable relationship.
"My...true identity?"
Lin Ge was stunned; this was the only answer that was unexpected. The young man had always known that everyone gathered around him had their own origins and incredible identities. The young queen who wielded the laws of creation was a given, but even outside of the young queen, there were the three traveling fairy sisters who could combine and borrow the power of the fairy queen Titania, the oldest blood elf on the Shichiria Peninsula, the countess who personally created the ancient Methoth Empire, and even the artificial queen, the Cursed King Cenos, the leader of the thirteen followers of Saint Thomie, created to counter the young queen…
Initially, Saint Charlotte claimed to smell the scent of the Golden Apple on the young man, thus convincing him he was chosen by the goddess to change destiny. Only Linger already knew the answer: the real Golden Apple was never himself, but Medien. Now that even this disguised identity has been lost, what other identity does the young man possess besides being a wandering orphan, an adopted son taken in by Mr. Yanko, a priest of the Heavenly Heart Church, Medien's brother, and the most trusted mortal of the young queens?
"Don't underestimate yourself, son of man."
Mrs. Tree's deep eyes seemed to see right through the young man's heart, revealing the inferiority complex and doubts he always kept hidden: "When the whirlpool rises, even the calmest sea eye will be swept up in endless turbulence. Do you really think that you, as the very center of this whirlpool of fate, can be ordinary? When all the special destinies are connected to you, perhaps even this ordinariness is a sign of the extraordinary?"
Linger wasn't convinced by this reason; his brow remained furrowed, finding it hard to believe. He tried to find signs in his past memories, attempting to prove that he too harbored an extraordinary side, but to no avail. Of course, his ability to gain the favor of the Maiden's Royal Power and lead a group of cursed girls to survive the Witch's Society's relentless pursuit was hardly ordinary, but it didn't seem to reach the level Lady Tree described.
At the center of the vortex of fate, all special destinies are intertwined... To be honest, when young people hear this description, the first person that comes to mind is actually Alice.
It's absurd, yet strangely reasonable. As for myself...
It seems he still has some doubts. Lady Tree smiled helplessly, finally understanding how stubborn this young man was in his inferiority complex, self-deception, and self-doubt. She had to present more compelling evidence to convince him: "Her Highness the Princess is now the complete and mysterious monarchy. The infinite knowledge of the universe and the myriad secrets of the world are all exposed to her. So, she must have seen something to make this decision, right?"
Lin Ge's expression shifted slightly: "You mean, Ovira already knows my true identity? If so, why didn't she just tell me?"
"Perhaps Her Highness prefers you to confirm it yourself. After all, no matter how much knowledge she has gained or how many secrets she has mastered, she is ultimately standing in the position of 'someone else.' And in this world, the only person who can truly accept another version of themselves is the person they are now. I think you understand this better than many others, young man." Lady Tree sighed at this point. "The only thing I can tell you is that the answer will be astonishing, and may even overturn the facts you have firmly believed in from the past to the present, as well as the deeply ingrained beliefs you have held. Therefore, please be prepared, and when necessary, do not hesitate, and do not doubt yourself."
She couldn't help but use the same tone she used when teaching Princess Bemang—patient, meticulous, and full of expectation: "You are irreplaceable in this world, so Her Highness would rather keep you in her dreams than let you step into the filthy storm of the outside world. Of course, for your true identity, the malice of the world, the capriciousness of fate, and even the ravages of plague mean nothing. But even if there's a 99% chance you'll be safe, Her Highness is unwilling to risk the remaining 1% by letting you face danger, because she knows that neither she nor the world can afford any greater risks..."
Mrs. Tree's words were unimaginable to Linge.
He never knew that he had a so-called true identity, let alone that this identity was so important. In fact, according to Ovira, even the battle between the young queens, which involved the conflict between chaos and order and the future of the cosmos, was not as important as protecting this young man's safety.
But upon learning this, he wasn't particularly proud; on the contrary, the young man felt...apprehensive.
This emotion came so suddenly, without warning. It didn't appear when he learned he had to embark on a journey to find the laws, nor when he learned the truth about the destruction of the old world's Eden and the true purpose of the witch of reality, nor even when his beloved died smiling in his arms. Why did it appear now? Perhaps only one explanation can account for this unique mindset: Before this, the young man had to shoulder the responsibilities and ideals of others, but when he had to bear his own responsibilities, his own ideals, and even face his own choices, he felt panicked.
Perhaps these things were never within his consideration. People only become helpless and overwhelmed when faced with unexpected situations.
"I—" He opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.
Lady Tree waved her hand to stop him: "Don't think too much, young man. Now, just do what you should do."
What should we do?
Of course, it is through your faith that Her Highness becomes a pillar of support.
Let us help her overcome all the disasters, illnesses, and sufferings in this world.
Mrs. Tree's eyes clearly conveyed this message, and the young man fell silent. Although he still harbored doubts, panic, fear, and hesitation, he knew that this was no longer the time to dwell on it. Just as Mrs. Tree had said, the person who needed help the most was still waiting for him in reality.
He silently withdrew his gaze and then turned away.
Beneath the glowing tree, the Tree Lady's phantom was dissolving into specks of light, like the rain that had once poured down in the courtyard filled with violets, gradually drifting towards the end of darkness—a desolate world, a rift between illusion and reality, an abyss of lies and truth. But this kind and wise elder felt no fear; perhaps to her, death was merely a dream repeated countless times, making no difference between dreaming and waking. She simply gazed at the young man's retreating figure with a loving yet compassionate look, and suddenly asked, "How do you know it was a lie, young man, son of man?"
She believed it might be based on intuition, but there must be some other reason as well.
The young man didn't turn around: "I think you're not the real Lady Tree, but rather a part of Ovira's memories, just like those illusions that appeared before."
The lack of response from behind was tantamount to accepting the answer.
"Since that's the case—"
The young man seemed to remember something, and a subtle smile unconsciously appeared on his lips: "Then you should also know that, in fact, Ovira is a person who is not very good at lying."
Whether she was the one who was ignorant of the world and could only change herself through continuous learning, or the one who now possesses countless knowledge and secrets of the world and is omnipotent like a god.
All lies are equally clumsy. (End of Chapter)