Chapter 408
Give Me an Explanation
Chapter 408 Give Me an Explanation
Two strongly worded diplomatic notes were sent out in the name of the Grand Duke of Gold.
In high society, letters of this caliber are extremely rare, often indicating undercurrents and a complete breakdown in relations between the two sides.
Then, the letter disappeared without a trace.
The Guardians of the World organization displayed a numbness akin to a dead pig not fearing boiling water.
In fact, they have received countless similar letters and urgings during this period, to the point that even the secretariat is exhausted.
There are too many things in the world that require their attention now: the leak of the Knight Training Method, the birth of the Chaotic Knights, the chaos in various cities, and the impact on and maintenance of the existing defense lines.
In addition, the Morgan family is trying to use them to retrieve several family members imprisoned in Lin Yuan City, and the vampires also want to reclaim their family's sacred artifact from the Guardians of the World organization, since it was borrowed by the Three Hundred Knights.
Furthermore, several old marquises who had previously exchanged pleasantries with Shou Shiren and tacitly approved of the Golden Clan's power grab were eager to secretly communicate with him and discuss the aftermath.
Whether public or private, overt or covert, countless matters await the intervention of the Guardians of the World organization.
But surprisingly, none of the Guardians of the World responded at this time, and they remained silent about everything.
"Has the High Priest not given any orders yet?"
"The pressure from all sides is too great, we can't hold on any longer..."
The most unfortunate were the members of the Guardian of the World's outer secret service, because they couldn't contact any of the people in charge. The High Priest hadn't come up since he took his core confidants into the underground hub to carry out that secret plan.
They could only try to contact those below them while racking their brains to deal with inquiries from all sides.
They accepted all diplomatic notes, delayed all meetings, and refused to give any response.
This has led to widespread speculation outside.
Some people thought that the high priest had caused a great disaster and knew he couldn't handle it, so he was hiding out of fear of punishment and just delaying things.
However, some people felt it was not that serious, after all, the high priest was an old marquis and was recognized as the most responsible person in the noble circles.
He has served as the high priest of the Guardians of the World for thirty years and has presided over countless secret plans that could affect the entire world. Apart from the new duke, it is no exaggeration to say that he is the most powerful person in the world.
Such people have long been involved in politics and are indifferent to life and death.
Furthermore, there are too many things happening in various places nowadays, and the longer he delays, the more serious the situation becomes and the heavier his crime will be.
From any perspective, he had no reason to hide; on the contrary, dealing with the matter quickly was more important.
Of course, speculation is speculation, but the fact remains that he has refused to show himself, so all eyes have inevitably turned to the high priests in red robes in various places.
Within the Guardians of the World organization, these high priests in red robes are the most important figures besides the Grand Priest. If the Grand Priest is high above, overseeing all affairs of the world, then the high priests in red robes are like regional governors, each controlling a territory.
Each high priest in red robes also has his own temple and traveling knights under his command.
The leak of the Knights' training methods had the greatest impact on them.
"The situation is clear now: if the high priest doesn't do his job, then these red-robed high priests will have to do it."
"If those thirty-six of them joined forces, they could still resolve the chaos in this world."
"..."
The important figures from all sides had long seen that, given that the Guardians of the World Organization did not take the initiative to handle affairs, these red-robed high priests, who represented the highest will of each region, were the best candidates.
Even though Contract No. 02 is still sealed, as long as all thirty-six high priests in red robes around the world act at the same time, they can form thirty-six blocking points to directly suppress the chaos in this world.
At the very least, it can drive away those chaotic knights who have trespassed into the abyss and lock them down one by one, thus creating a deterrent effect.
But no one expected that, despite the clear-cut situation, it would be exceptionally difficult to handle. The high priests, aware of the gravity of the situation, unanimously offered the same suggestion after hearing about what needed to be done:
World Council.
“Red-robed priests can carry out any order, even bypassing the orders of the Guardians of the World.”
"But there is one prerequisite: the signature of the World Council!"
"With this signature, even the high priest of the Guardians of the World can be replaced, let alone the thirty-six blocking positions?"
"..."
It seems like a very simple matter; anyone can do it, all it takes is a signature.
And the person who has the authority to sign this document is also the one who asks them to do something.
But then a troubling problem arose, and the organizers of the World Council slammed their fists on the table in anger: "World Council? How the hell do you think it's so easy to convene?"
"To convene the World Council, two conditions are required. One condition is that all twelve powerful marquises must be present at the same time and each present their private seals."
"Another condition is that if the twelve powerful marquises cannot be present at the same time, then the high priest of the Guardian of the World organization must be present and cast more than 70% of the votes."
This was originally intended to prevent others from undermining and excluding others, and to protect the interests and voice of all parties.
But now it has become a fatal curse: "It is impossible for all twelve old marquises to gather together. First of all, the old marquis of Lin Yuan City is already dead, and his personal seal has been left to the newly promoted Grand Duke."
"Secondly, given that the Grand Duke has already appeared, the World Council was supposed to invite him anyway. If he doesn't attend, the entire vote at the meeting will be nullified unless other Grand Dukes jointly object."
"But right now, the other major families are still fighting tooth and nail for the title of Grand Duke, so it's simply impossible for it to happen..."
"Furthermore, since the High Priest of the Guardians of the World refuses to show up, even if we wanted to hold an emergency vote, it wouldn't be possible..."
"..."
Then, the funniest scene unfolded.
The nobility controlled the world through rules, but now they are finally suffering the consequences of those rules.
Everyone watched the bad situation unfold, didn't want it to happen, yet no one could stop it.
The matter has come full circle. What the hell is that High Priest doing?
……
……
"Teacher, what should we do?"
Inside the underground facility, the core members of the Guardians, who had once participated in the remote killing of Dr. Strange and the recovery of the golden pen, nervously and cautiously asked the High Priest, "You must give us an answer, right?"
They didn't know how to handle the current situation. The High Priest couldn't possibly be unaware that the outside world was in turmoil and countless things were happening every day, but this old man had been searching for information in the database for several days in a row.
He has been like this ever since he realized that the eccentric doctor had used his death to hack into the underlying database.
At first, when people watched his actions, it seemed as if he was trying his best to stop something.
But this guess soon changed.
Because it's unstoppable, that person used the underlying data recycling mechanism to invade the database. By the time they discovered it, it meant the invasion had already been successful, so how could they stop it? Besides, three or four days have already passed, so stopping it is pointless now.
The message should have been shared with the outside world, and then a solution should have been considered. But instead, the High Priest was so engrossed in this, going without food or sleep for days.
He finally stopped when the World Council sent someone to forcibly open the gate to their underground hub and take the High Priest back for investigation.
When questioned by the students, his hair was disheveled, and he asked in a low voice, "I will apologize!"
"What? Teacher, you..."
His assistants and students all tensed up and quickly gathered around him, their expressions a mixture of fear and anxiety.
"This has blown up too much."
The high priest smiled faintly and sighed, "The attempt to seize the relics of the Golden Clan, the leak of the Templar Knights' training methods, the unauthorized plan to massacre a level-one city, and the deaths of three squads of patrolling knights... Heh, these things happening..."
"...Actually, it's nothing."
His calm demeanor was surprising. He simply smiled and explained to the students around him, "These things only caused chaos at most. Once chaos occurs, someone needs to deal with it."
"Besides me, who else can take over this mess?"
“I think that’s why those people have been trying to contact me. They want to persuade me to atone for my crimes and solve the problem first.”
"But what they don't know is that this eccentric doctor is hacking into the underlying data and trying to get close to the world model."
He remained calm throughout the previous questions, but when this question came up, a hint of bitterness crept into his smile: "This world is too big, enough to shake the foundations of all things, enough to destroy the world model, so that civilization cannot be restarted."
"This is such a big deal that I don't even know how to explain it to them."
"..."
The student became even more nervous: "But the more it's like this, the less likely it is that I'll apologize..." "Teacher, you can only solve the problem if you're alive..."
"..."
"Do not."
The High Priest waved his hand and said softly, "I intend to resolve this issue with my death."
As he spoke, he looked at the control panel, which contained a series of complex designs, the result of his tireless work over the past few days.
He whispered, "Because the method I've come up with these past few days to stop that eccentric doctor will be even more unacceptable to those outsiders if I tell them about it. So I need to make a decision before they know the truth!"
"These……"
He pointed to the intricate equations on the screen: "That's the safety loop I built for myself."
The student and assistant suddenly understood his intention, their faces filled with shock: "So, teacher, your idea is..."
"Yes, I'll go in too!"
The High Priest spoke coldly, a ruthless glint in his eyes: "Since that genius researcher could think of using my decisions to hack into the underlying database and enter the world model, why would I care if this flesh-and-blood body went to the underlying database to stop him?"
"This is the only way. I can not only figure out his purpose, but I can even use this circuit to defeat him!"
The assistant looked nervous and was about to speak again, but he raised his hand to stop him and quickly ordered, "But once I die, you will be the ones to handle things in the real world."
“Originally, after my death, I should have designated which red-robed high priest would be the candidate for my position as Grand Priest. After the designation, the World Council would then vote by a majority of the votes to determine the next Grand Priest.”
“But this time the situation is different. I will die as a sinner, and my appointment will not count. Therefore, it is most important to choose the next high priest.”
"And my suggestion is..."
He paused slightly and uttered two words: "Natural disaster!"
Someone nearby still looked confused, but his personal female secretary had already nodded solemnly: "I understand, High Priest."
"Get out, Qingqing stay!"
The high priest smiled, gestured for everyone to leave the room except for the secretary, who remained. He then handed the secretary a revolver and said:
"I will connect my consciousness to the underlying database, and when the connection is successful, you must shoot me and blow my head off immediately..."
"Do you understand?"
“If you don’t fire this shot, then I’ll be half in the underlying database and half in reality, and in that case…”
"...This power is too great; it is not the kind of power that should be held by real people."
"..."
The female secretary nodded, gripped the revolver tightly with both hands, and aimed it at his head in advance, while the chief priest put on a special helmet with various pipes connecting to the machinery.
Before officially starting, he gently stroked the keyboard with his palm and sighed, "Little Han, oh Little Han..."
"You're a genius so intelligent that the whole world fears you, but back when you were at the research institute, I was the one who first discovered you, I taught you how to survive there, and I was also the first person to hear you propose the Divine Descent Plan..."
“I know your ambition and pride. In fact, I secretly cooperated with you to put pressure on those nobles. I helped you complete the Divine Descent Plan, and I also used you to weaken the power of those nobles and strengthen the power of the Guardians of the World Organization…”
"I thought we'd work together tacitly, one in the open and one in the shadows, to change the world. But I never imagined you'd end up playing me too..."
"Then don't blame me for ruining your plans..."
"..."
As the sound faded, he abruptly pressed the button, and with the mechanical activation, his consciousness began to flow.
The next moment, a gunshot rang out, and his head exploded, shattering into pieces.
……
……
Amidst the chaos around the world, the news of the High Priest of the Guardians of the World's suicide shocked countless people.
Many people find it hard to understand: how could such a prominent figure, who had led the organization for over thirty years, just die like this?
It's so childish it's unbelievable.
But nobles and the Guardians of the World were both secretive circles, so no one was willing to waste time on his death. It's just that the situation quickly moved to another level.
The Guardians of the World organization immediately responded to the two-pronged inquiry, citing his death:
First, it responded to the demands of the Golden Clan, telling them that the high priest who had committed a grave sin had been punished, and hoped to gain the Golden Clan's forgiveness for this.
Secondly, all of the Grand Duke's demands were accepted.
Secondly, the Guardians of the World agreed to the convening of the World Council. Since the High Priest was dead, the Guardians of the World could sign the agreement in his name, as if the High Priest had signed his name before the meeting even started.
These two responses had a significant impact on Han Su.
Finally, with the response from the Guardians of the World organization, everything that happened in Lin Yuan City came to a clear conclusion.
The matter of the defection of Sanbailou, the former leader of the Third Circuit Knights of the Eastern Continent, and his members has been definitively concluded, and the title of Circuit Knight has been revoked.
Han Su, a trainee knight promoted from Qinggang, was approved to join the ranks of patrol knights because of his great contributions during the turmoil in Lin Yuan City.
Because of his heroic efforts and the guarantee of the Golden Duke, he was promoted exceptionally and appointed as the commander of the Third Order of the Traveling Knights, responsible for the second district of the Eastern Continent.
Completely legitimate and legal, all done in one step.
Even Han Su couldn't express his dissatisfaction with the result.
He is now a high-ranking member of the patrolling knights, holding a high position and great power. In addition to owning his own nightmare horse and a specially made flintlock pistol, he even has the qualifications to select suitable people from the temple to join his ranks and form his own patrolling knight squad.
"Is my personal career also reaching its peak?"
Upon receiving the result, Han Su did some calculations and finally confirmed that it was indeed the case.
For an investigator who came from Qinggang, becoming the commander of the roving knights was already the pinnacle of his career, because the only way to go further was to join the noble system and become a baron.
Within the Guardians of the World organization, the superior of the Grand Master of the Traveling Knights is the High Priest in Red Robes, but the High Priest in Red Robes is selected from among the nobles and cannot be directly promoted.
So, putting everything else aside, it's time to get down to business.
After carefully reviewing the situation, Han Su immediately called Zhang Chiguo in Qinggang: "Uncle Zhang, how's the kidnapping investigation going?"
Zhang Chiguo's voice was also complicated. He sighed and said, "The report is ready."
"Compared to the one I wrote before, I've added a lot of new material."
"Although I've been preparing for this day for a long time, there are too many people involved. Are you sure you want to hand it in now?"
"..."
Han Su nodded: "Confirmed!"
At this point, he suddenly laughed, as if he himself found it somewhat absurd: "Back in Qinggang, they wouldn't let us investigate, so we killed all those who were trying to stop us from doing so."
"Once you leave Qinggang, you'll find that even if you wanted to submit this report, no one would dare to take it. But that doesn't matter. According to procedure, your report will be handed directly to me, the commander of the Third Order of the Traveling Knights."
"Although the process was complicated, fortunately, the investigation still progressed..."
"..."
Zhang Chiguo smiled wryly, feeling as if it were all a dream, and then said, "So, what happens after it's handed over to you?"
"What will you do if someone still tries to prevent the truth from coming to light?"
"..."
Han Su laughed and said, "Then of course we'll take them down!"
So, shortly after that phone call, a special report was submitted. This report was first investigated and collected by an internal staff member of the Qinggang Disaster Management Bureau, who was also a veteran criminal police officer from the bottom of society, and then handed over to the Qinggang Disaster Management Bureau.
The report was relayed up the chain of command until it reached Secretary No. 5 of the Qinggang Disaster Management Bureau. Secretary No. 5 then urgently reported the matter to Han Su, the newly appointed commander of the Circuit Knights in the East Second District.
After receiving the report, he immediately sent it publicly to the Guardians of the World organization, with only one core demand:
"Give me an explanation!"
(End of this chapter)