The Guardian gods-Chapter 210

It took a while for Erik to calm down, sitting on the floor of his office, holding his tattered hair. Silas’s last words revealed how much Erik had missed when laying the foundation of his kingdom.

"For humanity, absurd," Erik thought to himself with a sad smile.

"I wonder what the humans would think if they knew that the core principle of their kingdom was an idea planted by a demon to control them easily," Erik thought, a mocking smile on his face.

His question to Silas about puppets in the rival kingdom and Silas’s response showed that the rival kingdom, because of their strong belief in the origin gods, especially Crepuscular, had a protection or immunity that his kingdom would never have due to their firm belief in human power.

Erik never cared much about the origin gods. His world had gods too, but they fled when the situation started worsening. One thing he understood was that their gods were never origin gods; instead, they were a few lucky individuals who managed to ascend.

Erik’s experience with his world’s gods made him disregard the gods of this world, as he saw them all as cowards who would run when things got tough.

This was why he made no corrections when he started his kingdom; he didn’t push for the humans’ belief in the gods. He even entertained the idea that humans were similar to him and could only depend on themselves for greatness.

Now, his conversation with Silas showed that their human motto, "Humanity," had been pushed from behind the scenes by Silas to better exert his control without angering the gods.

Thinking of this, he remembered Silas’s words: "Your kingdom is my kingdom."

Erik began laughing at himself. He realized he had really been a fun plaything for Silas, naive to think his revenge would go as planned. He now understood he knew little about the kingdom he led. He helped the kingdom grow by occasionally sharing his knowledge and letting the humans do with it as they wanted.

The same was true for his army, the Shadows. He had never fully paid them any attention, seeing them merely as tools for his revenge.

Erik found himself entertaining the idea of escaping his leadership role and finding a place to lay low and wait for an opportunity to take his revenge.

As soon as the thought arose, Erik shook his head. "No, this may be what Silas wants, and I no longer want to play his game."

Erik stood up slowly, his eyes steeled with determination. He could still feel the rage burning within him, but now it was held together by a grim resolve. Silas had manipulated him, exploited his grief and anger, but this would not be the end of his story. He would not allow himself to be a puppet any longer.

Walking to the shattered remnants of the glass he had broken, Erik picked up a shard and examined it closely, watching the way the light fractured through it. The symbolism was not lost on him. His kingdom, like this shard, was fractured but not irreparable. There was still hope, still a chance to mend what had been broken, but it required a change in strategy, a deeper understanding of his new world and its powers.

He needed to learn about the origin gods, the true nature of his enemy, and the hidden hands that had ensnared his kingdom. He didn’t fully believe that Silas had control everywhere in his kingdom.

More importantly, he needed to connect with his people, to understand their way of life, their fears, and their strengths. He was originally human, but after becoming an Elf, he seemed to have forgotten that. Once he reconnected with his people, only then could he hope to reclaim his kingdom and avenge his old world in a way that would not play into Silas’s hands.

Erik strode to the window, gazing out at the city below. The people were scrambling around, trying to put out the fires, unaware of the dark force at play.

"It’s up to you, son," Erik thought as he looked out the window. If his son managed to succeed in forming an alliance with the rival kingdom, then he could see an opportunity for his kingdom’s reformation.

The next day, Erik called in maids and workers to fix his office. While they were working, Erik couldn’t help but sneak a few distrustful glances at them, not knowing which one might be under Silas’s control.

At the same time, he was getting reports on the assassination attempt on his council members. Clenching his fist in anger, Erik took note of those council members attacked and those who survived.

In Erik’s mind, no matter how tragic it was, it gave him an opportunity to see those he could trust in his council since Silas had made a move against them, which showed they weren’t compromised.

At the same time, Erik didn’t fully trust those who survived, as he couldn’t eliminate the possibility of Silas purposely leaving them alive to confuse him and lead him back to square one.

Jonas and Elara had been in the rival kingdom for over three days without being granted an audience with their leader. The rival kingdom, known as "The Sun Kingdom," had a flag matching its name: a blue sky with a flaming red ball at its center.

Jonas had been sending requests for an audience since their arrival, yet no attention was paid to them. What made Jonas even angrier was the fact that other small human kingdoms who arrived later than them had already been granted an audience.

Jonas was beginning to think about aborting the mission and reporting back to his father on the mission’s current progress. As he entertained that thought, there was a knock on the door to his guest room.

"Come in," he said. The door opened to reveal Elara, who had been exploring the city.

Elara dipped her head slightly before speaking. "Crown Prince, I believe I have an idea on how we can be granted an audience so we can present our case."

Jonas perked up and asked, "What is it?"

Elara had a disturbed look on her face before she said, "I need your Highness to follow me."

Jonas noticed her unease but said nothing. He patted himself to ensure he looked presentable before gesturing for Elara to lead the way.

Jonas and Elara walked out of the guest home into the bustling street. Jonas was once again met with a sight he still found hard to believe.

He saw humans and harpies walking side by side, laughing and communicating with each other, something that would never be seen in their kingdom.

Jonas noticed that the people of the Sun Kingdom had a special affinity for gold, as buildings, streets, and even the people and children had something gold-plated on them.

This brought Jonas back to the memory of the meal served to them when they first arrived, which was a safety gold-plated meat. As a prince, luxury meant nothing to him; he only found it strange how everyone seemed to enjoy the same luxury in this kingdom.

Before he knew it, they had arrived at their destination. Elara stopped and said, "We are here, your Highness."

Jonas frowned, seeing where they were. He asked in an angry tone, "What are we doing at a temple?"

Elara wasn’t surprised by his reaction. She discreetly pointed at others near the temple to avoid incurring anyone’s anger.

Jonas looked around. The more he looked, the more his expression changed as his brows furrowed.

Seeing that he was beginning to make the connection, Elara began speaking. "Those are people of the Net Kingdom, a small human kingdom on our continent. Their main belief is in the sea god Jaws."

Jonas raised an eyebrow, still unsure where Elara was going with this. "So, what does that have to do with our audience with the Sun King?"

Elara didn’t respond to his words but continued speaking "That is the Gullon Kingdom. None of the origin gods are their main worship, but much is known about their fascination with the golden dragon."

Elara continued pointing at different groups of people, introducing them before finally asking Jonas, "What do they all have in common with us?"

Jonas frowned and said, "They all came to the Sun Kingdom with a purpose?"

Elara nodded before asking once again, "And what is the difference between them and us?"

Jonas saw how after each kingdom went into the temple and came out, they were met by a priest in a red robe with the mark of the sun on its back, who led them away. "They are granted an audience," Jonas answered after seeing that.

Elara took a deep breath before explaining. "I’ve been observing the Sun Kingdom’s customs and their interactions with different groups. Each time a delegation from another kingdom was granted an audience, they performed some sort of ritual or offering at the temple of the Sun God, Crepuscular, beforehand. I believe this is a sign of respect that the Sun King values highly."