SWNOVELXO Chapter 803: Diary
"October 1st, I've decided to construct some 'Wonders' before officially ascending to emperor. I wonder if it's better to build an 'Iron Tower' or a Triumphal Arch in White Maple Square...
"Hmm, perhaps I could also build a Great Wall in the northern region bordering Feynapotter? Or a grand lighthouse in a port in the western Mist Sea...
"In any case, if these projects are launched simultaneously, they would 'reasonably' allow for the conscription of a large number of laborers and funds, and the preparation of building materials, maximally concealing my plan to construct a 'mausoleum'...
"However, constructing 'Wonders,' even in this post-Industrial Revolution era, is extremely difficult. I wonder how many lives will be lost because of it, and how many families will be broken in the process...
"Not to mention, after this massive fiscal expenditure, my originally planned minimum welfare policy will inevitably be shelved."
How will Bernadette view me? Will she be disappointed in her old father?
However, this is a necessary sacrifice! Only by becoming a True God can one escape the chessboard and become a player!
Did Roselle begin building his "mausoleum" before becoming emperor? Or rather, after deciding to cross Pathways and become the "Black Emperor," ascending to emperor was an inevitable choice...
Also, I remember Zaratul once prophesied that Roselle's eldest daughter, Bernadette, would betray him... Perhaps it was because of this? Old Huang certainly did a lot of despicable things in his later years... No wonder he was overthrown... Tsk, Great Emperor, wonders ruin nations!
Recalling the description of the Sequence 0 ritual on his "Black Emperor" card, Klein sighed and continued to read the rest of the page:
"October 2nd, I presented my 'Wonder' plan to the Parliament... The 'Iron Tower' project passed smoothly, and the Triumphal Arch didn't attract too much opposition... But the Great Wall and the Grand Lighthouse faced unexpectedly strong resistance...
"But thinking about it, it makes sense. The 'Iron Tower' project can absorb the excess steel production in the country from recent years, saving many of the parliament members' steel factories. They are naturally happy to see this project pass.
"The construction of the Triumphal Arch is funded by the national treasury, and it doesn't affect their interests, nor does it make me lose face.
"But a structure like the Grand Lighthouse, which can regulate the order of oceanic trade, will likely touch upon the interests of some families who were originally familiar with hydrography and some veteran captains... After all, while lighthouses make navigation convenient, they also lower the barrier to entry for this industry.
"The Great Wall, even more so... they must assume I want to use it to crack down on smuggling and illegal immigration, right?
"However, this made me realize that these wonders are not entirely useless... At least, I now have good reasons when Bernadette questions me."
The content of this page ended here. After Klein put it down, he couldn't help but sigh, for to his knowledge, among the "Wonders" built by the Great Emperor, only the most useless "Triumphal Arch" survived, and it was actually only completed thirty years after the Great Emperor's death.
Among the other wonders, the "Roselle Iron Tower" was torn down on the day the Gustav Dynasty fell;
As for the Great Wall, Klein, as a history student, had never even heard of it, as if it had never existed;
As for the Grand Lighthouse... with the development of the times, people had long built more lighthouses that replaced its original function...
However, the fate of this giant towering structure, which was said to be too tall to see the top from its base, was much debated. Some said it was destroyed by ship cannons, some said it sank into an oceanic trench due to an earthquake, and others claimed it mysteriously disappeared before the fall of the Gustav Dynasty.
Although only a little over a hundred years had passed, that Grand Lighthouse had also become a rather famous historical mystery.
In the history department of Tingen University, there were even scholars specializing in research on that lighthouse.
I remember Mr. Azik was very interested in this mystery... As his thoughts turned, combined with the miraculous experiences of the previous week, Klein had some guesses about the whereabouts of the Grand Lighthouse: Could it be that the real-world prototype of the Dream Labyrinth Tower was that wonder?
It was dragged into the world of imagination by Roselle, buried at the entrance of what "The Tower" called the "Chaos Sea," and then modified to form the current "Dream Labyrinth Tower"?
If I were to write a paper and publish it, it would solve a historical puzzle... Though those who don't believe it would probably dismiss it as nonsense, and those who do believe it would probably come knocking on my door immediately...
After a few self-deprecating remarks, Klein opened the next page of the diary submitted by Miss Judgment:
"April 16th, after nearly a week of effort, I finally successfully coaxed Madam Julia into bed!
This conservative blonde beauty who married from Loen gave me a very wonderful experience, a feeling incomparable to that from Countess Warringham, Countess Fleurys, Madam Cullen, Miss Delilose, and others.
"Perhaps it was the psychological bonus of the sense of accomplishment from solving a difficult problem, the excellent effect of the health potion Cullen newly prepared for me, or perhaps Julia's coy yet inviting demeanor gave me a unique thrill...
"In short, I am very grateful to Viscount Deline for bringing this beauty to Trier."
Upon reading this, Klein's mouth twitched. He specifically glanced at the diary's date and muttered to himself:
April 16th? Very good, I remember in the diary I got last week, you only met this Madam Julia on April 11th, and you even reflected on yourself and pondered a bunch of philosophical questions during that time... It's only been a few days, and after drinking the potion provided by Cullen, you're indulging again?
And you're even thanking Viscount Deline... No wonder the Deline family was at the forefront when overthrowing the Gustav Dynasty...
Shaking his head, Klein flipped to the second page of the diary submitted by Miss Xio, and a quick glance revealed it was a continuation of the previous page...
He thought for a moment, then finally read it carefully:
"April 17th, I once again had a close rendezvous with Madam Julia at Earl Warringham's private gathering...
"Perhaps having crossed a psychological line, her body no longer resisted as it did yesterday, bringing me a completely different wonderful feeling.
"However, after the 'activity,' she cried in my arms, complaining about her marital life, her resentment towards her family, and her disgust for her husband...
"Just as I thought she would ask me to save her from the 'demon's lair' like a knight, she instead made an unexpected request: she wanted to become a Beyonder, to become a 'Hunter,' hoping I could help her gather the formula and materials...
"I was somewhat surprised by this, but didn't pay too much attention, as a Sequence 9 formula isn't hard to find for someone who's already a 'Son of Steam.'
"But the request itself showed that Julia is actually very clear-headed and not content with an ordinary life, knowing that strength is the foundation of everything, and it's better to rely on oneself than others... This is a lady with no small ambition!
"Perhaps I didn't conquer her; instead, she 'hooked' me through her means...
"Yes, even though I saw through her intentions, I didn't plan to just pull up my pants and deny it... Moreover, I'm really looking forward to seeing her transformation.
"I'll just have to be more careful when we 'exercise' together in the future, so she doesn't plot against me again."
Tsk, Madam Julia later became a 'Hunter'? At this time, Roselle probably didn't know about the sex change that occurs in the 'Hunter' Pathway at the 'Iron-blooded Knight' stage, right? I wonder if that lady eventually became a demigod.
Tsk, Klein continued to browse the content of the last diary page:
"April 20th, through some investigation, although there's no evidence, I have a faint feeling that Julia's identity might be problematic.
"After all, given her apparent family background, she shouldn't have developed into such a shrewd and calculating girl...
"But in other aspects, she's so perfect; I can't find any issues...
"I told Cullen about this, but he indifferently told me that Julia is either a member of some hidden organization or a spy for the Loen Kingdom's 'MI9'... And the latter is more likely.
"After all, secret organizations don't create personal résumés with such meticulous detail.
"However, her desire to become a Beyonder is probably not an arrangement by 'MI9,' but her own will... As I thought before, she has the ambition to control her own destiny.
"The reason she chose 'Hunter' as her starting Sequence should be so that her future children won't be suspected of having Beyonder characteristics from other Pathways—the Deline family itself controls an incomplete 'Hunter' Pathway.
"And her specific request for this formula from me likely has the purpose of implicating me, a 'Son of Steam,' and muddying the waters if things are 'exposed.'
"What a calculating woman. The 'Instigator' (Conspire) (Sequence 6) or 'Provoker' (Sequence 8) that follows 'Hunter' might suit her very well!"
The former matriarch of the Deline family might have been an MI9 spy? So, is this family still under Loen's control?
I remember Intis's current Prime Minister is from this family...
And when the Tarot Club discussed Special Envoy Owen being the "Lust" of the "Psychological Alchemists" last time, Miss Judgment said that 'MI9' already had this information but wouldn't actively arrest him...
If the Deline family has this connection with 'MI9,' then it all makes sense... They're all their own people!
Hmm, Mr. Tower seemed to have been collecting information on the Deline family before. I can sell him this information as a favor later... before Miss Judgment shows him these diary entries.
Klein turned over the last diary page and picked up the information on the "Queen of Calamity" provided by Little "Sun."
Throughout the process, the majestic palace was silent. Both "Justice" and "Moon" were thinking about what they would trade and discuss next.
Ebner, meanwhile, planned to exchange "Dacy Pie" for the information provided by "Sun" later.
Due to Lilith's mission and Roselle's remark, "You're too early," he now had considerable interest in the matters of the "Queen of Calamity."
Cattleya the "Hermit," encountering such a situation for the first time, showed no awkwardness or unease at all. Instead, she diligently analyzed the information revealed by the scene:
"This isn't the first time... Mr. Fool has a habit of reading Roselle's diary at the Tarot gathering... Members actively or passively collect it for Him, and He pays them in return...
"He really can understand Roselle's diary... Is He searching for secrets lost in the river of history?
"Also, 'The Sun' mentioned that the information he submitted was about the legend of the 'Queen of Calamity'... Who is that? An ancient god?"
At this moment, Klein had roughly finished Browse the information on the "Queen of Calamity."
Overall, there wasn't much content. After all, most of the City of Silver's information came from the kingdom of Giants, so they knew more about Giants and their arch-rivals, Dragons. As for Elves, their allies, the information was not very comprehensive, mostly preserved through oral tradition.
Among this limited content, most had already been seen in the murals "The Tower" once displayed, with only one description catching Klein's attention:
"The 'Queen of Calamity' had close ties with the 'Harvest Goddess,' who was the Queen of Giants, and visited the City of Silver multiple times... This displeased the 'Goddess of Beauty,' who had defected to the Elves. The two subordinate deities had a very poor relationship."