Don't confiscate my citizenship

The warm afternoon sun shines on the magnificent Salem Palace.

Lanqi slowly opened his eyes.

As far as his eyes can see, there are long corridors transformed from carved wooden doors. The wood fragrance and fresh flowers exuded by classical furniture permeate the surroundings. The glittering crystal chandeliers reflect colorful colors, reflecting on the gold-rimmed porcelain and silver tableware on the dining table.

"..."

Lanqi leaned back in his chair and stared at this strange yet familiar dining room.

He returned to the Northern Empire of Polant where he served as prime minister.

This is the official residence of Emperor Polant, Salem Palace.

Originally built as a large city-state residence for a duke, it was later acquired by the royal family and gradually expanded into the current building.

And the dining room of Salem Palace is where he once had lunch and talks with Queen Keshia.

Just after experiencing a kind of disordered darkness, the first ray of sunlight like the morning sun penetrating through the layers of darkness, the vision gradually regained light, and saw such an environment.

The cat boss was on his lap, and the ace crazy love devil was still on him, not forcibly separated.

"It seems that in the timeline of the shadow world, I have been in the Polant Empire for a long time? Now even the familiar Little Black Coal Ball can be summoned at any time?"

Lanqi said to himself.

"Who is Little Black Coal Ball meow!"

The cat boss shouted.

Little Black Bread endured it. It didn't expect that the name Little Black Coal Ball given to it by Lanqi in the Polant Empire last time was not a casual name, but a serious memory of this cat setting.

"Where is this?"

Talia's thoughts soon came to his mind.

"The Polant Royal Family and the Prime Minister have lunch together... This is not a fixed practice of the empire. It is one of the informal meeting forms in the constitutional democracy of the Polant Empire. It provides an informal environment for the emperor and the prime minister to discuss imperial affairs and policy issues in a more relaxed atmosphere."

Lanqi answered Talia.

In the constitutional system of the Polant Empire at that time, the emperor and the queen of Keshia played an important ceremonial role, and the actual administrative power was mainly concentrated in the hands of the prime minister and his parliament.

Lanqi's head did not move, only his eyes moved in the dining room, and every detail he noticed was full of traces of time.

His vision was not wide, as if something blocked most of the light.

On the wall hung oil paintings of more tragic historical battles, as if engraved with the glory and suffering of this country in the past.

Judging from the changes in the details of the dining room, many years have passed, but everything in Salem is still the same as in my memory.

Even the talks are still the same.

Queen Keshia still maintains a deep interest and influence in state affairs. The prime minister regularly reports government affairs to the emperor, which is part of the political tradition of the Polant Empire.

But this time there is no smell of tobacco on him, neither the pipe nor the matches are gone.

More importantly, he is no longer wearing the prime minister's black suit.

But... a white dress that I have never seen before?

After a while, Lanqi's eyes were attracted by a painting on the wall.

Strictly speaking, it is not a painting.

It is a newspaper from three years ago.

Even after a long time, it was still treasured by the Queen and framed and hung in the Salem Palace——

[On January 8, 611, the front page headline of the Polant Morning News: "The Horning Empire surrenders, the end of the century's war." ]

[Polant News, yesterday, the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers, General Alex Osborn, accepted the unconditional surrender of the Horning army at Oberon, the headquarters of the Northern Steel Fortress. ]

[Nine years after the Northern Polant Empire joined the war, the dictatorship of the Southern Horning Empire collapsed, and the Seville continent ushered in the dawn of peace. 】

【Prime Minister George Twyverley gave a speech saying: "After countless sacrifices and arduous struggles, we have finally ushered in the dawn of victory. The threat of the Horning Empire has been completely defeated, and justice will eventually triumph over evil. Let us pay the highest tribute to all the soldiers and people who participated in this great struggle with gratitude."】

【Emperor Rukwik II of Horning committed suicide on the 30th of last month. The Allies then advanced into the heart of Horning from the east and west. The Horning army retreated step by step, and a large number of officers and soldiers were captured. Finally, under the overwhelming advantage of the Allies, they were forced to surrender. Hansen Hoffman, the Foreign Minister of Horning, signed the surrender document on behalf of the Horning army. 】

【This marks the end of the century war that lasted for nearly 30 years. 】

【Large-scale mass celebrations broke out in the capital Hersharem and the Allied town of New Sinoxen, where people sang and danced and cheered. The square of the Helsharem Palace was filled with celebrating people. People sang the national anthem to congratulate His Majesty Emperor Keshia and the victory of the motherland. Prime Minister Twifuli and members of the royal family waved to the people in the square. Pope Saint Polante also attended the event. 】

【After this unprecedentedly cruel war, the Polante Empire paid a huge price and finally defended the values ​​of freedom, justice and humanitarianism. But the trauma of war still needs time to heal, and rebuilding the homeland is a long way to go. I hope that under the principles of the "Oberon Convention", the post-war order will prevent the tragedy from happening again, and the flower of peace will stay forever on the Seville continent. 】

Lanqi scanned the newspapers and paintings on the wall that were treasured by the Queen, and gradually understood this new timeline.

Twelve years have passed.

In the ninth year after the Polante Empire, the Demon Realm and the Northern Countries officially declared war on the Vampire Horning Empire, they won a narrow victory.

Now it has been another three years since the victory.

The newspaper that followed described another incident: During the post-war general election, everyone believed that Wilford would win. His campaign was unprecedentedly grand, and the intelligence agency in the devil world also believed that Wilford would win with an advantage of more than 80 seats. .

But Wilford failed, and the cheering crowd was actually saying goodbye to Wilford.

After years of war, service, sacrifice, bombing, death notices, rationing, famine, the people were tired.

People looked at their ravaged homeland and felt at a loss as to what to do, and Wilford's campaign platform was still ideological, requiring the people to continue working hard to point out the obligations and responsibilities of the Paulant Empire.

But the people are fed up.

Wilford asked the people to pay more, but the people had already paid once in 602.

This is the reflection of the dissatisfaction of national morale in the general election.

Compared with the responsible people of the big northern countries, what they need more is liberalization of food rationing, looser fiscal policies, and more public rental housing.

So when Wilford appeared in front of them after the war, a gentleman from the era of the Paulant Empire and a leader in the war, when he came out to talk to the people about the greatness of Paulant and the responsibility of the country, the people would give him a warm response. applaud.

His failure became the result, and the figure who lost the most gloriously remained in the report.

"It turns out that I am no longer the Prime Minister."

Lan Qi thought with relief.

He was not much surprised by this result.

"Why?"

Thalia complained in his heart.

"Because the people are suffering. No one wants to become more miserable, and they should not become more miserable."

Lanci gently explained to Talia.

Prime Minister Wilford's end was quite dignified.

He carried it out from beginning to end, and the people paid him tribute.

Keep looking to the right.

There are no longer reports printed on coated paper on the walls, but several commemorative oil paintings have returned.

They depict the most important moments of the Pollante Empire in recent years.

In the largest picture, in the center of the picture is an old pope dressed in luxurious white robes. He wears a gold crown, holds a scepter, and a silver mask that makes him calm and powerful.

He stood on a high marble platform, with flying dragons blowing horns in the clouds. Under the platform were crowds of people from the northern countries. Nobles and commoners knelt down together and devoutly accepted the Pope's blessing.

And Queen Kesia was kneeling on one knee to receive the Pope's blessing.

The Pope placed his right hand on the Queen's head and held a copy of the Holy Trinity in his left hand, truly bestowing imperial power on this wise and courageous Queen during the war.

Seeing this, Lan Qi understood one thing.

Strictly speaking, this place can no longer be called the Paulante Empire.

Its new name is——

United Church of St. Pauline.

An alliance formed after the war by the northern continental countries such as the neighboring Kingdom of Bliss, the Kingdom of Fuklo and the Kingdom of Edith, led by Paulante.

Queen Ceshia is still emperor.

But the Paulante Empire has an unidentified Pope St. Paulante.

At such an entry point, Lan Qi came to a brand new world of shadows.

"Meow meow."

However, Boss Cat was still looking at the newspaper curiously.

It finds that the Pollant Empire succeeded in abolishing the constitutional monarchy and the Houses of Lords and the Houses of Lords, restoring monarchical power after the war, and the idea of ​​divine right.

The former Prime Minister of the Pollant Empire retired.

Some people say that he is ill and can no longer assume his duties, some say that he is more harmful to peace than helpful in peacetime, and some say that he has been a ghost from the beginning, and even his name and identity are made up, as if he is a ghost. A messenger sent by God to save the world.

No one knows about the gray-haired Pope who always wears a mask.

His true identity under the mask——

"Your appearance is stuck in your youth."

Queen Keshia's light voice startled the cat boss on Lan Qi's lap.

It was so focused that it didn't even notice.

At some unknown time, Queen Kesia, the emperor of Paulant, had arrived in the dining room.

She sat in her usual place - opposite Lan Qi.

"Your Majesty Keshia."

Lan Qi put down the cat and prepared to stand up to salute Queen Kesia who had just arrived.

Twelve years have passed, and the young Queen of Kesia is now close to forty. She has become much more mature and kind-hearted, but she is still charming.

"No need to salute."

Queen Kesia gracefully stretched out her hand to Lanqi and motioned for him to sit at the other end of the long table.

Her manner exudes a sense of nobility, her satin-like brown hair is dotted with dazzling jewels, and her clear blue eyes are like a silver mask that can penetrate the other person's face, but they can't hide a bit of caution that weighs the distance.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Lan Qi bowed, the hem of his cloak drew a light arc on the carpet, and sat down again.

He raised his head and met Queen Kesia's eyes.

The restaurant fell into silence for a moment, except for the ticking of the hour hand and the crackling of the fire in the fireplace.

You can't feel the cold inside the dining room, but the winter air from the window edge sometimes permeates the air. There are occasional frost and fog, and no trace of flying birds can be seen.

The two sat facing each other in silence, as if they were waiting for the delicacies, and also seemed to be considering their words.

As the head of a country, Queen Kesia, who is usually busy with official duties, rarely has the opportunity to have such private chats except for necessary public occasions.

According to the practice as a former prime minister, Ranchi should first open the topic and explain to the Queen the decision-making direction of the House, the progress of domestic and international situations, and the challenges facing the future.

But times have changed, and this lunch is no longer the meeting between the emperor and the prime minister like it used to be.

More like.

Just a meal for them as old friends.

After a while.

"Your Majesty, are you hungry now?"

Lan Qi's sudden question broke the silence and stunned the Queen and the cat boss who was peeping in his arms.

Boss Cat vaguely remembered that Lan Qi also asked this question when he first met Queen Keshia at the Shalem Palace in the Shadow World.

Are you used to Tata? Everyone you meet is Tata? !

Boss Cat suspects that Lan Qi's database has been contaminated since several dates with Tata. Now even when he sees a normal girl, he will subconsciously consider the law of "a date equals a meal".

"Hmm."

These words made Queen Kesia burst into laughter.

They didn't say anything last time because they weren't familiar with each other, and they didn't say anything this time because they were too familiar with each other.

But he still made this opening statement.

"Your Holiness the Pope seems to have a good appetite?"

The Queen thought for a moment and replied with the same question.

There was a slightly amused expression on her beautiful face.

"On the contrary, I had a good breakfast, and it's noon in a blink of an eye. Compared to having a meal, I think it's more important to have a good chat with His Majesty Keshia."

Lan Qi shook his head and raised a tired smile on his lips.

He had almost discovered just now that the pope wearing a white robe and a mask in the painting was the one he was wearing now.

But Boss Cat jumped up in fright.

It looked up at Lanqi in white robes and the silver mask on his face.

Really the Pope? !

This guy is a great guy.

"You were extremely polite today. It's like you've turned back into the Prime Minister you were when we first met. I miss you very much."

The Queen lowered her head and replied,

"What, are you thinking about it? Or are you really planning to retire this time?"

She looked a little brighter, slowed down her speech, and asked Lan Qi sincerely.

"..."

Lan Qi was silent, not understanding what Queen Keshia meant for the time being.

Keshia stared with burning eyes at the man in front of her who had known him for more than ten years and was still a mystery to him.

"Lanclos, I'm glad to see you again. Every day, I worry about hearing bad news about you."

Queen Kesia finally lowered her eyes and spoke again,

"There are so many secrets hidden in you. From the time you changed your name to Wilford and spent nearly twenty years in the Pollant Empire to reach the top of the political arena... Until then, I had never thought that you were actually a member of the Horning Empire. people."

As one of the Pope's few friends, or one of his few friends still alive, she knew the Pope's secrets and past.

Ever since he accepted the transformation of the Horning Empire's testing site, his time has stopped at that moment forever.

Strictly speaking, this acquired taboo product should be called a demon.

Neither demons nor humans.

The mortality rate of the demon transformation surgery is extremely high, and it requires countless tortures before there is any hope of success. To a certain extent, it is equivalent to abandoning one's own race and turning oneself into an unlikeable monster.

As a side effect, not only do they not have the immortality of real demons, but their lifespan is also significantly shortened compared to humans.

Perhaps for Lanclos, it was already a miracle that he could live to be over forty years old. He might have to endure unimaginable pain every moment, all relying on the tenacity of his soul to resist death, supporting this body that was about to die at any time. The collapsed body is doing its last things.

"..."

The man in white robe sitting opposite him remained silent.

"Lancros, if you don't want to talk, then you don't need to talk, just listen to me."

Queen Keshia continued speaking in a gentle voice.

Originally, the Queen thought that this lunch would be a difficult test, but it became easier because of Lan Qi's previous words.

Lanclos is always changing, but there is always a bit of sincerity and humility in his green eyes.

She could see that, unlike most powerful people, the man in front of her had a sense of responsibility but no desire for power.

This is why she is willing to treat him sincerely no matter how weird and unpredictable he is.

"To be honest, the more I get to know you over the years, the stranger you feel."

She looked at Lan Qi,

"No matter what, I will help you. After you die, I will also hide good secrets for you. You deserve to be famous forever."

Queen Kesia assured him.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Lan Qi responded.

Since the country believes in the Church of St. Paulant, the pope has a very high voice in this country, and even actually surpasses the emperor. On many decision-making issues, the current emperor needs to listen to the pope's opinion.

At this point, Lan Qi roughly understood the story of the past twelve years.

During the first nine years of the war, his church made outstanding contributions to the fight against the Horning Empire, and its ecclesiastical power grew. On the surface, Prime Minister Wilford and Pope Lanclos were the opposite of power. No one would have thought that Prime Minister Wilford's other identity is actually the leader of the church.

He secretly continued to give up political power to the religious power, and finally staged a successful ending for himself, announcing the defeat of the political power and the rise of the religious power.

So in the next three years, Prime Minister Wilford became history, and a pope above imperial power was born.

now.

Perhaps it was the time when the Pope was almost at his end, and the Queen, as an old friend, wanted to see him off for the last time.

"I hope I never need to use my talents. A St. Paulant Theocracy that does not need me is a truly beautiful country."

Lan Qi replied calmly and easily, with no hint of pretense in his tone.

This shadow world seems to represent the last period of Black Sun's life.

He had read about the price of human demonization and distortion in the book collection at Lichtens Castle on the border of the Horning Empire in the second shadow world.

Demons like Lancros who accepted immature artificial transformation at the Empire's testing ground in their early years would have a hard time surviving past the age of thirty.

Counting now, Lanclos is almost 49 years old in this timeline.

Even Lan Qi couldn't understand why he was still alive.

However, the advantages accumulated in the first three Shadow Worlds finally led to a happy ending.

"You're still like this."

Looking into Lan Qi's eyes, Queen Keshia said sincerely, and the guilt and unbearability in her heart turned into bursts of bitterness and surged into her heart.

She was unforgettable, and Prime Minister Wilford answered her the same way when he first met her.

Even if he is let down by the empire, he will not let it down.

"You said you're not hungry. I've finished what I want to tell you, so I won't waste your time here. Please go back to the Pope's Hall."

Queen Kesia wiped her eyes, squeezed out a smile to say goodbye to an old friend, and said to Lan Qi.

"Goodbye, Your Majesty."

Lan Qi stood up, saluted Keshia again, and said goodbye.

After coming to this shadow world, there was no prompt from the shadow world for so long, which made him feel that he shouldn't stay here to eat.

He needs to hurry up and find out more about this era.

Such as the devil world.

Such as his friends from this era.

Now that he has won, his friends in the Shadow World should also be reunited.

"See you."

Queen Kesia waved to him.

Received by the guards, Lan Qi walked through a series of doorways.

He stepped out of the ornate gates of Sharem Palace and came to the door.

The streets of Helsalem were bustling with people, and citizens were busy coming and going. The noise of the city was always coming from both sides of him.

It’s different than it was more than ten years ago.

There is hope in people's eyes.

The fog of fear was lifted.

The city is also coming to life.

After finishing his meeting with the Queen of Kesia, he, Pope St. Paulant, should return to his papal hall as expected.

When Lan Qi's figure appeared at the gate of the royal residence, the members of the Temple Knights who had been waiting for him for a long time immediately knelt down, as if they were seeing the arrival of a god.

They wore silver armor, with Saint Paulante's emblem embroidered on their chests, and held sharp spears in their hands, like a guard of the sky.

"My lord, His Majesty the Pope has arrived!"

"Glory - Praise -"

Following the high-pitched and loud chanting of the knight commander, the uniform voice of praise resounded through the sky like a stormy wave.

Lan Qi slowly walked out, followed by several clergymen dressed in Apocalypse attire, who respectfully followed him around.

The next step is to take the temple vehicle back to the Saint Paulante Papal Hall.

Ten minutes later.

The majestic fortress located at the top of the imperial capital can be vaguely seen.

Like the oil paintings in the palace, it shines with solemn and sacred brilliance in the afternoon sun as always.

On the way, Lan Qi looked out of the car through his mask.

Occasionally, I saw an old couple holding the relics of a young officer, praying with tears in their eyes, a young girl holding a newly bloomed lily, bowing shyly, and children excitedly climbing on their parents' shoulders, trying to stretch their young necks, looking at the Pope. Hall vehicles.

Lan Qi watched quietly.

Unconsciously, the vehicle had slowed down and stopped in front of the St. Paulante Papal Hall.

The Papal Hall is located at the highest point of the imperial capital Helsalem and is the residence and center of power of Pope Saint Paulante.

The exterior wall is made of stone, with a towering spire. There is a huge stained glass window on the front of the hall, surrounded by chalk stone walls and defensive towers. In addition to the external basic structure, the core area is the throne room of Pope St. Paulante.

Lan Qi's footsteps sounded on the white stone steps, and the Pope's Hall was lit with dazzling lights.

He passed through the array of temple knights in silver armor and entered the door of the Papal Hall.

The door slowly closed, blocking out the hustle and bustle of the world.

The light in the huge church was dim, with only a few beams of setting sun projected from the window lattice, and the holy light of heaven fell on the red carpet in front of the altar.

Lan Qi walked slowly towards the throne, with the clergy behind him standing on both sides, one on the left and the other on the right, and closed the several-meter-high black gold door of the throne room for him.

"..."

He stood in front of the throne and was not in a hurry to return to his position.

Instead, he turned to face the mirror on the side of the temple.

I saw a figure in the mirror. He was tall and straight. He could be mistaken for an old man, probably because he had covered his young face. The white-haired man gave people this impression.

The outer layer of the pure white robe is embroidered with gold thread, and the hem and cuffs are trimmed with gold. There is a dark red lining inside, and the front is embroidered with the religious pattern of the Trinity.

"Oh, I became the Pope?"

Lan Qi unveiled the silver mask in front of the mirror.

In this shadow world, his attire has been transformed into a papal uniform, and his hair color has been dyed pure white.

Standing in front of the mirror wearing a mask, he didn't even recognize himself.

"Wait a minute Lan Qi, you seem to have an extra debuff."

Thalia suddenly reminded.

She found Lan Qi. After Lan Qi came to the Shadow World, he had a strange state.

It's just that it's too secretive, and she didn't identify it until she could safely use magic power in the throne room space.

【Mind Break】

[Category: Negative Status]

[Level: Epic]

[Attribute: Spirit]

[Rank: 9]

[Sequelae after the battle with the third ancestor, Duke Rashal. 】

Thalia shared the information with Lanqi through her mind.

"...I feel pretty good."

Lan Qi felt it carefully and responded.

He didn't feel weak or unwell again.

In other words, his spell resistance itself is very high.

"Please pay attention to your health. If you feel uncomfortable in any way, tell me immediately."

Thalia instructed.

"Thank you, Master."

Lan Qi put on the mask again,

The Pope's momentum was restored.

"Is this the current Theocracy of Saint Paulant?"

Lan Qi came to the wall with the map engraved on it, stood with his hands behind his hands, and looked at the map of the world.

Even if he doesn't need to act deliberately, when he puts on this outfit, his temperament is natural.

"I feel like you are a super mastermind right now, meow!"

Boss Cat poked his head out from the shadow, and couldn't help but feel horrified when he saw Lan Qi like this.

Generally speaking, in a storybook, this kind of mysterious pope who wields supreme power and appears majestic and upright will definitely not be a good thing!

"Don't say it, don't say it. Now the territory of St. Pauline Theocracy has reached an extent that was unimaginable before. It is simply the northern continent's version of the Creation Empire, even if it is not as good as the one that annexed the entire southern continent during the heyday of the war. The Huoning Empire has no territory, but it seems that it does not have the capital to fight head-on with the Huoning Empire. "

Lan Qi looked at the map and muttered to himself, drawing lightly in the air with his fingertips.

"What on earth are you thinking about, meow!"

Boss Cat originally thought that Shadow World Lanqi's power had declined this time, but he didn't expect that it would still perform steadily and steadily improve again.

Before Boss Cat could say anything more, the long-delayed information about the Shadow World finally appeared in front of them.

[Shadow World: Eternal Punishment and Immortal Ending]

[Level: Eighth Level]

[Total number of challengers: 9]

Generally, the Shadow World prompt appears delayed because other challengers at the Void Gate entrance have not yet entered.

Seeing this number of people, Lan Qi felt relieved for the time being.

Hyperion should have caught up as promised.

[Twelve years ago, you withstood the pressure of Congress and became the light that illuminated the Paulante Empire during the darkest moment in the northern and southern continents, igniting the hope and courage of the people and mobilizing the country. Waging war against the Horning Empire. 】

[Some old things die, but something new sprouts there. Although crosses have multiplied in your graveyards, and although your homes have turned into black ruins, your nation has been resurrected, allowing the vampires to witness unprecedented power. 】

[You used your actions and efforts regardless of life and death to gain the final glory of the Polante Empire and a turning point in the destiny of mankind. The determination of the entire Polante Empire to fight began to reverse the defeat of the northern continent, even though it may lose Everything, but subjugating the country and annihilating the species is better than surrendering the homeland of the ancestors and becoming a slave. The empire began to stage its final elegy and final performance, its final stubbornness, and its final glory. 】

Same as always.

Prompt messages began to appear in his field of vision.

[Experienced nine years of fierce fighting to unite the northern countries and the demon world. 】

【You win. 】

[But it also paid a heavy price. 】

[Because of this, this victory is extremely precious. 】

[You have come a long way, shining brightly like a star. Every fate in the past, even if it is not known by people, you don't care about. Compared with the memories that are gone and cannot be described in loving words, You fall deeper and deeper into the embrace of tranquility and dreamland. 】

[People celebrate and cheer for the hard-won peace, hold on to their imagination of happiness, and look forward to the return of the prosperous age. 】

【You are trapped in confusion. 】

suddenly.

The font of Shadow World becomes dark red and twisted here, as if broken.

Lan Qi's ears began to reverberate with piercing screams, wails, and a group of fires that could not be extinguished, rising violently, hearing the echo of the catastrophe, and losing control as the soul collapsed.

Natural disasters abound, fireworks are burning, and the eyes are dazzling red.

He subconsciously covered his eyes, feeling a tingling sensation on his nerves.

"What’s wrong with you?"

Thalia felt something strange about Lan Qi and asked with concern in her heart.

"It's nothing. It felt like I was under an illusion just now. It seems to be the negative state that I have had since I came to this shadow world...it will affect me from time to time."

When Lan Qi blinked again and looked at the information from the Shadow World, the last sentence had disappeared.

Sure enough, he was wrong.

[It takes a lonely soul to dedicate, a person who stands out from thousands of choices. 】

[Every time you count the stars in the sky, you wonder why someone has to sacrifice. 】

[And why, you are the last one to survive. 】

[In the last days of your life, you are only one step away from your dream, but it seems thousands of miles away...]

[Task Objective 1: Read the letter from my old friend Caliera. (Unfinished)]

[Task Objective 2: Understand the state of mind of Lancross of the Black Sun. (Unfinished)]

[Mission Objective 3: All challengers survive until the end of the 21-day time limit. 】