The Emperor’s Angel of Death

Initially, Soshian, who had been gazing at the planet, didn't immediately respond to An'ke. It wasn't until a dozen seconds later that he straightened up, extended his right hand, and inverted the hourglass on the tray.

As the fine, white sand began to flow, he slowly opened his mouth and said:

"You only have this much time to convince me."

An'ke didn't ask what would happen when the time was up, but instead posed another question.

"Phoenix King, Your Highness, are there any survivors in the expeditionary force?"

Soshian looked at him, then chuckled softly.

"There are, but I plan to make them atone for their sins by doing hard labor for the rest of their lives."

"Please release them. Ke'shan is willing to accept all the conditions you propose."

"Are you sure?"

"I am sure."

"They are just over a thousand people."

"Even if there is only one."

"Ha, haha, hahahaha—"

Soshian gave a dry laugh, then sighed with emotion:

"The Greater Good, indeed. So benevolent, yet so hypocritical. Sending millions of lives to hell, yet feigning benevolence towards the few who survive."

"It's not hypocrisy. Precisely because the sacrifice of millions of lives was a massive mistake and tragedy, we must make amends even if only one survivor remains. Otherwise, this tragedy will simply be forgotten."

"Hmm, An'ke, an Ethereal. But can your words represent your homeworld?"

"They can."

"Tsk, tsk."

Soshian raised his hand and wagged his finger.

"Lying isn't something an Ethereal should do! You can't. The emissaries I sent returned and made it very clear to me that the Ethereal who truly represents your homeworld very clearly rejected my demands and said, with great fortitude, 'Better to be a shattered jade than a complete tile.' Very resolute. I admire that spirit and intend to grant your wish."

An'ke remained calm despite these almost threatening words.

"If Phoenix King, Your Highness, truly wanted to destroy us, Ke'shan would have been reduced to ashes the moment we detected your fleet, given your fleet's strength."

Soshian snorted softly, not continuing the topic, but instead asking:

"You agree, but your compatriots do not?"

"The Ethereal Council agrees. The others will agree."

"What makes you think you can represent the Ethereal Council?"

"This."

An'ke shook the Honor Blade in his hand. Tied to it with thin cords were strands of hair of slightly different colors, 22 in total.

It turned out that before departing, An'ke had suddenly requested all the Ethereal Council members who came to see him off to cut off the ends of their hair braids for him. At first, everyone was puzzled, because Ethereals don't cut their hair after adulthood, as it is considered a symbol of their lifespan. But when An'ke silently cut off his own braid, the other Ethereals followed suit.

"All members of the Ethereal Council cut off their hair and gave it to me as proof. I, An'ke, represent the entire Ke'shan at this moment!"

Soshian nodded slightly.

"Good. In that case, you said you agree to my conditions, correct?"

"Yes, I only hope that those captured personnel can be released, no matter how many."

"Then, I assume you also know the first condition I require. Which Ethereal does Ke'shan intend to send?"

An'ke met Soshian's gaze.

"Myself."

"You?"

"Yes, I will represent Ke'shan in apologizing to the victims."

Soshian chuckled softly, glancing at the hourglass. Only half the sand remained.

"Why you?"

"Because the Ethereal Council mistakenly initiated this war. According to the post-war analysis, we can basically deduce that the attacks on the colonies were not carried out by the natives. This is our responsibility and our mistake, and we will naturally bear it."

"Mistake? Post-war?"

Soshian's words carried a smile, but his voice held no warmth. Then, he gestured for a projection orb, displaying the images of Manny Eldar and Gomo Eldar.

"I believe your survivors must have revealed some clues that you could analyze. You must have had some doubts when making decisions. But when you discovered that the world was not strong and was also very rich, you became greedy. The truth was no longer important. How to occupy that world was the key, wasn't it?"

An'ke was silent for a moment, then nodded.

"Yes, we were blinded by an easily defeated opponent and the promise of great rewards."

"So, this is the so-called Greater Good?"

"No."

"Oh? Then you mean you deviated from the Greater Good?"

"Yes, the moment we launched this war, we deviated from the Greater Good. The consequences that followed will naturally be borne by us. The prolonged war has made everyone, including the Ethereals, more radical and adventurous."

"Ha, is it because of the prolonged war? How do you explain the Araken then?"

An'ke was speechless and remained silent.

"Alas."

Soshian sighed and shook his head.

"I specifically learned about your Greater Good. Frankly, I am very disappointed. I originally thought it was some profound theory or far-sighted thinking. In the end, it is nothing more than 'those who obey me prosper, those who defy me perish' expansionism. Beneath the seemingly inclusive exterior lies an exclusive heart. Admittedly, I quite admire your non-superstitious collectivism and dedication, but that doesn't mean you can make everyone willingly accept it. The Araken are a prime example. I often listen to an ancient sage preach and have gained much insight. Do you know what he thinks of non-believers? For those who are deluded and do not believe, you must explain to them with truth and sincerity what they need to know. If they cannot understand, do not force them. Sentient beings are in delusion, like those born blind. If you try to lead them forcibly, it will be like bumping into walls and falling into pits."

After a moment of silence, An'ke slowly said:

"Reality always forces people to do things against their will. As long as it benefits the people and the Greater Good, we are willing to accept such consequences."

"Are you really going to bear it? To apologize, to kneel?"

"It is me."

"I don't think it should be you."

"Why?"

"This responsibility does not belong to you. You must not have approved of this war."

"I had a responsibility to dissuade, but I failed to fulfill it."

"The person who decided on this war should come."

An'ke pondered for a moment, then said meaningfully:

"What difference does it make to you? You only need a formality to win over the people's hearts. For so many years, we have never seen the power of the Eternal Court enter or leave that world, and we didn't even detect them during the attack. Presumably, they don't actually belong to the Eternal Court. But our attack forced them to seek help from Your Highness, and Your Highness can take the opportunity to bring them under your command. That is the most crucial thing, isn't it?"

"Hahahaha!"

Soshian laughed loudly several times and slammed his hand on the hourglass.

The last few grains of sand stopped at the edge of the hole, but they didn't move even a micrometer.

More updates tomorrow~