1613 A Covenant that Never Existed
Not long after, the princ.i.p.al and Mousse entered that cla.s.sroom.
The princ.i.p.al was the leader of the s.h.i.+mmer race, the teacher for all the young. Judging from his attire and his temperament, he looked every part an educator. He had a white flowing beard that reached down to his chest, and he wore a formal outfit that looked neatly pressed and ironed, despite its coa.r.s.e linen.
Meanwhile, Mousse was a warrior, dressed in tight shorts and wearing soft-soled combat boots. Two curved scimitars hung on his back, and he was taller and burlier than most of the citizens, with a cautious yet piercing gaze.
The two of them were not as enthusiastic as the people. Upon entering the cla.s.sroom, they simply explained their ident.i.ties and sent for their men to fetch tidy stacks of datasheets.
!!
“These are the reports for the last three years,” the princ.i.p.al softly said. “This is a total of 36 booklets, one for each month on average. As for the information even further back, there are simply too many of them, and they are stored in the underground warehouses in the city. Ever since your people came here the last time, there would be twelve booklets that would be added to the bookshelves annually, not one less.
“But I feel like you people shouldn’t be all that interested in the information… If not, I can send people to bring them out as well, or directly hand you the key to the underground warehouse.”
Xia Fan frowned, “Why do you think we aren’t interested in the information?”
The princ.i.p.al shrugged, “There’s only three of you, and you’re injured. It’s apparent you’ve been forced to come to us. Otherwise, if you people were really here to fulfill the covenant we made the last time, it wouldn’t just be just you three, am I right?”
Xia Fan could not refute his reasoning, and just sighed, “Honestly, we were indeed being chased by the Demi-dragons, which was why we had delved deeper into the buffer zone, arriving here in Holy Spring City. We were hoping to seek your help, and as for the agreement you had with Subduing Demon City, we had no idea about it before we came here.
“As leaders, the two of you ought to know very well, so why haven’t you told the truth to the people? When we entered the city, your citizens were led to believe we were here to take them away, and I was mortified.”
The princ.i.p.al turned his head and gazed out the window. The young and old of the city were all gathered out on the schoolyard, excitedly discussing with one another, hopeful sparks in their eyes.
“The people will forever be ignorant and stupid, but seeing how cute they are in their ignorance, harboring such kind and innocent thoughts, how could anyone bear to destroy their only hope?
“Living in this cold and gloomy underground is already very hard. Even without you and your people, we need a bit of hope in order to like on. Death isn’t scary, as what is far more numbing is to find yourself still alive, but living like you’re dead.
“It just so happened that when your people arrived, they were on the brink of death being chased by the Demi-dragons, and some of my kind brethren saved them. It was my ancestors and your men that came to an agreement, and it was they who suggested the plan of the immigration lie.”
At that point, Xia Fan, Nikai, and Traveling Buddha were all stunned, a look of bewilderment on their faces.
The princ.i.p.al casually explained, “Yes, none of you heard wrongly. The immigration plan was first proposed by my ancestors. Back then, your warriors were not been willing to agree to it, because they were well aware just how dangerous the buffer zone was, and wanting to bring my people away from the darkness was an absolutely impossible task. It would require far too much manpower and material resources, while sacrificing plenty of lives in the process.
“But my ancestors managed to convince your people. We don’t need to leave the darkness, and it was fine if we could just see a glimmer of light living in this darkness. That bit of light would become the motivation for us to live on.
“Thus, your people reluctantly agreed to the condition, but something developed beyond the expectations of my ancestors as the situation developed. Our people became so pa.s.sionate about the idea, perhaps due to living in the dark for so long that they longed for sunlight. It was like they went crazy. You can randomly walk into any home of our citizens and underneath their beds, you would find suitcases neatly packed up, so they could just get on the road and leave with their luggage whenever that day arrives!
“Year after year, they are prepared to leave the light. Countless young men truly believe in this covenant, entering the dark world without the protection of the Holy Spring, all to gather information. At this point, the bodies of those young men have filled our graveyard to the point there’s no more empty plots, and were no longer able to expand the size of our graveyard.
“Even now, my ancestors no longer have any idea how to settle the matter. Those silly fellow s.h.i.+mmers of mine just foolishly believe that one day, the Demon Slayer Legion, donned in golden armor and riding huge flying beasts, will come descending from the skies like heroes, to whisk them away from the darkness, heading for the light.
“This is the story in full. I have no intention of blaming your people, since it was my ancestors who first suggested this lie. There’s no need for all of you to feel ashamed, either, as it is I who ought to be feeling that. I love my people, and want to give them hope, but all I can give them in the end is just lies, year after year.”
The cla.s.sroom was silent once more. Outside, the children were cheering, while inside, the people who knew the whole truth of the matter were not happy at all.
“How many people know about this?” Xia Fan asked.
“Just us two. Every generation of Princ.i.p.al and the Holy Spring Guardian will be told the truth, but the truth is also like the most cruel punishment in the world. The two cannot help but lead the rest of their lives with self-blame and guilt.”
The princ.i.p.al said, “When the three of you leave, I hope you can tell my people how satisfied you were with their information gathering, but it was too bad that you’re just the investigation team of the Demon Slayer Legion, here to contact us.”
“The fighting is still happening outside, so the Legion first needs to deal with all the ambus.h.i.+ng Demi-dragons in the buffer zone before you can bring them away. Tell them to continue patiently waiting, or something along those lines. After all, being lied to their whole lives is better than having their hopes completely dashed.
“Furthermore, you should read some of the information we’ve gathered. We bought it in exchange for my people’s lives, and it covers the important tribes living here in the buffer zone. There have been some recent changes, most likely due to the Demon race making contact with them, and subsequently coming to some sort of accord. That is why the war between the important tribes has come to a complete stop during the last two years.”
Humans were very strange creatures. Upon hearing the princ.i.p.al’s words, Xia Fan should have sighed when he learned that the covenant was not real, that it was just a lie concocted by their ancestors to instill some hope in their fellows.
But for some unknown reason, Xia Fan still felt somewhat sad upon learning that. Perhaps it was because of the hopeful gaze from those children, but children had always been Xia Fan’s Achilles’ heel. He liked children, and could not bear to see them suffer.
Feeling real sunlight and seeing the seas and mountains was by no means a luxurious demand, yet he was incapable of fulfilling even such a simple wis.h.!.+ He wondered if the little girl who had hugged Nikai’s thighs just now would grow up to become an explorer, dying in the darkness for the sake of a hope that had never existed. Until the moment she died, she might still naively believe that there would come a day when the Demon Slayer Legion would come and bring them all to the verdant fields of the mainland.
Just thinking about it made him very sad. Under that heavy atmosphere, Xia Fan forced himself to begin work, opening those booklets of information that the s.h.i.+mmers had gathered at the risk of their lives, but he could not bring himself to read on.
The princ.i.p.al could sense the change in Xia Fan and the others, so he said to Mousse, “Tell them not to crowd outside any longer, and disperse them.”
Thus, Mousse left the cla.s.sroom and told the hundreds of citizens outside to return home. Whether they were the elderly or the young, all of them did so reluctantly, turning their heads back more than the number of steps they took.
Xia Fan saw there were many further down the street hiding in the corners with their luggage, patting the dust off as they set it by the road. All of them were elated, looking like they were ready to set off at the drop of a hat.
“What a day,” Traveling Buddha tossed a stack of the booklets on the table. “I don’t know what it is about today, but I simply don’t have the mood to continue. All I feel is annoyance.”
The Princ.i.p.al sighed. “Waiting in the endless darkness is the fate of us s.h.i.+mmers. There’s no need to pity us. Even if you do, you lack the ability to change our fate, which would just add to your troubles.”
“The reason why the Holy Spring City exists is because we have this mystical spring water that will protect us and the city forever. Why don’t you relax in it? I’ll get Mousse to send you three for a soak in the Holy Spring, ease your nerves and shed some of your fatigue. Additionally, I’ll have men prepare some food and send it over as well.”