"Incomprehensible construct, collective cognitive disorder..." Lacey repeated the words from the report softly, his voice devoid of emotion.
"Gertrude, lock down all related information immediately."
"Isolate and interrogate the original sender and all handlers of this report. Ensure their mental state is stable, and then, make them forget everything they saw."
"It is already being done," Gertrude replied crisply. "The psychological intervention specialists from the Intelligence Department have already departed."
"Publicly declare that the Northern Border Outpost encountered a rare Catastrophe, causing communication equipment failure and psychological trauma to the personnel."
"Very good."
Lacey flipped the sketch over, face down, seemingly unwilling to look at that Void Eye for even a second longer.
"Any reaction from Sami?"
"None," Gertrude shook her head. "Our personnel planted in the Sami tribes report that everything is as usual. They seem to be completely unaware of this incident, or... they are deliberately concealing something."
Lacey walked to the window, gazing at the myriad lights of Trullinczentyr outside.
"It is not that they are unaware, nor that they are deliberately concealing it."
"It is that they dare not perceive it."
An old, hoarse voice abruptly resounded within the study, as if seeping out from the shadows of the walls.
Gertrude's muscles tensed instantly, her right hand flashing toward her waist. She whipped her head around, pupils contracting violently.
In the shadows of the study, a figure had appeared unnoticed.
It was a Sarkaz wearing an ancient scholar's robe. Withered skin clung tight to his bones, and two points of ghostly blue soul-fire burned within his eye sockets.
The Lord of the Royal Court of Liches, Flemont.
Lacey, however, was abnormally calm. He did not even turn his head, merely asking indifferently, "Lord Flemont, you come uninvited. Is it to explain the psychological activities of the Sami Snow Priests to me?"
Flemont's two points of soul-fire flickered, seemingly scrutinizing Lacey's back.
He had not expected Lacey to be so composed in the face of his sudden appearance.
"It seems you know more than I imagined." Flemont stepped out of the shadows.
"I came because I wanted to know if the new master of Terra is a fool who will repeat the same mistakes, or... a person worthy of entrusting knowledge to."
"Entrusting knowledge?" Lacey turned around, looking directly at the other party. "For example, knowledge about the Demons?"
Flemont's soul-fire jumped fiercely.
"You actually know!" For the first time, his voice carried surprise. "From those tattered records of the Ursus Emperor's Blades? Or fragments from the Yan Astronomical Bureau?"
"I merely pieced together some fragments." Lacey walked to the desk, flipped the sketch back over, and pushed it toward Flemont.
"The source of power for the Ursus Emperor's Blades, the war that has not ceased for a thousand years on Yan's northern border, and... the Witch King Herkunftshorn. Why he became so mad in his later years."
Flemont fell silent. His withered fingers picked up the sketch, and he suddenly smiled. "I still remember our first meeting before you ascended to the throne. At that time, you completely negated Herkunftshorn's achievements."
Hearing this, Lacey blinked subconsciously, looking somewhat awkward. But even so, he still felt that the Witch King's actions were somewhat improper.
Flemont seemed to just be mentioning it in passing; he turned and continued, "Herkunftshorn... he was indeed not mad."
"He glimpsed the essence of the abyss."
Gertrude could not help but speak up, her face full of confusion. "He was clearly a tyrant who indulged in power and was eventually overthrown."
"Tyrant?" Flemont let out a dry laugh. "Perhaps. At least I did not approve of his methods, otherwise, I would not have created the Twins."
Hearing these words, Lacey pondered for a moment. "In the Royal Archives, I saw some fragments of the Witch King's manuscripts. He repeatedly mentioned a word—'Concept'."
"Correct, Concept!" Flemont's soul-fire suddenly brightened.
"The Demons... what is the essence of their power? Not physical destruction, not energy impact, but the dissolution of reality, the erasure of concepts!"
"Cognition is power," Lacey interjected. "As long as you recognize it, it can find you."
"Fear is its best food. It can erase the concept of 'self' regarding you, and then turn you into a part of it—the so-called Collapsal."
"It seems you really have done your homework." Flemont nodded, a look of approval on his face.
"The essence of the Demons is 'Nothingness'. It wants to turn all 'Existence' into 'Nothingness'."
"And the only way we can oppose it is to constantly define 'Existence', to strengthen the concept of 'Having'!"
"Herkunftshorn used the history of Leithanien as a framework and human will as bricks to build the palace 'Pavillon' in the Barrens. It gathered various concepts of Leithanien's past and present, composed of a large number of Arts Towers, to resist the Demons."
Gertrude was thoroughly shocked by these words.
She had always thought the Witch King was just a madman. She hadn't expected such a secret to be hidden behind that madness.
"The Ursus Will represented by the Emperor's Blades is the same thing," Lacey added.
"A powerful concept constructed jointly by the nation, the people, and history, used to resist the erosion from the North."
"Precisely so," Flemont said.
"But you, Lacey, you are doing it more thoroughly."
"You are not just unifying more than half of Terra; you are creating an unprecedented, grander, and more stable concept—the Terra Community."
"You make everyone believe in this community, look forward to this community, and fight for it. Every person's belief is adding bricks and tiles to this concept."
"This is ten thousand times stronger than the Witch King's towers or the Will of Ursus."
"But this is not enough," Flemont changed the subject.
"The strength of a concept depends on the thickness of the knowledge and reality it contains. Your Terra Community is currently only built on peace and hope. It is beautiful, but also fragile."
"Once the people's hope is replaced by fear, this concept will begin to collapse from the inside."
"So you came to find me to tell me what to do?" Lacey asked.
"I came to tell you that you are not fighting alone." Flemont's soul-fire looked toward the North.
"In Sami, on the endless ice fields further north, one of our ancient Sarkaz Royal Courts—the Cyclops Royal Court—has been fighting the Demons there for hundreds of years."
"They are one of Terra's earliest guardians of concepts. What they guard is 'Existence' itself."
"Do they have a way to completely destroy the Demons?" Gertrude asked urgently.
"Destroy? Naive little girl." Flemont sneered.
"You cannot destroy 'Nothingness'. You can only build a taller lighthouse beside 'Nothingness', letting the light of 'Existence' shine further."
"The Cyclopes know how to build lighthouses, but they lack fuel."
"Fuel?"
"Knowledge, power, and... an anchor powerful enough to carry the concept of the entire Terra." Flemont's gaze locked firmly onto Lacey.
"Herkunftshorn failed because the concept of Leithanien was insufficient to carry the weight of the entire Terra."
"But you, perhaps you have a chance."
Lacey fell silent.
He finally understood the true meaning of the entry [United We Stand].
That was not a simple increase in affinity or combat power; that was a core talent for constructing concepts. People's expectations of him were the bricks and stones constituting this concept.
The empire he built, the bills he pushed, the speeches he delivered—everything was adding bricks and tiles to this grand concept named "Terra Community," constructing an ultimate barrier against the Void.
"The notes left by the Witch King should be more than the little bit I saw," Lacey spoke, breaking the silence.
Flemont revealed a trace of a smile. "Of course. His most core research is hidden in a place only he knew. However, for a leader of the Royal Court of Liches, there are no true secrets in Terra."
"Tell me the location."
"The location is at..."
Lacey nodded and turned to Gertrude. "Gertrude, from now on, initiate the highest-level intelligence control."
"All information regarding the Northern Border, Sami, and the Demons is to be classified as Top Secret. Except for you, I do not wish for any extraneous personnel to know the truth of this matter."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Gertrude's eyes were firmer than ever before.
She understood the weight Lacey carried and finally understood her own position.
"I am going to that secret room," Lacey said to Flemont. "Then, I will go to the Northern Border."
"You will see things far beyond your imagination." Flemont left this meaningful sentence, and his figure, as if it had never appeared, merged back into the shadows and vanished.
The study returned to silence.
Lacey walked to the map, his fingers gently tracing over the vast frozen earth of the North.
"Gertrude."
"I am here."
"Prepare an executive order." Lacey's voice was calm as water.
"In my name, announce that next month, I will travel to the Ursus Province and the Sami Region to conduct a three-month resource exploration and border defense inspection."
"...Yes."
Gertrude did not ask why; she simply executed.
"Also..." Lacey turned around.
"Never mind. It's nothing. Go do your work first."
Lacey thought for a moment but ultimately did not speak the words. Gertrude seemed to realize something, but she did not speak further either, accepting the order and leaving.
...
Underground, beneath the Twin Towers, inside a small circular stone chamber.
The walls, ceiling, and floor were carved with dense runes and formulas. These characters and symbols twisted crazily, as if the writer had poured both their sanity and madness onto them under extreme mental pressure.
In the center of the stone chamber, there was only a simple stone platform holding a notebook wrapped in unknown black leather.
This was the final legacy of the Witch King, Herkunftshorn.
Lacey stepped forward and opened the notebook.
The first page had no text, only a drawing.
In the center of the drawing was a black sun, its light devouring everything. Under the shine of the black sun, mountains turned to powder, rivers solidified into nothingness, and cities became twisted geometric lines.
At the very bottom of the picture, a tiny human figure held a scepter high, attempting to withstand the darkness devouring everything.
"He saw it..." Lacey muttered to himself.
He continued reading. The content of the notebook was bizarre and motley. The beginning was about the limit exploration of Originium Arts and philosophical speculation on space and time.
But further back, the content became increasingly eerie. Records regarding "The Barrens," "Echoes," and "Collapse Paradigms" began to appear.
"...I touched a domain I should not have touched. At the end of the Barrens, I saw an eye. It is watching me. It is understanding me. It is... dissolving me."
"...My definition of 'Herkunftshorn' is becoming blurred..."
"...I must construct a more powerful concept to oppose it!"
"Leithanien! Yes, Leithanien! My Empire, my will, my glory!"
"I will use it to cast a dam against Nothingness! I will make everyone believe in it, fear it, and become a part of it!"
"...Not enough, still not enough! The people's faith is so fragile; their fear is so easily ignited!"
"Fear is the food of the Eye!"
"I cannot rely on them! I can only rely on myself!"
"I want to become the concept of 'Leithanien' itself! I want to become a God!"
The handwriting in the notebook became chaotic here, as if one could see the Witch King's face twisted by paranoia.
Lacey saw the reason for the Witch King's failure.
He tried to gather the "Concept" into himself, deifying himself, yet he detached from the foundation that constituted the concept—the people.
In the end, the Leithanien he constructed became a castle in the air without a foundation, easily pushed over by the Twin Empresses and the Electors.
But Lacey's own entry—[United We Stand]—was precisely the opposite path from the Witch King. His power originated from the people's expectations and convictions. He did not need to become a God, but rather the gathering point of all hope, an anchor.
"So that is it..." Lacey closed the notebook, an unprecedented enlightenment surging in his heart.
His existence was the personification of the grand concept of the "Terra Community." As long as he still existed, as long as the people still believed in the future he depicted, this concept would not be easily erased.
Therefore, he had to go to the Northern Border. He had to go personally.
He wanted to wedge the concept of "Terra Community" into the place where the Demon erosion was most severe.
Returning to the surface, Lacey immediately threw himself into preparations for the northern inspection. He summoned all core ministers and held an administrative meeting with a somewhat peculiar atmosphere.
"According to preliminary exploration, the Ural Mountains in northern Ursus possess mineral reserves beyond imagination," Lacey said to Minister of Economy Meklen with a solemn face, pointing at the map.
"But I need a more detailed report. This time I go, I will take the best geologists and walk through it personally."
"Wonderful, Your Majesty!" Meklen was so excited his face turned red, as if he had already seen countless glittering ores being transported to the Empire's factories. "Rest assured! I will have the Victorian mining groups prepare a full set of equipment and engineers immediately! I guarantee we'll uncover everything the Ural Mountains have hiding in their pants!"
Lacey turned calmly to Leinia. "The budget for this inspection might be a bit high, involving some exploration equipment for special environments and security measures."
Leinia frowned, her heart aching for every Mark in the national treasury. "Your Majesty, the Northern Border is freezing cold, and the cost of logistical supplies is more than three times the usual. Is it really necessary..."
"It is necessary," Lacey interrupted her. "Leinia, take the long view. This investment is for the industrial blood of the Empire for the next hundred years. Think about it. When our factories no longer have to worry about rare metals, how much money can you save?"
Leinia was persuaded and began calculating how to squeeze this money out of other departments' budgets.
Lacey used a relaxed tone, half-jokingly appeasing these key officials of the Empire.
After the meeting ended, Lacey kept Gertrude behind alone.
"After I leave, I hand the Empire over to you," Lacey's voice returned to calm.
"Your Majesty..."
"Hear me out." Lacey handed her a sealed document. "Inside this is my plan for the Empire's development over the next ten years, as well as emergency plans for various departments and the transfer sequence for the highest authority in extreme circumstances."
"If... I am saying if, I fail to return, do exactly as instructed inside."
Gertrude's hands were trembling. For the first time, she could not maintain her calm composure.
"You must ensure the stable operation of the Empire," Lacey's gaze was sharp. "Regardless of any news you hear about me, even rumors of my death in battle, as long as there is no order signed by my own hand, the Empire cannot fall into chaos."
"The Propaganda Department must continue to publicize our achievements, the Industrial Department must continue production, and the Medical Department must continue disseminating knowledge. Do you understand?"
"We must let the hope of the people of Terra burn forever. Let it never be extinguished."
"Why... why is this?" Gertrude asked with a hoarse voice.
Lacey was silent for a moment, then walked up to her and straightened her slightly disheveled collar.
"Because hope is Terra's final line of defense."
He left this sentence and turned to leave the study.
Gertrude stood alone in the empty study, tightly clutching that secret order. Looking out the window at the still flourishing Empire, she felt a bone-deep loneliness for the first time.
The night before his departure, Lacey did not stay in the Imperial Palace. Instead, he went alone to his parents' graves in the outskirts of Trullinczentyr.
He had sent people to move them from the border town after his ascension.
He brought no entourage, wearing only ordinary clothes, and placed a bouquet of white irises before the tombstone.
"Father, Mother, I have come to see you." He sat beside the tombstone, just like when he was a child.
"I am about to unify the entire Terra. It was faster than I imagined."
"I am the Emperor now. No Count's son can bully us at will anymore."
"But... I seem to have encountered a bigger trouble. A trouble... I don't even know how to explain to you."
He leaned against the tombstone, looking up at the two bright moons in the sky.
"But don't worry. Just like I promised you back then, I will make this world better, no matter what price I have to pay."
________________________________________
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