298, Chapter 298

Festival of the Gods.

A grand festival held once every fourteen years by Aaron Landis.

As an ancient civilization with a history of thousands of years, the Aaronlandis people have believed in many gods since ancient times, and countless myths and legends have been spread on the earth.

Among them, the people of Aaron Landis often blurt out "the gods of Aaron Landis", which generally refers to the thirteen main gods of Aaron Landis.

…

In a chaotic world, there is no sky or earth, no distinction between day and night.

Brilliance is born in it.

Shamash, the great sun god, brings light to the world.

…

So goes the ancient mythical song.

According to legend, the first to be born was the sun god Shamash.

The next year, Nanna, the god of night and moon, was born.

In the third year, Maghe, the god of earth, was born.

The highest of these three gods divided the heavens, the earth, the sun and the moon, and created Aaron Landis.

In the ten years after Aaron Landis was born, a new god was born every year.

Thirteen gods, the gods of Aaron Landis.

Every year is the birth year of a god.

Thirteen years is a cycle.

The fourteenth year is called the Year of the Gods.

It is not only the beginning of commemorating the birth of the great sun god Shamash, but also the end of commemorating the birth of thirteen gods.

Aaron Landis performs an annual ceremony.

It was a ceremony to sacrifice to the gods of Aaron Landis, and it was also a ceremony to declare the majesty of the king to the people.

This year in the Year of the Gods will be called the Festival of the Gods.

This is the grandest and most solemn ceremony of Aaron Landis.

…………

It’s midsummer, the brightest time for Aaron Landis.

On this day of the Gods' Ceremony, the blazing sun shines on the earth.

In front of the majestic palace is the Plaza of the Gods, which is so wide that the edges are almost invisible.

In the square, at the end of Tongtian Avenue, a high platform towers above the earth.

It is so tall and majestic, like towering above the clouds.

On both sides of the avenue, flags with red background and gold stripes were flying high in the Plaza of the Gods.

The golden lions on the flag seem to roar out from it at any time, their huge eyes staring at the avenue.

Accompanied by a loud rumbling sound, a giant fiery red chariot came from the far side of the avenue bathed in golden sunlight.

On top of the chariot, two of the strongest knights known as Aaron Landis were driving it.

On the left is a black knight in black armor.

On the right is the blond Knight of the Sun.

After the fiery red chariot, the royal knights in crimson armor followed closely behind. The cluster of fiery red hues, from a distance, looked like a flaming chariot igniting the ground it passed.

As the flaming chariot slowly moved forward, the soldiers standing on both sides of the avenue raised their silver spears high and struck the ground heavily.

They exuded the same terrifying aura as on the battlefield, and almost at the same moment, they all bent over and knelt on the ground.

The flags fluttered under the scorching sun and danced in the wind.

The restrained horse neighed loudly, and under the gaze of everyone, the flaming chariot slowly stopped in front of the high platform.

A roar resounded across the square, and a huge figure jumped down from the tall chariot.

The golden lion stands proudly on the earth, with its golden-brown mane undulating like waves in the wind.

Before the power of the King of Beasts, even the long-trained Divine Horse was slightly agitated, but was immediately suppressed by two powerful knight drivers, one on the left and one on the right.

A hand was slapped on the head of the big lion, which was showing its majesty to everyone. The big lion turned its head and shook its huge head at Garlan who had already stepped off the chariot.

Garlan smiled, ran his hand through Nega's mane, and then looked up at the high platform in front of him that seemed to tower into the clouds.

His eyes were dazed for a moment.

In a blink of an eye, fourteen years have passed.

Fourteen years ago, it was also this day, the Year of the Gods, the Festival of the Gods.

At that time, he was still very young and was carried down from the high chariot by that man.

Fourteen years ago, on this day, he followed that tall figure onto this high platform and became that person's royal brother.

The man said he would guard him as he would Aaron Landis.

The man said that he would protect him and Aaron Landis until he returned to the hands of the gods.

...Brother King Camos...

Everything seems like it just happened yesterday.

But now, fourteen years have passed.

A reincarnation has passed.

Garlan walked forward, his long snow-white cloak spread out behind him and fell on the stone steps he walked.

The gold patterns on the edge of the cloak shone like starlight in the sunlight.

A lapis lazuli gold crown stained with a little blood was worn on his golden hair.

A lion accompanies him.

The high priests of the thirteen gods were lined up on both sides of the stone steps. They put their right hands on their hearts and bowed their heads deeply when King Garlan passed by.

Garlan raised his head and looked at the thirteen giant statues of gods surrounded by a fan shape behind the high platform.

He looked at them. They lowered their heads slightly, and their huge jewel-encrusted eyes seemed to be staring at him.

As Garlan walked slowly on the stone steps of the high platform, on the announcing platform on one side of the square, the resonant voice of the announcing officer resounded between heaven and earth.

According to the custom in the festivals of the gods, every political achievement made by King Aaron Landis during the reign of the king who held the ceremony must be read out in public.

before the gods.

Before all the people of Aaron Landis.

The achievements announced must not be deceived, forged or boasted.

Otherwise, false lies will anger the gods, especially the sun god Shamash.

If during the ceremony, the sky darkens and dark clouds cover the sun, it means that the lie has angered Shamash.

The punishment of Shamash will fall on the lying king.

Throughout the ages, there have been many kings of Aaron Landis who were unable to make any achievements in the first few years after taking office, or who were too mediocre to make any achievements. When they walked up to the high platform, the herald only said a few words and then kept silent. After that, the square fell into silence.

This situation can be extremely awkward.

However, even if it was embarrassing, no king would dare to cheat in the ceremony of the gods.

Logically speaking, King Garlan has been in power for five years, which is not a long time, but no one present is worried that such an embarrassing situation will occur.

Everything this young king did during his reign made the entire Aaron Landis prosperous and prosperous with each passing day.

It can be said that although King Garlan only reigned for five short years, the combined achievements of several kings who have reigned for decades in the past dynasties cannot compare to him.

However, a shocking situation still occurred.

In the past, the king could basically finish reading before walking up the stone steps.

However, this time, until King Garlan had walked all the stone steps and reached the throne on the high platform, the herald had not finished reading out all the achievements of King Garlan.

Therefore, King Garlan could only continue to stand and wait for him to finish reading.

Under the scorching gaze of everyone gathered on him, the commander, who was sweating on his forehead, quickly spoke faster and smiled bitterly in his heart.

This is something unprecedented.

This strange situation has never happened before.

Garlan stood quietly, stroking the big lion next to him.

High Priest Shamash, who followed Garlan onto the high platform, stood tall and tall, his majestic face as usual seemingly expressionless, but there was a hint of pride in his eyes that could not be concealed.

The high priests and ministers under the high platform looked at each other for a brief moment before smiling knowingly.

After a while, the commander, who was sweating profusely, finally finished reading and let out a deep breath. Then, even though he was sweating profusely, he couldn't help but laugh.

As soon as he smiled, he suddenly felt a chill on his face, as if it were raindrops.

The commander's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

Could it be that the clouds have come out and it’s raining?

how come--

He looked up with drumming in his heart, and then froze.

The sun is still shining high in the sky, and the bright sunshine is shining on the earth. However, under the scorching sun, there are thin raindrops falling from the sky.

Like a transparent bead curtain.

The originally silent and solemn Plaza of the Gods suddenly made a slight noise, and the eyes of the herald, who looked up at the sky, suddenly widened.

The fine raindrops reflect the sunshine and reflect the colorful luster.

On the high platform, the young king sat on a golden throne.

Behind him, over the giant stone statues of the gods surrounding the throne, a beautiful rainbow crossed the sky, looming, like a bridge connecting heaven and earth.

A shocking scene.

Like a miracle.

…

Garlan.

Son of the Gods.

King Aaron Landis.

O wise king.

You guard the land of Aaron Landis.

Your achievements are praised by all.

You are the immortal glory of my Aaron Landis.

…………

……………………

The day passed, and soon it was late at night.

The vision that occurred at the Gods' Ceremony spread throughout the royal city almost instantly.

Everyone said it was a miracle.

It was a symbol of the gods' appreciation and protection of King Garlan.

Even late at night, they were so excited that they couldn't sleep. They happily talked about the beautiful and shocking scene with their relatives and friends at home.

Therefore, the Royal City, which had usually been silent for a long time, was still brightly lit at this moment.

The palace had fallen silent, and the lights were extinguished one by one.

However, the owner of the palace did not stay there.

Under the cover of night, accompanied by a group of people, Garlan came to the opposite side of the palace.

The end of the Enki River, which originates from the north and runs through the entire Aaron Landis, passes through the royal city and ends in the sea.

The palace is at one end of the Enki River.

At the other end, far opposite the palace, is the tomb of the past kings of Aaron Landis.

A river separates life and death.

The king's tomb was built as grandly as a living palace, but without the gold and other colorful tones that adorned it, it was pure white from beginning to end.

It symbolizes the final destination of a soul that is cleansed and dust-free after death and becomes pure white and flawless.

In the dark night, Garlan stood quietly in front of the spectacular white palace mausoleum.

Five years ago, he personally delivered the sarcophagus of King Camos into it.

Since then, he has not been here once.

...and now, he was finally able to face Brother Wang's mausoleum calmly.

The female official followed behind him, also staring at the white mausoleum in a daze.

After a while, she withdrew her gaze and looked at Garlan.

"Your Majesty, do you really want to stay here tonight?"

she asked softly,

"You are already very tired and need a good rest..."

Garlan looked back at her and smiled softly.

He said: "Taputi, tonight, I want to have a good talk with Brother Wang."

"I want to tell him that I work hard...I have done a lot of things, and I protect Aaron Landis very seriously..."

After a pause, he raised his hand, put it to his lips, and hummed uncomfortably.

He whispered: "Also, about that matter, I, well, no matter what, I must tell Brother Wang first before announcing it to the public, otherwise Brother Wang will be angry."

The female officer was stunned for a moment, but when she realized what she was doing, she couldn't help laughing.

"That's right, he will definitely be angry."

She laughed out loud.

"No, King Camos will definitely be angry whether you say it or not."

"Well...I know that too..."

A cough suddenly sounded next to him.

The high priest Shamash who was standing nearby coughed twice and interrupted the conversation between the two.

Garlan and Tapti glanced at Shemuer at the same time, and then turned their heads at the same time.

Although he was standing a little further away with a group of guards, the one-eyed knight with good ears and eyes turned his head and the smile on his lips couldn't help but overflow.

The high priest, aware of this, glanced at Kehos displeasedly.

He said seriously: "Be careful."

"Yes, Your Excellency the High Priest."

Kayhos suppressed a smile and answered, turning around to arrange the guards he had brought with him to important locations one by one to prevent others from intruding.

Then, he watched Garlan, the female official, and the high priest walk into the royal tomb.

Although it was a crescent moon, the stars were shining brightly, covering the earth with their light starlight, so the sky was not dark.

Not long after Caihos stood there, suddenly, a familiar tall figure clad in starlight appeared here.

He was startled slightly, then showed a look of understanding.

"Your Majesty, they have already entered."

he said to the visitor.

According to regulations, no one is allowed to break into the royal tomb without the king's permission.

His golden-red eyes were like red rubies burning in flames in the dark night, and he glanced at Caihos lightly.

"I'll wait for him outside."

Heimos answered.

Then, his eyes turned to the white royal tomb standing quietly in the night.

…………

A snow-white palace.

On the white stone wall, the relief of Ornas, the god of the underworld, is lifelike.

Her huge white wings spread out and enveloped the mausoleum and the royal palace.

This is the palace of the underworld.

The sarcophagus of King Camos has been sealed into the deep underground palace, and a huge stone tablet stands above the hall on the ground.

The crystal clear white jade stone tablet, which is three people tall, glows with a quiet luster under the warm yellow light.

The lower half of the giant stone tablet is engraved with the great achievements made by the Lion King in his life, and the carved characters are filled with blue pigment.

A mysterious and ancient pattern is carved on the upper half of the stele. On the earth, a king wearing a golden crown rides on a lion with wings, spreading his wings and flying towards the rune representing the sun above.

The carvings of the pattern are gilded.

It symbolizes that the sun god Shamash sent his mount to bring the owner of the tomb to the kingdom of the gods.

Garlan leaned down and placed a cluster of fresh white lotus flowers under the white jade stone tablet.

According to legend, the white lotus flower worn by the goddess of the underworld was born from the tears of those who lost loved ones and fell into the underworld.

There were transparent water droplets rolling on the white petals, and they dripped onto the bottom of the stone tablet.

"I'm sorry, Brother Wang, it took me so long to see you."

The female official and the high priest stood quietly on both sides, while Garlan sat down on the stone steps directly under the stone tablet after putting down the bouquet.

There is no decency and lack of manners.

The high priest's eyebrows moved slightly, but he glanced at Garlan, lowered his eyes and remained silent.

"Today is the Festival of the Gods again, do you remember? Fourteen years ago, on this day, I followed you onto the high platform."

He bent his left knee and sat under the stone monument, leaning against it. Garlan raised his head slightly, put one hand on his knee, and cast his gaze into the void, as if looking at the memories of the past.

He smiled lightly and his eyes were soft, as if he was really talking to King Camos.

"In the blink of an eye, five years have passed since I wore your crown."

"I feel like I've done a pretty good job in the past five years."

Garlan said with a smile, tilted his head and looked at Shermer.

"Isn't that right, Shermul?"

The high priest glanced at him and hummed softly.

"Look, Brother Wang, Xie Mu'er has admitted it, so I definitely didn't lie to you."

"I have done many, many things...well, although I don't know if you will agree with some things, but I think it will be good for Aaron Landis's future, so I don't think you will object, Brother Wang. "

Gallan spoke softly, describing the things he had done over the years, one by one, even the smallest things, and the changes in Aaron Landis over the years, bit by bit. , all said.

He seemed to have endless things to say.

He looked like a child, telling his elder brother in detail what he had done, proudly showing off his achievements, and looking forward to his brother's praise.

Garlan spoke for a long, long time.

The high priest and the female official had been standing quietly, and only a clear voice echoed in the empty hall.

I don’t know how long it took.

In the hall where the warm yellow firelight swayed, it seemed as if the passage of time could not be seen.

It wasn't until a faint light shone on the horizon and shone into the hall from afar that Garlan finally finished speaking.

The night has passed.

Garlan stood up and put one hand on the stone tablet.

"One last thing..."

He said softly,

"Brother Wang, I have someone I like."

"When I was in Rudas City, I said I liked Heimos, but I was actually lying to you."

"But now, I'm serious."

"I like Huymos and I want to be with him all the time."

Garlan lowered his head, and his long golden hair slipped from his shoulders.

He pressed his hand on the stone tablet and gently pressed his forehead against the cold stone tablet.

"I know you won't object. After all, when I lied to you, you said that no matter what it is, as long as it is my decision, even if everyone in the world opposes it, you will stand by my side. "

Thin eyelashes hang down on her cheeks.

Garlan closed his eyes.

He said softly: "...is that right, Brother Wang?"

There was silence for a while.

The female official walked up the stone steps. She stretched out her hand and put it on Garlan's shoulder.

"That's just King Camos trying to show off his strength."

Said Tapti, who grew up with King Camos and knew his character well.

"He said that. I guess he must be thinking about finding an opportunity to give Lord Heimos a good beating."

Garlan was startled for a moment, turned to look at Tapti, and then laughed.

"That does seem to be the case."

he said with a smile.

"If King Camos is still here, given his character, he will probably find excuses to teach Lord Heimos every day from now on."

"Huh? That's not the case, is it?"

"King Camos has always been very narrow-minded when it comes to matters related to you. I think that maybe even beating someone once a day will not relieve his anger. He will probably beat someone three times a day."

"Well, this seems a bit..."

"Let me tell you, if this is the case, it was okay when he was young and strong. But what if he gets older and old and can't defeat Lord Heimos?"

Garlan's golden eyes blinked.

"Then I let Heimos lose to him on purpose?"

"If King Kamos sees that Lord Heimos is just faking it, I'm afraid he will be even more angry."

"Well, he will definitely lose his temper."

One minute of silence.

"Tapti."

"Um?"

"Does this mean we are speaking ill of Brother Wang?"

"It should count."

"Then tell me, if Brother Wang heard all the bad things we said here, would he be very angry now?"

"……I think it is."

The young king and his female official looked at each other.

Then, they laughed again at the same time.

Behind the two people who were smiling at each other, the high priest stood there with an expressionless face.

The morning sun shines in, illuminating the white palace and the cluster of white lotus flowers under the stone monument.

…………

……………………

When Tapti followed Garlan out of the gate of the royal mausoleum, the sky was already slightly bright on the distant horizon.

After walking out of the shelter of the eaves, a drop of cold water suddenly fell on her cheek.

Then, a few more drops.

I don't know when it began to rain.

Not heavy, just a hazy drizzle.

Tapti wiped away the rainwater dripping from the corners of her eyes, looked up, and was startled.

She saw Heimos standing not far away.

Obviously he didn't just come here. Just looking at the man's dark hair that was wet with night dew, you can guess that this man has probably been waiting here all night.

He stood quietly, and the water droplets dripping from the ends of his hair that were wet with night dew fell on his shoulders.

His whole figure seemed to melt into the night.

No, in other words, between heaven and earth, he is like the incarnation of night.

However, when this man who was like the incarnation of night raised his eyes to look at Garlan, his eyes, his face, and his whole body seemed to light up in an instant.

Just like the moon that emits light when it is illuminated by the sun.

"Heimos."

She heard Garlan calling Heimos' name and trotted towards him.

Tapti has always disliked Heimos.

In fact, it wasn't because she didn't like Heimos approaching Garlan.

The real reason was that she didn't like the look in Heimos' eyes.

The look in this man's eyes was always bottomless, like a dark abyss with no end in sight.

This man, his thirst is insatiable.

His desires and ambitions that can never be satisfied, like flames burning everywhere, make him more dangerous than anyone else.

Tapti has always thought so.

But now, she stood behind Garlan and saw the look on Heimos' face.

Heimos stood there and stretched out his left hand to Garlan who was walking towards him quickly.

She was behind and couldn't see Garlan's expression.

But she saw Gallan raise his right hand and stretch it forward, seemingly to place it on the hand Heimos stretched out to her.

Their hands are about to intertwined.

She saw Heymos' eyes that were gentler than anything else as he looked at Garlan, and the smile he showed towards Garlan.

She had never seen such a bright and contented smile on this man's face.

That smile, as if he already had everything, the whole world.

…………

never mind.

The matron stood silently, watching the scene.

fair enough.

she thought, smiling.

This... is pretty good.

The hazy drizzle fell from her eyes like a broken bead curtain.

In the rain, the hand that Garlan was about to place on Heimos paused suddenly for a moment.

Tapti's pupils suddenly dilated.

Suddenly, without warning.

Before everyone else, she watched her prince fall forward.

The long golden hair that flew up when she fell passed her eyes.

Her mind went blank for an instant.

………………

Fine drops of rain fell from the bright sky.

Fountains spilled into the pool, and the stone statue of Isdar, the goddess of stars, stood quietly in the courtyard.

The drizzle wetted the stone statue little by little, and the rainwater gathered in the corners of her eyes. After accumulating for a long time, a trace of water slowly slipped from the corners of her eyes.

Like a drop of tear falling from the eyes of the goddess of destiny...

That was the beginning of destiny and the end of destiny.