Blood Holy Scripture: True Ancestor Charlotte de Castel
Chapter 341: -96- The Era of Chaos

Chapter 341: -96- The Era of Chaos

In the central hall of the Sanctuary Tower, in front of the Moon God Divine Statue.

Sitting in a wheelchair, the Priest Elder Eng faced the Divine Statue with eyes gently closed, murmuring prayers.

The great hall was profoundly silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop, until the respectful voice of a stationed warrior came from outside the door:

"Elder, the Gale Hunter Halfdan requests an audience."

Elder Eng opened his eyes and said,

"Let him in."

The warrior saluted and withdrew. Soon after, the dusty and travel-worn Halfdan entered the great hall, giving a respectful bow to Elder Eng:

"Priest Elder, I have returned."

Elder Eng maneuvered his wheelchair and nodded slightly:

"It is good that you have returned, my child, may the protection of the Moonlight be with you."

"You have done well on this hunt. Although the game you brought back is not plentiful, the significance of a Heir of the Apocalypse is far greater than any offering. The central Tower pays great attention to each Heir of the Apocalypse, and your contributions will surely be rewarded by the Tower."

Upon hearing Elder Eng’s words, Halfdan showed a look of surprise:

"Praise be to the Moon God! So, what you’re saying is I wasn’t mistaken—she really is a Heir of the Apocalypse?"

Elder Eng cracked a slight smile and nodded:

"Such an outstanding appearance, along with the Transcendent Aura that even I feel pressured by, coupled with her ability to enter the Sanctuary Tower’s range unharmed... She must indeed be the lost Heir of the Apocalypse from the Tower Country."

This made Halfdan even more excited:

"Then... does that mean we don’t have to adjust the offering rank for our North Mountain Tribe? Lily and Hal won’t have to be taken away?"

This time, Elder Eng fell silent.

"Elder?"

Halfdan called out eagerly.

Elder Eng let out a long sigh, shaking his head gently:

"I... do not know."

"Even if she truly is a lost Heir of the Apocalypse of the central Tower, we are still uncertain as to which tribe amongst the Apocalypse she belongs to, and which Lord’s offspring she is."

"Halfdan, you are extraordinarily talented and are the prime candidate for the next Head Attendant of the Sanctuary Tower. There are some things I will not hide from you..."

"Just as our statuses are worlds apart from those of the Apocalypse, the Heirs of the Apocalypse also have differing ranks. If she is the descendant of one of those great figures, all will be well. But if she is merely an average Heir, I fear... it will still not suffice."

"No, I believe she has to be the offspring of one of those great figures! I have seen envoys from the high Tower too, and even the most esteemed of them do not possess the unique manner she does. Her bloodline must be extraordinarily noble! Yes, that’s it!"

Recalling the gracefulness in Charlotte’s every movement, distinct from the wildness of the wilderness, Halfdan insisted.

Elder Eng sighed,

"We must wait for the Tower’s envoy to arrive before anything can be confirmed. As for Lily and Hal, I think... even if this Heir of the Apocalypse is of noble birth, the Tower would not allow them to remain adrift outside its control."

"Why? Lily and Hal are just two innocent children! They possess neither the power of Wild Beasts nor their threats! You know this! Everyone in our tribe knows this!"

Elder Eng sighed again,

"But they are the ones chosen by the Tower, and the Tower is omnipotent and omniscient. Since the Tower determines they have been tainted by the power of the Old Gods, then they must have been tainted. The Tower never allows those tainted to stray from its control..."

After speaking, he sought to offer consolation:

"Halfdan, you need not worry too much. To send them to the central Tower is not necessarily a bad thing. The Tower is almighty; the taint might well turn into a Blessing..."

"Once they are at the Tower, they would not only be freed from the curse but might also become noble Chosen Ones, receiving the grace to join with a Heir of the Apocalypse or even the Apocalypse themselves!"

Halfdan, however, shook his head:

"No, I do not wish for them to become Chosen Ones. They say that being a Chosen One is the highest honor for us Mortals, but once chosen, they can never leave the Tower, bound to serve the Gods and the Apocalypse for life..."

"Lily is a free-spirited child; she hates to be confined, and Hal is introverted, enduring grievances alone in silence..."

"I didn’t want them to lose their freedom, nor did I want them to face those Apocalypse bearers with deity-like power!"

"Halfdan! You mustn’t be disrespectful to the Apocalypse in front of the Moon God!"

Elder Eng’s face changed slightly as he hurriedly scolded.

Halfdan still looked unconvinced, and with a light sigh, Elder Eng said helplessly,

"Halfdan, think about it, even if we lose our freedom, serving the Gods within the Central Tower can offer us a life much more affluent and safer than our tribe’s."

"Not to mention, without the Tower’s power, how long could your children last under the eroding force of the Old Gods?"

"Yes, they certainly don’t have the power of the Wild Beasts, but you must be able to see their frailty. We are Mortals, and Mortals... cannot bear powers they should not bear."

"Halfdan, go back and think it over."

"Is there really no other way?"

Halfdan was still somewhat reluctant.

Elder Eng pondered for a moment, then spoke,

"Actually, if you really don’t want your children to leave, there is still one way..."

"Elder, may I ask what that way is?"

Halfdan immediately became excited.

Elder Eng glanced at him and said,

"If an Apocalypse bearer or an Heir of the Apocalypse were to take your children as followers, then naturally they wouldn’t need to go to the Tower to serve the Gods. They would just need to serve their lord directly."

"However... you must understand that becoming a follower of an Heir of the Apocalypse, in a sense, amounts to having lost their freedom already."

Confronted with the Priest Elder’s meaning-laden gaze, Halfdan was moved, deep in thought.

"In this world, what is absolute freedom? Everybody is merely living with different shackles... Halfdan, I am a bit tired, you should go back and think about it."

Elder Eng sighed slightly, issuing an order for retreat.

Halfdan opened his mouth, then slowly nodded.

He respectfully bowed and then turned to leave.

However, just as he was about to leave the hall, Halfdan stopped again.

He turned around, hesitated for a moment, and said,

"Elder, the Apocalypse bearers saved the world from the calamity, they are our Saviors."

"I have never doubted this, and I have always respected the Apocalypse bearers. In my eyes, they have always represented the most noble and exalted existence in the world."

"Only, setting aside the matter of my children, over these three years our tribe has already increased the tribute standard threefold, a burden too heavy for many of our people..."

"Elder, you said the Apocalypse bearers are benevolent guardians, but... can they truly remain so forever?"

Elder Eng’s face changed slightly, and he scolded,

"Halfdan! Mind your words! This is the sacred Sanctuary Tower!"

Halfdan quickly lowered his head and said,

"Sorry... Elder, I was impulsive."

After speaking, he turned around and left the hall.

Watching Halfdan’s figure disappear from his view, Elder Eng put away his anger and showed a complex expression.

He let out a long sigh and murmured to himself,

"Benevolent? Even if they cease to be benevolent, what can be done?"

"Ultimately... it’s ourselves who must rely on the protection of the powerful to survive..."

"This is a chaotic world where even the Gods may fall; we Mortals without power are but struggling ants."