Only God
Chapter 134 - 116 Dertulian’s Reforms

Chapter 134: Chapter 116 Dertulian’s Reforms

King Dertulian carried out major reforms in the New Kingdom.

This white-haired king first addressed the issue of succession to the throne.

The downfall of the Old Kingdom was most directly caused by two ambitious men vying for the throne.

Having learned from this lesson, King Dertulian, after several nights of restless contemplation, finally came up with a groundbreaking idea.

Considering the worst-case scenario, he incessantly pondered and debated with himself and, after praying to God one more time, King Dertulian finally put his plan into practice.

"From today onward, there will be two thrones and two crowns in the palace,"

King Dertulian announced to his people.

The mountain elves were all left speechless.

Two thrones? Two crowns?

No one had ever heard of such a thing, nor had anyone imagined that King Dertulian would be willing to divide the royal authority in two.

The High Priest was startled by King Dertulian’s proclamation and hurried forward to stop him,

"O King, what are you doing?

Are you really going to share your throne with someone else? This, this...has never happened before in history!"

King Dertulian gazed at the High Priest with the steady eyes of a tranquil lion,

"High Priest, the history of Logos people spans only four generations; what else can we trace back in our lineage?

Now,

History is in our hands, we are history."

King Dertulian’s words carried an undeniable authority, leaving the High Priest at a loss for words, and so he stepped back.

Glancing over the gathered subjects, King Dertulian spoke,

"The reason I have divided the royal authority is to ensure that all our future issues can be debated by two people. Should one fall, the other can intervene; should one blaspheme, the other can remain devout.

In addition to the two kings, I will also appoint two Throne Guards, elected by you, to assist their respective king and hold places beside the throne."

After establishing the double kings, King Dertulian also appointed two Throne Guards, elected collectively by the mountain elves.

Beyond the twin kings and Throne Guards, King Dertulian also placed additional heavy responsibilities on the priests.

"High Priest, you devoutly serve God and explore the laws of the world, thus, you will guard two stone tablets that must never be altered. You must protect our spiritual world from being defiled."

With these words, King Dertulian entrusted the priests of the New Kingdom with complete control over faith and legal authority.

"However, I must tell you that from now on, you must keep your spirits pure. Unless summoned by the king, do not set foot inside the palace. You must distance yourselves from other Logos people, and therefore, you may not elect Throne Guards."

Simultaneously, King Dertulian also stripped the priests of their right to elect Throne Guards and interfere with the royal authority.

Such significant changes did not come without grumbles and objections from the mountain elves of the New Kingdom.

However, the shock of the Old Kingdom’s downfall was profound,

and with King Dertulian’s undisputed authority as the son of a prophet, combined with the sparse population of the New Kingdom,

King Dertulian easily altered the social ecosystem of the New Kingdom.

Later, human scholars who interacted with the elves considered King Dertulian’s reform of the New Kingdom

a step towards a military democracy.

This came to be known as the Dertulian Reforms.

......

After transforming the secular, King Dertulian began to plan the spiritual world of the New Kingdom.

King Dertulian was no longer the naive youngster who only knew hunting; after his father Al passed away, he was appointed a Priest by Yarlessto and had often pondered matters of faith even back then.

He devoutly believed in God, who was radiant, and he established the New Kingdom specifically to seek God’s presence.

King Dertulian resolved to establish a great beacon among the mountain Elves, namely the word of God.

Beneath that great beacon,

the feet-on-ground Logos people could no longer execute the Divine Angel, for they could not even persecute an innocent and kind person.

To plan the spiritual world, one must start with how to worship and serve God through the Priests.

King Dertulian laid out stringent requirements for worship, such as cleansing and reciting prayers; he stipulated that worship must strictly adhere to God’s intent, with Priests providing guidance for other worshippers.

As for the Priests serving God, King Dertulian designated a quota of twenty Priests—no more, no less, and selecting Priests was very strict; one could not step into the Pattern Garden or obtain priesthood without the approval of most existing Priests.

King Dertulian also had the Priests use historical scriptures as the main prayers during worship, completely sanctifying the act of worship.

In the early stages of transforming the New Kingdom, the mountain Elves could not adapt quickly; even the other King appointed by King Dertulian often felt uneasy in front of this son of the Prophet.

But under the authority of King Dertulian, everything proceeded in an orderly fashion, and after several years, King Dertulian thoroughly changed the entire New Kingdom.

King Dertulian held the Unihorn Staff, standing on the cliff by the sea, overlooking the New Kingdom before his eyes.

His body gradually weakened; for this Kingdom, he had exhausted half of his life, and under the sea breeze, King Dertulian unconsciously swayed slightly.

However, it was all worth it.

The quantity of game in the forests determined that the New Kingdom’s population would hardly surge; the established order would sustain for a long time without collapsing.

The existence of the dual Kings and Throne Guards was enough to safeguard the interests of all sides, while the Priest community distanced themselves from the throne, striving to maintain the mountain Elves’ spiritual world.

King Dertulian deeply knew that in this world, nothing is ever incorruptible and nothing is perfect, yet he often marveled at how beautiful and ingenious his design was.

"God...

This is like a gift you bestowed upon me."

King Dertulian murmured gently.

Then, the son of the Prophet seemed to think of something, turning in the sea breeze, facing the vast ocean.

He had grown old.

King Dertulian’s stern visage tremored slightly in the sea wind.

Over the years, he had witnessed the sudden flourishing and swift decline of the old Logos Kingdom; he had led thousands of Logos people to sail out and established a new Kingdom in these mountains, where civilization sprouted anew...

King Dertulian gazed at the shimmering sea surface, his eyes reaching to the distance.

"God...

Where are you exactly?"

He asked softly.

Only the sea breeze blew from afar; King Dertulian heard no response.

King Dertulian sighed heavily from his chest and sat down on the cliff battered by the waves; he knew that his life would soon come to an end.

He was over eight hundred years old,

Death had already accorded him enough patience and mercy.

But regardless,

A new era will inevitably arrive, the old Kingdom has already vanished,

And his legendary life is also about to pass away.