National Guardian's Gone and We're Done

”Your Majesty, many of our citizens have now taken to the streets, constantly petitioning,”

”in the hope that our White Elephant Empire will take a hardline stance.”

”We must eliminate that Chu He. Otherwise, the White Elephant Empire will be utterly disgraced across all of Blue Star.”

”That’s right. Right now, the Lighthouse Empire, the White-Red Empire, the Great Jing Empire, and many others are likely laughing at us.”

”The White Elephant Empire’s international standing has long been questioned by insolent upstarts. This time, we must show the other empires exactly which nation is the most powerful on Blue Star!”

Several ministers stepped forward, bowed deeply to King Sharuk on his throne, and then spoke with righteous conviction.

”Your Majesty, I disagree with them.”

”Chu He of the Great Xia Empire is incredibly powerful. The last time, in the White-Red Empire, the Lighthouse Empire spearheaded a plot to assassinate him.”

”But everyone here is well aware of how that ended.”

”That battle sent shockwaves across Blue Star. Every single person sent to the White-Red Empire to take part in the assassination was slain by Chu He.”

”Including our own Vishnu from the White Elephant Empire.”

”Vishnu was one of our three Supreme Gods,”

”and his death was a devastating loss for our Empire.”

Another minister stepped forward, completely opposing the other ministers’ opinions.

At the same time, his eyes betrayed a deep-seated fear of Chu He.

”It seems that battle in the White-Red Empire scared you witless! You’re spineless, completely unworthy of being a minister of the White Elephant Empire,”

the minister who had first proposed war with the Great Xia Empire snapped angrily.

”Then why don’t you lead the troops to face Chu He yourself?”

the minister opposing the war retorted with a cold laugh.

”Enough! No more bickering!”

Seeing the argument about to escalate below, King Sharuk, seated on his throne, slammed his hand on the armrest.

Seeing the king’s anger, the ministers hastily bowed. They lowered their heads, said no more, and fell silent.

They could only make suggestions; the final decision, of course, rested with King Sharuk.

”Grand State Preceptor, what are your thoughts on this matter?”

Sharuk’s gaze did not linger on the arguing ministers.

Instead, it fell upon an old man—the only other person in the great hall, aside from the king himself, who was seated.

The old man was dressed in a long, cyan, sleeved Vestment Robe.

On his head was a two-layered, rectangular headwrap made of cyan and red fabric.

The design symbolized heaven and earth—red for the heavens, cyan for the earth—to signify a Wizard’s ability to commune with both and perform Magic.

Its length and width symbolized the twenty-four solar terms and the twelve months of the year,

reflecting a reverence for the cosmos and the laws of nature.

He held a Magic Staff, his eyes kept closed.

Only after hearing King Sharuk speak did he slowly open his eyes. He smiled and said, ”Your esteemed Majesty, the other two Supreme Gods of our White Elephant Empire have already revived.”

”I came today to report this very matter, but I had not yet found the opportunity to speak. That, and the sudden incident that occurred in our Border City.”

”What? Is this true?”

King Sharuk shot to his feet, his shock mingled with immense, pleasant surprise as he asked.

’Vishnu was the first Supreme God to revive, but his combat prowess clearly fell short of my expectations. To think he was slain by a mere mortal like Chu He, even when allied with the so-called Divine Soldiers from other empires.’

However, the Grand State Preceptor was the one specifically responsible for liaising with the Deities, a man chosen by the Deities themselves.

According to the Grand State Preceptor, Vishnu had not been at his peak.

He had forced his own revival to protect the White Elephant Empire, possessing less than a tenth of his full power.

That was why he fell to Chu He. Furthermore, it was likely that Chu He himself bore the mark of a deity.

In that case, it was not a battle between a mortal and a deity, but a duel between two deities.

Everyone believed this explanation without a doubt. After all, the three Supreme Gods of the White Elephant Empire held a place of supreme reverence and profound influence in the hearts of every citizen. They were unwilling to believe one could be so easily slain by a mere mortal.

”This time, Brahma and Shiva have revived at their full power,”

the Grand State Preceptor continued with a faint smile.

The other ministers in the great hall erupted in an uproar, clearly not expecting the Grand State Preceptor to drop such a bombshell today.

Now, everyone was filled with confidence.

And so, more and more ministers stepped forward to advise King Sharuk, urging an immediate war against the Great Xia Empire to kill Chu He.

Otherwise, as long as Chu He remained in the Great Xia Empire, he would be a constant threat to the White Elephant Empire.

”Then, will the two Supreme Gods lend their aid to the White Elephant Empire in this war?”

King Sharuk asked.

Even though he was the king of the entire White Elephant Empire, a man who stood above all others,

he still had to remain humble before the Supreme Gods. Otherwise, they could easily install a new king.

Fortunately, according to the Grand State Preceptor, the Supreme Gods had no interest in mortal power, so King Sharuk had no need to worry on that front.

”The two Supreme Gods revived at their full power precisely to protect the White Elephant Empire.”

The Grand State Preceptor bowed his head slightly.

”That is wonderful news.”

King Sharuk’s composure returned. He waved a hand and declared, ”Issue my command! Notify all members of the Defense Team to prepare for war with the Great Xia Empire.”

”This time, we must slay Chu He! How else can we quell the rage in the hearts of our people?”

...

「The next day at noon.」

The sun hung high in the sky, its scorching rays pouring down, scorching the leaves on the roadside trees and causing them to curl at the edges.

The streets remained mostly empty. After all, the local residents knew all too well that

the conflict that had erupted yesterday with Chu He’s arrival was far from over.

The scene might look peaceful now—bright sun, clear skies—but an undercurrent of tension was surging just beneath the surface.

People only ventured out to purchase storable daily necessities, food, and drinking water, and they hurried home as soon as they were done.

”Mr. Chu, the Defense Team has fully assembled.”

”I’ve received word that the White Elephant Empire’s Defense Team has also begun a large-scale assembly. They must be coming for revenge.”

”Furthermore, according to our Great Xia Empire’s think tank, another group of the White Elephant Empire’s Deities may have revived. Otherwise, they’d never have the confidence to make such a major move,”

”and they suspect it’s likely one of their other two Supreme Gods—or possibly even both of them.”

Liu Qiang came before Chu He to report the latest developments.