Chapter 775: Chapter 25 Royal Family Scandal (4)

A flock of pigeons flew over the square, leaving a few feathers on the ground. Gongsun Ce watched their wings, and the thought of those enormous Biochemical Pigeons on Sky City made him want to laugh a bit.

“Orianna, I’ve got to say, what you guys did was pretty unscrupulous,” he said.

“I’m ashamed…” Orianna said softly, “but… the prophecy spoke of August, and we had already decided that no matter the outcome, we would make sure to send you both back to the Sky City before the July duel at the court…”

They were sitting on the stone steps facing the church, not far from the museum. Mo Yuankai was scattering grain on the ground, while Kerky whistled a folk tune. The sunlight shone on the white stone buildings as visitors wandered through the pigeons; the winter air was cold and fresh. The serenity of the Royal Capital made it hard to imagine that in two months a giant dragon would descend upon this place.

Gongsun Ce couldn’t picture the scene. Was it possible? Yes, a giant dragon was powerful, but the Country was freaking amazing too. Orianna mentioned they had four Creator Realm Mages, and so many Knights and Mages cheering them on—what was the point of having them if they couldn’t defeat one dragon?

But the King’s attitude didn’t seem fake. The Country was nearly crazy with tension over this, even considering urgently replacing the Crown Prince. Now he understood why everything was moving so fast. Why now would Orianna be replaced if ineffective? Because come August, if they couldn’t use the Holy Sword, perhaps everyone might die! Why had they traveled so far to ask his brother to fix the Holy Fire Armor? Because the old leader would likely be the one to face the dragon head-on, and who wouldn’t panic if his Divine Weapon were damaged!

“Ah…” Gongsun Ce sighed deeply, “Just thinking that I was investigating a murder case yesterday feels so… absurd… At this time, still worrying about a murder…”

“Exactly, they’re dead, so what,” Kerky agreed.

“That’s not what I mean, I just…”

Turning his head, Mo Yuankai said, “Hey, Ah Ce. You’ll be dead in a few decades, so why the heck are you still eating?”

“F*ck, if I worry about such distant crap all day long, I can’t live my life, can I?”

“Right, aren’t we all supposed to live our lives?” Mo Yuankai stroked the pigeon’s feathers. “Prophecies aren’t always accurate, and even if the dragon does show up, it’s not certain we won’t be able to beat it. The High Commanders might take the most pessimistic view since they have to cover all bases, but for most people, isn’t the attitude that if the dragon comes, we fight it? What else can you do?”

Scratching his head, Gongsun Ce muttered, “No, I get the logic, but… have you seen Macbeth?”

“No,” Mo Yuankai shook his head.

Standing up, Kerky spoke as if singing, “Macbeth was a general of an ancient small nation, brave and upright in battle. On his return from suppressing a rebellion, he heard a prophecy given by witches: ‘you shall gain titles, you will become the Supreme King, and your dear friend Banquo’s son will also be crowned.’

“Macbeth went back to the King, who indeed granted him a title as the prophecy foretold. With absolute faith in the prophecy, he conspired with his wife and killed the King, usurping the throne through treachery. Worrying about the last part of the prophecy coming true, he secretly persecuted Banquo but failed to kill his son.

“Tormented by the prophecy, Macbeth was anxious that Banquo’s son might replace him. He suffered in worry and descended into madness from fear. His series of violent acts to eliminate obstacles made him unpopular, and ultimately he was overthrown by his subjects, dying in battle. A good general had become a mad King!”

Kerky bowed exaggeratedly and sat down beside Gongsun Ce. The dark-clad young man quickly shuffled to the side, while the mischievous apprentice followed with a grin.

Mo Yuankai pondered the story, then said, “Isn’t all of this Macbeth’s own fault from beginning to end? Who else can he blame for his evil intent?”

“Mr. Mo, the point is not there…” Orianna sighed, “In this story, all of Macbeth’s actions led to the fulfillment of the prophecized outcome, whether he complied or resisted, the developments thereafter would ensure the prophecy’s fulfillment, like a pawn struggling within a script already written.”

“This is the self-fulfilling nature of a prophecy,” Gongsun Ce said, “Now we have a prophecy at hand, and the people of the Country will surely make every effort to counter the Dragon Disaster. But the question is, how do you know that these efforts won’t be the cause of the Dragon Disaster? What if the giant dragon comes because you’re too strong? What if the dragon comes because of the changes made through these efforts?

“You can’t know, and you can’t cope. Because if the prophecy is to be believed, then the future has already been decided.”

Mo Yuankai mulled over the story in silence. All four fell into a quiet melancholy, until Kerky chimed in cheerfully, “So, life is short, enjoy it while you can~”

Tugging on Gongsun Ce’s ponytail, she said, “Not knowing whether we’ll even be alive in two months, why not do more happy things now?”

“Go away, go play on your own and stop pulling my hair,” Gongsun Ce swatted at her, “Speaking of which, whose side are you really on? One day you act in a theatre troupe, then you serve tea and steal seals at the academy. You’re not some kind of Royal Family’s direct secret agent, are you?”

“You got me, my true identity is a high-ranking secret agent directly under the Royal Family, Kerky Hyde!”

Kerky stood up, stretching lazily, “Did you think I would really say that? You’ve watched too many spy movies, this is the Country, not the United States; we don’t have all those flying and dodging, sunglass-wearing, suit-clad men…”