Chapter 7: Shadows from the Book of the Old Days
The upper district of the Divine City. A massive complex occupies the most central area of the entire upper district. This is where the temple is located. Nobles, council members, officials, factory owners, and other true upper-class citizens of the Divine City gather in the temple square whenever they have free time, participating in worship and r
The only difference is that the temples in the upper district are more grand and luxurious, while those in the middle and lower districts are relatively simple. Of course, "simple" is relative. Temples in the middle and lower districts are still the most magnificent buildings in their areas, but the upper district’s temple is particularly opulent. Moreover, legends say that the deity sleeps within the temple in the upper district, in peaceful slumber undisturbed. Thus, rituals in the upper district's temple tend to be more subdued to avoid disturbing the deity. However, the priests would never admit that the deity is actually sleeping deep within the temple. Near the temple, the second-largest complex in
Here, noble cou
With the proposal passed, amidst loud applause, the proposing council member earns the title of "great benefactor." An hour later, in a nearby upscale restaurant, factory owners, who spend money lavishly, celebrate the new law. Beautiful young boys and girls are brought in to thank the great benefactor council member for initiating the proposal. Everyone raises their glasses, toasting and drinking fine wine, enjoying eternal joy in this Divine City.
"Councilman Charles, thank you for your proposal today. I heard you like novel things. I recently acquired an interesting item that you might like." "What is it? The Book of the Old Days?" Great benefactor Councilman Charles's face changed instantly as he looked at the electronic book in his hands. He quickly stuffed it into his clothes and glanced around to ensure no one was watching before relaxing. He quietly asked, "Where did Mr. Henry get this?" "A lowly man found it in the mechanical graveyard of the Old Days Mountains. You know that place usually only yields parts of mechanical demons, but he was lucky enough to discover the Book of the Old Days. However, he didn’t know what it was and just wanted to sell it for some money, so I took it," Henry replied with a smile. "Is it clean?" Councilman Charles asked solemnly. "Of course, he is now a frozen statue in the White Hell, along with his family; they’ve all reunited." "Oh, you really are a good person," Charles finally relaxed.
If the priests knew he had the Book of the Old Days, it would be troublesome, even for a noble councilman. Of course, it would only be a little troublesome. After all, he wasn't a lowly citizen and wouldn’t be tempted by the forbidden knowledge within the Book of the Old Days. He had no interest in that knowledge; what intrigued him were the novels recorded in the Book of the Old Days. I must say, they are really captivating.
Just as the two finished their whispered conversation and returned to the banquet hall, a councilman’s attendant rushed in from outside the hotel, hurriedly reporting something to each of their masters. Councilman Charles’s attendant did the same. As Charles listened to the attendant, his expression shifted from calm to visibly terrified. Then, one by one, the council members hurriedly left. “Councilman Charles, what happened?” Henry casually asked. Charles hesitated for a moment, possibly considering the earlier conversation about the Book of the Old Days, and finally revealed a bit of news. “The Speaker has summoned everyone. There has been unusual activity in the Old Days Mountains.” Henry’s expression changed instantly. Meanwhile, deep within the temple, in an unknown location, a mechanical voice sounded. “Detected self-check signal at the garrison base, information synced, suspected return of humanity. Alarm, alarm, suspected return of humanity. Starting awakening procedure.”
In the lower district, dense pipes crisscross above the factory. Young Jack, covered in oil, quickly crawls through the gaps in the pipes, transporting the ore needed for the factory. Dripping, filthy water constantly seeps from the pipes, falling to the ground and releasing a foul odor. However, the workers moving about the factory hardly care; they have long since become accustomed to everything. Sitting on a stone placed over the sewage to eat is routine. Even if some dirty water accidentally drips onto their bread filled with sawdust, they simply shake it off and continue eating. The hardships of life have numbed their taste buds.
Yet, even so, the workers in this factory are different from others. Because they still have hope. There is still light in their eyes. And all of this comes from a few men gathering not far away, secretly holding a meeting. The workers spontaneously scattered throughout the factory to help those few keep watch. If any overseers approached, they would immediately raise the alarm. What those few men were discussing, if known to the upper district nobles, would certainly cause a huge uproar, even bloodshed. “The city guard has been tightening their checks recently. I feel someone is already suspicious of us.” “So what if they are? In their eyes, we are merely discontented workers trying to cause trouble. Such things happen every year. Those arrogant nobles would never think we have discovered their greatest secret.”
Yes, those damn nobles have vilified the great Old World Rulers for over ten thousand years, preventing us from accessing the knowledge of the Old Days out of fear that one day we would awaken and uncover their true nature. “But now, we have awakened. We must fight for the rights of the workers.” “Exactly. The recent night classes have been very effective. Many workers now understand the root of our suffering, so we must continue to spread the knowledge of the Old Days; that is the source of our victory.” “By the way, how are Reynard and the others doing?” “They successfully infiltrated the team sent to the Old Days Mountains to retrieve parts. I hope they can successfully hide some parts.”
“Yes, this is incredibly important for us.”
