Chapter 111#
Distant Star Reflection 19#
Tan Per stared at the graph, saying nothing.
Additionally, more crucial evidence existed.
——Rest periods 3:00 AM to 8:00 AM, extinguishing-star trials ceased. Simultaneously, “snowmen” vanished without trace, reappearing ghost-like after 8:00 AM.
Tracing back when “extinguishing stars” technology was invented, indeed, shortly after, scattered discoveries of “snowmen” appeared.
Facts proved conclusive: “snowmen” phenomena constituted byproducts from cathedral’s newstar extinguishing.
Initially, Bai Song said mirror stars projected deathstars onto newstars—so Yu Feichen recalled witnessing that snowman aboard ship firsthand. Its appearance resembled humans, movements too, only material differed—resembling a living person’s projection.
Yet newstars and deathstars possessed enormous volume, vast energy, withstanding such “projection” without collapse. Humans proved thin, frail—how could they compare to planets?
How the projection relationship originally existing between newstars and deathstars appeared on humans, and what methods the cathedral employed controlling them, achievable control extent—only the pope and close confidants likely knew.
Yet he voiced no thoughts to Tan Per, uncertain what this person had guessed. After considerable time, Tan Per said simply:
“Commanding power vastly exceeding oneself,” they said, “often constitutes delusion.”
Yu Feichen listened, saying nothing. Subsequently he visited a former Tan Per rebel subordinate, Bishop Kaven. This bishop’s recent work related both to Extinguish Star Festival and snowmen. Yu Feichen said little, transferring the most crucial data.
Returning to the estate, learning that while he departed, Windsor had surprisingly visited Tan Per, covertly transmitting messages—major nobles, knowing the cathedral’s current extinguishing strength, grew simultaneously eager and anxious, their trust in the pope slightly wavering.
Beneath calm surfaces, secret currents still roiled the capital. Yet the next day, the Extinguish Star Festival arrived as scheduled.
The festival occurred at night. Before this, His Holiness the Pope, bishops, various young heirs, and major nobles from afar gathered for grand banquet. Originally the emperor should attend, yet already evaporated—no new emperor elected yet.
The delay reason: the final elector harbored transition phobia, refusing coming to the capital. Yet today Duke Windsor somehow wonderfully encouraged him, suddenly overcoming fears, transitioning that very day. The new emperor would be elected immediately following the festival.
People gradually entered the banquet hall as deep purple dusk enveloped Moho’s sky. Only Bishop Kaven was absent, yet the pope’s sides clustered many cardinals in red robes—Kaven’s absence mattered little.
Yu Feichen found a discreet position sitting, appearing completely uninvolved. Raising his eyes, he could observe Bai Song, the greatest insider, behaving obediently beside the pope.
Windsor mentioned this banquet attracted more attendees than usual. Some unnecessary lords rushed over, pressed by snowman-caused losses, forced meeting the pope personally, inquiring whether solutions existed.
Before the banquet started, the pope opened with remarks. This segment proved crucial, determining whether atmosphere became serious or cheerful. The pope, holding knowledge of extinguishing three hundred stars, intended releasing this then.
Indeed, the pope’s tone barely concealed excitement, informing everyone—the pace pursuing truth accelerates daily. Today the cathedral would simultaneously extinguish three hundred newstars commemorating this magnificent progress. Three hundred newstars would gradually transform into resource-rich earthstars within three to ten years, supplied for people’s excavation and habitation.
Finishing, the pope’s eyes overflowed with affection and satisfaction, gazing toward the people below. Yet their reaction differed entirely from expectations.
——Instead of seeing eager, hungry wolf expressions, he encountered ambiguous faces, exchanging glances across banquet tables.
Bai Song observed the pope’s subtle expression changes. By now, he finally understood the complexity of the decayed nobility’s world.
The cathedral could simultaneously extinguish 300 stars. Nobles now knowing versus knowing several days ago seemingly differed merely by days—yet those days sufficed weighing advantages against disadvantages, penetrating the pope’s calculations. Moreover, with Windsor stoking flames, ensuring chaos.
He remembered Windsor saying the cathedral already grew accustomed to demanding and others giving. If we nobles possessed abundant wealth it’d suffice, yet centuries the cathedral leveraged technologies and weapons as collateral, progressively extracting advantages, until now even our star systems’ newstars became experimental materials. What remains cannot be surrendered.
Thus the banquet hall descended into awkward silence, only Yu Feichen seemingly removed, naturally sipping ice water.
The pope’s expression darkened somewhat, yet continued, envisioning the changes additional earthstars would bring people. Finally a minor lord responded, the atmosphere gradually becoming less awkward. Minutes passed—countdown to the extinguishing ceremony continued.
Yet suddenly——
Urgent footsteps sounded at the banquet hall entrance. A figure hurriedly rushed in—the absent Bishop Kaven, who wasn’t absent but late, yet delayed far too long.
Seeing Kaven’s pale complexion and disheveled posture, the pope’s expression darkened. Upon hearing Kaven’s frantic “Your Holiness!”, he furrowed his brow.
This exclamation also captured everyone’s attention. The banquet hall immediately fell silent, only a noblewomen quietly saying: “Could something have happened to the ceremony?”
Adjacent people nodded deeply in agreement, because such a tone clearly announced urgent bad news.
The pope first thought the extinguishing ceremony experienced problems, regarding Kayan overseeing this.
Bai Song, sensing himself observed, obediently watched the table corner, appearing completely ignorant.