Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint
Chapter 350: The King Who Kills Others, The God Who Kills Himself (6)

I noticed something strange at first when I saw the low hill in the distance.

It was an ordinary, everyday sight, with a ridge visible in the background.

Except for the fact that such a hill didn’t exist before I passed through the boundary of the Golden Palace.

A sight that couldn’t be seen from the outside.

Was it real or an illusion?

Without any special abilities, the only way for me to distinguish between them was through Mind Reading.

But right now, I have no way to figure it out.

Because, of all the beings here at the Golden Palace, not a single one of them was alive!

The only human within the Golden Palace, Hector, pointed to me and spoke.

“Goldenarch, it is this man.”

Elric stared at me intently. I stared right back at her as I tried to read her expression.

Residual thoughts were not ‘alive’.

Since they were once human, I could usually glean a fair bit, but I couldn’t read them as perfectly as I could a living human.

In other words, my Mind Reading was effectively sealed.

Tyr had disappeared and here I was alone, in the heart of enemy territory.

On top of that, I couldn’t use Mind Reading.

This is dangerous.

Should I run?

As I pondered my options, Elric pulled out a notebook, flipped through a few pages, and spoke.

“You said you came as a peace envoy to discuss a ceasefire?”

“That’s right. It seems you have no desire for a conflict over the Abyssal Plains.”

“The so-called land of opportunity, now that the Abyss has vanished…”

Once again, Elric flipped through the notebook, scanning its pages.

No matter how hard I focused on it, I couldn’t see what was written inside.

If my Mind Reading was working properly, I could have seen every word written in that notebook.

I would have read Elric’s thoughts, her future plans, her preferences, and even the events of her past.

But now, I have nothing.

Only the long-lost memories of Elric’s regrets lingered in the air — the catalyst for the fall of the Golden Empire.

What exactly had happened?

I wanted to know more, but with Mind Reading not working, I had no way to figure it out.

While I was lost in thought, Elric seemed to reach a conclusion.

“Dominarch, what do you think?”

She spoke informally to the elderly man as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

Even though she looked much younger, an air of majesty clung to her like armor.

Hector responded, raising his words with the proper deference.

“I don’t think it’s a bad idea. It’s been too long since the Fallen Dominion has properly cultivated any land. Even if we gave seeds to those Dholes, they’d probably just eat them instead of planting them. It’d be more rational to let the Military State cultivate it and simply take a portion of the harvest ourselves.”

“You’re wrong.”

Elric’s firm voice left no room for doubt.

Hector closed his mouth tight.

While he quietly tried to decipher her reasoning, Elric turned to me and raised a hand.

“The Abyssal Plains were originally the lands of the Golden Empire. From the beginning, they were ours and so they shall remain.”

The Golden Empire…?

Why did she still call this place that name…

“Do you know your history, envoy?” Her cold gaze bore down on me with unrelenting pressure.

“I do, Your Majesty.”

“Then you would not have forgotten that House Elric once used the Abyss as a grave for their failed creations. Isn’t that right, envoy?”

Elric spoke as if she were still a king.

Her audacity was astonishing.

She was a king who had been “devoured” by the Golden Lord, but she still carried herself with overwhelming confidence.

Maybe… just maybe… could it be?

I took a deep breath.

I have to admit it.

My ever-reliable friend, my Mind Reading, is now useless.

But…

Did that mean I was powerless?

My Mind Reading only works on human minds.

I can’t read the thoughts of animals, the weather for tomorrow, or predict how a seed will grow.

I’m no Prophet.

But human ability isn’t just about Mind Reading.

The true power of humanity lies in their ability to use any means necessary to achieve their goals.

We investigate, analyze, predict, and adapt.

Even if things go wrong, we build on those mistakes to move forward.

Declaring something “impossible” is only valid after every possibility has been exhausted.

Even then, time can open up new possibilities.

Giving up early is the job of a Prophet.

Not a human.

Alright, let’s try this.

I’ll start with a hypothesis.

“You’re right. The Golden Empire had a tradition of discarding ashes and scraps of unusable steel into the Abyss. It was House Elric that truly utilized the Abyss, not our royal family.”

“You’re well-informed.”

“But that was a matter between the Golden Empire and the Kingdom.”

The Golden Lord was considered an Arcane of the Fallen Dominion.

But in that case, why is it called the Golden Lord, a reference to the fallen empire?

Of course, the “Golden” in Golden Lord refers to gold.

The “Lord” refers to a minister or subject serving the king.

Put together, the name “Golden Lord” implied that the person represented all of the Golden Empire itself.

Why was it named that?

Is it because the Golden Lord still had some unresolved sentiments towards the Golden Empire?

Or maybe…

“The relationship between the Fallen Dominion and the Military State is the opposite. After becoming the Land of Alchemy, the Fallen Dominion stopped approaching the Abyss, fearing the permanent loss of resources. At that time, the Military State invested in it and got results. Doesn’t that mean they have a stronger claim to it now?”

“For an envoy, you only bring up points that favor your side, but I’ll correct your mistake.”

Like I care.

It doesn’t matter if the Abyssal Plains belong to the Military State or the Fallen Dominion.

All I care about right now is information.

The Golden Lord is always creating something — but everything it creates is strange.

The cornfield is one thing, but building stone cities and high castles?

These are out-of-date designs.

Alchemy has rendered castle walls obsolete, yet the founder of alchemy itself was still constructing them.

“You’re wrong. This is the Golden Empire.”

Maybe the Golden Lord…

Is recreating the Golden Empire on this land.

“Ridiculous! The Golden Empire was destroyed by the Golden Lord!”

“You’re wrong. The King of Gold, the land of the Golden Empire, and its people are all here. What is this place if not the Golden Empire?”

“King Elric is dead, killed by the Golden Lord! You are not King Elric!”

“I still exist. I have the king’s memory, the king’s appearance, and the king’s abilities. What would you call me if not Elric, King of the Golden Empire?”

The most essential component of a kingdom is its king.

If the Golden Lord wants to recreate the Golden Empire, it makes sense that the first step is to recreate King Elric.

I see it now.

The Goldenarch, Elric, is a homunculus.

A creation of the Golden Lord.

That means…

The Golden Lord must also be here in this space.

“I came as a peace envoy to negotiate with the Golden Lord, not Elric. Summon the Golden Lord. I will negotiate with him.”

Time to call for the big boss.

If I can see him directly, all the mysteries will be solved.

But Elric didn’t act according to my plan.

“Such rudeness. Very well. I shall teach you respect.”

Elric reached out her hand.

The earth beneath her transmuted and a giant spear rose like a growing tree.

In any other place, such feats would be impossible because of the Law of Equivalent Exchange.

But here, in the Land of Alchemy, such a tedious concept clearly didn’t apply.

Elric gripped the spear twice her height with one hand.

The spear made of metal sharply gleamed as it aimed at my throat.

“There is no clearer declaration of war than beheading an envoy. Allow me to state my intentions loud and clear.”

I messed up.

I pushed too far.

I must have touched a nerve.

“Hold on! Wait! Do you know who’s behind me?”

“I do not care. I shall execute you myself.”

“No, wait! Your Majesty! I’m serious!”

I’m going to die.

Mind Reading doesn’t work, and I have no way of stopping that homunculus.

No, I wouldn’t have even asked for the Golden Lord to be summoned in the first place!

Just give me back my Mind Reading!

At that moment, Hector, who had been quietly listening, suddenly panicked and tried to stop Elric.

“Please wait, Goldenarch. Their strength is not something to be underestimated.”

｢According to what Wither said, the Progenitor Tyrkanzyaka is one of their allies. Vampires who wield the power of blood manipulation are a hassle. It would be wiser to send them to the Duchy peacefully… ｣

But Elric ignored Hector’s prudent warning and readjusted her grip on the steel spear.

“It does not matter who comes. The Golden Empire shall endure eternally as steel.”

“Tsk….”

Should I fight?

I don’t have any Diamonds.

How long can I hold out with Clubs alone?

I reached into my pockets and grabbed a card, preparing for a desperate last stand.

- Ding, ding.

A clear chime echoed softly.

It wasn’t loud, but just from the weight of the sound, anyone could tell it came from a meticulously crafted bell.

If it had been made of steel instead of gold, it would have produced harmonies that stirred the hearts of those who heard it.

Elric’s gaze turned sharply.

Her eyes were fixed on the slowly opening door of the village hall.

From the gap, a playful, innocent voice echoed.

“Your Majesty! It’s complete!”

At that moment, it felt as though the entire world pulled away from me.

It was not just a sensation — something thin but unyielding, like an invisible wall, separated me from them.

The air had solidified like glass. My hands couldn’t move forward any further.

My voice probably wouldn’t reach them either.

They might not even be able to see me.

It was as if I had been erased from the world on the other side.

It wasn’t just my imagination.

The mere appearance of the owner of that voice caused a visible shift in both Elric and Hector’s expressions.

For the first time, Elric showed a radiant smile — one she hadn’t displayed until now.

Her voice was warm with affection as she welcomed the newcomer.

“Demo.”

She called the name of the Golden Lord.