Chapter 34: Wheel of Fate
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 34: Wheel of Fate
Once the seeds of doubt are sown, they inevitably take root and sprout.
By the time Roland decided to head for the Golden Dragon, the Void Insect Hive had already become a hive of feverish activity.
Under the Void Insect Race’s exceptional organizational skills, the Void Insect Hive had been divided into two levels. The lower level served as the original incubation grounds for the swarm, while the upper level had been transformed into a space for daily activities, centered around a massive, magnificent palace.
The structure featured a breathtakingly dark, ornate design, its every surface etched with the intricate gold lines of maximalism. From a distance, it looked like the residence of some deity—mysterious and opulent.
This was the masterpiece of the Void Insect Race, though it would not have been possible without the contributions of a certain legendary architect.
"Melos, your architectural talent truly impresses me," Thanatos remarked from the side.
Melos, who had previously been "abducted," stood before the palace and responded to Thanatos’s praise.
"You flatter me. It is the honor of a lifetime to design such grand masterpieces for the Master. Besides, my work isn't finished yet; it’s too early to draw conclusions."
As he spoke, Melos surveyed the surrounding space. Aside from the central palace, the area remained quite empty. The clusters of buildings intended to complement the main palace had not yet been completed.
After pausing to admire the view for a moment, Melos suddenly looked up and asked Thanatos, "I wonder if you could tell me, Mr. Thanatos... why guide Roland to the Golden Dragon? As far as I know, as long as he reconstructs the actual scene from that time, these lies will fall apart on their own."
Facing Melos’s question, Thanatos explained, "The point isn't whether he can reconstruct the truth. The point is whether he goes to the Golden Dragon."
Hearing this, Melos raised his heavy eyelids. "Oh? What do you mean by that, Mr. Thanatos?"
Thanatos made no effort to hide his intentions and continued to lay out his plan.
"I have already spread word to Emperor Atoris that Roland is colluding with the Chaos Church. I claimed their method of contact involves returning to the Golden Dragon to exchange information by recreating the original scene. Under normal circumstances, Roland has no logical reason to return there right now."
"Furthermore, Atoris’s days are numbered. As an Emperor, he has inevitably grown paranoid, especially with the threat of the Void Insect Race looming outside."
"In such a high-pressure situation, if Roland—who just conducted a Great Purge of the Empire—returns there, it will certainly trigger Atoris’s suspicion. Out of caution, Atoris will close the access tunnels to the Golden Dragon and reject Roland’s request for entry."
"That rejection will, in turn, validate the doubts in Roland’s heart. They will fall into a cycle of mutual suspicion, and Roland might even find himself alienated because of it."
"And that," Thanatos concluded, "is when you make your entrance."
Melos pointed to himself in surprise. "Me?"
Thanatos nodded. "Yes. As Roland’s old friend, you are perfectly positioned to win him over, opening a third front in this war. At the same time, it will serve as the breakthrough for our official identity."
Melos was puzzled. "An official identity? You mean a title of our own, without using the fake cover of the Chaos Church?"
Thanatos nodded. "Exactly. This is also the Master’s wish. She has even chosen a name for the organization."
Thanatos paused for a beat, then spoke with solemn gravity.
"Our organization is called the Wheel of Fate."
*
"The Wheel of Fate?"
Roland looked at Melos with confusion. Melos was currently clad in a pitch-black cloak covered in golden patterns, giving him an air of profound mystery.
"Yes. When I was captured by the Chaos Church, someone calling himself a Messenger of Fate suddenly appeared and rescued me. The organization he belongs to is called the Wheel of Fate."
Roland looked at Melos with a hint of skepticism. "So, looking at the result... you were recruited by them?"
Faced with Roland’s doubt, Melos answered instinctively, "That’s right. After I was saved..."
Suddenly, Melos realized what Roland was actually questioning.
"Wait, Roland, what’s that supposed to mean? You don't believe I was recruited? And what’s with that look of contempt in your eyes?"
He pointed at Roland, feeling rather annoyed. Melos hadn't expected that Roland’s first doubt wouldn't be about the existence of the Wheel of Fate, but rather the plausibility of Melos actually being invited to join it.
"Haha! Well, I really can't imagine what a mysterious organization would see in an architecture geek like you. It couldn't possibly be your ability to build houses, could it?"
Roland laughed heartily. This old man, who had just endured the Emperor’s suspicion, seemed unusually relaxed in the presence of his long-lost friend.
Looking at Roland’s joking manner, Melos felt a momentary sense of daze. It was as if, for a split second, they had returned to their days as apprentices, bickering with one another.
"Alright, alright. After all, you are a consummate master when it comes to building houses, aren't you?"
Seeing that Roland was still teasing him about dropping out of the Royal Alchemy Academy to go into civil engineering, the veins on Melos’s forehead began to throb.
"Forget it, I’m not arguing with you about this." Melos calmed his emotions and asked, "That aside, you don't seem to doubt the existence of the Wheel of Fate?"
Faced with the question, Roland dropped his flippant attitude.
"Why would I doubt it? Back when I was researching Fate Stars, I encountered one that possessed intelligence. It told me that there is an organization on this continent specifically dedicated to uniting the Children of Fate, and it is called the Wheel of Fate."
Thump.
Melos’s heart skipped a beat.
Wait, an organization called the Wheel of Fate actually exists? Isn't this world a bit too coincidental?
Then, a thought occurred to him.
If it’s that Lady, then perhaps it isn't a coincidence at all. Perhaps the Wheel of Fate Roland spoke of is exactly the same one the Master has founded now.
As for how Roland could have known in advance, Melos simply attributed it to the Master’s mysterious methods. After this internal explanation, Melos quickly accepted the premise.
Before he could speak again, Roland added, "Besides, that cloak of yours carries the aura of Authority. Authority is something only a Demigod can possess at minimum, and the aura on you is of an extremely high level. I’d wager it’s the Authority of a True God. Given how the world is currently restricted, what reason would I have to doubt you?"
The aura of a True God’s Authority?
A True God?!
Weren't those legends that only existed tens of millions of years ago?!
Melos’s heart was struck by another massive shock. If he remembered correctly, this cloak was just a standard uniform Mr. Thanatos had made to give him a more mysterious vibe.
But according to Roland’s explanation...
Could it be... that Mr. Thanatos is actually a True God?!
Then again, Thanatos was the Master’s subordinate. If his hidden strength was that of a legendary True God, it actually seemed somewhat logical.
Melos steadied his heart once more. Roland’s own explanations had saved him a great deal of talking.
Melos looked at Roland solemnly and asked again, "In that case, Roland, how do you view the Wheel of Fate? Or rather... do you have any intention of joining us?"