The Righteous Player(s)

POSTED ON SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 BY JACK RUSSELL

Pa. Henry VIII gently closed the heavy book in his hand.

Annan glanced at it and noticed that the cover read “Higher Linguistics – A Study on the Special Meaning of Syllables to Rituals” in cursive writing.

What is this?

Live and learn even at old age?

Henry VIII raised his head, looked at Annan with a smile, and gestured for Annan to sit beside him. At the same time, he had not spoken a word yet.

So Annan was the first one to speak tacitly.

He did not pay salutations, pleasantries, nor formal greetings to the king.

He glanced at the book on the table and said softly, “Are you reading Higher Linguistics?”

“Yeah, but I still can’t understand some Dragon linguals. It would be nice of you to come and visit me.”

“I think you expected me not for leisure chatter, right?” Realizing that he had fallen into a passive state, Annan decisively interrupted the previous topic.

Henry VIII was not irritated.

He glanced at Kafni with a smile, then looked back at Annan and asked with interest. “It was you who approached me, right? Isn’t Little Kafni bringing you here to see me?”

When Henry VIII mentioned Kafni, Annan felt Kafni’s hand tremble and lowered her head. Then, she somewhat timidly and quietly let go of Annan’s hand.

Annan did not look back at Kafni, but he grabbed her hand lightly and held her wrist.

Kafni was shocked and looked at Annan in surprise.

However, Annan did not say anything. Instead, he looked at Henry VIII calmly, “You already knew I would come with Kafni today.

“Since my current actions are still in your plan, you’re expecting my visit first.”

“It’s not exactly planned.” Henry VIII smiled slightly. His tone was calm but emotionally inciting, “I have revealed your identity to show that I have no ill will towards you. No matter whether Philip wants to do something to you or no matter what Elizabeth is planning, you will be safe as long as I reveal your identity personally, isn’t it?”

That’s indeed so.

After all, Annan was not an average noble or royal family.

As a direct descendant of the Old Grandmother, Annan was under the patronage of the Old Grandmother. It would be excusable if Annan was injured, persecuted, or disrespected without the culprit knowing his identity. As long as Annan was not dead, it was inappropriate for Old Grandmother to execute law enforcement in another country.

But after Annan’s identity was revealed, anyone hostile to Annan would encounter the Old Grandmother’s revenge during the snowfall in winter.

Old Grandmother had always been vindictive. At the same time, the dragons had a different concept of time than ordinary people.

For Old Grandmother, who could sleep for dozens of years, she could stay awake for 40 years in a row.

After all, Old Grandmother’s asylum month was December. The snowfall every winter was deadly to anyone she wanted to kill.

The culprit could never go out in December. There would be a blizzard as soon as the culprit left the house. When the culprit contacted the snow, he would be turned into an ice sculpture.

The Old Grandmother’s revenge was not measured in days or months. It was normal for her to focus on her vengeance for decades. Even after the culprit died of old age, she would attack his descendants if she could not find a chance.

It was a “tradition” for the son to pay the debt in his father’s shoes. At the same time, it was a “tradition” to protect one’s kin and a “tradition” to take revenge for blood relatives.

She would never stop taking revenge until Old Grandmother thought the score was settled.

No one wanted to provoke such a deity except lunatics.

Old Grandmother was notoriously unreasonable.

Therefore, Annan’s safety in the Noah Kingdom was guaranteed after his identity was announced.

Since it was announced by the king himself, those people couldn’t use the excuse of “I don’t know about this”.

“Thank you very much.” Annan was silent for a long time but thanked the king in a low voice.

He immediately asked again, “But…?”

Do you know exactly what Philip and Elizabeth are going to do?

“I stay here all the time, but I know a lot. Much more than what they reveal. The Crow Family is forever loyal to the crown, even if it’s rusted and dull.”

Henry VIII sighed softly and said gently, “I know everything, be it Philip’s relationship with the Rotten Man Church and the Little Crow, or Elizabeth’s tricks in infiltrating the army, school and my guards, and even the matter of Margaret and Danton.

“Of course, including Kafni and you.”

“But why?” This surprised Annan a little.

He thought before that Henry VIII should know more or less of what was happening, but he did not expect the king to know it so comprehensively and so much.

But he obviously knew everything, but why didn’t he do anything?

“Because I’m dying, Your Excellency Annan.” Henry VIII narrated calmly.

“But I can see that you are in good shape.”

“It has nothing to do with that. I’m just a temporary substitute.”

The old king smiled, “No matter whether it’s the territorial war with Austere-Winter, the contract with the Underground Federation, or the diplomacy with the Papal Kingdom, I can’t change a fact no matter how well I handle it.

“I am not a naturally born human, but a ‘Child in the Cup’ created by the power of the Cup-holding Lady to continue the royal bloodline. It’s just a tool for the transition and continuation of the bloodline.

“My father has imposed the setting on me. I can only live until 65 years old and have to give up the throne to my children. Even if I can live till 98 years old, the result is fixed. That is to avoid political turmoil between my child’s generation and the grandchild’s generation as long as I live long enough.”

The corners of Henry VIII’s mouth rose slightly, revealing a smile that was either pitiful or sarcastic, “Yes, my father is afraid of me and fears me. So he imposed a curse on his only child, me, during my birth – just for the continuation of the kingdom.”

“…” Annan went silent.

Facing Henry VIII’s words, he did not know how to respond for a while.

Should I agree? Disagree? Comfort? Or encourage?

However, none of these make any sense.

After a long time, Annan asked slowly, “So, you don’t love your child?”

Hearing Annan’s words, Henry VIII showed a relieved smile of being understood and nodded lightly, “If what you are referring to is the love between parents and children, then yes.”

He admitted it.

“Some people have said that the ‘Child in the Cup’ has no feelings. They may be right. The truth is that the ‘Child in the Cup’ wakes up too early.

“Humans have the instinct to love babies. Babies feel kindness and love from all directions, so they think they are the kings of the world, and they dare to extend their consciousness. So they will store this kindness and love as a way to meet and treat others. They are the fuel for the children to get to know others and love others.”

The old king said slowly, “But when the Child in the Cup is still in the cup, he has already become conscious and can understand all the words before he opens his eyes. People aren’t aversive to what they said before the unborn fetus.

“Yes, maybe it’s the Cup-holding Lady’s little mischief or a gift. The Childs can understand everything when they’re in the cup before birth. However, they lose this ability after they’re born.

“In other words, they have been soaked in the blood of human desire before they feel ‘love’. They can feel hypocrisy, desire, disgust, and regret from their ‘father’ and ‘mother’. Then, there only comes the ‘love’ that is revealed on the surface.

“The Child in the Cup is not a continuation of life, but a copy of life. Anyone who sees his Child in The cup will instinctively feel disgusted because this baby is exactly like himself, which is the proof of their life failure.

“Can an artificial being understand human love? It’s a joke. I haven’t felt love since I was born, so how can I love someone?”

Henry VIII looked at Annan, “To my father, I am his continuation; to my many children, they are my continuation. What if they were killed? It doesn’t matter if they are poisoned, kill each other, or have their mind controlled. It has nothing to do with me.

“This is not revenge, but just the statement of facts.

“Since my father sees me only as a vehicle for the continuation of the kingdom and the royal blood, I don’t need to express opinions on matters other than this — which is undoubtedly in line with his stance.

“If Philip or Elizabeth came to see me, I would lie in bed and pretend to be confused. But unlike them, you’re not my descendant. When I see you, there’s no need for me to be wary or put up a facade.

“Anyway, this year is the 65th year of my life. Next Wednesday is the day I will die. I don’t care about it anymore. Let them do what they want because I have no ‘love’ for them.

“To me, they’re not as interesting as a book.”

He spoke words that were contrary to common sense, but he did not hesitate at all.

Annan completely understood the king’s situation.

Henry VIII had no “love” for the Noah Kingdom and his children.

In his heart, there was only hatred, responsibility, and indifference. His hatred for the “father” who copied life to him and set a boundary on his lifespan. He was indifferent to the responsibility for the “royal family” and “kingdom” that shackled his life and to the future destiny for him and his children.

He did not understand love.

It wasn’t that there was no need for him to understand it.

But, he simply did not want to understand it.