Dragon Raja 4; Chapter 3: Journey to the End of the World (3)

Dragon Raja 4

He tried to mask his embarrassment with anger. He had noticed the cedarwood scent, which was likely a type of men’s cologne, and felt the force of the opponent’s thrust. It immediately made him think that the hidden opponent was Maria of the Stars’ personal bodyguard. If the nearly 130-year-old medium could still wield a long-handled weapon with such skill, she would undoubtedly be the most worthy woman for the Principal. At that moment, details that Chu Zihang had initially overlooked suddenly became clear. Though the bedroom’s style was classical, the color scheme was quite vivid. The large bed with its classical style had green drapes, the slippers by the window were decorated with pink fur, and there was a half-sized leather elephant toy in the corner—a room filled with hidden girlish whims.

The girl quickly covered her mouth with her hand, her irritation evident. “Don’t come so close; your saliva got into my mouth!”

A small flame flickered in the glass lamp, and the lamp oil had added powdered benzoin, emitting a faint, pleasant scent when burned. Medieval mediums loved this scent, believing it guided their souls through the fictional gates to other worlds.

Chu Zihang and the girl sat side by side under the porthole, with a cup of hot tea on the small table between them. They had shifted from adversaries to host and guest.

Chu Zihang examined the girl from head to toe. She had changed into a tight-fitting black dress with a high neck and an open back, adorned with silver vine patterns at the collar and cuffs. She wore white high-heeled boots, with a very slim waist. Sitting upright, she resembled a female knight, but in a more relaxed pose, she looked like a princess. Yet, these charming details translated into data in Chu Zihang’s mind: 170 cm / 47 kg / white hair / silver-gray pupils / 20 years old (?) / waist size…

As Chu Zihang finished his third scan, the girl finally showed some annoyance. She pulled up her skirt to cover her long legs and hid her face in the shadow where the light couldn’t reach. “Can we stop here? I don’t see any admiration in your gaze; I feel more like I’m a corpse on an autopsy table.”

Chu Zihang withdrew his gaze. “According to our intelligence, there is a centenarian residing here.”

“You are looking for my great-grandmother. She passed away three years ago, and I inherited her title. As you might know, ‘Maria of the Stars’ is not a name but a title. You can call me Maria of the Stars or Reginleif; that’s my own name. Could you tell me your purpose? My life is in your hands, and what you say now is a command to me.” Although the girl spoke submissively, her posture and tone still held their ground.

“We want to inquire about a member from The Far North,” Chu Zihang said, handing over a black-and-white photograph. “His name is… Herzog.”

The man in the photograph had a high nose and deep-set eyes, handsome and elegant, dressed in a neat Soviet military uniform with medals on his chest. The background showed a snow-covered wasteland. At first glance, the photograph seemed to be of a high-ranking Soviet officer inspecting the Siberian north, but a closer look would draw attention to the man’s intense gaze as he looked over the wasteland, like a conqueror surveying a blood-soaked battlefield.

Reginleif suddenly straightened up, her starry eyes filled with surprise. “This pervert is still alive? He even went to the Soviet Union?”

Chu Zihang raised an eyebrow slightly. “So you know this person?”

Reginleif nodded. “My great-grandmother mentioned him. He called himself the ‘Galahad Knight’ and claimed to be the chosen one who could alone lift the Holy Grail. His followers would be able to join him in the divine realm. He even courted my great-grandmother but was rejected. She said he was either a pervert or a demon. She warned me to be cautious of him and his disciples.”

“He has disciples?”

“Unknown,” Reginleif brushed her hair. “But demons always spread their doctrine, don’t they? In this regard, they are like gods.”

“There is a rumor that Herzog was the most renowned genetic scientist at the Imperial Institute. Who was his teacher? Which school did he graduate from?”

“No one knows his background. He did work at the Imperial Institute but was quickly dismissed for making nonsensical claims about combining biology with black magic. He went around claiming he was a lifetime professor at the Institute, but he scorned the outdated old professors. No one was willing to take him in, so he had to start his own research institute.”

“What was his research focus?”

“Since you found your way here, you must be familiar with The Far North and what we are searching for.” Reginleif turned to look directly at Chu Zihang.

Chu Zihang nodded slightly. “The lost Hyperborea, the forgotten Arctic land, the Gate to the Divine Kingdom.”

“In The Far North, Herzog was an anomaly. He believed that since we are all descendants of the Hyperboreans, finding our path back to them is an internal matter rather than an external one. By awakening the divine blood within us, we could all become deities, and the land beneath our feet would be the divine realm. He persuaded the SS to fund him to create pure Hyperboreans through genetic technology, selecting children with Hyperborean genes from the allies and occupied territories as his test subjects. Most of the children could not withstand the torture. He seemed to have achieved some results, but with the war nearing its end, he couldn’t outrun time. He named his research institute Migdal Bavel. It’s a Hebrew term. Do you know its meaning?”

“Tower of Babel, the high tower in the Bible leading to heaven. The term also means confusion.”

“My great-grandmother said Herzog was the seed of confusion. If there is a hell in this world, he is the key to opening it,” Reginleif said solemnly.

“You see yourselves as destined for the divine realm, while Herzog wants to open the gates of hell. What difference do you see between the divine realm and hell?”

Reginleif was stunned. “Of course, heaven and hell are different! Are you playing some kind of sophistic game with me?”

“Even if there is truly a divine realm, it should not be found by humans. The day humanity finds it, the world beyond the Gate of the Divine Kingdom will be hell,” Chu Zihang said softly.

“I don’t understand what you’re saying; I feel like you’re mocking our faith!” Reginleif became increasingly serious.

“Is there anything else you remember about Herzog?” Chu Zihang wanted to move on from this topic, so he asked.

Reginleif thought for a moment and shared what she knew. Herzog was passionate about researching medieval dark magic manuscripts and was also a notorious figure at social events. With his handsome appearance, he had charmed many noblewomen and even dared to make advances on the wives of SS officers, which earned him the support of many high-ranking officials. Herzog was once an active member of a drama society, where his performances on stage were astonishing. However, no one knew if he was involved in drama to hone his lying skills or because of his interest in the beautiful actresses, or perhaps both. At one point, Herzog became obsessed with ballet and requested an SS officer to provide him with a female prisoner, who had been a renowned ballet dancer in Moscow. She taught Herzog ballet, and he praised her as his muse but, in a drunken rage, suddenly shot her. This information did not seem to provide any crucial details but rather underscored Herzog’s enigmatic and ruthless nature, he was a confluence of all evils.

The radio on the table emitted the hoot of an owl. Of course, there wouldn’t be owls in the Arctic Circle, so this was likely a signal indicating to Reginleif that her armed forces were already in place. Chu Zihang also heard faint footsteps.

“Dismiss them. I’m having a good chat with my guest.” Reginleif turned the knob to turn off the radio and then faced Chu Zihang. “That’s all I remember about Herzog. If you don’t have any other questions, I need to prepare for bed.”

“Sorry for taking up your time. I have no more questions. If you think of any important information you missed, please give me a call.” Chu Zihang wrote his room number on a piece of paper.

This time, it was Reginleif’s turn to be surprised: “You risked so much to come here just to ask me about a deceased pervert’s anecdotes? You’re not interested in anything else?”

“Your Hyperboreans?” Chu Zihang stood up expressionlessly. “If you really hold the secrets of an ancient civilization, then the Führer wouldn’t have lost his war, and the world would be quite different today.”

“The Kingdom of Heaven certainly exists!” Reginleif’s face was filled with anger. “What does the Führer amount to? On the road to the Kingdom of Heaven, he is merely a servant coming to pay homage!”

“Even if the Kingdom of Heaven truly exists, it shouldn’t be opened. Mortals will use the bones of their kind as stepping stones to pass through that door.” Chu Zihang said softly, “So I say, outside the door of the Kingdom of Heaven is Hell.”

As he turned to leave, he suddenly noticed the large oil painting behind him. It depicted two giant dragons, one black and one white, swirling in the sky amidst a rain of blood, while a warrior riding an eight-legged steed held up a curved lance towards the sky.

From the painting, it was clearly the theme of the room, and in noble rooms, the choice of theme works is very deliberate, often commemorating the family’s most significant battles or the most illustrious ancestors.

Chu Zihang’s eyes twitched slightly. “What’s the painting about? The Twilight of the Gods?”“I don’t know much about oil paintings. Those were left by my great-grandmother.” Reginleif’s tone was nonchalant, as if discussing old family heirlooms.

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