Chapter 240: Who Told You I'm Human Too?
Kurtz's mind was in turmoil after his unexpected conversation with Flamme.
He originally planned to go straight back to Serie, but after thinking it over, he decided to first formally say goodbye to the city lord and the bishop of this place.
Upon arriving at the area where the city lord was working, the attendant informed him that Duke Hod was patrolling the city walls, and only Bishop Casalius was in a side hall.
Kurtz entered the side hall and saw the bishop sitting in an armchair by the window, reading a familiar book in the sunlight streaming in from outside.
"Your Excellency, Bishop," Kurtz greeted him.
Bishop Casalius looked up at the sound of the voice, saw it was Kurtz, carefully closed the book in his hand, and smiled. "It's Lord Kurtz. Please sit down. What can I do for you?"
"We have come to bid farewell to Your Excellency and the Duke." Kurtz did not sit down and stated his purpose directly. "Serie and I did not intend to stay here for long. Now that the danger has passed, it is time for us to leave."
The bishop seemed unsurprised and nodded. "I guessed as much. A traveler like you would naturally not stay in one place for too long. Rest assured, I will convey the message to His Excellency the Duke."
"Thank you for your trouble." Kurtz nodded slightly.
His gaze inadvertently swept over the closed book on the bishop's lap, and the familiar cover made him pause slightly.
That was the format of the first edition of the spellbook he had co-authored with Norn.
However, it was not the original, but just a copy of the same style. Although it looked a bit old, it was well preserved.
What was even more striking was the pair of pure white wings branded on the spine of the book. This was the mark of the Holy Magic volume, since Holy Magic was originally a gift from the goddess worshipped by the Skywing Clan.
Bishop Casalius noticed Kurtz's gaze. He looked down at the book in his hand, smiled, and gently stroked the cover. "A remarkable work, isn't it? Even after a thousand years, it remains essential reading for all magicians, especially those specializing in spiritual magic."
He raised his head, his eyes filled with reverence for that legendary being. "The first Godslayer, Lord Kurtz, truly deserves to be hailed as the greatest human being."
"He not only created countless magical systems that changed the world, but also obtained the original texts of sacred magic from the goddess, and organized and simplified them so that they could be passed down to future generations for study."
"Otherwise, someone of mediocre talent like myself would likely never have been able to fathom the mysteries of divine magic in my entire life."
Kurtz was silent for a moment, then looked up from the book and out the window, his tone very calm. "He was not the only one who was great."
"His companions, those who became legends alongside him, also contributed greatly; moreover, without the initial foundation, nothing that followed would have been possible."
He thought of Serie, the one who taught him the earliest offensive magic, which he then improved upon.
Without her, perhaps he wouldn't have reached the heights he did later, and there would be no magic book.
Actually, Serie's name should have been included in the original design.
Unfortunately, Serie rejected the proposal at the time.
The bishop carefully considered Kurtz's words, a hint of understanding flashing in his eyes, which then deepened into emotion.
He gazed at Kurtz's calm profile, then suddenly took a deep breath, as if making a decision, and asked softly:
"Your Excellency is the Lord Kurtz from a thousand years ago, isn't that right?"
After asking the question, the bishop's body tensed up from the tension, and his cloudy eyes stared intently at Kurtz, awaiting an answer.
Upon hearing this, Kurtz slowly turned his head to meet the bishop's gaze.
His face showed no surprise or panic; he simply nodded calmly.
"It's me."
Despite already suspecting it, the moment he received confirmation, the immense shock and indescribable excitement left the elderly bishop trembling violently. He instinctively wanted to rise and pay his respects, but Kurtz stopped him with a gesture.
Countless words were stuck in his throat, and myriad questions about that history and about magic lingered in his mind.
But in the end, Bishop Casalius completely suppressed his emotions, as if using all his strength, and bowed deeply to Kurtz.
Everything boiled down to the simplest yet most profound sentence:
"Thank you... for everything you have done for humanity."
Kurtz looked at the old man's gray head and shook his head slightly. "It's nothing. What can I say? I'm human too."
'As long as you're alive, you have to do something for yourself and for your fellow men.'
This was something Kurtz had decided on from the moment he arrived in this world, and after meeting Serie, this feeling became a reality.
A brief silence fell over the room. It took the bishop some time to calm his excited emotions. He sat up straight and looked at Kurtz with deep admiration in his eyes.
The two talked for a while longer, mainly the bishop asking questions about the practice of holy magic, and Kurtz offering guidance, which helped the old bishop make further progress each time.
Seeing that it was almost time, Kurtz once again took his leave.
This time, the bishop did not try to keep him any longer. He stood up and respectfully saw Kurtz to the door.
Just as Kurtz was about to step out of the room, Bishop Casalius finally couldn't suppress his greatest curiosity, or rather, the question that would arise in everyone who knew of Kurtz's existence.
He gazed at Kurtz's unusually youthful face and asked, "Lord Kurtz, please forgive my intrusion, but how exactly have you lived a thousand years?"
This question concerned immortality and taboos, enough to unleash endless greed among humankind.
The bishop knew he shouldn't ask, but he couldn't suppress the most profound confusion in his heart.
Kurtz stopped in his tracks.
He didn't turn around, but just tilted his head slightly, remained silent for a few seconds, and then answered in a tone that revealed no emotion: "I used a special method, a method that only I can use."
His answer cleverly avoided all the key points, while also serving as a subtle warning that his method was unique, unreplicable, and not to be coveted.
Bishop Casalius was a man of great wisdom, and he immediately understood its meaning.
He knew all too well how alluring immortality was to humankind, and he had no intention of asking for details. Instead, a hint of melancholy appeared on his face.
He gazed at Kurtz's retreating figure and suddenly asked another question: "So, Lord Kurtz, after a thousand years, are you satisfied with humanity's current development? Has humanity failed to live up to your bloody battles and expectations back then?"
Kurtz finally turned around to face the bishop.
A complex smile appeared on his face, the thoughts that mingled within it known only to him.
Kurtz didn't answer directly, but raised his hand and waved it casually. "I'm satisfied," he said.
"Life will find its own way, and humanity has never let me down."
After saying that, he didn't linger, turned around, and left, his figure quickly disappearing from the bishop's sight.
Bishop Casalius stood alone at the doorway, gazing for a long time in the direction Kurtz had left.
Finally, he bowed again with utmost solemnity and murmured to himself, "Thank you again, Lord Kurtz."
[End of Chapter]
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