In the Middle East, the sun blazed overhead.
Endless dunes, yellow-sand homes, dark-skinned Arabs weathered by ultraviolet rays, thin and dry children.
One pair after another of large, bright eyes.
Diana walked across the land. Everywhere she looked, there were countless eyes staring eagerly, filled with longing, as if hoping someone would take them away.
Take them away from this war-torn land.
Diana's face was filled with disbelief as she passed by each scene in a daze. Her emotions were tangled and indescribable.
Her heart grew heavier with each step. In her right hand, she held Anluya, a young girl.
At her request, Barmulodi had once agreed to let this little girl become a civilian of the Barmulodi Empire.
Diana didn't know what the Barmulodi Empire meant for this region of the Middle East. She had even persuaded the girl's mother to reluctantly abandon her daughter and let her become a citizen of the Barmulodi Empire.
The scorching sun baked her smooth, healthy skin that remained unaffected by ultraviolet rays.
The wind stirred the sand lightly, forming tiny twisters that swirled briefly before vanishing.
The breeze lifted the hem of Bardi's windbreaker, causing it to flutter slightly.
Behind him, Diana looked at him with a complex expression. That tall white back, with the Ω emblem engraved upon it, appeared exceptionally grand. It made An Luya's mother feel that entrusting her daughter to him was worthwhile.
Diana held Anluya tightly, her expression complicated. Her gaze was fixed on Bardi, full of concern.
In the vast yellow sands, beneath the scorching sun that distorted the air, Bardi, Diana, and Anluya slowly emerged from the blurred horizon as the sandstorm blew around them, appearing small in the landscape.
A hint of green appeared in their field of vision.
"That's the green paradise Grandma talked about!"
Anluya, who had been gloomy after separating from her mother, suddenly jumped with excitement when she saw the green patch, her large eyes lighting up.
In Diana's arms, she raised her small body, pointing at the distant green and speaking with hope.
Diana looked in the direction of her finger. With her strong eyesight, she could see farther than others. At last, she softly comforted the little girl and asked again.
"Why is it called Green Paradise?"
"Grandma said there is dignity in life there."
The little girl replied crisply.
Diana was stunned, her face freezing.
"What is dignity?"
The little girl asked with a puzzled look. She only remembered what her grandmother told her and didn't think too deeply. Even when her grandmother handed her over to Barmulodi, she had been sad and aggrieved, but still obediently left her mother's side.
Facing the little girl's innocent and confused eyes, Diana couldn't find the words to respond.
She looked down at the child's big, curious eyes. Her heart completely broke at the state of humanity.
Humans... are beyond saving.
"Dignity means that wherever you go, you're treated as a person, not as an object."
Bardi suddenly spoke.
Under his rule, people truly lived with more dignity than in any other nation. Their backs stood straighter than citizens of any other country.
Because they believed in themselves. They believed in Barmulodi. How could they not stand tall and face the world with confidence?
Their own strength became their faith.
His strength became the pillar of everyone under his rule.
As long as he existed, everything would be fine.
Diana looked at Bardi's back. It suddenly seemed to cover the sky, growing larger and taller, making her look up with trembling awe.
He offered not only safety and the guarantee of life but also nourishment for the spirit.
In contrast, everything she had once insisted on now felt foolish, insignificant, and meaningless.
Diana's heart sank even further.
The little girl didn't understand. She just nodded in confusion and didn't dare to ask more questions. Her grandmother's reverence for Bardi had left a deep mark on her heart.
Soon, the three arrived at the border.
This was the frontier of the Barmulodi Empire.
Of course, with the ongoing bloodshed across the world and the transfer of power in motion, soon there would be no borders. The entire Earth would belong to Barmulodi.
After crossing the border, several subordinates arrived and drove over to welcome them. They drove for several miles. Gradually, it felt as though they had entered a forest filled with moisture. The air refreshed their skin, making even the tiny hairs tingle.
It was like walking into an air-conditioned room in the peak of summer, shedding a layer of stifling heat and enjoying a cool, invigorating sensation.
These were plants researched for years by Pamela, who used her own abilities to guide water from the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea into this dry, scorching desert region. Combined with Bardi's technology, they used artificial atmospheric clouds to induce rainfall and create a sudden oasis.
A city constructed entirely from a white jade-like stone, was built here. Though the material wasn't actual jade, it was synthesized by Bardi's technology to appear so. It was inexpensive, aesthetically pleasing, and had excellent insulation properties, making it an ideal building material for this experimental city.
The results were remarkable. The houses were warm in winter and cool in summer. With the addition of lush green vines and the fragrance of flowers in the air, it became a paradise—fresh, elegant, and beautifully designed.
This place was completely different from the rest of the Middle East. It was quiet, peaceful, and green. People smiled as they gathered, carrying food and walking toward the central square.
The entire city was celebrating the Flower Fragrance Festival, commemorating the city's founding a few years ago. Every household was full of joy, dressed in festive attire. In the vast central square, beneath a towering statue of Bardi, nearly one hundred thousand people danced and moved about in celebration.
Families brought homemade delicacies and displayed them, creating a unique and colorful scene.
Laughter filled the air, and the festival atmosphere was overwhelming.
Diana and the little girl exchanged glances.
Where in the Middle East could one find such large crowds celebrating a festival, when outside there was only war, fire, and gunpowder? Compared to that, this place was heaven.
Not to mention the array of delicious food on jade plates, fragrant and mouthwatering, impossible to resist.
Most of all, the joyful, smiling faces of the people and the vibrant energy of the festival were contagious.
Seeing those smiles, the weight on Diana's heart slowly lifted. She felt a sense of relief.
"Go and have fun."
Bardi smiled softly as he watched hundreds of thousands dancing beneath his statue, surrounding it joyfully, laughing and celebrating, believing in and honoring him. His heart was filled with contentment.
This was all he wanted.
To make everyone believe in him. To honor him. To look up to him.
Bardi called over a subordinate and asked him to take Diana and Anluya into the celebration, to experience the joy and warmth of the people.
Diana was swept up in the people's enthusiasm. She entered the celebration, holding Anluya's hand.
The Amazon bonfire festivals were also warm and lively, but they lacked the same kind of joy found here. This was a different kind of energy.
Suddenly, she stopped mid-step. Her figure poised elegantly, she turned around and asked in a clear voice, "Aren't you coming?"
Bardi was a little surprised. This was the first time Diana had spoken to him normally.
That turn was an acknowledgment.
Looking back with beauty and grace, standing out among the crowd, Diana's face was framed by the background of hundreds of thousands of joyful people.
Bardi's expression remained unchanged. He pointed at the statue in the central square.
"No. If I show up, the celebration will stop."
With Bardi's current status in the Barmulodi Empire, he was the supreme ruler, practically a figure of faith and hope. If he appeared, the festival would halt instantly, and hundreds of thousands of people would kneel in worship. The atmosphere would be lost.
So he wouldn't go in.
Diana's eyes dimmed slightly, but then she was pulled away by the enthusiastic An Luya into the crowd. Her eyes swept over Bardi's face, then it was blocked by others, disappearing from her sight.
Diana followed Anluya into the celebration, dancing and walking with the crowd.
A smile slowly appeared on Anluya's little face, washing away the pain.
Diana felt at ease.
Unconsciously, amid the dancing crowd, she looked back toward Bardi. Her gaze flickered through the figures and found his retreating silhouette.
If ruling meant making the entire world smile,
Then maybe... it wasn't such a bad thing.
(To be continued.)
***
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