Chapter 78: Blessings

Chapter 78: Blessings

Before The World Gehrman Sparrow could respond, Audrey, still seated upright, slowly spoke several more words:

“Heaviness…

“Stinging…

“Shame…”

Klein quietly listened until the end. He did not comment on Miss Justice’s words. Instead, in a gentle tone closer to Dwayne Dantès’s image, he asked, “Why did you suddenly want to do this kind of test?”

“It is not a test,” Justice Audrey said, shaking her head. “It is only presenting certain details I normally deliberately cover up and deliberately avoid, so that I can see clearly what the real me looks like in others’ eyes.”

After a pause, she moved the corners of her mouth without smiling and said, “After our last conversation, I really did try to formulate a plan. I intended to secretly perform some Manipulations so that nobles, merchants, the royal family, and the Churches would take out enough food.

“When it was only a matter of words, it sounded very easy. But when I actually tried to do it, I realized that I could not be as determined and decisive as I had imagined.

“Some of them are my uncle and aunt. Some are my cousins. Some are friends I have known since childhood. Some are elders who have always taken great care of me. Some are people I often meet at all kinds of banquets and charity events, who are quite friendly. They make up my childhood. They have given me so very much. They are part of my growth and carry my beautiful memories of the past…

“Furthermore, the food they have accumulated was not stolen. Their explanations, in truth, possess a certain reasonableness.

“To make them my targets just like that, to attempt to deprive them of part of their wealth—I truly cannot bring myself to do it. At least, not now.”

As she said those words, Audrey’s voice unconsciously grew louder, as though she were arguing with someone.

She immediately noticed that small loss of composure. After two seconds of silence, she continued, “Therefore, I want to recognize myself more deeply, strip away the warm illusion, and, under different gazes, ask myself what I truly want; whether my past thoughts were impulsiveness, hypocrisy, naivety, or a strong intention that came from the heart.”

At this point, Justice Audrey suddenly smiled.

“Although there is no result yet, the attempt itself has already brought some additional gains.

“I used to always believe that I had strictly followed the principle of ‘You are only acting.’ But only now do I realize that I almost became addicted to acting.

“Unlike other pathways, which require acting as different identities and occupations, part of the Audience pathway’s acting is completely integrated with one’s ordinary daily life. Sometimes, it is very difficult to distinguish.

“The simplest example is this: who does not wish to be loved by everyone? Therefore, when facing different people, I put on different personality masks. Using the abilities of the Audience pathway, I shape myself into the image that most matches the other party’s wishes. When this happens more and more, when one does this before every person, one has in fact already become addicted to acting and is close to losing oneself.”

Klein nodded gently.

“That is a very good gain.”

He did not evaluate Miss Justice’s earlier words.

Audrey was silent for a while. Then she slowly said, “During this period, I reread the East Borough investigation report my father previously had people conduct. I gained a different understanding of many things.

“Before the war, many poor people, workers, and farmers had already lived hard lives similar to today’s. They remained in hunger and pain for long periods. The revision of the Poor Law, mandatory regulations on working hours and environments, and the treatment of air pollution did bring some improvement, but only some…

“After the war ends, if—if we defeat the apocalypse, will similar things repeat themselves again?”

As she spoke, Audrey pressed her lips tightly together and fell silent.

Klein could sense Miss Justice’s confusion and bewilderment. After considering for a moment, he did not say the answer in his heart. Instead, in a low voice, he said, “These questions of yours, including what you said just now about your truest thoughts, all require you to search for the answers yourself. No one else can replace you.

“I can only give you some suggestions: go to the fields and see the farmers at work; go to factories and see the exhausted workers; go deep into East Borough and experience it yourself; go to libraries and carefully read past newspapers and all kinds of related works.”

Audrey listened with focus and nodded seriously.

“I will try to do that.”

She immediately stood and bowed toward the very head of the mottled long table in farewell. Although Mr. Fool had already left, Audrey believed He was still watching this place.

Just as she waited for Mr. Fool to send her back to the real world, The World Gehrman Sparrow suddenly said, “Wait a moment.”

“Mm?” Justice Audrey voiced her question with a nasal sound.

Klein looked at her and manifested a sheet of paper.

“This is the personality and behavioral description of a mythical creature. I hope you can help analyze what reactions He might have under different circumstances.”

“All right.” Audrey did not refuse and agreed.

After she took the paper and finished reading it, Klein considered his words and added, “Regarding what you said just now, I have another suggestion.

“Your doubts and questions are actually divided into two types. Some are indeed urgent, while others are not so pressing. They can wait until matters calm down before you conduct deeper investigation. Mm. When people become anxious, they make mistakes easily. You had best distinguish between the two.”

Audrey thought for a moment, then nodded solemnly.

“I understand.”

After answering, she suddenly laughed softly.

“I thought that when you called me back at the end, you wanted to bless me: may you still love this world after seeing all of its truths clearly.”

Klein was stunned at first. Then he smiled and asked back, “You seem to have read quite a few of Emperor Roselle’s novels?”

“He was an outstanding novelist, and also a very complex and contradictory person,” Justice Audrey said with a light smile.

Klein nodded almost imperceptibly, then spoke slowly.

“If I were to bless you, I would not say that.

“I would say: may you still love your family and friends after seeing all truths clearly.”

Audrey froze instantly. Her lips moved slightly, as though repeating those two words.

After several seconds, she closed her eyes. Her voice was slightly hoarse.

“Thank you…”

…

The Sonia Sea, in the waters of the Rorsted Archipelago.

The Blue Avenger led a pirate fleet through the battlefield filled with smoke.

Suddenly, a huge fireball flew over from an unknown place. Twisting silver-white sharp lights split open the sea, creating a path where none had existed. Surrounded by towering waves on both sides, it pointed straight at the Blue Avenger.

Standing at the bow, Alger Wilson saw this scene. His expression did not change as he raised his right hand.

A violent tornado abruptly appeared, sweeping up the blue seawater and those silver-white sharp lights, turning them into something like a long serpent that shot into the sky and collided with the enormous fireball.

Rumble!

Water exploded and fell like rain.

Alger then locked onto a warship, opened his mouth, and released a roar.

With a boom, that ship was hurled into midair by a sudden, ferocious wave.

Seizing the opportunity, the Blue Avenger’s broadside cannons fired on their own, booming repeatedly.

Seeing the Beyonder on the enemy warship attempt to use the recoil of fireballs to make the ship shift sideways, Alger abruptly pulled his right hand downward.

A thick bolt of silver-white lightning came crashing down, striking that Beyonder until his body turned charred and trembled nonstop.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Shell after shell hit their target. That ship disintegrated in midair.

At that moment, Alger looked at the scene in something of a daze and could not help lowering his head to examine his right hand.

So this is the power of a Calamity Priest. So this is the feeling of being half-god, half-human? he thought, rather intoxicated. Then he quickly sobered up and had the Blue Avenger pursue the enemy.

An hour later, the fierce naval battle ended, and Loen’s side once again held the Rorsted Archipelago.

Alger was in quite a good mood. After the Blue Avenger returned to port, he called for his sailors to disembark and head to one of the few still-open taverns to drink their fill.

Loen had already issued a wartime prohibition order to conserve grain. But to sailors, alcohol was indispensable. Therefore, in places dominated by the Church of Storms, the ban was not enforced too strictly. Furthermore, the Rorsted Archipelago was rich in produce, its population was not too large, and its maritime supply lines remained under control, so grain could still be supplied for the moment.

After walking for some distance, Alger’s gaze suddenly froze.

The street ahead had suffered bombardment. Quite a few houses had collapsed. Among them, a cement playground bore a huge crater, and only the remains of a four-story building stood beside it.

The smile on Alger’s face faded little by little.

…

Monday afternoon, three o’clock, Backlund time.

Crimson beams rose along both sides of the bronze long table, solidifying into relatively blurred figures.

After all the members had bowed to Mr. Fool, because there were no Roselle diary pages and no accumulated questions, the gathering process directly entered the transaction segment.

The Moon Emlyn immediately sat up straight. Looking around, he said, “Ladies and gentlemen, I have a commission.”

“Which Witch King do you want to hunt?” The Hermit Cattleya, based on her understanding of Mr. Moon, asked directly, striking at the core.

“…” Emlyn took two seconds to digest her question, then maintained his elegant smile and said, “Your guess is correct.”

The Hermit Cattleya nodded gently.

“Then what kind of payment can you offer?”

Emlyn was once again struck speechless, somewhat ashamed to speak the words he had prepared.

Just then, at the very bottom of the bronze long table, The World Gehrman Sparrow suddenly spoke.

“You contacted members of the Rose School of Thought’s temperance faction to cooperate?”

The Moon Emlyn secretly breathed out in relief.

“Yes.”

“Then I can accept this commission.” Because this concerned Miss Messenger, Miss Sharron, and Maric, Klein controlled the dummy World and proactively accepted the task. “Of course, it will require a certain medium.”

Without waiting for Emlyn to respond, he had Gehrman Sparrow look toward Miss Magician.

“Prepare in advance.”

?

Magician Forsi, who had been watching the drama unfold the entire time, stared blankly.