Dear Mr. Azik, you would never guess what kind of extraordinary adventures I experienced during the two weeks we were apart."
"I still remember your teachings to this day. You told me that divinity is like poison. I didn't understand it before because I thought the entire extraordinary path was forged from poison. Every step I and many other ignorant people like me who chose this path took was on the bones of our predecessors. After each advancement and promotion, our feet were already covered with corpses."
"In this light, it is only natural that I, in my naivety back then, interpreted the poison you spoke of as a kind of guilt that would make me feel even more guilty, a kind of madness that would add to my mental burden and gradually crush my reason."
"But I realized I was wrong. When I came into contact with divinity and truly felt the bestiality derived from authority surging within me, I finally understood that the moment I swallowed the potion after completing the demigod ritual, I had become one with the most potent poison in the world."
"The will inherent in their characteristics will not be taken slowly. Their antiquity and arrogance do not allow them to put down their pride and hide themselves. So madness came to me from the very beginning, roaring in my ears, pulling at my spirit, trying to split the different sides of me into independent and indifferent monsters."
"To be honest, last time on the 'Black Tulip,' I thought you had regained all your memories and turned back into an accomplice of death, becoming the 'Death Archon' with countless vengeful spirits under your command in the 'Pale Catastrophe.'"
"At that time, even if I didn't want to admit it, I did have feelings of wariness and hostility towards you."
"I misunderstood you. Without experiencing it firsthand, I could never understand the torment you were going through."
"You said that during the Byron Empire, obedience to death was everything to you. It's hard to imagine how you survived such a long period of time after the fall of death, the disintegration of the Byron Empire, and the loss of everything of value to you."
"Could it be that all those people you encountered in different parts of your life later on, those all sorts of people, some who played the role of your relatives, some who married you because of love, and your children, whether ordinary or extraordinary... could really provide you with the power to resist the ancient divinity?"
"To be honest, teacher, I have never felt so lost."
"My becoming a demigod was an absolute accident. According to a friend who is much older than me, probably your age, it was a reward I won through gambling, an unexpected joy."
"But it was this unexpected joy that allowed me, after gaining divinity, to remove the veil of mystery that had been blocking my view, and to see some truth through the lies and concealments of others."
"I suddenly realized that I was so far away from my true homeland, so far away that I despaired and felt that I could never cross that distance no matter what."
"An insurmountable barrier, which even the gods cannot overcome, lies before me. Several predecessors have either fallen or given up. Looking at this world, all that remains for me is unfamiliarity."
"It may be similar to the dilemma you face every time you wake up from amnesia. I don't know who I am, I don't know where I should go, where I can go back to, and where is the haven where I can let down my guard and relax and sleep."
"Teacher, I think only you can answer my question. On this issue, I can only rely on you."
"I have arrived at the Southern Continent and will land at the border of the former Highland Kingdom. After joining forces with the army of Trensost, we will act together."
"Through the victory at the Rothschild Islands, I have obtained some clues that may be of help to you. I wonder how the personal matter you mentioned last time is being handled. If possible, I would like to meet you in the Southern Continent."
"Your loyal student, Klein Moretti."
...
The New Year is approaching, early morning of the first Monday of December.
Unlike the moist and warm sea breezes of the Rothschild Islands, even in the depths of winter, every gust of wind that brushed against Klein's cheek caused the newly ascended demigod a slight, uncomfortable ache.
Even if the extraordinary individuals who follow the "diviner" path are physically weak, they would not be so fragile and sensitive as to become demigods.
The wind howled like a demon. There weren't many people on the street. Common sense dictates that a street near a dock, even if not the most bustling part of the city, should be relatively busy and should never be associated with words like desolate and empty.
There's only one possibility that could explain this situation.
The front line was 150 kilometers from Morfala, and the chill left by the Imperial vanguard's charge had not yet faded from the land.
Thinking about it, it makes sense. In his hometown, a mere 150 kilometers is only the diameter of a large city. Moorfara is slightly larger than Tingen, where he once lived, but it is even more dilapidated than Tingen, which is not a very important city. Apart from the port and two simple residential areas, there are small towns and villages scattered around like satellites. The most remote town is right next to one of the most chaotic battlefields in the Southern Continent. Under such circumstances, it would be too much to ask the residents of the city to continue to live a leisurely and ordinary life.
It is said that the Creator Himself was overseeing the battle from the front lines.
Yes, that's true. The Creator's presence is the best way to boost morale. The "Red of War" has mobilized all its forces. Those "hunters" aren't all good-tempered. They're a bunch of fanatics who talk about glory and sacrifice all the time and call themselves the Creator's spear. They're quite scary... Klein clearly remembered every word Colonel Taylor said to him before he left Blue Mountain Island and activated the Spirit Realm teleportation.
Good-natured hunters like Taylor are a minority in the Empire. He is too old and has been away from the front lines for too long. His temperament has been worn down by the leisurely island life.
He abandoned his busy work and came specifically to say goodbye to Klein, just in case the mild-mannered Klein might have some conflict with his peers and juniors who were still in the army.
If most of the "hunters" were as easy to talk to as Mr. Taylor, that would be great. If not, they could learn from the unreliable Tristan... Actually, Klein didn't intend to have too much contact with the "hunters" before settling into a stable place and completing the handover work. He didn't want to be a vampire either.
What he's most looking forward to now is finding a way to rendezvous with Mr. A's team, who are also on a mission near Moorfarah.
Honestly, he was starting to miss Jerry Zarathustra.
I can't wait to see that guy's expression when he finds out he's become a demigod; it'll be very interesting.
After leaving Backlund, the further he went, the more he missed the atmosphere of the four-man team.
At least there's not much pressure, and everyone's quite considerate, right?
Klein kept convincing himself that his subconscious hoped this nostalgic reverie would help him escape the "truth of time travel" that was troubling him.
Just as he had realized before, he needed to build more connections with the people and things in this world and constantly fill the void in himself in order to avoid falling into the abyss of nihilism and self-abandonment.
It was getting colder and colder at the port. Klein took a deep breath of the dusty air, and his trachea felt cold.
Shaking his head to clear his mind and forcibly pulling his attention away from his random thoughts, Klein quickened his pace and headed toward the few carriages parked around the port.
The temporary office of the Second Reich Military Affairs Department in Morfala was some distance from the port; it would take at least twenty minutes to walk there.
Although it was such a short distance, Klein could easily snap his fingers a couple of times, dive into the flames, and wait for a dozen seconds to see the gates of the Ministry of Military Affairs, but he preferred to play the role of an ordinary person now. He would rather spend a few coins to sit for a while in a not-so-warm carriage, for simplicity is the true essence of life.
Anyway, it will all be reimbursed in the end, so it's not like it's his money that's being spent.
...
"I should be glad I packed two extra coats in my luggage. Isn't this place supposed to be warm all year round? Why is it so cold lately?"
Experiencing the rare "winter" in Star Heights, Jerry Zarathustra quietly put on his coat again inside the house, where the temperature was close to zero.
Accustomed to the mild weather of the southern continent and the comfortable environment of Trier, the physiologically Intis people, faced with the unpredictable nature, had no choice but to surrender.
"Be careful what you say, I don't want to say it a third time."
Mr. A had a dark expression and was still wearing the iconic black robe of the "Shepherd" missionary. However, his furrowed brows and clenched teeth made him seem far removed from the mature and reliable image that Klein remembered.
"Is it really that difficult for your walnut-sized brain to remember that this is Star Plateau?"
"Jerry Zarathustra, I don't want to waste my precious prayer time trying to comfort Miss Sharon, who is in a bad mood."
"Whether it is severe cold or extreme heat, it is just a test from the Lord for us. When we walk in the world, we will always face suffering that we do not like. Complaining is the most cowardly and shameful act, especially complaining that hinders or annoys others."
Unfortunately, Jerry Zarathustra clearly didn't heed his partner's advice.
He waved his hand dismissively, his face, which was privately described by a small circle of people in Trier's social scene as "somewhat good-looking," was full of ease.
"Oh, I know, I know, we have to consider the young lady's feelings..."
"Consideration? No, it's respect," Mr. A, who was kneeling with his eyes closed in front of the shrine, suddenly opened his eyes, turned his head and glared fiercely at his partner. "Our Pope, the great 'Angel of Destiny,' teaches us to put ourselves in others' shoes."
"I made an assumption: if you complained to me about Aarons City every day, I would only react more strongly than Sharon."
"Uh, I'm not that lacking in emotional intelligence..."
Jerry Zarathustra chuckled dryly, but Mr. A completely ignored his interruption, a chillingly dangerous smile creeping across his otherwise feminine face.
"If one day you suddenly decide to play the so-called 'Second Empire joke' in front of me, I don't mind twisting your head off."
...
In a room of ten square meters, there is a wooden bed covered with a clean white sheet, a low storage cabinet, and a chair. That is all the room has to offer.
The spirits of the wind flitted and played among the black gauze and silk, their intricate patterns clinging to the slender whalebone skirt like ivy, and rising along the almost perfect arc sculpted by the invisible Creator, until they clearly converged at the end, where the patterns formed a whole from their scattered parts, making a significant turn and completing a closed loop in a spiral.
It must be said that the clothes meticulously sewn by ordinary craftsmen without extraordinary skills can also express beauty that is no less than that of extraordinary creations.
The embroidered patterns on the silk fabric and the gossamer-thin black gauze are the best proof. However, after the waist is cinched and turned upwards, even such an exquisite design inevitably becomes dull and loses its color.
Her blonde hair was smooth and the length was just right, falling to the upper part of the girl's waist, which complemented her overly pale, doll-like, unadorned face.
She shouldn't be here; at least the other objects in the same frame shouldn't be so simply arranged.
However, her aloof temperament and cold indifference, combined with the simple room, gave people a strange sense of harmony.
Mr. A gently knocked on the door, and after receiving permission, he opened the door and saw this scene.
Of course, he was completely unmoved, for the Creator was his everything.
For him to develop feelings for a woman, it would probably only be after the Creator reclaims all authority and the millennia-long rebellion comes to an end, that he will free himself from the great cause and then try to consider it.
After finishing his daily evening prayers, Mr. A, who was verbally dissatisfied with his partner, still came to apologize on behalf of Jerry Zarathustra.
This happened several times within a month, so many times that the two of them had become quite adept at it.
Sharon, having turned away from the window and politely nodded to Mr. A, didn't need to recall anything; she already knew what Mr. A's opening line would be.
"I'm sorry, but I hope you can understand how negative the decadent and dissolute atmosphere in Trier can have on people. Jerry grew up there, and he's used to speaking without restraint."
Just as she had expected... Sharon nodded slightly and listened quietly.
"I disciplined him, he won't do it again."
Sure enough, the second sentence was the same... Sharon nodded again, wondering if she should say something too, since Mr. A, as the leader of the squad, usually works really hard.
"However, despite all these visits, he has shown no remorse. The Lord often teaches us that a single, powerful lesson is worse than endless persuasion." Mr. A's expressionless face darkened, and he shifted slightly, his body, which had been blocking the entire doorway, opening a crack. "As his partner, it's not appropriate for me to give him a 'lesson'…"
Things took a completely unexpected turn for Sharon.
The priceless sapphire on the doll-like figure magnified almost imperceptibly, her eyelashes seeming to flutter in the wind, or perhaps to be swayed by the black figure reflected on the gem.
Mr. A's shadow had completely disappeared, replaced by a young man with black hair, black eyes, and a thin face.
With a smile and a light tone, he nodded to the people inside the room and walked into the room where he had never received a guest before.
"So, how about I take over?"
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