Chapter 151: Intimidation and Advice
I stared at the old man’s face, half-hidden in the darkness, and kept silent for a while.
Thoughts raced through my mind, and soon I reached a conclusion—he was definitely lying to me.
“Why should I believe you?”
From the information Daniel had gathered earlier, that woman’s meeting with the Jester was undoubtedly intentional, probably to get her hands on that bl**d Pearl.
But the bl**d Pearl was still in the Jester’s possession.
So I figured, even if they had some irreconcilable conflict, if that woman wanted to k*ll the Jester, she’d have to get the bl**d Pearl back first before making her move.
She had sweet-talking words for the old man, but neither of them mentioned the pearl to me—of course not! There was no way they would reveal their true motives to me… perhaps even the desire to k*ll the Jester was part of some hidden agenda. Trying to decipher the thoughts of heretics was beyond normal comprehension. Who knew what they really wanted? Maybe they planned to turn me and the Church into pawns to further their own schemes…
Anything was possible.
Daniel was right; regardless of what that woman said or did, our original course of action wouldn’t change. A bunch of deranged heretics were already in a hostile relationship with us. I needed to be on my guard, keep my focus, and not let her influence me.
Though I didn’t want to admit it, she had planted some doubts in my mind… perhaps that was her intention.
I coldly replied, “You can leave now. I don’t want to hear any more.”
There was no need to give him a chance to talk.
“… Miss Silvya—”
Whoosh!
A flash of blue light erupted from my palm, and three sharp ice spikes shot forward like lightning, halting just a few centimeters from the old man’s face, cutting off his words.
“Leave. Before I change my mind.”
If this weren’t in town, if there weren’t so many civilians around…
“You, and your master…”
I took a step forward, standing right in front of the old man, tilting my head slightly, the pale blue glow in my eyes unwavering as I fixated on his murky gaze. A thin mist of frost escaped my lips, word by word: “You probably… can’t understand my feelings.”
I raised my right hand and casually waved it.
“So…”
Whoosh—whoosh—
The three ice spikes suddenly retreated, swirling around above the old man’s head at a speed nearly imperceptible to the eye. At the moment my fist clenched, the spikes exploded with a loud bang, showering the old man with glittering shards of ice, which froze his already silver hair and eyebrows into a snowy hue.
“… that’s how you dare to brazenly appear in front of me.”
The cold wind whipped around, lifting the dark strands of my hair into my face.
The old man lowered his head.
“This is Stag Town.”
I tilted my head, thinking for a moment, then continued in a cold voice: “Tonight, many innocent civilians are gathered here, watching… the so-called performance to calm their hearts. They’re having a great time! Can’t you hear the cheers?”
I ran my fingers through my hair, extending a delicate finger toward the bell tower below.
Whoa—
Perhaps the performance had reached a thrilling part, as the audience gathered in the square erupted in cheers, clapping and whistling, their ecstatic cries mingling and wafting on the wind.
“You should thank them. You and your master should both be grateful to them.”
I gestured slightly before retracting my finger back into my sleeve, gazing at the old man’s wrinkled face, which looked equally unimpressed despite being enveloped in the thin frost. A moment later, I cracked a slight smile.
“Because you’re alive, standing in front of me, rambling on so much, it’s all thanks to… their presence here. Because they’re here, you haven’t been killed by me. You can still live.”
Maybe I should lower the frost’s temperature a bit more…
When dealing with heretics, in situations where I couldn’t just annihilate them to dust, perhaps a bit of intimidation could give both him and his master second thoughts, making them realize I wasn’t just some naive do-gooder… as that woman had called me.
Maybe if she understood that, it would throw a wrench into whatever plans the heretics had in store—anything unpredictable would be a bonus—if she could think along those lines and be troubled by it, all the better.
“The only reason you and your master are still alive is that… you haven’t harmed them, the innocent people in this town.”
“That’s good. Keep it that way. Then you and she will live a little longer… just don’t do anything stupid.”
The old man remained silent, head bowed, quietly and patiently waiting for me to finish my monologue.
The cold frost radiation spread from my body, enveloping the old, frail figure entirely. Even his collar was frosted, yet he maintained his stance, unmoving, not even blinking.
For someone his age, he sure was stubborn…
I secretly enhanced the swirling mist, making it denser. My smile vanished, my expression cold, as I spoke in an unfeeling tone, “Otherwise, your outcome will be the same as those… lackeys and beasts in the Southern Region. And that Weithermill, the Fog Hidden… hmm… I only remember the names of these two brutes because I only let them speak once, after which, I made them disappear.”
Ah…
I still wasn’t great at threatening people.
How could I sound more menacing?
“About that Fog Hidden, I tore off his face, shredded his body into pieces, with no ability to resist whatsoever… was he your sixth councilor? What a choice… he thought he could use self-detonation to trade his life for damage, thinking he could create trouble for me, haha.”
I scoffed and lightly shook my head. “And that Weithermill? He was even more vulnerable. He paid for his wicked acts; I let him see his worst fears, you should’ve seen his expression before he died… ha—”
I sighed softly.
“You beasts in the Southern Region have mostly been wiped out by me and the Church Knights. Now that I’m here… hmm, I came to take care of the Jester.”
“You say we might underestimate him, but how about you? Do you and your master really understand how I will tear the Jester to pieces?”
I wondered if this would have any impact…
I felt a nagging uncertainty in my heart.
But I had to finish my tough talk: “Don’t try to play any dirty tricks.”
“This is my demand for you and your master. Just tonight. Since you’re at odds with the Jester, just find a place to watch. Don’t hurt civilians and don’t do anything unnecessary. I say this, and you… probably won’t listen, right? Just like you trying to persuade me is also a waste of breath.”
Let him understand my stance, relay the message to that woman; that was all I needed…
“Alright.” I feigned impatience and waved my hand lightly. “Now, vanish from my sight.”
The rest was a test of whose wrist was stronger.
After experiencing those crushing battles in the Southern Region, I had gained a clearer understanding and confidence in my power.
After devouring Nero’s ring, that Divine Reliquary, my power had risen to a level even I dared not imagine—without even using Infernal Fire or Abyssal Power, just relying on Order and body refinement, I could defeat a heretic sixth councilor with overwhelming advantage…
Unlike in my battle with Teresa, I no longer feared Infernal Fire.
The pride of the heretics barely posed a threat against me.
Moreover…
The chaotic power within me stirred, swelling to a magnitude even I had trouble grasping. If given the chance, unleashing it fully…
No, that would be terrifying.
If it didn’t absolutely have to happen…
Actually, there might not even be an opportunity to use it.
While my mind raced, the old man took two steps back, out of the icy mist’s range… looks like he was planning to leave.
I breathed a sigh of relief in my heart.
It seemed he understood…
The swirling mist was casually dispelled by me.
Then, I saw the old man bow slightly to me: “As for the confrontation with the Jester, please resolve it quickly. You must k*ll him before he fully transforms into a half-angel; otherwise, victory will be very difficult. This is what Miss Meiser asked me to convey to you.”
What?
I was taken aback.
…What did he just say!
“Then, I shall take my leave, excuse me, Miss.”
Like a ghost, the old man swiftly retreated, seeming weak and unsteady, yet in an instant, he flew backward nearly ten meters without a sound. By the time I registered his movement, he was already at the edge of the tower’s platform.
“Wait…”
“By the way, Miss.”
We spoke almost simultaneously, but the old man cut off my call.
“I have a personal request.”
He bowed to me again: “Though you consider us heretics, I have never done any evil or harmed others; I have only been loyal to my duty, serving Miss Meiser respectfully for over twenty years. Throughout this journey, I have witnessed many things.”
“In my eyes, while you may be young, your actions and awareness are beyond what ordinary people can aspire to. Perhaps in your view, she doesn’t count as virtuous, but in my heart, she is not the villain you imagine. It’s just that the world is harsh, and there are many things that force one to act against their wishes, to bear the scorn of others, perhaps only then can one achieve something.”
“You have such awareness, Miss, but she is not good with words or understanding others’ emotions. Sometimes… she struggles with even the simplest concepts of interpersonal relationships. Failing to express herself properly often leads to misunderstandings, sowing the seeds of bitterness I’ve seen countless times.”
The cold wind continued to blow.
The old man stood at the edge of the platform, one foot already hanging in the air—he was about to jump.
And I, for some reason, had a buzzing sound echoing in my head, a chaotic mix of emotions, my mind stuck on the old man’s first sentence, wanting him to clarify but hesitating, fearing he had ulterior motives…
“But there’s one thing, Miss Silvya, whether you understand or not, I hope you know.”
The old man continued: “The bl**d Pearl, the Tear of the Goddess… this is the name given to it by Lady Teresa. If after tonight, the Tear of the Goddess falls into your hands… you can choose to seal it away forever somewhere or simply destroy it; we have no objections. It’s all just a fresh start anyway.”
“But one point: if you still think of the countless innocent civilians in this world, wanting to keep them away from disaster and suffering, away from those high yet lowly beings filled with hate, who can easily snuff them out like insects…”
The cold wind whistled in my ears.
In the depths of night, the old man’s eyes seemed to flash with a desolate hue.
“Then you absolutely, absolutely cannot hand the Tear of the Goddess to the Holy Church… particularly the few individuals who are with you tonight; you must not give it to them.”
Suddenly, my heart jolted as if struck by lightning.
That gaze of the old man…
I felt like I had seen it before.
…Right.
That complex yet mournful expression had been reflected in Teresa’s eyes outside the classroom at the Royal Academy, if only for a fleeting moment.
“I appreciate it.”
The old man’s words came to an end.
Without hesitation, he leaned back and jumped off the tower. Like a ghostly apparition, he vanished from my sight with a swish.
“… hey!”
I finally reacted.
Swish—
Using Moon Step, the wind whipped past my ears, and in the blink of an eye, I found myself at the edge of the tower where the old man had stood, my hair flying wildly as I peered into the cold wind below.
That thin, frail figure had already vanished into the night, as if it had never been there.
…What did he mean?
What did he mean, what was he trying to say… why didn’t he clarify… no, I can’t trust him; he is just a heretic’s pawn, trying to mess with my head before the fight… I mustn’t fall for it; no… Silvya, don’t think too much, don’t overthink it…
Standing at the edge of the tower, I gazed down at the gathered crowd, hearing their raucous voices; my body tensed, my gaze blank, and my pupils trembled, unsure where to focus as I stood frozen for a while, unable to move.
…But he just mentioned “half-angel.”
What does half-angel mean… half-angel… Royal City… Teresa Monster… claiming to be some kind of angel… what’s that all about… and what about the bl**d Pearl… what did he mean by those high yet lowly beings filled with hate… what is it, what is it… what do they know that I don’t… why can’t I understand, why…
Why can’t the bl**d Pearl be handed to the Church… why not Daniel and the others… who are they… how serious are the issues within the Church…
What could it be that I don’t know… who is lying to me? Who…
No, wait…
That old man just wanted to shake my confidence, create doubt about Daniel and the others, making us distrustful of one another… he succeeded, d*mn it, he succeeded…
I want dessert.
My head buzzed, and my thoughts were chaotic; maybe eating a few sweet pastries would calm me down.
With that thought in mind, I suddenly turned around—
Ah.
The sweet pastries I had, back when I threw that punch earlier, were all scattered on the ground.
“……”
d*mn it.
Whoosh—
Below the bell tower, the gathered crowd erupted in cheers like a tidal wave.
“Miss Meiser—”
In my line of sight, on the brightly lit stage, the woman named Miss Meiser elegantly stepped onto the platform, her long dress flowing as she ascended step by step amidst the cheers and anticipation.
