Chapter 79: Divergence (Part 2)
Perhaps it was that call of “sister,” or maybe it was the words themselves that inadvertently touched a soft spot in the girl’s heart. She froze for a second, and the anger in her eyes flickered for a moment before retreating.
But she quickly snapped back, shouting at me, “I did not go down the wrong path!”
Her expression reminded me of a young child who just had their rebellious instincts triggered. The girl suddenly looked both furious and heartbroken: “It’s you lot who are on the wrong path, not me!”
Laced with anger and a hint of childishness, her high-pitched voice echoed through the quiet underground chamber, startling the two members of the Sword of Kanli who had relaxed their guard, making them rush back up, ready to restrain her again.
However, as soon as they moved, Rect shot them a warning glance, stopping them in their tracks.
Meanwhile, the girl faced her situation without a hint of fear. Her gaze was sharp, slightly flushed, and she grew even angrier as she shouted at us, “Do you even understand what the world is facing right now!”
“Do you have any idea how much hot bl**d is spilled every day under the Holy Wall at Silgaya by those knights and clerics who are desperately protecting their people and refusing to back down!”
“And in that desolate wasteland, how many people are slowly dying in pain and torment!”
“Do you know…”
“The Church, The Choir of Saints! So that you can maintain the paradise under your feet and protect humanity from the demons, how many people have silently given their lives for this!?”
Her sudden barrage of angry questions caught both me and Rect completely off guard.
Staring blankly at her, I heard her let out a cold laugh, clear her throat, and slightly lower her voice as she looked at our stunned faces: “No, you know. You all know.”
“You’re not those ignorant peasants who know nothing and are kept in the dark. You are all influential nobles with status; how could you not know?”
“But you pretend like you have no clue. You act like you don’t care, thinking it’s none of your business since it’s all the Church’s issue, am I right?”
“Look how clever you are, how in sync! You’re like a pack of hyenas circling a weak lion, just waiting for the day the Holy Wall falls, and all the desperate clerics and knights are dead, so you can swarm in and drink their bl**d and feast on their bones…”
“……”
I paused for a moment, finally understanding what she was trying to say.
“Aili…”
Just as I was about to interrupt her, the girl suddenly raised her hand, slender finger pointing first at Rect and then at the other three members of the Sword of Kanli: “Those people!”
She was pointing at Rect, but her gaze never left my face. “And those high-ranking officials in the Royal Palace, enjoying their lavish feasts.”
“While the Western Continent is in crisis, while the Church is doing everything it can to aid the people and deal with the terrifying enemies beyond the Holy Wall, they’re being treacherous; not only do they refuse to honor their previous promises, but they also want to expel Archbishop Hogtus from the Council and shut down the Currency Exchange!”
“You think the Church is at its wits’ end and too busy to care for themselves, so you want to seize this opportunity to swallow up the Royal City’s stash of millions of coins, don’t you!?”
“But before doing all that, who remembers! If it weren’t for the Church’s assistance back then, the treasury of the Ethanbel Palace might still be empty!”
“Aili.”
I called her a second time, my brows furrowing almost into a line: “Stop.”
But the girl had clearly hit a fever pitch, ignoring my words completely; she glared at me with her reddened eyes and immediately redirected her accusations back at me.
“I thought you were different.” Her voice had grown hoarse. “Do you know how much I admired you back then, how much I liked you…”
“I really admired you; you were the greatest hero in my eyes, and even though so many things happened later, even though I wavered on many beliefs after leaving the Royal City…”
“No matter how conflicted I was, how often I puzzled over what was right and what was wrong… When I saw your news in that year’s newspaper, I saw you… you…”
She choked up, nearly crying as she paused, bypassing her feelings from when she initially saw the news about me.
At that moment, Rect signaled for everyone else to quietly leave.
“In that instant, it felt like everything disappeared…”
So, she knows about my ‘d*ath.’
Then—
What did she mean earlier when she said I “really” didn’t d*e?
I straightened my face and gazed directly into her eyes.
“You are still my eternal hero…”
“But why—”
“Why isn’t it at the Temple Church, not an elaborate ceremony of awards when a hero returns, not standing among thousands of admirers who adore you? Why must I see you like this, with these people, why!?”
The girl finally broke down in tears. Under my calm gaze, she slowly lowered her head, unable to lift it: “Sister, why are you with these people…”
“Don’t you understand their intentions…”
“Why are you being chummy with these bad guys…”
“Why…”
She sobbed heavily, heartbroken.
The three members of the Sword of Kanli had already left, leaving just me and Rect in silence, watching the girl standing there, wiping her tears.
After a moment, Rect flashed me a pained grin, scratching his head: “Sounds like… there’s some past history here, huh? How about you two chat? I’ll just step outside for some fresh air.”
Before I could respond, he winked and left the table.
Once Rect was gone, the girl sniffled for a while, and finally raised her head again, her swollen eyes fixed on me, her gaze firm.
“So, this is how they’ve told you.”
I looked at her, curling my lips into a disinterested smile: “While everyone is drunk, I’m the one awake. The great responsibility of saving the people of the Western Continent lies solely with the Church or the Choir of Saints?”
“Isn’t that the case?” Aili countered.
“Aili.”
I had no interest in debating her, changing the topic: “Where have you been for the past two years?”
“……”
The girl stubbornly refused to answer, but I didn’t mind. Deep down, I had already formed a guess.
“Have you gone outside to see what the Western Continent is like now, what has caused it to change, using your own eyes to confirm it, rather than just believing whatever others say?”
