Volume 3

Chapter 27 : Sinking into a Dark-Colored Heart

Looking at the transcendent beings who seemed to have fallen into madness, Mingfuluo frowned, quite puzzled: “This competition……is it worth them getting this excited?”

“You’re not a hyena, Aluo.” Anselm replied with a smile. “Of course you can’t empathize with a hyena’s happiness.”

“……I’m not interested in what kind of animal they are.”

The petite scholar girl subconsciously pressed down on Anselm’s shoulder.

In her purple eyes, as she looked at the adventurers now in a frenzy, there was contempt and disdain, but also complexity and sorrow.

“If there’s nowhere to vent their energy……”

She murmured in a low voice: “Wouldn’t it be better to use that power to change the world?”

“You want transcendent beings to change the world now?” Anselm raised his eyebrows slightly. “That doesn’t match your grandfather’s vision, Aluo.”

“So it isn’t his, it’s mine.”

Mingfuluo glanced at Anselm.

Her tone was calm and natural.

She stretched her hand toward the sky, and iron-gray particles constructed a delicate little tower.

“Still acting like a caged beast locked in the past, that would really be letting your constant nagging down, you chatterbox monster mister.”

Hitana practiced the blazing, pure justice in her heart—how could Mingfuluo not still be walking on that path seeking change?

Only, completely different from the past, she no longer pursued that bright, dazzling future for someone else.

She wanted to rely on her own will and power to carve out the New World that she and that boy from three years ago both longed for.

——To live for herself.

This brat who always liked preaching to her, and yet always managed to poke his preaching right into the place she was most willing to accept.

Anselm smiled and patted Mingfuluo’s head: “So you’re willing to accept help provided by transcendent beings now?”

Mingfuluo let out a cold laugh: “So what if I’m willing to accept it? Will they be willing to do that? The reason Grandpa didn’t place his hopes on transcendent beings in the beginning was because they simply can’t possibly help mortals from the bottom of their hearts.”

“But the difference between me and him is……”

The tiny beauty sitting on Anselm’s shoulder lightly rested her head against his forehead.

“I have you by my side, right, Anselm.”

“Do you only act spoiled when you can use me?”

Bang!

Mingfuluo slammed into Anselm’s forehead, her expression icy: “You should just go die, brat.”

But after saying that, she regretted it a little.

“……Making transcendent beings apply their power to ordinary people, that kind of thing is indeed too absurd.”

She reached out and rubbed the spot she had just hit, and said softly: “I simply believed you could do anything, that’s all. Forgive my stupidity. Don’t take it to heart.”

“You’ve already said it like that.”

Anselm looked helplessly at those purple eyes that concealed a gentleness difficult to notice. “How am I supposed to not take it to heart?”

Seeing that Anselm seemed about to take it seriously, Mingfuluo’s expression flashed with a moment of nervousness.

She was willing to draw strength from Anselm, but she didn’t want him to waste his mind and effort on a goal that was fundamentally impossible to achieve.

“If you want to help me……just carve out more time to do research with me and that’s enough.”

The woman said with utmost seriousness: “That topic ends here.”

“Alright, it ends here.”

Anselm soothed Mingfuluo, who was a little uneasy over her earlier slip, and as if to divert her attention, said gently:

“Do you still remember what this trip is for?”

“……I’m not your little dog. Could I forget something like that?”

Mingfuluo also knew what Anselm meant, yet she couldn’t confirm whether he had truly taken her earlier words to heart.

She could only sigh silently and continue along Anselm’s line.

She stared at the crowded sea of people below, and threads of flowing light flashed through her eyes.

“Speaking of it, that commission of yours……”

Mingfuluo, as if searching for something, said: “Was there really nothing fishy about it?”

“Worthy of Miss Mingfuluo.” Anselm praised. “Truly smart and sharp.”

Mingfuluo rolled her eyes at Anselm: “Cut it out, it’s baffling. Specifically choosing this time period to kill an important figure of the Whistling Legion……aside from that little dog, who wouldn’t be able to tell there’s a problem?”

“Speaking of it, what exactly is a guild like [Executioner] about, why—found it, over there.”

After locating her target, Mingfuluo first indicated the position to Anselm, then asked: “Why would there be this kind of adventurer guild?”

“Hm?”

Anselm cast his gaze in the direction Mingfuluo indicated and tilted his head slightly: “Which aspect of ‘why’ do you mean?”

“From your description, it’s a guild that hardly goes exploring in the Zero Point Labyrinth, and doesn’t excavate dynasty relic treasures in the West Kingdom either, but exists by taking commissions from others.”

Anselm’s counterquestion made Mingfuluo even more confused: “Is there any other ‘why’?”

“……No.”

Anselm smiled and shook his head.

The surprise in his eyes returned to calm in an instant.

“It’s just order among hyenas.”

Holding a record notebook, Marina explained to the frowning Hitana: “In the West Kingdom, which is led by large numbers of adventurers, the Empire’s original political system finds it difficult to completely control this group of very……pure, purely pleasure-chasing adventurers. Or rather, the four Grand Dukes here haven’t deliberately restricted them.”

“That’s why a guild that acts like an intermediary was born. They are a buffer zone when other adventurers, due to certain matters, come into conflict. As long as the contradiction is commissioned to a guild like [Executioner] to act on their behalf, the mutual tearing and biting between adventurers won’t become too crazy and direct. As a buffer zone, this kind of guild can also, to some extent, play a coordinating and balancing role.”

This whole string of words left Hitana dizzy. She covered her forehead and shook her head hard, looking pitiful: “I, I don’t understand, Lina.”

The girl reached out and tugged Marina’s arm, shaking it in a coquettish manner: “Anyway you’re here, so you can just make the decisions for these things, right? Why do you have to explain it to me clearly?”

Marina unobtrusively pulled her hand away.

Hitana’s expression became even more pitiful.

The helpless mortal girl sighed in her heart, but her face remained solemn:

“I’m only assisting you temporarily, Miss Fenrir. Soon I will return to Mr. Faust’s side. In the end, you have to learn how to face these things yourself……Also, my name is Ma Ganlei. Please don’t call it wrong again.”

“What Ma Ganlei……it doesn’t sound good. There’s no one else here, stop pretending—”

“Miss Fenrir.”

Marina took a step back and lowered her head slightly: “Please maintain your decorum.”

Seeing her like this, Hitana opened her mouth. The grievance on her face gradually turned into a trace of anger.

Ever since Marina came to her side, she had always been like this.

No matter how Hitana tried to curry favor, how intimate she tried to be, Marina always maintained this distance that made Hitana feel stifled and miserable.

Anselm and Miss Wolf had reminded her many times, so she of course knew why Marina did this—nothing more than not wanting to rely on her, not wanting Anselm to show her any favoritism because of Hitana……

But there was no one else here.

Not to mention Anselm’s subordinates—even Anselm himself wasn’t here.

So why keep acting like she was treating Hitana as some noble young lady!

The accumulated grievance turned into anger.

Hitana snorted, directly propped her legs up on the table in a sulk: “I’ve never had any decorum since I was born, so there’s nothing to maintain!”

“……Then I’ll continue explaining—”

“I don’t want to hear it, Lina!”

“My name is Ma Ganlei, Miss Fenrir……”

“I don’t care.” Hitana glared at her sister. “You look a lot like my sister. I’ll call you whatever I want to call you. Isn’t that allowed!”

Marina could only rub her temples.

After a brief silence, she continued answering in a calm, indifferent voice: “Then at the very least, let me briefly explain the intent behind this decision.”

Hitana originally wanted to stubbornly refuse, but felt it wouldn’t be good to throw too big a tantrum.

In the end, she still pursed her lips and answered with a sullen “mm.”

“As a commoner, commissioning [Executioner] to clean up the task of eliminating most low-tier transcendent beings without special backgrounds, can……”

“……Wait, why do we have to use a commoner identity? Would they accept it?”

Hitana, at least listening seriously, scratched her head and asked.

“Those transcendent beings don’t treat commoners like people at all.”

Precisely because of that.

Marina whispered inwardly.

Precisely because they did not treat them as people, but as tools and playthings to amuse themselves, so no matter how meager the commoners’ reward was, there would still be adventurers willing to take the commission.

Because in their eyes, the story behind the commoners’ commission……their humble suffering and hope, their tiny existence, was the reward itself.

So Mr. Faust brought her to [Executioner].

From that moment, he had already been hinting to her……the essence of this world.

Thinking this, Marina did not tell these things to her younger sister.

She did not think Hitana was suited to know these things. Facing such suffering, her personality would only explode into something inexplicable……trouble.

Perhaps someday in the future, Marina would slowly break these things down for Hitana bit by bit, but it definitely was not now.

So Marina did not answer the question, and directly said: “They will accept this commission, and you must post this commission in the name of all the commoners of the lower district.”

“Huh?”

Hitana froze for a moment.

As soon as she heard she had to directly represent other people, she couldn’t help asking: “Then do I need to go ask for their opinions?”

“No.” Marina vetoed it sternly. “You just have to do that. There’s no need to care about their opinions.”

Marina’s answer made Hitana instantly pull her legs off the table. She straightened her back, leaned forward slightly, and said in shock: “How can that be!”

“I……I’m here to help them, not to control them! Even if we’re going to do it, we should at least listen to their opinions, right?”

Why?

There were too many reasons……the more you cared about commoners’ views, the weaker you would appear, and would these commoners truly have the courage to unite and commission [Executioner] to handle the lower district’s problems?

And if, facing the commoners’ opposition, you couldn’t even muster the mettle to suppress it, those from the upper district would only become more excessive—why couldn’t you think of that point?

Hit, you were still so……naive.

A sense of powerlessness rose in Marina’s heart. Thinking of Hitana having “helped” so many places and people along the way, she felt fear—profound, bone-deep fear.

Those people Hitana had helped, those places she had helped, in the end……what had they become?

Marina could only, little by little, use as vivid and blunt an explanation as possible, and slowly break down the reasons for Hitana.

“S-so that’s how it is.”

Hitana, more or less understanding why they couldn’t solicit commoners’ opinions, lightly nodded, but still unwilling: “Do we have a better way? If they get represented like this, they’ll be angry, right?”

“They won’t.” Marina shook her head.

The people here had long grown used to the rule of transcendent beings—no, it should be……enslavement.

They were willing to endure all kinds of suffering, just to wait for transcendent beings’ miracles and grace—whether charity or teasing, mostly for amusement, and a small part truly for salvation.

Just once, and it could change a whole life.

Though still extremely unwilling, Hitana couldn’t think of any way to refute Marina’s proposal. She could only accept it with a heart full of displeasure.

She didn’t like this position at all, and didn’t like this……responsibility.

Why did she have to make this kind of concession and compromise?

Why couldn’t she……couldn’t she just sweep away all obstacles directly and beat those bastards until they never dared do bad things again? Hitana couldn’t help thinking that.

“As long as we use this method to clear out the unstable factors in the lower district……”

“Wait, if it’s dealing with bad guys, I can just do it myself.”

Halfway through Marina’s words, Hitana couldn’t help interrupting again: “There’s no need to find that [Executioner] at all……Right! Then there’s no need to forcefully issue the commission in those commoners’ names either.”

Saying this, the girl couldn’t help feeling proud of her sudden inspiration.

“……Miss Fenrir.”

Marina’s fingers holding the notebook tightened slightly.

She tried her best to keep her voice steady, not revealing any emotional fluctuation, and asked in a low voice:

“How long can you do this?”

“……Huh?”

“How long can you personally handle Strife Fortress’s lower district problems like this, and protect the commoners living here?”

The girl stared at her younger sister.

Even after long travel and slaughter, Hitana’s face still carried a captivating prettiness.

No matter how long the time, no matter how exhausting it was, it could not make her skin grow dull and slack.

It was still as moist as ever.

But what about Marina?

This period of high-intensity work left bloodshot veins at the corners of her eyes.

Expensive cosmetics barely covered the slightly dark under-eye bags, and her skin also looked somewhat dim.

Marina rarely dressed herself up, but she always paid attention to not losing decorum in front of Anselm.

Yet even with her efforts to conceal it, even though she never showed a tired expression, even the slightest physiological changes were silently stating the frailty of this shell, this existence.

Hit, how she envied Hitana for being able to say with such confidence……words like “I can help them solve everything.”

The mortal girl, eyes lowered slightly, whispered inwardly like that, and at the same time said to Hitana: “If you plan, from now on, to remain in Strife Fortress and become the controller of this lower district, then regarding your attitude of personally doing everything yourself, I have nothing to say.”

“I……I’m not trying to stay here!”

Hitana immediately panicked: “Haven’t I been looking for a suitable manager too? How could I want to stay here!”

“Then when do you think you can protect them?” Marina asked back.

Hitana fell silent.

After a long while, she finally answered in a tired, low voice: “So, Lina, what you mean is: as long as we use the commoners’ name to commission guild people to deal with the trash in the lower district, then in the future if they run into trouble, the commoners can unite and find their own way out……is that it?”

Marina looked at Hitana’s cautious, yet expectant and hopeful gaze, and lightly nodded.

“Yes, this is the correct choice.”

——No, this was a lie.

Nothing would change.

Even if, this time, they used the commoners’ name to commission a transcendent beings’ guild to solve the problem, once Hitana left, once time slowly flowed on, everything would return to its original state.

Under Anselm’s guidance, Marina, who had seen through this tragic world, knew nothing would change.

Most adventurers would not truly lend a hand to commoners, and commoners absolutely would not ignite the flames of struggle against transcendent beings.

After Hitana left, all burning would eventually turn cold and silent.

The boiling lake surface would turn back into dead water.

There was no other possibility.

If there was……then only the path Mr. Faust was determined to carve out could possibly point toward that future where hope existed.

And why lie to Hitana like this……

Looking at Hitana’s appearance, she also wouldn’t, after finishing her salvation, turn back to look at the places she had saved.

Otherwise……she would not still be this naive.

It was enough to solve the problem under her eyes in a “reasonable” way.

As for what followed……

Marina looked at her notebook.

On it, the various problems she had distilled and excerpted could be said to be piled up like mountains.

You only helped Hit because you were completing Mr. Faust’s task—were you going to ignore them continuing to live so miserably, Marina?

But what could you do, Marina?

You were not the hero who could leap out and save the child before the carriage, nor were you the strong one who could forcibly stop the carriage head-on.

You were just……a passerby who could do nothing except cry out in alarm.

So, if you want to do something……

The girl’s tender fingers had, without realizing it, already crumpled the page of the notebook she had opened.

In her lowered eyes, a pitch-black desire was reflected.

You had to……have power.

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