Volume 3

Chapter 36 : Intersecting Paths

Within just a few days, Death Knell’s intelligence spread throughout the circle of top powerhouses in the West Kingdom.

The inconceivably high price, as well as the refusal of an intelligence buyout, added more authenticity to this already very “rigorous” intelligence.

Strife Fortress, which was a mix of fish and dragons due to the Selection Match, now became even livelier.

Only a certain legendary adventurer at the center of the vortex did not seem to take the gradually brewing storm to heart.

“Isn’t your current train of thought very good? Why still hesitate?”

Sitting on the workbench, Anselm crossed his arms over his chest: “Became so unconfident?”

“It’s not lack of confidence, it’s……”

Mingfuluo hesitated for a moment, then put down the tool in her hand and whispered: “It’s the follow-up handling, Anselm.”

“Thinking about Marina’s words now, they are not without reason. Forcibly protecting the stable operation of the purifier in the Lower District in your name…… this is not good.”

“In the final analysis, isn’t this still relying on your ‘power’ as a Transcender?”

She looked up at Anselm, her eyes somewhat lost.

Using Faust’s prestige to pressure the ruler of Strife Fortress to guarantee the operation of the purifier…… essentially, wasn’t this directly using Faust’s power to change the living environment of the commoners in the Lower District?

Whether this purifier existed or not seemed meaningless in this link——canceling this thing and directly demanding Mibaita to treat the Lower District kindly, wouldn’t it be the same? It would even be more direct, and the effect would be better.

Only Mingfuluo would not do this; this style belonged to Hitana.

But in these few days of gradual exploration, Mingfuluo found it difficult to define the difference between the two.

Chaotic thoughts made it difficult for her to carry out the subsequent work.

Although developing those small things was as easy as turning over a hand for Mingfuluo who now had Anselm’s help, she still remained stagnant.

After a long time, Mingfuluo sighed, gave up the work at hand, placed her hand on the back of Anselm’s hand, and still looked up at him:

“Anselm, what do you think? I know even if you say there is no big plan, you definitely have already planned to start changing something. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have put Marina by Hitana’s side.”

Mingfuluo, who always understood Anselm and was also striving to improve, yearned for an answer, yearned to go a step further towards the scene they both expected.

Facing Mingfuluo’s expectant gaze, Anselm pondered for a moment, then smiled and patted her head.

“Some things…… cannot be explained clearly. Aluo, if you really want me to tell you everything, I don’t mind, it’s just do you really hope for me to do this?”

If it was simply reasoning, it could be done anywhere. Anselm didn’t need to bring Mingfuluo out. In fact…… her staying in the Hydra territory could play a more critical role.

The expectations Anselm placed on Hitana and Mingfuluo were different.

Because after exchanging feelings, he, who was about to break the demonic barrier, completely hoped that these two girls could walk on their own paths, just like his expectation for Mingfuluo——wishing she could live for herself.

Hitana was not suitable for thinking about these things, while Mingfuluo, as the main force for promoting reform in the future, had many, many things to consider.

Benefits, balance, planning, morality…… many things, Anselm had no way to explain to Mingfuluo——because his path was not Mingfuluo’s path.

“……I understand.”

Mingfuluo nodded gently and did not raise any objection to Anselm’s words.

Subsequently, she looked down at the unfinished instrument on the workbench, held Anselm’s hand, and her figure was wrapped in gray particles.

In the blink of an eye, she turned into a tall, sexy, mature lady.

The woman pushed the glasses on the bridge of her nose: “Since it’s like this, then accompany me for a trip.”

“Lower District?” Anselm asked with a smile.

“Where else could it be?”

Mingfuluo, who had regained her vitality, snorted lightly.

This posture lost the girl’s charming naivety, but the mature woman’s cold beauty also made her more charming.

“I want to know what they think about the purifier, and……”

She looked back at Anselm: “And, you will know when the time comes.”

“How come you also learned to keep people in suspense.”

“Learn from you, Mr. Monster.”

Going back and forth between the Upper and Lower Districts of Strife Fortress had become a habit for Anselm and Mingfuluo.

It was just that because Marina restricted [Executioner], Anselm rarely went to the Lower District anymore.

“Too many people are staring at you, Anselm.”

On the way to the Lower District, Mingfuluo, who had set up a concealment spell for the two, frowned slightly: “The gazes you attract are getting more and more…… What kind of intelligence did that Death Knell sell exactly? Logically speaking, if one has intelligence in hand, shouldn’t they settle down a bit?”

Since Death Knell and Anselm reached an agreement, no less than six waves of forces came one after another to spy on Anselm, attempting to further probe something.

Anselm had taken action to solve a peeper who was too bold, and other peepers also settled down a bit, not having the guts to stare at him twenty-four hours a day.

“It looks like you should have let him report your strength lower.”

Mingfuluo, looking towards a certain roof, withdrew her gaze: “Otherwise those people definitely wouldn’t send such…… clumsy guys to monitor you.”

Anselm looked composed: “I like keeping people in suspense, you learned from me.”

“……” Mingfuluo quietly pinched Anselm’s waist, and the two walked down to the huge mine pit where the Lower District was located.

The junction between the Lower District and the Upper District could still be considered a livable place, even called prosperous, but the further down one went, the environment and buildings became visibly worse and harsher.

Under the cover of crisscrossing walkways, sunlight became less and less, vitality receded visibly to the naked eye. Living in this gloomy atmosphere for a long time…… it was hard for people to have any positive thoughts.

Mingfuluo suddenly felt that Hitana was actually not that annoying.

Although she was an idiot, her idea of changing this place was absolutely purer than anyone else’s.

Moreover, she also understood human speech, knowing to find someone else to do it if she couldn’t do it herself. She did whatever Marina said…… wasn’t this very good?

However, listening to Anselm, that stupid dog was not like this before.

She always did whatever came to her mind and caused quite a few big disasters.

It was really not easy for Anselm to train her into this current appearance; who knows how much effort was spent.

Thinking like this, Mingfuluo and Anselm had already arrived in front of the first purifier.

Many, many people gathered here, surrounding the bottom of the purifier, and their expressions…… that somewhat bizarre pious expression made Anselm narrow his eyes slightly.

But Mingfuluo seemed to categorize this expression as excitement and dependence.

From her perspective, it was very normal for these commoners to have this kind of emotion towards the purifier.

Miss Scholar first probed the surroundings, confirming there were no monitors around, but after pondering for a moment, she still did not lift the concealment spell on Anselm, only lifting her own.

She didn’t want to let Anselm act, speak, and think on her behalf anymore…… the following things were all what she should do herself.

Mingfuluo gently pushed the glasses on the bridge of her nose, making her cold and moving appearance look plain and ordinary in the eyes of others.

Then she walked to a passerby, hesitated for a moment, and asked:

“Hel…… lo.”

The passerby, who was still making some gestures towards the purifier, was stunned after hearing the voice, then turned his head to look at Mingfuluo, asking somewhat puzzledly: “What’s wrong, something the matter?”

“This thing.” Mingfuluo pointed to the purifier above, “What do you…… um, think of it?”

As a novice conducting research work for the first time, Miss Mingfuluo appeared somewhat cramped and at a loss for words, not knowing what to say.

She now really envied Anselm’s ability to speak eloquently facing anyone at any time and place, or disguise as any appearance.

The person in front of her was obviously confused by this question.

He looked at Mingfuluo suspiciously, his eyes slightly vigilant, feeling very baffled, but still answered: “You mean the purifier?”

“……Yes.” Hearing the answer, Mingfuluo breathed a sigh of relief, “What do you think of it?”

“That is naturally a good thing!”

Once speaking of this, the passerby beamed with joy: “Thanks to its blessing, our environment here suddenly improved! And it is an especially good kind of good!”

He took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled, looking extremely intoxicated.

“Only with it did I understand that fresh air tastes like this. I feel my whole person is relaxed all over!”

“……Mibaita should be cleaning, right.”

“Lord Mibaita is very busy, how could it be possible to always find time to help us?”

The passerby shook his head vigorously: “Every cleaning costs Lord Mibaita a lot of money and energy. Even if we want to…… we dare not always trouble him.”

Absurd……

Mingfuluo’s eye corner twitched slightly.

What energy could an air-purifying spell consume?

With the foundation of the [Whistling Legion], setting up a large-scale self-purifying spell that started regularly at the bottom of the mine pit was like playing.

They were actually still thinking about Mibaita.

Probably that guy’s brainwashing skill…… was too powerful.

“But with it, it’s different.” The man’s eyes were full of hope, “With this thing, it seems not only is the stench gone here, but it feels like the whole environment has become better. In the future when children grow up, their bodies won’t have problems either!”

These answers made Mingfuluo feel very at ease listening, but she still asked very meticulously and cautiously: “It…… didn’t bring any trouble, right? For example, some bad guys controlling it, forcibly occupying it, making you pay money to……”

“Hahahaha, we were also very worried about this matter at the beginning! But Lord Mibaita had already considered it long ago!”

The man laughed loudly, looking incredibly longing as he said: “He still considers us so much…… I also heard, the cost of this thing is extremely expensive! Lord Mibaita spent lots and lots of money to——”

“How could it be Mibaita?” Mingfuluo interrupted the man directly, “Isn’t it Faust who keeps it running stably? Isn’t it also Faust who created it?”

And cost expensive?

Just a small gadget she made casually, why would it be rumored to be very expensive?

“……Faust? Seems like that’s the case, he is that good person who frequently helps us do things recently! I know, he is also a kind Transcender lord! But in the end, doesn’t it still require Lord Mibaita…… wait, how can you call Lord Mibaita by his name directly?”

The man looked horrified. He retreated two steps somewhat fearfully: “How can you…… you, You, are You also a Transcender lord? Do You Know Lord Mibaita?”

In a blink of an eye, that fear became even thicker.

The man trembled and knelt down to Mingfuluo on the spot, his forehead pressing firmly against the ground, his voice trembling extremely: “Sorry, sorry Lord Transcender, I didn’t mean to offend You! Not recognizing You I am really……”

His reaction attracted the attention of quite a few people.

Mingfuluo, with a complicated expression, took a step back, cast a forgetting spell, hid her figure, leaving the man who looked up again with a blank expression, not knowing what he was doing, in place, and walked to Anselm’s side.

“Still want to continue?” The young Hydra asked gently.

Mingfuluo slowly exhaled a breath: “……Continue.”

They followed the arrangement of purifiers all the way down.

The further down, people’s dependence and praise for the purifier became more distinct.

At the same time…… the esteem and worship for Mibaita made Mingfuluo feel physiologically uncomfortable.

Until reaching the lowest level of the Lower District, as the hardest-hit area of pollution, a full six purifiers were set up here.

After erasing the memory of the last person with ease born of practice, Mingfuluo came to Anselm’s side with a complicated expression, looking at the black water at the bottom of the pit floating with various garbage and filth together with him.

The thing Mingfuluo tried to create in the workshop just now was a large machine intended to be installed at the bottom of the pit, more magic crystal-saving than a simple purification spell, solving the environmental problem of the Lower District once and for all.

But looking at it now, the problem of the Lower District…… seemed not only to lie in the environment.

“Mibaita, that fake Mibaita, cannot dare to swallow your credit.”

Mingfuluo muttered to herself: “He even can’t wait to clear his relationship and push all the good reputation onto your head. But why…… do they respect Mibaita even more instead?”

“To the extent that, if it weren’t for you doing commissions to help commoners during this time, they might not even remember your name.”

Anselm just wanted to speak, but Mingfuluo waved her hand again: “No, don’t tell me, I know, I can think of it.”

“Mibaita’s impression in their hearts is too deep. No…… not only that, it’s not just Mibaita. Those people themselves are somewhat abnormal, too blind and ignorant…… no, that’s not right either, is it both……”

Anselm quietly looked at Mingfuluo, a gentle smile appearing in his eyes.

As expected of the friend who had immense tacit understanding with him, just this trip down, she vaguely grasped the key point.

Only still slower than Marina by a notch…… should say slower by a lot.

While Mingfuluo was still hesitant, Marina already had a judgment and had long taken action.

In the final analysis…… it was still the limitation of identity. For Aluo to think to this extent was already remarkable.

Just as Anselm was thinking this, Mingfuluo’s eyes suddenly brightened.

“I know!”

Anselm chuckled: “Know what?”

“The problem lies with you, Anselm!”

“……”

The boy was slightly stunned, obviously not expecting Mingfuluo to say this.

But he also found it interesting because of this, resting his cheek on one hand, full of interest: “How so?”

“Mibaita’s status in the hearts of commoners being high to this extent is nothing more than because he has operated in Strife Fortress for many years.”

Mingfuluo said extremely certainly: “If in the Hydra territory, someone did something particularly beneficial to the subjects, the vast majority of subjects would also attribute the credit to you in the first place.”

Anselm raised his eyebrows.

Actually, he wanted to say the reasons behind these two were completely different, but still encouraged: “And then?”

“And then…… and then it’s very simple. As long as you do more and better things than that hypocritical guy, these commoners will naturally lean towards you.”

Mingfuluo held Anselm’s hand, incredibly seriously: “You only did commissions for a period of time, and many people remembered you. Then what if it’s not commissions? Is it something more important, more meaningful, more influential? With your ability, Anselm, replacing Mibaita, replacing the object of worship in the hearts of more commoners, is completely a piece of cake.”

The smile on Anselm’s face that found it interesting only restrained a little.

He pondered for a moment, then asked Mingfuluo earnestly:

“But your initial question wasn’t this, Aluo. What you wanted to know, wasn’t it the problem of the purifier, and the follow-up……”

“What I want to know is just the problem, any problem is fine.”

Mingfuluo answered like this: “As long as I can find the problem and then solve it, this is progress for me. And the type of problem doesn’t matter.”

“But what does this have to do with who is more important between me and Mibaita?”

“How can it not be related?” Mingfuluo frowned, “Why do you compare yourself with that trash? Do you want to insult me indirectly, Anselm?”

She extended both hands, holding Anselm’s cheeks, saying word by word:

“The relationship lies in, you are a remarkable person, Anselm. If who they worship, who they follow is you, you will definitely give them peace and happiness.”

Anselm, forced to stare into those purple pupils, did not speak at this moment.

But Mingfuluo spoke with an unprecedentedly resolute tone: “The commoners are not wrong, their ignorance is also not wrong. They cannot choose their birth, cannot choose their environment, cannot choose their leader…… So the ignorance they show now is not their essence, but the influence under the action of countless external factors.”

“If it were not Mibaita leading them, but an upright, kind, strong, visionary, and extremely wise person leading them, they would not be like this now.”

“This world would not be like this now.”

“Anselm…… my Anselm.”

Mingfuluo, incredibly fortunate, incredibly devotedly pressed against Anselm’s forehead:

“You are that person.”

After a brief silence, Anselm chuckled.

“But those words you described are too far away from me, Aluo.”

Anselm patted Mingfuluo’s back, saying as if joking: “Forgot what you said to Hit before? I am not a good person.”

Mingfuluo said without looking back: “That was before. When training that little puppy, you indeed weren’t some good person.”

“Then I am now?” The young Hydra tilted his head slightly.

“Still not.”

Mingfuluo gazed at Anselm gently: “But only just, still not.”

“You will be, Anselm. I believe you will.”

“……”

You will be an upright, kind, strong, good person.

Mingfuluo said so about him, Hitana believed it even more firmly.

Good person……

Elnilisa’s words, Mother’s gentle prayer, would still ring in Anselm’s ears from time to time.

Sometimes Anselm would also feel inconceivable.

Those four heroes, exactly how did they build a new kingdom, a new order on the ruins?

Was that a passing stroke of the game ignoring logic, or a future that indeed could exist?

Because Anselm believed that kind of grand reform could absolutely not be easily realized like a joke.

Even if the Empire was crushed, even if the old world was destroyed, the birth of a new order still had to be built on a long and complex struggle.

——Built on that difficult struggle mixed with darkness, blood hatred, conspiracy, and slaughter.

But if…… if that was not a fairy tale ignoring logic for the game to create a beautiful ending, but a determined future that indeed existed……

Did that mean he could make some…… changes?

He didn’t want to tell Mingfuluo his understanding, both hoping Mingfuluo could walk her path, and also thinking about this one thing.

Thinking…… exactly in what way should he continue to go on from now on.

Resisting fate naturally went without saying.

Although he would no longer sacrifice even his parents like in the past, Anselm would still firmly use unscrupulous means, regardless of good or evil.

But besides this?

His life was no longer just a desperate resistance and revenge against fate.

Father and Mother both survived, and the two girls willing to give their lives for him also needed his help.

To the extent that, he who had vaguely picked up the past vision, had that slight fervent desire for the naive and childish fantasy of childhood again.

[Be a kind person, Asa]

The road back is very difficult, Anselm.

But you possess two girls who trust you, love you, and have unparalleled talent.

You saved the lives of Father and Mother.

Starting from now, do you…… have more choices?

Just as Anselm sank into such contemplation, a black shadow suddenly whistled down from above.

Mingfuluo had quick eyes and deft hands, instantly using Nidhogg to catch this black shadow that almost fell into that filthy deep pit.

“What happened! Who did it!”

Mingfuluo’s tone was extremely furious. Anselm cast his gaze at the black shadow she caught, and soon also understood why she was angry.

Because that black shadow who almost fell to death alive in the sewage at the bottom of the pit, was clearly a young boy, a child not yet very old.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep