Volume 9, Chapter 47 – Awareness

Lin’s expression immediately turned strange, looking as if she were seeing a fool.

“Yisi, while I understand you want to show how strong you are, using the Demon Lord as an example is just too absurd.”

The words had just left her mouth when Lin realized something was wrong. If Yisi wasn’t stronger than the Demon Lord, or rather, if Yisi didn’t possess strength comparable to the Demon Lord, then why couldn’t the Gospel observe her? And then there was that form, neither dragon nor cat. If one were to discuss who the true incarnation of calamity was, Yisi was an even greater suspect than herself.

Combined with the ease Yisi displayed when dealing with her… could it be that Yisi wasn’t deceiving her?

This thought had just surfaced when Lin snuffed it out, the corners of her mouth twitching involuntarily.

How could that be possible?

In that case, the only remaining options were that Yisi was either a Demon Lord or a God. If the former, Yisi should have eliminated her, the Hero, long ago. If the latter, then it was a rather cruel joke. A God watching their own people suffer… even if called a test, it was hard for her to accept. Besides, if Gods truly existed, watching the injustices of this world happen without intervening was hardly something a God should do.

Lin’s sudden silence made Yisi tilt her head.

“What’s wrong? Why the sudden frown? Even if you think what I said is ridiculous, there’s no need to look like you’re angry.”

“No… I’m not angry. I just suddenly felt that maybe you weren’t lying, Yisi.”

“Isn’t that obvious? How could I lie so casually?”

“Which means you do lie sometimes?”

Lin returned Yisi’s teasing smile, then covered her mouth in surprise.

I shouldn’t be the type to joke like this. Just now, it was as if something had controlled her, making her blurt out words to trouble Yisi without thinking.

Fortunately, Yisi didn’t notice this detail, merely glancing guiltily to the side.

“Eh… you’re not wrong, but I don’t think there’s anyone in the world who has never lied. Ah, speaking of which, on the way here, I happened to overhear those patrolling soldiers talking. They seem to hold Lin in high regard.”

Didn’t Yisi already know that? Because she had taught those soldiers how to use magic, they were grateful to her.

Completely ignoring Lin, Yisi placed her index finger under her lip, looking thoughtful. Walking slowly, she murmured, “The regard I’m talking about isn’t the respect of a subordinate for a superior, nor is it gratitude. It’s the kind of feeling akin to adoration.”

“Huh?”

It was so unbelievable that Lin let out a soft cry.

Yisi quickly waved her hands.

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“I didn’t make this up! When they were talking about you, Lin, they said, ‘Setting aside those few scales, Lin is as cute as a princess.’ Another soldier even said, ‘The scales make her even more endearing.’ They even got into a fistfight over it. If I hadn’t noticed how noisy it was on the way back, I wouldn’t have found out.”

“Umm… setting aside the possibility that Yisi might be teasing me, firstly, as the savior, I wouldn’t be happy even if someone called me cute. If they said I was strong, that would be praise.”

“You say that, but your face is smiling, Lin?”

At this, Lin felt a warmth on her lips. She subconsciously lowered her gaze and found it was Yisi’s finger. Yisi probably meant to point out her expression, but more than the fact that she was smiling, Lin was focused on Yisi’s index finger—it had just been by Yisi’s own lips, and now it was at the corner of hers.

And our faces are too close.

Doesn’t this woman know any shame?

No, maybe her attention was entirely on my expression, so she overlooked how close we were. Yisi wasn’t an impolite person.

That’s what makes it beautiful.

Like a statue of the Goddess in a sanctuary. Although one could touch it anytime, see it whenever desired, due to its inherent nature, there was always a sense of distance, like an unattainable flower in a mirror. And precisely because of this, it held an even greater charm, making one want to reach out, to draw closer.

If this war didn’t exist, the time spent together like this would be longer, wouldn’t it? Just knowing that she could find the other person anytime gave her an indescribable sense of peace.

Her thoughts drifted miles away. Lin said nothing, just looked into the eyes of Yisi, who was slightly shorter than her. After a moment of mutual stillness, Yisi suddenly realized her own lapse in composure.

“Ah…” As if electrocuted, she snatched her hand back, hiding it behind her back awkwardly. “Sorry… I’m used to doing that with Mary and the others. I accidentally forgot your status, Lin. If anyone else saw that just now, it would damage the Hero’s dignity, right? No, if those soldiers who admire you saw it, they might skin me alive. You’re everyone’s princess, Lin.”

At the end, Yisi playfully stuck out her pink tongue.

She had no idea just how charming that gesture was.

Compared to me, this incongruous being, Yisi is the real princess. And deservedly so—a kind-hearted princess, considerate of those around her. If the soldiers had seen her just now, they would surely have been stunned into stopping their work. Even saying it would make one forget to breathe wouldn’t be an exaggeration in Lin’s opinion.

It’s cute to the point of being unfair.

Unfortunately, only I saw it just now.

Lin subconsciously touched the spot on her lip where Yisi’s finger had been. For some reason, the shadow cast by the war, which had lingered moments ago, had now completely vanished. The oppressive feeling in her chest that made it hard to breathe was replaced by a fluttering, anticipatory joy.

“Ah, Lin, you’re smiling again! What’s wrong? You look dazed. Do you have a fever? I used to think it was strange for vampires to get fevers, but I didn’t expect someone with dragon blood could get one too.”

“Eh?”

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Is that true?

Lin looked at Yisi. On that face etched with surprise and concern, she found no trace of teasing.

Her rusty brain slowly started working. Lin thought for a moment about why she would be smiling. Then, her entire body stiffened like a doll whose gears had frozen.

What am I thinking?

What is wrong with me today?

As if trying to shake off all the miscellaneous thoughts, Lin shook her head. But those notions seemed to have taken root in her mind. The more she tried to change the subject, the more those thoughts appeared one after another, as if nothing else existed in the world.

“Hah.”

Yisi’s sigh reached her ears.

“Lin must be thinking about Red and Purple again. If you’re this worried now, you shouldn’t have let them leave the Duchy of Chloe back then. If I were you, I wouldn’t have let Red and Purple leave, even if it might cause a greater disaster.”

“…”

Lin didn’t answer, just opened her mouth, then swallowed back the words she wanted to say.

What she wanted to say was that not letting Red and Purple leave would lead to more sacrifices. However, her current state, looking like a lost soul, held absolutely no persuasive power. Anyone looking would see the ‘her’ walking alone on the street earlier as a drowned rat. Perhaps Yisi had noticed something was wrong and approached to check on her. This woman was the type who couldn’t stand seeing others sad.

“You didn’t say anything… Lin, are you really sick? Usually, when this topic comes up, you’d definitely get angry at me.”

How should I answer?

Her gaze uncontrollably shifted away from Yisi. Looking into Yisi’s eyes now only felt dazzling.

The conversation fell silent again. Just when Yisi felt it would be bad not to say something, Lin spoke abruptly.

“Do you think I’m suited to be the Hero, Yisi?”

“I don’t know why you’re asking this, but I think it has nothing to do with suitability. You becoming the Hero was the Gospel’s will.”

If I really am the person who should be the Hero, then why am I acting so lost now? Although she seemed to have accepted reality when sending off Red and Purple, when she truly watched their departing figures, the urge to hold them back arose in her heart. A true Hero should be devoid of emotion, viewing those around them as tools. She simply couldn’t do that.

Even though she had told Yisi in the past that if Yisi became the Gospel’s target, she would turn her blade on her, and even asked Yisi not to hold back, now she only felt that her past self who said those words was overly childish. If Yisi truly became her enemy, she might not be able to bring herself to attack her at all. No, perhaps the reason she asked Yisi not to hold back back then was because subconsciously, she felt that if that day ever came, she hoped Yisi would kill her. That way, she wouldn’t have to bear the responsibilities anymore. People are always tolerant of the dead. After her death, the Divine Church would find a new Hero to replace her. She wouldn’t have abandoned her duty as savior, nor would she have harmed Yisi. The story would end perfectly.

“The Gospel never directly stated I am the Hero. So there’s a possibility the Divine Religion chose the wrong person.”

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“But, in the current situation, besides you, is there anyone else more suitable? Well, I’m not saying you should be tied to the Gospel. In my opinion, the farther you stay from it, the better. But if the Gospel were taken away from you now, you’d only feel anxious, right? Honestly, I’ve been observing you during this time. Maybe this question will seem rude to you, make you angry enough to want to throw me into a rat’s nest, but I feel if I don’t say it now, I’ll never have another chance.”

“Yes.”

Lin nodded, signaling Yisi to continue.

Yisi cleared her throat pointedly.

“Have you ever thought about why you became the savior, and why you act according to the Gospel’s guidance? Do you really think the Gospel’s guidance is more important than the people around you?”

The moment Yisi’s words fell, several answers instantly flashed through Lin’s mind: acting to save more innocent people, acting for the sake of the martyred predecessors of the Divine Religion, that not following the Gospel’s guidance would only lead to more sacrifices, and so on. But just the thought of these justifications coming from her own mouth, looking like a drowned rat, made complex emotions brew in her chest. She couldn’t answer Yisi straightforwardly as before—it held no persuasive power. It was like a beggar in rags telling a patrolling soldier he was very rich—absurd and comical.

Noticing Lin’s hesitant expression, Yisi waved her hand helplessly.

“Well, well, no need to rush the answer. Just keep these questions in mind and ask yourself from time to time. By the way, regarding the future actions against the Empire, has the Gospel answered yet? After returning from the Imperial camp yesterday, you must have reported to Atwood about the presence of someone beyond the hero’s domain, right?”

“Yes. But yesterday, due to excessive exertion, I didn’t ask Atwood about what comes next.”

“How about asking now? Although it’s said the Empire won’t launch an offensive for some time, knowing whether to retreat or engage sooner allows us to prepare earlier. After all this time, Atwood should have interpreted some content.”

It was a perfectly reasonable suggestion. Nodding in agreement, Lin quickly led Yisi to the main hall beneath the shaft to find Atwood. After explaining their purpose, Atwood opened the Gospel in front of both of them.

“Atwood, the next step against the Empire should have been interpreted already. Are we engaging or retreating?”

Still dressed in his simple gray robe, Atwood’s gaze first lingered on Yisi beside Lin for a moment—a hint of gratification appeared on his aged face—then turned to Lin, picking up the Gospel placed on the stone pillar.

“See for yourself. Something of this level, even you can understand, Lin.”

“Aren’t you the one responsible for interpretation?”

Atwood didn’t answer Lin, merely closing his eyes.

“Tsk.”

Clicking her tongue at Atwood’s deliberate mysteriousness, Lin took the Gospel and lowered her head to begin interpreting. When her gaze passed the section about sending Red and Purple to the Empire and moved to the next line, Lin frowned.

Even with her faith in the Gospel, this passage seemed blurry, as if obstructed by frosted glass. The already difficult-to-decipher ancient language became even harder to discern. Then, she tilted her head slightly, defocusing her eyes from the Gospel—this was a characteristic of the book. When the words became blurry, reading it from the corner of one’s vision often made it clearer. Yet even so, this passage remained hard to make out. With Lin’s ability, she could at most discern that the Gospel wanted her to head to the Imperial border in the next few days and burn the siege engines and provisions carried by the baggage train.

At first glance, it seemed like a sound plan. As someone beyond the hero’s domain, even alone, Lin was more than capable of dealing with the poorly defended baggage train. But a little thought revealed that with a magic caster beyond the hero’s domain now in the Imperial camp, burning the baggage train’s supplies wouldn’t hinder the Empire’s offensive. On the contrary, it would only provoke them, making them act sooner, possibly even resorting to inhumane Tier 6 magic to reduce the entire city to ashes.

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Seeing the disbelief on Lin’s face, Atwood sighed with a complicated expression.

“What is your interpretation?”

“Depart the next day, destroy the Empire’s baggage train… I couldn’t see the rest clearly.”

“Is your interpretation also the same? Then, let’s arrange it accordingly.”

“Should we have His Holiness the Pope in the shaft guard the Ducal Capital? The enemy has a magic caster beyond the hero’s domain. If no one keeps an eye on him, the capital will be in trouble.”

“No. The Gospel specifically instructed not to deploy our trump card for now.”

Hesitating for a moment, then gritting her teeth, Lin spoke in a low voice.

“But while I’m gone, if the capital is attacked by that magic caster, the entire city will be destroyed.”

“This is the Gospel’s will, Lin. This isn’t like you. Do you intend to defy the Gospel’s command? I can grant you that right, but you alone will bear all consequences.”

Without a hint of joking, Atwood’s aged eyes stared intently at Lin. Their gazes met only briefly before Lin quickly broke away, lowered her head, and bowed to Atwood.

“…I understand.”

Imperceptibly, Atwood’s gaze wavered for an instant. He then slowly turned his back to Yisi and Lin.

“Don’t overthink it. The Gospel’s will is absolute. Go.”

“Yes. Yisi, let’s go.”

Although her gaze was exceptionally complex, even showing obvious hesitation and uncertainty, Lin still pulled Yisi to leave the main hall. However, unexpectedly for Lin, Yisi didn’t leave. Instead, she asked Lin to go back first, saying she had something to say to Atwood.

When Lin closed the main hall door, only Yisi and Atwood remained in the tiered hall. Still facing away from Yisi, Atwood spoke slowly.

“Choosing to stay behind alone… Has Cardinal Yisi decided to leave? You can take the Gospel here anytime.”

“No, I stayed behind not to tell you I’m leaving. I didn’t notice this problem initially, but as an outsider, if I still haven’t discovered anything after seeing it so many times, I’d be too slow-witted. Pope Atwood, I have a question for you.”

“Speak.”

“I see.” Looking at Atwood’s back, Yisi narrowed her eyes, her gaze sharp. “Tell me, what is the Gospel’s next prophecy?”