Chapter 136
"That's right, Noirtier is Gérard's father."
His words struck like a Thunderbolt behind the gray-haired youth.
"Gérard de Villefort's biological father," Favia said, enunciating each word clearly, "Noirtier de Villefort."
Only then did he snap out of his daze, clutching his head tightly with both hands as if to prevent it from exploding, while calling out in a suffocating, almost inaudible voice, "His father, his father, father..."
The young man's demeanor before Favia was a display of weakness, revealing his vulnerability as he, before becoming the Count of Monte Cristo, learned that his misfortune was merely the result of others' selfish desires.
But did becoming the Count of Count of Monte Cristo, a world-renowned Avenger, erase all such weaknesses?
No, when Edmond, now the Count of Monte Cristo, was about to duel with the son of his enemy, and when the opponent's mother—who was in fact also his Fiancée had betrayed him—pleaded for his life, the ruthless Avenger succumbed to maternal love, and in tears, fourteen years of resentment were silently abandoned.
This weakness may be the true face of the Avenger.
Revenge is nothing but running at the top of one's lungs, a pace that never stops, for what is loved is gone, and all that can be done is to roar forever.
Even on the other side of those grudges and hatred, there is actually nothing left.
Avenger shouldn't be some lofty idol, but rather "human beings."
After all, there are no non-human beings in this world, only humanity expressed through non-human actions.
Edmond, clutching his head, kept muttering to himself:
"Why? Why are you doing this to me? I've tried to persuade Danglars so many times, and I didn't report it. Even if I were to let him leave later, I would have prepared enough compensation to support him. I even treated Fernand to drinks, and he clearly expressed his blessings for me and Mercédès... Why... Why do you hate me so much, for no reason at all..."
At that moment, Favia asked in bewilderment, "Why do you think that one cannot dislike someone without reason?"
When the smile that had been on his face disappeared, he was completely different from before. His azure eyes were calm and deep, as if reflecting the bottomless, endless sea.
"..."
Edmond was stunned and didn't know what to say.
"There's really nothing to be surprised about."
The Priest's voice made no attempt to conceal his true feelings, and he continued indifferently:
"The world is full of malice, some with a reason, some without, simply because of dislike for something."
When you saw that you had been appointed as the next First Mate, what do you think Danglars was thinking?
Danglars will feel that you are showing off all the time, and will feel a little unfair in her heart, and will ask herself, "Why?"
It was this very displeasure that caused Danglars to harbor ill will towards you. It was that simple; there was no particular reason, he just didn't like you!
Why can Edmond Dantès become first mate, but I Danglars, can't? Why is he so lucky, while I can't?
Why do you get all the good things? Why do you dare to live with your head held high? You should be just as worthless as me, what right do you have to live better than me? It's not fair!
Why is Edmond Dantès surrounded by people, while I, Fernand, am all alone?
Why can he win the love of the one I love, while I can't? Why do you get all the good things? Why are you always the center of attention? It's not fair!
Humans are inherently Greed, always craving more and never satisfied; who among us is without malice?
"Is that all there is to it...? Is that all there is to it...?"
The Sailors in the port of Marseille muttered blankly.
How can this teach him to believe, or make him willing to believe?
I suffered because of such a simple reason, caused by the selfish desires of others.
Why?! Why are you doing this to me?!
For a moment, Edmond felt breathless; he felt that the world was filled with so many things he loathed.
Favia could see the turmoil in his heart, and a certain fear within him.
After all, Edmond Dantès was a kind man who never resented others, even after five years of darkness. If it weren't for his words, he would have died unhappily, embracing a lifetime of goodness. However, it was his words that ignited Edmond's dark flames of Revenge.
Therefore, he has the responsibility to ignite the flames of Revenge, much like the responsibility that elderly parents give to their young children.
In other words, it means Teacher.
Therefore, Favia went on to say:
"Stand tall, Edmond Dantès! Have you only persevered this long by lamenting? Have we persevered this long by doing nothing at all?"
My ten years, your six years—these hardships haven't defeated us. To this day, we're still striving to survive. You are innocent; you haven't done anything wrong. So I will let you leave here. I promise you!
In the deathly silence, Favia stared wide-eyed at the gray-haired man's face, her pupils burning with the wildfire of Inheritance.
"Therefore, stand tall, Edmond Dantès, and do not bow your head."
Favia raised his head and solemnly told the wronged Sailors:
"It's not wrong to feel confused, nor is it wrong to remain neutral. No one can truly distinguish right from wrong. Even so, even with a neutral attitude, life still requires choosing a direction. The existence of 'hatred' implies the existence of something one is unwilling to accept, and the Root of that unwillingness is undoubtedly a love for something..."
The most cruel and terrifying moment for a person is when they believe they represent indisputable justice... However, I also believe that the "self" I possess does not belong to anyone. Even if it is ridiculed and hated, I will Protection it to the end. Rather than smiling hypocritically, I would rather glare back defiantly. That is who I am.
I won't join in laughing at things I don't find funny, and I won't cry for you when you're Sorrow. Everything about you belongs to you alone. Please Protection your unique self. Although it may be difficult, everything will pass.
Even though you are dead in the eyes of the world, Jealousy still rages and grows maliciously in the endless darkness.
He said:
"Death is not the end, but only the beginning. Your life is not over yet; you still have someone to take revenge on."
The moment Favia finished speaking, flames ignited in the youth's gradually cooling eyes.
Suddenly, scenes from his memory flashed through his mind, filling his heart with countless resentments, but the man simply watched indifferently.
The atmosphere, which had been gradually quieting down, suddenly became incredibly restless, until the young man's eyes met those of the most genuine blue eyes he had ever seen in his life.
At that moment, the unease or fear that had been swirling in Edmond's mind gradually vanished like an illusion.
If you say so, Priest, it will definitely come true. No matter how impossible it may seem at first glance, it will surely come true miraculously.
Edmond genuinely believed so.
Just as stars twinkle at night, just as flowers bloom in spring.
Just like these phenomena, the gray-haired youth sincerely believed that this was inevitable, as if it were a self-evident truth.
He took a breath naturally.
Upon learning the reason for his misfortune, the young man unconsciously raised his hands and clenched them tightly in front of his chest.
If you're going to have an opportunity, seize it now; there's no better chance than this very moment.
"Priest, could I please teach me a little of what you know?" he said, "Even if it's just to amuse yourself, I beg you."
The night was deep, and a wind was rising outside the Hell Fortress. Stars drifted gently across the star-studded night sky.
The seawater outside, despite having no landmarks, seemed to flow on its own towards some unknown destination.
How long will the marks on the wall remain? More than ten years later, we probably won't even know who left them.
Even so, over time, as students climb the sand dunes built of knowledge, their vision will broaden, and they may be able to see something—whether it be joy, happiness, or fondness—that they may unexpectedly discover or recall, warming their painful and frozen hearts.
This is why I, as Teacher, make this wish—
Favia burst into laughter.
"This is perfectly fine. Let's not delay, let's start today."
220: Who are you calling Grandpa? (4k)
In the dimly lit Dungeon the Château d'If, with the company and guidance of Priest Faria, the Sailors in the port of Marseille found that time passed quickly and was no longer as tedious as before. Even thoughts of suicide and the crucial matter of escaping had vanished.
Even so, the Sailors and the Priest diligently dug a tunnel together to escape.
Aside from the fact that both men had to return to their respective cells at the designated time to await inspection by the jailers, nothing else could stop them from digging the tunnel.
Favia carefully pulverized the debris from digging the hole, tossed it out the window, and let the night wind carry it away without leaving a trace.
Seeing the Priest like this, Edmond quickly began to learn from him.
While digging the tunnel, Favia taught Edmond, sometimes speaking this language and sometimes that language; sometimes telling him about the history of various countries and the biographies of generations of great men who left behind so-called "glorious" and brilliant footprints.
Speaking of which, Edmond's impression of the Priest's demeanor was:
It has no particular reason; it's as if just standing there naturally brings warmth from the heart, and anyone would have the feeling that they would get along very well with him.
Edmond, who was naturally good at imitation, was also trying hard to learn this.
"Repeat what you learned yesterday."
However, Edmond felt uneasy when the dark shadow made that sound.
Although he was very talented and mastered everything Favia taught him very quickly, the Priest described his own evil side as having two names, Abigail and Favia, and being a sister figure...
How to put it? Edmond felt that although he couldn't see the shadows, the eyes were always staring at him and the Priest. The heavy silence was like a dark cloud, or like a ghost watching him, as if it were staring at a robber who had stolen the family heirloom right in front of him.
"Abi."
Seemingly aware of the blonde girl's attitude, Favia called out softly.
"... It's simply to help him solidify his knowledge..."
Edmond learns much faster than him; you're the one who needs to work harder.
"Knew."
Then, silence fell over the musty-smelling air for a long while.
However, Edmond always felt that the dark shadow was still staring intently at him.
"Okay, let's continue. Don't worry about it too much."
Favia picked up the small chisel, and the sound of its tapping echoed softly in the Dungeon.
"I'm sorry, Priest, I haven't satisfied you."
In Edmond's view, Abigail was part of the Priest, and such an attitude only showed that he had not done enough to satisfy the Priest.
Abigail's voice was not gentle, and according to Edmond's knowledge from Favia, when close friends point out harsh truths, their voices are not merely gentle; on the contrary, the tone becomes irredeemably cruel as they try to force the other person to accept the truth.
"Don't worry about it."
"But..."
I said don't worry about it.
Edmond tried to insist, but Favia rejected his words before he could finish.
"Yes, Priest."
While Edmond wasn't exactly uncomfortable, he still felt a little uneasy.
I need to do better; I must make the Priest proud...
Edmond never forgot this thought that he kept in his heart.
A few days later, a sound of footsteps that Favia and Edmond had never heard before suddenly rang out in the Dungeon of the Château d'If.
Confused, the two immediately put down what they were doing and returned to their cell to see who it was.
It turned out to be a pink-haired girl who glanced at Edmond, shook her head, and then headed towards Favia's cell.
It finally stopped there.
"Excuse me, are you the old man Moriarty mentioned in his letter?"
The Pink-Haired Girl's question sounded a bit puzzling, but her tone was very sincere, as if she were telling a joke in a serious manner.
"... Moriarty did address me that way in his previous letter, but he hasn't come in a long time."
Favia looked at the Pink-Haired Girl before her and instantly knew her identity.
Frankenstein, the Homunculus.
This was also one of the things he told Moriarty when they first met.
Long ago, Favia had reminded Moriarty of Charles Babbage, the Steam King, and of an event that occurred in Geneva, Switzerland in 1818—the very event in which Frankenstein was created by Victor ...
In Favia's view now, although Moriarty didn't react much at the time, he actually did a good job.
"Oh." Frankenstein nodded, then asked, "So, are you one of those old guys Moriarty was talking about?"
The girl's voice reached Edmond's ears in the next Dungeon, and he almost couldn't help but laugh.