As she spoke, Gongsun Qing's little face turned pale, as if she were about to burst into tears. Her expression was awful, but her eyes held a resolve Fina had never seen in her before. This was the most resolute she had ever looked.
In a low but determined voice, she said, "I understand now. Whether it's the Empire or the Alliance, they're all cut from the same cloth. They're the ones who set this universe ablaze, always trying to reshape it into what they want. How can you make good art in a universe like this, surrounded by vermin like them?"
"You're a martial arts prodigy, but only today do your eyes finally look like a swordsman's. Good. You've got spirit, girl." Fina gave her a thumbs-up.
I can't help feeling like you've been taking digs at me this whole time. Gongsun Qing sighed helplessly.
"I know. I've been treated well by both the Empire and the Commonwealth because I'm the heir to the Count of Yongdi. I spent three years in the Alliance, living on a special subsidy from the Bracer Guild and a scholarship from the Academy of Arts. I grew up in the lap of luxury, in high society, and before I turned twenty, I could hardly imagine how anyone could live on a thousand credits a month..."
"Mm, girl, let me remind you: even in Nephi, at least half the laborers make less than five hundred Star Credits a month, and they have to support their whole families. It's the same in the Commonwealth, where the average income is even lower. From that perspective, the slaves in the Empire actually have a better quality of life. You've been back to the Empire, and you've lived on your family's planet and in its great castle. You