Good morning, Eno. Why isn't Sasha with you?
"Good morning, Uncle. Sasha didn't finish her homework yesterday, so Sister Alina kept her after school."
"Haha, that's really pitiful. How about you come to the church to sing again when you have some free time?"
"I will!"
Humming a cheerful tune, the white-haired boy skipped and hopped deeper into the dense forest.
As the Black Forest continues to expand, its internal ecological structure is becoming increasingly complete.
Just like now, occasionally one or two Fowlbeast can be seen listening to the songs among the bare branches.
Of course, the forest doesn't only provide shelter for these little creatures of nature; it also shelters the hunters of the wilderness.
Hidden in the snowdrift, the fanged beast's gaze was fixed on its harmless prey.
Closer... closer...
The boy stepped over the snowdrift, leaving the toothed beast completely unsuspecting.
Now!
"Awoo--!"
The boy jumped up in fright, his hair, which Alina had carefully styled, becoming slightly fluffy.
Turning around, the emerald green sprite before him made the boy breathe a sigh of relief.
"Phew... It's Flower. Next time, give me a heads-up before you speak."
The vines entwined around the boy, placing him on a giant flower bud amidst his gasp.
Unaware of the fanged beast's corpse encased within the flower bud, Eno observed the size of the Mandrake Flower and exclaimed in surprise:
You've grown so much!
The Mandrake Flower tilted its head, its soft vines gently touching the boy's cheek.
"Okay, okay, what kind of song do you want to listen to today?"
While asking around, Eno searched through her limited song library and simply picked a folk song she was most familiar with.
The soothing song echoed through the woods, the eyes of the Mandrake Flowers narrowed with pleasure, and the vines swayed gently in response.
The encounter between the elf and the boy was quite ordinary.
The boy went to the forest to practice his singing for a party, which attracted the attention of Mandrake Flower that was patrolling the woods.
Although he was initially startled by the elf's inhuman appearance, the boy and the elf quickly became acquainted after the boy learned that the elf was a loyal listener.
After learning about the origins of the elves in Gorth and discovering that they had no names, the boy gave his friend a gift.
Tsveta: In Ursus Flower, it means "flower".
A rustling sound came from the snowdrifts not far away; Flower's vines stiffened for a moment, then swayed again.
"Why..."
Behind the snowdrift, Sasha, who should have been continuing her work in the classroom, cautiously peeked out, her face showing distress.
These days, the little black snake is troubled because its inseparable companion has started going out alone.
Finally, the little snake decided to follow and attack, only to witness a heartbreaking scene.
His best friend has a new friend, which should be a happy occasion, so why keep it from him...?
"Eno ..."
"Poor Sasha."
Further away, behind a snowdrift, the teacher, still childlike at heart, secretly led a group of students to follow.
Alina gestured for the child to shush and looked at the boy in front of her with pity.
The friendship between children is beautiful and pure, and as a teacher, she must protect it!
Inside the Shadow Workshop, the Lord of the Forest had been observing everything, scratched his head in bewilderment.
Should he tell them that Eno was preparing a birthday song for a friend later?
[Vane: How's the monitoring? Is it working properly?]
[Gorth: Not bad.]
Gorth fiddled with the projection Telephone Snail in his hand. What he had seen earlier was not surveillance from the shadows, but a live broadcast of the Bloodline Heir Cluster.
[Vane: Hmm... It seems that without Catastrophe, the We Many links are working normally. Do you still need them? I'll send you some more.]
[Gorth: Not necessary for now. Ursus's territory is too vast, and I can't monitor it constantly. What about yours?]
[Vane: The Suspended Loop hasn't been fully deployed yet. The We Many can record what happened, but the amount of information is too broad, making it difficult to search.]
[Gorth: The first plan has already failed... How do you plan to solve this?]
[Vane: This is a design keyword now. If someone calls me, it will trigger the We Many special markers. Why don't you try it too?]
[Gorth:... People are calling for this every day, can't we be more selective?]
[Vane: This is just a beta version, let me optimize it a bit more... Hmm, wait, an order has arrived.]
Vane's consciousness sank into the We Many, steadily moving towards the marker that emitted the signal.
"Hello... This is my family's household registration certificate."
Looking at the boy who couldn't even reach the windowsill, the Inquisition staff frowned and said:
"As for your parents, the amount of the subsidy is too large; it would be best if your guardian received it."
"... Mom is sick, I need to buy her medicine."
The staff member's breath hitched; the boy's lack of mention of his father in Iberia likely implied a certain possibility.
"Poor child, you can go to the Medical Department to apply for assistance. The Holy Blood Angels will heal your mother."
"I... I will..."
Clutching his family's subsidy, the boy lowered his head and ran towards his home.
He did not go to the Medical Department; if his mother hadn't been sick, he wouldn't have even bothered to come and collect the subsidy.
Unbeknownst to the staff, the boy's lowered eyes were filled with hatred.
Where are your parents?
My father... wasn't he taken away by you...?
The boy didn't actually remember what happened back then very clearly.
All that is known is that the Inquisitor forcefully broke into his home, arrested his father, and shattered his harmonious family.
He hated the Inquisitor, and he hated the Inquisition even more.
As for the treatment mentioned by the staff...
The boy had indeed witnessed those winged Inquisitor healing the people, with remarkably immediate results.
But the boy dared not gamble.
If this is also a scam, then his mother will truly be left without anyone to rely on after he is arrested.
The boy didn't know what kind of organization the Church of the Deep was; he only knew that his father was the pillar of the family, and without him, life for the mother and son would become extremely difficult.
Just like now...
"Hey, Robert."
The boy stopped in his tracks, biting his lip tightly.
Even though he chose to go through a less crowded alley, he was still discovered.
Several thugs surrounded the boy, their eyes searching for the package he was clutching tightly in his arms.
"Is that a subsidy?"
"..."
The boy took two steps back, glancing out of the corner of his eye at the Inquisitor patrolling outside the alley.
"What's wrong? You want to see those Inquisitor? Aren't you afraid you'll end up like your father, arrested?"
The thugs laughed smugly.
Unlike the strict enforcement of laws against the Deep Sea Cultists, the Inquisition also had no good way to deal with these hooligans.
They left no evidence of their actions, had no regular work, and relied on church relief meals for survival.
Moreover, these people are very "principled".
They only target families of Deep Sea Cultists arrested by the Inquisition, where the consequences of bullying these families are minimal.
Just like the timid and hesitant teenagers of today.
"Please..." Robert stared at his toes.
"This is for my mother's medicine. I'll give you next month's allowance. Could you perhaps...?"
Snap!
Darkness and pain arrived at once; Robert collapsed to the ground, staring silently at the dim sky before him.
"Since when did you get a choice? Bah!"
After punching and kicking Robert for a while, the thugs left bored, taking the subsidy money, seeing that Robert didn't react.
After an unknown amount of time, the boy got up and limped towards the city.
He was already used to this, and thanks to that, he knew the habits of these thugs.
The boy reached for the gold hidden in his pocket; with that, he could buy enough medicine for his treatment.
As long as Mom gets better, everything will be alright...
Imagining his mother's smile, the boy's scarred lips also curled up slightly.
"I told you, he definitely had more hidden."
The boy stopped in his tracks, staring stiffly at the thugs blocking his way.
"... Why?"
"Huh? You're not going home but heading into the city instead, isn't it obvious you're going to buy medicine?"
The leader of the thugs grinned maliciously and grabbed Robert's hair with one hand.
"You're lucky this time. Take a beating and hand over the money, then I'll let you go... You dare to run away?!"
Robert ran away.
He had never run so frantically before, as if trying to leave all his misfortune and pain behind.
But as the burning pain spread from my lungs, the sticky suffering still caught up with me.
He was now at the edge of the moving block, with no way out.
"[Iberia profanity!] You bastard, you're quite the runner!"
The thugs caught up and surrounded them with hostile expressions.
"Don't come any closer! I'll jump!"
Robert instinctively stepped back, the railing behind him groaning under the weight.
The thugs stopped in their tracks, their faces showing hesitation.
"Forget it, boss."
One of them stepped forward and whispered in the leader's ear.
"Everyone in town saw this kid running this way. If he really dies, the Inquisition will come after them."
The leader of the thugs looked conflicted. He didn't really care about the little money Robert had in his pocket, but he was annoyed that the other man dared to hide some of his money.
Should I just leave like this?
He looked at the boy standing on the edge of the platform, his terrified face still pleading.
"... Don't worry."
The leader of the thugs realized what was happening.
"Die? How could this guy dare to die? His crippled mother is still at home."
In the suffocating silence, despair festered.
Robert didn't have the courage to jump, and just watched helplessly as his lifeline was taken away.
What kind of look is that?
Startled by that terrifying gaze, he flinched for a moment, but the leader of the thugs reacted with rage and shame.
The thugs rushed forward and beat the boy, who curled up, lost in thought.
God... why must I suffer like this?
Is this my fate? Is it punishment for my father's fall into heresy?
But why are these damned beasts unharmed?!
A kick landed in his chest, Robert felt a sweet taste in his throat. Despite the pain, he made a gesture of prayer.
These perpetrators, these scoundrels!
They don't even have to pray; they receive free meals from church every day. Can't you see that?!
If you can see this... please! Punish these scoundrels!
"Oh, still praying?"
Upon catching sight of that familiar gesture, the thugs sneered:
"So? Has God responded to you?"
Of course not, the fact that these scoundrels are still standing here is the best proof of that.
The boy despairingly lowered his hand, while the thugs jeered with great interest.
"Keep going! God isn't responding, why don't you try praying to that foolish new king?"
"Yes, yes! Make him send more money, and we'll pray together then."
"Haha, how about we go to Gran Faro together sometime? I'd like to see what that idiot new king looks like."
The boy's consciousness grew increasingly hazy, the thugs' jeers and the declaration he had heard that day echoing incessantly.
If you are bullied, pray to me.
Can you really hear me?
[God will not respond when you suffer, but I will always watch over my people.]
Can you really respond?
When a sinner commits an evil deed, the Spear of Heavenly Retribution will surely pierce his body!
Can you really do it?
The bored thugs turned and left, Robert stared intently at their retreating figures, uttering his hate-filled plea.
"Your Majesty, the Supreme King Vane..."
"If you can truly hear me, please save your poor people and punish these damned... damned..."
As his consciousness faded, Robert was unable to utter even his final prayer before he collapsed.
I heard it.
The boy's eyes widened suddenly, and at the same time, a huge, blood-red eye materialized in the sky.
The thugs who noticed the anomaly looked up and met the Eye of Judgment head-on.
Then, it started to rain.
Should that be called rain?
The crimson spear, taller than a person, resembled a cross hanging high in a church.
It fell downwards as densely as rain.
"Ahh--!"
Robert stared wide-eyed, unwilling to close his eyes even as blood streamed down his forehead.
The blood spears pierced precisely into the bodies of each sinner, inflicting fatal wounds, yet healing them the instant they merged into their bodies, keeping them alive.
Yes, this is torture.
Yes, it's Divine Miracle.
For the first time, Robert had never found the thugs' voices so pleasant, and even the pain in his body seemed to go numb.
So the boy stood up and knelt down to pray devoutly.
In response, angels descended.
"I am Inquisitor Laide. I understand the situation. Don't worry, young man, the suffering is over."
The angels, with their backs to the sun, slowly descended, their sun emblems shining brighter than the real sun itself.
The boy was enveloped in wings, and a burning faith ignited in his dark pupils.
"Your Inquisitor..."
"Laide, just call me Laide."
"Laide Ryder... I wish to join the Inquisition."
[Vane: Phew... Another order completed.]
[Gorth: Is this how you respond?]
[Vane: Of course it works, doesn't it?]
[Gorth: That's too inefficient. The spears should have fallen when they showed any intention to attack.]
[Vane: I can't keep up! Do you know how much information there is in all of Iberia?]
[Gorth:... That's true. So how do you plan to execute those people? Just kill them?]
[Vane: That's a shame, of course they should be sent to farm.]
[Gorth: Aren't we still going to die?]
[Vane: At least they can be recycled as fertilizer. If these people weren't so low-class, I was even thinking of turning them into repeaters.]
[Gorth: Repeater?]
[Vane: After all, Catastrophe can cut off the We Many signals. I've already sent the Bloodborne Hunters out, and the signals from these avatars are surprisingly good.]
[Gorth: Letting hunters become the center of attention? That's a bit of a waste.]
[Vane: It's because Ursus is too far from Iberia. I won't restrict their movements. It's a good opportunity to deploy the Holy Blood Angels to the border to prepare for opening the country's gates.]
[Gorth:... Be careful not to attract things from the Warp Space by choosing random names. Or are you planning to have me forge a Golden Throne for you?]
[Vane: Come on, your Suspended Loop is already set up, and the Nether Paradise needs preparation too. Third brother, can your shadow even hold a soul?]
[Gorth: I haven't encountered Infection Patrol here in a long time. We can't exactly drag people into the shadows and kill them just for an experiment, can we?]
[Vane: Find the second sister, she's an expert on soul matters.]
[Gorth: Good idea. Did you explain the plans to her?]
[Vane:... How about we spread out the Suspended Loop first?]
[Gorth: Coward.]
[Vane: Cough! Let's not talk about that. Have you found the righteous ones in Ursus yet?]
[Gorth: I recommend Alina, is there a problem?]
[Vane: On a moral level, it's very much in line; it's already a miracle we found it in that wretched place like Ursus, but... no ulterior motives?]
[Gorth: You might as well put it more clearly.]
After severely condemning a certain bat who viewed people with prejudice, the Lord of the Forest, having finished his output, resumed his daily glue-painting routine.
But--
"We're out of ingredients..."
Unable to resist, Gorth turned his gaze to the fleet wreckage in the shadows.
The Steel Wavebreaker Fleet, and--
"... Iron Pirate King Level"
Gorth is now in a dilemma. Research on Cherno Alpha is progressing slowly, but the wreckage of Iron Pirate King Level is readily available.
But Gorth didn't want to give up on his first project.
How about we expand upon the wreckage of Iron Pirate King Level? Remove the outer armor; the internal frame should be pretty much the same...
After much deliberation, Gorth decided to put it aside for now.
Let's wait for the professionals. As for now... let's find the nearest mining site marker.
Gorth expanded his senses, trying to contact one of those guys who was out in the jungle.
He connected the shadow of the Cave Ice Worm with his own, so that even from a great distance, he could roughly see the area where it was located.
Soon, Gorth opened his eyes in confusion.
He did sense the Cave Ice Worm, but only the area they were in; he did not find any individual worms.
Sensing that strange area again, Gorth muttered to himself in confusion:
"This range and shape... is it from some mountain range?"
While sensing the surroundings, Gorth pulled out a map of Ursus and began searching.
Just as he was about to compare the two, Gorth suddenly noticed that the position of the mountain range had shifted.
"Was this place just now?"
As he recalled it, Gorth drew it on paper.
Soon, after finishing the drawing, Gorth compared it with his memory and discovered that the shape of the mountain range had changed again.
After a long silence, Gorth asked in bewilderment:
"... The mountains are moving?"