Matters of the Future / I Want to Give You a Home

Speaking of which, I wonder how Huang and Gavial are doing now. It's been over a week, they should be doing better by now. Mizuki is able to show her face at Rhodes Island now, but she still plans to wait until things in Lungmen are finished before going back.

Even now, one of his offspring ports is sharing his consciousness, which keeps the existence called Mizuki in a very delicate state, existing in a decentralized yet unified state. All Mizuki have their own personalities, relationships, memories, and thoughts, yet they know who they are. Mizuki is essentially taking out those memories from the Sea of Life separately.

"Distributing those parallel world memories among different offspring individuals allows those random memories to gradually be sorted out, integrated, and supplemented. After being collected, they will form a clear and concise memory route, effectively reducing the degree of contamination... This method is really useful."

Looking at the miniature Mizuki sitting on her desk, the Doctor casually picked up a cookie and handed it to him. The cookie was much bigger than the miniature Mizuki's face, but the little guy could still eat the whole thing in one bite.

So you're still a child?

"No, I am now Mizuki's true form. The difference between the offspring and the original form lies only in the control over the Sea of Life. As time goes by, the offspring will gradually and completely transform into the original form. In other words, I currently exist simultaneously in Lungmen and here, which can be considered a kind of quantum superposition state."

Lungmen, Rhodes Island, and Kazimierz — Mizuki exists simultaneously in these three places. To use a vivid example, it's like he has three chat accounts, each corresponding to the Doctor, Talulah, and Viviana respectively, but the one who controls the accounts and is responsible for chatting is Mizuki himself.

What Mizuki didn't mention was that he actually controlled many descendants, which meant he had many accounts, perhaps in some wilderness in Columbia, a river in the Great Yan, a stream in the Sargon Rainforest, or an underground mine in Rim Billiton.

From an entire river to a dewdrop on a green leaf, traces of Mizuki are found everywhere life can reach. As for those places without life? There's no need to worry.

Just as grass and trees grow upwards, the instinct of life is to explore and expand. This is why Mizuki tells Exusiai and the others that he sometimes gets distracted because he has too many accounts and he can't keep track of them all under normal circumstances. Even with the help of the Sea of Life, it still takes more time.

I just hope Xiao Le won't worry too much about me.

Mizuki pulled himself back from his thoughts, yet kept a close watch on everything that might happen. He knew that his recent behavior had made Exusiai uneasy. He wanted to tell Exusiai why he was so nervous and eager to do these things, but in the end, he could only keep it to himself.

It wasn't that he didn't trust Exusiai, but rather that this matter involved certain unspeakable things. He wasn't worried about the kids on the street talking about these things, but Mizuki herself couldn't reveal them voluntarily; she herself was a huge source of information.

As a war theorist once said, the higher one's position, the more significant one's influence on the war. Every action can affect the course of a war. Mizuki is currently in the highest position in all of Terra, and the Information Disturbance he causes far surpasses that of others, even preventing the revelation of certain names.

He can sense the location of others when they mention him, and he can also sense their presence when they mention it to others. It will take him some time to cover up this side effect in a discreet way.

When the right opportunity arises, he will surely confess everything to Exusiai. At that time, Exusiai will understand why he always kept things to himself. Telling her now will not only corrupt her mind but also attract her attention and help her pinpoint Terra's location.

Missing your girlfriend?

When Talulah heard Mizuki's words, she thought he was worried that Exusiai was unhappy that he had come out to have dinner with her.

"No, I'm just worried that she won't understand things and will keep them bottled up inside. Xiao Le has her worries sometimes too."

Mizuki glanced at the cake on the table and decided to take one back with everyone. Sure enough, he only felt relaxed when he was with Penguin Logistics and Rhodes Island. Being with Talulah... he always felt like this sister was about to strip him naked at any moment.

It's not the right time yet; Terra isn't ready.

Humming softly, Mizuki looked out the window, wondering if she should push these guys a little harder?

Chapter 231 Things in the Future

"Sis, do you think I'm pretty useless...?"

Leaning lazily against Lemuen, Exusiai's voice sounded somewhat low and lost. She remembered that when she was a child, she had wondered whether the completely different racial characteristics of the halo and wings indicated the special nature of the Sankta.

However, the Doctor shattered her childhood dream. The Sankta and Sarkaz share a common origin, and the Lord they worship is just a machine. Even an optimistic person like Exusiai cannot pretend that nothing happened.

"What's wrong? Did you have a fight with Mizuki? Well, I'll teach him a lesson for you tonight."

"Don't even think about it, you'd really want to punish him... You'd probably be so exhausted he wouldn't be able to get out of bed the next day."

Pouting and rolling her eyes, Exusiai reached out and poked her older sister's cheek. Ever since the last time the sisters fought against Mizuki together, her fear of Lemuen had lessened considerably, after all, she had seen how much Mizuki had tormented her older sister.

"It's as if you're the same way. So you're worried because you feel you can't help Mizuki?"

It's no wonder they're sisters; Exusiai's thoughts didn't escape Lemuen's notice at all. These past few days, Exusiai been noticeably uneasy when she's with Mizuki, always secretly glancing at Mizuki. Every time they go out together, she clings tightly to his clothes, as if she's afraid Mizuki 'll run away.

"Hmm, I've thought about a lot of things." Exusiai had forgotten how many years it had been since she had such a heart-to-heart talk with her sister. "Every morning when I open my eyes, I worry about whether he still remembers me. You know he gets up very early... It's kind of scary when I see my bedside empty."

"Are you afraid he won't recognize you after he wakes up and will quietly leave?"

That's just the kind of person he is.

Exusiai took Lemuen's hand, placed it on her head, and rubbed it against it.

"My man is capable of saving the world, both in theory and in practice, but being his girlfriend puts so much pressure on me... I do want him to be capable, but it's not like that."

Mizuki used to be someone that Exusiai could be proud of, even a little arrogant about, but now she only has worries, worries about Mizuki's condition and their future.

Lemuen understood this concern, of course, because she had it too, though not as obvious or severe as Exusiai's. She loved Mizuki just as much, so how could she possibly want him to forget everything?

"If I could go back in time, I would definitely quit my job and get married first! I guarantee Texas wouldn't get a single drop of soup."

"And what about me?"

"... Anyway, you're going to cheat on me whether I care or not, so let's just make do. What else can we do but divorce?"

Exusiai pouted. If it weren't for Lemuen lying there, she would have kicked her off the bed. But since childhood, Lemuen had always been one step ahead of her in everything, yet she was also always protected by Lemuen.

No matter how many worries she had, the first person she thought of wasn't Mizuki or her parents, but her older sister Lemuen. As women and sisters, they understood each other well, and there were some things they could say more easily to each other.

"After all, Mizuki is amazing, otherwise you wouldn't have fallen for him, Xiao Le. As for the rest... Mizuki probably didn't tell you for your own good."

This was Lemuen's intuition; Mizuki shouldn't be hiding anything from Exusiai. If he didn't bring it up, it meant that knowing about this matter would cause some trouble, rather than being as unhelpful as imagined.

Lemuen recalled that the Pope's Hall database in Laterano did indeed contain some core information. As one of the candidates for Cardinal of the Pope's Hall, she had also reviewed the information there. According to Laterano's records, there were indeed beings in Terra whose mere awareness of their existence would lead to terrible consequences.

With the help of the North and Mizuki, Lemuen could understand a little better. Mizuki didn't explain those things to her.

"Sister, what do you think I should do? I really can't figure it out..."

"No, you actually thought it through from the beginning, didn't you? It's just that you weren't sure, and you couldn't possibly ask Mizuki, so you came to ask me."

Gently holding Exusiai, carefully stroking her hair and ears, Lemuen felt that this hadn't happened in a long time. Ever since she blew up the classmate who bullied her in elementary school, Exusiai had never relied on her like this. It seemed that the matter of Mizuki had really shaken her.

"Actually, Xiao Le, what you need to do is very simple. Just do the same thing as before, or try to manage a family well."

"Didn't Mizuki tell you? He's a homeless man, wandering for a long time. He's always traveling, and there's never been a place he can call home."

"In that case, you should create such a place of belonging for him, a place where his body and soul can find peace and comfort."

Mizuki lacks a home, Exusiai, with Lemuen's guidance, realized this. Although she always said she wanted to buy a house with Mizuki in Siesta, it was still very different from a real home.

"Then I really need to learn how to be a good wife from now on."

"I still need to learn how to be a good mother." Lemuen poked Exusiai's cheek. "I can't really raise your child from a baby to adulthood, can I? What if she looks more like me than like you, her mother?"

This is indeed a topic worth discussing. Lemuen is very curious Exusiai what kind of mother Exusiai will be, and she is also worried that she will raise her children to be exactly like her.

"It would be terrible if I were like you, haven't I said it so many times already? Oh right."

Exusiai seemed to have shaken off her previous gloomy and negative mood, regaining her former cheerful and lively self, and hugging her older sister.

"Sister, haven't you considered having a child? You can just tell Mizuki."

With the power of the Mizuki directly connecting to the Sea of Life, the decision of whether or not to have children is now within one's subjective control. However, currently, apart from Exusiai and Kal'tsit, who are purely accidental, only Muelsyse and Ho'olheyak have actively requested it.

As for the others, Sora currently has to take care of her own idol career, Skadi is simply worried about gaining weight, and Specter is simply worried that she won't be able to stay up all night with Mizuki after getting pregnant.

"As for me, forget it. Maintaining my current relationship with Mizuki is fine. Mainly, I like it..."

"You like to cheat, don't you? You're flirting with your brother-in-law behind your own sister's back. How many times have you done this behind my back?"

"It's not that much, but it's really exciting, hehe."

Lemuen is quite content with the status quo. Since Mizuki won't abandon her, she can do whatever makes her happy. Even if Exusiai already knows about her relationship with Mizuki, it won't have any impact on Lemuen.

"I'll have to be more careful around you from now on. I was thinking of living together in the future, but thinking about the current situation, if we really lived in the same house, my status in the family would be the lowest, right?"

Even now, you still have the lowest status in this family.

"The Croissant is clearly the lowest!"

Undeterred, Exusiai swung her fist. She clearly disagreed with this statement. Compared to her, Croissant's status in the family was truly low. Anyone could order her around. Of course, Mizuki and the others wouldn't really order her around so casually.

"Okay, okay, you're feeling better now, right? I'm going to take a shower now."

These days are nice. If possible, Lemuen really hopes they can last. She must think so too, Mizuki and Exusiai. She got up and left Exusiai and Mizuki's bedroom, then walked to the living room, where she happened to meet Mizuki pushing open the door and walking in, carrying a whole big cake.

Lemuen stepped forward and reached out to straighten the scarf around Mizuki's neck. She was a bit taller than Mizuki, and from this angle they looked like siblings. They were indeed siblings with a special relationship, both physically and mentally.

"Did you go out and fool around?"

Lowering her head slightly to sniff Mizuki's hair, Lemuen gently pinched Mizuki's cheek, her expression slightly displeased.

"Tell me, which woman did you go to see? You smell of her perfume on you, and it's so strong."

"Is it that obvious? No wonder I kept smelling perfume while we were eating. It wasn't my imagination."

Mizuki gently bit Lemuen's finger, her tongue carefully licking the fingertip. It was a little ticklish, making Lemuen a little embarrassed, but thankfully no one around could see.

If it weren't for the worry that Mostima and Fiammetta might find something bad when they returned, she would have wanted to crush this jellyfish into a dried jellyfish. Of course, this was just wishful thinking; the result was usually the opposite— Mizuki would make sure she didn't have to eat the next day.

"Talulah doesn't like wearing perfume... for the sake of the meeting?"

"I think it's for the person she loves. Don't pretend to be oblivious; you're so good at flirting."

Lemuen poked Mizuki's cheek in annoyance, expressing her dissatisfaction. She knew Mizuki was just pretending.

"They haven't come back yet?"

Mizuki looked around. Texas and Croissant were escorting Kong to the performance, while Mostima and Fiammetta were going to Laterano's office in Lungmen to meet their elder, Salvador, the gun cavalryman who was representing Laterano at the meeting.

"It'll be a while. Although it was the musketeer Patrician who raised Fiammetta, Salvador and the other musketeers are considered her elders. This time... they're probably here to urge her to get married, right?"

"Then I might have to be prepared to deal with a grumpy Fiammetta later."

Needless to say, Mizuki could imagine how ugly someone's face would be when they returned, not to mention that Mostima would definitely make Fiammetta's already explosive temper even worse.

"Before that, you should go and have a heart-to-heart talk with my sister. Don't tell me you can't see what's bothering her; it's all your fault."

"It's my fault, but at this time only you, as her older sister, can help her. She's very worried about my condition, worried that one morning I'll wake up feeling like a stranger to everyone around me."

Is it true?

"It's true... that's why I didn't dare tell her directly."

Lemuen's red lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated. She wanted to see Mizuki shake her head, but the person in front of her was so calm. She could even feel that Mizuki had clearly breathed a sigh of relief after saying those words. Keeping these things to herself was a very uncomfortable thing.

Others might be able to guess, but as long as Mizuki doesn't admit it, everyone will hold onto the hope that "maybe I'm just overthinking it." Mizuki thinks so too; as long as no one asks him, he won't say it directly, thus avoiding excessive worry.

Are you feeling better?

"It's alright. I felt a sense of relief after saying it out loud. They don't need to worry about me so much. I'm currently trying many ways to alleviate this pollution, and they're working quite well."

Mizuki's smile seemed much more relaxed than before, and Lemuen was too lazy to ask any further. There was nothing she could do if Mizuki didn't want to talk about it. As a good wife, all she had to do at times like this was to be understanding and supportive.

"Go see Xiao Le and have a good talk with her about the future. I know you don't tell her certain things to protect her, but she's your other half."

"Then I'll go find her now, we can eat the cake later."

"I think we should eat tomorrow. Do you still have time tonight?"

Lemuen tapped Mizuki's head, then hummed a tune as she walked towards the bathroom. Mizuki touched the spot where Remy had flicked her, then put down the cake and went upstairs.

He was thinking about how to reveal something to Exusiai without causing Information Disturbance. Given his current rank, this wouldn't be difficult, but the problem was that the source of contamination in this information was deeply connected to him.

That's why I'm worried... about that thing.

Something was gradually approaching. The deeper Mizuki assimilated into the Sea of Life, the more he could sense that thing getting closer. It was too difficult for him to stop it on his own.

But things are still relatively good now, because the other side is unsure of Terra's location and cannot find the correct door. The main reason is that Mr. K was stopped by Mizuki. That person believes he is saving Terra, but he has already been corrupted, and his rationality has been distorted without his knowledge. He may not even realize that his actions are actually pushing Terra toward destruction.

Once the enemy has pinpointed Terra's location and broken through the sealed door, Mizuki will no longer need to keep it a secret from everyone and will make his final choice.

"Xiao Le, I'm back."

He pushed open the door and waited behind it. Lying on the bed, swinging her legs, was his lover in a black nightgown.

Before facing his own end, he still had a home to return to, and a group of friends and people he loved.

However, in a VIP room at the Lungmen Hotel, on the other side, Viviana, representing Kazimierz, stood by the window, watching the light rain outside gradually intensify.

The room was dark and cold. It wasn't that she was used to the darkness and cold; it was just that, looking at the bustling city outside the window, she suddenly realized that she was all alone, a person with nowhere to go and no future.

Chapter 232 I Want to Give You a Home

"Mai-Mai, I feel like my brain isn't working as well as it used to."

Late at night, Typhon leaned against his great bow, holding a cup of hot tea, his face full of doubt, his eyes looking up at the sky, pondering the things that had happened in the past.

"Lately, I keep feeling like I've forgotten something, but I just can't remember it."

"I feel the same way. Is it because we're too nervous?"

Sami is now fully prepared for battle and has long lost the concept of day and night. There is only the black starry night sky and the thick dark clouds that occasionally cover the entire territory. Magellan felt a sense of oppression.

This strange change began half a month ago. As the war between the Sami and the Demons officially began, this land became somewhat eerie.

First, the alternation of day and night disappeared. Then, a heavy rain gave rise to many strange but edible plants. Next, the range of sound transmission was limited to within thirty meters. Gravity would also change from time to time, sometimes making it difficult to move, and sometimes allowing one to leap high into the air with just a little effort.

Fortunately, the more severe changes were mitigated in a short period of time, and the remaining ones did not affect the overall situation. What terrified Magellan the most was that she once felt that 1+1 should not equal 2, and her portable calculator became useless. This meant that the quantitative relationships and spatial forms of mathematics in the real world were distorted at that time.

If it weren't for the numerous researchers who had prepared a backup plan and backed up the entire system after the anomaly ended, the combat effectiveness of the entire Sami defense line would have been reduced by at least one-tenth, which is equivalent to half of Columbia's combat strength on the Sami side.