Peace of Mind

"Perhaps there's another way to end this?"

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

Hesta blinked. "...Maybe one day, when he's not paying attention, I'll drag him out and beat him up, telling him I'll blow his head off if he dares come near again."

Liz froze for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"It's not impossible, is it?" Hesta said softly. "Maybe next year."

Liz rubbed her eyes and nodded repeatedly. She sat up, leaning on the bed. "If that's the case, then I should definitely resolve this before your Secondary Awakening, Jane."

"...Why?"

"Because a world where the weak are forced to endure bullying is wrong, and I hate that kind of world." Liz's expression turned serious. "I don't want you to think, 'The reason I'm being harassed by Shawn now is because I don't have enough power yet...' In Askia, if anyone bullies others just because they have a strong fist, they'll always be severely punished. Those who bully the weak should be ashamed of their actions.

"When I was little, there was a pharmacist who lived next door. She was very weak and couldn't even carry a bag full of grain, but she knew all sorts of medicinal herbs and knew which plants and fruits in the forest were edible and which were poisonous. Every time people opened up new land and discovered new plants, they relied on her to identify whether they were safe to eat.

"And my grandmother, she was very small but knew how to find water sources. When she was young, she took my father and my aunts on long journeys that lasted for months, and she always brought back good news... Her knowledge, the experience she left behind, her fearless spirit – none of that could be matched by anyone stronger than her.

"If my grandmother or that pharmacist were allowed to be bullied, to live in fear, and had to spend a lot of time and energy figuring out how to protect themselves, they wouldn't have been able to realize their true value. Ultimately, humans are interdependent creatures, and it's wisdom and courage that lead us forward, not brute force. Someone weak in one aspect might be a giant in another, but all of that depends on the existence of a peaceful order.

"If someone uses their talents to infringe on others' interests without restraint, it's undoubtedly a trampling of that order—I will never allow such a thing to happen around me."

The soft light in the bedroom reflected in Liz's eyes, making her serious brows shine with heroism. "You'll be able to defeat Shawn sooner or later. But I believe there's a better solution than that."

"...Is it worth it?" Hesta murmured, "For you to put so much effort into this?"

Liz suddenly broke into a smile.

"My father used to complain that my grandmother meddled too much," she said, looking at Hesta. "But my grandmother said that people always take certain public morals for granted, as if 'good people get rewarded and bad people get retribution' is an ironclad rule. When they see good people fall and bad people succeed, they get furious—but in reality, if no one rewards the good or punishes the bad, such an order simply wouldn't exist.

"One of the reasons I like the base so much is that the ideals it promotes are very similar to Askia's. In Askia, justice is never late. If it is late, it's only because no one is willing to pave the way for it with sweat and blood."

Liz glanced at Hesta. "So you don't need to feel guilty, Jane. I'm defending my own rules too."

Hesta suddenly felt a surge of emotion, a nameless courage rising from the depths of her heart.

Liz continued, "The reason we can't do anything about Shawn right now is twofold: first, his actions haven't caused you substantial harm, and we haven't found new evidence yet. Second, Teacher Chiba insists on canceling the restrictions on Shawn, so we can't force him to stay away.

"However, if he remains obstinate and continues to do strange things, I won't rule out using force to teach him a lesson—but this shouldn't be something you worry about. Don't be afraid, Jane."

"Okay, I'm not afraid."

Hesta placed her hand gently over her heart, feeling her heart pounding in her chest, as if a warm tide was overflowing.

"Even if Shawn and his brother appeared before me now, I wouldn't tremble anymore."

Saturday, Chiba arrived as scheduled.

She drove the familiar wine-red convertible again, and Hesta sat in the passenger seat as before.

Chiba rolled down the window and drove Hesta towards Tanyi's city.

This was Hesta's first time seeing the architecture of the civilized world. Every house here was as beautiful as Saint Anne Abbey. People had planted their street-facing gardens full of roses and irises, which were already in bloom in early summer.

"Are you getting used to life at the base?" Chiba asked.

"Yes."

"Compared to being a nun at the abbey, which do you prefer?"

"I'm not a nun, I never took a 'vow'."

Chiba glanced at Hesta. "What vow?"

"'Eternal poverty, eternal chastity, eternal obedience'," Hesta said softly. "Only those who have studied in a congregation and taken the vow can become nuns."

Chiba burst out laughing beside her. "Good thing you didn't."

The car turned a corner, and Chiba handed Hesta a hat with a pair of sunglasses inside. "Put these on."

Hesta did as she was told and soon realized why Chiba had done it. At a newsstand on a street corner, displaying a wire rack full of that day's newspapers and new magazines, she saw her own photo plastered everywhere.

In the photo, she had long, flaxen hair and was staring at the camera with the deep suspicion and distrust of a startled fawn.

The car sped past, and Hesta's gaze remained fixed on the newsstand behind them until Chiba turned again.

Hesta looked back. "...What are all those?"

"Your photos. The Military Police found them in the municipal archives at the abbey," Chiba replied calmly. "What's with your hair color? Why isn't it red in the photo?"

"The Abbot and Miss Gerdin thought my red hair would attract too much attention, so they gave me a wig for the photo," Hesta couldn't help but look back at the street corner, though there was nothing there now. "That must have been taken three years ago, shortly after I entered the abbey—but why would the Military Police print my photos everywhere?"

"People at the base might not have told you, but the United Government is currently fighting AHgAs for your custody," Chiba explained. "Every regional United Government wants an anti-Chelated Being squad under their control, but the new Quicksilver Needles are mostly found by us in the Wastelands far from the Habitable Zones. From discovery to recruitment, the United Government has little room to interfere.

"Of course, they'd fight over a promising seedling found in the Habitable Zone."

Thanks to book friends 20181209, Taoren, and book friend 20170709 for their monthly tickets and rewards~