After saying goodbye to Benjamin, Li Wei went to the Intelligence Research Department on the other side. The moment he opened the door, he heard an argument inside. He peered in to find Mr. Richard and Ms. Windsor facing each other, arguing nonstop. Only when they noticed his arrival did they stop.
"Uh... did I come at a bad time?"
"No, your timing is perfect, Mr. Li Wei."
Mr. Richard heaved his barrel-shaped body to his feet and beckoned Li Wei over.
"Actually, Ms. Windsor and I were having an academic discussion about your report. Perhaps you could offer us some insight."
"All right."
Li Wei entered the room and sat down in front of them.
"What were you discussing?"
"We read your report. According to your description, these people are trying to obtain power through a particular method."
Ms. Windsor reached up and adjusted her gold-rimmed glasses, her expression stern. Seeing her like this reminded Li Wei of his elementary school homeroom teacher, who had taught language arts-stern, serious, and utterly intimidating.
"They create incidents, then spread rumors related to them, attempting to draw power from those rumors to strengthen themselves in turn..."
"That's only a hypothesis."
Li Wei answered cautiously.
"Thank goodness we haven't seen a completed version of this plan yet. My report is based on deductions drawn from their explanations and my own experiences. It isn't necessarily the truth."
"Understandable. Rigorous investigation and research are essential."
Ms. Windsor nodded.
"Just now, Mr. Richard proposed a plan. He believes that if our opponents can use this method, then so can we."
"Allow me to explain."
Under Li Wei's puzzled gaze, Richard rubbed his hands together with a chuckle.
"If they're trying to obtain power through a consensus in the human subconscious, then of course we can do the same. For example, we could have someone perform deeds befitting a historical or mythical hero. Or we could use this method to link that person to the hero and obtain the hero's power..."
"But that would be extremely dangerous!"
Ms. Windsor quickly voiced her objection.
"I doubt our enemies are so stupid that they couldn't discover something even you noticed, yet they still chose this approach. Why? Because impressions of those historical and mythical figures are deeply rooted in the public consciousness! Even if your method succeeds and merges the test subject with a heroic figure, that raises a question: who would be standing before us then? The test subject? The hero? Or merely the hero as imagined by the public?"
"That isn't a problem for us."
Mr. Richard clearly had complete confidence in his plan.
"We are subjects of the Empire. Naturally, we can summon the heroes who protected it. We aren't rats hiding in the shadows. We have a proud and honorable mission and duty. I believe those heroes would also do their part alongside us to protect the Empire."
"A nice idea, Mr. Richard, but I think you've overlooked something."
By now, Li Wei understood the crux of their argument, so he joined in.
"Suppose your theory is correct, and we really do obtain a superhero this way. How would we restrain him? Or do you think the Empire should disarm and rely on a handful of superheroes to conquer the world?"
"Well... hmm... I'm not sure about that yet..."
"Speaking for myself, I certainly wouldn't want some superpowered fellow I know nothing about standing beside me. Who knows what he might do?"
Li Wei made his position clear, siding with Ms. Windsor, while Mr. Richard merely muttered a few words and scratched his head.
"All right, I admit that was an oversight... but I think we may encounter someone like that before long."
"What do you mean?"
"It's simple."
Mr. Richard chuckled.
"If those things spread through the human subconscious by means of rumors and hearsay, then use something in reality to anchor themselves and obtain power... assuming this theory is correct, we'll soon see the sort of completed form Mr. Li Wei mentioned."
"Why? Have you guessed the enemy's next move?"
"I'm no diviner, but have you forgotten?"
Mr. Richard patted the book beside him.
"If it's merely a matter of this process, it doesn't require anyone to direct it. Fairy tales, poems, legends passed down about the wilderness, forests, and oceans. Fairies, mermaids, unicorns... if the power of the human subconscious can affect reality, then even without anyone directing the process, they may well appear in this world."
"That..."
Li Wei's heart suddenly sank. Indeed, just as Richard had said, this process didn't seem to require any special ritual to guide it. At least from what they currently knew, all the enemy had done was commit crimes in reality to bring themselves closer to those rumors, possibly culminating in a merger.
Beyond that, Li Wei hadn't seen any mysterious cult rituals or bizarre incantations.
If that was the case... then humans wouldn't be the only things changing in this world!
As Richard had said, take mermaids, for example-mermaids had real-world inspirations, and out at sea, most sailors firmly believed in their legends. If actual mermaids appeared as a result, that wouldn't be impossible...
Likewise, fairies, unicorns, pixies... those were still relatively harmless.
But what about witches, sorceresses, and ghosts?
How had this world ended up like this?
Li Wei quietly changed the subject.
"What do you think about what Miss Betty said?"
At Li Wei's question, the two exchanged a glance and shook their heads.
"We aren't occultists, nor do we possess any magical powers. If you're asking about theoretical knowledge, all I can say is that I don't think this era is any different from those before it."
"But those proponents of Luddism certainly don't agree."
Richard gave a soft snort.
"They insist that humanity's use of machinery and the advent of the Industrial Revolution have upset the balance of nature. They claim humans should be part of nature, rather than stand above it. The proponents of Luddism believe our actions have desecrated the gods and this world, and that we will inevitably be punished..."
Li Wei scoffed, clearly taking none of it seriously. In his view, these proponents of Luddism were essentially no different from the deranged eco-terrorists of his own era. They yearned for the wonderful life depicted in fairy-tale films: green meadows, wooden houses, everyone farming and hunting, all living in idyllic pastoral bliss.
The lunatics of Li Wei's era, however, were mostly just indulging in fantasies-like seeing an influencer's scenic destination online, then traveling there and imagining yourself enjoying the magnificent landscapes in the video.
Only to get swarmed in the face by mosquitoes and spend half the night unable to sleep.
It was the curse of modern city dwellers: they saw only nature's beauty and completely ignored its dangers.
The Luddites of this era weren't quite that foolish. Their reaction was driven more by fear. After all, this was the first Industrial Revolution. Steel and steam power had transformed everything humanity had always taken for granted. Many people were unwilling or unable to accept concepts they couldn't understand and wanted to return to the familiar lives they had once known. That was understandable.
These proponents of Luddism had their own arguments, too. For example, they believed living creatures in nature were more convenient and required less human attention.
For instance-our cows can give birth on their own. Can those trains do that? No, they can't!
Well, of course they couldn't. If Li Wei ever saw two trains lying on the tracks mating and producing offspring, he must have had far too much to drink.
Yet clearly, as the Industrial Revolution advanced, the proponents of Luddism were being driven into a corner. Take the recently enacted legislation: parliament had resolved to impose strict regulations on horse-drawn carriages within Fog City. The stench and pollution caused by horse manure had to be curbed. Thus, parliament had begun gradually replacing public horse-drawn carriages with trackless steam vehicles and other forms of public transport.
Widening streets and imposing carriage taxes were all part of this effort.
Li Wei had even seen plans to build elevated railways for travel within the city. Well... he had to admit, this era really was wild.
From the perspective of someone who came later, Li Wei saw nothing wrong with the Empire's approach. From the perspective of someone living in this era, he could also understand the Luddites' actions.
If people in Li Wei's era suddenly began abandoning reinforced concrete and steel-based technology in favor of an entirely natural way of life, he too would wonder whether they had lost their minds.
Afterward, Li Wei chatted with the two for quite some time, receiving plenty of suggestions and opinions. They were both purely scholars, so they couldn't join him in fighting on the front lines. All they could do was share their ideas and have Li Wei test those theories one by one.
Well, as far as Li Wei was concerned, he would rather they all remained theories.
Still, Richard's speculation gave Li Wei quite a headache. If Mr. Richard's deductions were correct, that meant the enemies he faced in the future wouldn't merely be human... but he could worry about those troublesome matters when they actually happened.
Or, better yet, hope they never happened at all.
"Oh, one more thing, Mr. Li Wei."
Just as Li Wei was about to take his leave, Richard stopped him.
"There's another matter concerning Professor Franz's wanted notice. We need more details..."
"Details? I can't divine anything. I don't even know what that fellow looks... wait."
At that point, inspiration suddenly struck Li Wei. He picked up a pen and began scribbling in his notebook.
A moment later, Li Wei handed over the sheet of paper.
"There. Publish it just like this."
The two took the paper curiously, and Richard read it aloud in bewilderment.
"Height: one hundred sixty centimeters. Impaired mobility in the left foot. Dark brown skin. Biologically male, but identifies as female. Frequently dresses and makes himself up as a woman to seduce young men. Suffers from syphilis, prostate disease, and kidney stones..."
At this point, Richard looked at Li Wei in confusion.
"How do you know Franz is like this?"
"I don't."
Li Wei shook his head, then smiled slightly.
"But we can know."
"Uh... you mean..."
"We can't pinpoint him right now. Since that's the case, we might as well give this trick a try."
Li Wei chuckled.
"Since this fellow loves spreading rumors so much, let him have a taste of them himself."
Before you continue