Before "World" Gehrman Sparrow could respond, Audrey, maintaining her upright posture, slowly uttered a few more words:
"Heavy...
Stinging...
"Ashamed..."
Klein listened quietly, offering no comment on Miss " Justice's " words, and instead asked in a gentler tone, more akin to Dawn Dantès:
Why did you suddenly want to take this test?
"It's not a test. It's about Justice," Audrey shook her head. "It's just about revealing some details that I usually deliberately hide and avoid, so that people can see what the real me is like in other people's eyes."
She paused for a moment, then moved the corners of her mouth slightly without a smile and said:
"After our last conversation, I really tried to come up with a plan, intending to Manipulation things behind the scenes to get the nobles, merchants, royalty, and church to provide enough food."
"This matter sounds easy in theory, but when I actually tried to do it, I found that I couldn't be as resolute or decisive as I had imagined."
"Some of them are my aunt and uncle, some are my cousins, some are friends I've known since childhood, some are elders who have taken great care of me, and some are very friendly people I often see at various banquets and charity events. They made up my childhood, gave me so much, are a part of my growth, and carry my beautiful memories of the past..."
"Moreover, the grain they accumulated was not obtained through robbery, so their explanation actually has some merit."
"I simply can't bring myself to target them and try to Deprivation some of their wealth, at least not now."
As she spoke, Audrey's voice unconsciously grew louder, as if she were arguing with someone.
She immediately realized her slight lapse in composure, paused for two seconds, and then continued:
"Therefore, I want to understand myself more deeply, peel away the facade of warmth, and ask myself what I truly want under different gazes, whether my past thoughts were impulsive, hypocritical, naive, or a strong desire from the bottom of my heart."
At this point, " Justice " Audrey suddenly smiled:
"Although there are no results yet, the attempt itself has already brought some additional benefits."
"I used to think I was strictly following the rule that 'you're just Acting,' but now I realize I almost became addicted to Acting."
"Unlike other avenues that require Acting different identities and professions, the Acting of the ' Spectator ' is completely integrated with one's daily life, which can sometimes be difficult to distinguish."
"The simplest example is that who doesn't crave to be loved by everyone? So, I wear different Persona Mask when facing different people, using my ability to 'act as Spectator ' to create an image that best suits their expectations. When this happens more and more often, when you do this to everyone, you've actually become addicted to ' Acting ' and are about to lose yourself."
Klein nodded slightly:
"This is a very good result."
He did not comment on Miss Justice's earlier remarks.
Audrey was silent for a moment, then slowly said:
"I recently reread the East Borough investigation report that my father had someone do, and I have gained a different understanding of many things than before."
"Before the war, many poor people, workers, and farmers lived similarly difficult lives, chronically suffering from hunger and hardship. The revision of the Poor Law, the mandatory regulations on working hours and environment, and the control of air pollution did bring some improvement, but only some..."
"Once the war ends, if we defeat the Apocalypse, will similar things happen again?"
As she spoke, Audrey pressed her lips together and fell silent.
Klein could sense Miss Justice's confusion and bewilderment. After considering his words for a moment, he didn't reveal his own answer but spoke in a low voice:
"You need to find the answers to these questions yourself, including the most genuine thoughts you just mentioned; no one can do it for you."
"I can only offer some advice: go to the fields and see the farmers working there, go to the factories and see the hardworking workers, go to the East Borough to experience it firsthand, and go to the library to carefully read old newspapers and various related books."
Audrey listened attentively, then nodded seriously and said:
I will try to do it.
She immediately stood up, bowed and took her leave at the head of the weathered long table. Although Mr. The Fool had left, Audrey believed that He was watching over them.
Just as she was waiting for Mr. The Fool to send her back to the real world, "The World," Gehrman Sparrow, suddenly spoke:
"Wait a moment."
"Hmm? Justice?" Audrey asked in a nasal voice.
Klein looked at her and materialized a piece of paper:
"This is a description of the personality and behavior of a Mythical Creature. I hope you can help me analyze its reactions in different situations."
"Okay," Audrey agreed without hesitation.
After she took the paper and read its contents, Klein said thoughtfully:
Regarding what you just said, I have another suggestion:
"Your doubts and questions actually fall into two categories. Some are indeed very urgent, while others are not so pressing. You can wait until things calm down before conducting a more in-depth investigation. Hmm, people are more prone to making mistakes when they are anxious. You'd better distinguish between them."
Audrey thought for a moment, then nodded solemnly:
"I see."
After responding, she suddenly laughed:
"I thought that when you called me back at the end, you were going to wish me well, hoping that even after seeing all the truth, I would still love this world."
Klein was taken aback at first, then smiled and asked in return:
"You seem to have read quite a bit about Emperor Roselle?"
"He was an outstanding family man, and also a very complex and contradictory person. Justice," Audrey said with a slight smile.
Klein nodded almost imperceptibly and spoke slowly:
If I wanted to bless you, I wouldn't say it like that.
I would say, "I hope that after you see all the truth, you will still love your family and friends."
Audrey froze, her lips moving slightly as if repeating those two words.
After a few seconds, she closed her eyes and said in a slightly hoarse voice:
"Thanks..."
Sonia Sea, waters around the Rorsted Archipelago.
The Blue Avenger " leads a pirate fleet, traversing the smoke-filled battlefield.
Suddenly, a massive fireball appeared out of nowhere, and tangled streaks of silvery-white light parted the sea, creating a channel that hadn't existed before. Surrounded by towering waves on either side, it pointed directly at the " Blue Avenger."
Seeing this, Alger Wilson, standing at the bow of the ship, raised his right hand without changing his expression.
A violent Tornado suddenly appeared, whipping up the azure sea and streaks of silvery light, making it resemble a long serpent soaring into the sky and colliding with the enormous fireball.
Boom!
Water splashed and poured down like rain.
Alger immediately locked onto a warship, opened his mouth, and let out a roar.
With a sudden, fierce wave, the ship was lifted into the air.
Seizing the opportunity, the Blue Avenger's side guns fired automatically, producing a continuous roar.
Seeing that the Beyonder on the enemy warship were trying to use the recoil from the fireball to make the ship sway sideways, Alger suddenly pulled down with his right hand.
A thick bolt of silvery-white lightning struck down, charring the Beyonder's body and causing him to tremble violently.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
One shell after another hit, and the ship disintegrated in mid-air.
For a moment, Alger was somewhat dazed and couldn't help but look down to examine his right hand.
Is this the power of the " Catastrophe Interrer "? Is this what it feels like to be Demigod, half-human? He thought to himself, slightly intoxicated, before quickly snapping back to reality and ordering the " Blue Avenger " to give chase to the enemy.
An hour later, the fierce naval battle ended, and the Loen side once again held the Rorsted Archipelago.
Alger was in a very good mood. After the " Blue Avenger " returned to port, he called the Sailor to disembark and head to one of the few remaining bars for a good drink.
Loen has issued a wartime prohibition on alcohol to conserve food, but alcohol is indispensable for Sailor. Therefore, in areas dominated by the Church of Storms, the prohibition is not strictly enforced. Moreover, the Rorsted Archipelago is rich in resources, has a relatively small population, and its sea routes are under control, so food supplies are currently sufficient.
After walking for a while, Alger's gaze suddenly froze.
The street in front of him was bombarded, and many houses had collapsed. A huge crater appeared in a concrete playground, and the four-story building next to it was reduced to ruins.
Alger's smile gradually faded.
Monday afternoon, 3:00 PM Backlund time.
Deep red rays of light shot up from both sides of the bronze table, solidifying into somewhat blurry figures.
After all the members had paid their respects to Mr. The Fool, since there was no Roselle's Diary and no unresolved questions, the meeting proceeded directly to the transaction.
" The Moon " Emlyn immediately sat up straight, looked around, and said:
Ladies and gentlemen, I have a request.
"Which ' Warlock King ' do you wish to hunt, the Hermit?" Based on her understanding of Mr. " The Moon," Cattleya asked, getting straight to the point.
"..." Emlyn took two seconds to process the question, then maintained his elegant smile and said, "You guessed right."
" The Hermit " Cattleya nodded slightly and said:
What kind of compensation can you offer?
Emlyn was speechless again, somewhat ashamed to utter the words he had prepared.
Just then, Gehrman Sparrow, the "world" at the very bottom of the bronze table, suddenly spoke:
"You partnered with the Temperance Faction of the Rose School of Thought?"
Emlyn, the " The Moon," secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
"Right."
"Then I can take this commission." Since this involves Miss Messenger, Miss Sharron, and Maric, Klein Manipulation the dummy "World" to proactively accept the job. "Of course, this requires a certain intermediary."
Before Emlyn could respond, he had Gehrman Sparrow look at Miss " Magician " and say:
"You should prepare in advance." Fors, the " Magician " who had been watching the entire drama unfold, looked completely bewildered.