"You really are quite the sucker. It's just some pointless charade cooked up by humans, and you actually took it seriously? Or are you thinking of switching careers to poverty relief? That guy earlier wasn't exactly a saint, was he?"
"Of course, I know... there's no heaven or hell in this world, perhaps no souls exist after death, and no redemption is needed. I just suddenly felt like doing it."
Michael blinked blankly. Although he said that, he had indeed prayed just moments ago, though his prayer wasn't directed at some vague 'Lord' created by humans, but at someone who had actually existed once.
As for what meaning there was in doing so? Even he didn't know. Perhaps it was just a momentary impulse; besides, he had just conjured the money anyway.
The air after the rain carried an earthy smell, which did a decent job of masking the stench of excrement piled by the roadside. The two walked aimlessly through the streets of Kolosten. The sunlight overhead shifted from warm to scorching, then faded into a lazy crimson, and finally yielded to deep darkness.
They kept walking, never stopping, until the sky brightened once more, until the sun changed its angle repeatedly, finally sinking irrevocably towards the western fields...
Mobius was getting impatient:
"What are you planning to do? Just keep wasting time like this?"
"You could see it that way."
Michael shook his head:
"After all these years, haven't you gotten used to it? We always have enough time, so we can certainly afford to wait longer for something to slowly blossom."
"Tch!"
Mobius bared her teeth, ultimately shaking her head resignedly. Since she had chosen to follow Michael out of the Elysian Realm, there was nothing to complain about.
Of course, it wasn't that she disliked such leisurely moments. If she disregarded everything else, she was actually quite willing, even enjoyed, spending a whole day walking side-by-side with Michael through every street in Kolosten.
But... although Michael hadn't said it outright, why had he spent a hundred Gold Groschen on that indulgence earlier? Didn't she understand who the 'Lord' in his heart was?
A brief pang of bitterness was followed by a deeper sense of helplessness. After all, she could never win against a dead person, in every sense of the word.
So, she could only mechanically move her feet, keeping close to Michael's side, unsure herself of her current mood.
Was it a long-lost excitement, or a faint bitterness? It didn't really matter anymore.
Their time was too vast, their goals too grand, to the point that those little personal feelings seemed small and childish now—despite having slapped Michael just recently, declaring her feelings in an extremely aggressive way.
"Bang!"
Perhaps she was lost in thought, as Mobius didn't even notice the change beside her until Michael pulled her behind him.
The door of a nearby house was kicked open by two fully armed knights. After about half a minute, hurried footsteps echoed from inside.
"Who is it!"
With a curse, a middle-aged man rushed out carrying an axe. But upon seeing the knights at the door, he expertly dropped the axe and raised both hands, as if it were a form of etiquette.
Only then did the salesman Michael and Mobius had seen yesterday squeeze out from between the shoulders of the two knights, a forced smile plastered on his face, standing before the man.
Everything was just as he had foreseen yesterday. The indulgence sales these past few days had brought in considerable income, but to say it could make up for Schicksal's losses in the Eastern Expedition was nothing but a pipe dream.
It was all because the populace wasn't cooperating. Too few people voluntarily purchased indulgences. While many believed in God, far too few were willing to offer God their money, let alone more. Even those who were had either lost their lives in the previous Eastern Expedition or exhausted their fortunes.
Although the salesman could use semi-coercive sales tactics like he did yesterday, he could only bully the old, weak, women, and children. If he encountered strong, able-bodied men, he might even get beaten up. And how much money did the old, weak, women, and children have?
So, the conclusion the higher-ups reached was that there were simply too few good people among the populace, and it was necessary to use forceful means to make house calls... ah, no, persuade the populace to purchase indulgences.
This was actually good for the salesman. For one thing, he could sell more indulgences. Earning five Gold Groschen per indulgence—what business could be better than this?
But he wasn't particularly happy. It wasn't because these two knights cut off his 'source of income'; he could still sell an indulgence for six Gold Groschen now, as long as he gave one coin to each knight... hmm, so he raised the price to eight Gold Groschen.
What truly upset him was that the money he had earned selling indulgences over the past few days had been completely stolen around noon. The thief seemed to deliberately humiliate him, swaggering off after leaving six Gold Groschen, nicely calling it—payment for an indulgence to atone for the sin...
The thief even wore a slapdash disguise that barely concealed her identity... Forget it, no point thinking about it. Noble affairs were none of his business; let the noble lords worry about it themselves.
However, it was precisely while he was on his way, covered in snot and tears...呸! covered in snot and tears, to cry to the Schicksal staff that he got roped into this and assigned to collection duty.
"Sir, buy an indulgence!"
Having lost his savings, the salesman's voice lacked confidence, but remembering the two knights behind him, he couldn't help but puff out his chest.
"I haven't committed any crime! I've been an honest man since I was a child! I never eat meat, don't drink alcohol, and haven't touched any woman other than my wife... haven't touched any men either! I've never lied, never betrayed anyone, nor have I ever gotten angry at anyone who was good to me!"
The man still held out some hope. Seeing the knights behind the salesman standing still, he continued to argue stubbornly.
"No crime? How could that be possible? Man is born with original sin. Besides, growing up to your age, you must have forgotten many things, right? Perhaps among them are sins enough to send you to hell?"
"Furthermore, even if you yourself have committed no sin, surely your family... your father, hasn't he committed any sins? Perhaps he is currently suffering the fires of hell. As his son, can you bear this? If you turn a blind eye to this, aren't you also committing the sin of filial impiety?"
The man was stunned by his words. Even the two knights glanced at each other through the visors of their helmets, expressing their astonishment.
The man took a deep breath, turned back into the house, and returned shortly with six Gold Groschen.
He knew he could probably resist a little more; the salesman's words weren't without flaws. If he stubbornly insisted, he was innocent. But he also knew the other party was essentially legally robbing him. It was best not to reason with him; just pay up and be done with it.
"Take it, take it!"
Unexpectedly, the salesman wasn't satisfied. He took the six Gold Groschen and held out his hand again towards the man:
"Your father's sins are quite grave. Eight Gold Groschen are needed for his atonement."
"You!!!"
The man jabbed his index finger forcefully at the salesman, but ultimately chose to back down, fetching another two Gold Groschen and handing them over.
"Is that enough now?"
The salesman smilingly handed the man an indulgence. Seeing him pay so readily, the salesman actually felt a pang of regret. His eyes darted around, and suddenly, without hesitation, he knelt and hugged the man's thigh—
"What are you doing! Harassment!"
"Oh, dear sir! Your father's sins are truly profound! The eight Gold Groschen just now weren't enough to clear his sins, another eight are needed! Please, sir, buy another one! I can already see your father's left foot stepping out of the fiery pit! You just need to invest another eight, and his right leg can come out too!"
But this time, the man gave him no chance. He kicked the salesman away, slammed the door shut forcefully, and roared through the door:
"My father doesn't have a right leg!"
Watching the farce unfold, Mobius didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"Just watching coldly like this? That's not like you."
She asked, a hint of sarcasm in her voice. Michael didn't answer, just held her hand tighter.
Suddenly, the roar of a crowd erupted from the nearby square. Michael abruptly took off, pulling Mobius's hand and racing towards the source of the sound.
It was literal 'flying' – Mobius instinctively tried to run but found her feet dangling uselessly in the air, Michael carrying her like a small charm.
In the next instant, they landed on a rooftop, looking down at the bustling crowd in the square below.
At the very center of the crowd was a roughly built wooden stage. On the stage stood a solitary young girl, wearing a purple half-mask, her body wrapped in a worn burlap sack.
With just one glance, Michael gave a wry smile, half helpless, half mocking:
"Kaslanas really are idiots!"
The burlap sack she found was a bit too small, unable to completely hide the white braid at the back of her head. She hadn't even changed out of her Valkyrie uniform underneath; the Kaslana family's brass insignia was even visible at the collar...
"Pfft!"
Mobius burst out laughing, almost instantly erasing the entire day's frustration:
"Kaslana? A descendant of Kevin? Although he seemed pretty dense himself, always tagging along behind Mei like a little follower, surely he wasn't an idiot? Or perhaps..."
She glanced sideways at Michael, saying sarcastically:
"If I remember correctly, the Kaslanas have intermarried with the Schariacs for a long time. Shouldn't you take some responsibility for this idiot gene?"
"Don't be ridiculous. Two negatives make a positive, a negative and a positive make a negative. It's because my genes are too good that they didn't combine with his to make a positive, like multiplying two negatives."
"What kind of twisted logic is that!"
Mobius cursed inwardly, feeling a momentary daze—she had a faint premonition of what would happen next. If she were to repeat this conversation to Kevin, perhaps certain things could be avoided...
But she shook her head firmly. Compared to preventing a fleeting tragedy, she was more interested in seeing the results after everything Michael spoke of was overturned.
With mixed feelings of sorrow and anticipation, she turned her gaze back down. The girl's shouts rang out at that moment:
"Didn't Schicksal say that buying an indulgence atones for all sins? Fine! Very good! I don't care if you believe it or not, but I do!"
The crowd below was instantly baffled. They had assumed this girl had come up to denounce the ridiculous indulgences, but they never expected her to say something like this?
But before they could ponder whether the girl was being deliberately ironic, they saw her pull six Gold Groschen from under the sack she wore, raising them high above her head and shouting:
"I firmly believe indulgences can cleanse my sins! That's why, a few hours ago, I robbed an indulgence salesman of the money he made selling a thousand indulgences! Now I'm buying one from him!"
She tossed the coins casually, and the six coins landed precisely in the nearby collection box with a clear 'clink'.
"Everyone heard that, right! 'As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs!' I robbed that salesman of his earnings, I'm truly sorry, I confess! But now my sins are all forgiven! Perhaps some will say that indulgences only atone for sins in God's eyes, and such crimes still face worldly punishment from Schicksal. But doesn't Schicksal claim its authority is granted by God? If I am innocent in God's eyes, then what right does Schicksal have to judge me guilty!"
The entire square suddenly fell silent, then erupted in deafening cheers, wave after wave.
"So, I suggest everyone go rob the indulgence sellers! Just keep enough money to buy an indulgence for yourself!"
The crowd below whispered amongst themselves, barely hearing her final, pointless words.
But before anyone could reach a conclusion, they saw the girl on stage move again—she dragged out a larger sack from behind the wooden platform, effortlessly lifted it, and threw it violently into the air. Then, with a flick of her thumb, a small coin accurately struck the sack in mid-air. The sack burst open, and shiny silver coins rained down.
"Rejoice! This is all money from buying indulgences! I got it all back for everyone! Just take back the silver you spent!"
But no one was listening to her anymore. Whether it was the man with gold teeth wearing a white shirt, the homeless man clutching a blackened old wooden basin with ragged clothes, or the prostitute wearing a simple burlap shift with holes cut, revealing her sides—everyone bent down frantically, scrambling everywhere like piglets fighting for food, madly snatching the silver coins on the ground.
As for the girl's words, "Just take back the silver you spent," sorry, no one heard her.
Suddenly, the sound of orderly footsteps echoed from the end of the street, accompanied by the clang of metal on metal, instantly overwhelming the crowd's clamor.
"The Knight Order is here!"
Someone shouted first, and the crowd gathered in the square scattered in panic. Many didn't forget to pry a silver coin from between the paving stones before fleeing.
They shrewdly kept their heads down, as if afraid the knights would remember their faces.
Kallen also immediately clutched the burlap sack on her head and darted like a white streak into a nearby alley.
At first, she mingled with the dispersing crowd, but as people ran home one by one, the space around her emptied, and she realized a serious problem—
She was lost.
It was true she grew up in Kolosten, but as the eldest daughter of the Kaslana family, she had spent her days tirelessly in the training grounds. Otto would sometimes sneak her out, but the adults merely turned a blind eye. The three of them knew it too; they'd quickly run through Kolosten's streets to the outskirts to enjoy half a day of freedom.
And ever since joining the Valkyrie Squad, Kallen was either out on missions or in the barracks. Occasional leaves from the barracks were usually just brief rests back at the Kaslana family estate.
Only now did she realize how unfamiliar she was with the streets of Kolosten.
She stood in an alley only wide enough for one person. She couldn't see anyone ahead, and it was difficult even to turn around to look back. Her shoulders and arms scraped against the wooden walls on either side. The tattered burlap sack snagged on either a splinter or a nail. With a rip, only the mask remained as her final disguise.
"Kallen!"
The wooden door she had just passed suddenly opened, and a familiar voice called out. Before Kallen could react, she was pulled inside.
"Otto!"
Kallen didn't seem surprised. After all, the two had come out together to relax. She had simply acted in a moment of indignation, put on a disguise, and gone on stage to denounce Schicksal. The mask was just something she borrowed earlier from a red-haired performer.
"You were too impulsive!"
Otto wanted to say this, Otto should have said this.
After all, Kallen's so-called "disguise" was incredibly naive from any angle. He was even sure that the Knight Order had already relayed the news—"Eldest daughter of the Kaslana family publicly denounces Schicksal"—back to his father, Bishop Nikolas, and the Castle Council.
Even during the peak era of the Three Great Families, if the Kaslana heir spoke words publicly opposing Schicksal, she would face house arrest and hardship, let alone now...
According to a private conversation with his father after returning to Schicksal, with the failure of the Eastern Expedition, the authority of the Three Great Families was severely shaken.
After all, the Apocalypse family had stubbornly pushed for the Eastern Expedition—at least, that's how it appeared on the surface. Nobody would remember that the Castle Council had also approved the proposal; people only remember the instigator.
The Kaslana family lost most of its core members in the expedition, and the main Schariac line was reduced to just three girls. The power of the Three Great Families was weaker than ever. It was hard not to inspire improper thoughts in some members of the Castle Council...
Just yesterday, the Castle Council had already initiated a vote on a resolution demanding his father Nikolas "return the rights usurped by the Three Great Families to the Castle Council." Under these circumstances, Kallen had made such a huge mistake... This matter would be difficult to resolve peacefully...
No, no, how could this be called a mistake? Kallen hadn't done anything wrong. How could upholding justice possibly be wrong? Perhaps she was a bit extreme, a bit too reckless regarding the consequences...
Various thoughts flashed through his mind, but as he just opened his mouth, he met Kallen's stubborn gaze. All his words caught in his throat.
Was Kallen unaware of all this?
Some things she might genuinely not know, like the Castle Council's restless ambitions; after all, the Kaslana family never involved itself in politics, which was always the domain of the Apocalypse family in the division of labor among the Three Great Families.
But aside from that, her disguise was like the Emperor's New Clothes. Didn't she know?
Didn't she know that after her identity was revealed, the lightest punishment would be dismissal and house arrest, possibly even being sent to a convent to live out her days?
No, she was just stubborn, not stupid.
The reason her disguise was so terrible, even revealing the Kaslana insignia, was precisely so that people would recognize her connection to the nobility...
The knights could see it, and so could the common people. She just wanted these people, already living in hardship and suffering further exploitation by Schicksal, to know that someone among the Three Great Families still stood with them, that the Three Great Families didn't all endorse Schicksal's tyranny.
At least the Kaslanas... at least the eldest daughter of the Kaslanas disagreed!
This could at least offer them some insignificant hope, let them know that not all nobles were colluding together. Such moral support might mean nothing, or perhaps it was incredibly important.
"Kallen... you might not know yet, the Castle Council has been looking to move against the Three Great Families recently. Your actions today... you've basically handed the Castle Council a sword to stab the Three Great Families with..."
"Oh? Is there a problem? Is Bishop Nikolas displeased with me, or are you, the future Overseer of Schicksal, unhappy with my actions?"
Kallen seemed quite calm, even having the composure to make a joke that wasn't entirely lighthearted. But hearing this joke, it didn't sit right with Otto at all.
Of course, it wasn't because of Kallen's disdainful attitude towards his father; he wasn't particularly fond of his own father either. Nor was it because she was teasing him; Nikolas had indeed said he would be the future Overseer of Schicksal.
But that was never set in stone. After losing his eldest son, Nikolas had announced his successor many times. Each of his sons, his grandsons Marseille and Fabian, Otto himself, even his second older sister Risa... could be the future Overseer according to Nikolas at different times.
What bothered Otto was the distance revealed in Kallen's teasing...
Never mind.
He gave a bitter smile and said:
"No... it's not like that... Kallen, under the current circumstances, if you're caught, the Castle Council will definitely not let this go easily. It won't be something a convent can resolve..."
Kallen nodded:
"Is that so..."
She murmured, showing no further reaction.
She admitted her earlier actions were somewhat impulsive, but she didn't regret them. Because seeing people who were already destitute being forced to buy those meaningless indulgences this morning, she was willing to risk everything.
Otto looked at her unblinking gaze, her slightly raised chin. He didn't know why Kallen had become so resolute at this moment.
But he knew one thing—he had to protect her, no matter the cost.