Uriel thought he had long since broken free from the bones of the undead. "I lost my, my family." He restrained his emotions before continuing. "Many people have lost their homes, relatives and friends. It was a nightmare. In fact, it was a continuation of another nightmare." Danlfien's crying face flashed before Uriel's eyes. It wasn’t just me, Mr Eads’ friends were killed first, even Gavin, who could have gone a different route.
"I'm more accustomed to treating the place where I became a demon as my hometown." Wittek replied. "This is our habit. Most of us could not live a good life in the place where we were born. Later, our companions unanimously decided to make the place where they became demons our hometown."
"This power makes your situation better."
"That was indeed the case before being discovered by the demon hunter." The Sheriff admitted.
Uriel hesitated for a long time and said what was in his heart: "In my opinion, Mr. Witek, the power of the devil is just magic. It is not much different from mystery. As long as you are careful, this secret will last forever." It’s a secret.”
"Be careful?"
"For example, I mean, never use the power of the devil." Uriel saw the Sheriff's eyes gradually becoming weird, but he still insisted on speaking. "Just pretend it doesn't exist and turn a blind eye... You are still the same person. No one knows you are a devil, and this power cannot change you."
"As you said." Wittek said, as if he had considered this issue a long time ago. "Let us assume that an ordinary person suddenly obtains magic without any ceremony. Well, this magic may be-"
"Invisible." Uriel said.
"Okay, stealth. Then we pretend it's not there. This is the life you can imagine: keep calm, go to work as usual, don't go to church and only buy indulgences, avoid going out where you might be exposed, keep quiet about everyone, from Don’t exploit it for profit.”
"It can be done."
"This is the ideal situation."
Uriel motioned for him to continue.
"But life is not static. Even if the future you can see is smooth, the actions of others will disrupt your life. Everyone's fate is not just their own fate. Just like one day this person encountered a robbery and used magic is the only way to escape, he will have no choice. Or worse, he chooses to kill the robbers in order to keep the secret."
"No, there's no need." The apprentice said, "The secret is known, and you can stay away from them... I mean, as long as he is willing to find a way, things can always be solved, and people always have excuses."
Witek Shazo heard a conviction in his voice. "Is there always a way?" he was thinking.
"Looking optimistically, people's 'no choice' is probably because they haven't discovered more possibilities." Uriel thought of his new habit of reading newspapers. In the tower, he had a better source of knowledge. "We know more and think more. The devil uses power to tempt people to fall, often under the premise that he knows the cost of doing so. But if we can see another direction before the destined tortuous road begins, Then demonic power will no longer be a temptation.”
"In the same way, people will only take risks when they are desperate." Witek said gently.
The moonlight in the bedroom rippled peacefully.
Gradually, a human figure appeared on the empty chair behind the apprentice. The button-maker has an unreadable expression. No one was surprised by his appearance. He stood up and walked silently across Mrs. Verner's floor. The inquiries downstairs continued.
"Mr. Gunther." Uriel stopped him. "We're here to find you."
Gunther, who was close to Hobson, must have known more than Andrew Furner. Perhaps it was through Bertha that he met Hobson, or perhaps he came into contact with Bertha through Hobson. In any case, Hobson couldn't have pulled a random stranger off the street when he planned to murder a church priest. His accomplice must be trustworthy and good enough—good in action.
"We will help you, sir." Wittek tried his best to speak in a soft voice with a fierce face. "We kept your secrets, every one of them."
A ripple of pain ran across Gunther's face.
"I never thought she would kill herself."
Finally, he spoke. "Your hypothesis is very logical. One day, a person who is determined to hide his secret forever encounters a choice. At that time, he thought he had only one way to go, and he had no choice but to take it. He was no longer himself... This That’s where the story begins.”
Uriel and Wittek listened quietly.
"There are always people in this world who don't like a peaceful life. Most of these people are adventurers... Of course, there are more nobles. They are not the kind of low-level nobles who are content with the status quo, but ambitious and eager people. Glorious superiors. They repeatedly taxed the territory, expanded the army, hoarded wheat from the market, purchased weapons, sow discord in the parliament and win votes. In the end, they called for war and got their wish." The storyteller is here. A pregnant silence was interposed. "You know there are not many such people, yes, quite a few, right? Their choices should have nothing to do with this ordinary person's life, but there are no two unrelated things in this world."
"We live in the fate of others," Wittek said softly.
Gunther nodded. "In this way, a war broke out between the two countries. The futures of countless people were dragged into this whirlpool, completely and forever changed." At this time, he turned his head and looked directly at the apprentice. "The most recent plague of undead is Yotsuba Castle. Are you from Eastman?"
Uriel was sure he hadn't mentioned Eastman. He knows my homeland. How can this be? unless……
"I come from Motog." Gunther said, "This place is no longer on the map. Forty years ago, the neighboring Eastman captured our last Plantagenet Castle, and a large number of refugees moved to the Mist after the war. City of San Carlos.”
Uriel was so surprised that he couldn't speak.
"My Goddess." He didn't know that he actually felt a sense of belonging to Eastman in Knox, "White Canyon City in the West." When he first arrived in Knox, he went out of his way to get to know this stranger. place name.
"That is the royal capital of Motog."
The apprentice was speechless for a moment.
"The war changed everything, and everyone's future trajectory was shattered. I didn't know much about the Raven War. I was not an adult at that time, and nightmares came without any reason... Of course, I didn't need to When I went to the battlefield, I didn’t even have to face the chaotic city. In order to fill my stomach, I used magic to sneak into San Carlos with my mother." Gunther let out a fake smile. "This is not the first time that I have used the power of the devil. My mother is a staunch believer in Gaia. She asked me to restrain myself and warned me not to be swallowed by the darkness. 'The devil will not give you benefits in vain, and there is a price for using it. You don't Fall on purpose and the goddess will forgive you'. I'm so grateful to her."
"She is such a great mother." Witek praised.
"She died soon. The air in the Fog City gave her a severe lung disease. The doctors were helpless, and neither was my magic." Gunther lowered his head, "She was my price."
Uriel prayed silently for her. cost. The apprentice began to face this word seriously, and vaguely felt that his words were reasonable.
"It's not your fault." The Sheriff told him seriously. "Although the power of the Nameless One comes from the devil, we don't need to pay for it. It is magic, just the part that crosses the fire when used. Destiny has its own destiny The gears are locked together. When the goddess wants kind people to accompany her, the suffering world will no longer be able to keep them."
"I really don't hope so. People like me are destined to go to hell, and my soul will not see her after death." Gunther's tone softened a little, "On the ship to Fog City, I was the first person to go to hell." I saw Bertha for the first time. She helped me, but she disappeared as soon as I got off the boat. I saw her again later on the ladder to Blumnot. They called her Mrs. Verner in those days." He He paused and looked around the entire bedroom.
They could guess what happened next, and there was no need for Gunther to say anything. Uriel wanted to comfort him, but didn't know how to speak. From the bottom of his heart, he didn't think there was anything worthy of sympathy in this unnatural intimate relationship. Gunther may not be responsible for Bertha's death. In other words, it is her inner sense of betrayal that promotes the growth of despair and self-abandonment.
He sighed and changed the subject: "Hobson must know about your relationship with his sister."
"Bertha never hid anything from him," admitted Gunther, "but Hobson was a bastard, and he wouldn't discuss anything with his sister. Sometimes you get the impression that the two were complete opposites - Bertha was prone to moodiness. , and Hobson was cold and extreme, thinking some ridiculous things in his mind. He couldn't be bothered to pay attention to Bertha, even though he would starve to death in the streets without her help. I never understood what he was thinking."
"Does Hobson have any connection with Father Fielding, apart from the matter of Whittaker?"
He thought carefully and replied: "These two people are incomparable."
"Where's Bowman?"
"Hobson didn't pay back the money, so the Whistle Gang sent people all over the city to trouble him. Bowman kept finding Bertha's house, but the guy never came back - he asked Bowman to knock on her door, and Hide yourself!"
"It seems that he is indeed ruthless." Sheriff Witke said.
"Last question." Uriel looked away from an oil painting and looked out the window. "Did you know Hobson was addicted to tobacco?"
"I know." Gunther also looked at the glass. "He said he couldn't win money without good tobacco. To be honest, I don't think he got into debt just to win money. The bastard was just looking for excitement. He didn't care what Bertha did for him."
()
