Chapter 328 - 151: Undead Transformation
"Shetland Kingdom Gazette: We have been informed by the Caster City-State Council that rescue efforts are proceeding in an orderly fashion. It has now been confirmed that in the incident involving Ales and Wei’en, the total number of resident casualties was..."
"In recent news, Judgment Knight Huberto Watson of the Dawn Church has arrived in Caster and met with Bishop Naike of the Storm Church. During their meeting, the demarcation of their respective territories along the kingdom’s eastern coast was further clarified. The Dawn Church will completely withdraw from Caster, and in a show of friendship, the Storm Church will return a number of Dawn Believers."
"Sir Vasiliy Bone Montoya has been confirmed as the new Governor of the Caster City State. He will be stepping down from his position on the Noble Committee. The inauguration ceremony will be held on October 8th."
"Vasiliy Bone Montoya, age 67, Extraordinary Bloodline: Ultimate Strength. He is the current patriarch of the Montoya Clan and a member of the moderate faction of the nobility. In recent..."
"Furthermore, regarding the crimes committed by Wei’en Loft in the Caster City State, the Kingdom has contacted the Drake Republic. The Loft Clan has publicly announced that he has been stripped of his status as heir to the family."
"Dawn Gazette: It has been confirmed that Ales Kilibali and his subordinate, Jack Figueredo, appeared in the southern Eastern Continent two days ago. A Judgment Knight has been dispatched in pursuit."
"Dawn Gazette: It has been confirmed that Wei’en Loft and his subordinate, Tina Klosterman, have appeared in the northern Eastern Continent. Judgment Knight Huberto Watson will be personally leading the pursuit."
"Dawn Gazette: Candidacy Saintess Kali Morris arrived at the Holy Sanctuary yesterday. It is confirmed that she has attained a measure of divine authority and will commence the Saintess trials..."
’Sir Montoya is the new Governor?’
’Looks like the next time I see Captain Lisi, I’ll have to call her the Governor’s daughter.’
Wei’en set down the newspaper, rose, and walked out of his cabin, letting the sea breeze ruffle his red hair.
Although only ten days had passed, it felt like a lifetime ago, creating a surreal, dreamlike feeling.
And yet, the consequences of the Caster incident were starkly apparent.
A Glory Wizard of Specters, a being of Shadow, a member of the Eternal Life Association, exiled by the Loft Clan, hunted by a Judgment Knight...
Real, yet fake. What a curious sense of dissonance.
Wei’en gazed at the rolling waves, recalling the details of the Caster incident. An interesting thought occurred to him: looking at the outcome, it seemed every party involved had suffered losses, yet also made gains.
Count Ernst had failed, but with Montoya’s rise to power, the Noble Committee still had a chance to win him over.
The Dawn Church withdrew from the Caster City State and lost some believers, but Kali had attained a measure of divine authority and was about to begin her trials to become a Saintess.
Ales had failed, but he was reborn. His power was now far greater than before, and he still had a chance to seize the Calamity Origin.
The Storm Church suffered almost no losses, save perhaps for the Dawn Believers they had to return.
As for himself, though he had lost his place in the world, he had gained just enough power to survive.
The only true losers were the ordinary people, ignorant of it all. They were the ones who paid the price with their lives.
In that moment, Wei’en felt just like the steamship beneath him—adrift, at the mercy of the currents, pushed relentlessly forward...
’Change...’
’Should I try to change things?’
"What are you thinking about, Captain Marco~?"
"Nothing," Wei’en replied, glancing back at her before turning his gaze to the sea again. "Clelia," he asked softly, "have you ever thought about changing the world?"
"Change the world?" Clelia was taken aback for a moment, then her face broke into a wide smile. "You’re already doing it."
"What do you mean?" Wei’en asked, looking at her in confusion.
"Remember what you asked me before? Why we stay with the Eternal Life Association, when it has few vested interests, no obvious goals, and seems like an evil organization bent only on destruction?"
"Of course."
Clelia met his gaze, her exquisite face wreathed in a smile. Her bright, deep black eyes locked onto his. "The goal of the Eternal Life Association is—to change the world!"
"Oh?"
Wei’en watched her calmly. ’No one would ever believe that,’ he thought.
’The Eternal Life Association, known for its violence and malevolence, has such a lofty goal...?’
’Wait a minute,’
’Isn’t destruction just another way of changing the world?’
"The ’change’ you’re talking about... is it the kind I’m thinking of?"
"Of course," Clelia said, not taking offense. She turned to gaze at the sea, revealing her perfect profile. "In the eyes of most people, we are synonymous with destruction, evil, and selfishness..."
"It’s just like how the Despair Sect preaches that despair is inevitable and all should abandon resistance; how the Abyssal Sect seeks to escape this world by merging with the Abyss World; and how the Desire Sect advocates for indulging one’s desires and living for momentary pleasure..."
"Just like Dawn Radiance and the ’freedom’ of the Storm, these are nothing more than a facade."
Hearing this, Wei’en couldn’t help but ask, "Then what lies beneath the facade?"
"Beneath the facade..." Clelia lowered her head slightly. After two seconds of silence, she said, "Beneath the facade, all of these organizations—the orthodox churches, the evil sects, all of them—share the same goal."
"The same...?"
Wei’en froze. He suddenly recalled Clelia saying something similar before—that in some places, even the Abyssal Sect and the Desire Sect had large followings of devout believers.
"Yes, the same!"
Clelia looked at him again, her expression exceptionally serious. "The ultimate goal is to preserve the embers of the world, to preserve the hope for survival!"
"Whether it’s the orthodox churches who take a proactive approach, sheltering as many people as they can, or the so-called evil sects who forge a different path—until the very end, no one will know which way is right."