Secret: The years I served as a foreign aid for the Aurora Club

888
"Maybe the thunder just now scared little Will." Alan opened the umbrella and Wilma put a small hat on the child to prevent the baby's head from getting wet by the rain. The couple left the station and walked along the eaves on the street, looking for the hotel sign.

"I think so too," Velma said. "Will was just looking at the station. He was very quiet and didn't show any signs of crying."

But he also didn't say anything when he was talking to the train conductor who obviously had Feysac blood just now. This small mistake was overlooked by the couple.

After walking a few steps, although he did not see the public carriage, Allen soon saw the carriage waiting for passengers at the station entrance. The couple, holding their child and carrying their luggage, got on the rented carriage and said to the driver:
"To the Plaza Mayor."

In the Kingdom of Loen, there must be a church and at least one inn near the town square.

"Sir, are you here for a trip?" the driver asked in a familiar tone as he let the horse turn quietly.

Alan and his wife looked at each other and knew that the truth was obvious. Considering safety issues, Alan, who often travels on business, covered it up: "No, I'm visiting my cousin's manor, but it suddenly rained heavily and he didn't have time to pick us up."

Although they will only stay in this strange city for one night and will leave before seven tomorrow morning, they still need to be careful to protect themselves, especially since they have children with them.

"Then do you need to go to a hotel closer to the manor area outside the city?" the coachman asked tentatively in a very ordinary tone of recommendation.

Allen guessed that the other party might be an acquaintance or relative who opened the hotel. In order to avoid being cheated, Allen said decisively: "I want to go to a quiet hotel, preferably where I can get a good night's sleep, take a hot bath, and taste the local food."

In the current era and in Loen today, there are not many hotels that can provide hot water almost all day, or most of the day. Allen's words are equivalent to asking for a four-star or even five-star hotel.

"Okay..." The driver responded while thinking, "A delicious dinner, hot water, a good accommodation experience for one night, and it's not too far from the station. The hotel next to the Municipal Square meets your requirements."

Will didn't cry anymore. He concentrated on sensing the direction of fate, trying to change it, or try to detect the disturbing parts of this trip as early as possible.What's more, these changes came faster than he thought. Just at the station just now, he had discovered that a slender black line extended from the back of the conductor of Fusac descent and passed through the roof of the station. , rising tiltedly into the sky due to the north.

——But after He put away the "Dice of Probability", He suddenly could not see the line of the spirit anymore!
It was clearly a "secret doll", but if it stopped using its uniqueness, what appeared in Will's eyes was a normal person, a living person. Even He, a Sequence One Mercury Snake, could not see any problems with the other's fate!
Moreover, the Minerminsk Mountains are in the northeast, but the direction of the spiritual line is due north.

This city should be in the heart of Feysac, and the resort at the foot of the mountain is just a cover to trick the people of Loen into traveling.

"A 'Secret Doll Town'... and the fate of the dolls inside is completely natural. There is no doubt that they could not have been written by someone who needs to be promoted to Sequence One. They must have been written by the 'Master of Sefirah Castle' or Ouroboros..."

This realization made Will more anxious than ever. The only reason why He could stay in his parents' arms peacefully instead of finding a way to die on the spot and start a new cycle was that the other party did not help Ouroboros to capture Him directly.

"As long as I get on the bus, I will get there, but it doesn't seem to be mandatory at the moment. I still have room to choose."

"…But even if it didn't come directly, fate has already begun to change!"

“My fate and Ouroboros’ fate are bound to intersect. “He” should have noticed it and is waiting for me somewhere… As expected, I was a step slower than Ouroboros at this time. I should have taken the initiative to participate in the ‘Secret Doll Town’ and try to contact Klein. If the fate of all people in this city is really determined by Ouroboros, then it would have formed a big network…”

Will's little face wrinkled up, and he sighed on his mother's shoulder. Mrs. Wilma looked at her little son with amusement, and couldn't imagine what troubles a child of this age could have.

As the carriage moved forward, Alan looked out the window and observed the situation outside.

Because of the heavy rain, people on the road were all hurrying with umbrellas in hand. Even newsboys were hard to see. Some people waved at the carriage under the eaves, but when they saw that it was already full of passengers, they had to put down their arms in desolate manner.

After more than ten minutes, the rental carriage stopped in front of a hotel that looked quite grand.

Alan breathed a sigh of relief when he saw this. He got off the car first, paid the fare, opened an umbrella, held it over his wife and children's heads, and quickly walked into the hotel.

A rustling sound was heard behind them.

After checking in, putting away their luggage and resting for a while, the family of three went to the restaurant on the first floor to enjoy dinner.

Alan first wrote a short letter to his friend, explaining that he and his friends were temporarily staying in Southville due to heavy rain, and then wrote down the hotel where his family was staying and the time, and asked the waiter to help mail it before the post office closed. After ordering the main course, he carefully ordered a glass of Southville beer according to his alcohol tolerance, a warm cream clam chowder, and then apples and dairy products for the children.

Although he wasn't expecting much from the beer at his local restaurant, Allen took one sip and immediately smiled.

Sitting by the window of the hotel restaurant, listening to the sound of rain outside and tasting local premium beer, Allen felt quite comfortable.

When he was halfway through the meal, Allen saw a few more people push open the door of the restaurant and walk in. They seemed to be travelers who were going out, and the one who caught Allen's attention the most was a young man who, like the previous train conductor, had obvious Feysac appearance.

"... my hometown... Utopia is now a perfect time to travel... warm ovens, sleds pulled by dogs and reindeer... delicious bacon... when the weather is clear, you can look up from the city and see the snow-capped mountains in the distance."

Alan heard the other party speaking intermittently, also in Loenese.

He subconsciously glanced at his little son, worried that his child would be frightened by the unfamiliar environment and voices, but he found that Will, who was in his mother's arms, seemed to be listening attentively to the conversation of the people at the table, and there was no sign of crying or making a fuss.

He then turned his head with relief. At this moment, Alan discovered that some of the people at that table seemed to be passengers on his train, but at this moment, they were talking about the resort city "Utopia" back and forth, as if they had already become familiar with each other.

It seems that the two trains were hiding from the rain in this town together, giving the passengers on the trains a chance to communicate.

The young man with light brown and golden hair and Feysac appearance spoke in fluent Loenese:

"We pour special maple syrup into the tea, which is also a specialty of my hometown. It's very delicious, and even the ice wine and sparkling iced tea have a refreshing sweet taste."

"...No, Utopia is not near a port...Occasionally you can go to a nearby city to eat fresh fish and shellfish...There is a river in the city, and some people fish in the river in winter."

"Won't it be very cold?" someone asked.

"Yes, it's very cold. Every river will be frozen in winter, except for the ice-free harbor." The young man smiled and gestured, "We will dig a hole in the ice and sit by the hole to fish... The ice is so thick that the children can even skate on it."

"The river water in Utopia is very clean."

"In winter, we also take a hot spring bath and drink ice wine in the hot spring."

People looked at each other. Most of them were Loen people who had never been to other places and could hardly imagine the scenery and customs of the north. Hearing this, they all sighed with emotion.

"…we have many celebrations and festivals around wine, and when we need ice for the heater, we go directly to the river and chop ice. We chop a lot of ice and then smash it in a container and put it in the glass. Sometimes there is a fish in the ice."

After saying that, the young man picked up his glass, toasted with the other passengers, and then drank a large glass of beer in one gulp.

"Velma."

Even Alan was somewhat moved by what he said. He looked at the people at the table and asked his wife, "Do you want to go on vacation to the snow-capped mountains in the northeast?"

Velma smiled and said, "You just told me that you have no interest in the customs of that barbarian empire."

"Will looks interested." Alan looked at the child.

Will bit his thumb, his eyes still fixed on the table opposite him. His parents couldn't help laughing at his concentration.

In His eyes, the young man of Feysac descent also had a thin black line on his neck heading north. The name of this city is "Utopia"? It is at the foot of the snow-capped mountains, with beautiful scenery, attracting outsiders to visit and interact with it. This is a promotion ceremony for the "Secret Servant" no matter how you look at it. Will listened to the other party's introduction attentively. Due to the existence of Ouroboros, things related to "Utopia" will frequently appear around him, and he also needs to be prepared for unexpected entry.

"It looks like it's going to be hard to escape..." Will frowned.

He will choose a relatively proactive way to enter there.

After finishing his delicious dinner, Alan finished the last sip of his beer and went to the bar to pay the bill contentedly.

“The local beer in South Wales is better than anything I’ve ever had.”

The waiter smiled:
“The beers we use in our restaurants are the freshest, sourced from out-of-town wineries – supplied directly to high-end hotels and restaurants.”

Alan was about to give a few more compliments and ask if he could buy a few bottles to take away, when another figure suddenly appeared beside him. The tall young man also came to pay. Alan moved aside, but he didn't expect the other person to look at him and directly take out a business card and a travel brochure.

"Sir, I see you have been listening to my introduction to Utopia."

The young man handed his business card and travel brochure to Allen, his eyes full of sincerity and expectation: "Are you interested in traveling to Utopia? We are now cooperating with many hostels."

Alan hesitated for a moment, but still took the travel brochure. He flipped through the front and back of the brochure and found a coupon for a 20% discount on a local hotel. He was also a little tempted at this moment, so he smiled and accepted the other party's business card: "I'll consider it." Just as he was about to put the business card into his pocket, he suddenly felt a small force trying to take it away. Alan looked up and found that his wife came to his side with the child in her arms, and Will stretched out a small hand and was grabbing a corner of the business card.

Alan smiled and let go of his hand.

Will took the business card, looked it up and down, and then looked at the secret doll that looked no different from a living person.

The secret doll blinked at the baby and said to Alan:

"You can also find your way to Utopia at any station."

Allen asked with great interest, "Is that a secret signal to the flight attendant?"

The doll nodded: "Yes. Just take the flyer and tell the conductor that you want to go to platform nine and three quarters."

……

"I've already told you - I'm telling you one last time, no fighting in Harvest Church!"

Emlyn separated the two men fighting with some annoyance, and restrained the two men in dispute with one hand each. Although he looked like a tall and slender young man, the strength in his hands was greater than that of everyone present combined.

Even though they had been forcibly separated, the two still stared at each other with unconvinced eyes.

"Father, he was the first..."

Just as Feynapotter was about to speak, Emlyn interrupted him impatiently: "You are injured, and your wound will split open if you get too excited. Also, this is a church. We are in front of the Mother Goddess. Don't shout."

The Feynapotter had no choice but to shut his mouth in dissatisfaction, while the Loen man opposite him glared at him coldly, wrapped his clothes tightly and turned away.

Seeing that passers-by were beginning to notice him, Emlyn was in a state of headache and just wanted the matter to end quickly. Therefore, he acquiesced to the party in the dispute leaving directly, and turned to comfort the Feynapotter: "What did you quarrel about? Why did you start fighting as soon as you left the church? You came here for help after having a fight with someone in the East District, and I didn't tell anyone that you were also a participant."

"He deserved it when he scolded us."

The Feynapotter said stiffly, and he gathered his worn coat, which caused his movements to be uncoordinated due to the pull of his wound. Emlyn's comforting didn't have any effect, but made him even angrier when he recalled it: "...I just want him to know that the food they can afford to eat now is grown by us. They should be grateful to us and have no right to yell at us."

"He is also a believer of the Mother Goddess and has been praying for a week." Emlyn said, "I don't recommend quarrels between fellow believers. Don't you think this goes against the Mother Goddess's meaning of 'life is precious, harvest is joyful'?"

"..." The other party pursed his lips hard and turned his head away, "Praise the Mother God. I'm sorry, Father."

Just as Emlyn was about to speak, he suddenly saw the other person turn his head sharply, his eyes bulging with bloodshot red:
"Father, do you really think that the converted Loen people are our church members?"

"They are just speculators who converted temporarily because they got food! Their original faith may be the God of Steam and Machinery, or the Goddess of Night. Even if they believe in the Mother Goddess now, they will convert to other faiths in the future because of grace! Only we are the most pious."

Perhaps considering that they were in Loen, and in front of the church, he spoke in a low voice, but the content of his words was very impolite, causing Emlyn to frown deeply.

"According to what you said, I also converted to the Mother Goddess later. I am not pious and I cannot be trusted."

"No, Father White, you are the one favored by the Mother Goddess, that's certainly not what I meant."

Emlyn's tone also began to become a little stern:
"Whether they are from Loen or Feynapotter, as long as they believe in the Mother Goddess, I think they are all our believers. Well, I know you are very unconvinced in your heart. Next time he comes, I will let him communicate with you properly, rationally and equally."

Fenapot opened his mouth. He was lucky to get an explanation in a foreign country. He could only say:

"...Okay, Father, I believe in your justice and kindness."

"Then let's leave it at that." Emlyn said, "But I must say that from now on, you and your companions should not participate in those opposition activities. You were lucky last time and only had minor injuries. But I heard that someone died in the riot in the East District yesterday."

Feynapotter's lips moved: "...That's my neighbor. He's a very good person. I must seek justice for him."

"This kind of thing should be left to the church..."

"The church didn't respond to us at all! Father, have you reported it to the higher authorities?"

Emlyn was stunned for a moment, then shook his head: "The East District is not under my jurisdiction. The Harvest Church is already the most powerful one in the Mother God Church, but I can only be responsible for the affairs of the surrounding three blocks. I am sorry about your neighbor's problem."

"So, in a place like the East District where no one cares, even if we die, the church may not speak for us!"

Feynapotter was angry again. He asked Emlyn angrily:
"Father White, why do you keep speaking for the Loen people? Aren't you our priest? Aren't you the one favored by the Mother Goddess?"

Emlyn was also annoyed by the question: "Even so, I grew up in Loen, and I don't want to see believers killing each other. Now that I have a church and an area of ​​responsibility in Loen, there is no need for me to go to Feynaport."

He didn't think there was anything wrong with what he said, but he didn't expect that the Fenapotter opposite him suddenly showed an expression of disappointment and surprise.

Emlyn suddenly had a bad feeling. He felt as if he had said something wrong, but he still put on a priestly attitude and said:

"...That's it. I've applied for church subsidies for you. You can get more money later. That's all for today. You can go back first."

The Fenapote murmured his thanks and then walked away without looking back.

TBC
------

After leaving the Harvest Church, the Fenapote people walked forward and headed towards the nearby square.

He searched the people passing by in the square with anxious and eager eyes, and sure enough, he soon found his target.

He walked over quickly, and before he got close, he couldn't help but speak:

"Sir, it's exactly as you said!"

"Father White is really not on our side. He is still on the side of the Loen people from the bottom of his heart... He actually said that those Loen people who insulted and suppressed us are also our church members..."

He briefly recounted what had just happened, but when he thought of Emlyn's words, Feynapotter felt his anger rising for no reason, and even developed a greater malice.

But then he was frightened by the malice he had shown just now. No matter what, Father White had helped them. The bandages and medicines on his body were all given by him. How could he think of him like that?
The person sitting on the bench reading the newspaper put down the newspaper and patted the empty seat next to his bench very affectionately: "Sit down first."

"Thank you."

The Feynapot people expressed their gratitude sincerely. There were not many people in Loen who were as humble as this gentleman and did not discriminate against them.

"Father White is from Loen. It's normal for him to hope that Loen people and Feynapot people can live in peace. It's not surprising even if he protects them." The gentleman said calmly, "So you can't hate him for this reason. Haven't you figured it out yourself?"

"Yes, but..."

Feyneman felt extremely upset. He clenched his fists and could not say anything.

"What a pity! I thought you had found someone you could rely on. It seems that the thoughts of the God-favored One are indeed quite detached. In his eyes, there are only believers who believe in the same god. There are no conflicts or foreigners. This is truly a height that we mortals cannot reach."

With every word he spoke, the Fenapote's fist clenched tighter.

The resentment and anger in his heart grew wildly, and he couldn't help but blame Emlyn White for always favoring the Loen people.

The gentleman sighed, and then asked casually:
"It seems that Father White will not support your idea. By the way, I have something to tell you."

Feynapotter's gaze unconsciously shifted to the other person. His attention was not focused, but he heard the other person's next low voice clearly: "The Beyonder who killed your neighbor lives on Second Street in Cherwood District..."

"But he had a gun, and extraordinary strength. You remember the wind that cut your shoulder and your neighbor's abdomen?"

"...So, even if you know, it's useless. Staying alive is the most important thing...right?" (End of this chapter)