Mystery: When the Fool Meets the Masked Fool

Chapter 340 The Light Cone: "Death for Whom is Unknown, Life for Why is Unknown"

Upon opening her eyes in the simulated universe, Audrey was momentarily unable to recognize her location.

It appears to be a city, but it looks almost exactly like ruins.

Houses had collapsed, and the ground was riddled with potholes. Moonflowers, night-blooming jasmine, and towering trees grew everywhere. It resembled a city but also a primeval forest.

The crimson moon hung high overhead, casting its light and bathing the entire city in crimson.

The whole city was bathed in a crimson moonlight.

It's as red as blood.

pat, pat.

The boots stomped on the ground, making a slightly heavy sound.

Having completed her transformation, Audrey, wearing a hood and holding a staff, strolled through the ruins, looking around blankly.

The city gave her a slightly familiar feeling, but she couldn't quite pinpoint where that familiarity came from.

Until she saw citizens emerge one by one from their homes, from shelters, from other places where they could hide, staring blankly at the scene that resembled a primeval forest, just like her.

It wasn't until Audrey spotted one or two figures among them that she vaguely remembered seeing in Backlund.

Audrey then suddenly realized that she was in Backlund.

This is Backlund!
war.

The word immediately came to Audrey's mind.

This is Backlund, which has just experienced war.

From the open doors, Audrey could faintly hear the sound of a radio.

"The war... is over..."

Although she couldn't hear the full message, Audrey keenly noticed the two keywords.

Is the war over...?

So, in this simulated universe, what Mr. Demon presented to her was not the "past" but the "future"?

Audrey subconsciously analyzed the current situation.

She quickly used her brain to avoid letting her mind wander.

But she still subconsciously looked at the crowd.

They didn't cheer, shout, or vent their anger.

Their expressions were blank, their eyes vacant, as if they didn't understand why the disaster had suddenly ended.

Audrey silently observed the scene, her steps becoming slightly heavy.

Audiences are naturally adept at sensing emotions and discerning thoughts.

Therefore, she could easily sense the deathly silence pervading the crowd and was easily infected by it.

She wanted to say something, but when she opened her mouth, she found herself speechless.

She doesn't know what happened, she doesn't understand what went on, so what can she say?
She didn't even know how to comfort the numb crowd, because in her view, all the words she could think of seemed so condescending in the current situation.

She could only remain silent, head down, refusing to look at the people around her.

None of this had anything to do with her, but she dared not look, did not want to look.

Feeling the emotions coming from all directions, Audrey lowered her head further and further, following the guidance of her spiritual instincts, and returned to Queens, arriving near her own villa.

Through the window, she saw her father, mother, elder brother, butler, servants, and maids all staring blankly out the window, their expressions exactly the same as the citizens on the street. Audrey stood not far away, watching silently.

Just then, she suddenly heard a sound behind her.

Good evening, ma'am.

Audrey quickly turned around and saw a very beautiful woman whom she seemed to have never seen before.

Audrey subconsciously observed that the woman had the same emerald green eyes as herself, but her features were more delicate and beautiful.

She was dressed in a practical outfit that allowed for easy movement, but the clothes were slightly torn, as if she had just come from the battlefield.

However, Audrey didn't pay much attention to her clothes; her attention was almost entirely drawn to her eyes.

Audrey felt that those emerald green eyes, as clear as gemstones, seemed to have seen through her disguise and recognized her true self under the "cognitive distortion" inherent in the magical girl outfit.

A demigod? Or perhaps a demigod who appeared through the audience's eyes? Audrey guessed.

But she didn't hesitate for long and replied immediately after a brief observation: "Good evening, ma'am."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bother you." The beautiful woman's voice was very gentle, and Audrey felt that just hearing the other woman speak made her somewhat heavy mood much better. "However, you don't seem to be in very good condition."

“Hmm…” Audrey pursed her lips, glanced at the shattered city with a complicated expression, and replied, “I’m just feeling a bit hesitant, uncertain, and confused.”

The beautiful lady paused for a few seconds, seemingly considering her words, or perhaps she had thought of something. After a few seconds, she replied:
"This is normal. Everyone goes through this before truly making a decision; countless people back down and change their minds."

The beautiful lady spoke in a gentle and calm tone, as if she were comforting her confused younger sister.

Audrey was deeply moved and, for some reason, felt very willing to open up to the other person and seek their help and answers.

The beautiful woman, with a touch of familiarity, reached out and took Audrey's hand: "Before making a decision, why don't you get to know each other a bit more?"

"Huh?" Audrey was led by the beautiful lady and followed behind her as they walked towards the commoners' district.

…………

After an unknown amount of time, the beautiful lady and Audrey stopped at a park.

Along the way, the beautiful lady would occasionally say a few words, trying to comfort Audrey.

Audrey had a strange feeling that she had known her for a long time, like they were best friends.

Stopping in the park, Audrey couldn't help but ask the question that had been lingering in her mind: "If... I mean, if you had known about this before the war started, would you have tried to stop it? Given the disadvantage of having less power..."

Upon hearing Audrey's question, the beautiful lady paused for a barely perceptible moment. Then, a strange emotion flickered in her eyes.

“Actually, I don’t quite understand either,” the beautiful lady explained to Audrey. “I don’t understand the meaning of this war, nor do I understand how much value my actions in this war can have.”

"But I did my best. I know there's not much I can do, and I know it might not mean anything. But if I had to do it all over again, I would probably make the same choice."

Upon hearing this, Audrey suddenly had a sudden realization.

Yes, no matter what we can do or how much we can accomplish.

At the very least, one should have a clear conscience.

"Thank you," Audrey said sincerely, grateful that the other person had helped her solidify her resolve.

Just as Audrey was expressing her gratitude, a card suddenly appeared in front of her.

Audrey instinctively raised her hand to catch it, and then instinctively looked at the name on the light cone.

"Dying without knowing the cause, living without knowing the reason."

(End of this chapter)