My dear witch, please turn evil according to the script!

Chapter 434 The Beauty of Illusion

In the end what happened?
Sitting on the edge of the cliff, gazing at the setting sun that had swallowed half of the sea, Little Grey fell into thought.

To be honest, she had absolutely no idea what state she was in right now.

She worked hard at the mill all afternoon, received a good wage, and then went to the village tavern for a nice lunch.

A serving of stew and a loaf of bread—that was the purchasing power of that silver coin.

This gave Xiao Hui a clear understanding of prices; he realized that eating out was so expensive... even though Roland didn't seem to care at all when he paid the bill.

Moreover, when she recalled the pained expression on Roland's face when he was asked to identify Roland as a fake, she knew that this guy was just an imposter.

However, the scenery here is quite nice.

There was no blizzard, only an endless, peaceful grassland, tranquil and serene, a village with a large windmill, the cliff where we were standing, and the distant sea.

Hmm... Although I don't know what my current situation is, looking at this scenery has calmed my mind.

It feels like I could stay in this place forever, coming here every day after I've eaten my fill, lying on the grass basking in the sun, not thinking about anything.

Hmm... if the scenery is like this, it's okay even if you don't eat your fill.

"Hey Little Gray! It's so late, why aren't you back yet? The village's defense array is about to activate, if you don't go back now, you won't be able to get back!"

"You don't want to be eaten by those monsters in the wild, do you?"

Ah, that familiar voice. Even without turning around, she knew it was that Roland-like figure who had appeared again.

But what did he mean? Monsters? Defensive arrays? Is something like that something a village could have?
But Little Gray still chose to obey, silently got up, and followed the other person back to the village without saying a word.

This guy just talks way too much.

He kept trying to strike up a conversation with her, and wouldn't give up easily even though she didn't seem inclined to answer.

Finally, upon entering the village, he asked himself what had happened recently and why he had become gloomy and reluctant to talk.

Tch, she talks like she knows herself so well, when she clearly doesn't like to talk at all.

Until this guy took him back to his "home".

An ordinary, unfamiliar little wooden cabin.

It looks a bit worn out, but it's perfectly fine for sheltering from the wind and rain.

There was nothing else in the house.

A table, a chair, a simple fireplace, and a wooden bed.

The old, faded sheets on the bed had been washed until they were almost white, and underneath them was a thick layer of dry straw, as if to make the bed a little softer.

Well, those are pretty good conditions, I'd say.

However, in this world, I seem to be portrayed as an orphan.

That's not bad, it's quieter being alone.

But shouldn't we try to contact Roland and Kalia?
I always have a bad feeling about staying here all the time.

However... I can't use any of my powers right now, so what should I do?

Forget it, let's find out exactly where this place is first.

As for now... since it's been said that there's danger outside, I'd better get some sleep and get through the night before making any plans.

With that thought in mind, Little Grey drifted off to sleep.

……

……

Just as Xiao Hui drifted off to sleep, the other three became alert because of Xiao Hui's sudden unconsciousness.

As the only person present who had formally studied some healing arts, Father Galileo began to examine Little Grey's physical condition.

"Strange... All vital signs are stable, and no abnormalities have been found. I can't think of any possible reason for the coma."

"No, this doesn't count as a coma; she's more like she's asleep."

"She's asleep?" A subtle unease rose in Roland's heart. After a brief moment of thought, Roland looked at Kalia: "Lia, wrap her up in your shadow. Can you do that? Remember to leave her an opening to breathe, don't suffocate her."

Kalia pouted: "Hey, do you still think I'm this unreliable? How could I possibly forget something like this!"

Despite her complaints, Kalia cherished the rare opportunity to team up with Roland for a mission again. She quickly raised a finger and used the shadow to completely cover Little Gray.

Galileo, observing the atmosphere of their conversation, couldn't help but sigh.

He's clearly seen it all; he remained so calm even in this situation.

Especially that Miss Kalia, whose power was even more terrifying than Roland's.

But I'd never even heard of this person before... The Empire truly is a place where hidden talents abound. Just one of them is so extraordinary.

That makes sense, though. Those sent here as reinforcements are unlikely to be just decorative objects.

Galileo looked down at Little Grey, who had inexplicably fallen asleep and couldn't be woken up no matter what he did, and began to ponder... This creature must be capable of much more than just its own. Otherwise, there would be no reason for Roland and Kalia to be so nervous.

But... why specifically wrap it in shadow?

Does it have any special function?
Forget it, I shouldn't try to guess what these powerful people are capable of. I should just get back to doing my job.

Now that it has been confirmed that the coma was not caused by physical or spiritual damage, then...

Galileo began to think rapidly, mentally reviewing the records of the society and the cases he had seen, as he was both a priest and a researcher.

There are many examples in this world of people falling into a coma instantly.

However, most of them will have some impact on the person's body, whether big or small.

On a large scale, it can involve the soul; on a smaller scale, it can cause damage to internal organs.

But the girl named Xiao Hui in front of us has absolutely no resemblance to her.

Her body was remarkably healthy, and so was her soul. The only problem was that her consciousness had fallen into a deep sleep or hypnosis.

This phenomenon... sounds somewhat familiar.

It seems somewhat similar to a discussion of an experiment recently conducted by the Society concerning Roland himself.

For a big shot like Roland, there would naturally be plenty of intelligence about him.

The Academy would naturally have no shortage of information about him, especially since he himself didn't seem to have much intention of hiding his information.

This is completely different from how he was before entering the Royal Capital Magic Academy.

Before entering the academy, he was undoubtedly a cautious person who did not want to leave too many loopholes, but after entering the academy, his behavior changed.

Perhaps it can all be attributed to the fact that after a significant increase in strength, one no longer needs to be as cautious as when one is weak, but some people have expressed doubts about this.

Researchers who question this view, based on Roland's behavior and his own statements about dreams and memories, inferred that Roland may have experienced this phenomenon because he was implanted with a large number of memories that did not originally belong to him in a short period of time.

The change in behavior style is also very likely due to this phenomenon.

However, this conjecture was quickly thwarted, and even the hastily organized seminar was abruptly halted by the great sage Prondos. Only the transcript of the conversation was preserved, and even the list of participants in the seminar was completely concealed, unknown to anyone except the parties involved and the great sage.

Galileo had just read the report, and then looked at Roland behind him, who was observing the changes in the Papal City.

"Your Excellency Roland, I have a conjecture. What do you think is the likelihood of it?"

"I think the woman fell into a coma most likely because she suffered a memory shock."

"If she is familiar with the city of the Holy See, then it is very likely that her revisiting the place caused some kind of memory disorder, which is why she fell into a coma so suddenly."

"For this lady, whose magical reactions and soul strength are no different from ordinary people, this situation is very likely to occur."

After hearing Galileo's conjecture, Roland also began to ponder.

This is not impossible; in fact, it might be the real reason for the coma.

It is now almost certain that Little Grey is the son of the Ash Lord, found by the Ash Order.

It was the container used by that evil god from outer space to descend.

Therefore, this Papal City in front of us may have been Little Grey's residence for a very long time in the past.

In other words, in her memory, this place should be closer to the concept of home.

“Very likely.” Roland nodded, agreeing with Galileo’s idea, and then asked another question: “Are there any records of the history before the founding of the Papal City? I would like to see them.”

"Also, the scene inside the city seems quite different from what you described."

"I didn't see any ferocious undead or clergy transformed by ashes."

"It's even more peaceful here than what I saw in Isfar."

Galileo began to break out in a cold sweat.

The way Roland looked at him when he asked the question was far from friendly.

The gods can attest to this! I really wasn't lying; the city was indeed like that when I ran out. Who would have thought that such a change would occur in just two or three hours?

Galileo had no choice but to bite the bullet and begin to explain: "Your Excellency, before I fled the Papal City, that was indeed how the city looked."

"And...have you forgotten what we saw at the city gate?"

"Perhaps we've simply been lucky enough to temporarily find ourselves in a relatively stable situation?"

Roland remained noncommittal, only glancing at Little Grey, who was being lifted up by Kalia's shadow and placed in a large stroller. After a brief moment of thought, he said, "I do not doubt what you say."

"I'm just... a little confused. Haven't you noticed yet? We can't see the Sky Temple at all."

"As a landmark of Papal City, this giant building that we could see when we were in River Valley Town is now nowhere to be seen, and people may even subconsciously ignore this anomaly."

"Like you, you've lived in the city for so long, and you haven't noticed anything at all."

(End of this chapter)