Mystery Detective of the Steam World

Chapter 509 Clash of Ideas
A few days later, another airship from the Empire, the "Glory Forward," arrived at the floating city, and Li Wei was able to see Katie, whom he hadn't seen in a long time.

"Wow! Is this a floating city? It's amazing!"

Katie, who had just stepped off the airship, was still the same as always, looking around and shouting like a tourist visiting another city.

"It only looks impressive; living here is a different story."

"Huh? Is that so?"

"Yes."

Looking at Katie, Li Wei shrugged and replied. Indeed, at first he also thought that the floating city was quite impressive. But after staying here for a while, Li Wei found that this thing was like a five-star hotel, all show and no substance.

First and foremost, this thing is very difficult to use for transporting supplies. According to the Holy Maiden, back in the imperial era, there were large magical beasts that could fly and had a high carrying capacity. These flying magical beasts were used to transport supplies to the floating city, as the floating city itself was not self-sufficient.

To put it another way, floating cities can only solve the most basic problems of food and water. However, tasks such as mining and smelting ore, weapon manufacturing, decoration, maintenance, and expansion of floating cities all rely on external support.

Without external support, this thing is just an empty shell, just like the saintess said, it's useless except for smashing it down.

Just like a five-star hotel, no matter how magnificent it looks, once it loses its water, electricity and other supplies, it is just a simple high-rise concrete building.

Even the Holy Maiden has been staying in a guest room on the Sky Eye during this time, since this floating city... is basically an empty shell, and there isn't even a place to sleep.

Fortunately, as a floating city, it is quite suitable for docking airships.

"But it's still amazing, how does this thing fly?"
Katie looked curiously at the blue sky and white clouds under the railing next to her, then at the huge, unmoving castle, her face full of doubt.

"This is beyond my comprehension..."

Li Wei helplessly spread his hands. He had asked the Saintess about this issue, and she had explained it, but Li Wei didn't quite understand. Simply put, it still relied on the Philosopher's Stone. Just as the Saintess had said before, the Philosopher's Stone could transform one substance into another; essentially, it was about transforming one power into another form.

What she did was transform the force the earth exerted on all things (Li Wei knew she was referring to gravity), weakening its effect on the city. In this way, the castle, freed from the shackles of this force, could fly. The transformed power would then be used to supply other aspects of the castle.

Li Wei guessed that this was probably the anti-gravity phenomenon often mentioned in science fiction novels, but he didn't know how it was done.

After all, this is much harder to explain than the flying brick.

What does it mean that "the force exerted on the castle by the earth can be transformed to make the castle fly"?

Is this science or magic?
What the hell is this Philosopher's Stone?
He felt that even if this were taken to his own time, scientists would be completely baffled.

"Is that so? But it's okay, it's a lot of fun anyway, but..."

As she spoke, Katie suddenly pulled Levi aside and lowered her voice.

"Miss Elizabeth is quite angry."

"She's here too?"

"Yes, look."

Katie gestured with her lip towards the front. Levi turned his head and saw Sister Elizabeth calmly stepping out of the airship, exuding a cold and inexplicable aura. She then came up to Levi and looked at him.

"Sir Levy, I've heard that there are heretics here who claim the Holy Bishop worships the devil?"

Upon hearing this, Li Wei knew he was in deep trouble.

"Let me state upfront that I did not say that."

“I know, she ‘claims’ to be a saint, right?”

"…………………"

It was rare for Li Wei to see Sister Elizabeth so aggressive.

"I'd like to meet with her to discuss this further, is that alright?"

"Of course, no problem."

Li Wei agreed without the slightest hesitation.

Watching women argue is the most interesting thing.

On a night of full moon, atop the Forbidden City.

Elizabeth stood in the hall, looking at the saint before her. The wind howled like knives, and the setting sun shone like snow.

Her eyes were like sharp swords, cold and piercing.

The saintess sat in the chair, slightly raising her head. Her eyes reflected a cold light, like a blade, ruthless and deadly.

"look."

Levi sat next to Katie, popping a cookie into his mouth as he whispered something to her.

"In today's battle, they will each give their all. This battle will be unprecedented in history and will be remembered for generations to come."

"What nonsense are you spouting, Mr. Levi?"

Katie looked at Levi with confusion, completely not understanding what he was talking about.

"Just to set the mood...we're just killing time anyway."

"Won't they start fighting?"

"It would be quite interesting if they fought, but I definitely wouldn't go up and stop them."

Levi leaned back in his chair, watching the two stare at each other with great interest, finding it quite amusing. He certainly knew why Elizabeth had come; after all, Elizabeth was the one in the Holy Sepulchre who judged all kinds of miracles. And the resurrection of the dead clearly fell within the scope of Elizabeth's investigations.

"Is it you who claimed that the Holy Bishop worshipped the devil?"

"Because that's the truth."

Elizabeth asked a question, and the saint snorted coldly.

"If you are a saint, why are you making an enemy of the Holy Bishop?"

"The saintess and the holy bishop had no relation whatsoever."

The saintess looked at Elizabeth with disdain.

"When Arthur canonized me as a saint, the Holy Bishopric hadn't even been established yet. Why should I care about it? Besides, what right does Mephistopheles have to interfere with me?"

"According to historical records, the Holy Church fought alongside Emperor Arthur to conquer the world and eliminate other heretical beliefs, yet you claim that it did not exist? Moreover, apart from your own words, there is no evidence to prove that you are Saint Jeanne Darko, one of the Twelve Knights. You are merely claiming to be a saint."

Elizabeth's tone was calm, yet undeniably persuasive.

"Indeed, I have no evidence."

The saintess nodded.

"so what?"

"Therefore, your statement cannot be proven credible, and all your accusations are just your own delusions."

"Mr. Li Wei can prove that what I said is true."

“I know what he heard, but that doesn’t prove that it wasn’t all part of your plan.”

"Oh?"

The saint looked at Elizabeth with curiosity, while Elizabeth stared back at her without the slightest hesitation.

"If you are a demon, then you will naturally devise all sorts of wicked schemes to lure others into being deceived."

"So you mean I'm not a saint, but possessed by a demon, pretending to be a saint?"

"Yes."

Elizabeth gave this answer without the slightest hesitation, as if that was exactly what she thought.

Upon hearing this, Katie's eyes widened in surprise. She looked at the two of them, then at Levi.

"Mr. Li Wei, is what she said true?"

"I do not know."

Li Wei placed the teacup on the coffee table, spread his hands, and shrugged.

"I'm a detective."

"so what?"

"I told you, a detective doesn't believe just anyone."

Levi winked at Katie. This is actually a common problem among police officers and detectives. The longer they work, the more suspicious they become. They will instinctively doubt everyone's every word. This applies to everyone, even their family members.

"I can return the same sentence to you."

The saintess remained calm.

"You have no proof that I am a demon."

"But we have a way."

Elizabeth took out a bottle of holy water.

"If you are a demon, you will reveal your true form beneath the holy water." "What proof do you have that it is holy water, and not some strange potion?"

The saintess gazed at the bottle of holy water and posed a equally fatal question—it was clear that, as an alchemist, she knew of countless alchemical potions capable of producing similar effects.

"Sir Levy can conduct the examination."

Elizabeth was clearly prepared for this; she reached out and handed the holy water to Levi.

Li Wei took the holy water bottle, opened it, smelled it carefully, and then dripped two drops onto the back of his hand. The crystal-clear water droplets slid down Li Wei's hand and dripped to the ground.

"I don't know what this thing is, but at least it shouldn't cause any harm to the human body."

Li Wei showed the two men the back of his hand, then took out a handkerchief and wiped it clean.

As for drinking it... Li Wei wouldn't consider it. What if it turned out to be poison?
The saint didn't believe Elizabeth, and Elizabeth didn't believe the saint either; Livy didn't believe either of them.

Having been a detective for so long, Li Wei knew that murderers weren't necessarily bad people; they could also be good people.

If Elizabeth insists that the saint is a demon and that Levi has been bewitched by her, then for the sake of the Holy Bishop, she might sacrifice herself and take both of them with her.

The saintess clearly disliked the holy bishop, and she would likely suspect that Elizabeth might also be a hidden follower of the demons, perhaps even a high-ranking one. At this moment, she might just detonate the floating city at the slightest provocation, taking both of them to their deaths.

As for Li Wei… he can only watch the show now, since he certainly doesn't want to die. Moreover, Li Wei doesn't have any opinion on either side's stance, at least not to the point of killing someone to prove himself.

But it's hard to say about these two.

Katie, on the other hand, seemed completely unconcerned and was simply there to watch the spectacle.

After verifying the holy water, Li Wei handed the bottle to the saintess, who took the water, examined it carefully, and then poured it onto her hand.

"Splash."

Holy water flowed from the bottle and poured onto the saint's hand, but there was no reaction. Her hand remained as white as jade, without deforming or twisting as if splashed with sulfuric acid. The saint casually tossed the empty bottle aside and gazed at Elizabeth.

"Now it's your turn. What proof do you have that you're not a follower of the devil?"

"Can you prove I'm a follower of the devil?"

Elizabeth remained calm and did not fall into the trap of the saint's self-justification.

"Of course I can."

The saint stared wide-eyed at Elizabeth.

“I’ve read your holy bishops’ scriptures. What are those angels you worship? They’re nothing but demons! You’ve actually gone so far as to worship demons as angels. What can I say? Do you think that worshipping demons as angels proves you’re not demon believers?”

"Uh-huh-----!"

Hearing this, Katie nodded repeatedly, and Levi could also understand her feelings—to be honest, the images of the Holy Lord's angels in the Holy Lord Church were indeed more suitable for making horror movies than one another.

"Only demons need to disguise themselves as humans to deceive mortals!"

Elizabeth did not hesitate to refute the saint's heretical claims.

"Angels are the representatives of the Holy Lord; they are inherently sacred and guide humanity. They have no need to change themselves for humanity!"

"ridiculous!"

Hearing this, even the saintess couldn't hold back anymore.

"What right do angels have to guide humanity? Who do they think they are?"

"Because humankind is the creation of the Holy Lord, who is our Creator and guides us in the right direction..."

"A bunch of nonsense."

The saint interrupted Elizabeth's answer.

"Humans and gods coexist in the same world! In the same era! The reason why humans worship gods is not because gods created humans, but because gods are powerful. Humans worship gods and believe in them, and gods will give humans blessings and protection in return! Humans do not ask gods for guidance, and gods have no need to guide humans!"

"this is not right!"

Upon hearing this, Elizabeth also became excited.

"Without God to guide humanity, how would people know what is good and what is evil? How could their lonely souls find peace? God is humanity's guiding light, directing our spiritual exploration and teaching us restraint and caution! Faith... Without faith, how would humanity survive? We are inherently imperfect, which is why God educates and guides us!"

"It's utterly ridiculous."

The saint dismissed Elizabeth's arguments with disdain.

"Everything you've said is nothing but an excuse and pretext for the Church to try and seize power! Why should humanity be unable to distinguish right from wrong and understand good from evil without the Holy Lord? Do we need a god to teach us this? What do you take humanity for? A bunch of idiots? Even wild beasts know not to attack or kill their own kind indiscriminately, yet we humans are so stupid as to not even understand this. What Holy Lord do we need to teach us?"

"Sir Levy, what do you think?"

Elizabeth looked at Levi, who shrugged.

“I’m sorry, Sister Elizabeth, but as far as I’m concerned, the proportion of religious criminals is not low, it could even be said to be very high, after all, they feel that secular laws are irrelevant to them…”

Li Wei said, pursing his lips.

"...Only the Holy Lord has the right to punish and forgive them."

“In large organizations, there will always be some bad apples, but that is not a reason for us to deny faith.”

Elizabeth was clearly not discouraged.

"The imperfections of religion are merely due to human flaws; as long as we can overcome all of that..."

“But people are always like this, Sister Elizabeth.”

Li Wei clearly disagreed on this point.

"Humans are always the same, they were, they are, and they will always be. They won't transform from heinous murderers into compassionate saints just because they embrace a religion. My view is that only humans can restrain humans, and that's true. It's the police, not angels, who arrest criminals and bring them to justice, right?"

Livy did not take a stance on either side's arguments, but in terms of the doctrine of good and evil, he leaned towards the idea of ​​a saint—that it is most important for humans to mind their own business, rather than arbitrarily recognizing a father figure.

If the father is a human being born of the same parent, then it's even harder to hold back.

"………………………"

For a moment, the atmosphere in the room became extremely heavy. Katie stuffed cookies into her mouth with both hands, stared wide-eyed at the scene, not daring to even breathe.

Li Wei also felt the atmosphere was getting a bit serious, so he changed the subject.

"Sister Elizabeth, I would like to hear your opinion."

"What's your opinion, Sir Levi?"

Do you hope that humanity will develop in a positive direction?

"of course."

Elizabeth nodded without hesitation.

"So, suppose one day..."

Levi stared at Elizabeth.

"The Holy Lord no longer cares for you, has abandoned you, has abandoned humanity. So, will you still continue to fight for humanity?"

"This...this is impossible...this kind of thing..."

"I'm just hypothesizing. What if the Holy Lord abandoned humanity? Would you still continue to fight for humanity?"

As Li Wei spoke, he stood up.

“I will. I am doing this not for the Holy Lord, but for humanity, for those like me. That’s all, that’s my thought.”

After saying that, Li Wei nodded to the two of them.

"Then, gentlemen, I shall take my leave."

After saying this, Levi turned and left, while Katie quickly swallowed the biscuit in her mouth. Then she looked at Elizabeth, who was standing there in a daze, and hurriedly followed Levi out of the room.

Watching Li Wei's departing figure, Elizabeth was speechless for a moment.

Is it for the Holy Lord? Or for humanity?

She once thought it was a question that didn't need to be considered, because God would not abandon humanity; He created all living beings, created humanity, and created His children.

But... at this moment, Elizabeth fell silent.

"It seems there are still some sensible people out there."

The saintess stood up, stretched, and then glanced at Elizabeth with disdain.

“Mr. Li Wei is much more clear-headed than you. We are fighting for humanity, not for some damned god. Those who wave the banner of gods are nothing but lies to satisfy their own selfish desires. If there are conflicts among the gods, they can resolve them themselves. Why should we do it for them? And now, the Holy Bishop is actually trying to become the guide of all living beings? It’s like a dog wagging its tail, utterly ridiculous.”

After saying this, the saintess shook her head and then walked out of the room.

Elizabeth stood there silently, looking down at the All-Knowing Eye on her chest. Then, she closed her eyes and began to pray.

(End of this chapter)