Mystery: A Spark

But Triss was not illuminated by this light at that time. She tried every means to escape this situation because she did not want to become a puppet manipulated on the stage, did not want to have her self-awareness erased, and finally become a vessel for an evil god.

She succeeded.

Because of the interference of certain people, and also because at that crucial final moment, Edsack granted her freedom, allowing her to escape from that conspiracy.

Then, Edsack faced death alone.

At that moment, Triss gained physical freedom.

At that moment, Triss found spiritual redemption.

At that moment, Triss's heart also fell into the deepest despair.

How similar Edsack's situation was to hers: a kind and warm-hearted man, a prince who loved her deeply, a puppet on the stage just like her, yet a great man who left her a way out at the last moment.

What a wonderful person she was; no one loved her more than Edsack.

But such a person was ultimately killed by a bullet that extinguished his spirit, which pierced his skull and pierced his skull in the Red Rose Manor, a place that once held so many of their memories.

The perpetrator of this whole affair remains safely in that magnificent palace, looking down on everyone in the world, and has even committed such an evil deed now.

Why?

“That’s enough. Too much of this kind of delirium will cause you irreversible damage,” Arthur said.

"I'm sorry, I lost my composure." Triss wiped away her tears, put the black bullet back into the box, and then sealed it with a wall of spiritual energy.

"Your Excellency, I have a question I would like to ask you, even if it is presumptuous," she said after a few seconds of silence.

"Just ask."

"Can someone like me, whose hands are full of sin, be your fellow traveler?" Triss asked with a light laugh.

She didn't hold out much hope for the answer to this question, because she knew very well that she was nothing more than a sharp dagger coated with poison, whose duty was to pierce that person's body.

As for her fate afterward, that was too much of a luxury for her.

However, even knowing that she was just a dagger, Triss still had a tiny bit of hope in her heart, hoping that she could dedicate her life to a greater cause.

The changes that Mr. Heller has brought to Backlund and even the whole of Loen can be described as immediate.

Hunger, chaos, murder, madness—all of these things gradually diminished under this man's rule.

Instead, a new order, completely different from the past, has emerged, one that brings hope to people.

In this order, homeless children no longer have to wander, but can receive free food and education;

Workers are able to receive labor protections and no longer have to worry about where their next meal will come from, as they did before.

Even bankrupt small business owners can get a precious second chance with the help of the Workers' Mutual Aid Association, so as not to be completely ruined.

After witnessing so many changes brought about by Mr. Heller, Triss, who had spent his childhood wandering the streets and making a living by swindling and cheating, often thought to himself:

How wonderful it would have been if someone like Mr. Heller had appeared when she was young.

In that case, her life would surely be completely different.

Perhaps she can get an education, then get into a decent university, meet Edsack, and become his good friend.

Instead of living a life that's been completely messed up, controlled by a cult and that dog king.

Arthur looked at Triss, whose face seemed calm but whose eyes held a glimmer of hope, and said with a smile:

"A person should decide for himself which path to take and what kind of path to take."

He stood up, turned around, and walked out of the private room.

“You don’t mind the sins I committed in the past?” Triss asked, standing up.

"It's impossible to say I don't mind, but I also know that it's hard for a person's values ​​not to be influenced by their upbringing and social environment. For someone who has been homeless since childhood and can only make a living by cheating and swindling, morality is really a luxury."

Arthur stopped and, with his back to Triss, said:

"But you must also remember that if you continue to act as before, death will be your only end."

Finally, I have something to say to you.

“Please speak,” Triss said, bowing her head.

"The king and the cultists are forcing you to submit for their own selfish desires, but we can help you stand up and live like a human being."

"But whether or not you want to be a person, and what kind of person you want to be, you need to think about it carefully."

After saying that, Arthur pushed open the door of the private room and walked out.

Behind him, Triss knelt down, her forehead pressed tightly to the ground, and said:

"Yes, thank you, my Father, my Savior."

……

Back home, Arthur sat in his specially made recliner and let out a comfortable sigh.

For him, Triss was actually a complete accident.

Arthur never imagined that the bedtime stories he told Arthas, who couldn't even speak yet, would cause such a huge butterfly effect.

Not only did it bring forward the Great Smog event in Backlund, it also led Arthas to create an assassin organization that roams the shadows.

As for Triss, Arthur neither liked nor disliked her; he didn't think she was worth his time and effort to guide.

Unlike Hugh and Audrey, Triss's values ​​were not exactly sound, otherwise she wouldn't have caused the Clover disaster.

However, since Arthas has already recruited the other party as his subordinate, Arthur will not go out of his way to kill him.

After all, Triss is undoubtedly very qualified as an assassin.

In the original story, the scene where she sacrificed herself to assassinate George III for love moved Arthur to some extent.

So, as he just said, a person should decide for themselves what path to take.

If Triss successfully completes the task Arthur gave her and survives, then Arthur might consider accepting her as one of his own.

After all, someone like him does need a black glove.

Although Sharon was also part of his shadowy forces, her personality made it difficult for her to take on assassination jobs.

Moreover, Sharon's organization is an intelligence agency, Arthur's eyes and ears. If they were to develop assassination capabilities and grow claws and teeth, it could easily cause serious trouble.

Therefore, if Arthas hadn't caused this incident, Arthur originally planned to slowly build an assassin organization on his own.

Now, he's saved himself some trouble.

“Arthas,” Arthur called out.

"What's up?" The puppy quietly appeared on Arthur's chest.

"Could you send a message to Bernadette for me? I have something I'd like to discuss with her," Arthur said after stroking the puppy's head.

"Okay~ I got it." Arthas replied, and his figure quickly disappeared.

A short while later, Bernadette, dressed in a dark blue dress, appeared before Arthur.

"I heard from Arthas that you were looking for me?" she asked softly, looking at the young man on the recliner in front of her.

Arthur sat up and said seriously:

"Madam, I have something important to tell you."

Bernadette observed Arthur's expression, nodded, stood up, and summoned a wooden staff wrapped with silk ribbons.

She held the staff in both hands, held it upright in front of her chest, and chanted with her eyes closed:

"The Sea Within the Stars".

"Lookout Tower".

"I will inform you from a corner of the paradise."

“Your stories are full of blessings.”

"Only the innocent may enter."

Bernadette raised her staff high and shouted:

"An ideal land forever isolated from the world!"

In an instant, a pink magic circle appeared from beneath Bernadette's feet, spreading outwards and transforming the area into a sea of ​​pink petals in the blink of an eye.

"Speak, what is it?" Bernadette asked, sitting on the long swing woven from pea vines and swaying gently.

Arthur stepped forward and, without any hesitation, sat down on the swing alongside Bernadette, saying:

"Regarding...the later years of Emperor Roselle."

Bernadette was about to kick Arthur off the swing when she heard his words, and her eyes narrowed instantly.

"What exactly?"

"In his later years, the Great Emperor suffered from some unknown contamination. In order to resolve his predicament, he attempted to forcibly transform from a Seer into a Black Emperor and then escape the contamination through resurrection."

"However, what he didn't expect was that this contamination couldn't be eliminated even by resurrection, so he forcibly stopped his resurrection process, getting stuck in a state of neither life nor death," Arthur calmly recounted.

"So that's how it is. Even resurrection can't eliminate the pollution?" Bernadette murmured to herself.

“That’s right, this kind of pollution is not something we can handle right now, so I came here to tell you something else,” Arthur said, looking at Bernadette.

"What is it?" Bernadette looked ahead, avoiding eye contact with Arthur.

"As long as the order established by a Black Emperor leaves a trace in the world, He can be resurrected repeatedly. There is only one situation that can allow Him to rest in peace forever."

Arthur paused for a moment, then gave the answer:

"That means a new Black Emperor has been born."

"Someone is being promoted to Black Emperor?" Bernadette's eyes suddenly sharpened.

“That’s right, that’s why Rune is in such a mess right now, and I don’t want to see that happen. I believe you don’t want to either,” Arthur said earnestly.

“Is Rune… the ‘Protector’ William I?” Bernadette asked.

“No, it’s George III.” Arthur shook his head.

“Him?” Bernadette frowned, quickly realizing something. “Who is helping him hide his strength?”

“We don’t need to worry about that for now. We just need to figure out how to thwart George III’s plot to get promoted,” Arthur said, avoiding Bernadette’s question.

Seeing this, Bernadette asked thoughtfully: