Unlimited Ambition

"Can you cook?" I asked uncertainly.

"A hobby." Kihara turned his head to the side, seemingly lying.

"Let me make it clear beforehand, I'm quite picky. If you can't satisfy me, then forget it," I said.

"Why don't you try it?" Jiebiao said, pulling me into the kitchen. He pointed to a plate of beef curry rice on the table.

Come to think of it, I've been staying here for a few days. But this kitchen has never been used before. It feels so novel now.

And so, under the expectant gaze of Jie Biao, I picked up the spoon, scooped up a spoonful, and put it in my mouth.

……

"How does it taste?" Jie Biao asked.

It's so-so. Slightly worse than takeout, basically on par with the average housewife's standard.

"Not bad." I nodded, then sat down, stirred the spoon, and ate it bite by bite.

"Don't rush, there's plenty more." Jiebiao seemed quite proud. Afterwards, she also got a curry rice bowl and sat down opposite me to eat.

Jie Biao wasn't lying; the huge pot of curry she made was almost enough for ten people. Although we all tried our best to eat, we couldn't finish it all in one meal. It seemed wasteful to throw it away. So Jie Biao decided to put it in the refrigerator and eat it for dinner.

"I'm sorry, I have something to do tonight and won't be able to come back. Besides, the Great Star Festival is almost over. I need to get ready to go back to Jerusalem," I said. Kihara looked a little disappointed and didn't say a word, silently clearing away the dishes.

Should we praise her?

She will definitely become an excellent wife in the future.

However, could this cause any misunderstanding?

Whatever.

"Jiebiao, you've worked very hard too. Whoever marries you in the future will definitely be very happy." I said this to Jiebiao, who was washing dishes while wearing gloves, with a smile.

Jie Biao didn't reply; he just lowered his head even further.

※※※

That night, fifty kilometers outside Academy City. Although theoretically this place was no longer within the boundaries of Academy City's "city," the towering buildings made it feel nothing like the "suburbs." On the contrary, it felt like being in a bustling city.

The existence of Academy City has not only propelled the advancement of global technology but also driven up land prices in the surrounding areas. For example, this place, once just an ordinary village, has been transformed into a vital distribution center for goods.

Among these buildings, there was one that was inconspicuous and looked quite ordinary—but not exactly shabby either. The bottom floor had a sign for a hotel. The upper floors, however, were rented out as office space.

The top few floors were reportedly rented by a company, and some people would come to work there occasionally. They would greet the office workers on other floors. Only occasionally would some people come by looking rushed, not seeming to be employees of that company. Of course, no one else asked any questions.

This is one of the liaison points for Jerusalem's presence in Academy City. While it may seem unsafe at first glance, few people actually pay attention to it. Normal intelligence and personnel exchanges are not conducted here. Therefore, its confidentiality is extremely high.

That very night, in a windowless, doorless room on the rooftop, Sister Lidovia and the mover Oriana sat together, looking disheveled, listening to their employer, Wright Baldwin, hurling insults at them.

"Useless trash, good-for-nothing!" I kicked over the trash can next to me and pointed at Lydovia, yelling, "How could such a basic mistake happen! The fireworks of Academy City blocked the night sky, making it impossible to activate the Apostolic Cross?! What a joke! This is the funniest thing I've ever heard!! Thanks to you, the entire Church of Jerusalem, and I, will become a laughingstock! A laughingstock for the whole world, for both the magical and scientific communities!"

"Why don't you just die?! If I were you, I would have bought a block of tofu and smashed my head against it! How dare you show your face in front of me?! I sent people to find you, thinking I would only get a corpse! You bastard! Trash! Maggot!"

Lidovia's face flushed crimson, and she wanted to retort but couldn't utter a word. Finally, she couldn't hold back any longer and said loudly, "This mission was indeed due to my lack of foresight! Please give me another chance, Your Highness, I will definitely—"

"Give you another chance?!" I interrupted her. "A loser like you wants a second chance?! How shameless do you have to be to make such a request?! Let me tell you, don't even think about it in this lifetime."

"Get out of here now! Go back to your monastery in Jerusalem and spend the rest of your life there! All honors and privileges are stripped away. You can forget about ever doing missionary work again! Do you hear me?! Sparing your life is already my bottom line!"

Hearing me say that, Lidovia reacted like an addict hearing her family say they were sending her to rehab. She screamed and howled in a daze, "Your Highness, please give me another chance, please give me another chance—" before being forcibly dragged away by two dark knights.

What a bastard. I rubbed my temples, feeling utterly exhausted.

Next, it was Orianna's turn. As a member of the moving company, she didn't have a fixed faction. Therefore, her attitude towards me was rather casual and not very respectful.

"So, what does Your Highness intend to do with me?" Watching Lydovia being dragged away, Oriana felt a chill run down her spine and asked proactively.

“You… Miss Oriana, you are not a priest of my church, nor are you from Jerusalem. So, in a sense, I have no jurisdiction over you. However, given the magnitude of this blunder, as your employer, I have the right to hold you accountable. So, Miss Oriana, what are your own thoughts?”

Chapter Eleven: Eloquence

Oriana shook her head, seemingly somewhat resistant: "There's nothing to say. I will take responsibility for this failure, refund the hire fee and make compensation. If that's not enough, I can also declare to the entire magical world that the responsibility for this failure lies with me."

"Is that all?" Anyway, I don't have anything else to do right now. Looking at this mature and charming older woman, I felt like teasing her.

"So I'd like to ask, why did you take on this task? Can you tell me?" I encouraged her.

Oriana seemed surprised by my question, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "When I was little, I was taught to be a good person."

I nodded: "There's nothing wrong with this, is there?"

Oriana smiled wryly: "It sounds easy. But it's actually very difficult to do. It's like I picked up an empty can from the roadside and threw it in the trash can. That's doing a good deed, right? But scavengers who make a living by picking up trash will find it very troublesome. They won't be able to survive. So I'm doing a bad thing."

I nodded: "So, that's why you accepted Lidovia's offer to hire the Apostle Cross?"

She nodded, acknowledging it: "Yes, because everyone becomes happier after the Apostolic Cross is placed there. Isn't that right?"

How do I explain this? It claims to bring happiness, and indeed, it does bring happiness. But it's just a self-perceived happiness. Spiritual satisfaction is achieved, but there's no physical change... In short, this thing is just a convenient missionary machine. It has nothing to do with actual happiness.

I shook my head and said, "Actually, Miss Oriana, you have two misconceptions in your thinking."

“A misconception? Please explain in detail,” Oriana said.

"Put the cans on the ground in the trash can—I mean, preferably in the sorted trash can. That's definitely the right thing to do. Most people with a sense of public responsibility would support you," I said first.

“But what about those poor scavengers…” Oriana asked rhetorically.

"First, it's their own fault. Maybe they didn't study hard when they were young, or maybe they were fired for not working hard enough. In short, they became scavengers because of their own actions. And you don't need to take any responsibility at all."

Secondly, it's their government that's incompetent. Perhaps some people are forced into scavenging due to age or health issues. In such cases, the government should step in, providing relief to the elderly and arranging suitable work for the disabled. This has absolutely nothing to do with you.”

“But… if I don’t go and pick up that jar…” Oriana still couldn’t accept it. The conversation gradually shifted towards a dialogue between a therapist and a patient.

“If it weren’t you, someone else would have done the same. The garbage collector, or other kind-hearted people. They would have done it too, and without a care in the world. Your way of thinking only causes you distress and serves no other purpose,” I replied.

"So, what should I do?" Oriana asked, as if she really treated me like a therapist.

I tried hard to suppress a smug smile and said, "I've heard that you, Miss Oriana, travel all over the world, without any affiliation, and will lend a helping hand to anyone who seeks assistance. Is that true?"

She shook her head with a wry smile: "It's just doing what I can. Just trying to make a living."

“No, no, no, no, you don’t need to belittle yourself.” I shook my finger. “Miss Oriana, you are powerful and experienced. Your reputation is widespread in the magical world. Even in the distant palace of Jerusalem, I hear news of you from time to time.”

"Your Highness, you flatter me." Oriana wasn't unfamiliar with flattery before, but this was absolutely the first time someone of her status had received it. It made her feel somewhat embarrassed.

"No, no, no, that's not an overstatement. I believe that even within the state church, your abilities are considerable. And those with such extensive experience are few and far between. Therefore, I sincerely ask you, Miss Oriana Thomson, would you be willing to join our Jerusalem church and become one of us?"

"Join the state religion of Jerusalem?" Oriana was taken aback by my suggestion. She seemed somewhat at a loss for words.

“That’s right, join the state church of Jerusalem. Didn’t you ask me what I should do? This is my answer.”

“…But, the state religion of Jerusalem…” Oriana hesitated.

"While such self-praise is not a good thing—I don't think that's what you're concerned about regarding the strength of the state religion. But you should be very clear about the purpose of the state religion and its achievements."

In this morally corrupt world, what Jerusalem has done is a complete miracle. It truly lives up to its name as a heavenly kingdom on earth. Those of you who have been to Jerusalem should understand this.

Oriana nodded: "But... my principle is to help those in need. But Jerusalem doesn't seem to need my help..."

I smiled and said, "No matter how strong one person is, how many people can one person save, Miss Oriana?"

Oriana remained silent.

“When I was a little old enough to understand things (around two and a half years old, and thinking about how to rightfully conquer the world), I was thinking, why do other people in the world have to suffer so much, while only the people of Jerusalem can enjoy treatment comparable to heaven? This is not fair!”

If my ancestors had strived a little harder, perhaps the whole world, all countries, and all people would be living happy lives today. My ancestors may have had their concerns. But I am different. For the sake of all the suffering people in the world, even if I were to bear sins comparable to purgatory, I would have no regrets!

Oriana was clearly stunned by my performance. Looking at this fourteen-year-old boy before her, a boy as pure and perfect as an angel, willing to shoulder such a huge responsibility for the happiness of the world's people, Oriana suddenly realized: he might be the answer she had been searching for.

“I understand,” Oriana replied. “If Your Highness can truly do this, then I am willing to contribute my own strength for you.” After saying this, Oriana knelt on one knee and performed a gesture of allegiance to me.

“It’s not me, remember that, Oriana Thomson, you are working for the happiness and well-being of people all over the world. You must remember that.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” Oriana reached out her arm, took my right hand in hers, and kissed the black gemstone on the ring.

“Very good, Oriana.” I helped her up. “From today onwards, you are a member of our Jerusalem church family. When we return, I will personally officiate your baptism.”

“It is my honor,” Oriana replied.

I nodded, quite satisfied with Oriana's current attitude: "Then, let's go back to Academy City now, and then take a plane back to Jerusalem. Don't worry about Academy City sending people to arrest you again. After all, I'm here, they wouldn't dare."

Oriana hesitated for a moment, then said, "If that's the case, could you allow me to stay in Academy City for a few more days?"

"Why? What's your reason?" I asked.

Oriana nodded: "Because before this, during the Apostolic Cross incident, I mistakenly took two innocent girls for Puritan pursuers and injured them. Afterwards, I felt very remorseful. If you can allow me to move freely in Academy City, I would like to visit them and say sorry to them."

That's the reason...

"I agree to your request, and I believe those two innocent girls will be willing to forgive you. However, do you know their names and where they live?"

Oriana shook her head: "Although I don't know their names, I think they should be in the emergency room in District 7 right now." At this point, the sexy older sister felt a pang of guilt again: "If we look up yesterday's emergency medical records, we should be able to find them."

I nodded: "If that's the case, I can go with you."

“Your Highness, I’m sorry to trouble you,” Oriana said gratefully.

"No, caring for subordinates is the duty of every good superior," I replied.

That night, I called Jie Biao again and told her that I probably wouldn't be able to come back the next morning either. I asked her to wait for me at the airport.

"Bastard! Go to hell! You'd better never come back!!!"

This is Jie Biao's reply to me. What's going on? I'm her boss, the supreme leader of the state church in Jerusalem who provides her with protection. What right does she have to yell at me?

I rolled my eyes. Then I turned off my phone. The next morning, after having breakfast with Oriana, we drove to the emergency hospital in District 7. After asking the receptionist, I easily got the admission slip. On it, I saw the name of someone I hadn't seen in a long time.

Himegami Akisa.

The girl I hurt.

I'm lying in a hospital room right now.

Chapter Twelve: Some Things You'll Never Forget

Although less than half a year has passed since the last time at Misawa Juku, it feels like a lifetime has gone by.

Himegami Akisa...

Come to think of it, she was the first girl I ever wronged.

When I saw Himegami Akisa's name on the form, I was stunned. After asking the receptionist about her physical characteristics, I was certain that there was a 90% chance that this girl was Himegami Akisa.