The Strange Adventures of Hearn the Believer

At the Ryugu Palace, Yukino Yukinoshita transformed into a black cat to escape the Countermeasures Office's pursuit. She swam to his side and was caught by him, who placed her on his shoulder.

Kuroyukihime was astonished that he, who instinctively hated cats, would actually go out of his way to talk to a black cat. His reply was, "He only hates cats."

Therefore, Mr. Hearn was in a dilemma and relinquished the power of decision-making to Weiss, who was standing nearby.

"...Putting everything else aside, even if I could temporarily set aside our past grievances and not pursue her actions, are you sure that with the resources we have right now, we can help her get through this long winter night? All we can do now is give her some warm water, or I can go to the bathroom and run a tub of water for her to wash herself." Weiss's expression was subtle, and her voice was slightly conflicted. "Let me make it clear beforehand that I've only been studying at Qingtian for half a year. Although I inherited your position, I'm nowhere near as experienced as you were, going out and causing trouble all over the world in my first year, seeing life and death all the time. I have no intention of killing her right now. I just hope she can get better, at least until she's extradited back to Qingtian and the Arbitration Sanctuary makes a fair judgment."

"That's great, then why don't you just take out your sword now and stab it into her chin to destroy her brain and give her a quick death?" The believer rolled her eyes at this.

There are actually three factions of witch hunters in Qingtian, or rather, three very different paths in this profession. Their names vary from region to region, but they are all essentially the same.

The Path of Repentance—Ah, you're awake? This is a sanctuary under the penitentiary authority. Do you see the chainsaw in my hand? Relax, it will help you confess your sins.

The path of interrogation—I will meticulously unravel all the evidence and the loopholes in your testimony to force you to confess.

The path to judgment—you are guilty.

In conclusion, Mr. Hearn believes that it's better to give this large cat a quick death than to bring her back to Optimus Prime alive.

Skyward Academy operates on a four-year cycle, with a fixed number of witch hunters to be trained. The number is limited, with a strict policy of quality over quantity. The training tests not only ability but also loyalty to the kingdom. This secret force with dual identities is destined to be few and far between, and members are assigned by seat number during their time at the academy.

From enrollment to graduation, Hearn was undoubtedly the top student. As the zeroth seat, he received the most official resources from the academy over the four years. This privilege was naturally reserved for the "zero" seat. In the last six months before graduation, according to the tradition since the founding of the academy, all the senior students who held a seat had to choose a successor from the list of freshmen provided by the academy to inherit their current seat. They would undergo tests and accept challenges. The loser would be eliminated and would enjoy high resource allocation and privileges. In the next four years, they would have to prove with their performance that they were qualified to continue to hold this position until graduation, and then the old and new would take turns.

It sounds quite solemn and dignified.

However, most of the students who managed to endure four years at Skybreaker as witch hunters and eventually join the witch hunter force had some kind of mental problem.

Mr. Hearn had no say in how others selected their successors; his method of choosing people was actually passed down from his predecessors.

She was a beautiful senior student, though a little mentally disturbed. Knowing full well that the zeroth seat was the one most vulnerable to open and covert attacks, her ability to hold onto it until graduation was a testament to her exceptional skills. The reason she chose the young man was simple—the seventeen-year-old Mr. Hearn, with his delicate and frail appearance, didn't fit the beautiful senior student's muscular aesthetic. So, with the intention of making fun of him, she placed him in the zeroth seat. Of course, in the ensuing practical assessments, Mr. Hearn's fierce performance, so different from his appearance, truly astonished everyone. After he threw away the head of a classmate who only had half a face, he smoothly ascended to the position of Chief Witch Hunter of Sky Academy, until graduation.

The chief witch hunter of Qingtian is always a loyal practitioner of the path of judgment.

"Speaking of which, you still haven't told me why you chose me in the first place?"

"I picked the vase that looked like it got in through the back door, hoping to see a good show, but who knew you were not only beautiful and strong but also super rich. You were throwing custom-made dust crystals like water, and with your [Glyphs], you made a bunch of chickens and dogs run away with their heads in their hands."

"Hmph, sorry to disappoint you."

"Please don't misunderstand, I originally wanted to discourage you from pursuing this—witch hunter is a high-risk, low-reward profession. It's neither prestigious nor noble. Before I became the 'Shame of Skybreaker,' my fame was based on my public identity as a witch hunter. If you're simply tired of the aristocratic life in the safe zone and are seeking adventure and excitement, you might as well become a pure witch hunter. Beacon Academy does this much better than Skybreaker, both in terms of its educational philosophy and campus atmosphere, to be honest."

“But I chose Qingtian, inherited your seat, and now I’m here.” Weiss stared at the large cat on the bed, who was barely alive, and said softly.

"Yes," the believer replied softly, staring at the large cat lying on the bed, which was barely alive.

Aren't you even a little bit curious about the reason?

"I'm all ears, if you'd like."

"Because of my father's aggressive business policies, the company's relationship with the Furnar people is very tense. My childhood was spent in the shadow of the White Fang. They are everywhere. Even when I was at home, I was forced to hide in the underground safe fortress several times. Not to mention the number of times I was attacked outside the family castle. I chose to become a Witcher because I didn't want to be a stupid noble lady who could only make funny screams when a crisis was approaching."

"Don't worry, your singing voice is beautiful, so even the screams won't be too bad. I've been to your concert and I have a backup on my peripherals. I listen to it in my spare time."

"..."

"?"

"never mind……"

"You still haven't told me why you chose Skybreaker, why you chose to become a witch hunter... Ugh, ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch!" Before the believer could finish speaking, Weiss, with a cold face, poked his chest with a finger and kept rotating it from side to side, as if she wanted to drill a hole there and hear what his heart was really like.

"My situation has improved a lot since five years ago. White Teeth has almost disappeared. Use your brain and think about what you've been doing for the past five years, you smooth-talking bastard." Weiss withdrew her hand, stood up from her chair, turned her face slightly to one side, and spoke in an even softer voice, "You've ruined all the courage I've managed to muster..."

"Ok?"

“It’s nothing, this girl looks like she’s about to die. You’d better have a way to deal with her, Mr. Hero.” Weiss smoothly steered the conversation back to the current topic.

“There is a way, but it’s rather inhumane. Besides, haven’t I become the ‘Shame of Qingtian’? And why are you still calling me that?” The believer blew on her fingertips, and a familiar blue flame shot out from them. However, unlike before, the blue of the flame was so thin that it was almost pale, and it shone with a flowing silver light from top to bottom, which reminded people of a calm sea under the silver moon, with the moonlight shining brightly. “I have to kill her first, and then save her.”

"If even death cannot be avoided, then what is there to talk about the future? Go ahead and do it. I will share this sin with you. No matter what others say, you will always be mine..."

"My name is the bird of Hermes, which bites its own wings to control my heart."

……

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Chapter 46 You are already dead

She awoke from her daze, feeling only a groggy head and a stiff body, but without any pain.

Before her memory was cut off, she fired a gun to escape the man's pursuit, triggering an avalanche. She rolled down the cliff with the snow and miraculously survived. Afterwards, she trekked through the vast snowfield, struggling to survive with her severely injured body.

This is where?

Blake Belladonna hesitated as she sat up in bed. The white comforter was fluffy and warm, and her pajamas were a little loose.

Outside, there was no sound of wind or snow; it was very quiet.

She tiptoed off the bed, moving silently like a real black cat, while warily looking around.

This is a room of about 30 square meters, with a clear bedroom layout and warm-toned interior decoration, making it very cozy.

She stopped somewhat abruptly in front of the desk two steps away from the bed. On the desk lay her personal weapon, the "Leaping Shadow Silk"—a cleverly designed gun-blade weapon. Beneath it was a roll of parchment, on which lay what appeared to be a book.

Blake gently picked up the roll of parchment, and what came into view were lines of elegant handwriting, the ink ancient, as if a long time had passed since it was written.

[Respectfully yours]

Miss Cat, whose name was unknown until the very last moment.

If you can see this letter, it means that I am no longer alive. This may seem absurd, but it is the best explanation I can give you regarding your future situation.

Whatever your future plans, please be sure to read this letter patiently.

You are already dead.

When you see this sentence, you will probably be panicked, or furious, and feel incredulous, thinking that this text is utterly absurd.

Please calm down. Your weapon, that strange gun blade, is placed beside the letter. You can try cutting any part of your skin and discover that your body is no longer flesh and blood. You still retain the ability to feel pain, but there is no blood in the wound.

I think you've now made an attempt and calmed down.

You are dead, I repeat.

This is the "world after death," that's what my ex told me. She said it's where those who broke their vows and died unjustly stay after death. Only after letting go of their attachments from their previous life can they move on. According to the Eastern Kingdom, it means "becoming a Buddha."

I have spent nearly 18 years here. For the first two years, the previous one was still here. She taught me how to survive and then passed away soon after. I don’t know where she went, but I sincerely wish her a safe journey.

What followed were 13 lonely years.

This is an isolated island located deep in the ocean, surrounded by sea on all sides. Fortunately, the island is rich in resources, but its terrain is also complex.

Whether you like it or not, when you read this letter, it means your second life is about to begin—a time destined to be lonely.

I found you on the beach fifteen years after I arrived here. You can check the handmade calendar on the table to roughly confirm the current year. Haha, if you woke up and read this letter in the year I left, then you have been in a coma for three years.

When I first found you, you were like a rag doll abused by a child, tattered and covered in bruises and superficial wounds. But what truly dealt you the fatal blow was a violent collision that completely destroyed your spine and brainstem. I had no other choice but to place you here, in the settlement that I and the previous two generations built—a small mansion perched on a hill in the middle of a wetland lake on the island, surrounded by water, a natural fortification that protects you from most of the island's wildlife. Reaching the shore requires taking a small boat from the dock; please try it yourself.

In the last three years, whenever I woke up in the early morning, I felt my existence getting closer and closer to nothingness, while your injuries began to heal slowly at a welcome pace. When I realized this, I knew that my days of standing still in this place were numbered, just like the last few years my predecessor took such good care of me.

In the final moments before I disappeared, I left you a farewell letter, an entire study of handwritten instruction books, and a final inspection of the traces my ex and I had left on this island during the decades of solitude, making sure they were all functioning properly.

Please make it a habit to keep written records; it is important for you and those who come after you. The following are some matters you must master; please refer to the relevant instructions in your study:

1. The island in the middle of the lake has a very solid foundation, and there are no large wild animals in the lake. When you are hungry, go fishing.

2. The building has three floors. Before I disappeared, I placed you in the bedroom on the third floor.

3. The second floor contains a study and a tea room.

4. The living room and kitchen are on the first floor.

5. Some cattle, sheep, and chickens are kept in a fenced enclosure in the open space outside the house. Remember to harvest milk and eggs regularly, and shear the sheep.

6. The basement level is a storage room and tool room, where you can find most of the things you need to survive.

7. The second basement level is a cold storage room where I stored a quarter's worth of food. However, depending on when you wake up, I cannot guarantee that the food will still be edible.

8. The third basement level is the workshop, where you can try forging, carving, and inlaying to make farm tools, weapons, ornaments, and armor.

9. The fourth basement level is a temperature-controlled vegetable and fruit garden equipped with artificial sun lamps. It features fully automated sowing, harvesting, and storage. Remember to inspect it regularly to prevent machine malfunctions.

10. A subspace field generator is deployed on the fifth underground level. It can generate a spherical field that covers the entire island above and below ground. Please turn it on immediately in case of severe weather or monster attacks. There is a remote control by the bed in the bedroom.

11. A small psionic reactor is deployed on the sixth underground level. It is the energy core of this mansion. Although the principle is very mysterious, please make sure to take good care of it.

12. There's a diamond axe in the box next to the desk. If you really don't know what to do next, go outside and chop down a tree.

13. There are some insignificant supernatural creatures on the island, but there's no need to worry as long as the island gets enough sunlight.

Finally, please face the life that has already come to an end, whether it was glorious or ugly, rich or poor, joyful or regretful... You have endless time to think, to reminisce, to summarize, but please understand that only by stepping out of the shadows of the past will the bells of the next life ring.

Although we are dead beyond dead, all our senses, including the ability to feel pain, are still intact. If you don't want to suffer too much, please inherit our will and try to live on.

Until the day of attaining Buddhahood arrives.

Your unfortunate ex, Nobume Hearn

yours truly】

"..."

Blake put down the yellowed parchment in his hand, pushed open the door, and moved to the third-floor terrace. Looking around, he saw a still lake, bathed in the soft morning light, and in the distance, the mountains were like a painting, and the sea was as smooth as a mirror.

From the woods on the other side, the faint chirping of birds could be heard.

A jet-black full moon hung high in the sky, its edges shimmering with a golden glow.

The morning breeze gently caressed the small island in the middle of the lake, carrying with it the sounds of sobs of relief and liberation.

……

In the capital of the Kingdom of Cold Winds, in the affluent upland district of the sheltered harbor, in a top-of-the-line suite, in the bedroom.

Yukino Yukinoshita, who was sleeping soundly wrapped in a warm blanket, was suddenly awakened from her dream. What woke her was a faint murmur in her sleep. She looked in confusion toward the source of the murmur, which was in the direction of Kuroyukihime's bed.

There were more than one bedroom, but for safety reasons, the girls decided to sleep in one bedroom together so they could look out for each other.

"Scone~, go shear the wool at home, I want to make a new quilt." A clingy, sleepy voice came from the darkness.

Yukino Yukinoshita felt that her nerves had been honed to the point where she could keep up with her companions, so she simply tucked her head into the blankets, covered her ears with the blankets, and continued to sleep.

The night was long, and the wind and snow were fierce.

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Chapter 47 Calm Reflection

On a snowy night, in an abandoned settlement, in a refugee's house, on the second floor.

Weiss held his breath, silently witnessing the entire process of the Fern girl on the bed being enveloped and burned by the bewitching blue flames until she was reduced to ashes. Now, the bed is empty, with only the dents in the blankets proving that someone once existed there.

Hearn, who was sitting to the side, gave Weiss a "done" look. Weiss understood, turned her chair around 90 degrees, sat down again, and looked him in the eye.

The external power of the believer Hearn has always been a mystery. The official record of her by Skybreaker only goes as far as a fire-type superpower that can be released by consuming mana. It is extremely destructive, simple and versatile.

Because of the semi-official, semi-private nature of the succession system, Weiss was able to learn some inside information that even the Skyguard military knew nothing about. This information came from a single demonstration by the person involved, and was purely for the purpose of teaching.

The [Glyphs] inherited by the Xue Ni family through their ancient bloodline are an extremely comprehensive external force, leaning towards control and assistance. However, what is rarely known to outsiders is that when a female member of the Xue Ni family gains a deep enough understanding of the [Glyphs] to unveil its surface, a new door will open for her, revealing the essence of the [Glyphs]—a gift from the ancient bloodline. The women of the Xue Ni family can summon those beings they once defeated to serve them, these beings being like puppets, completely obedient to their commands.

Everything that fails to kill her will make her stronger.

Knowing this secret, Weiss's predecessor, Hearn, showed her an external power similar to, yet completely different from, [Glyphs]. Its first half was exactly the same as [Glyphs], the only difference being that the dead who were killed and then reawakened had the same intelligence as before they were alive. It was not a forbidden evil spell like resurrection of the dead, but a transformation of some kind of life form.

That was the only time Mr. Hearn used his external imagery power within the Sky Realm, which he jokingly referred to as "Time Sea."

The witch hunters of the Sky don't care whether you're a resurrected dead or a transformed life; all those who blaspheme the dead will be tied to the stake and burned to death, not only while being burned but also while being shot at.

Therefore, in Weiss's view, thanks to the subtle external force he was born with, Mr. Hearn, the chief witch hunter and the Glory of the Sky, has always walked a tightrope between fame and infamy. The Snowy family's [Glyphs] can be beautified as a courageous ode to "humanity's resilience and strength in the face of adversity," while Mr. Hearn's [Sea of ​​Time] directly challenges the bottom line of human ethics and morality.

"It's a very sad story, and also quite ironic—there was once a kind and lonely boy who sincerely longed for friendship, family, and love. He had a sharp tongue but a soft heart. He would put himself in his friends' shoes and had the courage to sacrifice everything for the girl he secretly loved in the village. But in the end, he never managed to say 'I love you.' Later, the village was destroyed by the Grimm, and he was the only one who survived."

"It is indeed a sad story, but why is it considered ironic?"

"His innate external power is a kind of power that allows him to obtain everything from his opponent simply by killing them."

"..."

As Weiss revisited her past memories, she felt she would never forget the desolation that flashed in the man's eyes when he uttered those words. So when Qingtian issued his arrest warrant through internal channels, she didn't think too much about it. She made up an excuse to visit her alma mater, the Holy Domain, and set off that very day after arranging her itinerary.

In truth, she didn't believe the official narrative from Skyward at all. A person with such power yet such self-discipline, a person who, even after achieving great success, still cherished the memory of the village girl who had long since perished due to the Grimm invasion, wouldn't worship some damned Warp Chaos Archmage.

“Now, let’s talk about our business,” Weiss said, casting a concerned look at the believer. Her voice was calm and gentle.

Emmmmmmm……

Bathed in the warm gaze of the girl who cared for intellectually disabled orphans, Mr. Hearn carefully sensed the subtle maternal instinct emanating from the young girl, and felt that she had misunderstood something...