The Strange Adventures of Hearn the Believer

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Chapter 59 Things are wrong

The female bartender waved her hand in front of the pianist's eyes.

"Still reminiscing? Are you sure you really don't need my help?"

"...Get lost, I was just thinking about something else." Touma gently pulled Jill's hand away from her thoughts. "You've been dealing with Hearn for quite a while now, you should have some feelings about him."

"If you mean liking him, I'm sorry, but I can't agree. Although he looks really handsome when he spends money lavishly in the store, has a likable personality, is very talented, and is so beautiful... cough, I mean good-looking, he's practically the perfect lover of my youth, but his thoroughly scummy views on relationships and his feat of jumping into a hundred boats five years ago really make an ordinary little woman like me, who already lacks self-confidence, feel extremely insecure. So, forget it. I've already decided to be a lesbian for life. If my family pressures me, I'll just find an honest man..." Jill said seriously, playing with her glass.

"Go away, who told you that? You're such a lovesick spinster." Touma smacked her forehead and found it felt pretty good. "I was just thinking about the first time I met him—I don't know why, but now that I think about it, something just doesn't feel right."

"Then let's talk about it. After all, we're best friends. Although as your best friend I really can't bear to see you get entangled with him..."

"If you keep bringing up this topic, I'm not going to say anything more." Touma gave Jill a disgusted look.

Jill grinned and then made a playful gesture of zipping up her mouth.

“Sigh…” The pianist rubbed his slightly aching temples and then slowly said, “The timing of our meeting was quite coincidental. It was Christmas during my freshman year of college, which was five years ago when he… jumped the 100th ship. I left the Far East six months after him. Before I landed, my mother told me that the son of one of her best friends was also there. Although Zurich and Vienna are 700 kilometers apart, with today’s rail transit, it’s only a little over half an hour. If you encounter any trouble or are unfamiliar with the area, you can ask him for help.”

That's really unfortunate.

“Yes, it’s really unfortunate. Jill, just imagine what my mom said on the private channel before we got off the plane—she said he was her best friend’s son, that he was quite handsome, quiet, honest, and obedient. In middle school, he was not only academically excellent but also very good at housework, filial to his mother, and took care of his older sister…”

"Stop, stop, stop! I'm so jealous! Isn't it obvious what your mom's intentions are when she introduces your best friend's son to you in that tone?"

"Yes, I know, Jill, please continue listening to me."

"Okay, I'll try my best."

"After the correspondence ended, my mother gave me a photo of the other person. I was indeed amazed when I first saw it. If I didn't know my mother's aesthetic sense and mind well enough, I would have thought the photo was photoshopped."

"That's how people are. Five years ago, when he first came into the store, I was wiping cups. I looked up and saw a cup had fallen to the ground. My first reaction was that I had traveled into a BL novel. But now that we see each other all the time, I've gotten used to it and realized it's not so bad. My aesthetic standards have greatly improved, but I've also become tired of it. And then what happened?"

"Around the same time I was looking at the photos, a post was urgently pushed to the Pan-European University Alliance community that I had been following before studying abroad. I thought it was a notice related to the admission of the current year, so I clicked on it immediately."

What is the content of the post?

"The post was about the glorious feat of a certain dashing young man from ETH Zurich who jumped from a hundred boats and escaped unscathed. Although the information leaked was limited and some details couldn't stand scrutiny, and there was a suspicion of deliberate exaggeration, there just happened to be a candid photo. I carefully examined that street photo with the intention of watching a spectacle, and the more I looked at it, the more familiar it seemed. The more I looked, the more unbelievable it became. He was actually the same person in the photo my mom had just sent me. Can you imagine how I felt at that moment?"

"A raging storm, a bolt from the blue."

"More or less, but I'm also a little curious."

"Curious? I understand. A legendary figure who can describe such a contrasting situation to his family, and who can accomplish such a feat without being torn apart by the girls, if it were me, I would also want to meet him."

"Yes, but I soon realized it wasn't necessary, because my mom sent me another text message saying that the other party was already waiting for me at Vienna Airport, and that I should pay attention to etiquette and first impressions after getting off the plane, etc. At that time, there was less than half an hour left before the plane landed."

"The old wolves on the ground are already in position, just waiting for you, little lamb, to fall into their jaws."

"Haha, more or less. For the half hour before landing, I was having an internal struggle, wondering if I should just put on a mask and sunglasses and slip away as soon as I got off the plane. After all, the other party is a well-known figure in the pan-European university circle. If I get involved with him as soon as I land, I really can't be optimistic about my university life for the next few years."

“Knowing you as I do, you won’t run away,” Jill asserted after a moment’s thought.

"Yes, I made up my mind as soon as I stepped out of the cabin that I would play it by ear. I would still have to greet her at least once we met, otherwise it would be awkward for my mother and her friend. With that in mind, I got off the plane, collected my luggage, and soon met Hearn in the arrival hall."

"Then you find that it's quite different from what was reported in the rumors, right?"

“Well, actually, his demeanor back then was very…girly? Just a very natural and easygoing feeling. The photos aren't photoshopped; he actually looks even better in person than in the pictures…” Touma hesitated for a moment, choosing a word similar to her memory. “It was Christmas Eve, and it was snowing in Vienna. The atmosphere was festive everywhere. Staff dressed as Santa Claus were walking around the airport… He wasn't holding a sign; he recognized me before I recognized him. We introduced ourselves and exchanged polite greetings on the way out of the airport. He offered to carry my bag, and his speech was surprisingly shy, but his voice carried a well-concealed weariness. I studied vocal music, so I'm very sensitive to that… That day he was wearing a tartan scarf and a black winter coat…a very British style… When we left the airport, the wind was strong, and my hat was blown into the air…”

"Touma, Touma? What's wrong?" Jill, who had been quietly listening nearby, noticed the pianist's unusual behavior. She came out from behind the bar and went to Touma's side—Touma's face was terribly pale. As she continued to delve into her memories, she felt that the hallucinatory ache in her forehead, which had initially been just a dull ache, was becoming increasingly intense, accompanied by a sense of dizziness that came out of nowhere. Her voice began to break, her breathing became rapid, and the air felt thicker. She felt like a drowning person, struggling desperately to clear away the fog and grab onto that lifeline floating on the lake.

Beneath the seemingly calm surface of the lake, undercurrents surged, and invisible waves pushed her further and further away.

"Touma! Touma! Can you hear me? Wake up! Wake up!?" Jill realized the situation was getting serious. She shook the pianist's shoulders forcefully, but it was no use. She turned around, grabbed a half-melted glass of ice water from the bar, and was about to turn back and pour it over Touma's head...

A powerful, desperate force, like that of a drowning person, climbed up Jill's shoulders from behind. It was a woman's hand. Jill was turned back and saw the pianist standing up from her seat, panting, with her hands on Jill's shoulders. She looked terrible, but thankfully her eyesight had returned.

“Jill, I have a question for you, and you must answer me truthfully,” Touma said in a deep voice.

"Take your time asking questions. I'll pour you a glass of water; you're sweating a lot."

“No need,” Touma shook his head, staring into Jill’s eyes, who was so close to him. “Jill, in the past few years, has Nobunaga ever brought a little girl with rainbow hair to the shop?”

“No.” Jill thought for a moment, then answered firmly, “If there were such a guest, I would remember it very clearly. Is there a problem?”

"Five years ago, the girl who returned my hat that had been blown away was a little girl with rainbow hair. She seemed to be very close to the believer. I remember it very clearly because she didn't give me a friendly look at the time."

Is there anything strange about that?

"The strange thing is that I never saw that girl again after that, and if I hadn't continued to recall my first meeting with Nobunaga, I wouldn't have even remembered that such a person existed."

"Maybe you've misremembered," Jill tried to reassure her.

“No, I’m not mistaken, because I saw her again, in the last moment before leaving the White House,” Touma asserted.

……

One more update.

Chapter 60 Irrefutable Evidence

Why is this so?

For the first time, I've made a silly friend with whom I can play.

For the first time, I found an old Western-style building that I could immerse myself in exploring.

Two joys overlapped.

This double joy brought even more joy.

They should have already enjoyed a dreamlike and happy time.

However, why did it turn out this way?

The believer, Hearn, slumped against the lush green trees. The sea breeze swept across the cliff overlooking the sea, ruffling his hair. The salty sea breeze carried a hint of sulfur. He stared blankly toward the sea, toward the rising white mist, toward the boiling lava pool, onto the end of the dark gray sea cliff, onto the crater, onto the spot where the melting hellfire stone once stood, a mysterious and magnificent white mansion.

"How many times has this happened?" He lowered his head, staring at the small face so close to his with an extremely disgusted look.

A pair of amber eyes met his gaze with neither arrogance nor servility, the holy silver cross emblem in the pupils now tinged with a chaotic color. However, the gaze directed at him was neither desolate nor cold; it was even filled with joy, trust, and gratitude.

Even if you kick it away, it will still whimper and wag its tail as it follows you, with that puppy-like look in its eyes.

When people look at you like that, the believer always feels that she can't bring herself to turn pale.

Even though I did nothing wrong, I've been shown such kindness by a little stranger for the past four years. It's quite upsetting to feel like I did some good deed in my past life, and the person I helped became successful and came back to repay my kindness, only to find that they've completely forgotten everything.

"this is the last time."

"You said the same thing back in Yellowstone."

"Well……"

"You're not allowed to lose your temper so easily anymore."

"Then you also need to take care of yourself."

"Then, let's not do it again?"

"This will not be allowed to happen again!"

……

"It's okay for now."

After observing for a moment and noticing that the atmosphere had eased, Cinderella gestured to Miss Xue Ni.

"Huh? What do you mean it's alright?" Weiss was still a little confused.

"..." Charlotte stood there staring at her for a moment. After confirming that she really wasn't pretending to be stupid, she reached out and patted Weiss's shoulder, and said in a rare tone of helplessness, "Come with me. It might be better if you just stay like this and act silly. Maybe she'll think of you as a Samoyed, and you'll get through this."

"Samoyed?"

"Don't worry about it, just play dumb and come with me."

"Why should I listen to a demon like you? If it weren't for Hearn, I would have stabbed you right through with my sword long ago."

"You can try it anytime, but you'll have to bear the consequences."

"you……"

In the midst of Cinderella and Snow White's stepmother's quiet bickering, the believer brought the little girl with rainbow hair to the two of them.

“Hearn…” Charlotte began softly, following the previously planned approach.

“A relative’s child.” Xin Nu pointed to the little girl beside her, who was only slightly taller than his waist, and introduced her to Miss Xue Ni.

"..." Charlotte exchanged an inquiring look with the believer in silence, then pointed to the little girl and introduced her to Miss Xue Ni, "Yes, she is a relative's child."

"Is it your relative or your relative?" Miss Xue Ni felt a bit overwhelmed and asked the two of them.

The woman and Charlotte exchanged another questioning glance, but this time it was slightly different. The woman's gaze was still inquiring, while Charlotte's gaze held a hint of elusive hope.

The believer felt a chill run down her spine under that gaze. Their eyes met briefly before looking away again. He cleared his throat and uttered two words, "The same."

As soon as he finished speaking, Cinderella's gloomy eyes brightened.

"..." Weiss stared at the little girl in silence for a long time, occasionally glancing back and forth between the believer and Charlotte's faces, as if searching for certain features to compare.

In addition, Weiss didn't know if it was her imagination, but she felt that the surroundings were warmer after Hearn finished speaking. The icy frost field that Cinderella had cast earlier had been enveloping them since the beginning, but now it felt like the snow had melted, the flowers had bloomed, and spring had arrived.

Miss Xue Ni stepped forward, then squatted down, trying her best to maintain the maximum approachability of her usual aloof and icy demeanor with a smile. This rainbow-haired girl seemed to possess a kind of magic, making it impossible for even Miss Xue Ni, who had a slight psychological aversion to germs, to dislike her. Instead, she felt a sense of affection for her. She was an endearing little girl with a waterfall of rainbow-colored gradient hair that could never exist in the genes of a normal human. She had bright eyes and white teeth, delicate and three-dimensional features, and fair and delicate skin that seemed to be able to break with a touch. Her slightly red eyes were like a pair of magnificent and ancient amber, each containing a cross-like emblem. The holy silver cross was permeated with an almost insane chaotic radiance, exuding a sweet and seductive blasphemous aura. Her figure was petite and frail, as if she could be grasped in one hand, making people feel pity and reluctance to part with her. Everything about her seemed as dreamy and beautiful as if it were a three-year-old girl—except for the fact that she didn't seem human at all.

Weiss reluctantly pinched the little girl's cheek, then stood up, pulled Xin Nu to a spot ten paces away, and turned her back to the two girls.

The believer was pulled over in a daze, when suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his chest. Looking down, he saw that Miss Xue Ni was poking him with her finger again.

“Lower your head, what’s the point of being so tall?” Weiss tugged at his ear.

The believer was thinking that she wasn't that tall, but then she remembered that Miss Xue Ni was 157cm tall without shoes, so she felt relieved. She lowered her head slightly and asked softly, "What's wrong?"

"Do you think I'm some kind of spoiled, ignorant, sheltered fool?" Weiss asked him, enunciating each word clearly. Though she wasn't exactly gritting her teeth, her mood was obviously not good.

"???"

"That little girl doesn't look human at all. She smells just like that evil devil in Cinderella's skin!"

“…Xue Ni, I still think it’s because your sense of smell is different from ordinary people. I couldn’t smell anything at all. You even said I smelled bad before.”

“It’s my innate intuition. I was born with the ability to discern all the dark creatures lurking among ordinary people. I’m using my sense of smell as an analogy just to make it easier for you to understand. And how dare you tell me this? You were clearly the one who got into trouble by hanging out with demons for so long.” Miss Xue Ni wasn’t too embarrassed to say that her intuition stemmed from her mild psychological fastidiousness. She quickly changed the subject, “Tell me honestly, was that little girl born after that damned gray-haired demon seduced you into depravity, ruined your reputation, and caused you to lose your moral compass?”

"I fucking... cough cough cough..." Thunder roared, and the believer was choked by saliva and began to cough violently, which was rare for her.

"Looks like I was right." But in Weiss's eyes, this was a loss of composure, a consequence of being caught red-handed.

"I..." The believer hesitated, unable to speak after recovering.

“Shut up, Hearn, I’m talking to you about serious matters.” Weiss grasped his right hand with both of hers, her icy blue eyes fixed on his crimson-gold pupils. A hint of moisture shone in her blue eyes, a color of grievance, yet within that grievance lay a stubbornness. The warmth of their hands mingled despite the icy frost—she seemed to have endured a long period of moral torment and difficult choices, and the passage of time had ultimately culminated in this outcome. After a moment, she spoke softly, her voice gentle yet carrying an unyielding determination and strength. “My believer, perhaps you, forced into this depravity, have forgotten the promise you made to me during the six months of the succession. But I will not forget. I do not blame you, for it is all that gray-haired demon’s fault. She has erased all the precious, shining memories of humanity from your mind. I will correct this nightmarish farce and help you reclaim everything you once possessed. This is destined to be a perilous journey of cleansing.” A thorny path leading from the Shadow Abyss back to the embrace of the Holy Light. Our enemies are not only demons, but also everything in the mortal world—witch hunters, demon hunters, former comrades, brothers-in-arms, and relatives—all will stand in your way, and I will always be by your side. Of course, I am not the kind of heartless woman. That little girl has half of your blood in her, which is innocent. So after we find an opportunity to purify that gray-haired demon, I will not force you to purify that girl as well. I can even tolerate her existence and treat her as my own daughter. We can go to a place like the Beast Pit Continent, where the intercontinental radio towers cannot reach, change our identities, and raise her in anonymity. After you successfully absolve yourself of your sins, you can use your influence in the Skybreaker military, while I will control the discourse within the Xue Ni family. We can completely suppress her bloodline issue within Skybreaker, and when she is older, she can attend the junior hunter academy like other children…”

"Xue Ni... Weiss, Weiss, please calm down. I have fully understood your intentions and determination one hundred percent... no, one hundred million percent. Please calm down first. Let's not talk about how many loopholes there are in your thought process or how untenable your ideas are..." Xin Nu finally found a gap to interrupt after holding back for a long time. He felt like he was going crazy!

"This isn't a matter of deliberation or not; this is the maximum concession I can make after careful consideration. Aren't you satisfied yet?" The girl's words were filled with increasing grievance, and her icy blue eyes became more and more watery, with tears welling up.

"..."

"Woo..."

"Don't cry, I confess! I'll tell you everything! You're right, I was wrong! None of you were wrong, it's all my fault! Please, don't cry!"

In the end, the believer Hearn gave up thinking altogether.

……

Happy Lantern Festival! I'll try my best to catch up on the previous days' updates in the coming days. Please vote, recommend, favorite, and promote! Thank you!

Chapter 61 Old Ballads

“Mr. Hearn, I understand how you feel right now, but we have to leave. The cold wind seems to have realized what’s happening.”

A heavenly voice, as beautiful as music, came from ten steps behind them. The believer cast a grateful glance at Charlotte, then placed her hands on Weiss's shoulders.

“Weiss, please give me some time, and give yourself some time too.” He gazed into those tearful blue eyes, trying his best to ignore the subtle gazes coming from ten paces away, and with an almost resolute tone, he was determined to finish what he had to say. “There is still some absolute information asymmetry between us, which is the root cause of your indecisiveness. I will take you to a quiet place where no one will disturb you, and tell you how I got to where I am today. It’s a rather long story, but fortunately, it won’t be boring. After you hear it, you can make a decision, okay?”

“Heh… Believers, if that is what you desire, I will follow you.” Weiss gazed at him intently, her voice solemn. “But please understand, no matter what, I will not regret the choice I just made.”

"……I see."

With some difficulty, the believer averted her gaze from the other's face, calming her heart which had been reeling from the tsunami. She turned back and nodded to Cinderella, "Charlotte, go back to Thranheim—the Rosetta Forest. You know who I'm looking for."

“You mean… I understand.” Cinderella seemed slightly surprised, but she quickly grasped the meaning and began to guide a new chaotic corridor.

……

Weiss emerged from the dark, chaotic corridor and felt a slight tremor beneath her feet. The soft, tactile feedback of the nanmu wood floorboards came from the soles of her shoes. She suddenly realized that she was on a suspension bridge in mid-air. Looking up, she saw giant trees providing shade, their canopies blocking out the sun. She could only vaguely discern through the gaps in the branches that it was still daylight.