The Strange Adventures of Hearn the Believer

For once, Miss Pandora fell into a silence devoid of etiquette. Her mood was somewhat low, and her delicate fingertips turned the pages of the book with slight unease.

Charlotte, who always loved reading and valued the process, was the one who loved reading, while Pandora, who only cared about the result, used books more to shun those around her and seek peace and quiet.

"Yes, today is a good day for reminiscing."

The angel who had brought death, the fox who had run away, she casually crossed her legs like a child, playing with the silvery water illuminated by the moonlight, then suddenly fell silent and let out a long sigh.

"Miss Fox's second advantage is that she is even more unwilling to admit defeat than her sister."

"Hmm, I see now. It might really be genetic."

“Pandora, sometimes your sarcastic tone really does sound just like him,” Iota said with a laugh, changing his tune on the spot.

"Ahem." Pandora cleared her throat symbolically and waved her hand to indicate that she would shut up.

Do you remember the first thing I said when we first met?

"certainly……"

"The story of the fox ended before the story of the snake began."

"...The story of the fox is actually very simple. She suffered the greatest failure of her life and felt that she had lost the meaning and value of continuing to live. So she exiled herself from heaven to Gomorrah, one of the many points between heaven and hell, a sinful city where angels and devils mingled."

"Then, she met someone there who was even more of a failure than herself, someone who lived like a walking corpse, or at least that's how it seemed."

Of all the original sins in the world, pride is the foremost.

Even if you've also fallen on hard times and ended up here, living a miserable life, when you face someone even more dejected than yourself, don't you suddenly feel a little bit brighter? In your heart.

"Besides, he's handsome." Miss Iota interrupted her memoir-like narration, emphasizing in a bright tone and cheerful mood, and clapped her hands lightly, "He's handsome, that's important!"

"..."

"Hmm?" Realizing there was no response, the angel of death uttered a questioning sound in its nose.

“Yes, that’s right, it’s important. We’re all visual beings, so you don’t need to blame yourself for it.” Having been hinted at to this extent, Pandora naturally knew how to respond.

"Your shamelessness is just like his. If I were still alive, my daughter might be just as lovable."

Iota affectionately reached out and pinched Pandora's cheek.

The latter did not get angry, but simply added in a calm tone.

"But there are no 'what ifs' in this world."

"Yes, but there are no 'what ifs' in this world, there never have been."

Iota withdrew his mischievous hand, his voice slightly lowered, but not sad; rather, it carried a hint of satisfaction.

"If the fox is still alive, then the snake is probably already dead. If the fox is still alive, then she must have lost to the rose."

"However, you won in the end."

"Yes, I won, so I'm satisfied, even though the price of winning was too high."

Pandora noticed that this was the first time today that the angel of death named Iota had shown such a pure and joyful smile, a smile without any pretense, and even containing a hint of pride.

"Pandora, in the short latter half of the fox's life, there was such a wall that stretched infinitely high upwards, infinitely deep downwards, and infinitely far to the left and right. So what is the name of this wall?"

"die."

"No, that applies to mortals. Foxes are children of fire, born with almost unlimited time to squander. Death is merely a price to pay, a high price, but not priceless. You clearly know the name of that wall, and you've even seen its afterimage."

"Of course, I remember that name."

"Then, please forget about it when the time is right."

"...Struggle permeated the fox's entire life. In the long first half of her life, she used every means to fight for the right to inherit two monarchical positions, defeating countless external rivals, only to be utterly defeated by her younger sister in the end. In the short second half of her life, she began another struggle, a struggle against an infinite wall, a dusty rose, and a deceased woman. This time, she finally won, but she won miserably."

"It began with pride, flourished with love, and ended in death—this is almost the story of the fox and the little prince. In the end, the fox exhausted her life but could not destroy the wall that stood in his heart, nor could she bite off the rose that occupied a vast land but had long since withered. However, she did manage to open a door and install a window in that wall, so that the little prince living inside would no longer live a dull and confused life due to his self-isolation. He could look at the bright scenery outside through the window, and on sunny days, he could open the door and go out for a walk, breathe some fresh air, relax, and live a little more easily."

"As for what happened later, when he heard someone calling his name outside the door, he hesitated for a long time before finally opening the door and welcoming the nearly frozen snake into the house. It was half teasing, but also half a sincere act of hospitality and testing. The many stories that followed were the tales that happened after the fox died."

"Before the story of the fox began, the story of the rose had already come to an end; and before the story of the snake began, the story of the fox had already ended."

“You are not responsible for my willful actions, nor do you need to pay the price for her choices. We were just doing what we thought was right in our respective times. This is both fate and arrogance.”

"Please protect Xiao Ji until she comes of age. Although it is difficult to make this request considering her past actions, it seems you are already doing so. I don't want you to see this as compensation for what you owe me, but rather as her unilateral debt to you. She should learn to repent and be grateful..."

“I swear by Sariel’s name, not a single gift he sent back was for you, I swear!”

That night, in the lakeside mansion, Pandora stood in front of the coffee table in the living room and chuckled when she saw the handwriting on the note.

She gently shook her head, knowing that the sulking girl was already soundly asleep in her bedroom, completely content.

The Fire Child's long life indeed stretched her childhood out far too long; at least, such a willful and capricious little girl was not yet old enough to temper herself for the sake of others.

I've lost my mind, arguing with a brat like her.

Charlotte is still a child, and childhood is a very precious thing that no child should lose. So she should play the villain herself, since she's already used to it...

There was a soft sound of footsteps outside the entrance hall, and a moment later, the door opened outwards, letting in moonlight.

In the moonlight, a familiar figure was taking off his top hat, with snowflakes sliding down the brim.

In March, Zurich is still in early spring, and occasional snowfall is not uncommon.

Snow is inherently a fickle thing, and the stubborn prejudice against it, which is associated with many unfortunate events in my childhood, has gradually become less pronounced.

"I'm back, Pandora. It really is you today."

“Welcome home, Mr. Hearn. As you know, Charlotte isn’t good with that kid.”

……

Chapter 8 Christmas Eve (Part 1)

Knockknock...

……

At dawn, the believer stood in front of an old courtyard, her gaze drifting past the sharp corners of the black iron fence into the neglected, seemingly long-abandoned courtyard.

Seeing no one answer, he pondered for a moment and made a decision. Then, like a liquid metal robot assassin from the future in an old movie, he walked straight through the courtyard gate and stood in front of the small building covered with unnatural ivy.

After brushing the snowflakes off her hat brim, the woman climbed straight in through the second-floor window.

As another year draws to a close, the seasons change, and the streets and alleys are draped in silver overnight.

The first snow of 2093 came later than usual.

The bells of Christmas Eve will ring tonight, but even in the early morning, the streets and alleys are already filled with the subtle "scent" of romance.

The omnipresent electronic sea grants the inhabitants of this planet, who are bound by gravity, a new kind of freedom. Everyone can become their own king, provided they are willing to spend, especially on days like the approach of Holy Night, when the bolts of reason always loosen more than usual.

Mr. Hearn was no different; to be honest, he came to pick up the goods and pay the final installment.

Since the riots of winter a year ago were finally quelled by some inexplicable and unknown interference, Mr. Hearn's life seemed to have truly settled down. Although he still gets caught up in some trivial matters, whether willingly or unwillingly, every month or two, apart from that, he now enjoys a different kind of tranquility, unlike those decadent years.

Peaceful and serene – this was a phrase he could only dream of in his youth.

She leaped onto the second floor, where she found herself in the study. The woman walked through the room with practiced ease, opened the tightly closed door, and stepped out. She then stepped onto an empty bottle of Chardonnay. Fortunately, she had anticipated this, but her face still darkened.

"A drunkard..."

She glanced at the tea room on the second floor, chuckled and cursed under her breath, then ignored the pile of overturned wine bottles and followed a vaguely familiar scent down the stairs to the basement.

Due to local customs, almost every old house here retains a traditional cellar. In the late 20th century, when logistics were readily available, there might not have been a need to stockpile food, but it was very convenient to convert it into other strange things.

For example, a workshop.

He was involved in the construction of this underground workshop, and its interior space was far more spacious than it could be physically, so it was only natural that he had an entry permit for this area.

At the beginning it was extremely narrow, and then he became enlightened. After taking dozens of steps, he suddenly became enlightened.

After navigating the labyrinthine corridors, the believer was able to enter the core area of ​​the underground workshop.

While it's called the core area, that's not entirely true. What you see is mostly living and working space. It's just that the work areas are divided into many sections due to different professions. Bright shop windows are set into the dark exterior walls, and each shop window displays a unique treasure of the Creator of this place.

The believer had little interest in creations or collections; he was always interested in living things. So he went straight to a workbench in the workshop, sat down, rested, and pondered.

In front of the workbench, a woman who was hard to describe was fast asleep. Her appearance in the ordinary sense was not suitable to define her. Shortly after the believer met her, thanks to her experience of dabbling in the online world and going too far, she was forced to "renew herself".

One experience like "My senior, who died three days ago, suddenly comes back to life and chases me down the hillside on my way home, which is dyed red by the setting sun" is enough.

In short, Shinju always found her interactions with Aozaki-senpai to be rather complicated.

Especially a year ago, their relationship was forced to change from a casual, cold, and sophisticated socialite and long-term electronic sea exploration partner into a kind of unwanted kinship.

Rumor has it that there are now warriors on this planet who have undergone cybernetic transformation, leaving only their brains, and are only one step away from mechanical ascension in a general sense. They can be described as outstanding "unique" individuals.

The "natural person" novices naturally had no prejudice against the group that chose the path of evolution, but she felt a little regretful after getting to know Aozaki-senpai.

On one hand, there's a brand-new technology that's been drastically modified for performance, leaving only the brain; on the other hand, there's a classical art form that can be changed at will and even retain its original flavor.

The human body is amazing, right?

While pondering, the believer listlessly lifted a strand of the woman's red hair.

While described as red hair, it is not actually red. Compared to Aoko's deep red, which is like blood, the red in front of us has a touch of bright color, making it closer to orange than red.

Inside the quiet workshop, the faint sound of someone snoring could still be heard.

"Senior, it's time to get up."

……

"I brought some tea and snacks from your favorite shop."

……

"Today is the settlement day for the business deal we discussed last time."

……

"If you're a smoker and drinker, you shouldn't stay up late so often. You seem to have lost some weight recently."

……

"Phew... My dear Miss Venus, if you keep sleeping like this, I can't guarantee what will happen next."

……

"hurt--"

……

After a chaotic commotion, Xin Nu unilaterally ended the stalemate of her morning grumpiness instinct overriding her reason. As she relaxed and lay down on the sofa in the workshop, she pulled her accomplice senior, who was fast asleep on the workbench in a bathrobe, into her arms. Then, habitually, she buried her face in that familiar yet unfamiliar bright red hair and took a deep breath.

The silence lasted for a long time, until someone broke the tranquility.

“Hearn, I remember our friendship was built on mutual respect.”

"Of course! You're the person I respect most in the academy."

"What happened to you just now?"

"I was originally going to say, 'I'm so sad, my wife kicked me out of the house early this morning to buy Christmas supplies...'"

"Shamelessness is one of the key elements in my understanding of 'Believer Hearn'."

"Please call it being worldly-wise."

"Then what was that movement you just made?"

Which action?

"This series of actions."

"Ah, it was purely involuntary, but more so out of habit."

"It's just a habit. You're so adept at it outside. Does my poor sister even know?"

"Senior, is it possible that Aoko actually knows me very well, especially when it comes to knowing when to stop?"

"Hmph, that's all for now... Let me up, how long are you going to keep your hand out of line?"

"...Haha."

……

After spending some time composing themselves, Xin Nu sat in a comfortable armchair in the second-floor tea room, bathed in the thin sunlight, facing her accomplice, the senior, across a table of tea and snacks that had been promised earlier.

The subtle craftsmanship from the East swept through like a gust of wind, leaving the tea room spotless and the atmosphere perfectly relaxed.

"To Nobunaga Hernandez, his senior, Touko Aozaki, was a knowledgeable, cultured, wise, sophisticated, and respectable lady."

“For Aozaki Touko, she felt no respect whatsoever from her junior, Nobunori Hearn, whether it was his long-standing arrogant behavior or his increasingly frivolous actions since last year.”