Rhodes Island does not exist.

"morning……"

The hallucinations became increasingly intense.

Or perhaps it wasn't an illusion, but a dream.

"In...you..."

No more.

The doctor closed his eyes.

-

"Doctor! Doctor! I got up very early today!"

On a clear, snow-white morning in Rhodes Island sometime in the past.

Amiya's voice was so loud that even the medical staff could hear it, which showed just how excited she was.

"Good morning, Amiya." The Doctor leaned back in his chair, sipping his coffee, and gently raised his other hand to wave at Amiya. "Did you sleep well last night?"

"I'm fine!" Amiya closed the door to the Doctor's office, took light steps to the doctor's desk, and skillfully moved a chair over and sat down. "That's why I was able to get up so early today."

"Really?" The doctor smiled. "I was worried you might not be able to sleep because you were looking forward to this morning too much."

"No way, I fall asleep really fast!" Amiya said, as if trying to prove herself. "And I definitely won't stay in bed too long when I wake up!"

"That's really impressive." The Doctor placed the coffee on the table, then leaned over and patted Amiya's head.

To be honest, because the ears are so hairy, it feels really nice to have your hands tucked between them.

"Then, shouldn't we keep our promise, Doctor?" Amiya's eyes revealed both anticipation and unease.

“Yes, of course I will keep my promise.” The Doctor nodded, pulled his right hand away from between Amiya’s two rabbit ears, and sat back in his previous position. “Shall I begin now?”

"Wait a moment!"

Amiya, who had been urging him on just moments before, suddenly reached out her hand, gesturing to the Doctor.

"What's wrong?" the professor asked.

“Before that, you have to tell me something.” Amiya’s expression was serious.

How many years ago did this happen?

-

happy Valentine's day.

Chapter 108, Chapter 107: Deep Sea Tales, Part 41: Gazing at the Vast Ocean

Kingdoms will eventually perish, and civilizations will eventually die out.

However, life itself will continue to extend, establishing new kingdoms and civilizations.

After all, the earth gives life the right to grow, and naturally it also has the right to take it away.

But the earth is not the only entity that grants the right to life.

Beyond the earth lies the ocean, deeper and wider than the earth itself.

"Outside of Iberia and Agor, many people have never seen the sea, or even know what it is."

At seven o'clock in the evening, Skadi, bathed in the soft glow of the setting sun, spoke to the Doctor amidst the endless reflections on the sea.

"Someone as knowledgeable as you should understand why this is."

"Yes." The doctor nodded.

Levi sat on the beach nearby, watching the two with unfamiliar eyes.

The horizon was gradually tinged with darkness.

“People live in an information network constructed by society,” the doctor began. “From gossip to current affairs magazines to collective education in schools… it’s all arranged, because those responsible for disseminating news will only disseminate news that is suitable for dissemination.”

"Just as a child attending school in Victoria wouldn't receive news like Kazdel is enjoying hunting passing Lateran merchants," the doctor said, "because such news has no positive effect and doesn't impart any knowledge to young children; at best, it would only appear in some narrow, cramped discussion forums."

“And the sea is the same thing.” His gaze fell into the afterglow. “People who live outside the coast have never seen the sea, and those who understand the inner workings of the sea do not spread the word about it. So such information will naturally not spread. Even if outsiders hear it, it will only be used as a strange story at the dinner table for conversation.”

"And you?" Skadi asked. "Have you ever seen the sea?"

“No, I’ve never seen it,” the doctor shook his head. “But I will see it tonight, won’t I?”

"What are you talking about?" Levini asked, puzzled. "Isn't the sea right in front of us? I've often heard people from our old town talk about the sea."

“Levini,” the doctor said, looking at her, “you’re not a native of Iberia, are you?”

“Of course I am,” Levini asked, feigning doubt. “I was born in Asturias, and…”

“But your parents aren’t,” the doctor shook his head. “Otherwise, you couldn’t be a Felin.”

“That… is true.” Levini paused for a moment, then nodded. “My parents seem to be from Victoria. Oh… it seems there are many families in Asturias that are from Victoria.”

For example, that bartender.

The doctor thought to himself.

“So you find the ocean uninteresting, and so do the people around you,” the doctor told her. “But that’s okay, that’s fine.”

"Hmm...?" Levini clearly didn't understand what the doctor was trying to say.

“You are pure.” Skadi turned around and patted Levini’s head. “He’s praising you.”

"Hmph." Levini turned her head away and pouted as she enjoyed Skadi's slightly rough hands. "You guys are probably saying something I don't understand again."

"Yes, but it's better if you don't understand." The Doctor smiled. "Skadi and I will be leaving for a while. During this time, you should stay quietly in that chapel and remember to lock the door."

"Are you leaving me alone?" Levini's tone was slightly flustered. "It was fine when I was at home, but it's so quiet here, it's making me a little uneasy..."

“There’s nothing to be afraid of,” the doctor shook his head. “You just need to stay in the church and remember not to open the door no matter what you hear.”

"That sounds more frightening, like you, Doctor, already knew what was going to happen." Levini's gaze towards the Doctor became increasingly strange.

“Indeed,” the doctor nodded, “but it will only be more dangerous if you come with us.”

"...When will you be back?" Levini asked. "I really want to leave this place as soon as possible."

“Come back after we’ve solved this problem,” the doctor said, looking at her. “After all, until this problem is solved, I’m afraid none of us will be able to leave the city.”

“The Papal Knights and the Punishers will be like dogs, sticking right behind you,” Skadi said calmly.

“Right…after all, we’re still on the run.” Levini nodded thoughtfully. “So what are you planning to do? Take them all out?”

"To be honest, I still can't do it... No, if it were Skadi, I guess I could—"

“Don’t have any strange expectations of me.” Skadi glanced at the Doctor. “And don’t think those six-barreled revolvers on the backs of the Papal Knights are some kind of beautiful works of art. Believe me, you don’t want to see them fire—especially when they’re aimed at you.”

"So you actually got shot by a revolver?" The doctor looked surprised.

That initial statement was just a casual remark, but it unexpectedly lured out the real deal.

“No, how could that be?” Skadi shook her head. “That thing wasn’t meant for humans at all. It was a weapon used by the old Lateran people hundreds or thousands of years ago to hunt giant beasts.”

“To give an example, you wouldn’t normally use a broken city spear to shoot at someone, would you? That would lead to a military court in Terra,” she added.

"Where did Terra get a military tribunal..." the doctor scoffed. "Besides, the City-Breaking Spear is generally used against people, isn't it?"

"And... you're not really going to compare something like the City-Breaking Spear to a Revolver, are you?" The Doctor glanced at Skadi. "The City-Breaking Spear is like a needle in front of that thing."

“Really? Anyway, I’ve never been hit by the City-Breaking Spear, so I don’t know.” Skadi shrugged. “If someone had actually been hit by the City-Breaking Spear, their death probably wouldn’t have been very complete.”

“Indeed.” The doctor nodded.

"When I went to Saint-Germain Castle before, I saw infected people being shot to death on the tundra by the city-breaking spears."

"The corpse, split into several pieces by the powerful impact, rotted openly under the cold sun, gradually being covered by the ice and snow of Ursus, like a red lotus flower."

“No matter where you are in Terra, the problem of infected people is just as serious.” Skadi shook her head and sighed softly.

"After all, that's what Oripathy is," the doctor said, looking at the sea.

"Only when you become infected yourself can you truly understand the suffering of those infected."

-

Thank you segment.

I've received so many gifts in the last two days, thank you everyone.

Thank you to my forever devoted fan, Ichinose Shiro, for the monthly pass; thank you to Shanqingshuixiu for the razor blades and spicy strips, thank you.

Chapter 109, Chapter 108: Deep Sea Tales, Part 42: Her Past

Ore disease is a paradox.

After traveling through countless cities and states of Terra and witnessing how they treated the Infected, the Doctor sometimes had a question that arose: "Are the people of Terra truly devoid of compassion?"

After all, the oppressive measures many countries take against those infected are suffocating, and even bystanders find them unbearable to watch.

But in reality, for this kind of thing, we often need to think in reverse.

The reason why bystanders feel sorry for each other is precisely because they are just bystanders.

If those bystanders were placed in an environment filled with infected people, they wouldn't think that way.

Imagine it.

If your neighbor is infected, you could risk contracting Oripathy even if you accidentally bump into him in the morning and your bare skin comes into contact with the Originium crystals on his skin.

If you share the same well in the village, then there is naturally a risk of being infected by him.

Not to mention his colleagues and friends who have more contact with him in his daily life.

After all, Oripathy is no trivial matter; it's an incurable disease with virtually no chance of recovery. Once you get it, you'll die.

So when many people see infected people, their blood stained with filth, being oppressed and bullied, they feel indignant and lament the injustice of fate. But if those infected people come into their lives, they tend to avoid them at all costs.

It's just like that joke goes—

If I had ten million, I would donate it; if I had one million, I would also donate it; but if I had a car, I wouldn't donate it.

why?

Because I actually own a car.

-

It's exactly eight o'clock.

As the last rays of the setting sun disappeared on the distant horizon, the Doctor and Skadi left the seaside area.

The waves and sea breeze mingled together, whimpering softly, as if bidding them farewell.

“Actually, I have a question,” the doctor said to Skadi as they walked down the street.

"What?" Skadi didn't turn around, but just stared at the dark road ahead.

"Why is the seashore safer?" the doctor asked. "If the bishop's plan is to prepare for the sacrifice by establishing a ceremony similar to the Great Tranquility, then isn't the sea, the ancient cradle of Agor, the most dangerous place?"

“That’s not the case.” Skadi shook her head. “After the Great Tranquility dissipated, the seaside area became a complete deserted place and was tightly sealed off—although even if it wasn’t sealed off, no one would come.”

“And if this large area near the sea is uninhabited, then the ancient creatures of the deep sea will naturally have no opportunity to take advantage of it, and will be forced into a state of hibernation, constantly calling out to the Agors who are their kin through the pull of bloodlines,” Skadi said.

"That's why we must expel or kill those Argollers who have gone mad." The doctor recalled what he had said before.

“That’s right.” Skadi nodded. “Because for them, Agor is their only bond, and the only medium through which they can spread their mad murmurs to others.”

"But at the time of the incident, there were almost no Agor left in Iberia besides the Cardinal, which means... that this bloodshed in the Tribunal was actually caused by the Cardinal?" the Doctor asked in surprise.

“Yes,” Skadi said. “The bishop used the cardinal’s bloodline to completely corrupt him with the mad whispers of the sea, thus spreading the whispers throughout the entire Inquisition based on this powerful clergyman.”

"In other words, the bishop killed the cardinal, and the cardinal killed everyone in the Inquisition."

"Just a whisper was enough to make them kill each other?" The doctor looked extremely surprised.

In fact, he had only been here for about a day, so it was still somewhat difficult for him to fully absorb the knowledge of the Agor region.

“You may underestimate the deep sea.” Skadi shook her head. “You should know that all Agor people are haunted by this whisper from birth and will spend their entire lives resisting its temptation.”

Even if it means leaving Iberia?

“Even if we leave Iberia,” Skadi said seriously. “After all, Iberia is just a region, while Agor is a concept.”

“All Agorians spend their entire lives trying to escape the call from their deep-sea home, but no one has ever succeeded, including me.”

“But you look perfectly normal,” the doctor said, looking at Skadi.

“Because I was in charge of killing those abnormal Agors, this job required me to get used to whispers and madness,” Skadi said coldly. “The side effect was that I almost lost the ability to express emotions.”