Chapter 290: Mr. A: I'm Really Not a Traitor!
Chapter 290: Mr. A: I'm Really Not a Traitor!
Wearing elegant and refined clothes that were not revealing at all, demerit.
Having a demeanor that was neither coquettish nor seductive, but rather full of maturity and grace, looking like a noble lady, demerit.
Taking the field personally, with a striking resemblance to Bernadette, this point deserves a merit.
Overall, Hastur still gave this Witch card a merit, since Roselle personally cross-dressed for the occasion, isn't a merit not too much to ask?
Hastur played with this hard-earned Witch card, "Tsk, I had all sorts of imaginations before actually seeing it, but the real thing just feels bland and tasteless. Roselle, you really let me down."
After appreciating Roselle's Witch form, Hastur began to memorize the various sequences of the Witch Path.
This time, he would make sure Aisala went out for some training, striving to become an assassin as soon as possible.
There's no such thing as a shut-in assassin, but Aisala was becoming more and more fond of staying cooped up at home.
...
March 1st.
Time always flies, and the winter chill had dissipated from Southmoor County in March, with the cool, moist spring breeze promoting the growth of all things.
On the first day of this month, Hastur sent Kaires, disguised as the butler of Earl Campbell, to personally visit three nearby city mayors and demand the return of their territorial autonomy.
First, he needed to regain territorial autonomy, then he could find a way to infiltrate his influence into the various ports along the coast.
The smoke of war in the Southern Continent had not yet drifted across the sea to Southmoor County, and many people still maintained a mindset of watching from across the ocean.
Even in Beckland, renowned for gathering the wisest people in all of Ruen, there was a polarized stance on whether the Southern Continent would spread the flames of war to the Kingdom of Ruen.
After all, no matter what, a kingdom would always have two different voices.
The ship that Sharon was waiting for was still adrift at sea, and she received the latest news that it would take at least a week for the mummy-carrying vessel to reach Port Penning.
Hastur had also entrusted the task of instructing Aisala to Sharon, who was temporarily free from handling other matters. Her wraith abilities were well-suited for tracking and spying, which would be very helpful in monitoring Aisala's nighttime activities.
At night.
Sharon took Aisala out, hoping to help it digest the assassin potion as soon as possible, as the extraordinary materials for the Instigator sequence 8 of the Witch Path had already been collected, thanks to the efforts of the yellow-robed monks.
Their luck values were generally high, and they often accomplished tasks with remarkable efficiency, easily gathering the things Hastur wanted.
In the Constellation Hall, Hastur scanned the constellations as usual, finding no anomalies. His gaze then fell upon the light dots in the constellation containers.
During this period, Mr. A had been constantly praying for the descent of the deity, as if he had encountered some major event.
Hastur had a good impression of Mr. A, and didn't mind granting his small wish.
In the town of Tamwood, at the end of a small path to the southwest, a house nestled amidst the forest foliage basked in the radiance of the constellations.
In the second-floor prayer room, Mr. A's handsome brow was tightly furrowed, almost forming a crease, and his demeanor was not as calm and composed as usual. He appeared agitated and uneasy.
With restless steps, he paced around the room a few times. When he raised his head and gazed upon the statue of the Lord, his emotions became even more complex.
He had always believed himself to be the most devout follower of the Lord, but he never expected that one day he would be accused of being a traitor to the Aurora Society and abandoning the Lord's faith!
The Lord's faith was far more important than his own life, and he would never abandon it, only follow it forever.
However, recently, when he secretly contacted other members of the Aurora Society, he was suddenly informed that he had been expelled from the society and was no longer the Mr. A responsible for managing Beckland's affairs. Some fanatical believers of the Aurora Society even attacked him directly!
He had no choice but to kill these members who had lost their minds, lest they tarnish the Lord's purity.
But as they lay dying, they uttered vile curses at him, even saying that a Saint would come in person to deal with him, the traitor.
There were only five Saints in total within the Aurora Society, their status surpassing that of the twenty-two Apostles, and each Saint was at least a sequence 4 demigod.
They represented the boundary between humans and deities, a symbol of immense power.
Mr. A felt deeply apprehensive, almost doubting whether he had truly betrayed the Aurora Society.
No, there must be some misunderstanding.
Mr. A promptly corrected his thoughts, steadfastly believing until he learned the reason why he was considered a traitor from a member of the Aurora Society. Then, he could no longer remain calm.
The reason given by the Aurora Society for his defection was: "Mr. A coveted the Lord's divine power, harboring ambitions to further ascend, and thus absconded from Beckland with the Lord's divinity, his current whereabouts unknown."
He had clearly left Beckland according to the Lord's divine decree, but why would this become the reason for his defection from the Aurora Society?
Was the Lord deliberately arranging this?
But what profound meaning could there be behind such an act?
The more he thought about it, the more blasphemous it seemed, and all he could do was pray ceaselessly before the Lord's statue, beseeching the Lord to resolve his doubts.
Finally, his piety moved the Lord, and the Lord's incarnation descended once again this night.
Thump.
Mr. A immediately knelt before the constellation container, tilting his head upwards, hands clenched tightly, with his nails digging into his palms, anguishing: "Lord, I have always devoutly believed in You. Your image has been the sole guiding light in my pale life. I have truly not abandoned Your faith. If I ever had an impious thought, even if it merely flashed through my mind once, I would willingly ascend the gallows and endure all manner of cruel tortures."
The painful and aggrieved words distorted Mr. A's once handsome face.
Hastur remained silent, his own feelings equally complex.
From his perspective, Mr. A's actions were not merely abandoning faith in the true Creator, but blatant blasphemy.
The descent of the constellation container was something he had put forth his utmost effort for.
But from Mr. A's perspective, he had absolutely not betrayed the Aurora Society, let alone abandoned faith in the true Creator. On the contrary, he was still the Lord's most trusted and relied-upon follower.
And if viewed from the Aurora Society's perspective, Mr. A's actions were indeed those of an outright traitor!
"Merciful Lord, is this a trial You have deliberately left for me?"
Mr. A quickly found a suitable reason for himself.
Hastur merely observed him, then calmly spoke in response to his hopeful gaze: "When you can bear all insults and sacrifices, then you will be the most qualified believer."
He knew that all of this was the result of the Lord's special favor towards him!
The Lord, the only one he believed in, always cherished His devout followers in such a way!
See, I'm not a traitor, this is all the Lord's cherishment!
Mr. A shouted madly in his heart, rubbing his sore and swollen eyes, suppressing the urge to burst into tears, and forcing himself to remain composed: "I am grateful to the Lord for everything. Your expectations are my greatest motivation to move forward. As the Lord's most devout follower, even at the cost of my life, I will bear all insults and sacrifices as You have expected."
After consoling the emotionally agitated Mr. A, Hastur opened the door to the spiritual realm and departed.
"Lord, Your cherishment always comes as such a delightful surprise," Mr. A murmured softly, his face clearing of the previous gloom and unease.
Now, even if Lord Uloriuss himself descended before him, he would not utter a single word about this matter.
Bearing all insults and sacrifices, just like the path the Lord had walked.
...
March 6th, a day worth remembering for Aisala, the day it successfully digested the assassin potion under Sharon's watchful eye and guidance.
According to Sharon, during this period, she had left Aisala alone in the depths of the uninhabited forest, allowing it to learn from the opportunistic hunters of the jungle how to kill prey unexpectedly.
An assassin was never meant for direct confrontation but to calmly and patiently seek or create opportunities for assassination - this was the true way of the assassin.
Being cold-blooded and ruthless was merely a closer approximation to the human understanding; in the eyes of a feline assassin, there was only the distinction between hunter and prey.
The returned Aisala did not speak idly, its face taut, preferring to linger in the shadows, observing everything with deep, watchful eyes, as if searching for its next suitable prey.
This state lasted only two days.
When Hastur took out some fish treats, Aisala immediately became joyful and silly, hugging the treats with a goofy grin.
Aisala had already learned to speak, but it seemed to dislike talking, generally expressing itself through meows of varying intensity.
"Instigator, this is the name of your next sequence. First, you need to understand the meaning of the word 'instigate.'"
"Meow."
"To instigate means to persuade, entice, instruct, incite, or bribe someone who does not have a particular intention, causing them to act according to the instigator's intent."
"Meow?"
"..."
Originally, Hastur had hoped Sharon would take over this lecturing task, but she saw through his intention to slack off and found an excuse to decline first.
Reluctantly, Hastur had to hold Aisala and begin the lecture himself.
(End of chapter)