"You rarely talk so much with a mortal."

Betty, who had been waiting by the passage outside the cabin, followed her out.

"I talk even more with His Majesty Roland," Zoe replied dismissively.

"But we all know he can't be considered a true mortal," Betty said with mock regret. "Sean only wanted you to talk about the origin of the church. After all, a God's Punishment Witch is more persuasive. But look at what you said, 'It's not worth anything,' 'It was a mistake from the start' – tsk tsk, she's still injured. Aren't you afraid she'll run out of breath and be suffocated to death?"

"Our mission is to recover the ancient treasure and rescue the captured believers. As for whether she lives or dies afterward, what does it have to do with me?" Zoe stopped and turned to squint at Betty. "I say... when did you become so concerned about a mortal?"

"Shouldn't people care about each other?"

"Anyone might, but you're unlikely to say such a thing," Zoe paused. "Wait... you're just gloating, aren't you?"

"Don't say it," Betty laughed. "Because you and I are thinking the same thing—"

"As expected," Zoe sighed. "She really is similar."

"Yes, they're practically made from the same mold." Betty walked to Zoe's side and leaned over the porthole. "If she had been born four hundred years earlier... if she were also a witch, then at the final meeting of the Union..."

"She would definitely have chosen to follow Akaliss, rather than us," Zoe continued. "That's what makes it even more infuriating."

Farina resembled not just one person, but a group of people.

A group of Union witches who had barely survived, with a bleak future ahead.

The choices available to them were dwindling.

Even so, most of them had not given up hope. Compared to the clueless "Chosen One," the God's Punishment Witch project, which relied on their own strength to achieve their goals step by step, gained more support, even if it meant sacrificing the Union itself.

At that fateful meeting, Akaliss completely overwhelmed Nataya. The cry of "Humanity will not perish, witches will live forever" almost became the only voice in the venue. In fact, even many of Nataya's followers were hesitant, unsure whether this path would lead to dawn. And she could only stand aside, worried about the Queen of the Setting Sun, unable to even interject a word.

Her attitude towards Farina was nothing more than displaced anger.

What Zoe wanted to refute was not a believer of the church, but the Union of the past.

She wanted to tell them that witches with weak abilities were not without the opportunity to turn things around.

She wanted to tell them that ignorant and short-sighted mortals were not useless.

And what she wanted to say most was, wait a little longer...

Don't draw swords against each other because of disagreements.

But in the end, all these thoughts turned into a sigh.

Without decisive evidence, even if they started over, the Three Seats would definitely take the same path.

In that precarious and bleak moment, only those with hearts of steel could guide everyone forward.

"If Akaliss, Elenore, and Nataya could see all of this now, that would be great..."

Zoe murmured, gazing at the vast blue sea.

...

On the other side of the room, Kakin put down his pen in surprise.

"Teacher, this..." Röntgen also looked shocked, obviously not expecting to hear such a subversive conversation. "Haven't we learned too much?"

In order to better understand the story between Joe and Farina, Sean had specially prepared a cabin next to the sickroom as a residence for the two of them, and also tampered with the partition wall—a glass mirror that seemed plain and unremarkable, but had the ability to transmit light in one direction. Through this small square "hole in the wall," the entire room could be seen clearly. In addition, two loudspeakers were connected to the corner of the wall, so that the conversation on the other side could be clearly captured by placing them next to the ear.

This experience of observation, akin to voyeurism, was also a first for Kakin. Fes. Although he knew this was somewhat inappropriate, he still couldn't resist the temptation—what could be a more authentic stage than this? The people in the room were like actors, performing a play called reality, and he was the audience, as well as the recorder.

However, he thought it was a story about love and redemption, but he heard about the unknown past of the church. This news was really shocking to the two of them.

The inheritance of the Four Kingdoms all came from the Witch Empire?

Even the church was created by the Witch Union?

Those ancient witches even had the means to occupy the bodies of ordinary people?

Any of these news would cause an uproar.

Röntgen looked uneasily at the door, as if guards would rush in at any time, put her in a burlap sack, and throw her into the sea.

Kakin's mind was filled with the words of His Majesty Roland before.

"It reflects the flower of love nurtured in the darkest era."

"I think you should understand the meaning of adaptation."

Maybe... His Majesty had foreseen all of this?

But no matter what, he could no longer withdraw.

And even if he could, he would not choose to quit.

Kakin already had a vague feeling in his heart.

This drama will become an unprecedented milestone.

At this moment, the two people on the other side of the mirror seemed to have new actions.

He quickly picked up the loudspeaker.

...

"In the end... it turned out like this..." Farina's eyes were like they had lost focus, clearly looking at Joe, but her gaze seemed to penetrate him, landing on the empty distance. "The church is gone... and no one will need me anymore... You saved me, but I can't give you anything in return... I'm sorry..."

Her voice was getting lower and lower, as if she might leave at any time.

Joe grabbed her hand with heartache, "I didn't save you for the sake of any church!"

His voice was so loud that Farina couldn't help but be stunned.

"I didn't have any hope for the church from the beginning, I just wanted to muddle through! I pretended to be very pious in front of everyone because it would be easier to get promoted! I used to be a noble, how could I dedicate everything to the gods?"

"You—" Farina bit her lip, and her pupils regained focus. She struggled to raise her hand, seemingly wanting to slap him.

Joe didn't move, and even raised his neck slightly.

This slap didn't land in the end. "You're... lying to me, right? How could you not have any expectations for the church, after following me in exile to Wolfheart after the defeat of the God's Punishment Army?"

Joe grabbed her arm. "Because I wanted to stay by your side! What Pope, what War of Divine Will, in my eyes, it's all bullshit!"

"Joe!"

"Let me finish!" He had waited too long for this opportunity. He once thought he had lost her forever. Finally seeing a turning point, he would never let himself miss it again. "After I knew you were captured, I tried everything to rescue you. None of them had anything to do with the future of Hermes, because I knew that even without the church, this world would be no different to me, only you—I don't want to lose! I—need you!"

Crack.

The quill in Kakin's hand snapped at the tip.

"Nee...need me?" Farina was stunned.

"Didn't you say you couldn't give me anything in return? Then I want a return!" Joe hugged her tightly. "Give yourself to me—after that, whether we go to Neverwinter or anywhere else, we must be together. No matter what the verdict is, we will bear it together. This—is the return I want!"