Chapter 54: Meeting Gülie Again, The Vanishing Body Brain
"Clang!"
Seeing the tension rise, the guard beside the pudgy man drew his longsword, pointing it at the restless citizens surrounding them.
"Shut up, all of you!"
"We are the diplomats from the Kingdom of Ohts! If you lay a hand on us, are you looking to start a war?" The fat man barked arrogantly, acting as if he already held all the cards. "The spider belongs to Ohts. How we deal with it is our business. I suggest you stay out of it."
As he spewed his nonsense, the crowd seethed with rage but dared not speak. At that moment, Shirazawa slowly stepped out of the shrine.
"How many floors must one carry a bag of rice?" He glanced sideways at the man, speaking lazily.
"What... what do you mean by that?!" The fat man froze, his face turning red with sudden fury.
"Ignorance is truly terrifying." Shirazawa snorted coldly. "Have you ever known pain?"
"Huh?" The fat man was stunned, completely unable to follow the rhythm.
*Hum!*
A crimson magic circle expanded, enveloping the members of the Ohts mission.
"Heresy Magic: Phantom Pain!"
Intense agony ripped directly through their souls. The members of the Ohts mission shrieked in succession, their screams echoing through the square. Shirazawa indifferently withdrew the magic and spoke flatly, "Get lost. We don't like talking to idiots."
With that, Shirazawa turned back toward the shrine. By now, the mission members had already collapsed from the pain, losing consciousness.
"Oh~ It's a divine punishment!"
"The Goddess has sent down her judgment!"
The citizens cried out in wonder, kneeling in worship. Shirazawa's actions only served to fuel the crowd's fanatical faith in the Goddess; it was more effective than any pyramid scheme. The local soldiers looked at each other, then at the twitching mission members on the ground, unsure of what to do.
"Drag them back to the estate and let the Count decide their fate."
"Yes, Captain!"
...
"Shiro, pack up. We're moving out."
"Huh? Why?" Shiro asked muffledly, her mouth stuffed with food.
"Staying here will only expose our tracks. Do you want the Demon Lord to show up at the front door?"
Shiro rolled her eyes and sighed. With that reminder, she finally realized the gravity of the situation. But... she was so unwilling! *Back to the miserable life of not knowing where the next meal is coming from... ugh...*
"Where are we going next?" Shiro asked curiously.
"Since Potimas has already shown his face, we're going to find him and cause some trouble, obviously." Shirazawa gave a sinister grin, revealing sharp fangs.
"Fine, I'm with you." With that, she began stashing the mountain of offerings into her Spatial Storage, saving them as "little snacks" for later.
"Devout believers!" Shirazawa called out. "Guided by the Goddess, I shall take her light to preach elsewhere. From now on, continue to pray for the Goddess. May the Holy Light spread across the earth. God is with you."
Suddenly, the figures of Shirazawa and Shiro vanished, leaving only a lingering, ancient melody echoing within the shrine. Following that stirring and righteous speech, many of the followers were moved to tears.
"Long live the Goddess!"
"May you protect the world!"
The believers worshipped with burning eyes, their expressions filled with excitement.
...
On a treetop one kilometer away.
Shiro watched the scene below with a look of utter disbelief. "Those guys are way too easy to fool."
"Faith can be a terrifying thing sometimes," Shirazawa muttered, squinting his eyes thoughtfully. What happened to those followers was none of his business. He had simply used Healing Magic to fix their injuries in exchange for gourmet food. In his eyes, it was an equal trade—nothing more.
"Alright, let me see how the Demon Lord is doing." Shirazawa activated his "Wisdom" skill, using his mark to scout Ariel's situation.
*BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!*
Terrific energy blasts exploded in the depths of the labyrinth, a massive shockwave sweeping through the entire structure. The giant Earth Dragons were covered in scars and drenched in blood. They stood their ground in the Lower Stratum, staring up at their invincible foe.
"This... what a brutal fight..." Shirazawa furrowed his brow, silently vowing to build a monument for the Earth Dragons one day to commemorate their glorious deeds.
"Go for it, Dragons!" Seeing the Earth Dragons resolutely blocking the Demon Lord's path, Shiro couldn't help but clench her fists and cheer for them silently.
Just as the two were getting invested in the show, a spatial ripple emanated from beside them.
*Hum—*
A transparent spatial portal opened, and a familiar black figure stepped out.
"Wait, isn't that...?" Shiro's eyes widened in surprise. "The black armor guy who appeared after we killed the Fire Dragon?"
The man, clad in pitch-black armor and a red cape, immediately raised both hands to show he had no hostile intent. "I am not here to fight you. I am Administrator Güliedistodiez."
Seeing the polite Gülie, Shiro promptly ducked behind Shirazawa. *Socializing is too exhausting. Let Aze handle it.*
"Lord Gülie, what brings you to us?" Facing the visitor, Shirazawa remained wary but kept his voice polite.
"I have a request for your companion," Gülie said, turning his gaze toward Shiro, who was peeking from behind Shirazawa.
"Hmm?" Shirazawa frowned. Shouldn't Gülie's target be both of them? Why specifically Shiro?
"Could you please stop the attack on Ariel? I know it is an awkward request, so you may refuse; I will not force you."
"..." Hearing this, Shiro fell into deep thought. She didn't know how to respond and cast a pleading look at Shirazawa.
"Sigh... just talk to him normally. It's fine," Shirazawa encouraged. Shiro couldn't stay this shy forever; she needed to take the initiative sometimes.
"Mmh..." After a long hesitation, Shiro gritted her teeth and sent a Telepathy message to Gülie, her voice trembling. "...I... I can't."
Finally, with Shirazawa's support, Shiro bravely gave her answer, though it clearly took some effort.
"Why not?" Gülie asked, puzzled.
"That... well, how do I say this... the ones attacking are the Parallel Minds... I can't contact them from here... and after the Queen Taratect died... the mental link was completely severed... I can't... bring them back anymore... so... that's how it is..."
Finally, through her stumbling explanation, the situation was clarified. She let out a long breath as if that single sentence had drained all her energy.
"I see..." A hint of apology flashed across Gülie's face. "Forgive me for making such an overstepping request without understanding the circumstances."
"No... it's fine..." Shiro waved her legs frantically before retreating back into Shirazawa's shadow with relief.
"I have a question," Shirazawa suddenly interjected.
"Yes? Please."
"Why did you only ask Shiro to stop, and not me?"
Gülie blinked, momentarily surprised, but then explained: "I do not sense your presence inside Ariel. The one attacking her... is only her Parallel Mind."
"Nani?!" Shirazawa froze. "Then where the hell did my Body Mind go?!"
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[Ptreon.cm/Prince_of_LanLi for 50 adv chs. 20% discount right now. Throw spirit stones to this humble one *dogeza*.]