Witch, Fireball and Steam Evil God

Chapter 393 The Other Side of the Light

"Good morning, friends of Gear City! This is your good buddy Johnny. Welcome to today's guest invitation. Today we are honored to have invited the Grand Summoner, Ms. Hetia. As we all know, she defeated the Demon King alongside the hero. Now, Ms. Hetia has returned to Gear City, dedicated to creating a warm and safe haven for every resident."

The host turned the conversation to the girl in the bubble skirt on camera, "Ms. Hetia, please say hello to the residents of Gear City!"

"Hello everyone, I am Hetia. I used to work as a summoner and logistics officer in the team."

With her sweet smile and powerful strength recognized by the royal family, Hetia had already gained a large following before her image appeared on screen. Even in the slums of Gear City, the residents who were utterly disappointed with the nobles and officials sincerely believed that Hetia's return would bring change to the city.

In the morning, Bi'an sat in the bakery, becoming a witness to this live interview.

This is also Gear City—it shares the same name as the border city of the Empire, and even its area and urban structure are more than 80% similar.

"empire".

This is the name that the other side learned from the town's residents. Ironically, the destroyed town was called Riverside Town, and even in this empire that was so similar to the Empire, it could not escape the fate of being destroyed.

In a daze, the other shore returned to where the dream began.

At that time, the Council of Seven was still the highest authority in the empire. The Imperial Knights received news from the border that Riverside Town had been attacked by an unidentified witch, suspected of possessing a highly dangerous cursed object. Intelligence personnel also discovered the existence of Dream Eclipse members.

That was before she met Ethan and Winter.

But at least...

Several residents of Riverside Town survived the bombardment by the magic cannon.

Of course, this "empire" also has many differences. For example, the belief in evil gods is not widespread in this world. The source of all evil is the "Demon King," who has been defeated. Last night, the imperial family announced the news in major cities. The most mainstream view now is that the hero perished together with the Demon King in the final battle.

Two years ago, the War of Decline had not broken out in this world, and Henry VI was still alive and in good health.

It's worth mentioning that this "empire" is far more technologically advanced than them. While JK Forest and Bazartos Films are dedicated to bringing movies to the big screen and making them the mainstream form of entertainment for humanity in the next era, Gear City is already able to put interviewees on screen in real time.

"If we tell Lady Hetia about what happened in Riverside Town, perhaps she will help us..."

Several townspeople were touched by Heitia's gentle and kind image on screen, and murmured to themselves.

Although their lives had been terrible before, as long as the hero was still alive, there was always hope. They believed that the Grand Summoner Hetia, who was the hero's companion, must also be a person with a sense of justice, just like the hero.

Perhaps they could reveal to Ms. Hetia what the Imperial army had done after they left, and the inhumane massacres they had committed in the town.

For a moment, all their attention was focused on the other side.

This woman, who calls herself the Imperial Knight Commander, has long been the backbone of the team. Although they have never heard of the Empire establishing a knightly order, let alone a title like "Knight Commander," it is not hard to tell from the "Demon King's" attitude towards her that Miss Other Shore has a remarkable background.

She may be the only imperial citizen to have gained the "Demon King's" approval.

Sensing the eager looks from the people, Bi'an straightened his expression and solemnly delivered his important speech for the day, "The bagels here... are quite delicious."

In fact, she had already attracted the attention of the other guests, which was clearly contrary to their "low-key" plan before entering the city.

Miss Bi'an... she really has a huge appetite.

The empty plates beside her piled up like a small mountain. After saying "I'll go over there," the group watched her walk up to the dumbfounded saleswoman and buy six more plates of freshly baked bagels.

Miss Bi'an's appetite is already more astonishing than that of many large monsters they know.

Along the way, they also witnessed Miss Bi'an's way of making money—the monsters roaming outside Gear City suffered an unprecedented blow, and those dangerous monsters that Bi'an could kill with a single punch have now become bagels on the table.

"Why are you all staring at me? You should eat more of the delicious food."

"Beyond the Shore said in a matter-of-fact tone, "Being a knight is a profession that consumes physical strength. Eating is like recharging yourself."

Her theory remains somewhat incomprehensible.

However, the residents of Riverside Town didn't want to waste any more time on the topic of breakfast. "It must be the Imperial army that deceived Lady Hetia. Someone as upright as her would not stand idly by if she knew what the army was doing!"

"Okay, then you should go find her."

Bi'an shrugged. "Consider this our farewell dinner."

Once she had safely escorted the residents of Riverside Town to Gear City, her mission was complete. Next, she needed to find a way to contact Ethan and Winter.

The way home is not easy to find. She was brought to this world dragging along the criminal suspect "Demon King", but Ethan cannot bring her back to the Empire through the reverse summoning ritual because her level is far from enough. A Knight of the Round Table of her level cannot enjoy the treatment of an Old God.

However, she believed that Ethan and Winter must have learned from Valerie about her disappearance with the "Demon King" and must have already taken action.

"Huh? A farewell dinner?"

Several residents were startled.

“You can start a new life here, change your identity and find a job to survive in this border city, or you can hope to find someone to uphold justice for you. It all depends on your heart.”

She took a bite out of the bagel in her hand and said, "As for me, I'm going to the capital."

Before we knew it, the interview on the screen was nearing its end.

Hetia maintained her gentle and sincere demeanor, "Although the Demon King has been defeated, the poison it left behind still remains. As long as evil thoughts exist in people's hearts, a new Demon King will appear sooner or later. Although Solan has left us forever, I believe this battle is far from over..."

She paused, then smiled even more brightly. "But until then, I will continue to fight with all my might, for the Empire, for Gear City, and for you all."

"Thank you, Ms. Hetia."

What a beautiful ending! Before the commercial break, Hetia was still smiling and waving to everyone in front of the screen, which greatly encouraged the survivors of Riverside Town and brought some comfort to their bewildered hearts.

"Ms. Hetia is right, we should continue fighting!"

The older survivor clenched his fists, his gaze resolute.

They couldn't live their lives in a daze; they had to expose the atrocities committed by the Imperial army in Riverside and bring the culprits who gave the order to bombard the town to justice!

They are not fighting alone; the Grand Summoner Hetia and the other members of the Hero Squad will be their reliable allies.

“Miss Bi’an, thank you for your help!” Bi’an chewed the steaming bagel with relish, and after a moment, she glanced at the child who had been left behind.

Aren't you going with them?

"Please let me follow you."

The girl's eyes were like those of a homeless stray cat, "I am willing to be your servant and serve you in your life. Please don't send me away."

........................

Meanwhile, outside the broadcasting building.

As soon as Hetia stepped out, Sheriff Black, who had been pacing back and forth at the door, came to greet her. He had changed his clothes and was much more awake than when they met in the middle of the night. His gaze toward Hetia was filled with an uncontrollable fear.

Last night, after Hetia and the couple left, he became too drunk and passed out in his office. This morning, he was awakened by the exclamations of his subordinates. The first officers to report to the police station discovered a horrifying scene in the back alley.

Two unidentified bodies, only half-body, were missing their upper bodies, making it difficult to identify the deceased. However, Blake immediately recognized them as the couple who had come to the police station with Hetia overnight.

They all came from the slums, for their daughters.

As for the truth of the case, he naturally did not reveal the facts.

Theft was the excuse that Baron Flint came up with.

The couple's daughter was a saleswoman with a strong personality. After being harassed by the baron's son in public, she angrily confronted him, embarrassing the baron's son. So, they came up with this legal reason to make their daughter owe the baron's family a large sum of money—such things were not uncommon in Gear City, but this time an accident occurred during the execution.

After being taken to Baron Flint's mansion, their daughter fought back fiercely and struck the baron's son on the head with a piece of the baron's jewelry. Enraged, the baron ordered his guards to hack her to death, which led to the police record of "being shot dead while trying to steal a gun".

Blake was extremely anxious because he had no idea what Hetia's attitude was towards the matter.

If the Grand Summoner insists on thoroughly investigating this matter, Baron Flin will probably have to ask his uncle, who lives far away in the capital, to intervene in order to save him from trouble.

Blake knew very well that the police station's records were full of loopholes; his heart had been in his throat all night. However, Hetia did not delve further into the records and left with the couple.

Then the couple died, in a way that sent chills down the spines of all the detectives.

From the detective's perspective, it seemed more like they had been silenced by Baron Flint. After all, they were used to being lawless in Gear City and indeed had the kind of reckless nature to act without considering the consequences. As for the High Summoner, Lady Hetia... Black couldn't figure out her motive for killing that couple.

"Ms. Hetia, do you have a moment now?"

Blake decided to first subtly inform Hetia of the news to gauge her reaction. If Hetia flew into a rage, he would have no choice but to immediately inform Baron Flint and tell him to pray for himself.

"of course."

"It's about that couple from yesterday's case."

Blake found a secluded spot. "They were murdered. Detectives found their bodies this morning in the back alley of the sheriff's office. The case is still under investigation, and we don't yet have any information about the killer."

"There's no need to continue the investigation."

"what?"

Blake jolted awake. Hetia still wore a warm, gentle smile, but he suddenly realized something that sent chills down his spine.

He suddenly realized that even if Baron Flint wanted to kill them to silence them, he would most likely leave the couple with two bullet holes in their heads, rather than losing their upper bodies, which would be far too cruel.

"Due to their discontent, they harbored evil intentions and actually wanted to summon the Demon King again."

Heitia said, "From that moment on, they were no longer citizens of the Empire, but rats that breed disease, so I did my duty."

Unfortunately, the couple did not pass her test.

This has never been a fair world, and after experiencing injustice, they point the finger at the empire based on just a few words from others.

It is people like these who breed darkness.

So her battle was not over yet. She knew that there were still a large number of "Demon King reserves" in Gear City and the Empire. If these rats in the gutter were not wiped out, they would eventually breed new Demon Kings.

"I understand... I will handle the aftermath properly."

"Thank you for your hard work, Sheriff Black."

Heitia stepped out of the shadows without looking to the side, into the bright midday sun. "Let's bring light to this city together."

Blake stood still, watching Hetia's figure disappear into the distance.

His right hand trembled uncontrollably. He had seen countless vicious criminals before, but none had ever instilled such fear in him as Hetia. Unlike the old aristocracy represented by Flint, she did not even seem to regard the couple as two living people when she spoke of them; her attitude was as if she were treating two rats in a sewer.

Only he knew this secret.

To others, Hetia remains the gentle and benevolent Grand Summoner who brings them hope.

Blake saw a group of people approaching Hetia; they were several ragged people who looked like refugees who had fled to Gear City from other places.

Blake recognized their eyes.

In the eyes of those refugees, Hetia was their savior, their hope for justice—just like the couple who had come with her to the police station late last night.

Hetia maintained the same smile as last night.

She patiently stopped walking.

"Grand Summoner Hetia, please forgive our intrusion, and please do us justice!"

"Don't worry, please tell me what happened?"

“We are residents of Riverside Town, and we have seen you in the town before!”

The elderly resident of the riverside town said emotionally, "I want to expose to you the atrocities committed against us by the Imperial army after you left!"

(End of this chapter)