Witch, Fireball and Steam Evil God

Chapter 481 Welcome to the City of Freedom
On this day, Ethan met the bravest person in his life—an old woman at the hotel whose name he didn't even have a chance to ask.

She only gathered three people, and despite being outnumbered, she bravely and fearlessly challenged them, even declaring that she would personally send them on their way.

Regarding this…

Ethan felt only deep helplessness.

This can be gleaned from the expressions of Xiao An and the extremely warlike wind elemental girl. When the old woman's expression changed and she announced that they would be sent on their way, Xiao An (in black cat form) only twitched her ears slightly and didn't even bother to raise her head. The wind elemental girl continued to flip through the holy book she had stolen from the Cathedral of the Dawn, maintaining her usual literary girl facade.

Not long ago, when faced with Mary's questioning, this young girl with blue hair claimed the Holy See's sacred texts as her own with the statement, "How can a scholar's business be called stealing?"

The atmosphere in the hotel room became somewhat silent, and an awkwardness quietly spread between the two sides. This strange atmosphere made the old woman's heart pound, and she asked, "Why aren't you drinking yet? Drink so you can get on your way."

At least the old woman at the inn and these monsters were quite kind, knowing to wait until everyone had finished their last meal before taking action. To put it another way, this bowl of chicken soup might indeed be the highest-level hospitality that a small shop in the lower city could offer, used to save the lives of a few outsiders. The price was clearly marked, and there was no deception.

Okay, Ethan can't keep this up anymore.

He tried to find some redeeming qualities in these uninvited guests, but progress was not very smooth.

Because this clearly involves forced buying and selling—do those outsiders who once drank the chicken soup really want to disappear?
"Let me ask you one question: don't you know her?"

Ethan stepped behind Mary, spread his hands towards her, and then, in a manner as if introducing the Eternal Theater's Best Actress of the Year, drew the attention of the old woman and the others to this former saint of the Church of Life.

They were not well-known in the far west, so it was normal that no one recognized them. But this was Mary's territory, and these people seemed to be showing a lack of respect for our Holy Mother.

"Who is she? Why should I know her?"

The old woman frowned, suspecting that this was probably Ethan's way of stalling for time or begging for their mercy.

Once inside her shop, her identity was no longer important. She only saw a few delicate, weak girls and a large, plump bird with glossy feathers. These were all top-quality ingredients. The only one who seemed capable of resisting was Ethan, a righteous and strong young man.

She had originally planned to observe for a day, but not long ago she overheard Ethan having a familiar conversation with the security team, and she knew that these people should not be allowed to stay any longer.

Moreover, if these people really had connections with the nobles of the upper city, they would be even less likely to let the tiger return to the mountain.

The residents of the lower town had long witnessed the true colors of the nobles, and like Heriot, not a single word they uttered could be trusted.

"I must state beforehand that although I have a good temper, my friend has a bad temper. I suggest you retreat before things get worse. We can also skip this bowl of chicken soup and just pretend you were never here."

Ethan was sincere; he was serious.

If Mary is angered, it will not be good for anyone present.

They had no idea how terrifying Mary was. Pope Carlo had his legs broken by Mary after he said a few unpleasant words in the dock.

"Wait a minute, I think I've seen her before!"

A fanged man behind the old woman spoke in human language, and it's easy to infer from his reaction that he still possesses human thinking abilities.

Ethan felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

Fortunately, there was one person with good eyesight who was able to prevent a tragedy from happening.

So he didn't go forward, letting the fanged man go downstairs. A moment later, he brought back a newspaper, handed it to the old woman, and pointed at Mary for a long time.

As expected, the old woman looked shocked. Just when Ethan thought the situation was about to be resolved peacefully, the old woman suddenly let out a maniacal laugh that was unlike anything he had ever heard.

"Ivy Margaret!"

This time, instead of waiting for everyone to finish their chicken soup, she led her fanged people in a charge against Mary. Her eyes were bloodshot as she roared, "You who hold power will all die a horrible death!"

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

"Stone lung cough, this disease is not considered a difficult or complicated disease. It involves a persistent low-grade fever and a sore throat. If it is not treated in time, the cough will worsen. Many people feel that they are going to cough up their lungs when it reaches the end stage. Even the lowest-ranking priests in the Vatican can concoct a treatment potion, which should be sold in churches in every city."

After listening to Mary's explanation, Ethan understood from a modern perspective that this thing was actually just seasonal flu. However, for the poor residents of the downtown area, the strong and healthy ones managed to get through it, while those who couldn't eventually developed pneumonia.

Mary is an expert in healing and saving lives, and her words are absolutely authoritative.

However, as she spoke, her face was so dark that it looked as if she were about to draw a sword of wind and strike the entire lower city.

Ethan could understand Mary's feelings.

As a saint of the Church of Life, being mistaken for the prime minister of another country in her own territory caused her to lose face in front of her friends. Although the fanged people led by the old woman could not physically harm Mary, they still caused her real psychological trauma.

"Actually, this is understandable. After all, you haven't been a public figure for many years, so it's normal for your image and status to be replaced by newcomers."

More than the seasonal flu, Ethan was concerned about his friend's current mental state. "But I have a way. You might not believe it, but I know Princess Sophia of the Empire. She's one of the Empire's hottest directors right now and has a ton of great scripts. If you want to play the lead role in whatever kind of movie you want, it's just a matter of making a phone call."

To be fair and objective, given Mary's looks, making a few movies and winning several major awards at the end of the year is no problem at all. As a result, she will have to wear a mask every time she goes out, otherwise she will be stopped by enthusiastic fans who want to take photos and sign autographs.

"I can solve it for you right now."

Although Bazartos was greatly disappointed by Mary's previous desecration of artworks, he was still willing to give Mary a chance when it came to His domain. "Our company is currently filming 'The Chainsaw Killer.' Once things are settled here, you can come back to the capital with me for the audition."

"I understand it less and less."

Mary declined their invitation. She sat on the bed, her eyes lowered. "Bazalian cured the people of the lower city of lithiasis, although this altered their physical structure to some extent, but..."

Because Bazarus himself was present, she hesitated to speak.

It's a huge improvement over the bloody art of Bazartos.

These fanged people retained human thinking and became even more agile and stronger. The only problem was that they also developed an insatiable appetite far beyond that of ordinary people.

It turned out that the missing persons cases in the lower city were unrelated to Bazarian, but were the result of residents' spontaneous actions.

To satisfy their appetites, they turned their attention to the outsiders who were temporarily staying in Oasis City, followed by the locals who were not sociable and, in their view, not steadfast enough in their faith.

If we add Heriot, who was nailed to a stake, to the mix, Bazalian's actions after arriving in Oasis City went against Mary's expectations.

Bazalian has responded to the people's wishes and is secretly improving Oasis City—at least on the surface.

So, what is she really fighting against?
"In that case, shall we go and take a look together?"

Ethan's words made Mary raise her head.

“Such a big thing happened in the upper city, the news must be spreading to the lower city soon. I bet when the steadfast believers hear the news, they will be eager to hold a celebration meeting.” Coincidentally, the old lady at the inn was one of the core members.

She was also the first advocate to suggest that "outsiders" could also be included in the food reserves. The residents of the lower town had no goodwill towards outsiders. Because of the Eternal Theater, outsiders who came from afar stayed at the hotel all year round. Most of them belonged to the type of tourists that Ethan described to the sheriffs: those who had saved money for several years and hoped to make a pilgrimage to their dream place in their lifetime.

However, some local residents, represented by the elderly woman, viewed these outsiders as pigs who only knew how to squander their identity.

They believed that every penny these outsiders spent on tickets to support the Eternal Theatre was contributing to villains like Heriot, so naturally they hated everything about it.

The old woman's "theory of evil" became the final straw that broke the camel's back for the lower town residents. Through this behavior, she convinced the wavering residents that these outsiders were also supporters of the nobles, thus relieving their last psychological burden.

They are cleaning up the dirty parts of the world, which is a good deed.

Bazalian's response to them is the best proof.

"You're just three hairs, a hallucinogenic mushroom, and a few silver leaves away from the party."

This was the recipe for the Disguise Potion. As a master alchemist, Mary immediately understood Ethan's meaning. They could also easily find the potions for brewing the potion in the inn's kitchen.

Among the group were three master alchemists. As they gathered the ingredients for the potion, news of Heriot's death was quietly spreading through the streets and alleys of the lower town. Just before dawn, an old man dressed in tattered clothes entered the inn, bringing an invitation.

Heriot is dead, but this is only the beginning; there are far too many sinners in the Upper City awaiting their judgment.

Some have also pointed the finger at the Vatican.

Is the Vatican truly righteous today?

If that's the case, then why did the great goddess of life kick aside Pope Carlo and descend between them?

The meeting was held in an underground bar. In order to evade the surveillance of nobles and sheriffs, the "core residents" of the lower city had created an intricate "underground city" using the city's underground waterways. Every inconspicuous closet in each household could be a door to the "underground city." The entrance to this hotel was located in the back kitchen, hidden behind a closet.

Mary was astonished by the roads illuminated by the inferior energy storage crystals; the structure of Oasis City was far more complex than she had imagined.

The existence of the dungeon itself was created by the nobles in the upper city who captured one informant after another.

Some residents felt that things couldn't go on like this; the security forces and the Vatican's enforcement teams were unreliable, and they had to learn to protect themselves.

Heriot is dead!

"Goddess!"

"That scumbag!"

"douchebag!"

"You deserve it!"

After drinking the Disguise Potion, Mary followed the sound step by step. The underground tavern was brightly lit, and excited residents of the lower town held up torches. The atmosphere was lively, as if they were performing some kind of ancient ritual.

Until someone in the crowd proposed a new goal:

"Next up is Hawke!"

"That's right, he actually raised the price of medicine!"

"I'd rather throw the medicine away than use it to treat and save lives!"

Mary stood at the entrance of the tavern, the flames of the torches reflecting on the faces of every resident, their smiles a mixture of hatred and fanaticism. Through this grand ceremony, they were pronouncing the name of the next to die.

"Should we nail him to a stake?"

"That kind of scoundrel should be burned at the stake!"

"Don't forget about his big house!"

"That was all exploited from us!"

She waited until the people in the tavern had vented their emotions. What should have been a scene of upholding justice instead made them feel as if ants were crawling all over them.

If it were her, she would also try and execute sinners like Heriot and Hawke.

The confusion never dissipated.

Since the outcome was the same, she should have agreed and stood with the residents of the lower city against the common enemy. She should even have secretly assisted them, since according to the laws originally set by the Goddess of Life, villains like Heriot and Hawke deserved to die.

On this point, she and Bazalian surprisingly share the same stance.

"Then... what about the other people in the house?"

After the atmosphere cooled down a bit, Mary asked the question.

"Of course they should all be burned at the stake! They all have sinful blood flowing through their veins and have no right to live!"

The residents' answers were surprisingly unanimous, without the slightest hesitation.

"What about the servants in the house?"

Mary then asked, "Many of them are also from the Lower City."

"They work for villains!"

"They betrayed us!"

"Damn it!"

Mary was speechless for a moment. She didn't continue asking questions. Looking at the fierce eyes reflected in the torchlight, they seemed to want to grab anyone who had come near the house and skin them alive. She knew very well that if she continued to ask questions and ruined the atmosphere, she would most likely be the next "damned" person.

"Hmm, the fried dough sticks here are pretty good."

Ethan, sitting across the table, seemed completely unaffected by the crowd, enjoying the snacks that the downtown residents were celebrating with relish.

He met Mary's gaze and casually handed her a handful of steamed buns.

"Reiko, welcome to the City of Freedom."

(End of this chapter)