Am I really hallucinating?

Chapter 437 Because of Mood
In the early hours of the night, a cool breeze from the southern Rosta Mountains brought a refreshing coolness.

The damp, cold air permeated the streets late at night, making people reluctant to linger outdoors. Only the occasional footsteps and figures could be heard through the fog.

Nowadays, many nighttime jobs have been suspended, either voluntarily or involuntarily, leaving some places that should still be bustling at night feeling deserted.

The most common figures were, of course, patrolling soldiers.

Even with the tense situation, the soldiers' patrols remained lax. They habitually stopped by some street taverns to grab a few bottles of wine and chat with their comrades as they walked along the road.

Some even went so far as to sit down in the tavern and prepare to treat themselves to a late-night snack.

The tavern owner dared not speak out against these soldiers who depended entirely on their character and mood for whether they would pay or not. The puppets guarding them could step forward and beat the people around them to the ground the moment they raised any objections.

Under the mysterious cover of night, a group of people, taking advantage of the soldiers' laxity, stealthily sneaked into the city from outside and, with the help of the surrounding dolls, quickly moved into the alleys.

The Mechanical Heart stronghold in Xinmu City is located in a dilapidated hut, hidden among dense old buildings and appearing unremarkable.

“Mr. Grealley,” the person inside greeted immediately upon seeing one of the men in the group.

One by one, the visitors removed their hoodies; they were all well-known figures active in the Mechanical Heart movement, the most famous of whom was naturally party leader Grealley.

"You've all worked hard. I've roughly learned about the situation in Xinmu City on the way. Time is of the essence, so let's prepare quickly. According to the latest news, Durazon's army is likely to launch an attack tomorrow." Grealley said quickly and without any hesitation, revealing startling information right away.

“Mr. Grealley!” At this moment, Midia stepped forward.

Midia was one of the first people to join the Mechanical Heart in Xinmu City after the Mechanical Heart reform. He contributed a lot to the consolidation and promotion of the Mechanical Heart in Xinmu City, which is why he was able to appear here at this time.

"You must be Midia. Don't be so formal. We've been in contact before." Grealley recognized Midia immediately and greeted her with a smile.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Grealley. I’ve brought someone very important with me to this meeting; she would like to see you.”

Grealley's eyes widened: "She's not a member of the Mechanical Heart?"

This kind of opening usually introduces characters who are not ordinary.

Upon hearing this, those around Midia were also very curious. It was generally considered taboo for Grealley to bring a stranger to such an important meeting.

However, it was because Midia's performance in the Mechanical Heart of Xinmu City was convincing enough that others had no objections.

The high-heeled boots made a crisp sound as Rabi stepped out from the corner of the room. Before this, even the specialized reconnaissance and concealment puppets that Grell had brought had not discovered her!

"You look great, Grealley." Rabbi slightly raised the top hat that was covering half of his face to reveal his full face, which immediately made Grealley's eyes widen. Some of the people who came with Grealley even let out a restrained gasp.

Not to mention Grealley and his group, even the people of the Mechanical Heart of Shinmu City were astonished.

One of Midia's companions, who was quite familiar with her, pinched her hard and said as she winced in pain, "Why didn't you say something so important sooner? What kind of surprise is this at a time like this?"

"Isn't time tight? It's too much trouble to surprise twice, so why don't we all surprise each other once?" Midia's reasoning was sound and made a lot of sense.

Grell stepped forward, his eyes filled with hope: "Miss Rabbi, it has been several months since we last met, since we parted ways in Kabbalah."

“I thought we’d never have anything to do with each other again, but I didn’t expect you to be so determined…” Rabbi sized up Greli. Quite different from his previous refined, scholarly attire, Greli was now dressed in thick, simple clothes, his face covered in dust, his hair cut short and choppy, exuding a practical and capable air.

Grealley chuckled self-deprecatingly and shook his head: "Initially, I also had high hopes for the Council. The original intention of building the Mechanical Heart was to make Scalova rise again. But after the Council ended, they took credit for your achievements, and their methods of distorting the facts disgusted me."

"So you ran away."

“Fortunately, I had made preparations in advance and won over people who were firmly on my side early on, so they immediately resisted the council’s attempt to dismantle and control us. After leaving a force behind in Kabbalah, I took most of the main force and left Kabbalah. Now I’m still trying to recruit more people to join us.” Grealley briefly explained his experiences over the past few months.

He described them as trivial and understated, but in reality, they were magnificent and epic.

Grealley simply didn't think there was anything to brag about in front of the rabbi.

That person single-handedly drove away all the people in white.

Even though some public opinion has quickly forgotten the pain of the past, he will never forget the evil of the white-clad figure and the scene of the rabbi stepping forward and pulling the trigger when faced with that despairing white.

Grealley, who was initially feeling lost due to his situation, was deeply encouraged by this scene, which dispelled all the gloom in his heart. Therefore, he chose to take this path when Scalova was in chaos.

"But after this period of silence, are you now planning to announce your power to Scalova?" Rabbi asked.

Grealley nodded emphatically: "Our propaganda has almost reached its limit with ideas and slogans alone. I believe that many people now share the same spirit as us, but they need further impetus."

He raised his hand and clenched it into a fist: "Armed forces are necessary, and a headquarters is also needed. Ideological slogans alone cannot win a victory. Let alone the Royal Council, we are not even taken seriously by the nobles and warlords. Therefore, what we need now is a safe and reliable stronghold that will be conducive to our future assimilation and can further encourage people to join us."

A very clear understanding.

The rabbi nodded in agreement; Greli shared a similar view.

Although Rabbi has a kind heart, she doesn't have the same ambition as Greli. What she cares about most right now is her own background and the disappearance and death of her parents, as well as solving the mystery of Hakuchu.

“Miss Rabbi, your appearance here at this time, could it be…” Grealley’s expression was fiery.

If a rabbi were to join, that would be an excellent promotional image in itself.

The rabbi shook his head.

The crowd was immediately dampened, and the atmosphere that had been heating up as Grealley spoke cooled down.

“Say what you will, I’m not here to join you. I have my own things to do. Just like how driving out the white-clad people might have objectively helped many people, it was ultimately just for my own revenge. I admire you, but at least for now, I won’t be with you.” The rabbi pointed at Greli.

Grealley said understandingly, "Of course, this is not an obligation; everyone has their own choices and paths to take..."

“But I will help you in this battle,” the rabbi said again, his red eyes bright and lively. “How much you can gain tomorrow depends on yourselves.”

"Of course, this is still for my own feelings."

(End of this chapter)