Does the mechanical girl dream of the Messiah?

The elven knight who was serious at work, brave and courageous on the battlefield, powerful and experienced, would inevitably feel mental pressure around such a living legend, unless he was a very thick-skinned person. This was especially true for Evelyn's admirers. Just standing next to her, they seemed to be fainted by the shining light at any time.

But for Novia, Evelin's gentleness would inadvertently melt away the pressure, allowing Novia to talk and work with her normally, including like now, holding the guardrail on the edge of the rooftop, looking at the flashing lights on Sanhui Square, and chatting about things that are not related to today's work.

"Really? So I never said that..."

“It’s okay, Senior Evelin, it’s really not a big deal…?”

That being said, when Evelin apologized to her, Novia couldn’t help but get flustered.

"Elves are always like this." Evelyn smiled apologetically. "Elves' lifespan is only four times longer than humans and twice as long as dwarves'. They live the same lifespan as all other races, with 24 hours a day. Yet, they are still like this."

“Senior Evelin, this statement is a bit…”

It wasn't that Novia felt offended, but such remarks that were suspected of "discriminating against short-lived people" would inevitably have some impact on Evelyn's reputation if heard by a third party. Racial issues were very sensitive in Zelhar, and had become increasingly sensitive recently. In this situation, even a joke between friends could become part of the trouble in the ears of others.

Of course there was no third party here, and Novia was just reminding Evelin to be more careful.

Even though they were at the feet of the gods, fellow intelligent beings would still have frictions, become hostile to each other, and even develop hatred because of such things. Even the tolerant goddess Levina, while tolerating all these disputes with the dark night, probably couldn't help but sigh over this.

"I'm sorry, Novia. I have so many things to apologize to you for today...does it hurt you?"

"It's okay, Evelin. The night breeze is very comfortable today... Your long hair is still as beautiful as silver snow... It seems that no matter what kind of bad mood you have, you can't keep it in your heart... Although from the beginning... there is no such thing..."

Her voice was as soft and gentle as Novia's usual one, which matched her almond-colored drooping eyes and gentle face. Although she was introverted, she always said surprising things.

For example, even Evelyn Tigridle could only turn away her slightly red cheeks now: whether it was admiration, yearning, or simple praise, it was too enthusiastic for her.

"We elves are just wasting our time. Because we are wasting our time, we always feel that things that happened a long time ago seem to have happened just yesterday. We want to do something, want to say something, but when we really make up our minds, the best opportunity has already been missed."

“Evelyn-senpai…will this happen too…?”

"That was just a ready-made case, wasn't it?"

Evelyn smiled self-deprecatingly.

"There was someone who shared this scenery with me before. She was also an elf, much younger than me, so she should have a longer life of happiness than me... I thought about telling her why I like this place so much, but then I thought, it doesn't matter if I tell her later, it's not a big deal. Before I finally remembered to tell her, she was no longer here."

Evelin's eyes were covered with a layer of mist as her words were interrupted, just like a deep forest in the twilight.

“Is he a friend of Senior Evelin?”

“He’s a very gentle child.”

"That's it..."

"It's not a big reason, and it sounds a bit self-boasting if I tell you about it."

"what is it then?"

"About two hundred years ago, I stood here, in front of this guardrail, listening to people's cheers, watching the fireworks bloom, and the refreshing summer breeze blowing on my face. Everything about that day is unforgettable to me, whether it was the bright sunshine, the blazing sunset, or the twinkling stars. To me, who was still very young at that time, they were all so dazzling..."

Her eyes also melted and became blurred as she recalled the past.

"Two hundred years ago?"

"At that time, Sieli was still very young, a 30-year-old young man, talented, handsome, full of vigor, and always bickering with Trinidad... At that time, Sieli naturally had many suitors. As you know, he remained single all his life in order to serve the Three Seats of Glory wholeheartedly. That's why he was able to become the highest priest."

“It’s a bit hard to imagine…”

“A wonderful statement.”

"Although I have seen the portrait of Sir Sieli when he was young... but it doesn't quite match the current Sir Sieli... the impression is somewhat different..."

"He also wore a white robe back then. Although the style was much simpler than today's, and he didn't have a triple crown to wear, he would wear a chainmail shirt underneath his robe. Even a priest of the God of War wouldn't dare to say that he was braver than him, but now he doesn't have the opportunity to show his 'combat skills comparable to a paladin'."

"Right……?"

After all, Xiyeli—the highest priest of the Glorious Divine Court, a legendary priest, and one of the strongest men on the continent—seldom has the opportunity to fight now, let alone give up his most proficient divine arts and turn to close combat to defeat the enemy. Now Xiyeli probably no longer has the physique that he was proud of when he was young. Even if his faith is more devout and his divine arts are more refined, he still cannot resist the cycle of life, aging, sickness and death.

"But... that's true... He is almost unrecognizable now. I can't remember when wrinkles appeared on his face, when his hair and beard turned white, or when his expression became as compassionate as it is now. I haven't changed at all. I am still the same as I was two hundred years ago. It's as if time has stopped for me alone."

“Even if it’s Senior Evelin…it wouldn’t be the same after two hundred years, right…?”

"Even if I find my companions again, they probably won't remember what I was like two hundred years ago. What kind of evaluation will they give me? At least Xieli can't tell the difference between me now and me two hundred years ago."

“Senior Evelin looks only slightly older than me.”

"Elves are a race like this. They mature early, reach the peak of their life early, and then stop growing. They spend another 600 years in stagnation, and another 200 years to completely age. As long as they don't die in an accident, they will have a lifespan that is so long that it makes people feel empty."

"Living longer should be considered a good thing, right...?"

"I live a long life, but I live very slowly. Especially when I take other people's existence into account, I feel that I live so slowly that it is unbearable."

"Slow, eh?"

"It's as if the person who was in front of me yesterday was sent to the tomb today, the coffin was closed, and the stone chamber was filled. Tomorrow, she will decay into bones, and the day after tomorrow, even her existence will be forgotten. It seems that only I can still remember the beautiful name like a poem."

"So... the people of the empire chose to isolate themselves from the outside world because they couldn't accept themselves being out of touch with the world... and they couldn't accept the meaninglessness of being connected with a 'short-lived species' like me...?"

"So, the people of the empire choose to indulge in abstract things, art, adventure, skills, challenges, trying to leave behind things that will not decay, or pursue the remains of civilizations that are comparable to or older than themselves, and draw some comfort from them. For my compatriots whose life span from the beginning of life to the end of decay is too long, long enough to witness a kingdom from its rise to its fall, it seems like a torture to focus on specific people."

“However, Senior Evelin still chose to come out and come here from his hometown…”

"The more this happens, the more I want to find a living dragon and ask it for advice."

“What are you talking about…?”

"Their lifespan is much longer than ours, and their strength is much stronger than we imagine. How do they overcome this so-called 'sense of powerlessness'?"

The exhaustion from work had completely disappeared from Evelin’s face.

No, it's not that they disappeared, but they were absorbed, covered and buried by something bigger and deeper. This only made Evelyn's face more melancholy than before. It seemed that only here, by the guardrail that witnessed her glory yesterday, would she allow the haze to swallow her up.

Novia knew about what Evelyn had mentioned “two hundred years ago”.

The history of the Glorious Temple is extremely long. Because of this, for those students and believers who are not majoring in history, the overly long history will be simplified and merged, and only the "recent" and the most important parts will be relatively detailed. From Novia's point of view, fortunately, everything about her superior, Evelyn, the "Sky Sword", is within that relatively detailed range.

"Shining Sword" Evelyn, "Sunburnt" Sieli, "Exploration Princess" Laura, "Pilgrim Doctor" Juranti, "Blood Feast Knight" Trinidad, these people who seem to have nothing to do with each other, their lives intersect due to various coincidences, and under the guidance of "Divine Thunder Phoenix" Nikola Tesla, they go deep into the northern part of today's "Lost World" and discover a large number of ancient ruins and resource reserves. That area was later called the "New York-North Arkham Fault Zone".

Apart from the "Divine Thunder Phoenix" who served as the guide, only "Exploration Princess" was an expert in mechanisms among the five people in the group. However, it was this group of people who had nothing to do with steam mechanisms, but their discovery of the "New York-North Arkham Fault Zone" became an opportunity for the explosive development of steam mechanism technology.

If they knew that two hundred years later, the sky would be covered with gray clouds and poisonous miasma all day long, the rain and snow would bring acid corrosion, and death and famine would cover most parts of the world, would they still set foot towards that unknown land with high spirits as they did before?

"'Powerless'? I think Senior Evelyn is already... well... pretty powerful."

"Because I'm the Consul of the Bureau of Rites?"

"And he is the Consul of the Ritual Bureau of the Glorious Divine Court... He is greater than His Majesty the King of Nolon... or the four great families of Myuland... I feel like that."

"It is precisely because you are in a high position that you feel more powerless."

What? You actually said something like that—with a faint wry smile that seemed to be saying this, Evelyn placed her palm on the stone guardrail.

"I originally thought that the adventure in New York would be the beginning of a bright future. I wondered what I could do for Terriati. But I found that nothing in my hometown would change because of it. Only I would change."

“Senior Evelin, are you traveling to change your hometown?”

"Just like you said."

Evelyn's mastery of Sakaar is much deeper than Elvish, and more than one person has the illusion that she is a descendant of elven immigrants born in the Zerhal region, rather than a thorough Tyriati elf girl as she actually is. This is so dramatic that many of Evelyn's colleagues have forgotten her identity, country and even race, as if her pointed earlobes did not exist.

"After returning to my hometown, I chose to leave it again and lived in Zerhal for a long time. As time went by, my status as a deacon became higher and higher, and I felt that I was constantly losing something."

"For long-lived species, the feeling of loss... is more profound and obvious than the feeling of gain?"

Evelyn did not answer the question directly.

"Recently, it seems like I'm losing something again."

"Are you talking about... that child...?"

"She's not much younger than you. It's a bit strange to call her 'that child'. After all, in my opinion, you two should be considered equals."

"Hmm... That's right... But, although the seniors always say that I'm... 'worrying' and 'I don't know if I can handle things on my own', I also think... that child is more worrying, right?"

"That's true."

Not knowing whether to be worried or to smile at the memory of her face, Evelin’s expression became a little subtle for a moment.

"Lunicia, where did you go?"

“The final destination is Shuichequ.”

Evelin let out a rare long sigh.

"The original route was to go south to the Rocklia Union, transfer to a ship at Andoresa Bay, sail along the coastline to Puchlia, and then arrive at the Waterwheel Canal. However, the carriage that Lunicia and her companions were riding on lost its trace halfway. It was because the church in the Rocklia Union did not wait for their arrival, and the regular contact was delayed in reaching Fort Ambris that I learned about this."

The itinerary arrangements for the Saint's secret trip were supposed to be a secret known only to a very small number of people. The reason why Evelyn could tell Novia so unreservedly now was not only because she, as her deputy, had high enough authority, but also because with the mysterious disappearance of Lunicia and her group, this arrangement itself had completely lost its meaning.

"Should there have been a search?"

"Although it is inappropriate to draw personnel from various parishes at this time, it is not a small matter after all...it's just that the results of the investigation are not satisfactory."

"No conclusion...right?"

"At least the conclusion we have reached so far is that Lunisia and her group did not advance in any direction, such as north, south, or west, nor did they use the originally planned route. They disappeared before reaching the sphere of influence of the Rocklia Union, unless they were able to cross the Anda-Brun Mountains... But we shouldn't take into account things that are impossible."

If Evelyn received the news of Lunicia's murder, she might feel extremely angry, sad, painful, remorseful and sad, but since she could not come to any conclusion, all she could feel was a strong sense of powerlessness.

Nothing can be known, nothing can be done, and nothing can be changed.

She couldn't help but look at the adjutant beside her.

"…Should I not let go at all?"

“This is not your fault, Senior Evelyn.”

"When Catalina died, people would say this, because I took justice and victory back from my country; when Elena was buried, people would say this, because she was unknown; when Sestine was put on the wanted list, people would say the same, because no one knew why she did this."

Such seniors are really rare - Novia couldn't help but think so.

“But I don’t think I’m really that innocent.”

But in the eyes of others, she really did nothing wrong.

As far as Evelyn knew, there was no known existence that could pose a threat to Lunicia and her companions along the route they planned to take.

Unlike the eastern part of the continent, which was in chaos due to natural disasters, wars, and famine, the land west of the Anda-Brun Mountains was stable due to the existence of several major countries, and enjoyed complete peace for nearly twenty years since the end of the continental war. For most people, this trip only existed in secret and had nothing to do with their daily lives. For a few people, the divine emblem on the mechanical carriage was enough to make them choose to give up.

With the Tyriati being repelled head-on by Xerhar, who else would consider challenging the authority of the Divine Court?

So, is it embezzlement?

This possibility can be ruled out sufficiently - any believer who knows the meaning of the word "saint" knows very well that they exist only as people who convey the words of God. Apart from that, they are neither divine geniuses destined to reach the legendary realm, nor saints with values ​​beyond their duties. There is no point in doing so.

The most basic wide-area search and investigation, inquiries to the parishes along the way, and requests for coordinated investigations from neighboring countries were all in vain. Divination and prophecy also did not yield any valuable answers. The only comforting thing was that "Lunicia was still alive", but even this was too vague to be fully believed.

Everything fell into mystery with the disappearance of Lunicia, and everyone who knew about it believed that Evelyn had done nothing wrong.

For everyone still in Amblissburg, who could be more devastated than Evelyn?

The reason why she was able to restrain herself and describe the incident in rational terms was simply because she had a perseverance that matched her appearance, that's all.

"Novia. Leave here and return to your hometown."

After a brief silence, "Tian Yao Sword" spoke again, saying words that were difficult to understand.

“Senior Evelin…?”

"The war is about to begin."

Chapter 8 Leisure Time in the Scripture Bureau

"Regarding the cause of the 'Continental War', as we all know, the Terriati Empire declared war on the Kingdom of Noron on the grounds of 'territorial invasion' - Question, what was the reason for the Kingdom of Noron to provoke the war?"

"Sir, the students have not yet learned this lesson..."

In response to the minor objection raised by the man dressed as an acolyte who was wiping his sweat off his forehead—to be precise, the head of the secondary school department of St. Gladsward College—the man addressed as "Your Excellency" simply glanced at him without emotion, then retracted his gaze, and regardless of the sudden increase in cold sweat on the latter's forehead, he replied calmly:

“Students will also preview the textbooks on their own.”

"Uh, yes, you are absolutely right."

Looking around the classroom, I saw that some students had indeed raised their hands.

"Hanno Enke."

“It’s because of the influence of Noron’s restorationism.”

"Explain it briefly."

"The Ain Dynasty hopes to maintain domestic stability by transferring internal conflicts to external conflicts, alleviate the financial problems caused by excessive military development, strengthen domestic racist thoughts based on Spuzheim's 'Theory of the Origin of Intelligent Species', use the territory of the Lowenthal Dynasty as a claim to the legitimacy of objections to the national border, and use 'Recover the Borders of King Sheng's Grace' as a propaganda slogan. This is roughly what Nolon Restorationism is."

"Yes."

The man - no, it should be said that the boy nodded at the podium.