Rhodes Island does not exist.

“That’s right, that’s the problem.” Skadi nodded. “Why do you think he’s Liberi?”

"Because he has ear feathers, one of them even fell out and into my pocket while he was walking." As he spoke, the doctor took the feather out of his pocket.

Its feathers are bright and lustrous, gleaming with a noble color.

"Have you ever thought... what if he deliberately dropped the feather for you to see?" Skadi took the feather from the doctor's hand and gently blew on it in the light.

The stiff feather root remained motionless, only the feathers fluttered gently.

“Don’t forget, it’s not Liberi’s molting season right now.” She shook her head and placed the feather back in the doctor’s palm. “And Liberi’s feathers don’t fall out so easily, after all, they are feathers, not hair.”

"So you mean... a disguise?" the doctor asked, his tone tinged with doubt.

"Who is the acting cardinal in the church now?" Skadi did not answer the doctor's question, but answered the question with a question.

“It is the bishop,” the doctor replied immediately.

“After this matter is resolved, the acting cardinal will be promoted to a full cardinal of Iberia. And the way to resolve this is simple: send you and Levini to the Inquisition for trial, and then pin all the blame for the cardinal's death and the chaos in the Inquisition on you.” Skadi scoffed. “Once you're dead, no innocent person will be able to prove this is false. Everyone will naturally see Levini as a witch and you as her accomplice, after all—”

"—Levini already had the heinous crime of blasphemy, so it's reasonable for her to be accused of any crime," the Doctor murmured.

“It seems you understand.” Skadi closed her eyes, her hair swaying gently in the sea breeze. “Levi, who has never received any special care since childhood, will naturally become rebellious due to the strong religious environment around her. And this kind of naturally rebellious and delinquent girl is the perfect scapegoat they are looking for. After all, to put it bluntly, they are just using a lamb that is already guilty to bear more guilt for them before facing execution.”

“Killing one person is a death sentence, killing three people is a death sentence, and killing thirty people is also a death sentence.” The doctor’s eyes were somewhat hazy. “So rather than having thirty people share the blame, it would be better to concentrate the sins of those thirty people onto one person.”

This was a sentence he had once seen in a mystery novel by a Colombian author called "The Murder on the Caravan Express".

And now, this sentence is perfectly apt to describe the scene before us.

"They have only made an already unjust trial even more unjust."

“That’s right.” Skadi nodded. “But that alone wouldn’t be enough for me to come to your rescue.”

"what?"

“Because, to put it bluntly, this is just a murder case that combines revenge and power grab.” She looked at the Doctor and said, “If he only intended to make the Cardinal commit suicide and then shift the blame for the suicide onto you or Levini, that would be fine. I could just find an opportunity to assassinate him.”

“But he didn’t stop there.” Skadi’s tone became serious.

"You mean the massacre that happened in the courtroom?" the doctor asked.

“That’s only part of it; his real goal isn’t achieved yet.” Skadi shook her head.

"Because you escaped from prison."

Chapter 104, Chapter 103: Deep Sea Tales - The Conditions of the Thirty-Nine Sages

During his travels in the Yan Kingdom, the Doctor once heard a local philosopher talk about a set of theories.

That theory briefly explained how civilization was established and how culture was formed. Although it was looked down upon by the academic circles of Yan at the time, the doctor did learn something from his few words.

The man said that to build a civilization, one must first establish an idol.

Why?

Because all people are created equal.

If everyone in a tribe or region is in a state of absolute equality, then people's development will stagnate as a result.

But idols exist above people.

Only when a being superior to humans appears will people consciously gather around that superior being and work together towards the same goal.

And this being is an idol, or rather, a deity.

But idols alone are not enough.

All an idol can do is bring together a group of equals.

After all, fictional gods and beliefs can only give people strength from a spiritual perspective, but cannot actually do anything.

Therefore, a manager is needed in such situations.

A manager who can plan and coordinate all the needs and consumption of the tribe and take future development into consideration.

And this being is the leader, or rather, the authority.

But even so, it's still not enough.

The belief in deities can provide spiritual support, give purpose to behavior, and bind people to some extent with invisible bonds.

A leader's management can plan the development of the tribe, make behavior logical and strategic, and guide people to a certain extent by tangible forces.

So, what's missing?

The answer is knowledge.

Power provides a real source of support, while faith provides an illusory one.

When a person has both real and illusory support, all that's left to do is improve themselves.

Because a tribe is a collective, and a collective is formed by the combination of countless individuals, only when the quality of its individuals is improved can the collective produce art, new things, and a more powerful and unique civilization.

The process of imparting knowledge is what we call enlightenment.

Therefore, the birth of civilization comes from the trinity—faith, authority, and enlightenment.

Since the founding of the Yan Kingdom by the True Dragon, the Yan Kingdom has developed in accordance with these three elements. Most other countries have followed the same path.

The same is true for Iberia.

This nation, which originated from and was founded by Agor, must have initially developed based on the primordial beliefs of the deep sea.

That's probably why religious conflicts occurred later.

But what impressed the listeners most about the theory of that folk scholar was not the theory of civilization itself, but a few sentences he mentioned at the end of his presentation.

He said that certain figures always emerge at certain historical junctures.

These individuals seem to have been burdened with inescapable responsibilities since birth, harboring countless ideals and a desire to spread their wisdom and beliefs.

Although such people are quite rare, they often possess all the conditions of the aforementioned trinity.

Enlightenment – ​​they are born to preach, teach, and resolve doubts, unconditionally sharing all correct knowledge with all who are willing to accept it.

Authority – Their innate leadership makes them exude boundless personal charisma, and they truly possess the ability to use this charisma. No matter how many people come to follow them, they can manage them properly under their command, and can even directly cultivate some managers.

Faith – When their fame spreads widely due to the first two conditions and they begin to be followed by the masses, they themselves become a cultural symbol, an image worthy of being deified. At this point, they have become idols.

Individuals who perfectly integrate these three elements are generally referred to as "sages".

If such a "saint" appears in a civilization, it means that the civilization is not far from being reborn or destroyed.

-

At six o'clock in the afternoon, a gentle sea breeze was blowing.

"You previously mentioned that the gray-haired woman [because she had achieved her goal and completed her mission, there was no point in her staying here anymore, so she went back] – may I ask what that means?"

“As I said before, all the Agorians who are exiled to the coast will have their lobotomies removed, and then sit on the shore like idiots until the tide comes in and they go into the sea,” Skadi said, standing on the soft sand and gazing at the setting sun about to sink into the sea.

“Hmm.” The doctor nodded. “But she… clearly doesn’t look like someone who has had her white matter removed from her brain. Although her way of speaking is a little awkward, her logic and sentence structure are fine.”

“Because she wasn’t exiled.” Skadi shook her head. “She came here voluntarily; no one forced her.”

"Self-isolation?" Considering her identity as an infected person, the doctor came up with a term to describe her based on what she had said before.

“I suppose so,” Skadi shrugged. “But her real purpose is to wait here and see off each batch of Agorians who go to sea.”

“This is a traditional custom of Agor, a lament.” Skadi’s calm tone was tinged with a hint of sorrow. “Those of us who can connect with the deep sea sing laments after a person dies, using the melodies of the deep sea to guide or call back those souls lost in nightmares.”

"So the gray-haired woman's purpose was to sing a lament for the Argarians who had their lobe removed, is that right..." The doctor nodded slightly.

“Hmm…and she’s been waiting on the shore,” Skadi said. “Waiting for the last Agor in Iberia worthy of her mournful farewell. Once that Agor is gone, her purpose will be fulfilled, and her mission will be over.”

"The last one... is he referring to a cardinal?" Considering the timeline, the Doctor could only think of a cardinal.

"Ah."

Skadi nodded. "After guiding the Cardinal's soul, she, like her fellow Agorians, entered the deep, unforgiving sea."

“You know what?” Skadi suddenly spoke again at the end of her sentence.

"what?"

“There’s a proverb in Agor,” Skadi said. “Death is a process that all life must go through, and no life will experience death in advance, so relax and live each day to the fullest, because when you die for the first time, you will definitely be very nervous.”

-

Thank you segment.

Thank you for the pale dust in retrospect, a lullaby for the departed. I want a cat's monthly pass and a razor blade, thank you.

Chapter 105, Chapter 104: Deep Sea Tales - Forty Twilights and Heroes

At 6:30 p.m., the sun gradually set.

But the Doctor and Skadi remained standing on the beach, watching the tide gradually rise and erode the sand.

“It can get a bit chilly in Iberia at night,” Skadi said. “I hope you’re not afraid of the cold.”

“I’ve already been through it once,” the doctor shook his head. “Although I can’t get used to it, I’m not afraid, but…”

The doctor's pupils gradually deepened.

His gaze seemed to be drawn into an abyss by the sea.

"After hearing what you said before about how the bishop did those things as a sacrifice... I'm still quite shocked." The doctor's tone was as heavy as a rock.

“Really? But don’t be surprised, because this city has actually died once already.” Skadi shook her head.

"you mean……?"

"Do you remember the place where we first met?" Skadi looked into the Doctor's eyes, which reflected the sea of ​​her homeland.

"The Gate of Saints," the doctor replied immediately.

“Yes, when the Golden City was shrouded in great silence, it was only because a saint who upheld his faith stepped forward that a portion of salvation was obtained for all living beings. If it weren’t for that saint, Iberia would have become part of Agor long ago,” Skadi sighed. “So you should understand why Iberia is so hostile to Agor.”

“Because every Agor is a time bomb, forever connected to their deep-sea homeland and unable to refuse the call from them,” the doctor replied. “As long as the Agor still exists, the Great Tranquility could return at any time, using them as a medium.”

“No, not just anytime, it happened this time,” Skadi said. “What happened during the Great Tranquility?”

"All the residents of the seaside area have started to kill each other in a frenzy, even pulling out bones from their own bodies or those of their opponents to use as weapons," the doctor said.

“What about the bodies in the courtroom?” Skadi asked. “You were there, you should know.”

"...I, I know."

A timid, delicate voice sounded from behind the two of them.

It's Levi.

She woke up.

"Ah." Upon seeing the girl appear behind him, the doctor's expression shifted from gloomy to pity.

“When they locked me up… I heard their doctor… talk about the courtroom…” Her voice was very soft, almost drowned out by the sound of the waves.

“They said the body’s cervical vertebrae… were broken, and then the bones inside were… forcibly pulled out, but, but.” Levini shook her head, seemingly denying the testimony she had just given, “What I saw was not like that at all.”

"What do you see?" the doctor asked.

"What I saw was a pack of ferocious beasts that sprang out from a corner of the courtroom and then...and then...devoured everyone present except me."

Levi spoke with a forced courage, as if she were using all her strength.

It was as if the arrogant and domineering thief she once knew was not her at all.

“Outsider, do you understand now?” Skadi sighed at the Doctor after listening to Levini’s testimony.

"I understand." The doctor nodded slowly. "I understand completely."

Levi told a story.

However, this matter has been divided into two different perspectives.

The deceased in the courtroom experienced two different scenarios before their deaths.

And this is the same story of the Great Tranquility that the Doctor heard from the gray-haired woman.

A fictional, terrifying beast, and a real, self-destructive conflict.

What Levini saw at that time was probably not the real scene unfolding in the courtroom, but rather a kind of illusion shrouding her mind in reality.

This illusion probably also existed in the minds of all those who killed each other in the Great Tranquility and the Inquisition, as well as in the minds of the cardinals of that time.

Otherwise, why would he have said something like "Agor is attacking"?