CHAPTER 78: CHAPTER 78 - WORTHY FISHING

After a few towns, the novelty starts to fade away, and soon they start to look same-y.

We have passed through the lands of several different lords along the way, and I start to pick up on the differences in government between them.

By far the place in which the people looked more rugged and always on edge was Amapytu. Probably it’s because of the location at the literal edge of the human realm, but...

I guess the Duke’s government has some hand in it. His seat of power Is further to the east, outside of our route, and he controls the largest amount of land among the nobles of the kingdom.

Evergrove looked quite normal compared to Amapytu. But still, it had a larger share of homeless people, and also the overall buildings were shabbier than the towns that we visited later. And it was still within the Duke’s territory.

I can’t tell for sure if the cities inside his duchy are poorer only because of his administration, or if the environment also plays a role that would make them poorer anyway.

And there’s the thing that I can only ’study’ each town between the time we arrive, which is normally around sunset, and the time we depart the following morning.

It isn’t nearly enough to make a proper study of the general state of things in these places. By a huge margin.

But it’s what I have right now. I stay up at night, listening to all the conversations in a radius of three hundred meters, while I’m lying down in my bed, in the dark.

Often I hear some nocturnal activities. When that happens, I simply cut off my perception and come back to the reality of the room and bed I’m in.

It’s strange to listen to those distant conversations, but at the same time it’s very interesting and useful.

It’s a serious invasion of privacy, I know. And I listen to too many things I shouldn’t. But I don’t know any of the people involved in those crimes, so whatever.

And I’ve already killed some people myself. The sound of the last breath of a person doesn’t affect me that much anymore.

I know that it sounds too harsh, but it’s reality.

In any case, I’ve taken a liking to these late-night hearings. There are a lot of meaningless secrets I learned from it.

Meaningless because, again, I know nothing about any of the people involved in them.

Late night is the time for confessions and hard truths thrown in the face. You can learn so much from the character of a people by those.

I feel like I could write a whole PhD thesis in Anthropology just from the material I gathered from those hearings.

Though I wouldn’t be able to publish it, because I would have been arrested on Earth. What I’m doing right now is a crime, after all.

Not that I care.

One of the reasons I don’t care if it’s a crime is because of the context. Most specifically, the ’being pursued by the crime of existing’ context.

It isn’t a crime if it’s self-defense, right?

And the focus of these hearings is to try to unearth anything about that damn Network.

It seems that, this time, I have caught a big fish.

Two, in fact.

:::

"Have you heard anything about that totally-not-princess-Lillian woman that has a bounty on her head?" (voice 1)

"Not a single word. I was in Alderbury a few days ago, and nobody caught any sight of her. I bet that she is already in the capital at this point." (voice 2)

"They said that the woman escaped from the slavers in that commotion in Amambay. The crown prince himself was there and took command of the city guard and ordered them to not pursue the fugitives." (voice 1)

"If that’s true, then the puzzles fall into place. The princess wasn’t dead but had been held captive all this time. And now she’s free." (voice 3)

"Well, princess or not, the bounty sure is worth the weight of a royal in gold." (voice 1)

"But if it’s princess Lillian, the gold doesn’t seem that tempting anymore." (voice 3)

"Why not? Don’t tell me you’re one of those guys." (voice 2)

"Of course I am. Nobody ever did more for people like us than that princess. She was the hero this country always needed. And if she’s alive, I’ll fight at her side, not against her." (voice 3)

"Don’t get things messed up in your head. A royal is a royal, and there’s no such thing as a good king or prince, or princess, for that matter." (voice 1)

"But she’s different. I say, she should be the one inheriting the throne. And now I want to find that fugitive, but not to capture her." (voice 3)

"To what, then? To declare your love, marry her and live happily ever after?" (voice 1)

"Of course not! Just to make sure it’s her. Then pledge my sword to defend her, if she is." (voice 3)

:::

"What do you honestly think about this, High Bishop?" (voice 1)

"I think that if the general people learn about it, then we’re screwed. We’ll have a revolt in our hands." (voice 2... the High Bishop?)

"I agree. The survival of the Church depends on this information never reaching the public. It’s too much of a risk." (voice 3)

"But would we be able to deceive everyone? And for how long? We have no idea when she’ll be back. We don’t even know what caused this silence anyway." (voice 4)

"And that’s more the reason to not let this be known. I don’t know how, but do whatever you need to keep this a secret. Lie and deceive if you have to, because it will buy us time to understand what’s happening." (voice 2... the High Bishop?)

"Also, for all we know, she could appear again tomorrow, and we would have caused a harmful commotion for nothing." (voice 1)

"To lie is not..." (voice 4)

"But it’s needed right now. Do you think that the faith in her would persist if everyone learns about this? We need to do it to support her." (voice 2... the High Bishop?)

"It can’t be a sin if it’s done in her name and in her stead, right?" (voice 1)

"Ugh... I don’t like it. I prefer to not say anything than to lie. And maybe that’s what I’ll do. I thereby renounce my voice and pledge to not say any word until she comes back again." (voice 4)

"What? Are you crazy???" (voice 3)

"Hayworth? Are you really doing this?" (voice 2... the High Bishop?)

"..."

"Be it as you want, then. People won’t be able to ask you hard questions if you have a vow of silence anyway. I don’t care about what you do, as long as you do it to let this matter remain unknown." (voice 2... the High Bishop?)

:::

Yeah, those fish were well worth it. A talk between people of the Network and a Church meeting.

It seems that not everyone who knows about the bounty is keen on persecuting Mom, huh? And what was that about her doing so much for the poor?

My pride for my mother only swelled inside of me, listening to the serious pledge that man was doing.

I don’t know your name, Voice 3, but you will be remembered forever.

On the other hand... has the goddess gone silent, or something? The Church people sounded really concerned.

Well, that would explain why she hadn’t appeared even after I freed Lovelace.

And that Hayworth guy... It seems that there are some worthy people in the Church, after all. And yes, pun intended. How could I look at that name and not make a pun with it???