Early morning.
System opened his eyes and rose.
Sensing that its master intended to head out, the grey wolf, now restored to its normal size, sluggishly climbed to its feet. It picked up the rabbit—which was sleeping with its four paws pointing toward the sky—by the scruff of its neck and gently placed it on System’s shoulder.
Afterward, the wolf lazily flopped back onto the pillow, nuzzling against Mu Ran’s head and narrowing its eyes, seemingly intent on resting a while longer.
System: “...”
Quite intelligent.
He stepped through the barrier of the tree hollow and closed his eyes to sense the location of the experimental subject—
The forest to the south.
System opened his eyes and vanished from sight. He first took a moment to soothe the little rabbit, which was twitching its nose and shivering from the morning chill, before setting off in that direction.
Time for work.
***
“Good morning, everyone!”
Erwin emerged from his tent with a mess of golden hair. His collar was disheveled, and his handsome, clean face bore a few suspicious damp streaks.
The Saintess was performing her routine morning prayer by the stream. The breeze stirred the white veil behind her, and the morning light traced the contours of her delicate, refined profile, making her appear both devout and holy.
Ronald had stripped off his heavy armor. His red hair resembled the mane of a bristling lion. Wearing only a thin layer of tight-fitting clothes, he was performing morning exercises against a tree trunk.
A petite gnome girl sat on a rock nibbling on a fruit. She pouted at Erwin. “You—you actually drooled!” Seeing Erwin instinctively touch his face in confusion, she stomped her feet in frustration. The small snake on her wrist flicked its tongue irritably at Erwin, mirroring her mood. “You’re touching it! You’re still touching it! Go wash your face! Otherwise, your face is stinky and you’re not allowed near me!”
*It’s not drool, hey!*
Erwin refuted her silently with a sigh, but he still obediently ran to the stream to wash his face.
...
The tent flap was lifted again, and a youth with black hair and red eyes stepped out.
His features were ordinary, save for those dark red eyes, which were exceptionally beautiful and spirited.
Lolia, the gnome who had been irritable just a moment ago, waved at him. “Morning!”
Joan paused her prayer and gave him a gentle smile. “Good day, Excellency.”
Ronald wiped his sweat and nodded in greeting. “Good morning.”
Unaccustomed to such warm treatment, Carlos looked away and tried to respond naturally. “Good morning, everyone.” After a moment’s hesitation, he asked softly, “Where is Erwin?”
Lolia swung her legs, the little tufts of hair on her head bobbing. “He’s over there washing his face.”
“Thank you.”
Carlos walked up behind Erwin, who was currently occupied with his ablutions.
The young mage was bent over, cupping clear water from the stream in both hands and splashing it onto his face. His back was turned, completely unguarded.
Recalling how he had woken up to find himself sharing the other man’s bedding, Carlos found it difficult to maintain his cold exterior. His tone carried a hint of tension. “Erwin, I have something to ask you.”
Erwin wiped the water from his face and shook his head. With his golden hair, the movement made him look like a Golden Retriever shaking off water.
“Hmm? What is it?”
Carlos’s eyes flickered away. “Last night... I didn’t do anything, did I?”
Ever since the party discovered that Carlos frequently suffered from nightmares of suffocation, they had decided that someone should accompany him to sleep every night to prevent him from being consumed by the night terrors.
Last night was Erwin’s first night accompanying Carlos.
“Huh? No.” Seeing Carlos still knitting his brows, Erwin struck his palm as if suddenly realizing something. “Oh! Your sleeping posture was just a bit... ‘free.’”
He slumped his mouth piteously. “You practically kicked me out of the blankets.”
*That’s a relief...*
The hand hidden in Carlos’s sleeve relaxed slightly, and his tense heart finally settled.
He was just about to make small talk to move past the topic when a scream that could pierce the clouds rang out from not far away.
“Ah—!!”
The voice was loud, yet it possessed an elegant, melodious quality even in its sharpness. The end of the cry featured a bizarrely well-designed vibrato and a gradual fade. Anyone hearing it would have praised the singer’s fine vocal cords.
...Wait, now was not the time to critique that.
The party left a barrier to protect their luggage and raced toward the source of the scream.
***
“Oh heavens... I truly never imagined I would encounter you here.” A lady dressed in magnificent finery clutched her chest, offering a sincere apology for her earlier loss of composure. “Please forgive my rudeness just now. Oh, who could have guessed? That you would appear in such a unique and mysterious manner.”
System: “...It is no matter.”
In truth, the lady’s curving soprano scream was still echoing in his mind.
On System’s shoulder, the little rabbit pressed its paws over its drooping ears, its eyes narrowed in a look of utter weariness.
“Oh...” Seeing the rabbit like this, the noblewoman offered comfort in an exaggeratedly flowery tone. “You were startled as well, weren’t you? Please do not blame me. I was simply... overcome with emotion.”
The surrounding attendants chimed in one after another:
“Indeed! Everyone knows that Lady Lena respects and loves the gods most of all! Please do not take offense at the Lady’s lapse in composure born of her faith!”
“As expected of a Spirit Body condensed by the Son of God; it truly is pure and clean! So endearing!”
“Isn’t it just! This is the first time I’ve seen such a plump and succulent rabbit!”
The rabbit snapped its head up, its three-lobed mouth twitching blankly. *Did you say... “succulent”?*
Lady Lena covered her mouth and giggled, casting a playful glance at the rabbit. “Yes, indeed. What a beautiful little treasure.”
*It looks like it would taste delicious.*
She mentally licked her lips.
Everyone in the vicinity knew that Lady Lena’s favorite food was rabbit meat.
The rabbit: !
For some reason, it felt a surge of terror. It quickly shrank into the crook of System’s neck, its front paws scrabbling as it tried to burrow deeper.
“Oh, it’s so cute.”
Finally, the talk about the fat rabbit was over, and they could get to the main point.
Lady Lena clasped her hands together in a posture that looked devout but was actually quite casual. She lowered her voice and asked, “So, Lord Son of God, have you come today for a specific reason?”
“Yes.”
System did not correct her form of address.
This was also part of the experiment. Regardless of what identity they were perceived as, they were not to proactively explain themselves. The identity judged by bystanders based on appearance was part of the experimental data.
Though this wasn't the first time he had been mistaken for a Son of God delivering divine decrees...
System’s lips curved into a faint smile.
But it was the first time he had encountered someone who didn't actually believe in gods.
Being swept by the "Son of God’s" cool, indifferent blue eyes caused the noblewoman to instinctively straighten her posture.
*Honestly... always putting on such a deceptive air!*
Lady Lena was momentarily stunned, then complained inwardly.
If the Church needed something, they should just say it! They always had to put on this performance; she almost started taking it seriously!
Especially since the Son of God sent this time was exceptionally handsome and mysterious, looking like the real deal.
The white-haired, blue-eyed Son of God looked up. His thin lips parted, his voice cold and ethereal, like an elusive breeze.
“I have come to tell the Lady...”
*—So handsome, and his voice is nice too... maybe I could buy one night with him?*
“...”
*—His eyes are so beautiful; even the sapphires embedded in the cathedral’s dome would pale in comparison.*
A moment later, Lady Lena realized the other party had finished speaking.
What did he say again?
She listened nonchalantly as an attendant whispered the repetition into her ear, then raised an eyebrow.
So, he was using the "misfortune" angle? That was an excuse the Church used years ago. It seemed this little fellow came from a mediocre background.
However, for the sake of that beautiful face, she was willing to play along.
“Oh! Is that so? Then how can it be resolved?” *Let me see the extent of your greed.*
But she only received a cold gaze in return.
“Resolved?”
The young Son of God’s expression was calm, as if nothing could shake him. “It cannot be resolved.”
“This is fate.”
Ignoring the sudden surge of unease in her heart, Lady Lena forced a smile. “Oh... but I am a very devout believer. I can offer much, much more, and... I would do so willingly.”
But the Son of God did not hesitate for a second.
“Hey—!” Lady Lena could no longer maintain her smile, her words tinged with urgency. “Tell me, which church are you from? Do you know Bishop Sal? Do you know how many gold coins I donate to the Church every year?”
The youth smiled faintly.
“I do not believe I need to know these things.”
He looked up, his features more heartless and haughty than the divine statues standing in the cathedrals.
“I am only responsible for announcing fate, Lady.”
He stepped back, his form gradually vanishing into the distorted air.
Lady Lena screamed in a loss of composure, “Then why did you come specifically to tell me! Why tell me at all!!”
In her final glimpse, she saw a faint smile grace the youth’s increasingly transparent face. The pure black necklace at his throat twisted in the air.
His words reached her ears like shattered ripples of water, fragmented and intermittent.
“Believe me, or break the chains of fate.”
“I look forward to...”
His voice dissipated into the air.
“...your performance.”
Silence fell over the area, leaving only Lady Lena gasping in a state of disarray.
A moment later, she grabbed an attendant, her voice icy. “Repeat his words to me exactly, every single one!”
A snake-shaped Spirit Body appeared according to her will, coiling around the attendant’s neck and baring its fangs.
...
Hiding in the distant grass, the members of the party who had witnessed the entire scene had varying expressions.
“Gods...”
Joan couldn't help but begin to pray, but her mind was filled with the image of the youth who looked like a Son of God.
Lolia nervously bit her hand, hugging Ronald’s leg for a sense of security, receiving a comforting pat on the head from the older man.
Erwin chewed on a blade of grass, his expression calm. However, when he turned and saw the freezing cold look in Carlos’s eyes, he joked to lighten the mood, “What? Feeling indignant for that lady?”
Carlos started, then lowered his eyes and replied coldly, “I have no fondness for these nobles. I wouldn't go so far as to show them mercy.”
Erwin shrugged, patted his pants as he stood up, and called for everyone to head back. “Alright, then it’s none of our business. Let’s go back~”
No one objected, though they couldn't help but look back at the scene before leaving.
The originally relaxed and leisurely noble travel party had suddenly become chaotic and anxious. Lady Lena, the core of the group, was frantically trying to contact someone, occasionally erupting into sharp, questioning shouts.
Was this the power of a prophecy?
...
“Well, we won’t be traveling this morning then. Everyone, rest and reorganize on the spot!”
Seeing that everyone was tense, Erwin thoughtfully made the arrangement.
Setting an example, he proactively called back his Spirit Body, Whitey, which had been out scouting since last night.
A bird with snow-white feathers circled in the forest before landing gently on his shoulder.
“Eh? What are you holding in your beak?”
In Whitey’s beak was a dusty grey feather. The tip of the feather was dark, as if stained with ink. Erwin reached out to take it, but Whitey pecked him.
“Ouch, so fierce, so fierce.” Erwin didn't force the issue. He stroked the feathers under the white bird’s chin and teased, “Which beautiful bird has stolen your heart? Hmm? You actually pecked me for its sake. Bad boy!”
Carlos’s body stiffened imperceptibly upon hearing those words.
Lolia had a bigger reaction, shooting Erwin a look of disgust before scurrying off to pet Ronald’s big dog.
Joan summoned her little fawn. Seeing that Carlos’s side was still empty, she assumed he felt inferior about it and proactively invited him, “Where is Excellency Carlos’s swimming fish? Little Joan would very much like to play with it.”
The fawn let out a gentle cry: “Na!”
Carlos raised his hand, summoning a small fish condensed entirely from water elements.
The little fish swam through the air, bumping against the fawn’s ear, and then the two little creatures ran off to the side together.
Joan smiled tenderly. “What a beautiful scene.”
Carlos: “...”
Carlos: “Indeed.”
***
System had gone to work. After Mu Ran woke up and found he had no assigned tasks, he decided to wander around the nearby town to see if there was anything interesting.
As he walked, he noticed a dense crowd ahead—clearly, something was happening.
He turned invisible and squeezed to the very front. Suddenly, Mu Ran’s vision turned red. He closed his eyes by reflex, and a warm liquid splashed onto his face.
He wiped it with his hand. Blood, still carrying residual warmth, slid down his palm.
Mu Ran: ?!
“Brother...”
A child’s low sobbing reached him. It was incredibly soft, as if the child was desperately suppressing something even while crying.
“My child...”
A woman’s exhausted, raspy voice rang out, sounding as though she had been crying for days and nights.
Mu Ran looked down.
A small, pained head rolled to the feet of the woman in tattered clothes. She leaned down in a daze and cradled it.
Moving his gaze to the left, he saw a child being held tightly by his father.
That face, covered in tears, was identical to the head on the ground.
Twins.
The surrounding people discussed in hushed tones:
“As expected, it’s twins again. And they raised them to this age.”
“I told them they should have been aborted before birth. Why raise them in secret!”
“The prophecy said... one of them has to go anyway. If you can’t handle it, don't give birth. Sigh, what’s the use of crying here now.”
Ultimately, the crowd’s words converged into a sentence of consolation for the family.
“At least they left you one. Stop crying, pack up and leave quickly!”
The crowd dispersed.
The woman tried to keep her child’s remains, but she was impatiently pushed aside by a Church mage.
Flames spread from the child’s body, gradually consuming him.
The woman frantically tried to reclaim him, not flinching even when her fingers were scorched, but in the end, she was left with only a handful of black ash.
“Alright, it’s over.”
The Church mage waved his hand and turned to leave, tossing down two gold coins.
“Reporting this only after they grew so large... Hmph, I’m docking you one gold coin.”
A guard hurried to pick up the coins, wiping them clean with a pained expression before coldly driving the family away. “Go, go! Consider it my kindness that I’m not holding you further accountable.”
The woman had already fainted.
The man carried his wife and led the remaining child, limping away.
...
...
What kind of world is this??
Mu Ran stared at the blood on his hands, his eyes filled with bewilderment.
***
**Glossary**
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