Chapter 1108: 95. Whispers

“Who’s shaking? I’m not shaking!”

Theresa’s old face flushed red. He pressed down on his trembling hand and set down the teacup, which was already almost completely empty.

Then he took a deep breath.

One breath was not enough, so he took another.

Still not enough, so—

“Stop fucking breathing. Breathing more won’t calm you down. I’m the one who’s about to suffocate,” Theodore said, even more helplessly.

“...”

Theresa held his breath.

As the most outstanding Pioneer, his physical constitution was extremely powerful. Once, he had dived beneath an icy river for a full thirty minutes, all to avoid a terrifying monster that occasionally passed through the fog.

But now, in less than thirty seconds, his violent heartbeat had already made him break.

“President, what you said... is it true?”

“Would I joke with you about something like this?”

“You... really don’t have that kind of personality.”

After breathing in for a while and holding his breath for a while, Theresa’s mood finally calmed down a little, but when he heard those words, he still showed a smile uglier than crying.

“This is not good news.”

“I said from the start that it was bad news.”

“I didn’t think it would be this bad.”

The Goddess of Night’s condition worsening, or whatever... If something like that spread, it would already be enough to cause enormous panic throughout all of Annabawei. After all, even though several hundred years had passed, that scar still continued to tear through the hearts of the people here.

Theresa stroked his chest. He was the famous Bear King, a Pioneer worshiped by countless people. Even if he charged through the streets like a violent gust of wind, ordinary people would not hate him for it. This was the respect and privilege the people here gave to those who bore the responsibility of pioneering.

He had once exchanged months, even years, of solitude and adventure for these things.

But even he would be afraid.

Very afraid.

“I understand what you’re thinking, but this situation was already difficult to begin with. If I can call something bad news, did you think that item would be light?”

Theodore shook the empty teacup. His tone carried an indescribable sorrow.

“The warmstone mine from three years ago is about to run dry and can only support the current population for less than ten years? The degree of soil impoverishment worsened a year ago, causing another large-scale reduction in food production? Or should I say the evil cultists destroyed Forest Farms One and Two five days ago, one of the pillars supporting people’s spirits?

“Tell me, which of these pieces of bad news can make people breathe a sigh of relief and think, ‘So that’s all’? Theresa, do you think I have it easy sitting here? Do you know how much hair I’ve lost over these years? I’m clearly not as old as you, but the top of my head is already almost as ‘thick’ as your chest hair.”

“...P-President, you’ve worked hard.” Theresa did not know how to comfort him, so he could only give an embarrassed smile.

“So, in this place that is about to be completely finished, it is merely a slightly worse piece of news. We can only silently accept it, then think of a way to resolve it. Haven’t we walked forward like this for several hundred years?”

Theodore glanced at Theresa.

“Don’t forget your identity, Lord Bear King.”

“Yes!”

Theresa straightened his chest.

“I, Bear King Theresa, will surely press forward without hesitation!”

“...There is no need to be that solemn.”

The dignity that belonged to the president scattered, and that overly pale face still only made people feel pity.

Theodore sat down again and interlaced his fingers.

“In fact, this time, I didn’t only call you back.”

“Huh?”

Theresa was surprised.

“Not only me? Could there be other Pioneers? ...Which ones?”

“Almost all of them. In any case, anyone we can contact has been told to return first. Some matters cannot be decided by me alone.”

“President, do you mean... temporarily giving up on pioneering?”

Theresa’s pupils shrank. This news also caught him completely off guard.

“What else? Our pioneering efforts currently have no clues at all. There is still no sign that wall has been opened. Under circumstances like this...”

Theodore was silent for a brief moment.

“We can only pause.”

“No!”

Theresa swept away the obedient attitude from earlier. His voice suddenly rose.

“Pioneering is our only way out. This is the path Lord Alan the Brave pointed out for us. It is where our chance of survival lies. If we pause pioneering, then wouldn’t we be...”

“This is not a time when being loud will be useful, Theresa.”

Theodore was not frightened. Instead, his tone turned slightly cold.

“The current situation is this. Whether it is mineral resources, food, or the destruction caused by evil cultists, I can think of ways to compensate. At worst, some people die. Death, over the past several hundred years, has already become the most common thing in this land of Annabawei. But regarding the Goddess... that is not something that can be resolved by letting a few people die. If we take even one wrong step, all of Annabawei will head toward its end.

“Therefore, at a time like this, we can only use certain special methods.”

“You... President, you cannot be thinking of restarting that plan from ten years ago?” Theresa said in horror.

“...I have some thoughts in that direction.” Theodore closed his eyes and did not deny it.

“Absolutely not! That plan is far too unrealistic.”

Theresa had completely lost his composure. He slammed a hand directly down on the wooden desk.

“President, have you forgotten? That insane plan was already voted down by us ten years ago! Even if you call everyone back again, the result still won’t change at all!”

“Is that so?”

Theodore opened his eyes and looked at Theresa.

Facing the roar of this man called Giant Bear, not a single trace of panic appeared on his face. He was terrifyingly calm.

“I actually think it is different.”

“Why?”

“Because ten years ago, our circumstances were not this desperate yet.”

“...”

“Ten years ago, we discovered that place, found that one, confirmed that one’s condition, and discussed its feasibility.”

Theodore took out a document that had long been sealed away. Unlike the paper he usually used, that document was actually made of parchment. In a place like this, being able to use parchment, something no different from an antique, already showed the importance of the information recorded on it.

The writing on the parchment similarly stirred Theresa’s memories.

Ten years ago, he had not yet been one of the very top Pioneers, but Theodore was already the president of the United Pioneering Association. He had followed Theodore and witnessed that vote related to Annabawei’s fate.

“That was a direction completely different from the path humanity now walks, yet it could still be called another kind of solution.”

Theodore’s finger pointed at the parchment, from the clauses at the beginning all the way to the signatures at the end.

Red signatures.

The blood of the Pioneers.

Including his own.

“The result of the discussion at the time was not to execute it. We could not bear that price, nor could we take that risk. Compared with it, the path Lord Alan left behind was the direction we should explore.”

“But that only applied at the time.”

Dong.

The ancient clock on the wall rang. This was the scheduled time for the sky to darken.

But the breeze stirred the curtains. In the world outside, it had long since become deep night.

“Very clearly, if the situation continues to develop like this, then this treaty will no longer apply.”

“E-Even now, it is still not completely hopeless!”

The towering Theresa looked as if he had been struck by lightning. He swayed, almost unable to stand.

“President, you can’t do this because of one tiny change. This will...”

“That is why... I said we will only try.”

Theodore said, “I am the president. I must take responsibility for all of Annabawei. Right now, it looks like only a tiny change, but this tiny change may lead to the most terrifying disaster. Therefore, for me, I already have to make preparations for the worst.”

“You mean...”

“Let’s watch.”

Theodore turned his head again and looked out the window, letting out a sigh.

“This mutation likely will not end so easily. At that time... I am afraid we will no longer have any room to choose.”

“...I hope you’re wrong.” Theresa’s expression shifted uncertainly between dark and light.

“Mm.”

Theodore answered softly.

“I hope I’m wrong.”

...

...

Theresa left, and the president’s office returned to quiet.

Only the breeze stirred those messy papers he had not yet had time to organize, making soft rustling sounds.

Theodore hid himself in the shadows, propped his chin on both hands, and closed his eyes in thought.

He did not think for long.

He rose, locked the door, and made certain no one would disturb him.

Then he checked the windows, the curtains, even the nearly invisible crack in the wall, which he had long since blocked with sand and soil he had collected.

After finishing all of this, he returned to the desk.

Finally, he pulled open a hidden compartment beneath the desk and took out...

A candle.

The candle was lit, emitting dim yellow light that seemed to make his pale complexion soften a little.

Theodore stared at the candle for a long time.

Then he clasped both hands together.

And prayed.

“Yes, I have already made the relevant arrangements.”

“I understand. There is not much time left, but there is no other way. If we want the many Pioneers to choose that path, then we must let them face an even more terrifying darkness.”

“Mm, that outsider. I just saw him. He is very vigilant. He almost discovered me. Fortunately, I was slightly better and did not let him catch my tail... I know. He is the key.”

The room lit by candlelight echoed with Theodore’s low whispers.

“Do not worry, Goddess...”

“I will complete the instructions You gave when You were lucid. I know Your madness is not Your fault.”

“Yes, I know as well. You still love us.”

Rustle.

There was clearly not even the slightest breeze in the room, yet the candle flame suddenly shook violently.

Theodore’s shadow danced wildly throughout the entire room. He stopped whispering at once.

Thus, a certain unclear murmur echoed through the room along with the candle flame that gradually stabilized again.

[Kill... kill me.]

...

...

“Hm? Someone is watching me?”

Muen, who had been thinking about the reason night had come early, abruptly turned his head. His sharp gaze swept across the street behind him.

People came and went, the cries of vendors did not stop, and there was not the slightest abnormality.

But his intuition told Muen that, just now, a faint gaze had seemed to land on him.

“An illusion?”

No. His perception had not become useless to that degree.

That faint gaze had definitely been real. He simply did not know whether it had accidentally swept over him by chance, or whether it had been conscious spying.

After all, although Muen had concealed his own aura, he had not used Illumination Magic to hide his figure.

According to the rules of this place, he was not certain whether using Illumination Magic at night would draw the gaze of the Goddess of Night.

“If it was accidental, then there is nothing much to say. At most, some strange nighttime rumors will circulate afterward.”

Muen rubbed his chin.

“But if it was deliberate spying... then that is interesting.”

Aside from Marcie, he had no acquaintances here.

Therefore, that kind of spying had to have some other purpose... It couldn’t possibly be because he was too handsome and someone couldn’t help secretly looking a few more times, right?

“Black Book.”

Muen closed his eyes.

His consciousness space.

The Black Book appeared and opened with a rustle.

On the originally blank page, neat lettering began to appear.

[Muen Campbell shuddered. He sensed that someone was spying on him, and precisely at this moment, inside a building three hundred meters to his rear left, a certain gaze also quickly hid itself in the shadows.]

“Three hundred meters to my rear left?”

Muen opened his eyes and looked in that direction.

Then his brow lifted.

“City-State United Pioneering Association... headquarters?”