Chapter 525

Chapter 148: The Benevolent and the Wicked Part 2

“What do you mean…”

I had already planned to leave.

I followed with the intention of listening, but after a few sentences, I realized there was no point in talking. This woman was trying to indoctrinate me, but we were not of the same kind—no matter how powerful she was, she was still just a heretic.

Stepping over bones with twisted reasoning, she ascended to the mountaintop, extinguishing all human kindness along the way. Perhaps she even believed she had an undeniable reason for doing so, just like Teresa—this reminded me of something I heard long ago: evildoers never believe they are evil; this is their greatest blind spot in their cognition.

There are countless excuses one can find to justify evil.

Evildoers always feel justified in their wickedness, making good people lose sleep at night. When we condemn them indignantly, their hearts remain unmoved; they lack empathy and cannot feel others’ emotions, deriving pleasure from harming others.

I have my reasons, so I can harm others without hesitation—that is the logic of an evildoer. There’s nothing to say to someone who thinks this way.

But…

What kind of evildoer, to what extent, could despise kindness from the depths of her heart…

She said, “Just a good person…”

She said, “Nothing more…”

“You, what do you mean!”

Buzz—

A blue light flickered in my eyes before fading. Gripping the bag of sweet biscuits, I walked towards her: “Just an evildoer…”

The woman did not turn around, sighing softly: “You still don’t understand…”

“Who are you to boldly belittle kindness!”

I quickly reached her back, restraining the urge to attack her outright. I moved in front of her, standing tall, looking up at her face, which should be fierce… I couldn’t hold it back anymore.

“One day, you will understand.”

She said, staring unblinkingly at me.

“…Understand?”

I sneered, coldly looking at her, shaking my head forcefully: “No, I will never and do not want to understand the logic of an evildoer.”

“So, in your eyes, people are only divided into good and evil.”

“People are not just divided into good and evil, but you must be evil.”

“How can you tell?”

“You speak of the suffering of the world, lamenting it endlessly. You, and Teresa, both act as if you pity the world. Yet, the war in the southern territories was caused by you.”

“Is that so?”

The woman calmly countered, her expression unchanged, unperturbed.

I laughed bitterly in anger.

“Murdering people, humiliating women, and torturing children—this is what you call the suffering of the world. This is what you have done!”

The murderous intent and fury accumulated in my chest surged out with each word: “I saw it all, I witnessed it all. I wish to tear you apart a thousand times, ten thousand times! No, even a thousand times would not be enough to atone for your sins.”

The woman’s pupils dimmed for a moment.

It was a very brief moment; she quickly regained her cold demeanor, as if nothing had shaken her. Taking a deep breath, she made no further attempt to defend herself.

“What, no more words?”

Once the emotion erupted, it became uncontrollable. Pointing at her nose, I shouted angrily: “You, you should taste the suffering of the world! You deserve such treatment. You, these cold-blooded, inhumane scoundrels!”

“I wish to return every bit of suffering inflicted on the victims, on Catahorma, the Silent Fortress, Aretion, to these places, to the people who suffered, all the torture, all the killings, all the torment! Once, twice, all of it! Back onto you, the ones responsible! That is what you deserve. Remember my words! I will follow through, soon you will understand this.”

“Huff, huff…”

I started breathing heavily.

I was getting tired of shouting, my throat burning, wanting water.

“…I’m waiting.”

The woman’s voice.

, still calm and serene, looking at me with that same gaze.

“You hate me, I understand. I await the day you kill me. If it’s you, I believe you can do it. But before that, I need to complete my tasks. Once everything settles down, you can do whatever you want to me, even torture or torment, I won’t resist.”

“Hmph.”

Easier said than done…

Why would I believe her nonsense: “No matter what your goal is, I will not let the Gate of Truth get its way.”

“Then you might be disappointed.”

The woman said as she walked past me and started moving forward.

“The show is about to begin. How about we make a bet? You won’t just stop me from going after my next target; you’ll actually try to cooperate with me.”

What does she mean? What does she plan to do…

“Impossible!” I shouted instinctively.

“Miss Silvija, I want to give you a reminder.”

The woman in disguise as Meser moved under the moonlight, her white dress shining like snow, heading towards the direction where people were gathering.

“You should understand this truth. Everything you see in front of you in this world, whether it’s suffering or happiness, happens ultimately because there is a deeper cause.”

“…What are you trying to say?”

I stood there, watching her silhouette disappear into the distance.

“If there was no me, no jester, no Gate of Truth, do you think the world would become better?”

Her voice drifted over: “What I want to say, you may not understand today. It’s not because you’re young or foolish, but because now, you are still just a good, simple girl, a thorough good person.”

“In the eyes of a good person, those who stand up for justice, those who are willing to share their food or clothes with the hungry and dead, and those who risk their lives for others’ well-being are considered good. You have great righteousness, and you act on these beliefs, becoming a hero in the eyes of humans.”

“But you don’t realize… when such good people gather together, they can unknowingly turn into the tools of evil, leading everything to an irreversible disaster…”

“You… what…”

What is she referring to…

…No, don’t be curious. That’s just heretical talk. I can’t take her words seriously.

With this thought, the woman’s voice came again: “Because in this world, true evil, the absolute evil, doesn’t appear clearly before you like a bandit. It uses fame, benefits, all kinds of glittering sugarcoats, firm beliefs, and fancy words to seduce you, guiding your sense of right and wrong, burying the truth forever if you don’t dig it out.”

“What do you mean?” I shouted at her, “Be clear!”

“The truth is, if there was no us, another Gate of Truth or another jester, more jesters, or even a more terrifying abyss would emerge. This is the result of actions taken by the unseen evil. And if you want to change this outcome, you must inevitably abandon…”

“You! Don’t play riddles with me!”

“Hmph, this is just a reminder for you. If you don’t understand now, it’s fine. Just treat it as the rambling of a heretic for now… Silvija, I’ll tell you my next move. Tonight, I plan to have the jester die here.”

“You can’t… What did you say?!”

I was stunned.

“Kill the jester.”

The woman repeated, her voice fading away: “I know the Church has prepared many things for tonight. They guessed correctly; the jester will indeed meet me here soon. After learning about your surveillance, I didn’t change the meeting place or inform the jester about the details here. He will follow the original plan and arrive in Bucktown before the crowd disperses after the performance ends.”

“…Why should I… trust you…”

Such murmured words, Miss Meser probably couldn’t hear anymore.

“Kill him.”

Under the moonlight, the woman quickened her pace, her figure disappearing into the night: “When necessary, I will assist you…”