Chapter 193

The village I’m in now is called Nantes Port City. Back before Bern City grew big, this place was the gateway to Bern City. But as technology advanced and they managed to clean up the river estuary, Bern City’s central port started to decline.

Back then, there were no docks for ships to unload cargo along the river, so large shipments had to be handled here.

Among the people Victoria massacred were some who lived here for a long time. If you piece together fragments of memories, you can glimpse the bigger picture.

Just to clarify, the villagers weren’t necessarily enemies. They were just citizens of this town—some drowned in the sea, others couldn’t withstand the creeping fear and took their own lives.

Was Victoria cruel and merciless? Not exactly. From what I’ve observed, she’s a girl who knows killing people is bad.

But when faced with overwhelming power, morality tends to crumble easily.

It’s not so much inherent evil in humans but rather selective indifference. For example, imagine you have to cross a city to reach an unavoidable destination under extreme time pressure. You’re riding a massive battleship weighing over 40,000 tons—do you really need to consider the people below?

If they don’t get out of the way, it’s natural death. So, you push forward.

That’s how 4,439 people became nothing but warmth.

Nantes Port Town may be a declining small village now, but back then, more people died here than the town’s population due to all those blocked from entering Bern City.

Victoria probably didn’t consciously think about this, but that’s how most people end up acting.

To put it simply: anyone can press a button to launch a missile without guilt—it’s human nature. Sure, they might pretend to feel sad if someone sees them, but very few actually suffer emotionally.

It’s harder to empathize with masses than individuals. Cutting someone down with a sword makes you feel it clearly, while firing a gun feels easier, and dropping bombs on countless unnamed faces feels easiest of all.

People understand each other individually, but comprehending the masses is impossible. That’s why leaders exist—to guide people into understanding the bigger picture.

Anyway…

This harvest season hit the jackpot. I hope even more people awaken psychic abilities soon. They won’t even know what they’re doing, yet they’ll bring me plenty of warmth.

Thinking about this, I crossed the dried-up river. It’s hard to believe it was once wide enough for huge cargo ships just hours ago. Every bit of moisture seems sucked dry; even the riverbed feels parched beneath my feet.

Polaris trailing behind me with a dark expression doesn’t seem to have awakened any powers. Though I don’t know everything, people who gain abilities usually test them right away. Like Tisah, who kept his hidden initially but eventually experimented alone. So, I pretty much know if anyone among the harvesters has awakened their powers.

There’s another thing I noticed. Regeneration abilities are hard to detect unless serious injuries occur. However, Tisah already knew he had regeneration from the start—he just didn’t know its full extent. Based on this, I assume such awareness kicks in at the moment one becomes a harvester and gains their ability.

Still, whatever I know must come after I regain my memories, which leaves me feeling slightly regretful about how much I don’t know.

Anyway…

Walking across the dried river, following the well-maintained estuary upstream leads eastward to Bern City. Above that, the sea floats upside down in the sky.

If that’s the sea, then here must be the coast. A thin layer of water shimmers faintly in the sky, growing deeper as you approach Bern City. The dimly swaying stars and moon gradually fade into darkness and disappear, leaving the air suffocatingly dry despite the sea overhead.

A scene so surreal, someone might accuse whoever laid the sea texture across the sky in VR.

Once inside the city proper, there’s no light above anymore. Instead, it comes from below, faintly leaking through gaps between buildings.

At that moment, Polaris quickly approached me, grabbed my hand tightly, and gave me a glance. She spotted someone observing us from between the buildings, though I saw it too through her eyes. She probably thought I hadn’t noticed.

Fact is, this place is dangerous. Polaris’ caution isn’t misplaced. This isn’t a location filled with victims trapped by oppression anymore—it’s a den of would-be traitors trying to build their own world based on different desires. What matters is who holds the center of power.

Purple hair, unusually pale skin… Yes, the harvesters. They dominate the upper ranks, while the powerless become subordinates. If we were to form a special group, these top-tier ones should be prioritized—but there’s no need to tell them that. To me, it doesn’t matter how this group ends up.

“Bell, be careful.”

“I know it’s scary, but let’s walk confidently, Polaris. Then we won’t attract immediate danger.”

Because we look like Bern City’s harvesters, and nobody recognizes me. Thankfully, none of the harvesters in Bern City are watching me either. Right now, all the key harvesters are gathered around Victoria.

She’s currently talking to them, omitting the part where she killed Marquis Gaston. Instead, she blames him for conspiring with three companies and ruining everything here. But that doesn’t mean much to them because they’ve chosen to focus on creating a world free of injustice rather than avenging past wrongs.

So, they enthusiastically encourage Victoria. Pointing at the massive floating sea above, they convince her she could become the greatest person ever.

While walking and thinking about this, Polaris suddenly tugged at my collar.

“Where are we going?”

“I’m heading to the old home where Victoria’s family used to live.”

It’s located in the southern part of Bern City, where the elite reside—not the bustling downtown area filled with tall buildings, but the outskirts. There aren’t many intact structures here.

As the inverted sea grows thinner and the distant moonlight twinkles faintly like starlight…

Suddenly, Polaris screamed.

“Kyaa!”

Ah… I realize because of the sensation. Turning around, I see her clothes lying on the ground. When she protected Victoria earlier, her back got completely burned. It’s almost miraculous her clothes didn’t tear during regeneration. But apparently, they reached their limit and disintegrated, revealing her completely naked body.

Her face glows bright red even in the darkness.

“Should we go into a nearby house and find something to wear?”

“How far is it to where you’re going, Bell?”

“A long way.”

“There’s nothing we can do…”

Polaris hesitantly covers herself with her tiny hands and walks toward the nearest surviving house. I follow her inside.

Her white back catches my eye. Even though I regained movement in my hands, I lack eyes, so I see her through the perspective of a nearby harvester struggling to survive yet slowly dying. At first, I thought she was practically dead, but checking her memories reveals her injuries weren’t as severe as expected.

She’s roughly my height, small like a child, yet capable of tearing apart mechanical devices barehanded. People from the Bearington clan are physically extraordinary, having originally earned nobility for such prowess ages ago.

Same goes for Polaris. Half-jokingly nicknamed Polar Bear, she truly resembles one. Her self-assessment suggests her wounds might heal within six months of rest.

Watching a naked girl enter a ruined house under the cover of night might look insane to outsiders. If anyone followed, it could easily be mistaken for bullying.

Stepping inside, I notice something squishy underfoot and glance down. Between stones and broken wood lies the half-rotted corpse of a woman and a baby, likely crushed when the house collapsed.

No light remains here, nor any lingering warmth. This sight would shock Polaris mentally.

At least no original occupants remain inside, which is somewhat fortunate. I crush the corpses underfoot, scattering debris to bury them. The stench blends into the oppressive atmosphere of the village, barely noticeable.

By the time Polaris emerges from inside wearing newly found clothes, she looks hilariously less like a cute girl and more like an auntie. Too short to truly pass as one, and unrealistically adorable in appearance, but her overly practical outfit emphasizes certain assets despite its baggy design.

In another setting, someone might die of joy seeing this, but I remain unfazed.

“You’ve become much more local-like.”

“Are you mocking me?”

“I’ll say you look like an auntie.”

I got slapped.

“There are things you can say and things you shouldn’t.”

“It means you’ll blend in better. Many people in Bern City already recognize me.”

Polaris nods upon hearing this.

“I get it. About two months ago, there was a major incident here, right? That’s how you and Victoria ended up enrolling in the Royal Academy.”

“Yes, which is why I told you to walk confidently earlier.”

“Oh, right. My clothes were rags anyway, so I blended in with the locals.”

She immediately understood. Before she realized the source of the musty smell lingering everywhere, I deliberately moved around conspicuously.

Polaris follows me.

“Can we still find the place with all this destruction?”

“I remember every place I’ve been to.”

I visualize a mental map while walking, allowing me to quickly correct minor errors.

“Ugh, I wish Victoria were here when we arrive. But she probably won’t be, huh?”

Huh?

“Do you know?”

“The water above is getting shallower. Victoria must be where it’s thickest.”

“But you still decided to come along?”

“She’s searching for someone, right? The parents of that girl.”

I nod.

“If you just raise your head, you can tell where Victoria is. Let’s find what we can first without wasting too much time. Meeting her now would only prolong things unnecessarily.”

Understanding this, I lighten my steps, brushing off the last bits of debris clinging to my shoes, and head toward the house where Victoria’s family and I lived dozens of days ago.