Chapter 194

South of Bern City. A neighborhood where standalone houses stretch on endlessly.

This is where Victoria used to live.

The last time I saw it, the area was vibrant with colors, but now it’s eerily desolate.

There are traces of fire sweeping through here and there, and many houses have their doors and windows boarded up.

The ones without boards look even worse—front doors are broken open, making them seem all the more bleak.

Passing by these dim houses, we finally reached our destination.

“Is this it?”

“Yeah.”

The entrance door is split in half, lying inside, and nearby windows are shattered. It’s nighttime, so the inside isn’t clearly visible, but it doesn’t look like anyone lives here.

Still, better safe than sorry, so we went in.

“What a mess.”

Under the flickering moonlight, the interior looks like it’s been ransacked by some wild brute.

Especially the kitchen—it’s trashed.

Memories flash back: when logistics in larger cities get sealed off, food disappears almost instantly. That’s why during sieges, if a city is blockaded, it often collapses from within after just a short while. Or how much food typically flows into and out of a city… those memories illuminate the situation.

In other words, this place has been looted.

Is this an apocalypse-style city?

If resources keep being consumed, survivors will inevitably turn against each other at some point.

In such dire circumstances, maybe the losing side might still be around somewhere…

So I carefully checked every corner of the house.

Thankfully—

“There are no dead bodies.”

“Oh, so that’s why you didn’t bother searching thoroughly?”

“Yeah.”

While I scoured every nook and cranny of the rooms, Polaris had apparently tidied up the living room; the spot where we once sat together to watch TV is somewhat cleared off.

The TV is dusty, but it seems untouched, meaning the house was likely raided for food rather than valuables. Food is expensive, after all.

Which means finding supplies in this or nearby houses will probably be tough.

I looked over at Polaris, sitting on the couch, catching her breath.

She doesn’t appear physically cold or exhausted, so it must be mental fatigue. Definitely.

Approaching her, I grabbed her hand.

“Why?”

“Follow me.”

And with that, I pulled her along to the guest room I used to stay in. There’s not much clutter since it was originally meant for visitors, and bedding is stored neatly inside.

Meaning it’s a good place to rest.

Taking her straight to the bed, I fetched a blanket.

“Wait, you’re telling me to sleep now?”

“Yes. You need it, Polaris. Whether you think so or not.”

It’s early autumn, thankfully, so the night isn’t too chilly yet.

“I’m fine.”

“But you’re worn out—not physically, emotionally.”

Pointing toward her ample chest as an example of stress, Polaris opened her mouth to argue but ultimately said nothing.

What started as a simple mission to retrieve someone turned into navigating a dangerous hotspot.

Like being caught in an accident.

Too cruel for a young girl to endure.

Soon, warmth seemed to seep in, and I felt a bit less tense after so long.

Knowing Polaris would fuss, I simply embraced her and lay down. Then I closed my eyes.

Polaris let out a soft sigh, then followed suit, closing her eyes. Not long after, she fell into a deep sleep.

See? She was tired.

If she had the strength to fight back, she wouldn’t have relaxed so easily.

With both my body and mind resting, I focused more on Victoria’s perspective.

Right now, in the center of Bern City, two factions within the Twilight Association are trying to recruit Victoria under their banner—and they’re fighting each other over it.

Both factions aim to take over the entire organization and declare independence. One wants to establish a nation, while the other plans to build a religion.

Currently, those surrounding Victoria in the city center no longer care about uncovering the truth.

After clashing with Marquis Gaston’s army, they’ve realized just how powerful they’ve become.

With that power, they believe they can reshape the world.

That’s what they tell themselves, anyway.

Had it not been for the mysterious man frequently appearing in Harvester’s vision, stirring up desires, I might’ve thought the same thing.

He has an ordinary appearance, nothing remarkable, but he skillfully moves between groups, whispering that their strength could achieve greater things.

Sometimes infiltrating radical factions, other times joining non-combatant groups, he swiftly incites people.

Nothing overly special—during the day, when sporadic bombings occur, most people hide between buildings. But at night, they emerge to light fires and do what’s necessary to survive: setting up sleeping areas, reinforcing fortresses, searching for food.

Once those tasks are done, they gather, and that’s when he strikes. He first builds rapport by sympathizing with their hardships, then subtly criticizes the current state of affairs. That’s all it takes.

People ignite like wildfire.

Just like how political complaints during a drinking session can set anyone ablaze, it’s surprisingly easy to stir emotions.

Especially in situations where both body and mind are strained, blaming others becomes second nature.

This accumulated resentment has grown excessively large, leading to the current state.

Even after escaping Bern City and spreading across the country, sharing stories of its events would’ve sufficed—but instead, they choose isolation and conflict.

Hmm…

Clearly, corporate interests are several steps ahead.

What happens when a figure emerges who dismantles the command structure of the noble-backed army aligned with corporate interests?

A dangerous person, indeed.

Through Harvester’s perspective, whispers circulate among those nearby: “Isn’t Victoria suspicious? Maybe she’s a pawn of the royal family…” These murmurs spread astonishingly fast.

When whispered to only a few people, the listeners rush to warn their acquaintances, quietly suggesting potential danger.

Of course, advising caution to trusted friends isn’t unusual given the circumstances.

But what if this happens intentionally and simultaneously across multiple locations?

No one knows where it started, making it seem like genuine public opinion.

In normal times, such tactics might fail, but after enduring extreme conditions for dozens of days, rationality begins to erode.

Most people here were once ordinary citizens of Bern City, living comfortably in one of the most sophisticated urban centers in this world.

If Victoria declares she won’t align with either of the dominant factions pushing strong agendas, what happens?

She becomes an enemy of both.

Not just one, but two.

And despite her past actions helping others during crises, her distance from the common folk makes her seem distant—even though she’s well-known from news coverage.

Instead, jealousy creeps in: “Why does she get to go to the capital and live comfortably while I struggle?”

People tend to perceive their own efforts as monumental and others’ as trivial.

Many think this way, so even objectively identical—or worse—efforts by others are dismissed.

Self-objectivity is a rare skill. Most don’t know how to use it, or merely pretend they do.

And then there’s envy. The natural desire to bring others down when they succeed is so universal it hardly needs explanation.

Victoria tells these hostile individuals that she’s uninterested in them and is merely searching for her family.

But they interpret this as an excuse, because she didn’t join their side.

Thus, the enemy’s words are inherently bad.

They shout accusations of lies, dismissing and attempting to suppress her voice. “I’m right, you’re wrong.”

Sound familiar?

When the loudest voices start cursing, others follow suit, hurling insults at Victoria.

The scariest part?

Despite facing overwhelming odds, Victoria remains completely unfazed. No signs of nervous breathing or sweating.

Then…

Someone attacked. Not Harvester’s psychic abilities, but a thrown rock. Unfortunately, reviewing the memory reveals no clue from Harvester’s perspective about who threw it.

SWOOOSH!

A towering pillar of water descended vertically from the sky.

Not just the rock, but everything nearby got sucked into the water column. Dozens of people near the origin point were crushed underwater.

Victoria… killing people now feels as effortless as breathing?

Heheh.

The dark water churns eerily under the cover of night.

Standing calmly by the roadside, Victoria asks, “Since I can’t control my power right now, is there anyone else who wants to interfere?”

Everyone falls silent.

They’ve witnessed firsthand what happens when they resist.

Those empowered in Bern City possess technology capable of halting magical constructs in this magic-based civilization, alongside abilities unrelated to magic itself.

That’s why they’re so strong.

Even warriors using pre-technological combat methods rely on magic to enhance their bodies. What happens if contaminated magic enters their systems?

Initially, they draw on internal reserves, but once depleted, they absorb external magic. Imagine putting cooking oil into a car designed for gasoline—how disastrous would that be?

Warriors are especially vulnerable.

At first, they confidently swing their swords, but soon their weapons malfunction, leaving them to die miserably.

Harvesters in Bern City have grown confident in their abilities. Previously, entering the city rendered them powerless, so they only killed weakened enemies who were once stronger.

But now, an overwhelmingly superior force appears.

Most watching Victoria are terrified.

Ugh…

Such a waste.

If only she’d unleash more violence, more warmth might seep in… But as it stands, Victoria will likely persuade those around her to achieve her goals.

That man occasionally glimpsed in Harvester’s vision…

Will he intervene?

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