As if oblivious to the astonishment written on everyone's faces, Yaxiu spoke slowly. "Tamashi's intention is obvious. He didn't tell us and insisted on slipping away alone because he didn't want to drag us into this.
"The Mercury Trojan is right down below. This is the end of his path of revenge, and he's willing to sacrifice everything for it, even dying down there without hesitation. If he succeeds, he'll gladly draw his last breath; if he fails, he'll die without a burial and bear no regrets.
"We, however, are different. We have a score to settle with the Mercury Trojan, but not to the extent of throwing our lives away in mutual destruction. More importantly, we now have a way out—we have a future we can grasp."
Yaxiu added calmly, "We are only one step away from happiness.
"To drag a group of travelers who were about to leave into gambling their lives just for his personal vengeance? Merely thinking about it strikes me as far too selfish—let alone for a believer of Slay All Crows, whose every action is dedicated to justice.
"If we truly went down there to save him, we wouldn't just be throwing our lives away; we would be spitting on his good intentions." Yaxiu continued, "We are no longer children who act purely on whim, picking favorite colors.
"We can't be emotional, and we can't look back. Everyone has their own path to walk. Since our paths diverge, then so be it—we part ways."
Aside from the slurping sound of the orc eating macaroni, the only thing remaining in the shadow of the rocky crag seemed to be the lingering echo of Yaxiu's words. Harvey gave him a thoughtful look, shook his head, and tightened his grip on Alice's hand.
"...Do you really think that?" the swindler asked. "You won't regret it?"
"What else?" Yaxiu countered. "Just to save someone we've known for three months, are we supposed to charge into an army encampment of tens of thousands of Four Pillar Cult sorcerers? For the personal grudge of a man whose face we've never even seen, are we supposed to face the threat of a legendary sorcerer?
"All we have to do is wait one month, and we can safely leave this wasteland of religious maniacs, monsters, and war, returning to the safety of the Gospel to enjoy wealth and comfort—or at least never have to worry about being hunted down. Yet we can't even wait that little bit of time, and insist on courting death by charging into a near-certain death trap like the Silent Spiral?
"More importantly, is Tamashi Slay All Crows worth so much from us? Formidable in combat as he is, he's merely an ordinary man in the end. He's illiterate, and aside from suspected culinary skills, he doesn't have a single life skill...
"On top of that, his Slay All Crows faith is far too cold and rigid. Once we reach the Gospel Country, he'll probably cause trouble for us. Although we haven't had any massive falling-outs with him over the past few months, small frictions have been constant. Can we truly accept a companion whose beliefs are completely incompatible with ours?
"When you think about it, we should be glad the Mercury Trojan is here," Yaxiu said coldly. "Tamashi leaving for his revenge might actually be a good thing."
Clatter!
The swindler slammed his stainless steel plate onto the ground. He stood up and glared at the cult leader, his eyes wide with rage as he bit his lower lip. Everyone else was stunned—none of them could imagine Igola ever showing such an emotional outburst.
"Aha, what a pleasant surprise! I never knew you were a mind sorcerer, Yaxiu," he sneered. "Mind reading? Court mimicry? Beautifully spoken! That really does sound like something I would say—practically the inner narration running through my head! Go on, keep talking! I have thirteen more reasons not to save the Black Crow; I'd love to hear how many more of them you know!
"Chikala, watch closely, learn well! This is the highest level of reverse psychology. Stop showing off your pitiful little tricks!"
The orc muttered weakly, "I was being completely sincere..."
Yaxiu shook his head as well. "I wasn't using reverse psychology."
"Then who are you trying to convince with this high-sounding nonsense about why we shouldn't save the Black Crow? Are you trying to convince Harvey, Black Crow's dearest brother? Or Chikala, his alien-race kin? Or perhaps me, who used to have heart-to-hearts with that crow?" Igola kicked the plate away, gritting his teeth. "Who here doesn't know that you're the closest to Black Crow? Who are you trying to sicken with that garbage?"
"I'm not."
"Fine!" Igola marched outside and spread his arms. "Since you say you aren't, let's leave. We'll go stay in the nearest village for a dozen days, and then come back to the Silent Spiral to see if we can dig that crow's corpse out of a green beast's belly—"
"I was just afraid you wouldn't say it," Yaxiu said. "So I said it in advance on your behalf."
The swindler stood with his back to them, facing the desolate wasteland outside. The foul wind, thick with sand, whipped his long, untrimmed golden hair.
Only after a long silence did he ask, "What do you mean?"
"Even Chikala knows I want to save Black Crow. How could the two of you not know?" Yaxiu said. "Yet I've waited all this time, and neither of you spoke a single word of objection.
"Unlike back in the Blood Moon, where the environment forced us to take risks and we shared common interests; and unlike in the Gospel, where Annan enslaved us and left us no choice... This time, we are free.
"You're free to dislike Tamashi. You're free not to save him. You're free to wait a month and escape Senluo. You can do whatever you want—nothing is oppressing or constraining you.
"What I feared most was that you would go throw your lives away just for my sake."
Yaxiu continued, "Yes, I do want to save Tamashi. But if saving him costs your lives, that would be far too selfish—even more selfish than him expecting us to help him seek revenge.
"I would rather lie to myself and wait until my sorcery reaches its peak in the future before returning to Senluo to avenge him."
A faint trace of mockery colored Igola's voice. "You, lying to yourself?"
"Don't worry, I won't agree to your face and then turn around to rescue Tamashi on my own—that kind of piecemeal feeding into the grinder is absurdly stupid. I understand full well that I can't save Tamashi alone. Even if all of us go together, the odds of success are still razor-thin. If you got dragged in and died trying to save me, the Mercury Trojan would probably laugh herself awake in her dreams.
"I'm not a god, nor am I a savior. There are always things beyond my power, trials I cannot surmount," Yaxiu said. "I would rather regret standing by idly in the future than let myself become the dilemma that drags you to your deaths.
"Tamashi Slay All Crows is indeed a friend who has shared life and death with me," he said earnestly. "But Igola, Harvey—could your place in my heart possibly be lower than his?"
Harvey suddenly felt intensely uncomfortable all over, wishing he could crawl straight into the coffin and lie beside Alice. Is that something anyone from the Blood Moon could say? Harvey complained inwardly, yet he unconsciously sat up straighter. Alice seemed to sense his heart's will, her grip on his hand tightening.
Igola covered his face with a hand to hide his expression, asking, "So, you're abandoning Black Crow for our sake?"
Yaxiu shook his head. "Not for your sake. Saying that makes it sound like I'm making some grand sacrifice for you... In truth, maybe I just didn't want to go either, and I was merely using you two as an excuse."
"Though this might not be my place to speak," Chikala chimed in, "Mr. Yaxiu, that sentence was definitely a lie."
"It's almost ten o'clock," Gwen suddenly reminded them.
Igola let out a long sigh. "Fine, you win. We—"
"That won't do," Yaxiu said. "Now it's your turn to convince me. I need a sentence—a sincere sentence. Especially from you, Igola. If I feel it isn't sincere enough, I won't let any of you go to save Tamashi."
"How should I know what you want to hear?"
"You definitely know, because you are the Swindler, Igola. Aside from the gods, only a con artist like you dares claim they can satisfy any human desire," Yaxiu said. "But this time, I want to hear your genuine truth, not a lie manufactured to grant my wish."
Igola glared at Yaxiu, fury flashing in his eyes. Yet Yaxiu held his gaze steadily, his demeanor unyielding.
After a moment, Igola squeezed a few words from the corner of his mouth with utter reluctance: "Unlike you, Black Crow holds very little value in my heart. Then again, none of you rank much higher either; you are all merely tools I consider useful over the long term—what the world calls 'friends.'
"However, the 'friends' I acknowledge are few," the swindler said. "So, Black Crow cannot die."
"Dying in a foreign land at the hands of a legendary sorcerer is a remarkably high-class way to go," Harvey said leisurely. "If my death can help Black Crow shatter the Mercury Trojan's blissful life and make this bloody vengeance burn all the more fiercely, that would be splendid."
These were the exact words Yaxiu wanted.
They could go save Black Crow, but it could not be solely because Yaxiu wanted to save him. If that were the case, Yaxiu would rather abandon this obsession; he refused to become the engine that drove his party to a total wipe.
Only if both Igola and Harvey wanted to save Black Crow—only if they made this decision out of their own free will—could Yaxiu endorse the operation.
Though on the surface it might seem like the same outcome, to Yaxiu the meaning was night and day: the former was Yaxiu dragging them into the colosseum bound in chains, while the latter was them marching in together with their heads held high.
It was the difference between disgrace and honor, between shame and pride.
"I will follow Mr. Igola," Gwen said softly.
Chikala looked around, swallowing hard. "Should we... maybe think this through a bit more?"
"Weren't you brimming with righteous indignation a moment ago about wanting to save Black Crow? We understand your stance perfectly." Igola patted the orc's shoulder, leaning in close to ask coldly, "Or are you saying you want to back out now?"
Chikala looked pleadingly at Yaxiu. Yaxiu shrugged—I told you I wouldn't put in a good word for you with Igola.
"Don't worry," Harvey said calmly. "Your master is Alice. Just protect Alice and the coffin properly; no one will send you to your death."
Igola let out a huff, seemingly displeased, but ultimately acquiesced to Harvey's arrangement, leaving Chikala overflowing with gratitude. Watching this unfold, Yaxiu thought to himself that Igola and Harvey were truly masters of playing bad cop and good cop.
The group walked out of the rocky terrain and looked toward the distant colossal city of vines.
Yaxiu suddenly chuckled. "Come to think of it, when we first arrived in Senluo, we were locked in a cell, and it was Tamashi who smashed the wall to break us out."
"That was three months ago," Igola said. "Back then, you confidently tried god-hosting, only to get instantly killed by the Silver Lantern."
The moment the words left his mouth, Igola knew he had misspoken. Yaxiu froze, his expression drifting slightly. "The Silver Lantern... It feels like I haven't heard news of her in a long time."
He paused, then swiftly returned to the matter at hand. "When we first arrived in Senluo, we were saved by Tamashi. Now, before we leave Senluo, we're going to save him. It forms a complete loop.
"Still, when we see him, I'm definitely giving him a punch."
Yaxiu threw a straight punch into the empty air, cursing under his breath. "He might have had no choice, but my anger is completely beyond my control too! After saying he'd submit to my command... Hmph!
"Let's go. Before we head down to Hell, we'll follow Black Crow down into the Silent Spiral first."
In the shadows behind the wine casks, Black Crow pushed the mental art he had learned in Blind Town to its limit, erasing his presence as much as possible. While this technique could replicate the effect of a concealment miracle, it demanded extraordinary mental discipline; any intense emotional fluctuation could leak his aura.
Yet for a Judgment Retainer who had slaughtered countless foes, there was little left in this world that could shake his composure. Even so, during the past half hour of eavesdropping, Black Crow had several times struggled to suppress his inner shock, nearly causing the mental art to unravel.
"Lady Vichy, the Silver Lantern has reached the bottom floor."
"Although it should take quite a while, I'll go down to keep watch just in case... By the way, without my orders, none of you are permitted near the bottom three floors, lest you alert her."
"Understood."
"Actually, you could have left earlier. Didn't you already cycle through a proper Empty Door passage?"
"The other side is a deserted island in the open ocean, god knows how far from human society, and I don't even know if civilization exists there... Since there's still plenty of time, there's no need to rush into a decision."
"There was a proverb in my era: Pick and choose till your eyes are blurred, only to end up with a broken lamp."
"I will engrave Lady Vichy's teachings into my heart."
"No need to remember it. Who knows, maybe you'll end up rolling a magnificent Empty Door passage in the end? Or perhaps you'll be too picky for too long, only to get worse options each time. All the principles in this world are merely the lessons left behind by the successful trying to decipher fate. But success has never required lessons—it requires luck."
Black Crow heard Vichy's footsteps drawing nearer, her voice growing increasingly distinct. "As long as you win in the end, you are right. Conversely, no matter how sound your principles are, if you lose, you are wrong.
"And so..."
In the next second, Vichy's enigmatic voice bypassed Black Crow's ears, reaching straight into his mind: "Your luck is quite good. She is no longer of any use to me."
"Safe travels, Lady Vichy." The others seemed entirely deaf to those words, bidding her a polite farewell.
Black Crow did not dare twitch a muscle. After an unknown amount of time, people began moving the wine casks. A jostled cask leaked a single drop of Crow Blood Wine, landing upon Black Crow's mask and sliding down in a bloody streak.
Then, it gently dripped.
Landing right upon his Grey Fox blade.
Chapter 701