The Outer God Needs Warmth-Chapter 225: Song of the Betrayed (5)

The next day.

Despite such a major event happening yesterday, the Royal Academy continued functioning as usual.

Perhaps because it rained right up until just before we left this morning, there was no sign of protestors like the day before. That probably helped.

Because of that, nobody inside the Royal Academy was talking about the events that happened in the capital.

Instead, everyone was busy talking about the events from the banquet where Solindigus stayed ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) for a long time.

That was more important. After all, what happened in the capital was, in a way, someone else’s business.

What mattered was being connected to the person who would eventually become king.

So, no one mentioned the riot that occurred outside yesterday. Instead, the gossip circulating was about who had impressed Solindigus at the banquet, who had acted too arrogantly, and who seemed to be on the rise in the future.

In addition, the riot that was supposed to break out due to the rain Victoria brought ended up being stopped.

The cold rain in winter drains a person’s energy.

It was a bit ironic that the warmth of those who froze to death from the cold rain slightly seeped in during the early morning. However, it wouldn’t be fair to say Victoria killed them; they were already dying.

They were just unlucky.

Five children, seven elderly people, and a man who drank stolen alcohol, passed out on the ground, and froze to death. That made a total of 13?

It’s not that unusual for children or the elderly to die in back alleys when the weather is harsh, is it?

However, if the beginning of causality is linked to the harvest season, warmth can be obtained. It seems like it’s considered as though Victoria killed them.

This is kind of fascinating.

And there’s something else I’ve realized.

While watching the Harvesters, who were trembling in the cold rain and entering their nests last night, I realized that this kind of riot probably wouldn’t just happen in this country.

Most countries have banned certain kinds of clockwork machines.

If the productivity achieved by clockwork machines is damaged, whatever depended on that productivity collapses. Just like what’s happening in this country right now, the situation becomes grim.

That anger might be directed towards places like the clockwork knight academy, or perhaps it could be directed towards the king of that country.

One thing is certain, though: this isn’t unique to this place.

People tend to find someone else to blame when they find themselves in difficult situations.

That’s why religion exists.

If someone is trapped in an unfortunate situation, they ask: why didn’t you save me? Why am I the only one suffering? Save me, just me.

I don’t care if everyone else is thrown into misfortune, just save me.

That’s how it works.

I know because I’ve experienced it.

That’s why I hate gods. Not the fake ones who think they’re gods, but the ones who threw me into the depths of that abyss.

Even if they don’t exist, I’d still hate them.

It’s not atheism; it’s anti-theism. I can’t prove whether gods exist or not, but I deny them. Whether they exist or not, it doesn’t matter.

Otherwise, I’d be too miserable.

This isn’t something I know through knowledge or information.

I know it through experience.

To survive, you end up resenting someone, and you keep living just to have something or someone to resent.

Heh.

There’s more to it.

That comes only after you become unable to die, so it’s irrelevant to ordinary people.

Anyway, in conclusion...

Nothing is over yet. In fact, it’s just beginning.

Maybe there’s a way for businesses to survive in that situation. Isn’t that the way human affairs work?

At first, I was worried because the person seemed unusually kind, but thankfully, someone I know is alive. It’s a bit skewed toward the good side, but it must be within the range of what education has influenced.

When humans are born, they are born as beasts, but through education, they become human.

What? If you knew how cruelly children could treat beasts who can’t speak, you’d be shocked.

Everything humans call good is the sum of the civilization humans have built. Someone even said, the point where humans began to build civilization wasn’t when they started using fire, but when they started taking care of the injured.

It means when they picked up the weapon of society.

They wrapped the actions they took to form society as acts of goodness. It’s the behavior of going against instincts and dedicating oneself for the sake of society.

That’s called goodness, and they began teaching it. That’s education.

Look at Victoria, who received that education.

I thought she might have darkness etched on her face, but she’s perfectly fine. It’s not that she’s pretending to be fine.

The more memories of the Harvesters she gains, the better she understands human emotions. Even if she’s pretending to be fine, I would know immediately.

But emotions are certain; however, the moment subjectivity gets involved in interpretation, it can be wrong.

I learned that last time, so I need to be careful.

While talking, I saw a cockroach flying behind me, and although I felt disgusted, all I knew was the disgust of seeing a bug, so it could mean I misspoke or stepped on a landmine.

But the certainty of emotions makes me confident. I won’t confuse Victoria’s emotions.

If she’s fine, I’ll treat her like usual.

“Clean up the room properly.”

“Are you asking me that after such a big thing happened yesterday?”

Lunchtime.

I poked her a bit, and she seemed really dumbfounded.

“Then what should I ask?”

“Is what happened yesterday nothing?”

Now, the situation is quite stable. If this conversation drifts into exploring my motives, I feel like I’ll make a mistake somewhere.

Victoria brings up a topic that catches her attention.

“That’s still ongoing, right?”

Upon hearing my words, Victoria immediately froze her expression.

“Ongoing...? Yesterday’s incident? Something like that?”

“Is there anyone who learned their actions were wrong?”

No one.

For now, they’ve just backed off. They’re either tidying up their homes, which are wet from the rain, or moving around trying to get food, or they’re wandering to sell the stolen goods.

The riot itself is over.

But there’s no reason why a new riot won’t start. On the contrary, the need to riot will increase as resources deplete over time.

Plus, the second one is easier.

They’ve learned that if they kill someone, they can gain something.

Some have found ways to gain from it, while others can’t just sit and die, crying out.

Desperate people, those to use, those to be used, ignorant people, angry people, people wanting to curse others, and so on.

They’re all still there.

Anyone hoping for different results from doing the same thing is a fool.

“It’s a big deal.”

“Are there more people Victoria knows in the capital?”

At my question, Victoria stopped talking.

Then she hesitated for a moment and shook her head.

“No, there shouldn’t be.”

In reality, when she was going around collecting bodies, she must have seen their faces, so it’s not like she wouldn’t know.

All the people she knew from when she was attending the clockwork knight academy are dead.

In the fragmented memories that came with the faint warmth, there was a boy who had a crush on Victoria.

But he’s already dead.

Or maybe he was already dying and became miserable in the end.

The misfortune of those who gained warmth doesn’t really matter.

I wish they had gotten more warmth, but they got so little, it’s a shame.

If they had been a little faster, they could have gotten so much more warmth, but there were only a few.

To put it another way, all of Victoria’s friends from the clockwork knight academy are dead.

They’re all dead, so there’s no more pain.

“Well, I guess it’s okay then.”

“Isn’t it too cold? Are you saying you don’t care what happens to the people you’ve saved?”

Hmm, how should I answer this?

If I answer too coldly, I think Victoria, who surprisingly wasn’t so disappointed yesterday, might actually be disappointed.

If you are reading this translation anywhere other than Novelight.net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.

I’ll add some convincing words.

“If you’ve been given the chance to regenerate, haven’t you taken it? Anyway, this is beyond my abilities. I give the opportunity, but when did I ever say I wanted you to live better? Did I tell you to live a good life? Live as you please. Do what you want.”

I spoke to Victoria while resting my chin on the chair.

“If I give affection to every life, how many lives will I have to send away?”

It’s a common idea.

The immortal person suffering from parting, or something like that.

I wondered if saying something everyone knows would make her quiet, but unexpectedly, it worked well.

Victoria’s expression was filled with shock.

Then it shifted to one of sympathy. Doesn’t this work too well?

“I’ve never thought about it that way... So you...”

Ah!

That’s right. There is no such type of work in this world. No, maybe there is, but it’s not something you could easily read.

Cultural elements, by my standards, are far below, and the concept is one Victoria has never really considered.

Mm.

If she’s willing to misunderstand, it makes things easier for me.

Up until now, I had been speaking coldly, telling only facts, but now, after someone gets emotionally attached, it’s been twisted into something about how parting is painful.

Let’s shake Victoria up one more time.

Let’s make her think purely emotionally.

There’s no weaker creature than one who thinks emotionally.

“Victoria lost many people yesterday. Is it okay now?”

Same topic. Meeting, parting. I’m the future, and Victoria’s reality.

Of course, the future Victoria thinks of and the future I feel are completely different!

“I’m fine.”

What?

Shouldn’t she say she’s fine? Didn’t she go back to the room yesterday, quickly undress, wash with her powers, and then go to sleep?

Then, in the morning, she woke up and stared blankly for a while, right?

Isn’t it already healed?

“Sniff.”

Suddenly, Victoria’s body trembled, and tears welled up.

Victoria cried out loudly, almost comically.

Murmur.

People around stared at Victoria, who was crying.

Victoria covered her mouth and held her breath, but that didn’t stop the tears from flowing.

At that moment, Polaris went off to meet her people, and what should be done with this?

Victoria held on to her sobs as best she could, bending over.

Then, Frigia approached me with a puzzled expression and whispered softly in my ear.

“What happened?”

“She lost all her friends in the riot outside yesterday.”

“Ah... Take her away. This isn’t a place for a girl to be crying.”

That’s right. This is a classroom where both men and women are mixed. It’s a bit... yeah. And she knows that a riot occurred outside yesterday.

She knows but doesn’t want to make it a topic, because it’s someone else’s business.

I took Victoria to the room Frigia showed me. There, Victoria really cried bitterly until the lunch break almost ended.

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People are fragile.

Just like me.

Victoria wasn’t anything special.