[Vol. 8] Chapter 316: Sudden Turn
“Didn’t I already tell you? I was only guessing… but now it looks like my guess was right~”
As she spoke, the priestess slowly put away her smile and showed a serious look.
“Tell me then, what did you feel before?”
Nitila froze for a moment.
“Why are you asking me? Didn’t you, Miss Violet, also go through something like that?”
To such a fair question, the priestess could only spread her hands helplessly.
“The truth is… I really didn’t feel anything at all. Don’t ask me why, I’d like to know the answer even more than you.”
“…Alright then.”
Knowing the girl in front of her was no ordinary being, Nitila nodded slightly and tried to recall.
“It was… a voice. Or maybe it should be called a kind of will.”
“In the dream, the world around me turned into a deep, empty universe. Some kind of voice, unseen and untouchable, but everywhere, kept whispering to me. It told me that the world was full of lies, tricks, and conspiracies… that the truth was hidden, and reality itself had been twisted with malice…”
“In short, it was like endless talk of strange conspiracy theories. Normally, I would have laughed at such words and ignored them. But that voice… it felt completely different.”
As she recalled, confusion returned to the girl’s eyes, mixed with faint fear.
“I don’t know how to explain it, but it seemed to have a special power. Whoever listened would start to believe its words without meaning to. Miss Violet, you once faced the whispers from the Ghost Sea, the feeling was similar. But this one… was greater, wider, and harder to resist.”
“How to say… it felt full of authority. Like, whatever it said had to be the truth. In the dream, facing that will, I couldn’t even form the thought of doubting it. I just followed along with its way of thinking.”
“Now that I think of it, it’s terrifying. If not for the Book of Truth sharing some of the burden, and your treatment earlier that strengthened my mind, then I probably would have…”
“…This sounds like information pollution.”
Violet frowned. She remembered when she was in the Holy Capital, the Angel’s City. Edwinna had passed on a report from Theo Province, ordinary people who were bewitched into joining the World Sustainers cult. Their descriptions seemed very similar to this.
But here in this world, the pollution didn’t spread by contact or preaching. Simply staying here for some time was enough to change someone completely.
It seemed this was strongly connected to that serpent’s corpse in the sky.
Information pollution… If one role of the [Ring of Heaven and Earth] was to brainwash every living being in its range using a similar method, then whether good or bad, it would at least guarantee long-term order and stability in such an environment.
Maybe this was why, in the World Sustainers, even though their ranks and classes were very strict, there was never chaos or rebellion. If someone with a plan used such a power carefully, they really could achieve that effect.
Violet thought of herself, how even she, without meaning to, had once created that strange [Light Worshipper Church]. If someone with deeper knowledge and stronger skills made use of this force on purpose, their influence would be a hundred times greater.
This tower world, linked to the imperial palace, only allowed people to enter but not leave. The empire just had to throw captured prisoners from all over the land into this place. Then, with its special rules and environment, they could be remade and transformed into endlessly loyal followers.
Thinking of it that way, it really was “convenient.”
But obviously, the Emperor has only recently gained this method, or maybe it has certain limits. Otherwise, with the Austre Empire’s ambition, there is no way they would hold back like this.
That said, even broken remains could have such power. If the [Ring of Heaven and Earth] were to fully appear in the outside world, and the Austre Empire controlled it, then their unification of the world would only be a matter of time.
Sitting up from the bed and steadying herself, Nitila suddenly remembered something and quickly spoke.
“Oh no, Miss Violet! If there’s really a problem with this place, won’t the others be in danger too? Hurry, hurry, let’s go check! Maybe they’re…”
But the priestess only shook her head and replied,
“There’s no ‘maybe.’ In fact, before coming to find you, I already checked. Everyone except you and me is no longer in their rooms. They’ve all vanished without a trace.”
Yes, and not just the Sea Tribe experts, every villager in the whole settlement, even that Dragon girl, had all disappeared.
“Vanished… without a trace?” The princess froze for a moment, as if unable to understand. “What do you mean vanished? Did someone sneak in during the night and take them away? Their strength isn’t weak, so it’s impossible for them to be taken without making any noise at all, right?”
The priestess shook her head again.
“I told you, this world is strange. It’s not only about time. Many of its rules are completely different from the ones you know. So don’t use the logic of the real world here, and don’t try too hard to make sense of it.”
“But you don’t need to worry too much. For now, they shouldn’t be in danger. I’ll look for a chance to try later. Let’s go, we should head outside first.”
“Uh…”
Seeing Nitila still looking confused, Violet didn’t explain further. She simply stood up, motioned for the girl to follow, and walked straight toward the door.
The two of them stepped outside one after another. The wind blew past. Several wooden huts stood alone in the open space, but on the distant village paths there was no one at all. Looking around, Nitila finally realized the village was terrifyingly silent, as if suddenly, in this entire world, only the two of them were still alive.
“Wait, Miss Violet, something feels wrong… where did all the villagers go?”
Violet shook her head and calmly explained without changing expression.
“I already told you, everyone has disappeared. Naturally, that ‘everyone’ also includes the villagers. There’s nothing strange about it. But if I have to be precise, besides you and me, there’s actually still one more person left in this village. She stayed behind just to watch our reaction.”
After speaking, Violet suddenly looked straight ahead at what should have been empty space. Her lips parted slightly.
“Come out. Since things have already reached this point, there’s no need to keep hiding.”
Whoosh—
Almost as if to prove her words, the air rippled like water, and a figure stepped out from “within.”
“How interesting… when did you notice something was wrong?”