Mister Zero, Her Story: Interlude – In the Sanctuary
“Noah.”
Humanity’s first and largest mega-city.
The very concept of a “mega-city” originated with Noah’s founding.
Before that, the largest settlements could only hold about three thousand people.
But the nascent Noah, with a population of three hundred thousand, was a beacon of hope for humanity.
Its existence guided the survivors of the New Era in the vast Endless Wasteland.
After years of development and planning, Noah’s Ember could now sustain a population of fifty million.
Compared to that, Yan City’s three million was insignificant.
And considering its remote location, calling Yan City a backwater town wasn’t an exaggeration.
Now, Noah was far larger than when it was first founded. The original district had been designated as the Noah Sanctuary, reserved for Noah’s and the Holy Church’s higher-ups.
Deep within the Sanctuary, at the core of the “Ember,” only the Twelve Saints could freely enter and exit. Anyone else needed strict authorization, requiring the approval of at least three Saints to briefly enter this core area, known as the “Holy Domain.”
The Saint who founded Noah, and the original Twelve Saints, were long dead. The Twelve Saints had been replaced several times over.
As for the Saint, there had only ever been one.
Within a temple in the Noah Sanctuary, a figure in a white robe stood by the window, hands clasped behind their back.
She looked up slightly, as if watching the setting sun on the horizon.
“…It’s getting late,” the woman in white said softly. “What is it?”
“Heh, discovered again.”
The shadow cast by the setting sun twisted and distorted, becoming a faint, dark figure.
“I thought these new toys the youngsters developed would be enough to evade your senses.”
“Get to the point.”
The woman in white didn’t turn, only shifting her gaze slightly towards the shadowy figure.
“So serious,” the shadow pouted. “The Yan City incident is over, shouldn’t you be coming back?
“And besides Yan City, there have been several other false alarms about the ‘Witch of Envy’ descending… probably just faulty equipment.”
“The demon detection devices in other mega-cities were made by your Equipment Department. Should I reprimand them for you?” the woman in white said calmly.
The shadow’s expression stiffened. “Perhaps they just don’t know how to use them…”
“Always making such hasty assumptions, you haven’t changed at all.”
The woman’s tone was calm, her expression unchanging.
“You weren’t much better back then… ‘Dawnbreaker’,” the shadow teased.
“…Please don’t use that name.”
“Then… ‘God of Black Dragon Flame,’ ‘King of Ruin and Illusion,’ or ‘Hero Chosen by Light,’ which do you prefer?”
“You’re being childish.”
A flicker of annoyance crossed the woman’s face, and she looked away slightly.
This was Hua Qingling’s idol, the true identity of Yan City’s Elise, one of Noah’s current Twelve Saints, ranked fourth: “Illusion.”
“But you’re not as fun as you used to be, Illusion.”
The shadow walked over and sat down in Illusion’s chair, casually flipping through the documents on the table.
But after a moment, she gave up; they were just boring official documents and reports.
Unlike back then, when she could always find something interesting in these mundane things.
“People change. I’m not who I used to be, Shadow,” Illusion lowered her head slightly and whispered. “I often think about humanity’s future, how we should guide them, towards a better world.
“I’m no longer that naive, dreamy little girl.”
“…You weren’t back then either. Seventy years old isn’t exactly ‘little’.”
Illusion was actually of the same generation as the Sword Saint Sect Master’s father… Her relationship with Shadow was more like that of close friends with a significant age gap.
“…”
An awkward silence.
“Why don’t you come and have some tea with me?” Shadow said listlessly. “Constantly posing by the window is boring.”
“I’m not posing, I’m contemplating the future…”
“Alright, alright, I know you’re standing on a stool under that robe. If it’s too much trouble to come down, I can just carry you.”
“…If you wouldn’t mind.”
After removing the heavy white robe, a small figure stood by the window.
The world-renowned, revered human pillar, Saint “Illusion,” was only 1.3 meters tall, a veritable shorty.
Even as Shadow lifted her up by her armpits, Illusion maintained her serious, composed expression.
After setting Illusion down, Shadow picked up the tea set and began preparing tea.
“Actually, what I wanted to say is, even with the current situation… convening the Grand Council of Cities is a bit excessive. The impact is too great, and many in the Noah Church are complaining.”
“Let them come and tell me themselves,” Illusion said calmly, then frowned slightly. “Could you get me a stool? The table is too high.”
“Oh, right.”
Shadow quickly put down the tea set and placed the stool Illusion had been standing on under her chair.
“As for the Grand Council… Shadow, don’t forget the Witch of Absolute Death war three hundred years ago.”
Illusion’s expression was serious, although her childish face made it less intimidating.
Shadow paused, then said, “I know, but the world is different now. Humanity has been at peace for too long; they need time to adjust.”
“We are also human, don’t underestimate them. What I’ve seen in Yan City these past few days is more valuable than decades of meditation in the Sanctuary… And stop pouring, the cup is full.”
“Ah, sorry!” Shadow quickly stopped pouring, but the spilled tea had already soaked the documents on the table. “Oops, I seem to have caused some trouble…”
“As you said, they’re just boring documents. I haven’t finished writing my… ahem, never mind.”
“What were you writing?” Shadow perked up instantly.
When it came to gossip, Hua Qiling was a mere amateur compared to Shadow, the true master. Many secrets had been leaked through her.
—Including Illusion’s embarrassing past, which she had compiled and published.
Otherwise… why would Illusion submit such things?
…Probably not, right?
“I think we should be discussing more important matters, like humanity’s future, not such trivial things… And besides, I just misspoke, that’s all,” Illusion said calmly.
“Heh, such a serious woman. I thought you had changed, but you’re still the same.”
“…I don’t want to argue about this,” Illusion changed the subject. “Anyway, the Grand Council is happening.”
“Why are you so insistent on this?” Shadow said, resting her chin on her hand. “I, the Eleventh Saint, have been running around trying to dissuade you, and you still haven’t changed your mind.”
“The matter of the Primordial Demons must be handled carefully, especially now that the Witch of Envy’s descent has been confirmed,” Illusion said softly. “The mega-cities of the Free Federation are too complacent. Even Lannister panicked at the mere hint of a demonic aura. What will happen if they truly face one?”
“Well, Lannister has been focused on trade for so long, we have to understand…” Shadow drawled, swinging her long legs.
Illusion, finding this incredibly irritating, looked away. “But this won’t do. Everyone has to understand the gravity of this threat.”
“Oh, you look like a child who hasn’t even been weaned, yet you act like an old woman,” Shadow said, exasperated. “Do you even know what happened after you announced the Grand Council?
“Panic! The entire human world is in chaos because of your announcement! Only a few mega-cities under martial law are maintaining order; the rest are in complete disarray!
“The Noah Church has been working overtime for three days and nights, and they’re still chugging ‘Focus’ potions!”
Almost all mega-cities were hoarding resources, nearly half had closed their lifelines, and over two-thirds of the communication relay stations in the Endless Wasteland had gone silent.
“Is it really that serious?” Illusion said, skeptical. “I remember… the last time we convened the Grand Council, everyone was quite enthusiastic…”
“…My dear sister, you didn’t even consider this before making the announcement?” Shadow looked at her in disbelief. “Was the situation back then the same as now? Back then, the Witch of Absolute Death had already destroyed over a dozen mega-cities, everyone was terrified!
“We convened the Grand Council, deciding to unite all of humanity to face this world-ending threat. It was a morale booster!
“And now? For most mega-cities, the demons haven’t even appeared yet! Announcing the Grand Council now only causes unnecessary panic!”
Illusion was taken aback; she hadn’t considered this, only wanting to unite humanity quickly.
But her expression turned serious.
“But I believe… even with the inconvenience… this is necessary.
“That tragedy… I don’t want to experience it again, and neither should humanity.”
Seeing Illusion’s childish yet serious expression, Shadow fell silent.
Her thoughts drifted back three hundred years.
Back then, she hadn’t been “Shadow,” just Illusion’s best friend.
In that war centuries ago, not only had the Sword Saint Sect Master died, but over half of the Twelve Saints had also perished.
Illusion was one of the few survivors.
She had seen too much.
Perhaps this was why she was so insistent on the Grand Council, wanting to unite humanity before another disaster struck, before everything became irreversible.
“Alright, since you insist… I can only agree,” Shadow sighed. “I’ll deal with the others, you just focus on preparing for the Grand Council.”
“Huh?” Illusion paused. “What others?”
“Who else do you think I’m here for?” Shadow put her hands on her hips. “The Church officials came crying to me, the other Saints came asking… Do you have any idea how difficult this is for me?”
Illusion was the Fourth Saint. The top three were currently in the Holy Domain, suppressing the Witch of Absolute Death. She was the highest-ranking Saint available.
And with her unpredictable temper (or rather, her unique way of thinking), few dared to speak to her directly.
So, they had to go through Shadow, Illusion’s closest friend.
“Mm… thank you for your hard work,” Illusion nodded. “I should also start preparing for the Grand Council.”
She turned and walked towards her desk.
Looking at Illusion’s small, lonely figure, Shadow felt a pang of sadness.
Yes, Illusion was currently the highest-ranking Saint, but three hundred years ago, she had been the tenth.
Almost all the Saints above her had died in that war, and now, she had few friends, few who understood her.
The world of the New Era was constantly changing, the peace lasting for so long… but Illusion was still stuck in that disaster three hundred years ago, the disaster that almost brought about humanity’s extinction.
I should take her out sometime…
Shadow sighed deeply and turned to leave, melting into the shadows.
But before she could, she saw Illusion taking out a pen and paper.
“Wait, what are you preparing?” Shadow’s melancholic mood vanished as she realized something. “Don’t tell me…”
“Elise has been exposed, I can’t use that identity anymore. I need a new one for the Grand Council, so I’m writing a new backstory,” Illusion said, chewing on her pen. “My father’s name is Lislake, a frustrated law professor, my mother is deceased…”
“…I was wrong.”
“Hm? Wrong about what?”
“Nothing, just… take your time, prepare well…”
Shadow’s previous sadness vanished instantly.
But this… was just Illusion, wasn’t it?
“This is the real you,” Shadow smiled, watching Illusion diligently writing, her expression serious. “Compared to back then, you seem to have changed so much, yet… you haven’t changed at all…”
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