Stepping onto the soft desert ground, Rachel glanced back at the canyon behind her and breathed a sigh of relief.

Lifting his mask, Todd stared at Rachel and said, "We need to talk."

Rachel looked around. "Are you sure this is a good place to talk?"

Todd frowned and looked around: "...Damn it, if it weren't for my wounds, I could have transformed into a dragon and taken you back right now."

"Was it that battle with Cú Chulainn? I heard you mention it; was the wound serious?"

"Because of that battle, I was in a coma for five months."

After thinking for a moment, Rachel suggested, "This is within the territory of the Ayub Empire. Heading west will take us to Anuda Port, from where we can take a ship north back to Muxi City."

Todd glanced at Rachel: "You're not hiding anything, are you?"

The latter said, rather "sadly," "Don't you trust me anymore?"

"That conversation in the soul space, coupled with your imprisonment for copying notes, makes your behavior always unpredictable to me."

As Rachel walked forward, she said softly, "Todd, every word I said and every decision I made when I was with you has never betrayed or hurt you."

Todd followed behind the woman and asked, "Then tell me, why did you risk your life to return to the Elder Council and copy those research books about the Beacon Tower and the Absolute Will?"

Rachel suddenly turned around, stared into Todd's eyes, and said, "You're a candidate for the Chosen Ones, aren't you?"

Todd was taken aback: "How did you know?"

Rachel scoffed: "Speaking of trust, you also have secrets you haven't told me."

Todd smiled wryly. "I've never thought it was anything worth talking about. Meeting a bunch of demanding conditions to become a god in this world is not my goal."

After a pause, Todd looked at Rachel and said, "You should know that I don't even want to be a king, let alone a god?"

Rachel closed her eyes and said softly, "I understand, which is why I didn't force you..."

Todd asked, "What have you discovered about the War of the Chosen Ones?"

Rachel looked up at the scorching sun and said slowly, "It's a long story. If you go five kilometers northwest, there's a village where merchants rest. I'll tell you when we get there."

Braving the desert heat, the two trudged forward through the endless yellow sand, leaving a trail of footprints behind them, which were gradually covered by the wind and sand.

As evening fell, Todd and Rachel finally arrived at the village built beside the oasis. After buying two sets of Imperial civilian clothing and having a simple meal, the two found a shady spot under a tree, lit a campfire, and set up their tent.

As night fell, traveling merchants set up their tents in the village. The air was filled with the aroma of sheep's milk wine and roasted meat, and the sounds of laughter and song filled the air.

Todd added a piece of firewood to the campfire and said in a low voice, "I never imagined you could speak the language of the Southern Empire."

“I grew up in this area, so it’s not surprising that I can speak a southern language. Back then, this place didn’t belong to the Abbasid Empire; it was just a tiny post station.”

Rachel rested her chin on her hands, sat by the campfire, and calmly said as she looked at the roaring flames, "After that conversation in the soul space, I thought you would be angry and abandon me... I never expected you to come here to find me."

Todd took two steps closer to Rachel: "Speaking of that conversation... not believing in so-called reason and freedom, seeking a new sanctuary for the aliens... tell me, what exactly did those words mean?"

“Todd, I know you want the people to govern their own country and prevent the harm that dictatorship might cause to the kingdom.” Rachel brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and lowered her head to say, “But have you thought about this?... In a country, no matter who gains power, other races will be the targets of cleansing.”

Todd frowned and asked, "I've enacted the Act for the Popularization of Superpowers, supported the inclusion of non-human officials in the cabinet, and even established a special department to manage non-human groups. Isn't that enough?"

“Iliad was right about one thing: the alien races have an original sin, which is their innate superpowers. These superpowers can help them gain more power, but they also make them more oppressed.”

Rachel rested her chin on her arm and said helplessly, "The more powerful the mutant, the more influence they have on the political situation. Their existence is a potential destabilizing factor and a threat that cannot be ignored for the rulers of a country."

Todd shrugged: "According to your logic, whether the rulers of a country are the king or the people, in order to maintain their power, they would absolutely not tolerate the existence of alien species?"

“That’s the logic, that’s right.” Rachel’s expression was full of distress: “That’s why Iliad refused my invitation to join Twilight City. Because, in his view, even though Twilight City has given the alien races a lot of power, it still hasn’t completely resolved the fear and suspicion that those in power have towards the alien races.”

Todd remained silent for a long time before asking, "So, what's this about seeking a new sanctuary?"

Rachel traced the shape of a tower in the sand with a twig: "You already know everything about Absolute Consciousness and the Beacon Tower, including those parchment scrolls, right?"

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