Chapter 040 Two World Lines

In the fragmented memories, Rong Le discovered that she had made countless choices in her short life.

Whether he decided to become the new bishop or was determined to take revenge on God, he used countless conspiracies during the period of power when he was fighting with the old bishop.

Perhaps, ever since he witnessed that crazy ritual, the crazy nature hidden in his body has awakened.

And this gambling game was just one of his crazy behaviors.

Rong Le felt as if he had fallen into an endless black sea. The surrounding darkness was cold and tightly wrapped around him. He relaxed his body and fell into the depths calmly.

Until you cross that door.

…

Rong Le saw himself jumping through countless world lines, and the countless people like Fairlight who met him.

Beatrice once wrote in her diary that little Fairlight had his own secrets.

It was not until Rong Le arrived at this premature time point that he understood what this meant.

He only approached briefly a few times, and the boy, like a sharp little animal, grabbed his clothes tightly: "I remember you, you were the one who helped me a few times before, right?"

Rong Le denied it, but the boy seemed to have determined on him and began to frequently look for opportunities to contact him.

Until later, he could no longer bear it and took the boy with him, leaving him a little breathing room after experiencing the cruel reality.

At that time, Rong Le didn't know what too much entanglement meant.

As Fairlight grew older and began to develop greater ambitions and deeper insights, he planned an action to usurp the throne, which was ruthless and desperate.

Later he became successful and he had more time to spend with the people who mattered most to him.

…This is Fairlight’s past.

After realizing that things were out of control, Rong Le deliberately distanced herself from him, and he turned his attention elsewhere.

During the time when Fairlight was plotting to usurp the throne, things were not peaceful in Portland. Two young men attracted Beatrice's attention.

Beatrice has been conducting unnatural experiments on human nature, and disappearances occur frequently. No one knows that all the evils are hidden in the church until a teenager creates a farce.

"Kurosawa's brain is broken, I want to save him..."

Rong Le listened quietly and looked at him thoughtfully.

Han Yan couldn't stand it any longer: "What are you looking at?"

He smiled and said, "Nothing, I just feel a little bit magical."

Han Yan had just arrived in this small town, and his eyes still held the spirit and energy of a young man. "That guy is barely my friend, but I can't just stand by and watch that old witch succeed! You'll find a way to help me, right?"

Rong Le: "Have you ever thought about opening a pub?"

"……ah?"

With the help of Rong Le, Han Yan's plan to save Kurosawa was finally successful again. Beatrice's anger was vented to the entire Portland, but Han Yan, who had just caused a big disaster, hid in the prepared safe house and laughed so hard that his stomach hurt.

Rong Le tried to divert everything that was destined to happen from its original trajectory.

Even just a little bit.

When Fairlight planned the summoning ceremony in advance, and the young man extended his hand to him with a gentle smile under the dark cloud-covered sky, Rong Le had already anticipated this failure.

But it doesn't matter, he is prepared for this.

He calmly ended his life under Fairlight's incredulous gaze.

First look back.

Rong Le's consciousness once again immersed itself in the boundless deep sea. The cold darkness gently wrapped him up and carried him towards the only source of light.

He could not see where he came from, nor could he find his way back.

The next time she opened her eyes, it was at a funeral. The sky was gray and a drizzle was falling. Everyone around Rong Le had a solemn expression, and their black clothes looked like heavy black clouds.

A small hand gently pulled him.

The still young child looked up at him cautiously and called softly, "Sir..."

This time he became Shijin's caregiver. Shijin, whose parents had both passed away, was still young and unable to survive independently. Living next door to Shijin's house, he was the only person worthy of trust.

The assorted vegetables nowadays are so tender and fragile, like white lambs, unable to withstand the slightest damage.

Rong Le sighed softly, squatted down under his uneasy gaze, and looked him in the eye. Her slightly upturned cat eyes were like emerald gems, the only bright color in this gloomy environment.

"Let's go, Shishito."

…

It seemed that Shijin's tragic fate was determined from the moment he was born.

It was as if there was an invisible curse that caused him to stumble and fall as he grew up, suffering from fever, flu, illness, and his weak body seemed unable to survive to adulthood.

A beautiful boy who looked like an adult was lying on the bed, his long black hair spread out on the pillow like flowing water. He couldn't suppress a few low coughs, and then the series of uncontrollable coughs were hidden by his quilt.

He whispered, "Sir, I may not be able to survive. I'm sorry for bothering you all the time."

Death seemed to follow him like a shadow. Even if his body had improved a little after careful care and he just went out for a walk, he would fall accidentally and fall ill again and lie at home.

Even if Rong Le didn't say anything, the guilt almost completely overwhelmed the boy.

"This has nothing to do with you. There's nothing wrong with wanting to live, and it doesn't bother me."

Rong Le lit the candle skillfully. Electric lights were still a luxury in small towns at that time.

The dim glow of the candlelight illuminated the room. The frail boy pursed his lips slightly, with half of his face almost buried in the quilt.

Rong Le: "Let me take you to church."

He didn't notice the boy's face suddenly turn snow-white, pale as paper in the candlelight. "The church can indeed shelter you. If you live there, perhaps it won't be long before you can recover and become a normal person."

After an unknown amount of time, a faint voice came from under the quilt: "...Okay."

Shi Jin wrapped himself in the quilt and heard Rong Le outside seem to breathe a sigh of relief and gently pat his head through the quilt.

"Don't stay in bed for too long."

Just as Rong Le had judged, Shi Jin's physical condition improved rapidly after being sent to the church.

A few months later, when Rong Le saw him again, the boy had become like a normal person. His body had become much thinner, and his originally pale face had become rosy, and he looked very healthy.

Shijin, wearing the church's uniform white robe, stood at the doorway, leaning slightly forward, a perfectly trained smile on his lips: "Long time no see, Mr. Rong Le."

Rong Le stared at him for a few seconds, then reached out and patted his head.

The boy's deliberately forced smile collapsed in an instant, and his eyes turned red as if he was about to cry.

Rong Le: "You are still a child indeed."

If Rong Le had not appeared, Shi Jin would have been sent directly to the church after the funeral. Now, after a brief deviation, the world line has returned to normal.

Shi Jin is very emotionally dependent on him. Even though he cannot go out freely in the church, he will send letters to Rong Le every now and then, and attach some interesting little things.

Every time Rong Le went to the church to visit, he would see Shi Jin's smiling face filled with warmth. Every time when he was about to leave, the boy would look at him with wet eyes like a puppy, and say goodbye to him reluctantly.

...really too clingy.

Time passed by little by little, until one day, Shijin, who had grown into Rong Le's memory, suddenly said:

"Would it bother you if I died, sir?"

Shi Jin was destined to die the day before the ceremony. This was an almost unchangeable fate. Even if Rong Le tried every possible way to prolong his life, she could not prevent the inevitable time point from happening.

Rong Le: "I once promised someone that if I had the chance, I would place a bouquet of roses on his grave."

"Did you release it?"

"No." Rong Le said frankly: "I avoided his funeral. If I don't meet him, maybe I won't be breaking my promise."

Shijin was silent for a while, and then he said slowly, "Well, if you don't want to attend my funeral, I won't blame you."

"After all, sir doesn't seem to like parting."

The day after he said this, the god appeared again from the black sea-like sky.

...Rong Le did not see Shi Jin for the last time.

This is the second time to look back.

His consciousness immersed in the deep sea, the cold darkness began to become soothing, as if returning to the time before he was born, everything was so moist and warm, until the glowing door appeared before his eyes.

"I want to understand what it is and why I have memories that are not mine. My head hurts. I must be sick."

Kurosawa's brain was damaged by an experiment, leaving him with permanent damage. He stubbornly explored the field related to the brain, trying to find the mystery of memory.

This time, Rong Le is the boss's employee. He has been his guide, his companion, and his employee. He has accompanied him in his transformation from a young man to a deep-minded adult, until even he himself can no longer see through him.

Kurosawa is still on the wrong path.

He went from being a victim to an executioner, his irresistible obsession with research seemed to be driven by some kind of calling.

After trying several times, the boss became discouraged and gave up on him.

At some point, the boss began to degenerate.

It started with a gradually prolonged sleep, and Rong Le had to bang on the door outside to wake him up.

"Hurry up and get up. You'll get moldy if you keep sleeping!" Rong Le was the only one in the whole tavern who dared to kick open the boss's door.

The boss had a sullen face, his hair a mess on his head: "You're just too long-winded."

The other employees of the pub were trembling with fear, thinking that the boss would be angry, but it was obvious that he had a higher tolerance for Rong Le.

Rong Le didn't know where his boss came from, he only knew that he came to this small town alone. He didn't try to find out about his past or his life experience, and kept a proper distance from Han Yan.

The owner opened this pub after he gained control of the underground trade that circulated throughout the town.

Before the opening, the boss specifically approached him and asked, "What do you want to call it?"

Rong Le replied casually: "You are the boss, of course it is up to you to decide."

"You are too careless. Isn't this what you expected?" The boss frowned.

"What……?"

Rong Le suspected that she had heard it wrong.

The boss was also stunned for a moment, not knowing why he blurted out such a sentence.

Rong Le began to realize that this was a long cycle.

The uncertainty of looking back in time brings more possibilities. Before Rong Le knew it, they had already met the future Rong Le countless times.

They seemed to have awakened their consciousness and had memories that should not have existed.

When passing by the church, Rong Le could see Shi Jin's gentle smile on his face.

Meeting Fairlight by chance, the boy suddenly grabbed his clothes and looked sharply at this stranger who had nothing to do with him: "Have I seen you somewhere before?"

Rong Le knew that it was time for her to leave.

In every world line, Fairlight will start the ceremony, and Shijin will die on that day for various reasons. The boss tries to save Kurosawa, but is saved by Rong Le again.

This is a perfect closed loop.

The third time backtracking.

The deep sea extended an invitation to him, and the water flowed along his body as if it had a spirit, passing through his arms, waist, abdomen, hair, and then flowing through the gaps between his fingertips towards the light.

Rong Le saw the door again through her fingers.

He woke up from his bed.

He looked around silently, stood up and left the room. As soon as he opened the door, he saw a young man leaning against the railing, gazing at the town faintly visible on the distant horizon.

"If you don't show up again, I'll think you're lost in hallucinations again."

The young man turned around and looked at him quietly. The sea breeze blew his fine hair, making it flutter softly. The smile on the corner of his mouth seemed a little unfathomable.

Although she could still smell the damp air left over from last night's rainstorm, Rong Le felt a chill in her heart.

"Which world line do I exist in now?"

Baiyue tilted his head and replied, "What are you talking about?"

Rong Le didn't say anything. He smiled again and said, "I was just thinking that when we get to the town, I'll treat you to a seafood feast. I'm really sorry to have troubled you this time and dragged you into trouble again."

Rong Le: "You really should compensate me, Baiyue."

God knows what kind of trouble is waiting for them.

Bai Yue was stunned for a moment, then he couldn't help laughing. He clenched his fist and put it to his lips, chuckling softly. "I suddenly want to smoke. Do you have a lighter?"

Rong Le said in an exclamatory tone: "You know what? When you said that, I really wanted to beat you up."

…

The sharp and light knife slashed across his neck without hesitation, and warm liquid instantly gushed out. Bai Yue gently supported him and whispered, "This journey belongs to the two of us."

Rong Le found herself in a repeating cycle.

Fairlight's desire for power was to keep him by his side forever.

It was he who personally sent Shijin into the church, leading him to his destined fate.

A casual joke made by me led the boss to choose the tavern as his base.

The world line still follows its trajectory, and he just interprets history with his own hands and pushes the gears forward.

He finally realized where those inexplicable feelings came from. They were memories that finally awakened amidst the entanglement of countless world lines.

No one can experience countless repetitions without feeling anything, let alone those unforgettable memories.

However, it is precisely because of this that reality appears even more cruel and desperate.

He remembered what Fairlight had said: "—because Christmas Eve will never come."

…

The eighty-ninth recap.

The funeral that he had avoided many times finally appeared before him inevitably.

Rong Le stood on the street in front of the church, listening to the melodious tunes coming from inside, and her lips curled slightly as if she thought of something interesting.

"His entire life was bathed in God's glory, and now he will finally return to God's embrace. May he rest in peace, free from disaster and pain."

Fairlight was wearing a bishop's robe, holding a scripture, his brows slightly drooped with no emotion, like a sacred and cold sculpture.

"Let us see him here for the last time."

In the church, soothing music flowed in the air, and colorful stained glass was almost the only bright color. Sunlight poured down from above, falling on the peaceful looking Shi Jin in the coffin in the center, covering his whole body with a faint halo, pure and beautiful.

Accompanied by slow music, the guests came forward one after another.

Shijin seemed to be just asleep, with a slight smile on his still rosy face. The believers in the church who had received his grace were sobbing softly, sad that he died on the eve of his great cause.

Fairlight watched expressionlessly. When everyone presented flowers to Shijin, he said calmly, "Then, the viewing..."

The door was suddenly opened from the outside.

Fairlight's originally calm expression was broken, and he looked back at the door in some surprise.

Someone who shouldn't be here showed up.

Rong Le was wearing a black suit and holding a bouquet of gorgeous roses in his hand. His temperament was elegant and indifferent, as if he had taken off his frivolous coat, revealing his arrogant nature hidden within.

His hair was pulled back on one side, revealing a smooth profile with delicate eyebrows and eyes. He looked so solemn that it seemed as if he was not attending a funeral but a banquet of the highest standard.

There were a few white pigeons perched beside the fountain outside the gate. In the silence, Rong Le walked in indifferently.

Bathed in everyone's gaze, he walked directly to the coffin and carefully observed Shijin's appearance for the first time.

With an absolutely soft and non-aggressive appearance, no one knew that he was a black rabbit in a white coat. There were piles of light-colored flowers around him, and only Rong Le knew that he liked fiery red roses.

He once refused to attend the funeral, but after countless reincarnations, he was finally able to face the fact that this had happened.

Rong Le stared at Shi Jin with eyes as deep as the shadows of trees, soft and calm.

He whispered, "No one is qualified to judge your sins. From now on, you are no longer bound by fate. The gods cannot control you. The only one who can control you is you."

The fiery red rose fell on Shijin's chest, the bright color complementing his face.

Such rebellious and outrageous behavior was not stopped by anyone. In the dead silence, only the young man's low laughter could be heard.

"—I'm here for my appointment, Shijin."

The wind blew in from the open door, and scattered petals were dropped all around, which seemed to bring a smile to Shijin's face.

[You have obtained your personal CG——]

"Assorted · HE Line · Rose Funeral"