Early morning of the celebration day.
Several white pigeons that had been carefully bred were released from their cages. They cooed and landed on the church spire with their chests puffed out. Their white feathers gleamed in the sunlight, giving them a sacred look.
Several warships floating in the atmosphere were covered with colorful ribbons, concealing the fierce and cold atmosphere of war. They were quietly decorated with festive colors, with colorful banners hanging below them, standing side by side with several hot air balloons swaying left and right in the wind.
Tens of thousands of people gathered in the square in front of Maan Fort. Their heads, each colored like a single mass, formed a single mass, resembling a crudely crafted fruit plate or rainbow cake from above. In the center of this "dessert" stood a white platform, 25 meters in diameter, roughly reaching the height of an adult's shoulders. Above it was nothing, save for the Vatican emblem and the federal coat of arms carved at its center.
The two majestic, towering structures, the church and Fort Maan, normally invisible in proximity, now appeared side by side, gleaming brilliantly beneath the blue sky and white clouds. In the focus of countless cameras, Archon Sabrina Guevera stood on a high platform, a microphone pinned to her lapel. Her quiet, elegant voice carried clearly in all directions as she recited a pre-prepared speech.
Behind her, Antonio stood solemnly, his expression respectful, his back straight like a javelin.
One of the key topics of Sabrina's speech today is the story of the ceasefire with the Zerg.
Her expression was filled with sorrow, as if in mourning. "...What was the war on the border like? Before I saw it with my own eyes, I would have thought it was a large-scale fight. But no battle has ever resulted in so many deaths. Nothing is worth the unfortunate sacrifice of those esteemed warriors..."
"...those shattered heads, the gelatinous clots of blood, the brains spilling onto the black soil, the horrific corpses that people living in peaceful areas cannot imagine—that is war."
"We built churches, hospitals, and relief centers—places where souls could find a moment's peace, where we could briefly appreciate the preciousness of life. I saw the light of the Holy See's emblem, which never ceased to illuminate the earth beneath our feet. It stood atop indigo-colored rooftops. White jays and screech owls soared over the port of Alple and the Doasu River... Their shrill cries echoed over the apocalyptic scene beneath their feet."
Light clouds like swirling flower ribbons floated in the blue sky, and the crowded square was silent, with only Sabrina's painful words echoing in the air.
Gradually, some people seemed to be moved by empathy and began to sob.
Antonio was still standing behind the consul, with his head slightly lowered, as if in silence.
Suddenly, a subtle sneer came from the audience. A woman who looked either wealthy or noble turned her head and said to the person next to her, "Antonio is pretending to be quite serious, isn't he?"
"...He was one of the people who least wanted a ceasefire. I heard that to prevent any accidents, the Archon didn't allow him to be present during the negotiations with the Zerg..."
The murmuring soon stopped, and the crowd remained peaceful on the surface.
An hour later, Sabrina Guevera finished her task, calmly walked down the white stone platform, turned off the microphone, and gave the main seat to the Holy See.
The Pope had not appeared in public for several years, even though rumors had spread that he was terminally ill and would soon die. The speaker in his place was an amiable old man who looked as if he had stepped out of a painting. He was dressed in an intricate golden-red robe, with a badge pinned to his chest and a silver scepter ornately carved with patterns. He spoke a few words affably, then, ignoring the mixed looks from the audience, shook Agnes Joyce's hand and handed her the right to speak.
Erica, who was sitting in the front row, immediately perked up and carefully observed Anne's expression. She found that she seemed a little more tense than usual, but maybe because of the makeup on her face, it was hard to tell whether she hadn't slept well last night because of nervousness.
Anne, who had long red hair like a lion's mane, also noticed Erica in the audience and smiled at her secretly between speeches.
Erica felt that she had been the subject of many overt and covert stares from the very beginning, but she sat calmly in her seat and ignored everyone.
Compared to the unbelievable thing of a pagan attending a ceremony jointly held by the Holy See and the Federation...what's the big deal about being looked at twice?
Her thoughts drifted a little further, remembering the time she had spent at Garcia's house a few days before.
"You really let her go?" Hugo asked Azathoth in surprise, "This isn't just a provocation, it's a blatant declaration of war, right?"
The android immediately became excited at the thought and asked, "Is the war about to start? When? Can I go with you?"
It still hasn't given up its villainous goal of subverting human rule.
"No." Azathoth said lazily, "I will keep an eye on Erica at that time. She will not be in danger if she goes."
The Evil God is Watching You.jpg
Erica was very moved. The little girl sniffed. If Azathoth's identity as the head of the family was not deeply rooted in people's hearts, she might have rushed up to give Him a hug... Of course, it was just a thought now.
Igor asked, "Do you want to go?"
He was obviously asking about Azathoth, and the others were almost used to the occasional indifference of these two people.
Azathoth hesitated for a moment: "Are you interested...? Can't you just watch the live broadcast at home?"
The two selves in his mind suddenly started fighting. One wanted to say to Igor, "Okay, okay, go away," while the other frantically shook his head and weakly resisted, "It's better to stay home."
Even if Igor didn't know his struggle, he knew that he must be unwilling to go to crowded places.
The human laughed. "Why would I go? It's not like I haven't participated before. It might look lively, but it's actually pretty boring."
Then he changed the subject: "But it's a good idea for Erica to go and gain some experience and encourage her friends."
Wendy hugged her knees and watched this scene, with a hint of envy on her face.
Azathoth: "We can take advantage of this time to go shopping. People are watching live broadcasts at home, and there will be no one in the store."
"What would you like to buy?"
"Wendy is missing two pieces of clothing," Azathoth said. He had seen Wendy wearing the same dress for the past two days, and it was probably not as good as the one she wore when she was imprisoned in Viscount Joyce's old house. Thinking about it, it was quite pitiful.
Wendy's eyes widened instantly, and she thanked him in a mixture of shock. She hadn't expected Azathoth, despite his busy schedule (?), to remember to buy her clothes. She had marveled at her brother's boundless charm for the umpteenth time. Even if she couldn't believe in the kindness of an evil god, now that she had truly experienced his generosity, she was completely speechless.
A beautiful woman... no, a beautiful man is the root of all trouble. Even though he was her brother, the fall of the evil god was so easy and simple...
It’s all because Azathoth’s identity as the Demon King is deeply rooted in people’s minds. When he shows a little kindness, people will imagine a ten thousand-word behind-the-scenes deal.
"But Wendy can't go," Azathoth added, "She's too obvious."
Whether it was the gray hair, the black skin, or the golden eyes, nothing could escape the attention of the city's cameras. Although Hugo could handle it, there was no need to go to great lengths to buy two sets of clothing.
Wendy nodded obediently, not daring to say a word.
It was Igor who looked at her apologetically, for the painful past she had suffered and the impact that continued to this day.
Wendy gently pulled her brother's fingers to show that she didn't care.
So, while Erica sat in the open-air square, listening to the leaders' speeches, Azathoth and Igor were shopping somewhere... She felt a little envious, the little cultist thought. If she hadn't wanted to witness Anne's speech in person, she definitely wouldn't have accepted the Vatican's invitation.
But she also didn't want to disappoint Anne.
If it were her, she would definitely hope that her only friend could be present at such an important moment.
Thinking of this, Erica collected her thoughts and stared intently at the speaker on the stage with her green eyes.
——The accident happened at this time.
A loud explosion resounded across the square, and people looked up in panic to find a warship with a banner hanging from its stern blasted open, its surface ablaze with ominous flames. The ribbons tied to it fell to the ground in a flurry of colorful rain.
Almost immediately, a transparent hexagonal circular shield appeared upside down over the square, a protective umbrella held up by the defensive fleet. This was clearly a precautionary measure that had been prepared long ago, so although the sudden attack caught everyone by surprise, it did not cause any significant damage.
But before the dignitaries and reporters inside the shield could relax their nerves, another elliptical shell fell straight on the top of the protective shield. At the moment of the explosion, the entire ground shook.
Even though she had seen many big scenes, Erica still shrank back because of such a close threat.
But she didn't close her eyes or panic, instead she immediately started looking around to see if anyone else was making any moves.
The old man who had spoken before the Vatican turned on the microphone, took the bewildered Anne behind him, and began to comfort the crowd in front of him.
Consul Sabrina Guevera frowned, and after her gentle expression faded, a cold look that was inappropriate for her gender appeared on her Omega face with soft lines. She turned her head and explained something to Antonio beside her.
As for the people in the square, they were not rookies or a mob. Even if they were panicked, they did not show it. So when the artillery fire had not yet dissipated, the place remained eerily calm.
A man wearing glasses pressed the pen in his hand anxiously and couldn't help shouting at the old man on the stage: "What the hell is going on?"
"Be patient." The old man heard his less-than-polite question and said calmly, "Everyone stay where you are. The army around us will handle this matter. There's no need to worry about any danger."
Erica bit her tongue and forced herself to remain calm. She still sat in the chair. She did not trust the assurances of the Federation and the Church very much, and could not help but call out Azathoth's real name in her heart.
That was a language that only she and Igor knew, a language that did not belong to this world or to humans.
Azathoth, who was far away in the mall and Igor was picking and choosing in a women's clothing store under the strange gaze of the salesperson, paused and looked into the distance through the window hanging on the wall.
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