The next moment, the scene in front of Su Mingan changed.
He saw a deserted alley.
Su Lin was standing in the alley, and in front of him was a girl covered in a black robe.
"Is everything ready?" the girl asked.
"We're ready. The preliminary inspection is complete. There's no bad weather today." Su Lin said with a smile: "It looks like it will be a smooth voyage."
The girl was silent for a moment.
She reached out her hand and lifted the hood on her head, revealing a beautiful white face.
Su Mingan immediately discovered that this girl looked exactly like the princess he had just met in the royal family.
The difference is that this girl looks younger.
"That's not what I'm asking." The girl said, "I just want to ask, Su Lin, do you understand the mission of your voyage?"
"...I understand." Su Lin said.
"The original purpose of this 'Cloud' plan was to save half of the people and sacrifice the other half." The girl paused for a moment: "--But which half is really saved and which half is sacrificed, do you know it in your heart?"
"I understand." Su Lin said.
The girl was silent for a moment.
She raised her head slightly and looked at the dim sky.
"Storms are not the biggest problem in Praia right now..." She said slowly, "The royal family has already observed that although the storm is big, it is not big enough to destroy the entire Praia. It's just that...there are not enough resources for survival now, so we have to reduce the number of residents, otherwise there will be starving people everywhere. This is something we have to do - can you understand the royal family's difficulties?"
"I understand, Your Highness." Su Lin continued to answer.
The girl sighed:
"I know that the 'Cloud' is your hard work, and you hope to bring it back safely. It's unfair to give you such a task, but we can't do anything about it. I'm a member of the royal family. In this case, we must seek the best outcome in which the vast majority of people are preserved, and we can't let everyone die... Do you understand this?"
"I understand." Su Lin responded.
The girl stood there in silence for a moment.
Su Lin’s response was still so crisp and clear, as if he didn’t care at all about boarding this “death ship”.
But she knew it in her heart.
... His voyage might not lead to a return trip, and he might not even be able to reach the destination. The airship he had spent so much effort on was only designed to reduce the number of people.
The royal family deceived everyone, making the residents think that they would be absolutely safe once they reached the legendary Cloud City. But in reality...it was still unknown whether there were gods who cared for them in the city in the sky.
If it really comes to the final moment of despair, as the first executor of the plan and the only person aware of the risks, Su Lin will inevitably face the wrath of all the dying people on the ship.
Thinking of this, the girl raised her head.
In front of her, Su Lin's mouth corners were still raised, as if he was not afraid of this.
The girl was silent for a moment.
After a moment, she continued, her voice as light as a feather:
"...For ordinary people, this voyage is just like half of the people being chosen by lottery. Death is fair to them."
Standing at the alleyway bathed in the sunset, she slowly clenched her hand wearing a jeweled ring:
"And in order to ensure the peace of Praia in the future, the Soul Hunter leader, the royal nobles, the head of the Royal Knights, the captain of the Praia Guard and other important figures, including your brother and father... they cannot follow you on board. Have you said goodbye to them?"
"I've said goodbye." Su Lin said.
"In the name of what?"
"Travel far."
“…” The princess let out a breath.
Her hands trembled slightly, and her eyes were slightly red: "You are still full of hope."
"I won't think that death will be my end until I reach the end of my journey." Su Lin smiled.
He laughed heartily, without any of the neurotic gloom he would later have:
“Although Yunshang City has never responded to us, and we cannot be sure whether there are gods who have sympathy for us, since half of the people believe my lies, I will treat my tourists with the greatest enthusiasm.
“I love this land that gave birth to me and raised me, but the current form of this land does not allow me to be willful.
"If what awaits me is really a hopeless end, I deserve to face their wrath.
“No one should arbitrarily decide the life and death of others, and there is no such thing as small justice being subordinate to big justice.
"——But death and disaster will not let everyone go just because of some dispute over "righteousness and profit".
"In the face of reason and facts, if there is a way to survive, we can't hug everyone and die together, right?
"So if there is someone who really needs to be blamed, someone needs to be nailed to the pillar of shame for this decision today and repent for that half of his life.
“…Then it’s me who deserves it.
“Just let everyone hate me.
"That's why I boarded this airship."
“…”
The princess' eyes were trembling.
After a moment, she spoke:
"…even if my decision would be wrong?"
Su Lin held her hand through the black robe:
"Even if our decision will be wrong."
The princess shuddered.
Her whole body was shaking slightly and tears were flowing uncontrollably.
Behind her are people walking on the bluestone street, including a young man waving to his family, a mother smiling at her child, young men and women hugging each other, and old men and women with gray hair.
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