Chapter 121 This is my answer (6K)
"Stand up, Ian. You have had enough time to rest. You won't have that much time to rest in the contaminated area."
"...Yes, father."
"Your expression seems to be hiding something. Do you want to give up? It's not too late to give up now. You don't have to follow the same path as me."
"No, father, I never thought of giving up, I just couldn't figure it out."
"What?"
"Why are we still practicing such basic swordplay? In the [Overload] state, we shouldn't need to hone our skills to this extent, right?"
"We need it, Ian. You have to know that metal bodies and prosthetic limbs are just tools after all. They may be damaged. In desperate situations, a person can only rely on his own body and spirit. What we are honing now is the spirit... Do you understand?"
"I understand, Father! Keep going!"
"Very good, raise your head and concentrate, don't let your sister laugh at you, Ina has been standing behind you for a long time."
"ah?!"
"I said, focus!"
The older knight once again knocked the distracted young knight to the ground. The young knight rubbed his head and looked at the little girl hiding at the back and laughing.
Memories are intertwined between clarity and blurriness, making people feel as if this happened just yesterday, yet as if it had happened a long, long time ago.
But no matter when it was, it deeply attracted Jellal and made him want to indulge in this scene forever.
Then, he heard a voice coming from outside the screen.
"It's time to wake up, Gerald."
…
Gerard opened his eyes and found himself on the roof of an abandoned house. From his position, he could just see the source oil processing plant in the distance with thick smoke still lingering.
This made him recall everything quickly, and at the same time, the voice-over that sounded in his memory before also sounded again.
"You slept really soundly." Bai Wei said calmly, "I'll do the fighting and you'll do the sleeping, right? Well... But this is not bad. It's a rare opportunity to stretch your muscles. Although your old bones don't feel very good, it's better than nothing."
Jellal felt a little annoyed when he recalled that he was ambushed by Dark and had to let Bai Wei take over his body.
Without the aid of his prosthetic limbs, even his perception had become so dull that he was able to be successfully attacked by surprise.
It's really no different from trash.
Jellal pinched the flesh on his thigh hard, as if trying to recall some memories of past battles, but it was hard to say how much effect it had.
"How long have you used my body?" Gerald asked Bai Wei.
"Just look at the time and you'll know."
Gerard opened his pocket watch and took a look at it, his expression becoming more serious.
Before entering the processing plant, he glanced at the time, and it had been more than two hours since then. Excluding the time he had been acting independently, Bai Wei had been controlling his body for at least an hour.
However, he was not aware of it at all and was even immersed in a deep sleep. He didn't even have the consciousness to regain control of his body, which naturally made him feel dangerous.
"What did you do with my body?" Gerard asked again.
"Can you please not use such a weird way of saying it?" Bai Wei said with a smile, "Don't worry, I didn't do anything out of line. I just did one big thing and two small things. After all, I didn't expect you to have no sense of the outside world. You know, my last partner could still talk to me when I used his body, but you can't... Well, maybe your soul is not that complete anymore."
Bai Wei threw so much information at Jellal in one breath that Jellal didn't know which one to ask first.
After hesitating for a moment, Gerard still felt that the fact that his body was out of control was a serious matter, which directly determined whether he dared to continue to give his body to Bai Wei for use.
As for the one big thing and two small things, they have all been done, so you can just ask about them later.
"What do you mean when you say my soul is incomplete?" Gerard asked.
"It means exactly what it says." On this question, Bai Wei rarely chose to be a riddler. "Logically speaking, the state you will be in after you give me your body will be similar to the state you and I are in now. You can talk to me in your mind, but you can't 'see' or feel the outside world like I can. But if you want, you can take back control of your body at any time."
"at any time?"
"Yes, anytime." Bai Wei said, "Because this body is yours, I am just borrowing it. But I have to remind you that if you forcibly take it back when I am in danger of controlling it, something unexpected may happen. You should understand what I mean."
Jellal nodded silently.
That is to say, when he was in control of the body, Bai Wei was just a passerby pointing and talking beside him. He could see and hear, but could not operate.
When Bai Wei was in control of the body, he was like a disabled person who had lost his vision and hearing. The only way for him to understand the outside world was through Bai Wei. He could indeed end this state and take back his body at any time, but the staggering recovery of hearing and vision in an instant could sometimes lead to very serious consequences.
So such an exchange requires sufficient trust.
Gerard asked: "Your last host..."
"I would rather you call him a partner," Bai Wei corrected. "Host is too ugly. It makes me sound like a parasite."
"Okay." Gerald didn't dwell on it. "Was your last partner in this situation?"
"Yes." Bai Wei said calmly, "I know what you want to ask. He didn't trust me that much at that time, but he wouldn't do anything to forcibly take back his body when I was controlling it."
Gerald asked subconsciously: "Why?"
"It's very simple." Bai Wei raised Gerard's eyebrows, "Because every time he handed his body to me, he was almost beaten to death. If I didn't take over, he would go to see his beloved Rhine God, so he would naturally not do anything stupid."
Gerald: “…”
"Then back to your question. Now you can't even talk to me when I control your body." Bai Wei said, "This is very wrong, so I guess there is something wrong with your soul... It's not complete."
"…Why is this happening?"
"I'm not an expert in this area, but I guess it's related to your action ten years ago. Didn't you lose part of your memory?" Bai Wei said, "I think you may have lost more than just your memory, but part of your soul. It should be part of your soul, but that memory is embedded in your soul."
Memories... embedded in the soul?
Gerard always felt that this statement seemed a bit confusing, but it also seemed to make sense.
So the final crux is still the action that took place ten years ago?
Gerard gently closed his eyes, but soon opened them again. He looked down at the middle finger of his left hand and asked, "According to this statement, if I give my body to you, I will never wake up. Doesn't that mean you can always control my body?"
"Of course... not." Bai Wei said with some regret, "Although I really want this to happen, it will save me a lot of trouble, but your soul is just missing, it's not really gone, so you will always wake up slowly. The current situation is more of an inadaptability caused by the incomplete soul. Once you adapt, it should be much better. Just like just now, even if I didn't call you, you would wake up quickly. You should be able to feel this yourself."
Although Gerard couldn't be sure whether everything Bai Wei said was true, it at least made him feel a little relieved.
But at the same time, he also warned himself in his heart that unless it was absolutely necessary, he should not let Bai Wei take over the body.
It's still too dangerous.
As for the problem of the soul, it cannot be solved now. Gerard can only focus on the three things Bai Wei just mentioned.
"You just mentioned two small things and one big thing." Gerard asked, "What is the big thing?"
"Haha, you finally asked this?" Bai Wei said, "Look to your left."
Gerard turned his head and found a blood-soaked sack on his left hand. His pupils suddenly condensed: "What is this?"
"You'll know when you open it." Bai Wei said calmly, "It's not easy to collect so many. Don't be scared."
Hearing Bai Wei say this, Gerald suddenly felt his heart sink.
What could be in here?
Duck's head?
Before he lost consciousness due to the body swap, Jellal seemed to see Bai Wei taking off Dark's head and pressing it into the blender.
What was he doing with Duck's head?
Gerard was a little confused, but he knew that everything Bai Wei did had its own meaning, so after taking a deep breath, he opened the bag.
Then he saw what was in the bag.
That's full of coins.
Gerald was stunned: "What is this?"
"Money." Bai Wei said, "What else could it be? I found this in the factory director's office. Wow, this guy is quite rich."
"But...what are you going to do with the money?"
"Hmm? Have you forgotten? Don't you still owe that girl a large sum of money?"
Jellal was stunned. "Just because of this? This is the big deal you mentioned?"
"What?" Bai Wei also asked in a surprised tone, "You promised her to pay her back. Does a man's promise mean nothing? Or did you want to default on the debt from the beginning?"
Bai Wei's words made Gerard not know what expression to have. He even began to doubt whether he was still dreaming. He didn't know what to say for a moment.
"Well, it seems that you really don't think this is a big deal." Bai Wei stopped joking and said lightly, "Then you can look inside and take a look at another small matter."
…So there’s more than just money involved?
Gerard became serious again, then reached into his purse and began to rummage around, and soon pulled out a rotten piece of meat.
"What's this?"
"The most direct reason why people turn into monsters." Bai Wei also took a look at the piece of meat, and then said "tsk", "The degree of decay is higher than when I first found it. It won't be long before it will be completely rotten."
Then, Bai Wei told Gerard all the information he had previously obtained from Robo.
After listening to this, Gerard frowned tightly, and looked at the piece of meat with even more fear.
"How can there be something like this?" Gerald said, "Is this also from the polluted land? But it doesn't look like a piece of polluted land."
"In a sense, it is that evil creature."
"...But why is it rotting?" Gerard asked again, "According to what you said, this piece of meat should be endless no matter how much you eat."
Bai Wei said calmly: "Maybe the person who ate it died."
"What kind of explanation is this?" Gerard was even more confused.
"From this piece of meat, we may be able to infer the connection between your god and the new evildoer." Bai Wei said, "But I still need some evidence to confirm it. You will have to make another trip tomorrow."
"Where are you going?"
"You'll know tomorrow." Bai Wei said calmly, "You should think about how to leave here now. The fire over there has been put out. The Skeleton Army will definitely search along this side next. If you don't leave now, you'll be in trouble."
Jellal looked towards the source oil processing plant in the distance and saw that the skeleton troops who had put out the fire were approaching this side.
He really should leave.
Gerard stood up, and then found that his body was not as tired as before. You know, the last time Bai Wei used his body, it almost cost him half his life.
"I didn't use my own power this time." Perhaps guessing Gerard's doubts, Bai Wei said lightly, "So there is no need to pay the price. Don't worry, I'm not a demon. It's a good thing for me if you can hold on a little longer."
Is it a good thing to hold on longer?
Gerard shook his head and said nothing more. He had received enough information today and he needed to go back and digest it.
But just as he was about to jump off the roof, he suddenly thought of something.
Bai Wei just mentioned the three things. The big thing and the small thing have already been mentioned. So what is the last small thing?
"Oh, you're asking about the last little thing?" Bai Wei said lightly, "If you hadn't asked me specifically, I would have almost forgotten it."
He paused, then said with a smile.
"I met your daughter."
Jellal's body froze.
…
"Ms. Ina."
Ina turned her head and saw a skeleton knight handing over her her flaming sword and devil army ID.
"We have confirmed your identity and know that you have nothing to do with this disaster, but please forgive our previous rudeness."
Ina didn't say anything, she just took the certificate and then hung the blazing sword on her body.
Then she heard the Skeleton Knight ask, "You said you came here after seeing the fire, and then fought with the suspected arsonist, right?"
Ina nodded.
"Do you know the identity of the arsonist?" the Skeleton Knight asked, "Or, in other words, did you see his face clearly? I know we have asked this question more than once, but it is really important. Please recall it carefully."
Ina raised her head and looked at the skeleton knight in front of her, but the scene just now appeared in her mind again.
So she answered, “No, I don’t know who that person is.”
"Okay, thank you for your help." The Skeleton Knight did not insist and said politely, "Let me take you out."
Ina knew that this was the other party's duty, so she did not refuse.
So the Skeleton Knight took Ina outside.
The fire is now out.
But the entire source oil processing plant has also been destroyed.
There were ruins and burnt bones everywhere.
Walking in this area, Ina felt even more depressed than walking in the polluted area.
"A lot of people died." Ina heard the Skeleton Knight sighing beside her. "Since the founding of Lyra City, there has never been a disaster like this. I really don't know what kind of beast would do such a thing."
Ina didn't respond, she just walked in silence.
The skeleton knight kept glancing at Ina out of the corner of his eyes. Her delicate profile made his heart pound, especially against the backdrop of the ruins, which had a unique beauty.
This made the Skeleton Knight involuntarily straighten his chest while walking, and he kept trying to figure out what Ina was thinking at the moment.
When he noticed the sadness in Ina's eyes, he suddenly "understood" and said with a smile: "Ms. Ina, you don't need to feel guilty. It's not your fault that we failed to catch him. This is our responsibility. And you have brought us enough information. After all, in this city, the number of people who can escape from the devil's army is definitely not the majority. You have helped us greatly narrow the scope. If we can't find him here, then we are simply..."
The Skeleton Knight chattered on and on, thinking he had found the answer.
And this annoyed Ina.
It's really annoying.
She just wanted to leave this place quickly.
But just as she was about to go out, she suddenly saw a young man holding a charred corpse and crying, which made her stop involuntarily.
She recognized the other person as the one who had talked to "father" before.
"What's wrong with him?" Ina asked.
"Him?" The Skeleton Knight said, and then sighed softly, "He is the only survivor. The person he is holding now is his father."
Ina's heart suddenly trembled.
…
"Is there anything more natural in this world than for children to see their parents for the last time?"
…
Ina's hands clenched instantly, but then quickly loosened.
"So, that's what you mean?" she said softly.
"What did you say?" The Skeleton Knight didn't hear clearly.
Ina shook her head, without any intention of explaining, and continued walking forward, ready to leave.
But at this moment, another skeleton knight came hurriedly, walked up to the previous skeleton knight, and said something in his ear.
Although the sound was not loud, Ina could still hear it clearly.
"She's Gerard's daughter!"
Hearing this, Ina slowed down her pace.
Because she knew what was going to happen next.
Sure enough, the Skeleton Knight who was so enthusiastic about her one minute immediately spoke in a cold tone: "Ms. Ina, please wait a moment."
Ina turned around and calmly looked at the Skeleton Knight whose expression had changed.
She was not surprised by this change because something similar had happened ten years ago.
"Are you sure you don't have anything to say to us?" asked the Skeleton Knight.
"I don't know what to say to you."
"Please tell us, was the person you fought with earlier your adoptive father, Gerard?" The Skeleton Knight looked straight into Ina's eyes. "Please answer this question for me."
Ina said calmly: "I have already answered this question before."
"Please answer again, Miss Ina. Before you answer, please look around you." The Skeleton Knight spread his hands and his voice gradually became louder. "Look at what this factory has been destroyed into. Look at how many people died because of this. You should know how serious this crime is! Do you want to protect such a criminal? Do you dare to protect him?!"
Still... the same rhetoric.
Ina looked around and found that all the skeleton knights had stopped their work and looked at her with extremely cold eyes.
Just like ten years ago.
…
"Your father killed everyone!"
"He is the biggest murderer!"
"You are also an accomplice!"
…
Endless pressure is rolling in.
Those words, that look seemed to be able to kill.
Ina thought that after ten years, she would no longer be afraid of such things, but at this moment, she still felt a little breathless.
It was because she could not bear such pressure and wanted to prove that all this was not true that she resolutely joined the devil army and vowed to find out the truth.
However……
The image of Jellal reappeared in her mind.
"You see? Your father is dead."
"It was you who killed him."
"Killed him who was alone."
…
The Skeleton Knight approached Ina little by little: "There is still a chance, Miss Ina. As long as you can stand up and point out your adoptive father, everything can be saved. You will not be implicated, and we can also formally raise the wanted level and arrest him... This is your last chance, Miss Ina."
These words fell into Ina's ears, and it was another voice.
"I haven't completely taken Gerald's life yet."
"But next time, it will be all."
…
"brush"!
There was a sword mark on the ground.
The Skeleton Knight stopped because the sword mark was right in front of his foot, almost cutting off his toes.
"That's enough. I don't like getting too close to people."
Ina calmly sheathed the Blazing Sword.
The Skeleton Knight looked up at Ina and asked, "Is this your answer?"
"Yes," Ina said, "that's my answer."
(End of this chapter)
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