Ivan left with the Eye of the Chronicler, headed to Crow’s Nest for analysis. anwhile, Bologue and Palr stayed by Church’s side, waiting for the doctors to transfer Church to the Border Sanatorium.
The atmosphere was deathly silent. Neither Bologue nor Palr spoke, the suffocating sensation of oppression brewing alongside Church’s faint breathing in the narrow room.
An inexplicable feeling rose within Bologue’s heart. This wasn’t the first ti he had encountered such a thing. Usually, his mood wouldn’t be affected much...
Bologue realized why.
In that maddening war, everyone’s heart grew numb. Many people died before Bologue, even though they were his comrades. The ti spent together might have only been a few hours, so much so that Bologue didn’t even know their nas or appearances.
In the grand narrative, everyone was insignificant.
But now everything is different.
The strange anxiety within Bologue felt like a cold venomous snake, a sinister demon, with slender and sharp claws that scratched at Bologue’s insides, ripping his intestines, breaking bones, and sucking marrow...
"Sorry," Bologue looked up, fatigued, "this first mission went like this."
"There’s nothing to apologize for."
Palr shook his head, "We’re all field staff, we know exactly what we’re doing."
"I just feel that I should be responsible. If I could have done better, perhaps all this wouldn’t have happened."
Bologue knew that no matter how well he did, he couldn’t stop this. It was the Devil’s trap. How could a mortal resist?
But Bologue just couldn’t help but think in that direction, constantly pondering if he could have done better...
"You’re not seeking perfection."
"What perfection?"
"In everything, you push yourself to be an impeccable expert, striving for perfection... but you’re also scared, aren’t you?"
Palr had completely dropped his forr carefree attitude. He seed like a sage of insight, seeing through the knot hindering Bologue.
Of course, he could see through it; Palr was Bologue’s partner, roommate. One can’t see oneself clearly, but a companion might.
Through long-term interaction, Palr understood what kind of person Bologue was and knew where his pain lay.
This was not a good ti to discuss such matters.
Palr struggled to stand up, hearing footsteps from the hallway outside; the doctors had arrived to take Church away.
Taking a last glance at Church’s scar-covered face, Palr noticed sothing peculiar and suddenly realized what Ivan had just described.
So-called faceless people were fake, so how did Church achieve the change in appearance?
Through Palr’s careful scrutiny, he noticed a flaw on Church’s face, sothing he normally shouldn’t have spotted. But under the erosion of the Decline Plague, Church’s entire Alchemy Matrix was damaged, revealing a flaw.
His fingers trembled slightly, touching behind Church’s ear, feeling a raised edge. As he was about to peel off this mask, Palr hesitated. Considering the power of Walking in the Narrow Space, once Palr saw Church’s true face, when he perford a Complete Stripping again, he would quickly forget everything about Church.
Would there be a next Complete Stripping? Palr wasn’t sure if Church could wake up.
"You really are a total liar..."
Palr laughed to himself, criticizing his forr partner’s deviousness.
Finally, Palr decided to remove Church’s mask, curious about his partner’s true face. This guy was full of lies; Palr hoped to find sothing real.
Behind the mask, a familiar face appeared.
Palr froze.
He seed unable to believe his eyes. After confirming Church’s true visage, he looked again at the bizarre mask in his hand, an indescribable feeling rising within him.
Bologue also ca over, seeing the mask in Palr’s hand and Church’s true face, he too was equally stunned.
"He... he didn’t lie to you."
Bologue murmured, his voice full of disbelief.
Church’s true visage was precisely the face they were familiar with, an utterly ordinary face that if thrown into a crowd, would be forgotten quickly.
A face identical to the mask.
Palr uttered a powerless sigh, "My God..."
He recalled past conversations with Church, constantly curious about Church’s true face, to which Church replied that Palr had already seen his true self, but Palr didn’t believe it.
Palr indeed didn’t believe it; no one could believe Church, a person entirely composed of lies. Consequently, when Church showed his true self, few realized that was the real Church at that mont.
The facade Church often displayed to a few was indeed his true visage. As if finding a loophole in the rules, he used the mask to manifest his true but flawed face.
The false and true visage being the sa, since the first day of acquaintance, Palr had seen Church’s true essence.
The door was pushed open, doctors rushed in, with the subway ready at Deep Nest Courtyard, the Border Sanatorium prepared, Church would receive the best care. Church was then taken away by doctors under the two’s gaze.
The deathly silence continued until a mont when a heavy anger erupted from Palr’s heart.
He clenched his fists, storming out of the room, with Bologue quickly following behind, "Where are you going?"
Without turning his head, Palr said, "To find Ivan, I need to know what exactly happened to Church."
Bologue hastened to keep up. Other mbers of the temporary action group in the hallway saw them, trying to follow. Bologue hesitated, waved his hand, signaling them not to co.
Palr had always been an easygoing and approachable guy, rarely seen in anger. But the calr the person, the more intense their rage when angered, driven by fury, the more mad they seed.
Bologue fell into inexplicable shock due to Church’s true visage, trying to empathize with Church’s feelings, but the power of Walking in the Narrow Space was too distorted. Just thinking about it made Bologue feel suffocated by helplessness.
Several monts made Bologue feel it was his fault.
The two quickly arrived at Crow’s Nest. Bologue hadn’t often visited here, but Palr was quite familiar with the place. At the room at the end of the hallway, they found Ivan.
Inside was dimly lit, a projector placed at the center.
Deciphering the Eye of the Chronicler wasn’t difficult. The encryption Church used was standard within Crow’s Nest, as familiar to Ivan as an office phone number, starting this intricate Alchemy Armant with almost no effort.
The Eye of the Chronicler was inserted into the projector, which through its display, projected the last images seen by Church onto the screen.
"Didn’t I say, no one’s allowed to enter!"
Soone entered the room, and Ivan stood up, shouting towards the door, his anger also surfacing. Church was Ivan’s subordinate, and Ivan wasn’t as detached as he appeared.
Seeing Bologue and Palr, Ivan’s rising anger halted slightly, his breathing was heavy, eyes lowered as though avoiding exposing his expression to them.
The oppressive atmosphere lingered.
Ivan knew he couldn’t drive the two away, especially Palr; he clearly understood the nature of his nephew.
"Alright, let’s watch together... you have the right to know too."
Ivan sat down, Bologue and Palr stood on either side, the projector began operating, familiar images ca into view, right before the start of the mission.
Bologue focused intently on the scenes, being the mission’s supervisor, Church’s temporary leader, eager to know what happened.
Then...
Then seek retribution.
Bologue believed on this matter, he and his partner shared a particularly unanimous view.
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