Chapter 175: Episode 4 - The Hollow Of Shrine (5)
A week had passed since Shiki Ryougi awoke from her coma.
Almost every day, Aozaki Touko would come to chat with Shiki, but Shiki's attitude towards her remained cold and indifferent from the start.
Shiki still hadn't stabilized her personality. She couldn't even distinguish who she was now.
Because of this emptiness inside her, every night, spirits—those easily born in a place like a hospital—appeared in her room, trying to take advantage of her state and possess her body, to replace her.
Yet Shiki had no will to resist, allowing these ghosts to continuously gnaw away at her body.
To her, she was just an empty shell. Neither the Shiki Ryougi of the past, nor someone new.
Given that, perhaps simply embracing death would be the most pleasant option.
But beyond that, something else troubled Shiki even more.
"My eyes... Are they almost healed?"
She didn't want that.
She didn't want to witness a world so filled with "death" again.
Instinctively, the girl slowly raised her hands, her fingers pointed towards her eyes, ready to swiftly pierce them as if striking with a bamboo sword—
However, a voice stopped her.
"Hold it. That's a bit too hasty, don't you think?"
Aozaki Touko had suddenly entered the scene, her voice loud.
"The Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, huh? It'd be a real waste to destroy them like that. Besides, even if you gouge out your eyes, you'll still be able to see what you see. A curse doesn't go away just because you try to abandon it—it comes back on its own."
"How do you know that?"
"Heh, I'm a magician. I could even teach you how to use those eyes."
"Use these eyes…?"
"That's right. My method might only make things slightly better, but it's better than nothing."
Touko explained as she continued:
"Mystic Eyes usually refer to those granted through spiritual surgery on one's eyes, adding special effects to their vision. But your eyes were formed naturally, which means you have a natural talent. If you really want to get rid of those eyes, just sell them to me—I'll let you name your price."
"You said that even if I lost my eyes, I'd still see those lines, right? In that case, I have no reason to destroy my sight."
"True. Besides, you've always belonged on our side. Stop dreaming about living an ordinary life."
"I don't even... want to go on living."
"Heh, so because you can't rebuild your personality, you've decided you don't want to live at all? But, Shiki, you're terrified of dying. You don't have the guts to kill yourself; otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to stop you just now."
"Stop acting like you know everything—!"
"Heh, in any case, you've got a void inside you right now, an empty shell. For the remnants of the dead souls lingering here, you're the perfect vessel. Though it won't happen immediately, over time, those fragments will slowly gather and form a complete spiritual body. When that happens, your life will no longer be under your own control."
"…"
"I'm no babysitter, and I'm not good at this stuff. From now on, do whatever you want."
As Touko turned to leave, she paused and asked one final question before departing.
"But, Shiki, did SHIKI really die in vain?"
Hearing her words, Shiki, who had been entirely indifferent, froze in place.
...
As the scene unfolded in the film, the audience couldn't help but begin discussing the content.
Since the southern region lacked widespread belief in the Church of the Holy Light, most of the people were deeply intrigued by the topic of souls.
"Why did SHIKI really die? It feels like there's more to it."
"No idea. We're still missing a lot of information."
"By the way, those ghosts in the film are fragments of souls, right? What actually happens to the soul after someone dies?"
"I'm not sure, but according to the Church of the Holy Light, when someone dies, their soul goes to the Kingdom of Heaven to meet the God of Light, while sinners are cast into the Abyss to suffer for their sins."
"Don't bring that up here in the south. Who here believes in that 'heaven after death' nonsense?"
"Yeah, do you believe in it?"
"I don't. Do you?"
"I don't either."
"The Human Empire was built by us, the people of the empire, not by the God of Light."
"If the God of Light cared about our lives, why didn't He show up to save us when the empire was besieged on all sides?"
"Exactly! If gods really controlled life and death, they wouldn't let the church's idiots run around deceiving people."
"..."
Various comments echoed throughout the venue. Clearly, the people of the southern region, heavily influenced by generations of de-religionization under the Southern Dukes, scoffed at the Church of the Holy Light and its teachings.
Hearing this unified perspective from the southerners, Emperor Hubbard was visibly astonished. It was evidently the first time he had encountered the southern populace's views on the church.
After all, the world was still largely a feudal kingdom, and even the wisest kings seldom truly understood the thoughts of the common people.
This time, the film created by Durin proved to be an excellent medium, providing Emperor Hubbard with a reason to step into the world of the common folk, allowing him to learn things he had never considered before.
"Duke of the South, the work of the Constantine family truly surprises me. The empire granted the four dukes considerable autonomy, allowing them to establish laws and govern their territories as they see fit, provided imperial interests weren't infringed. Now it seems the southern region has developed the best."
General Wilhelm nodded in agreement with the emperor's statement.
"The Dukes of the South have long adhered strictly to their ancestral rules. They've maintained tight control over development, restricted the nobility from engaging in commerce, sustained the military's strength, and protected the interests of the common people. At the same time, through cultural and educational measures, they've kept external forces like the church completely out of the region. As a result, the south has become the most prosperous of the empire's four territories."
"Truly impressive. The Constantine family is remarkable," Emperor Hubbard remarked.
"This is also tied to how they select their successors," someone explained. "It's said that each generation of the Constantine family is forced to participate in an expedition to the uncharted lands south of the southern region. They form pioneer teams with no external support, and only the descendant who performs the best, without resorting to any cheating, is allowed to inherit the title of Duke of the South."
"Hmm, I've heard about that. It's something even most nobles, let alone royalty, wouldn't be able to accomplish."
Emperor Hubbard expressed his admiration, though a hint of concern appeared in his eyes.
He was getting old, and his time to step down might come within the next few years.
However, among the current heirs, there were very few he could truly put his trust in. If a suitable successor couldn't be found, the empire could easily fall into chaos in the next century.
"Sigh, I'll need to stay alive as long as possible," he muttered, his words almost like setting a flag for his future.
With that, Emperor Hubbard continued watching the film with the other audience members.
Meanwhile, at the Imperial Mage Academy, the gathered mages had also begun to discuss the scenes from the film, each offering their own opinions on what was being portrayed.
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