Chapter 012: What Are You Doing?
"Alright, Roshi." Archi waved his hand at the girl before him. "That's enough now."
As expected, Lady Fortuna is a person of courage and strategy. Even her way of considering matters is different from mine. It seems... I still have much to learn!
He used to think he had matured enough to take on the sacred duty of becoming the next Guardian.
But now, having realized (through piecing together information and his own speculation) that one reason Fortuna had Pandora stay was to defend against Archbishop Regulus—who would soon arrive and whom even Fortuna couldn't withstand—he had to admit his youthful naivety...
"Why?" Roshi asked in surprise at his unexpected words. "Was it Lady Fortuna..."
Seeing Archi nod, Roshi broke into a smile.
"Then I'll take my leave!" With that, Roshi waved goodbye.
She wanted to quickly deliver this news to Pandora. Surely the divinely beautiful Pandora would grace her with a smile like the break of dawn!
However, it seemed Roshi wouldn't get her wish—at least not for now, because...
"A place most beneficial for one's health." Pandora took a deep breath as she looked at the tall trees surrounding her. "Speaking of which, when exactly is Archbishop Regulus going to arrive..."
She had already devised a plan to deal with Regulus and was just waiting for his arrival. She imagined his expression would be quite colorful when the time came.
Following her memory, she walked in the opposite direction of the path leading to the elf settlement.
If asked "why take this route?"—the only answer would be that she understood Regulus's character.
He preferred relying on his Authority to attack head-on and receive attacks directly, never resorting to ambushes. Moreover, he was "rigid"—if he came this way yesterday, he would definitely come the same way today.
So she walked along the path, letting her thoughts wander as she went.
For instance: what expression would Roswaal make upon discovering the situation here differed from what was recorded in the "book"? What would happen when the Mediator found this place...
After walking for about half an hour with no sign of Regulus, she leaned against a tree by the roadside to rest (though she wasn't actually tired).
The reason she had proactively come out to wait was to put distance between herself and the settlement, since Regulus's Authority was simply too destructive...
And so she waited for nearly an hour.
"Good morning, Archbishop Regulus." Pandora smiled as she spotted the figure rounding the corner not far away.
Finally here...
Any later and she might have fallen asleep...
"Good morn..." Regulus began to respond but abruptly stopped. "It's you, wretched woman!"
This was the very person who had made him walk such a long distance!
"To think you'd dare show yourself before me?" he said, a mocking expression spreading across his face. "Don't worry, I'll grind your bones to dust soon enough!"
Pandora merely sighed in response.
"Archbishop Regulus, are you unaware that speaking to others in such a loud voice with such rude words is hardly acceptable? Not only does it lower your own standards, but it also drags down others' perspectives. It's simply..."
"Shut up! Die!"
Unable to bear Pandora's lengthy speech any longer, Regulus's face darkened.
He directly activated his Authority, controlling the stones on the ground to hurl toward Pandora.
Thump!
Accompanied by the dense sound of flesh being pierced, Pandora instantly turned into a mist of blood.
However, this time Regulus did not take any further unnecessary actions. Instead, he focused intently on the thin layer of blood on the ground.
He stared like this until a minute had passed.
"Hah, the annoying creature has finally paid the price for its foolishness." Seeing that the pool of blood did not revert to Pandora's form, Regulus shook his head and began to walk away.
"Archbishop Regulus." Just then, Pandora's voice came from behind him. "Where are you going?"
Hearing this, Regulus paused in surprise and stopped walking.
"Die!"
Thump!
Watching the blood mist in the air, Regulus frowned and activated his Authority once again.
But the stone passed straight through the blood mist, pierced several trees, and vanished into the sky.
Yet...
"Archbishop Regulus."
"Die!"
"Archbishop Regulus."
"Die!"
...
"You have interrupted my speech multiple times. May I interpret this as an insult to my character and a trampling of my dignity?" Pandora, who had reappeared nearby, still wore a smile as she looked at Regulus, who was leaning on his knees.
"What... did you say?!" Hearing his own familiar words spoken by someone else, and directed at himself, he waved his hand again.
Thump!
"Please refrain from such futile actions, Archbishop Regulus." Pandora, who had reappeared nearby, spread her hands. "Please answer my question quickly."
"..."
At this moment, Pandora's extraordinarily beautiful face seemed even more detestable to Regulus than a demon's. "Why should I answer your question? What right do you have to force me to answer?"
And Regulus finally realized—his ever-victorious Authority seemed to have no effect on Pandora...
"I used the word 'please.' How is that forcing you?"
"Your core intention is to make me answer the question, but I refuse!"
"Is that so? Alright, then, please answer my question."
"You wretched woman, I already said I refuse to answer!"
"I understand your meaning, but just because you don't want to answer, does that mean I can't speak?"
With that, Pandora emphasized once more:
"May I interpret this as you depriving me of my right to speak?"
Thus,
"You..." Regulus was left speechless.
He, a master of "shooting his mouth off," actually couldn't outtalk a "weak woman"!
"Alright, please answer me!"
"Don't come any closer..." Seeing Pandora gradually approaching him, Regulus raised his hand again.
"Archbishop Regulus, are you commanding me?"
"Are you infringing upon my freedom?"
"Are you looking down on my character?"
Finally,
"Or perhaps..." Pandora, now standing beside Regulus, patted his shoulder. "Are you going against the direction of this world's rotation?"