Глава 16

'I forgive you.'

His Imperial Majesty finally had enough and sentenced him to death, personally, but brainwashed believers attempted to raid the execution, resulting in the biggest riot in Grypherburg in a decade.

We know all that.

If Mantra said it was the Yurodstvo, she must have had the evidence to make the deduction.

All we need to do is protect ourselves and wait to hear from her.

Mantra does not kneel as the miners instructed.

She steps into the shadow, facing forward, as though there are a pair of eyes looking backwards in front of her.

I know you can 'hear'.

I hear your questions.

I hope you're more than just a pale imitation of my Arts and my way of speaking, Yurodstvo.

'Yurodstvo'... if that is the name you need me to have.

Explain.

Gabrielus, Solomida, Bessmert, Aurora, Nadia... or, perhaps, Yurodstvo.

I am all of them.

Why did you hide amongst these suffering people?

Because it is a journey of proselytization.

I shall walk this vast land and redeem the people from their sufferings.

And because I saw and heard her.

I stayed because of her pain.

Who is she?

A suffering soul.

You deceived her and made her call you 'Nadia'?

I never deceived.

You lie.

She asked as you did. I answered as I do.

That was all.

A meaningless response. What are you?

You saw me.

I see shadow without order.

Yes, I am.

But not in the eyes of others.

Explain.

People see in me the reflection of their perception and expectation.

I thought, of all the souls, you alone would understand why I exist so.

After all...

You are the unfinished sculpture. You were once to become—

'Me.'

Mantra keeps her eyes fixed on the strange apparition in front of her, but she is unsure whether she can identify any useful information from it.

A long time ago, you cut away a black piece of rotten flesh.

So did I. It pursued me, and I repelled it, like cutting off a piece of rotten flesh between breaths.

An absurd analogy.

No, a simple principle.

If it is rotten and no longer connected to the rest of your body...

Why keep it?

This is...

Your memory?

But it is mine—

No. The Royal Guard... if you can influence a Royal Guard, you can influence the miners.

You killed it. You became me.

If this is the only thing we share in common...

The body, and rotten flesh. Your relationship to the Royal Guard—the Yurodstvo was the source of the Royal Guard experiments.

No sound comes from the trembling shadows, neither affirmation nor denial.

Mantra begins to back off and leaves the shadow's edge.

...I need support, Raidian.

I'm here.

The conjecture is confirmed.

Also, additional information...

The Yurodstvo hid amongst the miners and helped them kill the Royal Guard.

...I see.

What do you need us to do?

I need you to continue to contact other Rhodes Island assets in Ursus, and ask Amiya to delay Eloysius.

We can't leave yet, at least not until I find a way to rouse the miners.

Have Elysium standby inside the range of my Arts. I may need his assistance.

What's your plan?

Remove the influence that the Yurodstvo has on the miners.

You think the Yurodstvo is controlling the miners and causing them to refuse to leave?

Yes.

We cannot kill the Yurodstvo directly, but it can kill anyone here, anytime it chooses to.

Maybe Amiya can help.

Maybe. But Amiya does not understand the Yurodstvo, and I do not want to her to become involved without any understanding.

The Yurodstvo's powers are similar to mine. This is why I am the only one who can make this decision.

It relies on the cognition of others to establish itself. I must find the key to its establishment of the 'Nadia' identity, in order to remove its influence.

You have someone you suspect.

...Yes.

Mantra casts her gaze at the surrounding miners, and eventually upon the girl who walks past her to the Yurodstvo.

She mutters in a daze, in bewilderment and sorrow.

I just need time to confirm.