Yarra's Adventure Notes-Chapter 1364 - 150 Reasons That Must Be Done

Silence spread like a chain reaction, starting from a small corner of the tavern and quickly enveloping the entire establishment. In reality, the other undead did not know what was being discussed here; it was merely their curiosity that made them steal glances at these strange beings from time to time. So, when both leaders and their guests fell silent, the undead ceased their recreational activities, making the stone tavern as quiet as a sealed tomb.

Catherine and Shiela sat opposite each other in silence, with a growing tension permeating the air. On her journey here, Catherine had encountered many undead, most of whom were filled with goodwill. They treated their living visitors with curiosity and indeed, like competent hosts, tried to entertain them warmly. Even those few who were not so well-meaning merely felt wary and spied from their homes. Overall, it could be said that the undead were rather mild and not aggressive, seemingly laying a foundation for peaceful coexistence. However, despite this peaceful facade, one critical issue continually influenced Catherine’s judgment.

The question was quite simple: why had these undead recklessly entered the Yarran World, even at the risk of sparking a war? Although the instigations of the Divine Servants played some part, for a large entity that had already formed itself into a national force—loosely organized city federations included—it was quite irrational. Moreover, all clues showed that the undead initially did not believe the Divine Servants’ provocations. From meeting a few undead leaders—whether in politics, military, or business—their behavior proved they were not naive; they must have anticipated that suddenly a tens of thousands of undead emerging from Death’s Gate to build military fortifications would shock the Yarran World. It would be obvious to them that the beings of Yarran World would assemble armies in confrontation, making war imminent. Hence, this dangerous situation indeed involved cooperation from the living side, but the fundamental reason was the mass emergence of the undead from Death’s Gate.

Catherine did not want to make an irrevocable mistake. She knew that her group of eight, being the first living beings to make contact with the undead forces, had very important insights to offer which could directly affect how other powers decide whether to welcome the undead. If the undead’s gentleness was merely superficial and she was deceived by such appearances, providing misguided advice could lead to the uncontrollable actions of the undead after entering the Yarran World, making her group the sinners of the entire world.

Therefore, she had to find the answer to this key question. Only by clarifying this most crucial matter could she determine whether the undead’s mildness was genuine or just a facade. Since joining Kenseth’s merchant caravan, the knightly young lady had been searching for an answer to this question, but without success until just now. Shiela’s words confirmed some of her thoughts; indeed, the undead had considered the possible actions of living beings and had even prepared for war. Yet, even so, they still sent out such a large force, which inevitably led to suspicions about the summoners’ true intentions.

"There are many different ways to ascertain the attitudes of neighbors," Catherine finally spoke in a subdued voice after a long silence. "I do not believe that sending tens of thousands of soldiers into another’s world is a proper way to test. Such a probe can only result in war. Or is it that you actually wish for that outcome?"

We, the undead, are not afraid of war, but that does not mean we enjoy such things," Shiela also took a long time to consider before sighing softly and shaking her head. "This decision was made more than a year ago when we knew The Door Home might be opened. Indeed, we leaders discussed repeatedly and understood the danger, the likely unwanted outcome, but we had reasons we could not avoid. Except for a few leaders, no one knew that this matter was approved by our king, who also issued another order to make the utmost effort to restrain ourselves, never to strike first against the living, even if attacked, as long as there is no danger to life. This command was also well implemented, so throughout this period, regardless of how close your troops approached the fortress, they suffered no substantive attacks."

"A reason you could not avoid?" Catherine raised her eyebrow and lowered her voice again. "An Oracle?"

Spirit Shiela did not answer; her translucent hand toyed with the cup on the table, merely smiling noncommittally.

"But if it was an Oracle, wouldn’t the king’s command contradict it?" Catherine narrowed her eyes in confusion. "And if an Oracle can be contradicted, how can you say it was unavoidable?"

"What if the second command was also an Oracle?" Shiela said softly. "The king also has another identity, equal to a great Archbishop, and most of the master’s Oracles are conveyed through the king."

"The rest, where the Deity directly answers the followers, right?" Lina interjected, knowing Catherine was unfamiliar with these matters. "Every follower can hear the voice of the Deity at the same time; such is the power of the Deity."

"Miss Lina is quite right," Shiela nodded. "The entire unit mobilizing, returning to build our homeland, was an order directly issued by our master. As the master’s children, none of us wish to defy it, so I say we had to do this. And the greatest restraint is a command delivered to us through the king by our master, which we are also obliged to obey. On reflection, there is no contradiction between the two orders; clearly, the master also does not wish to ignite a war. As for why there was the first command, the master naturally had his reasons; the thoughts of a deity are not something we mortals can speculate."

Before such a standard devout reply, Catherine could only smile bitterly, but Shiela’s response alleviated many of her doubts. After all, a devout follower is unlikely to fabricate under the name of a deity, making Shiela’s words quite possibly true. The undead’s attitude indeed leans toward a mild coexistence rather than a rude invasion. As for the contradiction between the two Oracles, probably only the adventure team who currently understands the possible state of the Grimreaper could sense it.