Chapter 89: Chapter 72: Imagination MAX_1

Truth be told, Duanmu Huai wasn’t inclined to mess with such a mess. After all, the term “Mechanical Religion” sounded a smidge… Well, you know.

But since the Archbishop had made it sound so important, he would… give it a try.

Upon receiving Duanmu Huai’s agreement, Relia clapped her hands. Then, Duanmu saw a priest walk in from outside—the one Duanmu and his companions encountered when they visited the Mechanical Religion before. The one whose entire body had been transformed into a Terminator. But at the moment, his face lacked the solemnity and calm he’d had before. Instead, he looked haggard, as if he had been up playing games for several days and nights without sleep.

“Greetings, Sir Knight.”

The priest walked up to Duanmu Huai, bowed, and lowered his head.

“What do you wish to discuss with me?”

Duanmu looked curiously at the priest. He himself didn’t believe in any religious faith and knew absolutely nothing about the doctrines of the Mechanical Religion. If this priest intended to have a theological discussion with him… well, he’d rather skip it.

“I merely wish to ask you a single question, Sir Knight.”

The Steel Father lifted his face and stared at Duanmu Huai, scrutinizing the Power Armor he was wearing.

“May I ask, why did you don this Armor of Steel? What is your goal?”

“I’m afraid you’ve misunderstood something, Father.”

Duanmu didn’t beat around the bush; he simply told it as it was—he really didn’t know what else to say.

“First off, I don’t have any particular attachment to this contraption. I do not comprehend your thoughts, nor do I understand your doctrines. For me, this Power Armor is merely a means for me to achieve my goal. I need to maintain order and eradicate Chaos. I need power, and it gives me power. It’s that simple… I’m sorry if you were hoping to hear something more profound. I simply can’t provide it.”

Initially, upon hearing Duanmu’s response, the Steel Father seemed a tad disappointed. But as Duanmu continued, the priest’s expression gradually changed. He stared intensely at the Power Armor Duanmu Huai was wearing and murmured to himself.

“…Purpose… means…”

As he muttered to himself, the Steel Father lowered his head again. Meanwhile, Duanmu Huai awkwardly exchanged glances with the Archbishop, unsure of what to say next.

However, at that moment…

“I understand! Sir Knight!!”

Suddenly, the Steel Father lifted his head again. His face no longer displayed the previous despair and dejection. Instead, it radiated excitement and fanaticism.

“Erm…”

Understood what?

Duanmu was totally baffled by the Steel Father’s reaction. He didn’t understand the mindset of these clergy. Their imaginations seemed to run wild, making it hard to guess what they could have gleaned from his words. However, the Steel Father shifted his gaze to the Archbishop with an ecstatic expression.

“I understand now! Our thinking has strayed from the correct path. We are servants of the Deity, we should serve him and protect the people! Instead, we’ve been indulging in trivial matters. As the Knight said, whether it’s training or modification—it’s all just a means to a better serve the Deity! But we lost sight of this, solely pursuing the limit of modification… That’s wrong!”

The Father then turned back to Duanmu Huai.

“Sir Knight, thank you for your teachings. Indeed, the most profound truths are always hidden in the most simple of words…. Thank you for helping me realize this and find my direction!”

“Ah… um… you’re welcome… that’s… good I guess…”

Listening to the Father, Duanmu was utterly disoriented. The way the man’s imagination had run wild was mind-blowing. He’d only uttered one sentence, and yet the priest had drawn so much from it.

You’d surely score full marks on a reading comprehension test…

The Steel Father appeared to have had a revelation and hurriedly left. Duanmu, realizing that he wasn’t wanted anymore, bid the Archbishop goodbye and left as well.

Later, Duanmu discovered that the followers of the Mechanical Religion had undergone an epiphany of sorts after the Father’s explanation. They had made up their minds to use their power of steel to serve the Holy City and its people. They founded an organization called the “Holy Army” to patrol Holy City and maintain order, assisting the public whenever possible. They even asked Duanmu to serve as the honorary commander of the Holy Army… but that’s another story.

As Duanmu left the cathedral, he saw the clergy milling around. He had to admit that the Cathedral Church, as a religious organization, had a “mighty martial virtue.” Its clergy, whether male or female, were all fighters. The male priests and fathers were burly and muscular, their priest robes fitting them like tight clothes. While the women looked small and cute, the long swords, spiked clubs, and war hammers they carried showed a stark contrast to the image of the clergy the common people usually had in mind.

In fact, even the followers of the Mechanical Religion didn’t stray far from their doctrines. According to them, no matter how much humans train their bodies, there was a limit. Machines could easily outperform flesh and blood, and through dedication and sacrifice, they could reaffirm their faith in the Deity. Humans have limitations, so… they quit being humans!

That’s why dealing with these believers was so tricky.

“Sir Knight.”

When Duanmu Huai exited the church, a voice called out to him. Duanmu turned and saw Merlot standing quietly at the door, straight as a sentry.

“Oh, Merlot, what’s up?”

Duanmu wasn’t as familiar with Merlot as he was with Lorena. He knew that Merlot was apparently from a military background, with her every move marked by a soldier’s discipline. Usually, she was quiet, only silently following everyone around as a guard should.

For someone like her to suddenly hail him like this, it couldn’t simply be a greeting.

“Yes, there are some matters I’d like to discuss with you, it’s about the Puppet Zone…”

Merlot didn’t beat around the bush, but concisely explained the issue. After listening, Duanmu Huai finally understood why she had sought him out.

It was about the Puppet Zone.

It was said before that the Puppet Zone existed due to the Mechanical Religion. Now, with the Mechanical Religion gone, there was no point in the Puppet Zone’s existence. Moreover, the puppet that caused the killing incident in the Holy City was created by a puppet master from the Puppet Zone. As a result, many people there were deeply worried, not knowing if they would face any punishment or be driven out of the Holy City…

They heard that Duanmu Huai would be responsible for the members of the Mechanical Religion, so Kukulu specifically sought out Merlot to ask her for help in asking what would be in store for them next.

“The Puppet Zone, huh…”

After listening to Merlot’s explanation, Duanmu Huai pondered for a moment. It had to be said that the technical experts in the Puppet Zone were truly exceptional. When Duanmu Huai went to the Puppet Zone with Merlot, although he only had a brief look, it still left a deep impression on him.

For Duanmu Huai, he wanted the Puppet Zone to continue existing, as their technologies were considerably useful. The Soul Fragment World was a projection of the main world, and the humans here essentially couldn’t grow further. However, they could create other things, such as the Mechanical Soldier and Creaturess created by Sky City, and the puppet created by the Puppet Room.

Duanmu Huai also hoped that the Puppet Zone could continue to exist, so they could create some new Soul Cards for him… which might come in handy at some point.

However, there were some things he needed to clarify first.

“Merlot, you’re very familiar with the Puppet Zone, right?”

“Yes.”

“Can you take me to a doll shop? I want to speak with a puppet technician to ask some questions.”

“Alright.”

Though she didn’t know what Duanmu Huai wanted, Merlot still agreed to his request and took him to a large shop located in the center of the Puppet Zone. Various wooden dolls were displayed in the shop’s glass showcase. Duanmu Huai followed the Merlot into the shop, then she pressed the bell on the counter.

Soon, a voice rang out from behind the counter.

“Welcome!”

Duanmu Huai peeked, and saw a 10 year-old boy wearing a uniform standing behind the counter, he was struggling to climb onto a chair. Once he sat down, he greeted Merlot.

“Oh, Merlot, what brings you here today?”

“I brought someone along. Sir Knight wants to ask you some questions.”

As she said this, Merlot turned to Duanmu Huai.

“Sir Knight, this is puppet technician Baddy, his skills are amongst the best in the Puppet Zone.”

“Among the best?”

Hearing this, Duanmu Huai looked doubtfully at the young boy in front of him.

“But, he just looks like a child.”

“What did you say?!”

Hearing this, Baddy immediately stood up from the chair, and angrily… still had to look up at Duanmu Huai.

“I am not a kid! I may be older than you! You brat!”

“Oh?”

“Mr. Baddy is a dwarf.”

At this point, Merlot explained.

“…A dwarf?”

Looking at the boy in front of him, who looked just like a ten-year-old, then comparing him to the walking, bearded beer casks he had encountered before, Duanmu Huai couldn’t help but think… wasn’t there too much of a disparity?

” …Yes, boy, what do you want with me?”

Baddy was clearly dissatisfied with Duanmu Huai seeing him as a child, and sat down furiously. Duanmu Huai thought for a moment, and then spoke.

“I want to… see how the puppets are made.”

“…Huh???”