"Is this the country of 'Europe'?"
Cheng Lingshuang looked around the bustling city with great curiosity.
"Actually, the city is called Vienna," said Otto, guiding the group through the streets.
"As for the country… the country currently ruling this place is called the Holy Roman Empire"
"Neither holy, nor Roman, nor an empire"
Tian Shi commented casually.
But these words made Otto smile.
"God is right, the Holy Roman Empire does not have the recognition of the Church nor the legitimacy of Rome, it is a disorganized chaos and resembles an empire in no way"
Cheng Lingshuang tilted her head, not quite understanding.
Kallen, who was by her side, was even less of a thinker; she hadn't even developed that kind of thought yet.
"Forget it, Miss Lingshuang, just listen to what happens here and let it pass, the customs and habits of both sides are very different"
Otto was simply playing along with her own God; she didn't expect these people to understand.
"Eleonor, Nagamitsu, you two take Miss Lingshuang, the Soul Steel Doll, and Vera to the Kaslana house, Kallen and I will go see my father to inform him of the situation"
"Sure"
Eleonor nodded and, along with Nagamitsu and the others, took a different route.
Now only Otto, Kallen, and Tian Shi, who has returned to his ghost form, remain here.
"And speaking of that… is Vienna even more desolate than five years ago?" Kallen looked around and asked the question on her mind.
"Yes, but I didn't expect you to notice, Kallen"
"I'm not blind... All my favorite food stalls disappeared, I'm smarter than you in this aspect"
Otto nodded helplessly upon hearing this.
Fine, she admits it.
In reality, she wasn't very perceptive regarding Vienna's depression; she relied mainly on logical analysis to deduce it.
Kallen, however, knew exactly which stalls and shops had closed.
This is probably one of the differences between the two.
Although Otto used to walk often with Kallen, she didn't take it to heart at all and there was still a significant gap between her and the common people.
After all, Otto was focused on God and the experiments.
Even though Otto didn't have the typical flaws of the aristocracy, it was still a bit difficult to get her interested in those things.
"But after this, shouldn't Schicksal enter a period of rest and recovery?"
Kallen said in a low voice.
"It won't be long before Vienna returns to its former prosperity"
"I hope so"
Although Otto didn't agree with Kallen's statement, she didn't need to refute it.
Kallen can understand some things after just one glance.
"Why are there so many people gathered there?"
The perceptive Kallen spotted a lively place in the desolate city.
As is custom, seeing such a lively place, Kallen immediately grabbed Otto and excitedly dragged her there.
In that instant, Otto felt as if she were walking a dog, but being dragged by the dog running wildly.
What kind of nonsense is this?
Or is it that I really need to tie Kallen down somehow in the future?
As Otto sighed inwardly, the two gradually approached the crowd.
It was fine if they didn't get close, but as soon as they did, the seductive words coming from within made both of them turn pale.
"When the gold coins jingle in the jar, your soul flies to heaven!"
"Buying more indulgences not only allows one to be exempt from future crimes in advance, but it also allows buying indulgences for the dead, so their souls can be released from purgatory and ascend to heaven as soon as possible"
The priest on the platform waved his arms, and his strong body language seemed to gradually make his absurd claims more convincing.
"Do they even know what they are doing?"
Kallen clenched her fists tightly.
Otto had no doubt that, if she gave her a knife now, Kallen would plunge it into the chest of the preacher on the stage.
"Precisely because that is why he does it"
Otto said softly.
"But these words are clearly a bit excessive..."
Kallen's face darkened because the whole affair was immoral, while Otto's face darkened at the latter's final phrase.
What is this?
Were they using indulgences as a license to commit crimes?
Otto herself considered this claim absolutely absurd.
Otto, on the other hand, didn't seem to care much about indulgences (they had already done them more than once a hundred years ago).
Kallen might find this somewhat novel, but for her... In fact, she believed it was Schicksal's normal reaction.
(Dad seems to be anxious...)
"Otto, Kallen, look around"
At that moment, Tian Shi also whispered a reminder in their ears.
Around?
Otto and Kallen were taken aback.
They turned their heads and looked around, only to be surprised to discover that there were quite a few Schicksal Knights around the missionary on the stage.
They hadn't noticed because they were too focused on him.
While it is normal to send guards to handle something as risky as the sale of indulgences that could easily incite public outrage, sending fully armed regular troops to back the operation is...
Otto raised an eyebrow, as if understanding something.
"Hey! You, the one over there! Why haven't you bought your indulgences yet?"
The priest stepped down from the platform, observing the crowd around him with a menacing gaze, and then saw his target: a frail mother and daughter.
"Priest, please grant me a few more days..."
After realizing she was being targeted, the mother looked at the aggressor with a pleading expression.
"A few days... a few days will be enough..."
"A few days?" The priest smiled, looking at the shy girl in the woman's arms.
"Instead of waiting a few days, why not let your daughter work in my church for a while? That way, her sins can be redeemed"
While speaking, the missionary ignored the woman's wishes and went directly to pull the girl from her arms.
"You bastard! Let go of me!"
Bang!
Unable to bear it any longer, Kallen punched the missionary in the face, sending him flying backward.
If it weren't for the fact that she has grown over the years and gradually realized some things, five years ago, Kallen's punch would have blown his head off.
"Who!"
"How dare you!"
"Take... take..."
The Schicksal Knights, who were about to surround her, stopped immediately upon seeing Kallen's attire.
They recognized nothing else, but they couldn't help but recognize the pure white clothes and the gold Schicksal emblem on the collar.
Valkyrie...
"I'm sorry, Lady Kallen, we..."
The captain of the knights first recognized Kallen's identity, seeing her white hair.
Unlike the original timeline, Francis is still alive in this life.
Although Kallen, the new head of the Kaslana family, does not manage the affairs, Francis has inherited everything the Kaslana family should have.
The Kaslana family has passed completely into Kallen's hands.
In the original timeline, Kallen seems to exist only as a surname, with no real presence of the Kaslana family.
Therefore, when facing Kaslana, a pillar of the army destined for greatness, the Knight Captain could only show a worried attitude.
Take her away?
That is impossible.
Despite being a group of fully armed burly men, in the eyes of the Valkyrie, they were no different from the common people on the street.
"Leave it for today, you can't handle this"
"Yes, Miss Otto"
Recognizing Kallen, the Knight Captain, naturally, also recognized Otto.
After hearing what Otto said, the Captain thought about it and nodded.
This involves the head of the Kaslana family; how could it be my place, being nobody, to interfere?
Then the Knight Captain waved his hand and led his men away without stopping.
"Do you know what you are doing?"
The missionary staggered to his feet, eyes burning with fury while looking at Kallen.
"Me?"
Kallen raised an eyebrow, completely surprised that the other party dared to ask her as well.
"I don't know what I'm doing, but I saw you committing acts of violence against innocent women and children in broad daylight, I would like to ask you: what are you trying to do?"
"What we are doing now is cleaning up your mess, isn't it?"
"Ha?"
"Hmph... You suffered a defeat outside, but you're quite arrogant in front of your own people, Lady Kallen." The missionary looked at her with mockery.
"Do you think Kallen wouldn't dare to kill him?"
Tian Shi looked at the missionary who seemed familiar to him with a strange expression.
Challenging a passionate youth in a high position? Are you taking advantage of her honesty?
"Killing people in the street is a real problem..."
Otto looked at the missionary and shook her head.
She knew this person.
Viktor was not only a missionary but also a noble.
Of course, these things alone are nothing special.
The key issue is that... the other party is a direct descendant of the Apocalypse family, a faithful and loyal member.
As far as Otto knew, her father had entrusted many confidential experiments to this missionary, and in terms of status... Otto felt she was perhaps not as important as this missionary Viktor in her father's eyes.
It's quite ironic.
But perhaps that is what gives them the courage to talk back to Kallen.
Otto pulled Kallen's hand, signaling her to calm down.
"For Miss Otto's sake, I'll let it pass today!"
Viktor turned his head and pointed at the mother and daughter next to him, rebuking them angrily.
"You have three more days!"
After saying this, Viktor covered his face and staggered away.
"Are you all okay?"
After seeing Viktor leave, Kallen turned around and comforted the mother and daughter next to her.
(If I remember correctly this girl is an Awakener of San Marco...)
Tian Shi looked at the girl in the woman's arms and shook his head.
Well, what can an Awakener of San Marco do? She just wants to live a quiet and normal life.
"I'm sorry, it's already closed"
The woman gave an irrelevant answer and led her daughter back into the flower shop, closing the door behind them.
"..."
Kallen looked at the closed door of the flower shop and sighed softly.
"Has Schicksal really become like this? And what that guy said...?"
"He's just using a fallacy to deceive people, to be honest, the issue of indulgences may have started several years ago"
Otto shook her head.
"It's just that their failure in the East Expedition has made them even more ruthless... They've even resorted to forced buying and selling, Ha, does this guy sleep well at night?"
"That's right, judging by how skilled he is, it doesn't seem like it's the first or second time"
Kallen failed to understand the hidden meaning of Otto's words at all.
"..."
Otto looked at Kallen and sighed slightly.
"But I'm quite surprised that you were able to control yourself"
"Well..."
Kallen scratched her head.
"Wouldn't it cause a lot of trouble if I left him dead on the spot?"
"You've become smarter," Otto praised.
Even setting aside factionalism, the fact that the Valkyrie of Schicksal killed a missionary of Schicksal in the street has a quite negative impact, especially for a religion.
Furthermore, no matter what happens, Kallen is a defeated general, so she should avoid causing trouble if possible.
"But if you really want to kill him... you can sneak in at night"
Otto went straight to the point.
"You take advantage of people during the day, so it's natural for someone to come in and slit your throat in the middle of the night, right?"
And what about the nobility's security forces?
I'm sorry, but Kallen is a true warrior capable of facing ten thousand men in battle, let alone a noble mansion.
In a direct confrontation, Kallen could even break through a secular military fortress.
"At night?"
Kallen stayed thinking.
Although Kallen usually has a high sense of morality, she couldn't muster any moral sense when facing someone like Viktor, who has absolutely no sense of morality.
"Alright... but he seems to have a close relationship with your family, doesn't he?"
Before leaving, the other party used Otto as an exit, and Kallen wasn't actually stupid, so she naturally understood something, or rather, there were no truly stupid people in the Kaslana family.
"He has a close relationship with my family, but what does that have to do with me?"
Compared to Kallen's mentality that there is no need to reason with Viktor about morality, Otto directly revealed her own lack of morality.
"My silly best friend, you don't really believe that my family and I are the same kind of people, do you?"
If Otto were given a magic lamp right now, her first wish would definitely be for her father and all her brothers and sisters to die suddenly.
However, Otto still had to consider to some extent her best friend's moral compass.
"I feel something isn't right?"
Kallen scratched her face.
"What did God say?"
"I think it's great to kill people and then rob the rich to help the poor"
Tian Shi doesn't like that guy either.
If it weren't for the common good, Tian Shi would have encouraged Kallen to kill him in the street.
Not only does he sell indulgences, but he also forces people to buy them and, while doing so, he even plans to kidnap young girls.
Tian Shi felt it would be a moral error not to kill that kind of person.
"If you don't die, who will die?"
"Rob the rich to help the poor?" Kallen asked with her eyes lighting up.
"What a good idea! That guy must have collected a ton of gold coins!"
"Alright, let's discuss this matter tonight"
Otto looked towards the sun.
"It's getting late, let's hurry to see our dear bishop, she must be impatient"
"Bishop…"
Kallen sighed and put her hand to her forehead when she suddenly realized something.
"Schicksal... Hey, Otto, has Schicksal become a cancer for all of Europe?"
Kallen's horizons were broadened by Tian Shi and her biological father Francis throughout her life, so she is not as naive as she was in the original timeline.
"Maybe?"
Otto was quite happy with Kallen's awareness, or rather, Otto would have been worried if Kallen hadn't been so aware.
"Shouldn't we be an organization that protects the people?"
"That is ancient history, Kallen"
...
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