bookrandom Chapter 359 Not in vain
Chapter 359 Not in vain
By the time they finally finished this week's homework, the sky outside the glass window had already dimmed. Lilith thought of the coca plants she grew in her greenhouse. She was the first to say goodbye to everyone and prepared to go to the greenhouse to check on the growth of the magical plants she had planted.
Ian, who had been sitting quietly on the windowsill staring at the elf dragon outside, stood up and quietly followed Lilith's steps.
"Ian, this is at school, you don't have to follow me all the time--" Lilith said helplessly.
As a result, she had just turned the corner of the stairs when Ian grabbed her and drew his sword with his other hand. The blade made a warning buzzing sound. Lilith could feel the muscles under the cloth tense on the boy's body. She looked up blankly, but saw Ian's face was solemn, staring at the entrance to the first floor of the small building.
She turned her head and saw a giant creature standing at the gate of the Rose Building against the setting sun, while the children on the first floor were still talking and laughing, with no reaction at all!
Lilith froze for a moment, then reacted and quickly patted Ian.
"It's okay, it's a model."
Ian was stunned, then immediately let go of Lilith's arm, "Sorry."
Lilith patted him to comfort him, then walked downstairs and headed towards the giant object at the door. The person blocked by the giant object was Hannah who had just rushed in from outside. She was being pestered by a group of curious students and asked all kinds of questions. The shy girl was a little overwhelmed and only breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Lilith coming.
"Lilith!" Hannah came over and took Lilith's hand, and escaped from the crowd.
"Is this okay?" She patted the big guy next to her, which was an almost life-size, wooden-carved model of a Void Beast.
"Perfect!" - Lilith gave her a thumbs up to express her affirmation.
The huge monster slightly lowered its front limbs, its mouth opened ferociously, as if ready to pounce forward. Its body was covered in black and purple paint. Because I didn't have a deep impression of the details, the details were a little sloppy, but many of the students around him had already recognized it.
"Senior, is this the monster in the College Cup? Have you started preparing so early this year?" A cute first-year girl poked the wood and asked Lilith.
"By the way, does this monster have a name?" asked another boy.
"Yes." Lilith smiled at them, "This is a void beast."
"Wow!" The little kids nearby exclaimed in sudden realization, but the atmosphere remained relaxed and peaceful.
"...They really exist!" Lilith said as she looked at them.
"Of course, it was a thousand years ago!" The school girl who just spoke to her blinked.
"Tsk—" Lilith slapped her forehead with a headache and waved at them, "Forget it, go play!"
The vice president of the student union still had some authority, so everyone obediently left, leaving only Lilith, Hannah, and Ian observing the model.
"I can't remember a lot of the details anymore..." Hannah explained as she watched Lilith circling the wooden sculpture.
Hannah's father was a famous woodcarver in her hometown. Although Hannah did not completely learn her father's skills, she still had some basics. When they began to learn to carve magic patterns and make magic circles, Lilith noticed at a glance that she was very skilled. After asking, Lilith asked her to help make this.
"That's already good. Look, those kids have all recognized me," Lilith affirmed the introverted Hannah.
"You're thinking……"
"Put it out." Lilith said as a matter of course.
"Make a lot of them and place them everywhere so that everyone can get used to their existence and understand their ecology. I have already proposed on behalf of the student union and the school to apply for a course called 'Void Beast Strategic Research' so that everyone can understand and become familiar with them earlier. Now we are waiting for the research materials from Ozler to be delivered. Teacher Colin promised me that he would start compiling the teaching materials as soon as the materials arrive."
"Will this work..." Hannah said in a low voice, "What if, what if they get scared because of this? I heard that the number of students enrolled in Goletia has finally increased a little."
"I don't know, but I want to try." Lilith answered frankly and then asked, "What do you think is the source of people's fear?"
"Death is inevitable." Before Hannah could come up with an answer, Ian spoke first.
"Hmm...that makes sense." This was different from the answer in Lilith's mind. Moreover, Ian, who always stood before her fearlessly in battle, actually feared death the most, which surprised Lilith.
"——But I think it's the unknown!" Lilith proposed a different idea. "People are not afraid of things they already know. They either accept it or resist it. They are only afraid of the unknown, especially the unknown that may harm them."
"What we need to do now is to dispel everyone's fear. The more we know, the braver we will be to face it."
This is also where she disagrees with Catherine. Although she doesn't know what Catherine's plan is, she has already decided to use her own way to spread the news of the Void Beast little by little. Behind every student there is a family. Until the news of the Void Beast's return to the Gaia Empire spreads quietly, she doesn't believe that the church can cover it up and remain safe.
"I'll have to trouble you later, Hannah! Don't worry about the details. Just wait for the information from Ozler to be delivered and then slowly make adjustments!" After Lilith finished the inspection and put the void beast model into the ring, she hugged her friend affectionately to express her gratitude.
Hannah blushed at her flattery and hid in the building to find Lulu.
Lilith and Ian were the only ones left on the garden path. Lilith glanced at Ian, sighed, and tried to comfort her partner.
"Ian, I've long wanted to say that you are too cautious. I'm not some greenhouse flower that can't stand any danger. I have the ability to protect myself!" She bent her arms and patted the muscles on her arms.
"I don't care what happens to others, but I—" Lilith pointed at her nose, "I am your comrade-in-arms, not a burden that needs your protection."
She didn't need anyone standing in front of her, not even her own guardian.
The boy, who always took her words as truth, did not respond this time.
Lilith looked back at him, and the young man silently stepped on her shadow and moved forward, as if in silent resistance.
"I thought you weren't afraid of death." He refused to respond, so Lilith could only continue. "Didn't the Church of Light say that devout believers would enter the carefree paradise of God after death?"
"But you won't be there," Ian said softly, staring at the ground.
"What—?" Lilith didn't hear clearly and turned around in confusion.
"I am indeed afraid of death. Once I die, I can never come back." Ian didn't want to agree to Lilith's request and abruptly changed the subject.
Lilith looked at Ian and had a guess in her mind, "You never talked to me about your family, Ian."
"I...have lost my family for a long time." After a few moments of silence, Ian answered in a low voice.
Sure enough - this is just as Lilith guessed. No wonder Ian is so concerned about death. It is because he is alone that he regards God as his spiritual sustenance...
"Maybe, maybe they have already reached the Pure Land of Bliss. Or maybe, they have already started a new life." Lilith was so considerate that she didn't ask any more questions, but just comforted them in a gentle voice.
"Is that why you are never afraid, Lilith?" Ian asked, looking at the flowers blooming on the roadside. "Do you firmly believe that life can be repeated?"
"I'm not so sure, but I'm afraid that I can't change anything." Lilith turned her back to Ian. "Instead of thinking about when death will knock on the door, I'd rather do something while I'm alive."
"For Catherine?" Ian asked, looking at the girl's back.
"...No, it's not." Lilith thought about it seriously and shook her head to deny it.
If she had never come to Goletia and had stayed safely in Shelley Town, she might have been content to be a small town girl. Even if news of the Void Beast came, she would probably just stay in the cozy nest that Mary created for her, sighing with others about the current situation and war situation in the distance, and feeling the impermanence of life.
But she was not so lucky, or rather, she was even luckier - she faced the unknown world and saw the invaders from that other world. She began to feel lucky that she had learned magic and swordsmanship, and could protect the people she cared about with her own abilities. She might even be able to change the many ills of this world through cooperation with Catherine.
"In order...in order not to come here in vain."
Maybe this is the meaning of her waking up here.