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Mary frowned and glared at the old man beside her. He looked like a corpse: his face was pale; his skin was wrinkled and thin, pressed against his bones; blood leaked out of the corners of his lips; and his clothes that had previously fit him were now baggy. “You told me it’d only take one month at most to find the emperor, but it’s already been two!”
The old man mumbled, and his bloodshot eyes turned towards Mary. “You dung-for-brains moron, if you listened properly, we would’ve arrived in one day!” He pointed an emaciated finger at her and shouted, spittle flying from his mouth, “I told you to head west, and you went south! I told you to go north, and you went east! When I said cross the river, you walked to its source! No wonder why you’re the only celestial who’s fallen from heaven! Only someone like you could’ve gotten lost and made their way to earth!”
“What nonsense are you speaking?” Mary asked and snorted. “I went west when you said to go west. I went north when you said to go north. When you said to cross the river, you never stated whether I should cross it lengthwise or widthwise.”
“Do I have to state that!?” The old man violently coughed and trembled, still glaring at Mary. “Explain to me how you went west! Explain to me how you went north!”
“The world is round,” Mary said and nodded. “If you head south enough, eventually you’ll arrive in the north. Same for going east and west.”
“With this logic, no one can direct you!” The man stamped his foot. “Forget it! I won’t listen to your words anymore. I, your father, have no idea where we are! We are utterly and hopelessly lost. Kill me if you wish.”
Mary furrowed her brow. Killing this man wouldn’t help the situation she was in. “You really don’t know where we are?”
“I’ve never seen a place as destitute and cruddy as this! The streets are lined with filth. The buildings are crammed so close together. We must be in hell.” The old man nodded. “Not only have you wandered out of heaven onto earth, you wandered straight into hell. I really admire you.” He bobbed his head up and down. “I sincerely admire you. If you take every human on earth, every celestial in heaven, every fiend in hell, you won’t find a single one who’s as great as you in being braindead.”
Mary’s lips twitched as she turned around and walked away, the scenery blurring before her. Since the old man was no longer of any help to her, and since he didn’t know the way back to his own home, she’d leave him here to fend for himself. As for her, she already formulated a plan. She walked until she saw a town that had a pretty large and expensive-looking building. Then, she recovered the blood she expended by bringing out her turtle-snake aura to envelop herself. Afterwards, she barged into the expensive-looking building.
The problem with her previous guide was his lack of education. Surely, someone living in a building as grand as this would be educated. The owner would be able to tell her where she was and where the emperor of the Great Ming was. Upon entering the building, she found that it was empty. It seemed to be a courtroom of sorts with rows of wooden benches facing an altar where the person at the head would speak. There wasn’t a throne though, which confused her. Did the rulers stand? Mary frowned and closed her eyes. Moments later, she opened them and headed towards a door behind the altar. It was locked, so she kicked it open. Faint voices came out, falling silent as the door tumbled down a flight of stairs.
Mary followed the flight of stairs down, keeping her hand resting on her sword’s hilt. She had discovered something special about it during the past two months. When she was holding her sword, everything was normal. When she released the sword, she couldn’t understand a single word that anyone was saying, and they couldn’t understand her either. She suspected the previous hero who had wielded this sword imbued it with some sort of translation magic. It was possible; after all, she didn’t have full knowledge about the sword. It was gifted to her not long ago after she pulled it out of Vur’s grandfather.
When Mary reached the bottom of the stairs, two figures wearing white robes glared at her. “The church is closed!” one of them said. “Didn’t you see the sign outside? Who are you? Which family do you belong to? There aren’t many who would rear a female knight.”
Mary nodded. This was more like it. Just by seeing her, these people knew she was a knight. “I’m looking for the emperor of the Great Ming.”
“The emperor of the Great Ming?” The two people in white exchanged glances with one another. “Why would the emperor of the Great Ming be here?”
Mary furrowed her brow. “Why wouldn’t he be here?”
The two men exchanged helpless glances again before one of them stepped forward. “Do you seriously not understand, or are you trying to make fools out of us?”
“I’m serious.”
The hooded figure lowered his hood and scratched his head. “We’re in the Seville Cathedral, which is located in Seville. The Great Ming that you’re talking about is literally on the other side of the world. No, wait, that’s not true anymore. The other side of the world is actually a new world. In that case, the Great Ming you’re seeking is on the far side of this old world.”
“I walked across the world?” Mary asked and furrowed her brow.
The hooded figure in the back leaned over. “Do you think this woman is possessed by demons? She could be a witch. Shall we let the leaders know?”
The other man frowned. “Would a witch really come to the headquarters of the inquisition?”
“Either way, she kicked down the door.”
“I suppose we should tell someone about it.”
Mary nodded. “I wouldn’t mind if you took me to your leaders.”