The Secret Code of Monsters.

Chapter 1005 Ch.1004 Stubbornness or Foolishness

Ok.

Roland can fool no one but a wrench.

It's in his head.

Roland admitted that he was finding Theodore Gabriel Thackeray increasingly interesting.

What principles did he follow in his life?

"Let's not discuss the answer yet, Mr. Thackeray. You should understand that once your identity is exposed, regardless of what you think, the Great Vortex, or any other Crowned Cult—"

"—They will all condemn me. I am a complete cultist. I know that very well, Mr. Collins," Thackeray was not unaware of what 'reality' looked like. "But I have my own laws. How can a person not live according to their own laws?"

Roland couldn't understand what was so extraordinary about Theodore's character—if it were him, if he could, he wouldn't have stood by and watched his 'Vanessa' die by a hatchet...

Does Theodore regret this?

The girl wasn't saved in time.

Theodore answered Roland's question very calmly: "No regrets."

He said.

“I’m even proud of her.”

This self-proclaimed noble gentleman, knight, with blond hair as dazzling as the sun, seemed not to be sitting in a shabby café in the most chaotic neighborhood (where he would burn the bacon), but rather seated on his golden throne, trying to use half a lifetime of achievements to turn the citizens into his followers and the soldiers into his confidants.

He believed that his actions were beyond reproach, that he was kind in his dealings with others, loyal to his friendships, and that he valued contracts more than his own life.

"She didn't ask me to save her."

Theodore took another sip of beer.

“It was just an agreement with me—I’m honored to have Vanessa as a friend, Mr. Collins.”

"Oh, I didn't know that. What if she insists on asking you for help..."

“I will save her,” Theodore said calmly.

But he immediately added: “But that would be an exception, I would have broken the rules. A rite-teller from the Cult of the Crown interfering with the rules of another cult’s rituals—I would be in agony, torn between two difficult choices… Frankly, I don’t know what choice I would make, but thankfully, my friend, Miss Vanessa, did not make things difficult for me.”

Roland rested his chin on his hand, and the more he looked at him, the more familiar he seemed to recognize his features.

“You are very similar to my friend, Mr. Thackeray. In some ways, you are both equally hypocritical.”

It goes without saying who Roland was referring to.

The woman Rose hated the most.

Upon hearing this, Theodore displayed restrained 'anger' for the first time—not for himself.

It was for Roland's friends.

“An upright and cultured person should not speak ill of their friends behind their backs.” He looked at Roland as if he were looking at a torn garment: “How could you speak of your friend like that?”

Roland blinked: "Where is your horse tied up?"

Theodore was stunned for about ten seconds before he realized that the handsome young man opposite him was mocking his 'rules'—mocking him as a foolish and absurd hypocritical knight in a story.

“I never make excuses for myself. Time will prove my persistence, Mr. Collins.”

Perhaps some of Roland's behaviors made him 'flawed', and Theodore was no longer willing to 'open up' to Roland.

He quickly explained his purpose.

"I'd like to make a deal with you. On the condition that we both keep each other's identities confidential, I'll make a deal with you."

He hoped that Roland would use his power to magically alter faces at will (he thought) to help him accomplish what he had been unable to do before. In return, he would tell Roland a secret about creating a 'shared dream'.

Very reasonable.

"Couldn't it be done? You mean 'visit'?"

"To be precise, I need to hear their stories and add something to their blood so that the citizens who drink the blood wine can have a 'dream of justice'—Mr. Westwick is busy after his report, and my position doesn't allow me to disappear often..."

Roland said "Oh," and asked what would happen if he refused. Theodore said he would take the risk and try to infiltrate the Church of Justice again.

"Last time was dangerous enough. You don't really think the people of the Church of Justice are born with half the brains of you, do you?"

“I made a promise with Vanessa, Mr. Collins. Perhaps you don’t think ‘promises’ are that important… but I must keep my promise.”

Roland pouted: "If you put it that way, I'd be the bad guy... Now I understand why Rose always has a grudge against Xander."

This person has some strange insistence on certain things.

But he was also utterly hypocritical.

Despite claiming not to break the rules, the whole incident has undoubtedly brought enormous trouble to the Church of Justice—yesterday's newspapers were still filled with all sorts of people arguing over 'Vanessa'.

Oh.

By the way.

Besides Vanessa, they also began to question whether the 'sacrifice' following the Church of Justice was 'justified'—did she really deserve to be executed? Or was she just another 'Vanessa'?
"Doesn't the fact that the newspapers wrote this and people are discussing it prove that my approach was correct?"

The knight became arrogant again.

He was so proud of his stupid method.

"If—and I mean if—with the power of the Five Rings, you could absolutely 'find a good opportunity' to bring out those 'innocent sacrifices'..."

Theo nodded repeatedly: "You've hit the nail on the head, Mr. Collins."

Just as Roland thought he had 'convinced' him, the man continued, "Once all of London understands their injustice, I'm afraid I won't be needed; the other denominations will naturally demand that the Church of Justice release them—they should walk out of the Church of Justice's sanctuary with their heads held high, not like fugitives, hiding their whole lives..."

Roland wanted to drown him with the beer in the glass.

"I often think that way too."

"How wonderful, Your Excellency Paladin. Someone who can truly empathize with you has appeared..."

"I'm starting to like him."
-
You seem to like a lot of people.

"Aren't you the same?"

"..."

"?"

"Stop playing dead."

Roland silently looked away, using the motion of swatting away flies to fan away the flames that were jumping around in front of him.

"Leaving aside how dangerous the matter you're asking me to 'help' is, Mr. Thackeray, you should at least tell me what's on the other side of the scales. I'm very curious about your power to 'create dreams'—since I embarked on the path of the ritualist, I've never heard of anyone being able to do such a thing."

Roland entered his dreams many times.

Humans can hardly create dreams 'actively'; they can only seek to make half the city's population have the same dream on the same night, and so far, it seems there won't be too much of a cost...

This cannot be accomplished by simple rituals or magical objects.

General ritual?

Have you ever heard of the Great Art?

"of course."

“The final piece of the ‘Dream Studies’ puzzle.” Theodore said softly, “I found an apprentice who could use it at a gathering in the ‘Wanderers’ Camp’… Yes, sir, an ‘apprentice’…”

He said.

"It only cost me a few hundred gold pounds to get it."

The blond knight pondered for a moment:

"However, unlike 'fields,' creating dreams requires a more special talent... I've tried to teach it to my friends, and even sought it out from homeless people... Unfortunately, very few people can truly master it."

(End of this chapter)