Night Journey

Chapter 77 Re-emergence
A long silence enveloped the meeting room. Rolf remained silent, lost in thought, while De Karl waited patiently, his face expressionless.

The atmosphere became oppressive and suffocating; even the whispers of the councilors outside the door disappeared.

Everyone is waiting.

We await the outcome of this heated debate to determine the true victor.

Similarly, everyone is looking forward to it.

At first, Rolf and Decal could communicate calmly, but now it has turned into a fierce argument.

If things continue to escalate, no one knows what will happen; perhaps the two will draw their swords against each other, or perhaps it will be the beginning of the division of Hel City.

It was as if a curse had fallen upon everyone.

It's a curse.

We will eventually unite, and we will inevitably divide.

Surprisingly, Rolf did not continue arguing about it, but instead asked a question.

"Since you keep saying that everything is for the sake of Hel City."

Rolf said coldly, "So, the City Guard has been investigating for so long, yet the Claws are still active. Isn't that a dereliction of duty on your part?"

Decal responded bluntly, "You have to nip it in the bud. I'm just waiting for the Claws to reveal their true purpose."

Rolf considered for a moment before speaking.

"Could I speculate that the various acts of the Claws and the destruction of White Cliff Town are all related to that rumor?"

"so what?"

Dekar maintained his tough stance, saying, "The matter of Hull City should be resolved by Hull City itself. We do not need anyone's help."

Rolf questioned, "Then what if Hel faces the real danger of falling?"

Dekar was silent at first, then growled.

"Then let Hel City fall!"

A series of footsteps sounded from behind the door; clearly, the horrifying statement had frightened many people.

Rolf shook his head. "That's stupid."

Suddenly, De Karl slammed his fist on the conference table.

“I have great respect for you, Rolf.”

Decal placed his hands on the table, his eyes fixed on Rolf.

"Without your contributions, Hull City would not be what it is today. But no matter what, to Hull City, you are ultimately an outsider."

Rolf was amused by Decal's words. "You think I'm an outsider?"

“You are the Chief Technology Officer of Hel City, but at the same time, you are also the Spirit Craftsman of the Myriad Machines Harmony Academy and the Myriad Veins and Connections Casting Court, and a follower of the Three Sages.”

Dekar took off his glasses and carefully wiped them. "Let me guess, when you are old and gray, will you die peacefully in the city of Hel, or will you return to the Forging Court and merge yourself into the brain?"

“Once Hel City falls, everyone will lose their homes, but you, you can still return to the Forging Court and pretend that nothing ever happened.”

Decal pounded his chest and pointed to his heart.

“You always have a way out, but we are different. We only have Hull City, and Hull City can only belong to us.”

"..."

Once again, a long silence enveloped the conference hall.

Rolf silently closed his eyes, and the image of Cillian, his Boiling Sword, and the Unifier triangle engraved on the Boiling Sword inexplicably appeared in his mind.

The era of unity is over.

He thought so sadly.

In just a few minutes, Rolf seemed to have aged several years, his head bowed as he spoke.

"Let's dismiss the meeting first."

There were no footsteps outside the door; the councilors remained standing behind it.

"I'm sorry, Rolf."

Decal sat down next to Rolf, and in a daze, the two went from being bitter enemies to becoming close friends.

“I know it’s foolish, but we’ve had enough of the empty promises of the Holy City of the Day,” he whispered. “We can only trust ourselves; expecting anything from others is just asking for trouble.”

Rolf stopped him, saying, "The meeting is over, let's not talk about such annoying things anymore."

"Ok."

Dekar gave a wry smile.

Rolf took out his pocket watch again and looked tenderly at his wife's photograph.

Suddenly, he said.

“You’re right, Dekar. Even though I’ve lived in Hull for so many years and devoted countless efforts to it, in the end, I’m not a native of this place. This is where I live, but it’s not my hometown.”

Rolf closed his pocket watch and said calmly.

"I plan to leave Hull City."

De Karl thought he had misheard, but Rolf's expression was serious, and he didn't seem to be joking at all.

A commotion arose outside the door. Amidst the hurried footsteps, someone pushed open the conference room door, looking at them with a flustered expression, but quickly regained his composure and remained silent. "I stayed here for my wife, but I couldn't take good care of her and passed away early due to an accident. So I entrusted my feelings to this city and vowed to protect her hometown."

Rolf maintained a smile throughout the conversation.

"I'm like a paranoid person, always wanting to hold onto everything... Maybe I don't need to hold on so tightly."

He sighed, "Give me some more time to consider the matter, De Karl."

"Ah."

De Karl also changed his tough stance and spoke gently.

"When are you going to leave?"

"It's not clear yet."

Upon hearing this answer, De Karl's expression changed slightly, and a heated conversation could be heard from behind the door.

"Don't worry, this is not a delaying tactic."

Rolf said awkwardly, "When I leave depends mainly on when I can find the Chain Link."

Decal's expression turned awkward, and Rolf continued to complain.

"Damn it, all the other casting courts are stationed in one place for a long time, but the Myriad Veins · Connection Casting Court is always on the go."

Rolf recalled, "The last time the Chained Flail appeared in the records of the civilized world was twenty years ago when it was resupplying the Desolate North."

"Since then, it has disappeared without a trace, and who knows whether it wanders in the dark world or floats in the spirit world."

After a helpless smile, Rolf let out a long sigh.

"Give me some more time, everyone."

Now that things have come to this, no one can criticize Rolf for anything, especially since they were each pursuing their own interests and harboring ulterior motives.

"Well then... it's time to go, everyone."

Just as Rolf was about to get up and leave, a figure passed through the crowd behind the door and pushed open the door to the conference hall.

Her expression was a mixture of joy and panic, her steps both unsteady and swift.

Rolf frowned. "What's wrong? Peggy, why are you so flustered?"

Peggy leaned heavily on her cane, panting heavily. She was quite old, and even as a superhuman, this aerobic exercise was making her feel extremely uncomfortable.

She said haltingly, "Some new problems have arisen."

Decal quickly walked up to Peggy.

"what happened?"

Peggy calmed her rapid breathing and said happily.

"He is back!"

De Karl was puzzled. "Who are you referring to?"

Peggy opened her palm and revealed a sharp iron feather. The bumpy journey had cut her hand, leaving it stained with a few drops of blood.

Dekar didn't recognize it at first, but then he remembered and instinctively clenched his fist.

More members of parliament came out from behind the door and gathered around the iron feather. More and more people recognized it, and their expressions varied. Some of the newly elected young members of parliament were clueless and only realized it after being reminded by others.

"It's him, he's back."

"Why did it have to happen at this time?"

"What does he want to do?"

Amidst the murmurs and discussions, De Karl pressed for an answer.

Where did you find it?

Peggy replied, “Right in Memorial Square, on a headless corpse hanged by a sword.”

"It was stuck in his heart."

Everyone fell silent; this behavior perfectly matched the official record's description of him.

Rolf silently stepped forward, took the blood-stained iron feather from Peggy's hand, and carefully examined, stroked, and wiped it.

De Karl asked, "Can you be sure it's his?"

Rolf did not respond immediately, his eyes filled with extremely complex emotions.

Nostalgia, doubt, vigilance...

Finally, Rolf answered.

"It can be basically confirmed that these are the iron feathers of the Reverse Falcon."

No one would question Rolf's answer. As a spirit craftsman, he could accurately determine the structure and forging techniques of the iron feather to verify the authenticity of its origin.

The councilors fell silent, none of them knowing what kind of upheaval the return of the Rebel Falcon would bring to the divisions within the city council.

"Is that so? His return is perfectly timed."

Decal made his decision with a cold smile.

"No one can surpass Hel City, not even the Reverse Falcon."

(End of this chapter)