This time, the rampage of the Herrscher of Binding highlighted Ryan's importance.
Before he returned, the Fire Moth was almost helpless, but as soon as the Commander returned, the Herrscher ran away with her tail between her legs.
There is no such thing as unprovoked loyalty. The Fire Moth was not only a community of interest with Ryan but also went through the tempering program. They were all traumatized. At least in the eyes of ordinary soldiers, Ryan was invincible.
"You're very popular, Ryan. Aren't you going to say something to everyone?" Elysia quietly came up to him, her eyes seemingly sparkling.
"No need. It's not good to interact with too many people." Ryan shook his head. He had found his 'true self.' He would risk his life for his friends, but there had to be a limit.
War was cruel in the end. If he became a saint, he would have too many scruples, and in the end, everyone would die.
'I know my limits.'
So he walked down the gangway amidst Kalpas's snorts and the gaze of thousands of people. All this time, the impression he gave to the vast majority of the Fire Moth's soldiers was that he was mysterious and cold. This kind of image would be called an outcast on a weak person, but for Ryan, it was a master's demeanor.
Ryan also didn't think he was being hypocritical. People always had many masks. Only to specific people would he show his true self.
However, he still stopped in the second row, his gaze shifting to the expressionless black-haired girl next to him. He saw that her beautiful purple eyes were lifeless, and she was like a puppet.
"Isha, do you need me to comfort you?"
This twin had fought him, and her sister Anna had fallen.
Her pupils slowly moved. The girl slightly shook her head: "No need. Not long ago, that gloomy guy also died. Including the Commander, every one of us could die."
These words were a little disrespectful. The people next to her were worried for her, but they knew that these two twins depended on each other, and they couldn't comfort her at all. Not even Elysia could.
But Ryan didn't get angry. He laughed instead. His laughter sounded a little harsh in the silent formation.
"Well said. I've been on the verge of death several times, and I'm not sure if I'll survive the next time. No one wants to die, but before we die, we have to do something."
"Dedicate our hearts to the future of humanity?" Isha's expression was a little mocking.
"No. Everyone's reason is different. But besides a sense of mission and honor, we also have some personal grudges to settle with Honkai. Vengeance!" Ryan faced the others and clenched his fist.
"Vengeance for the dead. Even if this body is full of scars, and our civilization is turned to ashes, at least before we die, we can bite off a piece of flesh from Honkai. So, we can fight for the dead, and we have the power to fight for the dead."
'Fighting for the dead?'
His voice was not loud, but it gave the soldiers another very special perspective. Another reason why they supported Ryan was that this Commander was not like the other higher-ups who were full of empty talk.
They would talk about fighting for humanity and burning themselves for civilization. Now that the 'Wandering Humanity' Plan was out, why couldn't they go to the Sea of Quanta instead of waiting for death here?
For the past ten years, the blood feud between humanity and Honkai was as deep as the sea. Who didn't have family or friends who died in the disaster? Who wasn't full of hatred?
But Fusion Warriors were different from ordinary people. They had the power to take revenge.
Isha's expression changed slightly. Ryan had no intention of comforting her. He only gave her a reason to fight.
"Yes, Commander."
Ryan glanced at her, silently turned around and left. The admiration, expectation, and grief were a little suffocating for him. To be honest, Ryan disliked this kind of scene the most.
Not everyone could be a hero, and not everyone wanted to be a hero. The closer they got to the end, the greater the pressure that came with the expectation. He had no choice but to wear a thicker mask.
He had already done a good job, but he was far from perfect. Even with his rational personality, his human instincts would still make him doubt himself:
'If I hadn't gone to the Sea of Quanta, would those people still be alive? But if I hadn't found this path, everyone would have died sooner or later.'
"Sakura, I want to go back to the Golden Courtyard."
The girl who was half a step behind him was stunned for a moment. Normally, Dr. Mei would stay in Sea Abyss City, and these political matters would need to be handled by Ryan.
"Okay. I'll take care of those things. You should get some rest."
Sakura didn't say a word. She just walked to another fork in the road, heading to the administrative area. She had always been so silent, like a clear stream.
"Thank you." Ryan said in a low voice. This wasn't because he wanted to slack off. It was just that there had been too many things recently, and he was a little mentally exhausted. He shouldn't have looked at some of the highly impactful photos, but as the Commander, he had to.
The entire city was full of dead people. They had no external injuries and seemed to be sleeping. That kind of silence was creepy enough to give anyone nightmares.
Elysia was unusually silent. She just exchanged a glance with Eden and then, along with Kalpas, accompanied Ryan back to the Golden Courtyard.
The lakeside cabin was still the same, but the vines at the door had yellowed a little. The door was open, and he could hear a giggling sound. When he turned a corner, he saw Griseo painting in the small courtyard, and Rin had secretly taken her paint.
"Sister Rin, give it back!"
"No. You've been standing there for a long time. Come and move around."
"Sister Rin, you're bad!"
The two of them chased each other in the small courtyard. Rin didn't see Aponia coming out of the house and ran into her. She was bounced off by her airbag and fell on her butt.
"You can't tease Griseo. She's painting a gift for Bianca." The nun rubbed her chest and bent down to pick up the paint, "Bianca went to the cities that were hurt by the Herrscher of Death to help. Griseo is very worried."
"I know, but I just don't want to see her looking sad." Rin slowly got up and turned her head, and happened to see Ryan outside the courtyard, "Oh, Brother Ryan is back."
"He's really back!"
Griseo's eyes lit up. She didn't care about her paintbrush and ran over with Rin.
The two rocket headbutts came flying. Ryan didn't dodge. He took the heavy blow with his chest and then stroked the two girls' soft hair.
"Brother Ryan, will Mama be okay?"
"Did my sister come back? Why don't I see her?"
Ryan answered their questions one by one and also nodded gently to Aponia. Only then did he hug them and walk into the small courtyard. He also saw Pardo, who was eating potato chips, rushing out.
"Damn it! Who made the tiles I worked so hard to lay look like this?" Kalpas roared when he saw that his small flowerbed was dirty, as if it was covered in paint.
Griseo immediately shrank her head and hid behind Ryan. But Aponia walked up to him: "Kalpas, I thought red was too monotonous, so I specifically let Griseo add some color."
"What do you know! Damn it! And who put sand in the pond I worked so hard to dig?" Kalpas went out and found that all his hard work had been destroyed.
But he cursed and raged, but he didn't say much. He just went into the house. Not long after, he came out with gloves and a shovel, looking like an old farmer.
"Cowardly cat, get over here and help! You lazy people, you don't even know how to prune and fertilize when the leaves turn yellow!"
Pardo was about to say hello to Ryan when she heard the angry voice. She had no choice but to go and help.
Ryan didn't go inside. He just watched from the doorway. After a while, a beautiful face suddenly appeared in front of him.
"Hehe, Ryan, you're smiling." Elysia turned sideways, looking like 'I got you.'
He touched his face, and the corners of his mouth were indeed turned up. In response to Elysia's teasing, he just spread his hands: "This so-called gift of 'true self' was given to me by you."
Yes, Ryan could never be perfect. He couldn't inject beautiful energy into this world. He also couldn't protect many people. But what can he say? The last trip made him understand what he truly wanted.
He couldn't create a beautiful world, but protecting the peace around him was within his ability. For him, that was enough.
"Let's go. We'll go help Kalpas clean the courtyard. Griseo, don't worry. Bianca will be fine."
Ryan took off his jacket and put it on a rocking chair. He rolled up his sleeves and prepared to clean up the small fishpond.
The artificial sunlight gradually dimmed, and the neon lights on the bushes also lit up. Before long, his white shirt was covered in dust. The lingering dust of the journey disappeared in his labor. The worry about the Herrscher of Binding also disappeared with Kalpas's 'annoying' and 'get lost' scolding.
The pond was filled with water, and it reflected the colorful lights. Ryan wiped the sweat from his forehead with the hoe and looked at the 'old farmer' next to him in the same pose. He saw his dusty appearance and couldn't help but cover his mouth and laugh.
"What are you laughing at, you're just as disheveled." Kalpas cursed. He saw Griseo bring over a fish tank and pour the goldfish into the pond. He subconsciously narrowed his eyes, "Don't you feel a little better? When you're upset, you should work. When you're tired, you'll forget everything."
Ryan was a little surprised. He rarely heard Kalpas use such long sentences. He smiled: "What, are you also trying to counsel me?"
"Get lost. You're the one who shamelessly came to help. But what can I say? People like you and me who don't have roots value some things very much." Kalpas cursed as he raised his head. He couldn't see the sky here.
"People without roots? That's right. You're a celestial, and I'm from outside the sky. We are similar in some ways. To blend into a strange world, you have to have something to care about. A hurried passerby doesn't have the feeling of being alive."
"This care is a weakness, but it's also a source of strength."
Kalpas quickly turned his head. His eyes were clearly asking 'How do you know my identity?', but he didn't ask. He already understood some things.
If Ryan hadn't been trying to save them, he wouldn't have risked his life in the battle in South America. He would have just stepped on the corpses of his companions, and the Herrschers would have died anyway.
He couldn't create a miracle of zero casualties, but he could do his best to protect his friends.
The mask covered his expression. The look of recognition only lasted for a moment and then turned into a snort.
"Get lost! Who's similar to you!"
...
"Hehe, I really want him and Mobius to have a contest to see who has a tougher mouth. The winner gets a trophy, I'll make it in the shape of a duck."
Elysia was covering her stomach, trying her best not to roll around laughing. She had just brought out some juice and saw Kalpas being a tsundere.
"It's best to speak softly when you're talking bad about people behind their backs. Kalpas's face is as black as the bottom of a pot. He might jump over here and kill you." Ryan glanced to the side. He saw Kalpas walking back into the house with quick steps. He wondered how he would vent this anger.
If Kevin were here, he would be getting an inexplicable beating again.
He was thirsty, so he picked up a glass of juice and gulped it down. He immediately put on a pained face.
"Hey, how much sugar did you put in? This is too sweet."
"Just a tiny bit." Elysia tasted a sip herself and showed a happy expression, "Sweetness is good. The world is already so broken. Life should have a little more sugar to make it sweet."
"Eating too much sugar will make you fat."
"Ryan, sometimes you're so annoying." Elysia pouted and then pinched the flesh on her stomach, "I haven't gained any weight. Not a single bit."
In fact, Elysia wasn't fat at all. She was just a little voluptuous at most. It was just that she was too greedy and used to complaining to Mobius, so Ryan always felt that she would get fat.
Before he could give her any more insults, a soft hand covered his mouth.
"Don't say another word!"
"Mmm, mmm."
Seeing Ryan nod, Elysia was satisfied and let go. She held the man's hand and walked to the other side of the small garden.
There were a few orange trees planted here. A blood-red sign that said 'Planted by Kalpas, death to those who touch!' was hanging on them. And next to the trees, there was a wooden swing, and on the ground of the swing, there were a few orange peels that had just been eaten.
They really weren't afraid of Kalpas's anger. All the ripe ones had been eaten by them. Ryan immediately remembered the taste of the juice and looked at Elysia with a long look.
"Why are you looking at me? Pardo picked them. That little greedy cat even stole two."
Ryan's face became even darker. She had the nerve to blame Pardo? It seemed she knew that even though Kalpas cursed, he loved the little cowardly cat the most. He would always raise his hand high and gently put it down.
"Never mind. This is what makes you more like a 'person.' No, more like a person than a normal person. A person can be pure and flawless, but not perfect. You're more amazing than I am."
"What are you talking about, Ryan?" Elysia didn't seem to understand. She sat on the swing and started swinging, throwing herself high and then falling quickly.
Ryan happened to be facing her, and he saw the pink short skirt flutter. A little kitten pattern was vaguely visible. He didn't think too much about it and just thanked the supreme blessing of classical mechanics.
"You really don't see me as an outsider."
"Ryan, why are you so strange today? Haven't you recovered yet?" Elysia didn't quite understand. Then she saw the man pointing at her skirt, and her face immediately turned red. She jumped off the swing and pressed her hands on her skirt.
"Elysia, you're blushing."
" You were the first to act perverted. But it's a good thing you reminded me, so I guess you have some gentlemanly manners." Elysia wiggled her index finger, forcefully defending herself. She then waved her hand and made Ryan stand behind her.
'So much trouble.'
Ryan walked over grumpily. He didn't use his authority. He just gently pushed the swing and listened to Elysia's clear laughter, and at the same time, he sneered.
'Naive. You think I can't do something dirty from behind?'
He slightly raised his head. There was a very accurate word to describe the view in front of him:
'Tumultuous.'
The jelly seemed to be pulled by gravity, sometimes going up, sometimes going down. If he wasn't afraid of throwing Elysia off, he would have really tried to find the limit of this elasticity.
'Praise be to the law of universal gravitation!'
Ryan gently swayed the swing. He saw the lights of the small house in the distance and the figures moving in the living room. For some reason, the words he wanted to say to Elysia were swallowed back.
These things would ruin the mood. It was better not to talk about them now.
Gradually, he stopped thinking too much and just enjoyed the beautiful scenery in front of him, watching the skirt spread and fall like a butterfly, and watching the waves go to the peak and then back to the trough.
"Alright, you're tired too, aren't you?" Elysia suddenly turned around and saw that Ryan's forehead had sweat on it. She took out a handkerchief and wiped it for him, "Are you being silly? Why don't you use your Honkai energy?"
"Don't you think being an ordinary person is more of a rare thing for us now?" Ryan pressed his hand against his face and smelled a faint floral scent.
"That's true. There are fewer and fewer situations where we don't use Honkai energy now. By the way, is there anything you want to ask?"
"I already asked what I needed to ask in the 'paradise'. Don't worry, I'm getting more and more confident about getting through the end. Sometimes luck is a strange thing." Ryan smiled, and when he saw Elysia's strange expression, he added: "At least, it's about getting through it with everyone in this courtyard."
'Everyone' naturally included Elysia. She seemed surprised and tilted her head slightly: "You went to the Sea of Quanta and suddenly became so optimistic? You never used to talk about the end."
"The success rate was too low, what's there to talk about? Besides survival, we have to find a way out." Ryan sat back on the swing and saw Sakura, who looked tired, return from the corner of his eye. He waved at her.
The fox-eared girl also saw him, but her gaze stopped on Elysia. She then bowed lightly and went back to her room.
This was even stranger. She should have come over to say hello. As his personal secretary, she had remained silent ever since Ryan came back from the Sea of Quanta.
"Phew, I thought Sakura was going to be jealous. It seems there's no problem." Elysia patted her chest and sat down next to Ryan, showing a playful expression that was unique to a girl, "Alright, alright. I'm really sorry for making you hold back for so long. Just ask what you really want to ask, I'll answer it honestly."
"I said, there's no need to ask. I already have the answer." Ryan shook his head firmly, and then his face was covered. He could only stare straight at Elysia.
Her beautiful face was very close, so close that he could clearly feel her warm breath. It was supposed to be a romantic moment, but Ryan had an urge to use his Authority of Stars to send her flying and turn his head to leave.
"As the Commander of the Fire Moth, there are some questions you can't avoid."
Elysia was still smiling, but Ryan's gaze moved away from her beautiful face. His tone softened and was even a little pleading.
"The Commander is just a tool for me. You are the real value. Please don't delve any deeper."
"But you bear the hopes of everyone, of the people I love the most, of the world I love the most." Elysia increased her strength, not wanting Ryan to slip away from her. She then leaned in closer.
"Ryan, I remember everything. I really do. Last time was just a guess, but this time I'm certain. I wasn't supposed to tell you. I was just going to give you the most magnificent farewell party. But you said something so cool last time, it made my heart pound, and I can't bring myself to make a decision."
"But I know you've carried a lot. I know what your 'true self' is. If I'm vague about this, it would make me a bad friend. I also don't want you to blame me, and I don't want you to make the wrong choice because of emotions."
She held Ryan tightly, trying to make his gray eyes lock onto hers. Her rosy lips slightly parted, with a brilliant smile.
"I am a Herrscher, the Herrscher of Origin."
'I said it!'
When Elysia said it, her emotions suddenly became complex. She didn't know why she had to say it. She was a little worried and a little flustered, but she also felt a sense of relief.
After all, in the Pre-Civilization, a Herrscher was an enemy. They were a role that could not be forgiven. Any plea for mercy or kindness was a disguise. These characteristics had become a truth. No matter how high your reputation was, no matter how popular you were, the moment you became a Herrscher, you could only be an enemy of humanity.
She had wanted to warn him when she first had a guess, but Ryan had covered her mouth. Now that she was certain, she had to tell him no matter what.
'I love everyone. I love humanity. I don't want to be a traitor, a spy hidden among humans. Even if Mei and Ryan can guess, as a friend, I have to tell them the truth myself.'
This was like waiting for a judgment from fate. No matter what the outcome was, she could accept it calmly.
For a moment, Elysia's mind was like boiling water. Countless thoughts intertwined, making her head feel dizzy. This state lasted for a while, but it soon changed.
Even though she didn't dare to look at Ryan, Elysia's eyes were fixed on him, as if she didn't want to miss any detail. So she saw Ryan's expression change continuously.
At first, he was a little surprised, then he became calm. She couldn't find a single trace of disgust or doubt, because in the end, he started to laugh out loud.
"What are you laughing at? I'm being serious!" Elysia couldn't help but hit the laughing man, a little angry.
"Nothing, nothing. I just thought of something happy." Ryan covered his stomach, not looking like he was faking it at all.
"Was what I said just now a joke? Ryan, if you're not going to be serious, I'm going to be really, really angry!"
"Then get angry and show me?"
Elysia was stunned for a moment. She then put her hands on her hips, wrinkled her nose, and puffed out her cheeks. This 'angry' face had no killing power at all. Instead, it reminded Ryan of a pufferfish, and he wanted to laugh even more.
"I, I'm not talking to you anymore!" Elysia didn't expect that her courage to tell the truth would end up like this. She stomped her feet and turned to leave, but her shoulder was held back.
"I'm very happy, Elysia. I'm really happy." Ryan put his arms around Elysia's long neck and rested his head on her shoulder. He could clearly feel the girl's body tense up, but his joy had diluted the ambiguity.
"I already guessed this a long time ago, so there's no need to be surprised. But what you said actually makes me feel at ease."
"In what way do you feel at ease? My heart is beating very fast right now!"
"I can feel it. But you haven't made a decision. You haven't chosen to solve it yourself. Instead, you're willing to tell me the truth first. This makes me feel that the past few years haven't been wasted. Do you know what I'm most afraid of?"
"That I'll suddenly disappear and leave you a handwritten letter?"
"Exactly. It's making your own decisions, forcing me to choose between humanity and you. Believe me, everyone would be in a lot of pain."
Elysia was a little surprised. Although she had gone through a mental struggle, she didn't think there was a problem with telling Ryan, because he was the Commander of the Fire Moth, the representative of humanity. He had the right to make a decision.
If it were the original Fire Moth Council, she would have had to do it herself. She would have just hoped that her friends would understand her difficulties:
To unravel her fate, and to not make things difficult for her friends who were following her orders, and to maintain the unity of humanity, she would openly become an enemy of the Fire Moth, attend the most magnificent banquet in a gorgeous dress, and then end it with the most beautiful posture...
"Wait a minute, Ryan, you've been waiting for this day all along, haven't you!"
Hearing that shocked tone, Ryan felt a strong sense of satisfaction. He greedily took a deep breath of the floral scent.
"You guess."