Banjee washed his hands and came out, seeing Ash and Liss already starting their meal. He poured tea for everyone, sat down, and said, "I was just attacked by Ash."
"What?!" Ash, who was eating a sandwich, was stunned.
"Pfft!" Liss sprayed orange juice onto Ash’s face. "Dad, how could you—I’d rather you found a stepmother—wait, could it be with Aunt Bokin—"
Ash chopped Liss on the head to stop her wild chain of thoughts, wiped his face with a tissue, and turned to ask, "Were you attacked by, um, ’Gospel Ash’?"
Banjee nodded and briefly described his recent encounter, "...Although it was an illusion, based on my state of mind, if Hanna really died, I would definitely assassinate the Empress to avenge her. Thus, ranking second on the ’Assassination List’ is not entirely fabricated; it really could be my future."
"Helaphis and Roger probably died the same way, first trapped in a Technique Spirit uprising unable to resist, then pulled into an illusion built on a future list. Once they realized this was indeed their future, the things they would do in the future, ’Gospel Ash’ would appear and kill them, rendering their list ranking invalid."
Ash asked, "But when we came in, we found nothing. How did ’Gospel Ash’ leave?"
"I suspect ’Gospel Ash’ is not a person, but a miracle, or something similar. It automatically finds us Resonators and pulls us into the illusion when we are alone."
"How does one kill in an illusion?" Ash still didn’t quite understand. "Besides, Roger suicided by jumping off a building right in front of us, and Helaphis lay on the square’s fountain—they all walked there by themselves!"
"That might be why ’Gospel Ash’ only appears after I acknowledge that this is my future," Banjee explained. "In both the ’Deceit List’ and the ’Assassination List,’ ’Ash’ and ’future’ are tightly linked. Once we accept the latter, we must also accept the former. Thus, all the damage ’Gospel Ash’ inflicts on us in the illusion becomes manifested on our bodies—the real killers of the Resonators are ourselves!"
"Think back carefully, every Resonator that ’Gospel Ash’ killed on the list, wasn’t their injury correlated to their abilities?"
Ash was startled, and after recalling, he realized it was true. Roger, after committing suicide, was dissolved by a plague virus, Helaphis, skilled in the Water Magic Faction, suffocated in dry air, and Banjee himself was impaled by an ice sword!
"Exactly!" Liss said, "How could dad master so many Magic Factions? Or, it’s already surprising that dad is a Two-winged Mage!"
"Can’t you have a little faith in me!" Ash angrily tousled Liss’s hair. "As long as I successfully invent the Substitute Cultivation miracle, mastering all factions is just a matter of time!"
"Dad, you’re eating fries then touching my hair!"
In fact, Ash might really master that many Magic Factions, seeing as operators share their faction experience with him, but there was no need to mention this.
"This attack failed, there might be another one," Ash looked at Banjee. "What do you plan to do?"
"It’s simple, it immediately left when you and Liss came back, meaning if there are people around me, the attack won’t happen," Banjee said. "Mr. Ash, I’d like to stay close to you these few days."
"There’s one more thing, I hope this remains a secret among the three of us, please don’t tell Miss Hanna."
Ash was puzzled, "Why?"
"She’d only worry more if she knew," Banjee explained. "She’s already very tired, I just want to quietly accompany her to finish the last task of the Funeral Ceremony. I am Doran’s Housekeeper, sometimes the stakes are high, but I can also be a shield when needed."
"Mr. Ash," the blue-haired Housekeeper looked hopefully at the Cult Leader, "would you fulfill an old man’s last Heart’s Desire?"
Ash pondered for a moment and nodded, "I won’t deliberately speak of it."
"...That’s the situation, as long as someone is with Banjee, the Royal Family’s Assassination Miracle won’t take effect."
In Hanna’s room, after Ash finished speaking and took a sip of water, he spread his hands and said, "I’m bound by the Contract and had no choice but to confess, it’s really beyond me."
"You’ve come into my room all hesitant but not undressing, how could I not see that you have a secret to tell." Hanna, in a purple nightgown, sat on a chair with her legs crossed, and laughed, "I didn’t expect you to also be one to exploit loopholes; seems like I can’t trust your promises in the future."
"I don’t have a moral fetish, if I know that upholding a promise might lead to something bad, then there’s no need to keep it. Principles are for inner peace, like playing games is for creating happiness; once it’s reversed, it’s only torture," Ash said. "Moreover, you are the closest person to Banjee. If I hid this secret and something irreconcilable happened to you, wouldn’t that make me the fool in Igula’s mouth?"
"Overall, thank you for saving Banjee, and thanks for your betrayal," Hanna touched her earring, lowered her eyelids, "I’m glad you’re here. Really, thank you."
Ash asked, "So, what are you going to do?"
Hanna stood up next to the window, looking out over the underground cityscape, "Pretend to know nothing, let him stay, and join the operation."
"I thought you’d send someone to take him away."
"I really hoped to do so, but sometimes, a simple ’I’m doing this for your own good’ can’t arrange someone else’s fate," Purple Moth said. "Even the Gospel doesn’t have the right to do so."
"Plus, as he said, if I die, he won’t let me go to Hell alone. If I live and succeed, then nothing will happen to him if he joins the operation. So, why should I make him sad again?"
Hanna sighed softly, "Doran has already let him down enough."
Ash moved next to her, saying, "Don’t worry, according to the ’Deceit List’ you and Banjee are still together for the tenth deceit, which means you won’t be in danger."
"We who try to deceive the future, but still rely on the future for salvation?" Hanna couldn’t help but laugh, "Let’s not talk about that... By the way, Ash, were you discussing plans with Igula this morning after the Weaving Festival?"
"Yes," Ash replied. "No matter what I say, Igula doesn’t want to rely on Belladett’s support and insists on starting his own business. Liss and I plan to follow him."
"Because he’s willing to two freeloaders, I can’t refuse."
"I can support you guys, too."