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"And me, I feel the same..."

....

Quickly, the crowd surged forward. There was no helping it; in the City of Sin, everything is scarce except for evil spirits craving for revenge.

Upon witnessing all this, Denisha couldn't help but feel a tinge of regret.

Having herself nearly been burned at the stake by Witch Hunters, she could understand their feelings.

If it were her, she would have unhesitatingly embraced this tide of revenge, even fanning the flames to hasten its power because it would bring her greater authority and prestige.

As long as she remained determined to oppose the Church and the Empire, continuously instilling into these people that only she could help them get their revenge, that only by following her would they gain the power for revenge, these eager souls would always stand behind her, becoming her Strength, just as her flock had done before.

To fight killing with killing and violence with violence was more aligned with her beliefs; after all, she was just a village girl and didn't really understand lofty principles. She knew only vengeance for grudges and payback for wrongs.

However, what could she do when she now had Dorothy? Unlike her own desire for simple and brutal revenge, her childhood sweetheart hoped to redeem those still living under oppression.

To be honest, Denisha didn't really agree with Dorothy's ideas. In her view, saving those powerless people was bothersome and thankless, and settling so many people was a tremendous effort.

Moreover, if they could simply and efficiently overthrow the rule of the Church and the Empire, those oppressed citizens would naturally find salvation.

To rebel first, then save—was this not the same? Why bother saving them first only to rebel later?

Years of herding sheep had taught Denisha that a flock with a common goal was easier to manage.

Therefore, leading a legion bent on revenge was definitely more powerful than leading a disorganized mob.

After all, not all who were saved understood gratitude. In this world, ingrates were far from rare. If such ingrates infiltrated the ranks, no matter how numerous, they would not form a fighting force and might even hold you back.

Yet, what could she do when Dorothy was her dear sister? Whatever her sister hoped for, Denisha would try her best to accomplish it.

Moreover, she herself had been saved by Dorothy and thus didn't really have any ground to oppose her dear sister's desire to save more people.

After all, putting herself in others' shoes, she had desperately hoped for a hero to save her when she was tied to the Burning Stake. Now that the hero had arrived, how could she bear to restrict the hero's actions with her own narrow mindset?

So, this time, let's walk the path of redemption, although it is far more challenging than the path of revenge. But for Dorothy, she would figure out a way.

So...

"Silence,"

Miss Shepherdess barked angrily. Her voice wasn't very loud, but miraculously, it overpowered the cries of the Avengers in the square. An invisible authority swept through the crowd, calming the previously agitated people as if they were students who had just seen their headteacher settling down again.

"What exactly do you take the Church of Machinery for? Is it just a tool for your revenge? Have you forgotten the second teaching of our Way?"

Denisha questioned the crowd with indignation, and this time, she didn't wait for an answer but gave it herself.

"We shall renew the world with machinery, so that all who suffer can find redemption."

"I had thought that as the redeemed, you would have a deeper understanding of this second teaching, but it seems I was naive. You are just like the Church and the Empire that once oppressed you—upon gaining power, the first thing you seek is to resort to violence."

"Revenge? Now it's about revenge, but what after revenge? Will you, who have become accustomed to solving problems with violence, turn into new oppressors? Are you betraying the teachings we have given you these days?"

This time, Miss Shepherdess's words were truly stern. She shook her head, her eyes filled with sadness and distress.

"Moreover, what do you take the Church and the Empire for? Are they really so easy to deal with? The Church of Machinery has no deity; we are but humans. We came to the City of Sin only to preserve the legacy of the Church of Machinery, lest there be no one to carry on our cause after our potential failure. But you..."

She didn't continue with the rest of her words, merely letting out a sigh.

But witnessing her disappointment, the people who had been excited just moments before suddenly fell silent, their heads bowed in shame, feeling too embarrassed to face anyone.

Indeed, no one understood the value of redemption more than those whom the Church of Machinery had saved from Hell, but look at what they had just done. They had actually tried to coerce their benefactor to help them seek revenge, to use the power of redemption for violence, which was such an act of profanity.

It was only now that many remembered the teachings of the Church of Machinery. Over the past few months, although they had followed the Mechanical Monks in learning the doctrine, compared to the more interesting and practical knowledge of the Way of Mechanical, these bland teachings were less appealing. Moreover, the monks had never demanded them to study the doctrine excessively, nothing like other denominations that almost compelled you to recite their teachings by heart.

But now, under this burden of shame, as they looked back at the doctrines, every principle seemed to strike right at their hearts.

"There is no distinction of high or low, noble or humble in occupations, all people should be equal."

"Workers of the world should unite, unity is strength."

"Labor is most honorable, workers are the greatest."

.....

Such simple teachings they were, nothing like the complex and obscure doctrines propagated by the cults of old, yet these plain truths now filled them with even greater shame.

It turned out that the Church of Machinery had already taught them everything, but they had been blind to see, failing to appreciate Sister Nun's painstaking efforts.

The girl who had been singled out in particular, her face flushed red, her hands clutching the hem of her clothes tightly until her knuckles turned white. She felt the most ashamed.

Just as she thought about confessing to Teacher Denisha and begging for her forgiveness, she noticed the nun's face suddenly change, first tensing and then relaxing.

"Ah, it seems time has come, I forgot to ask your name, my sister."

Miss Shepherdess asked.

"Joan, Teacher Denisha, my name is Joan."

The girl revealed her name, but at that moment, she grew even more nervous. Sensitive by nature, she faintly sensed something was amiss.

"Well, Joan, you are a good child. May you walk further on the Way of Mechanical," Denisha said as she patted the young girl on the shoulder and then fell silent, slowly walking forward.

The crowd that had been blocking her path, though unclear about what had just happened, parted in reverence as they saw Miss Nun approach.

In this manner, Miss Shepherdess, dressed in her black-and-white nun's attire, made her way through the crowd, heading straight towards the city gates.

"A formidable enemy has arrived, and it is time for us to depart. The factory is now yours to keep. We hope you will carry on the Church of Machinery well. That is our only prayer for you, my brothers and sisters."

Even though Miss Nun walked slowly, by the time people came to their senses, she was already at the city gates. After leaving these words behind, everyone realized that the once magnificent Mechanical Church had started to rumble, as countless gears and cogs turned, transforming into a massive airship that then flew outside the city.

And speaking of outside the city, there were sharp-eyed individuals who noticed something unusual – wasn't the sky a bit too bright?

"What is that? The legendary Angel?"

Someone saw the celestial beings coming from afar, bringing with them a Holy Light, and exclaimed in shock.

...Angel's arrival...

ps: Lately, the subscriptions have been getting more erratic, and I guess you guys have gotten tired of it, using the excuse of 'cultivating the book' to put me off, sob sob sob.