Chapter 167: Chapter 151 But I Want to Go with You
Freyja paused for a long time outside the door, listening to the sizzling sound of hot oil from inside, her hand on the doorknob, yet she couldn’t bring herself to turn it.
It wasn’t until the neighbor next door started opening their door, seemingly ready to leave, that she summoned the courage to push the door open.
“Welcome back, the meal is ready.”
The same greeting as always, Freyja hesitated for a moment, “I’m back.”
“Do you want to watch ‘Campus Comedy’ or ‘Death Tracking’?” Ash placed the dishes on the long table, getting ready tonight’s dinner-time video on the Knowledge Screen.
‘Campus Comedy’ was a lighthearted show about campus life, featuring a goblin protagonist who was poor in academics, but after consuming Moon candy, he could enter an extremely intelligent ‘Moon Mode’. In this state, he took exams with almost flawless success, even scoring the highest on the unified entrance examination and being admitted to the top academic institution of the Kingdom of Blood Moon.
However, the candy also brought him many side effects, causing his personality to constantly change, at times nonsensical, at times dependable, at times ascetic, at times lustful, at times gentle, and at times violent.
To hide his academic deficiencies, the goblin had to combat the side effects while actively participating in university life, thus unfolding a tale of campus stories filled with laughter and anger.
To be fair, the show was really well-made: fast-paced, with one laugh after another, filled with all kinds of satire and jest about college life – even in Ash’s view, it was a rare good show.
That was if you could overlook its subtle tendency to create public opinion for the legalization of Moon candy.
After Moon candy was legalized in Kaimon City, other cities were also actively progressing the same proposals. The popularity of ‘Campus Comedy’ was no small part due to the push from various interest groups, and it could even be said to be a propaganda show for Moon candy, aiming to change the public’s negative perception and make everyone see Moon candy as an everyday consumer product.
Incidentally, the show’s sole designated brand of Moon candy was ‘Snow White’, a brand even Ash was quite familiar with, which made it clear who the biggest sponsor of the show was.
Meanwhile, ‘Death Tracking’ was a fantasy drama about a protagonist who was murdered by a close friend, but at the moment of death, their souls swapped. The friend’s soul died within the protagonist’s body, allowing the protagonist to live on in the friend’s body. To figure out why they were killed, the protagonist, assuming different identities, uncovered layers of conspiracy, died time and again, thwarted the villain’s plans time and again, and unraveled a multitude of mysteries – it was a very tightly paced suspense series.
Ash glanced at spoilers and realized the villain was a cult organization.
Looking it up and down, he found that though the cult didn’t carry the name of the Four Pillars God Sect, it acted like, moved like, and even sounded like the Four Pillar Gods – clearly, it was the Four Pillars God Sect!
That aside, there were actually people in the movie reviews asking if “it was based on true events from Ash Heath,” to which Ash responded pretending to be an impartial passerby blasting back – the show started airing before I was caught!
“I’ll go for ‘Campus Comedy’,” Freyja said.
Ash had no objection, enjoying the show with relish, laughing so hard his shoulders shook, regularly reaching out to rub Xiao Xian, who let out a dissatisfied meow before continuing to eat her cat food.
Freyja’s attention wasn’t on the drama or the food; beneath her cute and enchanting beauty, complex emotions were stirring.
Ash was a dangerous man; Freyja had known this for some time. She just hadn’t realized that beyond the apparent danger, his true ‘evil’ lay within – nothing could be more wicked than binding a free spirit.
Even a prison, after all, only confines the body.
Freyja couldn’t help but recall the information she had researched a few days ago for her paper on social parenting: “The blood relationship between the Birther and the birthed is the shackle furthest from freedom; severing all innate connections is the basis for personal freedom… Every dependent relationship between people is a Rebellion against freedom.”
Furthermore, the moral education she had received over the past decade also surfaced in her mind.
“Human nature is the hardest color to describe; today he may be a good person, but tomorrow he could become a criminal devoid of humanity. If you trust someone wholeheartedly, it means they have the power to hurt you at will.”
“Never have any expectations of others; others mean Hell.”
“Trust only yourself, take responsibility only for yourself, live only for yourself, die only for yourself.”
“The best form of equality is where I can’t take advantage of you, and you can’t take advantage of me, a wholly unconnected equality. It’s only when people are unconnected that freedom can breathe.”
“Never let anyone plant a seed in your heart.”
Freyja sneakily glanced at Ash and noticed him laughing so hard his meal was nearly spraying out, with a streak of cream on the corner of his mouth. Facing this ogre-like dining etiquette, she felt no discomfort, and a strange impulse overcame her—she wanted to lick that streak of cream off with her tongue.
It was truly terrifying, Meiwa thought.
Adela had been right; while she was still rational, she had to quickly sever this relationship and expel Ash from her life.
Otherwise, she would be unable to maintain a ‘complete self,’ deteriorating into an emotional Slave, constrained by ephemeral relationships, losing her personal freedom, becoming a vassal of social relations, and turning into an empty shell.
No wonder Ash was the leader of a cult; if every believer of the Divine Sect were these kinds of ‘shameless people’ attempting to corrupt others, then it indeed needed to be severely dealt with.
No wonder she felt revulsion and a desire to distance herself from Ash. The thought of being as attentively focused on all of Ash’s affairs in the future as she was now, feeling joy because of Ash’s happiness, feeling sadness because of his sorrow, willing to give everything for Ash, aroused within her… arose within her…
…Filled with anxious anticipation?
No, Freyja, you are a Meiwa with an independent personality; you must not succumb to the vile tactics of the Divine Sect leader!
You need to find the courage to drive him out of this apartment!
Without him, you can become better!
After this meal, speak up!
After washing the dishes, speak up!
After finishing this assignment, just—
“I have to leave tonight.”
Freyja abruptly lifted her head, “Where are you going?”
“To where a fugitive belongs.” Ash put on his coat, donned his mask, “Thank you very much for your care these past few days. Although, I feel like it’s mostly been me taking care of you.”
“So soon?” Freyja was a bit flustered, “It hasn’t even been seven days…”
“Even though the deadline is seven days, I have already found the information I needed over these days. There’s no need for me to continue staying.” Ash summoned a Technique Spirit, “You’re not a Mage, right? Do you have a container to store Technique Spirits?”
“I do, I do.” Freyja went to open a cupboard, “I have a Fluorescent Ball that can temporarily store Technique Spirits…”
Ash waited for quite a while, watching as Freyja rummaged through boxes and cabinets, then went over, glanced in, and took out a transparent spherical container: “Is this it?”
“Ah, that’s the one.” Freyja scratched her head in embarrassment, “Oh my, it was right here, how did I not see it?”
Ash placed the Technique Spirit into the Fluorescent Ball, severing his connection with it. The Fluorescent Ball immediately lit up with a faint glow, and then the Technique Spirit lazily stretched out its body, seemingly falling asleep.
“Here.” Ash handed the Fluorescent Ball to Freyja, “Our Contract is completed.”
“After I leave, don’t expose my information. After all, you are, in the end, sheltering an escaped fugitive; it might bring you trouble. Even though I’ve tried to avoid neighbors, someone may have seen me; if anyone asks you, just say I’m someone you picked up from a bar, and didn’t think I’d actually survive after being used.”
Ash crouched down to look at the kitten, Xiao Xian, and rubbed its head: “Goodbye now, remember not to keep silent when you’re in pain. Yell out, or no one will know.”
He stood up and looked at Freyja, smiling: “Well then, I wish you happiness, Freyja.”
Freyja didn’t respond.
She lowered her head to stare at Xiao Xian, as if the folded-ear cat had suddenly become a Monster she didn’t recognize, and she couldn’t move her gaze from it.
Ash didn’t take it to heart and stepped past her towards the entrance.
“Will you come back?”
While putting on his shoes, Ash said: “No, if everything goes as planned, I will do something big tonight, and coming back to you would just be trouble for you.”
“Then where will you live after this?”
“Under the open sky, I guess. I may have to leave Kaimon City, but there will always be a way.”
“That sounds quite miserable.”
“It is pretty miserable. The dinner earlier was so lavish because I had a feeling I’d be quite miserable for the next month – consider it a last moment of joy.”
As Ash’s right hand grabbed the doorknob, his left hand was also grasped.
He turned his head and saw Freyja tightly holding his wrist.
Ash felt touched: “Do you want me to stay?”
“No.” Freyja shook her head, “I don’t want you to keep staying in this apartment.”
“But I want to go with you.”