Mage Manual-Chapter 555 - 450 Gospel Workers

Back at the inn, Hanna closed the window and opened the Gospel Book to pray for a silence barrier Miracle to prevent eavesdropping.

After preparing jasmine tea for everyone, Banjee said slowly, "Driving a Floating Car on the Sky Highway, I can complete a round trip from Nabistin to Vatican Mura in 18 hours. If I tell Madame Qinna that Liss is Mr. Ash’s favorite child, she will take good care of her."

It was evident that he had pondered these words repeatedly on his way back, for they were reasoned and persuasive when spoken.

Liss, who was looking at a hand mirror, suddenly looked up, about to say something when Ash stuffed a piece of chocolate into her mouth, then rhythmically massaged her shoulders. Although she wanted to explode, Liss’s mood melted like the chocolate in her mouth under Ash’s sweet gestures.

The blue-haired housekeeper put a suitcase on the table, "The ’Mermaid’s Wardrobe Trunk’ is our only space item. It contains a variety of weapons, clothing, food, and emergency transport. It can handle any sudden situation... we also need to use it to store Harvey’s coffin."

"Alice doesn’t necessarily have to sleep in a coffin," Harvey suddenly said. "He can disguise himself as a normal person, even having breath, body temperature, and the ability to speak. If necessary, he can act with us..."

The young housekeeper glanced at him, and the Necromancer obediently shut his mouth, idly holding an unlit cigarette.

"It might seem too arrogant for me to say this," Banjee continued, "but unless you suddenly advance to the Holy Domain... even after you advance to the Holy Domain, I will still be the strongest Mage at the Funeral Service Office. Thanks to this body that never ages, I have never fallen from the peak."

"I have no doubt about that," Hanna lightly touched her earring and smiled. "Banjee, you’ve been third in the ’Two-winged Ice Technique List’ for eight consecutive years... when I ran away from home, if it wasn’t for your multiple clandestine assists, I would have been bullied long ago."

Reminiscing, Banjee’s lips curved slightly upward, "That wouldn’t have happened. Miss, you started showing leadership charm from then, and wherever you went, you would meet comrades willing to help and even like you, such as Miss Cleris, Miss Sirimoro, Miss Yvalin... it was just that you were sometimes quite naughty." freewebnøvel.coɱ

Ash and the others were taken aback — considering that the Gospel represents an extremely safe legal society, to attract trouble requiring Banjee’s intervention surpasses what could be described by merely ’naughty,’ a kindergarten-level term.

"I was a bit foolish when I was young," Hanna unabashedly admitted. "But a big part of why I dared to be so reckless was that I knew if something happened to me, you, Banjee, would definitely come to my rescue."

"Instead of saying I was young, I might as well have been a kindergartener," Purple Moth said, sitting cross-legged on the bed and rocking her body, her eyes crinkling with amusement, "Making trouble every day and then troubling the parents to clean up after me."

"People, once they become dependent, are forever like little kids needing adults to pick them up."

Hanna lowered her head, her hair obscuring her face, making her expression unreadable. "But I am no longer a child, nor can I act like one anymore."

After a moment of thought, Purple Moth turned to the Swindler who, flipping through the Gospel Book, said, "Based on the mermaid’s intelligence, plus the information I gathered yesterday, the best opportunity for us to enter the Imperial Palace is only during the ’Court Banquet’ held on the day the ’Gospel List’ is announced."

"On that day, all the powerful figures and consortium families of the Gospel will send representatives to attend the banquet, waiting for the birth of the new Empress. Such a high-profile banquet will inevitably have strict surveillance, but with the multitude of diverse guests, that is our only exploitable loophole... Though, in my view, this plan is akin to voluntarily becoming one of Harvey’s experimental subjects, but it’s slightly more plausible than forcibly storming the palace."

"I will find a way to ’borrow’ several guests’ identities on that day," Hanna declared. "The Gospel Points accumulated by the Doran family over the years don’t need to be saved anymore."

"Even if we can get into the Imperial Palace, we still face a critical issue," Igula pointed out. "That banquet is to celebrate the Gospel List and witness the transition of the Empress, meaning from the start to the end of the banquet, the Gospel List will be announced, and we must achieve our objective in those hours — to assassinate the Princess who will then be qualified to become the next Empress under the heavy protection of the palace."

"There is only that one chance, only a few hours."

Harvey commented, "It sounds like a ludicrous plan."

"Exactly," the Swindler spread his hands. "A plan so ludicrous that even Harvey finds it absurd—I can’t think of a more accurate description. Not to mention what would happen if we fail, but even if we succeed and the First Gospel truly becomes invalid, would the Divine Lord’s wish be immediately granted to you, Miss? Would you get a chance to make a wish? Can one wish really solve all problems?"

Glancing at Igula, Hanna asked, "If it were you, would you give up at this point?"

"...No," was the response.

"Although we have different backgrounds, genders, personalities, and barely anything in common except maybe some shared interests, I and you are of the same breed," Hanna said. "People who reserve their lives just for the moment they can gamble them away."

"I am no longer that," Igula stated.

"Since it’s so perilous, I should definitely stay!" Banjee said anxiously. "Whether it’s logistics or combat, I can surely be of help—"

"Before we assassinate the Princess, we need to explore the terrain of the surface City as temporary staff, even mapping out the interior of the Palace by sight." Hanna didn’t directly answer Banjee but continued, "That means, we’ll be working these next few days."

"Working again?" Harvey couldn’t help but complain. "Don’t tell me I have to haul bricks again?"

"Don’t worry, you won’t have to move bricks, you won’t even have any memory of working," Igula said. "You will feel as if you went to work and got paid as soon as you clocked out."

Ash exclaimed in surprise. "Is there such a good deal?"

"Did you notice when you were in Joy World just now, that whenever you had a need, nearby staff would precede you in providing service?" Igula continued, "And not just in Joy World, anywhere in the Underground City, any staff member you encounter can preemptively fulfill your needs."

Ash and the others were momentarily stunned, then recalled that these past days they really didn’t talk much outside of shopping and other activities—without them speaking up, hotel staff would immediately appear in front of them to offer help, which meant Ash didn’t get much chance to train his Substitute.

They had their doubts, but questioning someone why their service was poor seemed reasonable, questioning why their service was good seemed bizarre, so they let it go—they were just passing through the Underground City and didn’t care about its stories.

However, now it seemed they were about to become part of the story.

"It’s because their working hours are always in an ’apocalypse’ state," Igula said.

Ash and Liss tilted their heads together. "Wait, I remember ’apocalypse’ should only last for 5 minutes an hour, right? They can’t possibly be working just those 5 minutes every hour?"

"’Personal apocalypse’ is five minutes per hour, but ’Work apocalypse’ is different," Igula explained. "In Nabistin, the work system is completely different from other places. Simply put, once you meet the basic conditions of the job, you can sign a work Contract, and during work hours you’ll continuously be in ’Work apocalypse,’ without needing any thought, just efficiently completing all work on instinct."

"I’ve never experienced ’apocalypse,’ you’re speaking gibberish to me."

"Do you have game tutorials in the games you play?" Igula mentioned, "’Work apocalypse’ is like having a game hint every second telling you what to do next, for you the whole world is made up of very specific tasks, you don’t need any initiative, just to function like a cog in the machine."

"Is it that easy?"

"Not at all," Igula said firmly. "Because you have to be fully committed to the work, ’Work apocalypse’ is said to be a very painful experience, even to the point where, when you’re working, you’re not yourself but just a tool conveying the apocalypse."

Ash expressed his surprise, "Then why would anyone agree to ’Work apocalypse’?"

"Because memories can be erased."

"What?"

"Didn’t I just say, if we take part in work, the direct experience is that one second we’re about to start work, and the next second we’ve finished and even got paid," Igula explained. "’Work apocalypse’ will dominate our thinking throughout, so ’work experience’ as a concept doesn’t exist in Nabistin. Memories of that period of work are meaningless to us, therefore a completely novel work mode quickly became mainstream in Nabistin—"

"Just by deleting work memories, for workers it’s almost like blinking their eyes and getting their salary. They’ve named it the ’Gospel work system,’ and the Underground City’s production order, entertainment services, and even public security all rely on this system to thrive, even rivaling other first-tier cities supported by royal families."

"What a brilliant system, just with this, Nabistin truly deserves to be the Imperial City," the Swindler sighed, his voice seemingly filled with genuine admiration. "Vatican Mura deceives citizens’ senses with white fog, letting them mistake physical pleasure for work fervor; Mongfera manipulates the subconscious to compel citizens to work overtime by wearing away their inertia."

"Even in the highest productivity cities like Vatican Mura and Mongfera, they just try to reduce the citizens’ dislike of work. After all, who would willingly go to work without using poisons or brainwashing?"

Ash nodded repeatedly, deeply resonating, while Liss reached over to pat his head.

"But, in Nabistin, it is completely reversed—everyone voluntarily, even eagerly goes to work. For them, work is just time changing on the clock, then they get money—it’s almost no different from being given money for free."

Ash couldn’t help but aspire to such a system. It had to be said, the unique feature of Nabistin really outclassed both Vatican Mura and Mongfera. Listening to it made him want to settle in Nabistin... Blood Moon? What Blood Moon? What is that thing, I’m not familiar, don’t mention that term again, I’m afraid Nabistin wouldn’t appreciate it.

No wonder everyone, even living in a sunless underground, is willing to be ’Nabish’: I thought they were so hardworking and diligent, but it turns out each of them might be lazier than me—after all, I still need to expend Magic Power to summon a Substitute, while they sign a Contract and blink then get paid. If compared by real work intensity, I’m afraid I could rank in the top ten in the Underground City.

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