"In fact, it's understandable. After all, you've been out of the public eye for some years now. It's normal for your image and status to be replaced by newcomers."

More than the seasonal flu, Ethan was concerned about his friend's current psychological state. "But I have a way. You might not believe it, but I know the Third Princess Sophia of the Empire. Recently, she's one of the most popular directors in the Empire, with plenty of good scripts in hand. If you want to star as the lead in a particular type of movie, it's just a phone call away."

Objectively speaking, with Mary's looks, starring in a few films and winning some awards by the end of the year wouldn't be a problem. This way, she'd have to wear a mask when going out in the future; otherwise, she'd be stopped by enthusiastic fans asking for photos and autographs.

"I can solve it for you right now."

Despite Bazatous being very disappointed in Mary's previous act of desecrating art, when it came to His domain, He was willing to give Mary a chance. "Our company is shooting a film called 'Chainsaw Sword Killer.' Once we're done here, you can come back to the Imperial Capital with me for an audition."

"I'm getting more and more confused."

Mary didn't accept their invitation. She sat on the bed, lowering her eyes. "Bazarian cured Stone Lung Cough for the people of Lower City. Although this changed their body structure to some extent, but..."

With Bazatous present, she hesitated to speak.

Compared to Bazatous's bloody art, it had improved significantly.

These fang-toothed people retained human thinking, becoming more agile and stronger. The only problem was their voracious appetite surpassing ordinary people's.

It turned out that the disappearance cases in Lower City were unrelated to Bazarian, but rather the residents' spontaneous actions.

To satisfy their appetites, they turned their sights on foreigners temporarily residing in Oasis City, then on those locals who were deemed not devout enough in their faith.

Coupled with Heriot being nailed to a stake, the actions of Bazarian upon arriving at Oasis City were completely contrary to what Mary had anticipated.

Bazarian actually responded to the people's wishes, secretly improving Oasis City — at least on the surface, it seemed so.

So, what was she really fighting against?

"In that case, how about we go take a look together?"

Ethan's words made Mary look up.

"With such a big event happening in Upper City, the news will probably soon reach Lower City. I guess when the devout believers hear this news, they'll be eager to hold a celebration meeting."

It so happened that the old lady at the inn was one of the core members.

She was also the first to propose using "foreigners" as a food reserve. The residents of Lower City had no fondness for outsiders because of the Eternal Theater. Every year, foreigners drawn by its reputation would stay at this inn, most of whom were the kind of visitors Ethan described to the sheriffs, saving up for years in hopes of making a pilgrimage to their dream destination.

However, to some local residents represented by the old lady, these outsiders were seen as nothing but identity-desecrating pigs.

They believed that every ticket purchase in support of the Eternal Theater contributed to miscreants like Heriot, naturally extending their hatred to the outsiders.

The "sin theory" proposed by the old lady became the final straw for Lower City residents, convincing the wavering that these outsiders were supporters of the aristocracy, easing people's last psychological hurdle.

They believed they were cleansing the filth of the world, considering it a good deed.

Bazarian's response to them was the best proof.

"You're just three strands of hair, a hallucinogenic mushroom, and a few silver-leaf herbs away from the gathering."

This was the formula for the disguise Magic Potion. As an alchemy master, Mary instantly understood Ethan's meaning, knowing they could easily find the magic potion brewing utensils in the inn's kitchen.

Among the group were three master alchemists. While they gathered the magic potion ingredients, the news of Heriot's death quietly spread through the streets and alleys of Lower City. On the brink of dawn, a shabby old man stepped into the inn, bringing an invitation letter.

Heriot was dead, but it was only the beginning. The Upper City still had many sinners awaiting judgment.

Some even pointed their fingers at the Church Court.

Is the present Church Court truly just?

If so, why did the great Goddess of Life kick Pope Carlo aside and descend among them?

The meeting point was in an underground bar. To bypass the surveillance of nobles and sheriffs, Lower City's "core residents" utilized the city's sewers to create a complex "underground city." Any household's inconspicuous wardrobe could be a gateway to the "underground city," and the entrance from this inn happened to be in the kitchen, hidden behind a cabinet.

Mary was amazed by the pathways illuminated by inferior energy-storing crystals. The structure of Oasis City was far more complicated than she had imagined.

The existence of the underground city itself was a creation of the nobles of Upper City, as they took away one informant after another.

Some among the residents believed it couldn't go on like this. The law enforcement teams of the security forces and Church Court were unreliable, and they had to learn to protect themselves.

"Heriot is dead!"

"Goddess above!"

"That scum!"

"Villain!"

"Deserved it!"

Having consumed the disguise magic potion, Mary followed the source of the voices step by step. The underground tavern was bright, with excited Lower City residents holding torches aloft in a fervent atmosphere, as if engaged in some ancient ceremony.

Until someone among the crowd proposed a new target:

"Next in line should be Hawke!"

"Yes, he dared to raise the price of medicines!"

"He would rather dump the potions than use them to save lives!"

Mary stood at the entrance of the tavern. The torchlight cast shadows across each resident's face, reflecting their grins twisted with hatred and fervor. Through this grand ceremony, they were declaring the next victim's name.

"Should we nail him to a stake?"

"Such a bastard should be burned instead!"

"Don't forget his big house!"

"All of it was extorted from us!" 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

She waited until the tavern's crowd finished venting their emotions. This scene, meant to proclaim justice, made every inch of her skin feel as though ants were crawling upon it.

If it were her, she too would judge and execute sinners like Heriot and Hawke.

The confusion never disappeared.

Despite the identical outcomes, she should have agreed and joined the Lower City residents in their shared enmity, even secretly assisting them. After all, according to the original laws set by the Goddess of Life, miscreants like Heriot and Hawke deserved death.

On this matter, her stance surprisingly aligned with Bazarian's.

"And... what about the others in the house?"

Once the atmosphere cooled slightly, Mary asked.

"Of course, burn them all together! They all bear the evil blood, unworthy of life!"

Their response was unexpectedly unanimous, with no hint of hesitation.

"What about the servants in the house?"

Mary asked again, "Many of them are also from Lower City."

"They serve the wicked!"

"They betrayed us!"

"They deserve to die!"

Mary was speechless for a moment, not pressing further. She observed those fierce eyes under the torchlight, eager to flay any who dared approach the house. She was well aware that if she continued to disrupt the mood with questions, she might well become the next "deserving" target.

"Hmm, these fried doughnuts are quite good."

Sitting opposite, Ethan seemed unaffected by the crowd, savoring the small celebratory snacks of Lower City residents with relish.

Meeting Mary's gaze, he handed her a handful of doughnuts.

——"Lizi, welcome to the City of Freedom."