Under the influence of Bazarian, Oasis City is gradually becoming the freest city in the Far West.

Here, as long as your faith is firm enough, you can wish to eliminate any person you consider a nuisance.

Due to Bazarian's arrival, the longstanding class structure on this land has been disrupted. The aristocrats of Upper City are no longer the sole wielders of power, and the people of Lower City have gained the means to easily put them to death.

Heriot was the first, followed closely by Hawke. If this trend continues, it won't be long before all those high and mighty in Upper City are dead. The Security Office and detectives remain oblivious to the changes in Lower City. They are still gathered in the Eternal Theater, investigating the murder of Heriot.

However, Ethan doesn't think it's their responsibility.

After all, who could have anticipated that a goddess who disappeared thousands of years ago would suddenly return, transforming "faith" from a mere formality into a tool for eliminating opponents?

They wouldn't even consider it the wish of the people of Lower City and would attribute Heriot's death to political infighting. No one believes that a group of people so poor they can't afford a meal, too afraid to speak loudly in front of the Security Squad, could murder the financial officer of Oasis City.

"When all the exploiters and nuisances are eliminated, the new epoch promised by Carlo will arrive, and then everyone can abandon prejudice and hatred, living happily together."

Like the ending of a fairy tale, how delightful and congratulatory.

"Really?"

Mary couldn't help but ask. She was deeply skeptical. How could a group of people who would readily set a house on fire with everyone inside possibly let go of prejudice and hatred?

She thought the only truth from Ethan was that the doughnuts in the tavern were indeed quite good; she had inadvertently eaten a dozen while lost in thought.

"This is just one version, presumably the version most people believe in now."

"I want to know the other versions."

"When the brave and undaunted people united to defeat the Evil God, they were surprised to find that the new epoch didn't fulfill their wishes. There would still be many nuisances in the world, maybe right beside them, and they just happened to hold a weapon capable of 'eliminating' all nuisances at any time."

Ethan paused, then continued, "And another group of prudent and wary people realized that perhaps someone would use this weapon against them. Even if someone among them died, no one could know who made the wish. Therefore, someone proposed that this 'weapon' be managed, as in the new epoch, they no longer needed such a killing tool."

"And then?"

Mary asked eagerly.

"Then the person who proposed the idea was found dead in their home the next day. Fragile trust collapsed, and people officially entered a new era of free combat."

Ethan shrugged. No matter which ending was reached, the people of Oasis City would usher in the freest epoch.

Free combat is also a form of freedom.

Today, Hawke was burned to death for maliciously raising the price of medicine, turning a blind eye to the seasonal influenza rampant in Lower City, deserving of death; in the beautiful new epoch, the market owner might be found dead at home because today's vegetable prices were 2 silver antelopes higher than yesterday, or for speaking unpleasantly.

That would be his good buddy Kane's favorite golden age.

"Oh, and you."

"Me?"

Ethan motioned subtly to his left, and Mary followed his gaze to see those who had previously been fervently advocating for Hawke's burning huddled together, pointing at Mary. In their eyes, Mary must appear as the image of the old woman from the inn.

"Your level of faith is being tested."

Ethan cleared his throat, "Why did you present a different perspective when everyone was voting to burn Hawke? What's your purpose, your motive? Are you sympathizing with those affected by the fire? Could you possibly inform the Security Squad or the aristocrats of Upper City?"

Mary was momentarily speechless.

She had indeed disrupted the celebratory atmosphere, making herself a target of public criticism.

But she also noticed that when she brought up household servants, some people in the crowd stopped shouting and jeering, falling into contemplation, though they were swept along by the heated atmosphere and couldn't speak up.

"Such discussion will only lead to one result."

Ethan said, "To prevent your sympathy from causing trouble, the Brotherhood has decided that you should make a sacrifice."

Mary, with just a few questions, put the inn old woman's name on the "death list."

"Good news, you need not feel guilty about this. To avoid implicating the old woman, you have already resolved her situation in advance."

Mary truly was a person full of compassion and high crisis awareness.

Like breaking a child's legs to prevent them from kicking off the blanket at night.

"Senzi!"

Mary frowned, glaring viciously at the person across the table, "All those doughnuts still can't shut your mouth?"

She thought Ethan truly was someone with acute crisis awareness—given his mouth, if the new epoch really arrived, he would certainly be among the first to be silenced for speaking unpleasantly.

However, Ethan's remarks did lighten her heavy heart a bit, more importantly, they also cleared her thoughts significantly.