Chapter 832: Chapter 43: A Temporary Sense of Belonging
Alandia quietly looked at him, “What is EVA?”
“Ah, it’s an animated series from the end of last century, made by the people of Zero Island… I quite like it.”
Gongsun Ce desperately held his forehead, thinking he was incredibly awesome yet wasted a chance to show off by talking about animation.
Alandia nodded and smiled at him, “You’re more righteous than I imagined, Mr. Gongsun.”
“Please don’t use that tone like you’re commending a model citizen.”
Alandia changed the topic, “Also, you seem to have misunderstood the question. It’s not why you ‘can’, but rather why you ‘do’.”
Gongsun Ce looked into her eyes for three seconds, gradually realizing that his lengthy talk completely missed the point. She asked about the means, but he had gone on about the motives.
“Well, um.” He said awkwardly, “I extended my telekinesis over there and saw a vision, then with a burst of effort, I directed it towards you.”
“Oh.” Dawn Knight nodded.
Gongsun Ce slowly lay back down on the hospital bed, using the blanket to cover his head, like a corpse draped with a white cloth. His muttering from beneath sounded hopeless, like a frog swept up into the sky by a typhoon.
“Just kill me…”
·
Dawn Knight didn’t end his suffering, but instead took him out of the hospital. Gongsun Ce changed back into his usual attire and put on a new hat.
“Why wear this?”
“Because you’re somewhat famous now. Without disguise, you might be recognized by the citizens.”
Gongsun Ce remembered the news he saw before and suddenly realized. The kingdom’s officials were reluctant to openly discuss Impermanence Skill, so they threw all the credit onto his brother and him. After all, everyone saw his brother’s massive mecha, and they couldn’t very well brainwash the city’s citizens collectively, saying the crisis was all resolved by superpower users…
It was indeed true, without his brother the capital would have been smashed to bits by King of Skeleton.
Now, they were walking on the streets of the Inner City District, evening approaching, and the street lamps were about to light up, with most people carrying oil lamps in hand. Using the lamplight, Gongsun Ce observed the surroundings and found the atmosphere slightly tense but overall stable, confirming to him that the disorder this time hadn’t caused much damage. In a month or two, people would forget the day’s turmoil, and in a year and a half, few would talk about it, only those deeply involved would know how dangerous that day truly was.
“What are we going to do now?” Gongsun Ce asked, bewildered.
“Go have dinner,” Alandia said, “In the past three days, the situation has gradually stabilized, and we’ve completed most of the aftermath work. Though official duties remain heavy, Knight Rakael still suggested holding a small celebration after you wake up, to celebrate everyone successfully protecting the capital.”
“Sounds pretty nice, huh.” Gongsun Ce looked around surreptitiously to see if there were any familiar faces nearby, “By the way, can I take this hat off for a bit?”
Alandia looked at him for a while and said, “If you want a sense of achievement, I think everyone at headquarters will be happy to praise your actions.”
“No, I’m just…” Gongsun Ce burst out in frustration, “Okay, I do want a bit of accomplishment! After fighting till I’m broken, indulging a little isn’t too much to ask!”
“No. But…”
Gongsun Ce directly removed the hat, walked proudly for a couple of steps. The world showed no change, people around him continued talking about their matters, coming and going on their own. He stood there unmoving for a while, gradually feeling profoundly foolish, wishing he could find a seam to crawl into.
“…Hey?” A voice emerged from the crowd, a young student stood not far away, holding a half-bitten sandwich. His eyes widened at Gongsun Ce, excitedly saying, “You’re that superpower user in black clothes? The boy who fought monsters?!”
“Ah, haha.” Gongsun Ce awkwardly replied, “Yes, I—”
Suddenly, people’s eyes focused on him, many citizens stopped to gaze at him. Shortly after, cheers and praises poured in like a tidal wave, drowning the young man. “Holy King, it’s really that boy…” “I saw your combat footage!” “Amazing, and you’re so young!” “My father was in that park back then, he said you saved him!”
In an instant, he seemed to be under a spotlight, becoming the center of attention. So many voices and gazes surrounded the young man from all directions, leaving him at a loss. He saw some people taking photos with their phones and quickly used his cape to cover his face. “It’s nothing, just a small effort… Thank you! Thank you all!” He quickly took off into the sky, wearing his hat again, causing the crowd to exclaim.
Gongsun Ce circled around a few times, landed closer to headquarters. Alandia appeared in front of him, holding the brim of her deerstalker hat, rarely speaking with helplessness, “That’s why I wouldn’t recommend doing that.”
“Can’t I act silly sometimes? I want to!”
Gongsun Ce’s heart raced with tension, yet he couldn’t help but smile foolishly. He had done the same work too many times in Skyline City, never feeling like it was such a big deal. But for the first time… there were such huge responses waiting for him, as if he had really done something remarkable.
“Don’t you think it’s weird?” Gongsun Ce smirked, having come to himself, “Before, they were so hostile towards superpower users, but suddenly their attitude changed?”
“People’s thoughts are easily guided by louder voices, how one perceives it is up to them.” Alandia said, “You can call it ‘following the wind’, or ‘a sense of gratitude’.”