How can a retired savior be considered retired if his price drops to 40,000?

Chapter 358: Fujimaru Ritsuka, you still say you are not a saint

"I don't understand." After they left the lake, Mephiston muttered behind Fujimaru Ritsuka, "I wonder if you were contaminated on this journey."

"No! I just told it some simple principles about things turning into their opposites when they reach their extremes and about delayed gratification!" Fujimaru Ritsuka raised his voice with a guilty conscience, "and some simple psychological mappings like 'the one you can't get is the best'! The cake tastes best when it's in the window! Once you get it in your hands, it will immediately become too sweet psychologically! All normal intelligent creatures will have similar thoughts! It has nothing to do with the environment!!"

"I mean you shouldn't talk so much to the Unliving. If it wants, it can use this to extend its corruption into the void of your mind."

"It didn't think about it. It even showed us the way. Although demons are all reflections of a certain power that originates from the God of Chaos, there is no need to... Never mind, I'd better not talk nonsense... But I also escaped in this way when I was in the Crystal Palace!"

"what?"

"That's it... Things like changelings and tzaanhorns, although it's very difficult to tell whether what they say is true or false, they are not completely unhelpful. Warp creatures are the extreme projection and embodiment of certain emotions in reality. If you can find the right angle, they are even easier to understand than humans."

Mephiston didn't understand, and he didn't really want to understand. Considering that the Imperial Saint had survived to this day in good health and sane, he ultimately chose to quote the Emperor's Maxims as an afterthought: "Wisdom without wisdom is like a sword held upside down."

"Know yourself and your enemy, and you can fight a hundred battles without danger." Fujimaru Ritsuka retorted, "Or at least, to defeat a bandit, you must know your enemy."

She walked forward a little further with a huff, then suddenly sighed and softened her tone: "I'm sorry, I know you just want to warn me that this is dangerous. But for me, this kind of thing has happened so frequently that I think it's normal."

"The Astra Militarum Political Committee said: understanding the enemy is the beginning of depravity." It seemed that this topic could be continued, so Mephiston tried to be as non-prejudiced as possible and said, "The collision of ideas will always bring about changes in thinking. Exposure to the enemy's ideas is particularly dangerous."

"I think this is more... it depends on the person? It doesn't seem to be the case either, I can't really say." Fujimaru Ritsuka pondered over this for a while, and ultimately chose not to elaborate on possible theories, but stated the facts, "At least, after I have 'mutual understanding' with the enemy, the enemy has often turned the other way. Of course, there are also cases where, after reaching an understanding, I am more convinced that I must kill the enemy..."

"Have you never wavered yourself in similar situations?"

"That's impossible, of course. But even if I waver and begin to question the rationality of my goal, and begin to uncontrollably think that the sacrifices that will be made are not commensurate with the final gains, I also realize that I can't stop." Fujimaru Ritsuka exhaled softly, "Whether it's the Emperor or me, what we want to do is this: once we start, there is no chance to give up. Regardless of the final result being success or failure, we must carry the 'possibility' of the future of all mankind and go all the way to the end."

Mephiston was silent for a while, and he couldn't find the words to continue the topic. If someone else said this to him, he would just ignore it as if the other person was talking in his sleep, or get furious because of the other person's arrogant attitude of even claiming to be on par with the emperor. This kind of thing has not really happened in front of him, and he doesn't know how he will react in a specific scenario - because the person who said this is Fujimaru Ritsuka.

He still felt that this little girl was too arrogant, but considering her previous actions, her arrogance seemed justified and matched her mysterious and miraculous abilities to a certain extent. So he finally said, "No wonder you were directly defined as a 'saint' by the throne room."

"I think the Emperor is exaggerating a bit." Failed to understand the meaning of Mephiston's words, Fujimaru Ritsuka said angrily, "Think about Sanguino. A so-called 'saint' should at least be able to knock out a dragon with one punch, right?"

"I just wanted to compliment you on your spirituality," Mephiston said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. "From the glimpse I've seen, it's clear that you have an extraordinary will."

"That's about it. I think if someone were to be in my position, as long as they were an average human being, and were forced into a situation, most of them would be able to do what I did." Fujimaru·Ordinary Man·Ritsuka said with a very uncertain expression, "Besides, I can't do anything by myself. I've survived until now thanks to the help of the people around me. Just like right now, if you weren't around, I would have declared the game over in the first ring."
-
There is an interesting psychological phenomenon: when a person verbally repeatedly emphasizes something he denies, it is actually the truth. The further he walked from the depths of the Sixth Ring, the more Mephiston felt that this theory could be applied to Fujimaru Ritsuka, who insisted on denying that he was a saint.

After leaving the Ring of Vanity and entering the Ring of Domination, he stood side by side with Fujimaru Ritsuka on the high platform, overlooking the people and the army below. The flags hanging from the top of the tower were flying high in the wind, and faces of all kinds looked up with admiration and admiration, whether they were civilians, soldiers, nobles or craftsmen, they all had similar eyes, as if as long as the person on the stage gave an order, they were willing to sacrifice their lives for even the smallest wish.

For a moment, the Blood Angels think tank director felt as if he was doomed.

After undergoing the transformation surgery and being promoted to the Emperor's Angel, the remaining desires in the heart of the Astartes were adjusted to very few, and the pursuit of honor and power may be the few remaining parts. Mephiston is no exception. Of course, this temptation alone is not enough for a great think tank like him who is already pure and abstinent. Moreover, under the influence of cognitive pollution, the illusion displayed by the Domination Ring in front of him is not aimed at him, but at Fujimaru Ritsuka.

But here lies the problem: Fujimaru Ritsuka is a person who can naturally put the "Emperor" as a "normal chat partner" in the narrative, which means that the Slaanesh domain reflects the illusion created by her subconscious mind, which is likely to easily break through Mephiston's most ignorant imagination when he was young:

He saw Sanguinius. The brilliant archangel spread his white wings and hovered in the air below the platform. His gene-father gave him an encouraging smile and quietly watched him straighten his body unconsciously under the fluttering flag.

Perhaps no offspring of angels could resist this. Or perhaps there was, but it was clearly not Mephiston. Rationally, he knew that it was obviously fake, an illusion projected by the realm of Salishi with the power of blasphemy, but emotionally, he hoped very much that it was true: the soul of the archangel had also descended into the statue of the Cathedral of the Holy Blood, and this prerequisite made the scene before him seem not so fake -

"Calm down." Fujimaru Ritsuka pulled his gauntlet hard from the side and below. "Let me warn you, if you get angry here, we'll all be finished."

"...What?" Mephiston was still staring at the shadow of the archangel in a trance, but he finally used half of his thoughts to react to his temporary travel companion.

"Turn around first, let's go downstairs, and then listen to me." The little girl used almost all her strength to push the think tank in the corresponding direction. The latter felt almost nothing, and it was not difficult to resist, but driven by reason, he still turned around first. After Sanguinius's smile disappeared from his sight, he finally remembered to ask after sighing for a while: "So, what do you want to say?"

"Nothing, but I'm stating a tragic fact." Before getting to the point, Fujimaru Ritsuka carefully distanced himself from the think tank. "Horus Lupercal is also downstairs. He just can't fly, so he's standing relatively low."

Mephiston felt a reflexive anger, but quickly restrained the corresponding impulse with his own reason. This news really extinguished the beautiful fantasy that had just sprouted in his heart, but when he thought of the records in the classics, he realized something else. He turned his head and wanted to ask the owner of these illusions something, but when the words came to his lips, he didn't know how to start.

"It's a simulation." The considerate Fujimaru Ritsuka explained almost mind-readingly, "That Horus is of course not the real Horus, but a personality model fitted from historical data. But in the simulation, he really pointed fingers at me a lot... And it's not just him, if I must say, all the Primarchs... Considering that part of the mechanism of this ring is 'the person who once ordered the person concerned will appear in the audience and obey orders', it's understandable that they would appear here."

"...Aren't you happy when you see them down there?"

"My stomach hurts." Fujimaru Ritsuka answered quickly, "Hot knowledge, for mortals, the stomach is an emotional organ, and it will cause phantom pain when the person feels anxious and stressed. So I have a stomachache now."

Mephiston could understand the physiological knowledge, but he did not understand why Fujimaru Ritsuka felt stomachache here. He did not ask further questions, but silently listened to the other party muttering something like "I don't understand, is it so fun to command others?" and obediently was pulled towards the stairs.

The reversal of power will certainly bring a sense of pleasure to people. The poisonous wine of domination delivered to the travelers is the theme of the fourth ring of Slaanesh. The succubus of the previous ring has told them that as long as they walk down the platform quickly without lingering, they can pass through the ring of domination. The length of the stairs and the number of worshipful phantoms that come to flatter and disturb are positively correlated with the amount of desire in the relevant field.

——Fujimaru Ritsuka pulled Mephiston's gauntlet with a worried look on his face, yelling "Don't come close, I don't want to talk to an OOC's inferior illusion," and ran down the stairs two steps at a time. Then, after walking up two floors and a total of sixty-six steps, the platform that seemed almost towering into the sky from the outside was at the bottom. When he got out of the tower and faced the sea of ​​people that seemed to be endless from the top, Mephiston was surprised to find that these queues were only six meters from the front to the back.

He suspected that these data, which were too simple and short compared to the previous two rings, were the minimum values ​​in the six-ring field, rather than the limit of Fujimaru Ritsuka. After a brief surprise, Mephiston believed that everyone should be tolerant and understanding of Fujimaru Ritsuka's naivety in politics while holding a high position.

But Mephiston felt that he could not understand what was happening. "When the positions are reversed and those who were once above you have to obey your orders, don't you want to retaliate?"

"Hmm?" Fujimaru Ritsuka looked up blankly, "No? I hate it when people point fingers at me, and I certainly don't want to point fingers at others."

Mephiston nodded and sighed. An idea naturally emerged in his mind: a person who is so indifferent to power must be a saint.
-
Next to the Domination Ring is the Debauchery Ring. Naturally, a detailed description of it cannot pass the review, but fortunately, nothing worth mentioning really happens in this ring: neither Mephiston nor the good boy Fujimaru Ritsuka are really interested in this kind of... uh... this kind of "this kind of thing between the bed but without the bed" (Fujimaru Ritsuka's words).

The one who declined the offer was mainly Fujimaru Ritsuka. Of course, it was because the culture she grew up in was not open in this regard. Mephiston didn't care. The almost stable physiological indicators of the Primaris Astartes and the superb mental control ability of the Great Think Tank combined made him calm in front of the white scene. But in this cycle, he confirmed one thing:
Fujimaru Ritsuka claims that his maximum short-distance sprint speed is around 120 kilometers per hour, and this is true.

This ring was not difficult for them, but due to the sudden emotional breakdown of his travel companion, Mephiston felt that this section of the journey was the most embarrassing experience of his entire journey - mainly because of his mental exhaustion. When they faced the endless banquet of the Taotie Ring and the lake filled with fine wine, Fujimaru Ritsuka, who was simply carried under the arm of the Great Think Tank after he had no other choice, was still mumbling: "I am not clean anymore..."

Mephiston wanted to correct him, but Sanguinius remembered in time how great the gulf between their ways of thinking was, and wisely kept silent.

Therefore, he heard clearly: Fujimaru Ritsuka's stomach growled at this moment.

"…This is a conditioned reflex!! I don't really want to eat!!!" the person involved shouted in a state of stress, "Don't tell me about the legendary stories about banquets, eating and turning into monsters and not being able to go back!! I! Have! A lot! of! Experience!!!"

Mephiston didn't say anything, but the words "No, where did you get this experience?" were indeed written all over his face in an instant. As Fujimaru Ritsuka fluttered around in dissatisfaction, he had no choice but to put her back on the ground and return the dignity that an imperial saint should have ("At least let me walk on my own feet!") to her.

After confirming that the girl's mood had calmed down - mainly because she would no longer run around in a panic without saying a word - they walked into this literal forest of wine and meat. But unfortunately, in this narrow strip of land paved with gold-cast teeth, between the countless delicacies that ordinary people could not imagine and the wine that could fill a lake, Mephiston and Fujimaru Ritsuka just passed by calmly, and nothing worth mentioning happened in the process.

Appetite is of course one of the driving forces for human survival, but such an extravagant appetite is unnecessary. When entering the Taotie Ring, perhaps it was by chance, or because of the rules of the Slaanesh domain, Fujimaru Ritsuka's brain did feel hungry, but she still restrained her desire well and commented coldly:
"First of all, I don't drink. Secondly, I am a fan of light Japanese food. Thirdly, my opinion is that eating contests are just a waste of food. I know some people want to eat when they see others eating, but I don't have any similar desire. Finally, you shouldn't eat randomly outside, and you should pay attention to the source of food when you eat at home - otherwise you may be turned into a piglet by the witch."

"Wait a minute, turning into a piglet means--"

"——Didn't I tell you that I have a lot of experience?"

Facing the mountains of gold and silver piled up in the next ring, Fujimaru Ritsuka answered with a look of grief and indignation.

(End of this chapter)