Yarra's Adventure Notes-Chapter 1424 - 210: Confused Finche

"Frightened?" Pannis frowned, puzzled, "Why? You’ve seen Nellie before, and if you don’t have any memory of the events between, wouldn’t meeting Nellie be nothing strange?"

"If it were just seeing Lady Nellie, I wouldn’t have found it strange, let alone say I was startled," Finche shook his head, his face tense as he spoke to Pannis, "But compared to when I first met her, Lady Nellie’s appearance had changed drastically. If I hadn’t fought alongside her for a period of time before, I wouldn’t have believed that she was once the most pure knight."

"What changed?" Pannis’s fist clenched tightly, but he took deep breaths and slowly unclenched his fist, struggling to calm his voice.

"There’s no need to be so tense now," Finche patted Pannis’s shoulder and explained, "When I saw her, she was sitting on a throne made of white bones. I hadn’t been out before, so I had no idea that most items in this world were made of bone, so naturally, I was surprised by the Bone Throne. By then, her armor had turned from silver to pitch black, though her lance was still silver and was placed next to the chair along with her helmet. You must understand, a Deity’s body, including their attire, is not a real entity but a condensation of the Deity’s will. Changes in will manifest directly on their body, so the black armor meant she was beginning to be influenced by Danacus. Of course, these are things I came to think of after knowing the specifics. Initially, when I first saw her, I didn’t think of these things; I was just puzzled why she suddenly changed her dressing style."

"Yes, I understand," Pannis spoke in a deep voice, expressionless, "It seems that at that time Danacus had not fully revived, and she was still struggling to wrest control of the Divine Body from Danacus. From what you describe, she was still maintaining the upper hand in the battle for control, so except for her attire and surroundings, her essence hadn’t changed a lot, otherwise you wouldn’t tell me that there’s no need to be so tense now."

"Exactly as you say, she was still holding the initiative," Finche paused for a moment, then nodded gently. "When she saw me, she showed no surprise. After all, at that time this world was still an extension of her Divine Kingdom. Being an omniscient deity here, she could understand everything happening around her. She had already foreseen my revival and saw me pushing open the grand doors Between the Rituals, so before I could get over my surprise or fright, she had walked over to me and gave me a forceful hug, just like she used to. When you asked me earlier how I could be sure it was Nellie, from that moment on, I was certain it was her herself, and not someone else in her body."

"I understand," this time Pannis didn’t show any skepticism, but instead spoke with a slight melancholy, "You’re right, if it had been Danacus, he would never embrace a mortal. Even if he tried to disguise himself, he couldn’t manage it, because as a supreme deity, he lacks the inclination, nor would he condescend to physically interact with mortals. But Nellie is different, no matter what changes occur, she remains herself, and even holding the authority of a deity won’t change that."

"After that meeting, we talked a lot, including your encounters after my death and how she barely managed to take control of the Divine Body while Danacus suffered heavy damage. It was only through that time that I came to understand the development of the situation," Finche explained in detail. "After that, we discussed plans for the future. She seemed to see through my thoughts at that time, so she said a lot to me."

"That’s because your thoughts were almost written on your face, old friend," Pannis sighed and compassionately patted Finche’s shoulder, saying, "Not to mention seeing your Nellie then, even now seeing me, anyone can see through your thoughts. No, I’m afraid it’s not just me, everyone here, except for the two fools giggling behind Luscia, can see it clearly."

"Uh, was it that obvious?" Finche’s erect ears twitched, and his face covered with gray-white fur showed an undeniable embarrassment, as he grudgingly spoke, "I tried my best not to show it."

"Hehe, indeed it was very obvious, Mr. Finche," catching Pannis’s suggestive glance, Catherine said with a covered mouth snicker: "From your unwillingness to leave the temple and refuse to interact with the outside Undead, your thoughts were already clear."

"As a former hero who slaughtered countless Undead under the Totem Column, seeing the Undead as mortal enemies in the last phase of life, and ultimately sacrificing your life in battle with them... For a Beastman Warrior, that was the perfect curtain call, the most brilliant finale. If your time had ended over a hundred years ago, then for a long time, all Beastmen, no, all sentient beings would have carried your name. Poets would sing of your deeds, artists would depict your valor, and even the naive children would take pride in role-playing as you. Could there be any greater honor for a Beastman whose life was about to end?" Pannis exclaimed in a declamatory tone, but at the end, his pitch changed, growing somber as he said, "But then, your time began to flow again. You became your own worst enemy. Perhaps because the power of the ancestral spirits was insufficient to compete with the Deities, you failed to successfully enter the Ancestors’ Hunting Grounds and instead became the Undead you most hated. Perplexed, perhaps that was your only feeling at the time. You didn’t know how to treat yourself; you loathed yourself, yet you were helpless. So, you concealed your existence. The name Finche still bathed in endless glory, and you, merely a Ghost without any presence, is that right, my friend?"

"Not only that, Pannis," Catherine added with a smile, "Mr. Finche also didn’t know how to face the countless Undead outside because countless of their kind had died by his hand, and he died because of them as well. Unable to forget everything like the other Undead, he continues to carry the past on his shoulders. Not only does he feel animosity towards those Undead, but he also feels guilty. Thus, he refuses to interact with the outside Undead, pretending he doesn’t exist, and if possible, he probably wishes he truly didn’t exist."