Witch, Fireball and the Evil God of Steam-Chapter 689 80: A Heart for a Heart

Valerie believed that no one could find the location of "Hunger," but that did not include Ethan.
He simply walked forward through the fog, once again slipping into the state he was in the previous night.
The road behind him was gradually swallowed by darkness, leaving only a single path forward, leading to a Victorian-era style hotel. The sign was a pink heart, inscribed with the words "Love Nest" hotel. Although the hotel's name seemed open to misinterpretation, Ethan did not back away this time.
The girl with the black ponytail was not by his side. When he pushed open the main door of the hotel, the lobby remained as it was when he left yesterday.
He lit the candle on the table, which immediately became the only source of light in the hotel.
He sat silently at the table, watching the flickering candlelight.
Beneath the candle, shadows coiled on the floor, sending out feelers in Ethan's direction several times, only to retreat back into the darkness the moment they touched him.
It was still angry, indignant over the solid over-the-shoulder throw Ethan had given it the day before.
"I've talked with Morganna."
After a long time, Ethan initiated the conversation, "You should know, after all, nothing here escapes your eye."
'Shadow Arrow: So what? (`皿´)'
A new message popped up in the dialogue box. Ever since the appearance of Shadow Arrow, the skill description field began to change at will, turning into a chat window.
It seemed Shadow Arrow was unwilling to sit face-to-face and talk with him.
"What do you think Lady Morganna sees in Duke Bellamo?"
Ethan said, "She had a happy childhood in Dark Furnace City, far from religion and politics. Duke Bellamo must hold an extraordinary significance in her heart."
Thus, the harm caused by being abandoned by someone close was even deeper, as if being kicked back to hell from paradise once more.
When Duke Bellamo ordered Morganna to be sent out of Dark Furnace City, it meant he believed the demon hunters' claim that the child he raised was truly the incarnation of a demon and one day would bring destruction to his family and the entire Dark Furnace City. Even though the demon hunters' tests on her failed and they had no conclusive evidence to prove the "prophecy" was true, Duke Bellamo still heeded the demon hunters' advice.
This time Shadow Arrow did not respond.
"But I have another thought."
Ethan said, "Miss Valerie believes the Church's accusation of Morganna was just an excuse to execute her parents, which doesn't inherently prove she was born evil. However, it is strange that the demon hunters share the same view as the Church on this matter."
As is well known, the relationship between the Church and the demon hunters is not harmonious.
From the moment their Hunting Goddess, Cynthia, was defined as a Middle-Level God, it was decided that her believers would permanently be far removed from the political center, becoming wanderers in pursuit of freedom and a life of ease like her.
"Is it because the demon hunters are mistaken? Have superstitions and prejudices blinded them, or is it because Little Bellamo's mother, out of selfishness, couldn't stand Duke Bellamo treating Morganna like a daughter?"
Ethan paused, "I don't think so. They are very capable demon hunters. Precisely because of that, they detected your presence and felt threatened by you, but their knowledge at the time was insufficient to explain your existence, leading to erroneous conclusions."
And that is roughly the view of darkness held by the Imperial People.
People do not like darkness; it almost follows the concept of evil, whereas light is the embodiment of the True God, an entity worshipped by countless believers.
"Even if you do nothing, just being observed by them leads them to assume you are bound to bring destruction."
Morganna's experiences in the Imperial Capital attracted the shadow, which followed her thereafter, "Maybe initially you were just curious, wanting to witness where this child, considered as the embodiment of a demon, would end up. But your power is too great, such that merely observing brings earth-shaking changes to humanity."
"She's a fool!"
Another voice finally emerged from the darkness, "I could help her kill all those who betrayed her, but she refused."
A pathetic coward, hiding in an unknown place, playing house.
This was her evaluation of Morganna.
Had Morganna not impeded her, she would have long bestowed upon Duke Bellamo the most tragic death, making him witness the ruin of his family before he died.
Little Bellamo was only the beginning. In her plan, Little Bellamo would turn into a ghoul hunted by demon hunters. If Duke Bellamo did not end his life with his own hands, Little Bellamo would infect more people in the city, eventually alarming the Church and the Knight Order of the Empire.
But none of this brought Morganna joy.
Instead, Morganna prayed for her not to do it.
"You could see it that way, but when you were in the castle, you actually did the same thing."
"It's not the same!"
The shadow argued, "Her power is what I gifted her, this place is what I created, I've already said, even if you die, it must be by my hands!"
"Then, your best opportunity has come. An Elemental Shaper who cannot use spells shouldn't pose too much of a threat to you."
The conversation fell into silence, and Ethan could feel a pair of eyes deep in the darkness staring fixedly at him.
"But before that, I must clarify some things. You see your shadow in Morganna, but in reality, it is entirely different. Duke Bellamo believed the demon hunters' tales and saw Morganna as the incarnation of a demon. That was his betrayal of Morganna—but I have never betrayed anyone!"
Ethan suddenly raised his tone, and this sentence came down with authority, successfully intimidating Shadow.
He had already sorted out his thoughts.
"What do you think of me? Do you think I believed some prophecy, decided that you are the embodiment of darkness and evil, and then abandoned you? If that were the case, I wouldn't have gotten involved with you from the start."
Ethan felt that this was a completely groundless accusation. Although Morganna's background was pitiful, it didn't mean he should inexplicably bear the title of "betrayer."
"You've got it all wrong. It was purely a stroke of bad luck that I got hit on the way home one day, causing me to forget some things."
This was more in line with the situation between him and Shadow.
Ethan still couldn't recall the past between him and Shadow, but the situation was now very clear. "So what we really need to do now is to find out who the hell gave me that blow. Is there no justice?"
An unexpected remark, and the conversation was developing in a direction that Shadow could not foresee.
She had a deep-seated hatred for Duke Bellamo. The betrayer, upon hearing the news of Morganna's death, had shed a few crocodile tears and then continued to live a happy life, as if Morganna had never existed.
Shadow was convinced that even if Duke Bellamo learned of Morganna's current situation, he would only regard her as a monster and would never have a conscience awakening to repent for his past betrayal. However, she also knew that until Morganna left Dark Furnace City, she still harbored fantasies of Duke Bellamo asking her to stay.
Morganna would let go of all grudges, return home as if nothing had ever happened.
And before meeting Ethan, Shadow had also made up her mind.
If she found out that all of this was just Ethan's excuse to leave, if he would abandon her again after leaving, she would keep him here, even if it meant using force.
But as Ethan spoke, the topic took an unexpected turn.
Ethan's previous question sounded more like an invitation to team up for a fight—just like before.
Even having lost his memory, even having completely forgotten her existence, Ethan's nature seemed unchanged. He was different from Duke Bellamo, no, the two weren't even remotely comparable!
But she needed to confirm it one more time.
"Are you inviting me to leave this place with you?"
"If you're willing."
"You're not lying to me?"
"Of course not."
"Then why did you hit me yesterday?"
The black-haired girl stepped out from the shadows. The big issue was resolved, but there was still the small matter.
Ethan's swift throw caught her off guard; she had never been tossed so miserably before.
"A reflex. Recently, the Imperial Capital hasn't been peaceful. You know, even boys have to learn some self-defense to protect themselves when they're out."
Ethan spread his arms wide, "If you can't let it go, you can throw me down now... Ow, you really did it!"
Shadow looked at Ethan lying flat on his back on the ground and burst into laughter.
This was also the most embarrassed moment of Ethan in her memory.
Now they're even.
Shadow's mood was much better.
"You asked for it."
"You...! You've got quite some strength."
Ethan propped himself up from the floor, sitting next to the coffee table in the inn, "Misunderstanding resolved?"
Shadow looked at him, not answering directly. She approached Ethan, lifted his right hand, intertwined her fingers with his, and the black mark in the palm transmitted a sharp pain once more, a process that lasted for about a minute.
"You've changed."
The black-haired girl said.
The old Ethan would never have noticed Morganna's emotions, nor would he have cared about the entanglement between Morganna and Duke Bellamo, let alone recognized the difference.
Why bother about the lives of ants?
He would surely say this.
But change wasn't always bad. She thought for a moment, "Maybe that blow wasn't entirely a bad thing."
During the conversation, the text on the skill panel also slowly returned to normal.
『Shadow Arrow (World), Proficiency: ∞, Shadow, only Shadow (^_^)』.