Witch, Fireball and the Evil God of Steam

Mr. Palansi, we may not become enemies.

You don't have to rush to respond to me.

Back in the ward, Palansi's mind drifted to his conversation with Ethan, echoing all the words he had said, eventually reverberating back to him in an unforeseen way.

Ethan extended an invitation to him and the entire Divine Attendant organization.

This left Palansi indecisive; it's a way of decay they had never imagined—no civil war, no killing, and death, yet everything about this civilization was changing subtly.

Peaceful evolution.

This is a concept proposed by Ethan.

Perhaps, in the future, this will become the mainstream of civilization decline, and the predicted period of 370-420 years may no longer represent a cycle of disaster, but rather the time nodes of new energy and new technologies emergent.

Every emergence of new energy could potentially bring about a comprehensive societal change, even at the expense of destroying old civilizations.

Lying in the hospital bed, Palansi carefully recalled every word discussed in their meeting; he received excellent care in the Imperial City, with three meals a day being nutritional meals painstakingly prepared by the hospital, and a private ward located on the top floor, where standing by the window could overlook the streets outside the hospital.

In today's Imperial City, even those familiar outlines from the past have disappeared.

The Priest is no longer a cleric but a doctor, becoming a respectable profession, and they no longer have to fully devote themselves to the Goddess of Life; their time off work is no different from ordinary people. On the way upstairs, Palansi heard some passing doctors discussing the city's competitions.

Palansi's gaze shifted to the wheelchair beside the bed, as his "good granddaughter" Rowena detailed the wheelchair's usage—it's the 'Light Wheel 1000' with a massaging function. Though slower than the 2000 used in professional races, it's more suited for home life.

At this moment, a peculiar thought emerged in his mind.

Perhaps he could tour the current Imperial City in an electric wheelchair, visiting the preliminary rounds of the "Imperial Wheelchair Master Tournament" taking place every evening and experience the "off-work" life described by the doctors.

He had no way of knowing if Ethan's theory of "peaceful evolution" was correct, but he was immersed in this beautiful scene, and if that day truly came, he could also genuinely "retire."

Palansi suddenly frowned.

Even he seemed to be subtly changing.

After thinking over it repeatedly, he got on the wheelchair, not forgetting to activate the wheelchair's massage function when he went out, feeling the pounding and squeezing from behind…

It's "off-work" time now.

On the other side, Rowena was passionately explaining some trivia about the Round Table Order to Ethan.

"Round Table Knights hold the highest esteem in the Neseriel Sanctuary; being a Saint is just the stepping stone. The most crucial part is that they must accomplish deeds recognized by the Knight Lord himself!"

It's apparent Rowena genuinely respects Palansi.

If Palansi weren't too old, she would love to spar a few rounds with this childhood idol.

"Palansi is the last recorded Round Table Knight in the Holy Hall, which was almost 400 years ago. As a child, I practiced sword in front of his statue!"

"You've said it 6 times already!"

Rowena wasn't at all interested in the internal affairs of Neseriel Sanctuary, "He's definitely brewing a plot when those Divine Attendants visit the Imperial City now."

"Don't speak with malicious intent, Mr. Palansi is a noble knight, a founding hero of the Empire!"

Rowena discreetly approached Rowena from behind.

Having suffered a spine-crushing throw from Rowena last time, Rowena had been prepared for this. She quickly scooted behind Ethan in her electric wheelchair, using Ethan as a shield, playing the "complaint card set," "Old Sen, look at her, she's getting more violent!"

As she said this, she poked her head out, stating, "Don't forget you ceased being a follower of the Knight Lord a long time ago. According to Old Sen's stated theory, you're now his chosen one!"

For this, Rowena had sufficient theoretical justification,

The Holy Seal of Neseriel Sanctuary Knights has always been a silvery white glow, whereas Rowena's shiny gold made her stand out.

Thinking about how she and Rowena once stood on the same level when they met, yet now could only be subjected to Rowena's crushing throws, Rowena felt somewhat unbalanced, "Old Sen, perhaps I should also change my faith to you; I too want to become a Saint!"

She longs for progress!

In past times, Rowena definitely wouldn't dare to utter such disrespectful words, but according to Ethan, the God of Trickery had long perished, leaving only some functional mechanism remnants.

She had been deeply contemplating these issues lately.

The magician's path hasn't seen the birth of a Saint for several centuries; every Astrology Guild leader has remained at the fourth-tier Great Mage, and today's 'Scholar' is no exception, reportedly achieving the fourth tier very young, acquiring various "youngest" accolades, with her mentor strongly advocating for her receiving the title of 'Scholar,' and everyone held high hopes for her.

Yet, despite the passing years, the 'Scholar' remains stuck at the fourth tier, even she has ceased to expect advancements.

It's Ethan's appearance that made "advancement" seem too easy. In reality, being stuck at the fourth tier is the norm in this world, and Rowena believes Rowena should be in the same predicament, merely benefiting from Old Sen's advantages.