Chapter 362 (1/2)

Randidly tried his best to keep is face even. “Surely… this amount of… data is unnecessary, for our purposes.”

“Oh, I disagree,” Mrs. Hamilton said smoothly, her smile wide. “Surely, as the founder of Donnyton… taking the time to write out some concrete advice for this many people is just par for the course? And if you are to make intelligent decisions, you need to be informed.”

Trying not to let the headache force him to lose his temper, Randidly said slowly. “...I’m a warrior, that’s my job. Sure, knowing this political and economic and scientific information might be useful in the long run, but-”

“Incorrect.” Mrs. Hamilton’s voice was low, and the small smile she usually wore slowly fell away, revealing a deep, implacable determination. Carefully, she folded her hands and gave Randidly a long, and searching look.

“Perhaps you aren’t really playing dumb, you just haven’t… conceptualized it. You haven’t named it. The people here, Randidly, they venerate you. Most of them haven’t met you, they’ve only heard stories. Watched the people they admire watch people those people admire, admiring you. That means something. The weight of those feelings changes things, whether you like it or not.”

Leaning forward, Mrs. Hamilton said. “Look, I understand what you said earlier, you need to focus on figuring out how to… well perhaps some things are best to be left unsaid. You want to create something uniquely yours. But I think that you will find 4 hours working on this now will save you innumerable troubles down the line, and affect your research very little. You need a legacy. These letters… they will start that legacy, even if the recipients decide to ignore them.”

Randidly felt his face flushing. He knew the way people looked at him, how they treated him… but to hear it stated so clearly… it was almost embarrassing. The blood continued to rush to his face while he looked at the pages on the table in front of him. With the list of names that Mrs. Hamilton thought he should write pages to…

The point was to inspire them, but… the thoughts wouldn’t come. What would he say? All he could do was picture Shal’s face, or his father’s…

But then, in his mind’s eye, he saw Aemont’s back, standing there, facing outward, in that strange land where that test occurred. That expression on his face. Not a smile, not a frown, not even fear, but more…

Unrelenting.

And beyond that, the look in those minions’ eyes, the monsters that Randidly slowly fought his way through the gauntlet of the test. Their determination, their absolute belief that sustained them passed the point where they should have given up from wariness or wounds. A level of faith and willpower that allowed them to stretch their lives beyond their fated ending. An endurance that defied imagination.

Not for themselves, but for something greater.

And holy fuck, Mrs. Hamilton wanted to bring that here.

He could see it now, the determination in all the eyes of the people he had known. Donny, Decklan, Dozer… the Squads, the villagers… Kiersty and her cultists… even in Simon’s eyes, after he had found out his true identity. A difference of treatment. Randidly had to bear the weight of that, of course, but if his back was broad and strong enough to carry these expectations…

Their faith would become a weapon.

Sighing, Randidly reached for a packet of information prepared by Mrs. Hamilton, and began to read. She was probably right about the hours not mattering for the Aether research. And the Creature was an issue, but Randidly did not let himself lose sight of the other monstrous opponents that arrayed themselves against him.

The final opponent, the way it was made to seem by Aemont, the unbeatable one: the Calamity. Aemont was not able to figure out how to beat it, even with his great skill. It loomed ahead of them, gleeful and malignant. The tumorous System’s final judgement. Or something, it was hard to tell…

But against these opponents, Randidly had the sense that personal strength wouldn’t be able to carry him all the way. There had to be something else. Something greater. Perhaps… this faith was the weapon that they needed.

Randidly set pen to paper, and began to write.

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