"You shouldn't speak of the teacher like that."

Elson stood by the window, watching Hades and Triss's receding figures.

"I didn't say anything." Langeler shrugged.

"Do you think we don't know what you mean?" Elson turned to look at him, "You're accusing the teacher of being cowardly and lacking the Exorcist's creed and virtue."

"What? I didn't think so." Langeler replied blankly.

"Uh..."

Elson fell silent due to his companion's strange gaze.

In the wheelchair, Wenger hesitated and said, "The teacher is just worried about us. If he truly thought that, he wouldn't have come to the Land of Light."

The room fell silent along with Elson, for they all knew why Hades had left hell...

"Wenger is right. Look at Porter, who's become like this; the teacher was just saddened and said those words," Lana defended Hades.

"When did you get hurt?" Porter asked him.

"What?"

"I will also come to sprinkle salt on your wound at your bedside when the time comes."

In the oppressive laughter of the room, Langeler seemed contemplative: "Salt... The Land of Light wouldn't lack salt, right?"

"Table salt? Brought by merchants; I don't know if we can produce it," Lana followed Langeler's leap of thought.

"We can. I've seen the map of Old Belfast; there's a salt factory in the industrial area." Elson picked up, "After reclaiming the Land of Light, it would belong to us, so what are you thinking?"

"We can sell salt." Langeler said.

"The strange creatures don't need salt replenishment; they only want the humanity in the meat." Porter intervened.

"But we need it, the dungeon needs it, Spirit Town needs it." Langeler felt self-sufficiency was better than relying on the Earth Dwellers' Trading Company: "And there aren't many Spirit Towns in contact with us because there's no trade, but if we could offer cheaper and more refined salt... wouldn't that create a link?"

"Then let's go talk to Mr. Luli."

With the good news, Langeler and Elson left the room to find Valendo—the camp's internal affairs were all organized by him before being sent to Lake Heart Island.

On the way, they saw a group of strange Twisted Cultists approach the lakeside, entering a single detached house away from the residential area.

"What's wrong with you?" Elson asked the paused Langeler.

"Those believers seem to be wearing Knight's clothes..."

"How could Knights become Heretics?"

Elson thought he was seeing things, but Langeler was already heading towards that house, so he had to follow.

Arriving in front of the old mansion, they saw the curtains being suspiciously drawn.

"You stay, I'll go over."

Elson told Langeler and entered the courtyard to knock on the door.

Knock, knock, knock—

Soon, the door opened, and a tall figure covered in slick scales and tentacles beneath a Knight's undershirt blocked the doorway.

"We are, uh... Exorcists. May I ask if you are a member of the Knight Squad?" Elson asked.

The figure was briefly silent, then wetly and stickily spoke:

"I am."

...

With good and bad news, they arrived at Valendo's residence.

"The Knight Squad turned into monst... into believers?"

Opening the door for the two Exorcists, Valendo returned to his desk full of papers and notes, looking up in astonishment.

Seeing Langeler and Elson were serious, Valendo opened a drawer, took out a wooden box, and summoned Merchant Anthony.

"Please help me find out the status of the Knight Squad from the Honorable Twisted Shadow."

Minutes later, Merchant Anthony returned with news: The Knight Squad, during the Twisted Shadow's ascension to divinity, was transformed due to being too close to the Temple.

"What should we do?" Elson asked.

Langeler's response was much simpler:

"Just tell Mr. Luli straightforwardly."

...

The Knight Squad is both fortunate and unfortunate.

They were fortunate to be rescued before drowning but unfortunate because their human faiths no longer made them human.

Scholar Lena was fortunate and unfortunate among the fortunate and unfortunate.

Her presence wasn't in the fold; as a scholar and resident, she hid in the refuge, only because she wanted to be with her teammates. But no matter what, she survived.

They are still alive; what more could one ask for?

Northside of Agate Lake.

The Knight Squad was temporarily housed in this old standalone residence by the lakeside. They demanded to stay away from the residential area—for fear of contaminating the populace.

When Lu Li arrived, the captain, Michael, hesitated about letting him in.

"You are not cultists; contact won't spread contamination."

"...Please... come in."

Michael's once deep voice had become damp, opening the door.

Sunlight reached into the previously oppressive foyer behind drawn curtains, and Michael stood at the edge of where the sunlight couldn't reach, making room.

Lu Li walked into the room; the four squad members were already in the living room, but their presence hadn't freed the room from oppression. Because of the drawn curtains, because of their distorted bodies, because of everyone's silence.

"Are you here to visit us?"

Michael didn't close the door; otherwise, the room would have been too dark.

"Yes."

Lu Li looked around them and went to the window to pull back the curtains and open the window.

Bright noonday sunlight spilled unimpeded onto the floor, and a gentle breeze blew into the room.

The Knights felt discomfort from the change in environment they had become accustomed to, but no one voiced a fragile cry to pull the curtains.

Lu Li watched these Knights who, outwardly, were indistinguishable from the Twisted Cultists. He wouldn't console; rather than unburdening like a psychologist, he was better at recommending people to seek psychologists: "You can choose to become Twisted Cultists or maintain your current state; the Land of Light doesn't reject the strange, but it requires regular psychological checks."

Or lead people to need to consult a psychologist.

Michael and the Knights relaxed a little at Lu Li's words.

At least it wasn't the worst-case scenario they had expected, being forced out.

Michael knew his teammates were watching him, so he asked what they all wanted to know: "...If we choose to maintain our current state, what awaits us?"

"Another form of residents."

Strange Residents.

Strictly speaking, Mother of the Marsh and her believers, Twisted Shadow and her believers, Master of Dreams and her believers were all classified by Lu Li as "Strange Residents."

The classification between human residents and strange residents always existed in an embryonic form in Lu Li's mind but hadn't yet been implemented.

Because the strange is both dangerous and uncontrollable, bizarre beings like Ophelia or Puxiu were few, and even their believers had to stay away from human residents. Placing unfamiliar, unknown, dangerous things in the camp could only pose a threat to human residents.

The disciplined, minimally polluted Knight Squad might be a good beginning.

However, this might be somewhat cruel to them.

"We agree."

After Lu Li had spoken about "Strange Residents," Michael and his teammates placed a hand on their chests and kneeled with one knee, "We're glad we still have value..."

Their pressure entirely lifted, leaving only the sadness of no longer being human, which time needed to soothe.

Michael stood up and began recounting an old story to Lu Li.

"I am Michael."

Lu Li calmly watched him, waiting for him to continue.

"Named after an uncle I've never met; his name was Michael Tesla."

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