The backdrop can also be propped up.

Chapter 63: We should be able to go to the next world in two more days.

When Maria Elisa opened the door to her rented room in the apartment building, she saw Alina still packing her things.

Seeing that Alina was trying to hang her clothes on the hooks on the wall, Maria Elisa walked over and took the clothes from Alina's hands to hang them on the wall for her.

"Is there anything else I can help you with... Hey, why are you hugging me?" Maria Elisa had just put her hands down at her sides when Alina hugged her tightly.

"Don't move, answer a few questions for me." Alina held Maria Elisa tightly, raising her head. Maria Elisa could tell from the expression on Alina's face that Alina was very angry.

“Okay, what do you want to ask?” Maria Elisa had a vague guess in her mind, but she decided to wait for Alina to ask first.

“When you were fighting that member of the Polande family,” Alina looked at Maria Elisa’s face, “you could have easily dodged his attacks, so why did he still grab your neck?”

Sure enough, Maria Elisa thought to herself, but that makes sense. In Anx and Lily's eyes, my behavior was a little too deliberate.

There's no need to hide it anymore; just make up a plausible excuse to get rid of it. Maria Elisa forcefully raised her arms, breaking free from Alina's grasp, and then hugged Alina back, saying, "So that guy can be punished even more severely."

"Which guy? That guy from the Polande family? Why are you punishing him so severely?" Alina seemed a little puzzled—she didn't remember having any dealings with this person at school.

The members of the Polish family seem to have had little formal education and have been wandering around the Federation.

"Okay, this guy was being chased by his enemies. And then he just happened to fall into the water on my way to dinner." Maria Elisa started making up an excuse.

Listening to Maria Elisa's half-truthful words, Alina was still somewhat doubtful: "You want to punish him because he's blocking your way to eat? Lisa, that's not like you."

“Of course not, how could you think of me like that?” Maria Elisa nuzzled Alina’s chubby cheek. “Because this guy doesn’t know where he came from, right? So I was thinking of finding out his family background and having his family take him away. But the day I found out his family background and was about to tell him, I overheard him saying he wanted to kill you and Anx.”

"Why did he kill me and your brother?" Alina looked even more bewildered.

“I don’t know either, but I definitely heard him say he was going to kill you and Anx.” Maria Elisa nuzzled Alina’s face again. “Even if you two have the same name, Pollard isn’t! I heard him say with my own ears that he was going to lock Pollard in the basement and keep him as a pet.”

"So I thought I'd give this guy a good beating. Based on his personality, if the persona he's painstakingly built up in front of Pollard is shattered, it would be a huge blow to him."

Maria Elisa released Alina and cupped her face, saying, "So I tried to get this guy to attack me, and then shatter his image in Pollalid's mind. That's painful enough for that self-centered guy."

"But you can't let him choke you, that's too reckless." Alina was starting to believe her, but she was still unhappy that Maria and Elisa didn't value their own lives.

"I was wrong, Lily, please forgive me this time," Maria Elisa began to whine to Alina. "There won't be a next time."

"How many times have you said that?" Alina said helplessly, but still let Maria Elisa's head rub against her shoulder.

“I suddenly remembered something,” Maria Elisa said.

"What is it?"

“That guy from Macachi still hasn’t paid me back for my medical bills.”

"...I'll have your brother go to the Polish family to ask for it later."

Inside the Kinkles Military Academy, in the principal's office, Hankla meets with Kacalasi Kacalasi, a key figure in the acting party.

“You must be Hankla Greitz? What an excellent junior.” Sitting in his wheelchair, Kakarasi Kakrasti smiled as he looked at the remarkably sensible Hankla in front of him.

"Not at all, it's what I should do," Hankel hurriedly declined, but secretly rejoiced at the opportunity to make contact with an important political figure.

“I’m going to a planet tomorrow, and I’ve decided to take you with me,” Kakarasi Kakrasti said slowly, taking the coffee Hankla had brewed.

After taking a sip of his coffee, Kakarasi Kakrasti said again, "Underground heaven, you know?"

“Underground Heaven? What’s that?” Hankla didn’t understand, but he knew it might be a good place where he could get more opportunities.

“Just like its name, an underground paradise. Do you want to go?” Kakarasi Kakrasti stared at the boy in front of him, hoping to recruit this promising talent into the proxy party in the future.

“That’s no problem at all, Mr. Kakrasti.” Hankla nodded and readily agreed.

“Not bad, you’re getting the hang of it.” Kakarasi Kakrasti chuckled twice, looking somewhat creepy. “Your future is bright.”

In the heart of the capital's affluent district, Z1234, Otto is checking the guest list for tomorrow's trip to Underground Heaven.

“There are a few more unfamiliar faces today.” Ott circled the names of the new faces. “We need to contact Atana to prepare a few more slaves to serve us.”

After looking at the list for a while, Otto put down his pen, then closed his eyes in front of the idol in his home, put his hands together, and began to mutter incantations.

"I have done everything out of necessity, and I beg the benevolent, merciful, loving, and great God to forgive my sins. I have done everything out of necessity, and I beg the benevolent, merciful, loving, and great God to forgive my sins..."

Ott kept repeating it—he had been feeling uneasy lately, as if something bad was about to happen, and could only keep praying to God to ease his anxiety.

The exquisite statue stood there silently, cradling a small skeleton in its arms, with two tears on its face—this was a statue commissioned by Otto to be made by craftsmen based on the scene in the Book of God where God, reincarnated as a human, wept upon seeing children dying from famine.

The room was filled with Otto's barely audible prayers, and the cold light shone on the statue. The light reflected off the statue's golden exterior conveyed a sense of emptiness.

After reciting the prayer several times in a different way, Otto felt much more at ease and continued preparing for the "feast" he would host for dignitaries and top celebrities the next day.

On Ithanar, Pollarid sat by the window, looking in the direction of where Maria Elisa lived.

Ankadis just came into the store, seemingly to check something. He said a few words to his foster father, Pallas, and then left, giving Pollalid a fierce glare before he left.

After Ankadis left, Pollalid received a message from Maria Elisa, who said she was going to do something big the next day and asked Pollalid if she wanted to come along.

Pollalid was initially hesitant about whether to refuse.

Then Maria Elisa said, "I hope you can come too."

Pollalid agreed.

Now, the thought of spending another day under Ancadis's terrifying gaze, even with Maria Elisa, still makes Pollard feel a little apprehensive.

"Fine, I've already agreed." Pollalid sighed, convincing himself with those words.

Pollalid knew he probably couldn't catch up with Maria Elisa—Maria Elisa seemed to treat all her close friends the same way—but he still wanted to spend more time with her.

After all, there was Aralia's duplicity first, and Makachi's sinister intentions later. Pollalid felt that Maria Elisa was the most sincere.

Oh, right, and Hankla too. Pollard remembered that junior student he met when he was at Kingcles Military Academy. That junior was quite gentle and had a good temper. He seemed to be a similar personality to Maria and Elisa.

If those two were to meet, they'd probably get along really well, Pollalid thought.