Chapter 370: The Realm of Truth

Chapter 370: The Realm of Truth

An awkward atmosphere gradually filled the private room.

Luke sat leisurely in his chair, skillfully petting the Golden Retriever. His fingers rhythmically rubbed the dog's fur, making its tail wag gently and its body roll over to expose its belly.

Aurelia's delicate face slowly flushed with a hint of red, her eyes glistening with moisture as she bit her lip, half embarrassed and half annoyed.

She was embarrassed because in that heated, ambiguous atmosphere, she had almost kissed a man she had just met. She was annoyed because he had ended the moment at the last second, as if mocking her feminine charm.

It felt like she had been led to the gallows, only to be spared at the last moment.

“Just now, you—”

“Don’t misunderstand. It was just a matter of timing. The magic’s effect happened to end right then.”

Seeming to read Aurelia's thoughts, Luke placed the Golden Retriever, which was almost too comfortable to stand, on the ground and smiled at her.

“Otherwise, why would I give up the chance to get close to Barkeland’s most dazzling gem?”

Aurelia, who was usually praised by various dukes, princes, and heirs, felt even more embarrassed by this title. She could only glare at Luke with her watery eyes.

“Mr. ‘Emperor,’ no matter what, I am still a ‘Spectator.’”

The unhidden playful smile on his face made it clear that this was not a coincidence; he had been teasing her on purpose.

What a despicable person!

“Yes, you are a ‘Spectator.’”

Luke approached Aurelia with a smile, his steps steady and his tone unhurried.

“A qualified ‘Spectator’ should maintain emotional stability at all times. You should learn to detach yourself from your situation and view things from a more detached perspective.”

Aurelia, who had become flustered by his proximity, took a deep breath and dismissed the idea of retreating. She recalled the exhilarating dance and hesitantly spoke.

“So, just now, you arranged that to give me an outlet for my emotions, to help me release my recent frustrations?”

Luke did not deny it, his tone casual. “I hope it wasn’t too ineffective. After all, I’m not a professional psychologist; that’s your job.”

So, it really was like that...

Aurelia felt a mix of relief and inexplicable disappointment. A shadow fell over her vision as the muscular, imposing figure drew near.

The distance between them closed again, but this time, there was no romantic atmosphere to assist. Aurelia remained clear-headed, recalling his words and asked with a calm demeanor:

“Is this another test to see if I’m a qualified ‘Spectator’?”

“No.”

Luke raised an eyebrow. “I just wanted to finish what we started.”

Aurelia was taken aback by his unexpected answer. The next moment, she was enveloped in his embrace, his lips and teeth taking control in a way that made her feel dominated.

She instinctively tried to resist but found it impossible to budge him. Instead, she was drawn into the enjoyment of his skilled technique, a sensation she had never experienced before, like being electrified. Her hands, which had been pushing him away, gradually lost strength and began to caress him.

Nearby, Susie lay down, burying her head in her paws, then cautiously peeked out.

These two were being so... so ungraceful!

After a long while, Aurelia suddenly started to struggle, forcefully pushing Luke away. She took a few steps back, incredulously touching her lips and glaring at him in anger.

“Mr. ‘Emperor,’ I must say, your behavior is extremely, incredibly, and particularly rude!”

Luke straightened his disheveled clothes and slowly returned to his seat.

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“I, I didn’t agree to this!”

“Hmm, I’m very sorry.”

“Such a forceful act, violating a young woman’s will, is essentially a crime!”

“Indeed, go ahead and kill me.”

His casual tone left Aurelia completely at a loss, and she could only sit down, feeling frustrated.

Luke glanced at the visibly sulking Aurelia and smiled reassuringly.

“I just don’t want our conversations to be too serious and formal. That would make them long and boring, lacking any real meaning and failing to alleviate your mental distress.”

He paused for a moment, his voice becoming deeper. “More importantly, our ‘gem’ lady is too charming, making it hard to resist.”

Aurelia did not respond immediately, but the heavy atmosphere around her dissipated somewhat. She closed her eyes to meditate and calm herself before speaking.

“You already know my identity, so just call me Aurelia. Can you tell me your name, Mr. ‘Emperor’?”

“Luke.”

Luke said his name and added with a smile, “If you think it’s a fake name, you can call me Jenova.”

Aurelia shook her head. She could tell "Luke" was his real name, even though it sounded strange and didn’t fit the naming conventions of the Northern or Southern Continents.

"I have many questions I want to ask you, as I mentioned at the Tarot meeting."

"Go ahead and ask whatever you want. I’ll tell you everything I know."

Luke gently flicked his fingers. "I’ll be leaving Barkeland for Tingen City in a couple of days. We probably won’t see each other again until I return."

Aurelia lowered her head, pondering for a moment before letting out a self-deprecating laugh.

"In the past few days, I’ve learned a lot and realized how sheltered I used to be... Are you really planning to start a war?"

"Yes, the war is coming, and it will come faster than you can imagine. Its impact will sweep across the entire world."

Luke nodded in agreement, adding more details.

Aurelia’s speech quickened. "Are you that certain? This is supposed to be an extremely difficult task. Even according to Mr. Hanged Man and Mr. Fool, the gods would find it challenging."

Luke shook his head. "It’s not that exaggerated. You know very little about mysticism, so you don’t understand the 'Pale Catastrophe.' A couple of deranged true gods can ignite a war that sweeps the world. Even angels could do it if no other beings intervened."

"So, what Sequence are you at now?"

"Sequence 4."

"..."

Aurelia furrowed her brow, feeling a subtle relief.

"I understand that a demigod is a great figure, but shouldn’t they be unable to do something so significant?"

Luke gave her a gentle smile. "A little over half a month ago, I was just an ordinary person."

"..."

To advance from Sequence 9 to Sequence 4 in less than a month?

Aurelia’s mind went blank.

In such a short time, it should be impossible to even fully digest a Sequence 9 elixir!

She entered the "Spectator" state, carefully observing every expression on Luke’s face and analyzing every nuance in his tone. All the evidence clearly told her it was true.

"How... how did you advance so quickly?"

Aurelia knew the question was abrupt and inappropriate. For Luke to share his rapid advancement was already a significant breach of privacy, but she couldn’t help herself.

As soon as the words left her mouth, Aurelia regretted them and quickly tried to make amends.

"Um... you don’t have to answer that."

Luke propped his head up with his hand, studying Aurelia with an inscrutable look.

"It’s not a big deal. I don’t mind telling you."

He shifted his gaze to the open window and posed a seemingly unrelated question. "Suppose someone earns 10 soli per week and has 6 soli left after expenses. How much can they save in a month?"

"One pound equals twelve soli, and a month ranges from 28 to 31 days. They could save about 2 pounds."

Aurelia quickly answered the confusing question and then asked, puzzled, "Why would someone’s weekly wage be only 10 soli? You mean hourly, right?"

Luke ignored Aurelia’s question and continued, "How long would it take for that person to save 10,000 pounds?"

Aurelia silently calculated, "Four hundred and seventeen years."

After giving her answer, she fell into a long silence. It was a staggering number.

"But if it were you, you could probably save 10,000 pounds in just two or three months, right? And it couldn’t be during holidays or your birthday."

Aurelia felt she was grasping something and suddenly looked up.

"You are a Divine Favored, supported by a true god?"

"That’s a fair way to put it."

Luke nodded. "To correct you, the being supporting me is even greater than a true god. I can’t reveal more specific details; it could be dangerous for you to know."

It wasn’t a lie. An existence greater than the Seven Gods... what could that be?

The creator who awoke from the chaos, shattered the darkness, created the first light, and eventually merged with the universe, becoming the source of all deities, as described in The Revelation of Night?

Or perhaps some other hidden existence not mentioned in the holy scriptures, a dark god or demon? But those didn’t seem to qualify as greater than the Seven Gods.

Aurelia fell into a long silence, finally asking with a dry throat, "Why?"

She looked at Luke seriously. "I believe you and the being behind you have the power to start a war, but why must you do it? Regardless of victory or defeat, war will cause society to regress, the economy to decline, and countless deaths. It will bring profound turmoil and countless tragedies."

She watched Luke anxiously, hoping he would give her a convincing answer to resolve her inner turmoil.

"That’s what I meant by not wanting to have a serious conversation that turns into a debate, because everyone’s thoughts are different, and trying to convince anyone is a complicated matter."

Luke sighed with a smile, stood up, and walked to the door, smiling at her:

"But once the truth is clear, mutual understanding and empathy become much easier."

"Do you want to go for a walk?"

Without hesitation, Aurelia got up quickly, and Suzy followed her out.

The two of them walked together to the bustling street, where the air was filled with a mix of various scents. The street was orderly yet laced with small-scale chaos, with Suzy silently observing them from behind.

The combination of a handsome man, a beautiful woman, and a golden retriever drew many gazes, some of which were filled with desire and greed. Sensing that Aurelia was uncomfortable with the intense stares, Luke raised his hand slightly.

An invisible wave spread out, and the surrounding sounds suddenly grew quiet. The light seemed to dim, and passersby averted their gazes, no longer paying attention to them.

Noticing this small detail, Aurelia's lips curved slightly, and her mood brightened.

They walked in silence for a while, about to leave the area, when Luke spoke softly.

"What do you think of Jowood District?"

Aurelia recalled what she had seen along the way and answered cautiously, "It's crowded, narrow, with poor infrastructure. There are many people, and the buildings are generally old, but it has more vitality compared to Queens District."

Luke glanced at her and pointed out the key point:

"The average weekly wage here is 10 sulors."

Aurelia was momentarily stunned, "You weren't just hypothesizing... 10 sulors, is 10 sulors enough?"

"After deducting rent, food and water expenses, taxes, and living costs, you can save a little, provided there are no illnesses or accidents, and no dependents to support."

Luke stated the facts calmly, "This is the wage earned by young, energetic workers. There are also women, the elderly, and children who lag behind, as well as government employees, senior lawyers, high-level mystics, private consultants, and the average bankers, entrepreneurs, and industrial magnates..."

"So, there are people who earn less than 10 sulors per week?"

"Quite a few."

"..."

Aurelia paused, her expression becoming complex.

In the past, she thought she wasn't entirely naive. Taking the "Spectator" elixir and using its keen insight to observe her surroundings, she realized she had been like a child who hadn't grown up.

But the "Spectator" could only let her see the world around her, revealing the corruption of politicians, but it couldn't take her out of Queens District to witness the living conditions of the lower class.

Only now did she begin to glimpse a sliver of the truth.

As they walked, the surroundings grew increasingly desolate. Entertainment facilities were almost nonexistent, and only a few old restaurants and small shops remained.

Luke led Aurelia to a hill with a higher elevation, from where they could clearly see the view below.

Tall chimneys stood, emitting light yellow, dense white, or dark gray industrial fumes.

Even though it was nearly noon, the sunlight was significantly weakened by the fog, making the sky anything but bright.

Aurelia looked at the smog covering the sky, recalling Barkeland's seemingly eternal shadow and the sky that never fully cleared, and spoke softly:

"This is..."

"The industrial district. This area, along with the eastern district and the dock district, is the poorest part of Barkeland, but it is also the economic backbone of the city's industries."

Luke gazed down at the towering factory buildings, seemingly in awe:

"Doesn't it look like a furnace of life?"

"The workers are like stalks of straw blown over by the wind, consumed and thrown into the furnace as fuel, one batch after another. Their lives are as fragile as bubbles while washing clothes."

"But the factories can't be shut down. Because of government policies, the economic benefits they bring, and the fact that if they close, countless workers will lose their livelihoods, causing social unrest and widespread starvation."

Aurelia's face gradually turned pale as her worldview began to crumble with each new revelation.

She didn't look away but stood straight, her eyes brightening slightly as she asked softly:

"Is this the reason you decided to start a war?"

"Not exactly. I have my own goals."

Luke glanced at the gray sky, his tone calm.

"I've never really considered myself a good person. I like to play tricks on others but can't stand being played. I allow myself to be unfaithful but expect my partner to be faithful. I want to use any means to get what I want, and I will go to great lengths to get back at anyone who crosses me."

As he spoke, he shook his head and smiled.

"War is not the only solution to achieve my goals, nor is it the best one."

"But I am still human."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end