Ronin had been sleeping and dreaming about something that made him catch his breath when he woke up, and as he jolted up from his bed…
[You gained +10,000 V-Points.]
He rubbed his forehead, not really minding this notification. After a while of not saying anything, Kai suddenly said in a more softer and less neutral tone.
[… You alright? You just gained more V-points.]
“I know.”
[… You don’t look so glad about it. Woke up on the wrong side of bed?]
He glared at the holographic screen. But maybe…
Maybe it would be better to tell another soul than keep all these stuff bottled up. After all, Kai will not be able to affect much anyway. It doesn’t matter if it learns the truth, it was a system.
Even back when he was Min Cheng’s system, he was used like some confidant— though against his will. That must be the only therapy transmigrators can have for living in a lie as someone else for so long.
“I am slowly remembering who I am.”
Kai was a screen and turned into a person before him, having wide eyes and blinking them. “Oh…”
Ronin scoffed. “Why did you turn into human form?”
“I want to. What, you’re going to be like those jerk transmigrators that dictate to me what to do?” Kai snapped.
Ronin made a face. “Whatever. Anyway…..”
He told him about his memories as Ou, and he could tell from the look that Kai was giving him and its thoughts that it was really invested in these little snippets of memories. It listened with those with those wide eyes the whole time, from start to finish.
Once he was done, Kai was rubbing its chin and asked: “What do you think was the trigger for those memories to resurface?”
“I don’t know.” Ronin shrugged. “They happen at random, there’s no pattern. I don’t really care.”
Kai frowned. “Don’t care?”
“I don’t want to know more about my old self. About Ou. Especially when Ou is someone like this.” Ronin said. “I am Ronin now, and no one else.”
His system went quiet, just standing there blankly by his bedside.
Then, it said:
“I envy you.” Kai said.
Ronin knows. He cocked his head to the side. “Because I can remember and you can’t?”
Kai nodded. “I’ve been trying very hard, but all I can get is a vague feeling. I want to remember, but I can’t. You don’t want to remember, but you can.”
“I don’t care about all the glories of being a hero or a villain. I realized that now. I just want to be myself, as much as possible, not just a robotic-sounding holographic screen.”
Ronin went quiet. Then, without thinking much or making calculations on what was the best response to gain an advantage…
He genuinely said:
“You already sound human enough for me. The fact that you’re questioning your existence proves that.”
Kai blinked, then chuckled a little. Very light, and seemed to be a break from its usual monotone and neutral face that cannot be discerned as a man or woman or other.
“So you can say things that are not unkind after all.”
Ronin scowled. “I’m not being kind. I’m just stating an honest observation.”
“Yes, yes. Anyway.” Kai said. “Since you learned about ‘Ou’… Do you still want to wish to get into the real world once you gain that 1M points?”
Ronin thought about it. Yes, he despised the fact that Ou seemed to be this weak guy that was easily sentimental over his mother, or devoted to his friends to gift something like the Urgent Appeal…..
But at the same time, his rage towards that man on the streetlights never went away. He still wanted to know who that man was… How his death really came to be.
After all, Ou only implied to want to commit suicide. That doesn’t mean that’s what really happened.
He answered yes, and explained this line of reasoning to Kai, who only shook its head.
“Right. These knowledge of your past self never changed you after all. Still the same as always, only hungry for revenge.”
It shrugged. “Well then…. If you would ask me, revenge is not really a good motivation in life. Even that blind devotion that Ou has that you despised a lot seem like a better option to me. Because with revenge, once you receive the ‘retribution’ you wanted towards that person…..”
“What’s next? They’re dead. What will then be your motivation to keep going, to be satisfied with life?”
Ronin snapped back. “I don’t need philosophy lectures so early in the morning.”
Kai sighed. “Yeah, I thought so. Bye, Ou.”
The system disappeared into a burst of pixels before this villain can punch it.
But he can sense that this encounter somehow lessened the hostility between the both of them.
Its back to being neutral like before. He did hated Kai’s snark behavior and even daring to call him ‘Ou’, but it’s not really a bad company compared to some.
A bridge seemed to be fixed. And so did another one much, much later, about three months from that.
Calla Lily had done her best to focus on
finding more proof against the Lord of Darkness, but also had to balance it with discretion and not showing that she’s on his hair.
Edelweiss seemed to have resolved to never get close to Ronin ever again and avoid him like the plague ever since she learned the truth.
This was why Ronin gained 10,000 points, as getting away from Ronin also meant getting away from Cermin who he have latched onto. Not to mention that instead of Cermin saving the day from what possible schemes Sordido and Pavone would have been cooking…
It was her and Calla who had figured it out and stopped anything before it was too late.
Back on that house, while Ronin was stuck on his remembering his memories as Ou, he wasn’t able to overhear the following developments.
Calla looked at the woodcut drawing again, and crossed her arms. “I see. So you are trying to save us from the Lord of Darkness and avoiding the prophecy, is that it?”
“Yes.” Pavone said.
She raised an eyebrow. “Nothing else?”
Pavone just tilted his head. “What do you mean?”
“You are a good actor, Pavone. I believe I told you that once, when you and I crossed paths as you visited Rabuka in the Ampitheatre.” Calla walked to take the book from his hands.
He did not make any complaints, and let her have it.
“This arrival of the Lord of Darkness…. Anyone who stops it would be glorified, even if they were reclused for corruption and using a position of power for atrocious things.”
Pavone just chuckled. “And what’s so bad about regaining my reputation through this?”
“Nothing. What’s bad is what you would do if you don’t succeed.” Calla’s heeled shoes clacked on the ruined and cracked pavement of House Blanc D’Argent.
Sordido suddenly looked to the side where a broken window once stood. “Brother, its outside! The Lord of Darkness was watching outside!”
Pavone’s eyes widened, as there was nothing outside. He tried to stop Sordido…..
But his brother was already kneeling in front of the window.
“Please! Don’t take us, oh Dark One! Take the women instead! You are our liege, just spare our lives!”
Pavone reached out to touch Calla and stop her Theater of the Mind…..
But Edelweiss blocked him and shoved him to the ground. “Don’t you dare or I’ll have an octopus wrap around your neck and break it.”
Over the years, Pavone had became thin as bones and malnourished from poverty, so he was no longer stronger than these women.
“You!” He exclaimed.
“That’s what I thought. I can never trust a Blanc D’Argent.” She said, and with a snap of her fingers…
Sordido blinked in confusion. “Dark Lord…..?”
Calla gave both of them an intimidating glare.
“I will not speak of the fraud that your brother has done. But he or anyone related to you may never return in the Academy again. And I promise you, we will find out if he tries.”
Pavone gritted his teeth. “You’re a fool. You think you can stop him alone? You’re just prolonging the inevitable.”
Calla sneered. “If that inevitable thing was stopping your from double-crossing the Academy and serving the Lord of Darkness the moment he showed to be of greater advantage, then yes. I would rather prolong that inevitable.”
She threw the book at the fallen Pavone on the ground and that’s how their meeting ended.
Since then, she didn’t see the disguised Sordido in Lovushka’s troupe anymore. And she wore the Heartstone Glass at all times, so she can determine when he’s in disguise…..
Or a certain person who’s Heartstone could not be determined by the device.
As she worked with the theater more often, though, she had become more busy and always overloaded with work on a daily basis. Not to mention that she had to teach classes and do other Apprentice tasks, report to Councillor Verita, attend to poor, lonely Old Yeshwa…
So many things at once could only deteriorate the health. She soon felt much migraines and they persisted even with taking potions and magical pills.
She would often be found massaging her temples and taking off her glasses for a while when in Lily mode, and endure the pain alone.
But one day, someone took the courage to finally approach her and offer help.
“Apprentice Naemhnaid….. You look in pain for a long while now. I know you dislike me, but please let me help you.”
Marigold held out her soft hands glowing with healing energy.
She frowned at this golden girl beside her, this priestess who was pure and delicate as a flower.
“No, thank you. Leave me alone—“
“Can’t we mend our differences and just work together as part of the same team? You and I are supposed to be partners in helping with the tasks of managing and overseeing the plays here, but why…..”
“Why exactly do you despise me so much?”
Calla’s headache was just getting worse with every word this girl speaks, and eventually snapped:
“Because how can a witchy harlot get along with a divine monk like you!? Why don’t you ask your father what he thinks of such a thing!?”
There. She said it.
Marigold’s eyes widened like two suns.
“… My father?”
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