"How are you able to resist it? As far as I know, their charm was absurd."
Evan posed the question while reviewing a notification that had appeared in his field of vision just monts after the dryads revealed their true forms.
|Adaptive Evolution has been triggered. |
|Charm Resistance has increased imnsely. |
'Imnsely? I've never seen that one before.'
He already had charm resistance due to the incident with the Arachne in Geto City years ago, and with each new Existence Level, the resistance increased.
Yet, the sheer amount of charm the dryads had buffeted him in those few seconds was enough to trigger his Evolution skill to evolve his charm resistance by this much.
"My ntal resistance is high enough that nothing cast by a Lower Existence can affect .
Besides, Seven Deadly Sins Wrath magic though…Last ti I used it, I lost control."
Arthur responded while pointing at the side of his head, before moving his hand to his chin and adopting a pensive look as he continued.
"Though that was about two years ago when I was still a Grandmaster so I don't know about now."
Evan's brain casually ignored everything Arthur said but his last statent.
"Two years ago when you were a Grandmaster…I'm not even gonna bother."
It wasn't long ago that he had concluded that Arthur was simply built different so things like this shouldn't surprise him anymore.
"What about you? How did you resist it?"
When Arthur returned this question, Evan smiled wryly behind his mask and replied.
"Let's just say the part of my brain that processes 'lust' is completely occupied by soone else. As such, other females don't register in my eyes.
That and my Charm Resistance."
"Oh, you got a girlfriend?"
"Yeah, I do."
'More like a fiancée.'
Evan confird, his gaze lancholic as he recalled the look on Eliza's face monts before he was flung through spaceti.
"She's in the future?"
"Fortunately, yes."
The Rogue Hero replied as he walked back to the other dryad who was sobbing silently, summoning his sword and beheading her before returning to Arthur who asked him if he missed his girlfriend.
"Yeah, I sure do."
Arthur nodded silently, his thoughts unknown as he cracked the last seal and revealed a staircase in front of the tree that led underground.
As they descended, both boys sighed at the sight before them.
"Well, I guessed this after a while, but it is indeed as I expected."
Arthur's voice echoed in the quiet chamber, where a single tombstone stood solemnly in the centre.
The na inscribed on it was 'Marcel Bonnet.'
"It's just where she buried her son."
"Indeed."
Even though they had confronted Margaux and ended her vendetta, neither Arthur nor Evan felt any inclination to disturb Marcel's grave. They saw no point in that.
So, they left the cavern, and Arthur sealed it once more before they headed towards the forest exit.
"Hopefully, she already got the one who actually killed her son. For his sake."
Evan's low mutter reached Arthur's ears but the Progenitor was indifferent about it. It was expected that Evan wouldn't sympathize with the dead Gozonians or take their side in the matter.
"Poor dude probably had years ahead of him, but he was gone too soon.
How rciless War can be."
"You sound like you have so experience with it."
Arthur's comnt about his 'experience' had Evan nodding slightly, his thoughts drifting to the mories of his predecessor.
mories of the Aidos-Gozon War that spanned Years 33 to 39 of the 51st General Calendar.
Six very bloody years.
"It's a bit complicated, but yes.
I also know very well how pointless it can be.
If only the Aramisians would simply see that the Gozonians are that much stronger and surrender without unnecessary fights…
But I guess that'd be a double standard opinion…"
Indeed, it was a double standard for him to voice such a sentint. By that logic, future Aidos should surrender to the Gozonians given their superior battle power.
Yet, the reality was that Aidos had not surrendered in Year 34 and would not surrender in the inevitable second war—despite Gozon's strength.
'It's one thing if they're just subjugating, but Gozon wants us destroyed.'
Ginaroad Sargon stepping foot on future Aidos was the beginning of its doom; the reason why future Artemisia had prevented him from entering during the first war.
|¬Get out. ¬|
"??!"
Arthur's sudden words echoed in Evan's head and he winced, turning around to see Arthur staring at his shadow.
|¬Leave and re-join us at the entrance to the forest. Now get out before you end up like those dryads. ¬|
A silver haze of light emanated from Arthur, and in response, Evan's shadow squird before sothing shot out of it toward the forest entrance.
"What was that?"
"One of Alvey's Shadow Demons."
Arthur replied to Evan's inquiry, before shifting the conversation's focus to why he sent the demon away.
"Gozon has so secret aim in going after this world."
Holding up his hand, Arthur summoned a small, palm-sized cuboid from his subspace, its surface adorned with rings of light. Within it was a miniature figure, a man trapped inside.
"This man is the Researcher in charge of the Duskhand Bastille Fake Divine Experints."
"Duskhand? That's the place you destroyed, isn't it?"
"It is.
His na is Ger, I t him through Rachel when I was in Duskhand. From him, I discovered that there's sothing that Gozon does to Pri Worlds they capture, but no one knows what it is because no one knows where those Worlds are anymore."
"?!"
Rachel and Ger's relationship had a part of Evan's mind curious but he killed that curiosity and placed all his focus on the matter of Pri Worlds disappearing.
Despite knowing future Gozon was after future Aidos, Evan had zero idea why. The Forbidden Cosmic Source theory, ntioned by Agnes, didn't quite convince him.
The Seven Deadly Sins likely knew more but had no intention of sharing it with Evan.
[Strangely, a few decades after losing to Gozon, these Pri Worlds suddenly vanished from existence.
No planetary debris or asteroid belts were left in the area.
These whole planets just disappeared.]
"Those were the exact words he used when he inford about this. Thus, the reason for the Aramisians' fierce resistance, even if they may or may not acknowledge that Gozon is the stronger party in this conflict.
They are scared of what Gozon was doing to those Pri Worlds, and they didn't want such things to happen to them."
Arthur recounted his conversation with Ger before activating his Pseudo-Authority.
|¬Pseudo-Authority of Ti: Eternal Prison; Release¬|
The cuboid unravelled, returning Ger to his normal size. The researcher collapsed on the floor, unconscious but Arthur kicked him in the stomach, jolting him awake.
Before Ger could catch his breath, Arthur seized him by the neck and lifted him into the air.
|¬I have questions. Answer or turn to dust. Your call. ¬|
"That's one way to start an interrogation."
Evan remarked with a chuckle, observing Ger's fear-stricken eyes as the silver light from Arthur's palm began to creep up his neck.
"I'll…talk…!'"
He choked out those words and Arthur imdiately began grilling him for answers while Evan stood by, attentively noting every piece of crucial information about Gozon.
'Useful information for the future.'
Midway, Arthur shifted his questions focus to Rachel, inquiring whether the transformation into a Fake Divine could be reversed. The answers elicited a sigh of frustration from Arthur, who then resealed Ger and returned the cuboid to his Subspace.
As they began walking away, Evan asked.
"You think Alvey and McEnda know about why they're sent to Conquer worlds?"
"Of course. The two even told it was for 'Gozonian High-Rank Demon ears alone'."
Arthur's reply reminded Evan of the Seven Deadly Sins, confirming their knowledge of Gozon's motives.
'…Of course, they'd know why they are after us.
I had asked them, but neither Roselia, Nadarus or Leviah ever gave an answer.'
Their reluctance only deepened Evan's suspicion that the truth was sothing he wouldn't like. As he pondered, he felt Arthur's scrutinizing gaze and controlled his emotions from surfacing as he asked.
"How can we find out what this reason is?"
"You're curious?"
"Yes. I happen to know so people at the threat of invasion from Gozon. A Pri World."
Having previously told Arthur he was from Earth V; Arthur shouldn't think he was asking for himself. Sadly, Arthur didn't have any thod of finding out the answers he wanted.
"Unless I were to dig into Alvey and McEnda's mories, which is unlikely. And even if I could, I'm certainly not the only one who's thought of doing so.
The fact that this information remains classified, despite the likelihood of others attempting to uncover it, suggests that the Gozonians have taken robust asures to prevent any leaks, including using counterasures against mory reading."
Evan nodded in agreent, recognizing the logic in Arthur's assessnt. He heaved a resigned sigh, while Arthur glanced at the darkening sky.
"Looks like it's about to rain. Let's get out of here."
Arthur activated his teleportation magic, whisking them away from the area while completely forgetting the Shadow Demon waiting for them at the forest entrance.
◇ ◇ ◇
Noble Baron Hotel
Tolgue City
Githal Region
Gledea Continent
April 7th
531st Divine Year
Arthur and Evan reappeared outside a towering building, its sign boldly declaring 'Noble Baron Hotel'
'That's one hell of a na.'
As they entered, the mont the clerks saw Arthur, they literally leapt over the counter and rushed to greet him with enthusiastic smiles.
"Welco Back, Mr Arthur."
Two additional clerks joined them, bowing deeply in respect. Arthur acknowledged them with a casual nod, then inford them he was heading to the suites on the top floor.
"How much money have you spent here for them to be that happy about your presence?"
"A few million I think?"
"Million? Where did you even get the money."
Arthur's response to Evan's query was succinct: "Loot."
"…"
'He took money from the military bases he raided! But I suppose I'd do the sa.'
Evan had this thought as he followed Arthur to the top floor and entered one of the suites.
"Sup."
"Hmm? Oh!
Hello Evan. Hello Arthur."
Lying on one of the beds with far too few clothes was Beatrix who greeted them before returning her gaze to the magazine she was reading.
Evan just sighed and turned to the dining chair, grabbed the blanket there and tossed it onto Beatrix to cover her up.
"You knew we were coming, at least get yourself decent."
She surely sensed their approach but hadn't bothered to put on more clothing, prompting another sigh from Evan.
Arthur, who had gone into the kitchen, peeked back out before nodding.
"Truly, they don't enter his eyes."
Arthur re-entered the kitchen, leaving Evan to settle on a nearby couch. He searched for the air-conditioner remote when Beatrix, sitting up on the bed tilted her head and gave him a curious look
"Did you guys go sowhere with Arty or sothing?"
"Huh? Artemisia? No. Why?"
Evan replied, puzzled by the question, as he sank onto the couch and grabbed the remote. At that mont, Arthur erged from the kitchen with a bottle of juice and Beatrix gave a reply that shocked Evan.
"Isn't that Arty's divinity on you? Her Evolution powers."
"…"
'What?'
Though Evan barely held himself back from voicing that reaction out loud, Beatrix could see the confusion in his eyes.
"You can't tell?"
She glanced at Arthur who was silently sipping his juice and asked.
"Can you see it, Arthur? There's a Layer of Arty's divinity surrounding him."
Evan's gaze shifted to Arthur, hoping that Beatrix's perception was mistaken. However, Arthur's response dashed those hopes.
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