Surviving The Fourth Calamity

Aislin tilted her head and looked at the nervous Ruth: "I won’t bring it up again.

But, teacher, I think they aren’t unaware.

They ignore it, just thinking it fits their vision better... teacher..."

Ruth’s gaze flickered for a few seconds before he spoke quietly: "Aislin, sometimes, the future both sides want isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

After all, the goal seems the same, but a slight deviation can lead to vastly different outcomes."

Aislin was a bit puzzled... She always approached things boldly, making a big splash out of everything.

Of course, when she loses, she loses completely.

Like Ruth and the others, who rely on subtle, nearly imperceptible shifts to try to change results, Aislin could never understand.

"Alright~ All I can do is remind you, teacher." Aislin pouted, her crimson lips curving in a casual arc, "A path designed without emotion might rely on more logical thinking to seem sensible, but, when he designed this path, he didn’t necessarily care about your safety, my teacher."

"That doesn’t need to be a concern." Ruth gently looked at her, "Although I really want to live to see a beautiful future, if it comes to the point where I must sacrifice myself as well, I won’t hesitate, Aislin.

The things the people of the Defense Tower can achieve, I can achieve too.

I persist in living not because life is so wonderful... Aislin, a life without a visible future can never be considered beautiful.

Instead, it’s because I bear the dreams of hundreds in my sect.

Living like this can sometimes be quite painful.

I can indeed rely on willpower to eliminate these useless emotions, but I’m not always that strong either."

Aislin pressed her lips together: "Sorry, teacher, next time I’ll pay more attention."

"Aislin, you know you’re becoming less and less like your old self, right?" Ruth asked softly, "Can you be sure that this time... it’s actually alright?"

"Hmm..." Aislin sat up straight, gently placing her hands on her lower abdomen, "The old me, though appearing as an independent soul, essentially displayed her personality.

Though somewhat filtered by my own soul, not as... naive... innocent, but it was indeed due to her influence.

This time I specifically observed Rommel.

That man is indeed handsome, elegant in every gesture, with a sort of ascetic yet mysterious aura, but even when I try hard to eliminate the past vigilance, I cannot like someone like him.

The old me suppressed unnecessary feelings with reason, not that she wasn’t moved."

Aislin completely ignored how awkwardly her teacher changed the subject, as she was always easily distracted, simply pondering earnestly the difference between herself and her past.

"Rommel indeed aligns more with your past preferences." Ruth nodded, then hesitantly asked, "Now... what do you like?"

"Not really~ Teacher!" Aislin suddenly perked up, "Teacher, I now seem less interested in men.

After observing a large group, I suddenly find girls more adorable now!"

Ruth sighed lightly... No wonder Aislin had been lingering in the trade hall lately; she was verifying her own change.

Fortunately.

The reason he spoke for Koyl wasn’t because that kid secretly complained to him... Koyl and Rojas are completely different.

While Koyl, too, interacts with his own possessions, in some respect, he’s also depleting Ruth’s intangible benefits.

Just anyone standing in that position will do the same.

Moreover, Koyl is already a very principled type, Ruth himself has no opinion.

Conversely, Koyl can’t complain about Aislin’s actions... even though the losses are implied, thick-skinned enough to let the damaged fix his problems, Koyl isn’t yet at that level.

If it were Oliva, he would’ve found Ruth long ago.

But Koyl isn’t entirely without countermeasures either.

He only needs to slightly exaggerate Aislin’s attention to the Male Mage, and many will seek Ruth in a panic, asking him to suppress Aislin’s desires.

Though Ruth feels some people are overthinking, underestimating Aislin, there’s not much he can say... can’t exactly ask them to look in the mirror!

Then Ruth abruptly realized what Aislin had said... As an orthodox Mage, he was indeed slow to react in this area... He showed a hint of panic: "Aislin, what are you talking about?

Keep gender as an issue, okay?"

Faced with her stammering teacher, Aislin simply blinked innocently: "Teacher, what are you thinking!

I just find girls more adorable, not... interested in that aspect.

Seriously~

Why do you always think awry with me?"

"Is it my fault?" With a bit of comfort, Ruth softened his tone, "You should still reduce your contacts with people recently!"

"Then should I go find Gilbert?" Aislin seemed a bit eager.

"Why are you looking for Gilbert?" Ruth’s voice rose uncontrollably, "Don’t you think he might be annoyed?"

Rommel, when he cleans up your mess, he still has to save me some face, and only secretly gives you a couple of slaps.

Gilbert?

You’re not afraid he’ll hit you in public?"

"How could he possibly not know anything after being alone with Rommel for so long?" Aislin said indignantly, "That guy Gilbert always rushed straight home as soon as he left, he must be hiding something!"

"Haven’t you stopped being influenced by that consciousness?" Ruth asked, slightly confused, "Why are you still so hung up on Gilbert?

He has secrets, what does that have to do with you?

I, as your teacher, haven’t even asked!"

"I don’t know either." Aislin was also a bit bewildered, "It just feels like, somehow, Gilbert might be able to help me."

"If you really want him to help you, it’s best to keep your distance from him." Ruth sighed helplessly, "Look, he gets along well with Oliva and Koyl.

Especially Koyl.

He can have a good relationship with Gilbert, how come you can’t?

A child wouldn’t show affection by bothering someone, understand?"

Ruth finally made his own judgment:

No matter what Aislin’s primary soul used to be, it’s not necessarily any better than Glaysia’s soul!

-----------------

Fengo, up at the Black Tower, was quite busy at the moment.

He needed to begin searching history up to five thousand years back, investigating what Glaysia had been up to.

Before this Princess of Hell’s exposure, he didn’t have the right to meddle with her affairs, but after she’d shown obvious mishaps, Fengo had to present various facts to the Lord of Hell before Asmodeus questioned him.

Asmodeus, being somewhat lenient in this regard, wouldn’t demand Fengo have an incredibly detailed account of what this unlucky princess has done, especially when he’s restricted Fengo from interfering too much with Glaysia.

Therefore, he’d provide Fengo with some time for investigation and evidence collection.

Even allowing for some omissions.

But the main situation must be thoroughly examined... Even if these matters could be discerned with just a thought from the Lord of Hell, he would not allow Fengo to make major errors.

So, Fengo was genuinely busy.

Busy disguising information that existed before, which he never looked at, as results of new investigations.

He’s not truly foolish, how could he possibly ignore Glaysia’s issues entirely!

When that Princess of Hell made trouble for him, she certainly wouldn’t care about Asmodeus’s orders.

Though he didn’t pay much attention to details, he needed to know which side this troublemaking Princess of Hell was targeting.

Fengo took out an observation record from the Temple and sighed deeply... How could he condense centuries of observation records into an investigative report of just a few thousand words?

If all else fails, he might have to rely on his old tricks... bloating the document with more words, making it more limp, to obscure the truth he already knew something was amiss.

Thinking it over, Fengo felt he had no choice but to do just that.

First, expand the investigative report to tens of thousands of words, then pin a summary of a few hundred words on the first page.

If the Lord of Hell was really patient enough to read through it all, it would be alright, although slightly tedious, but all definitely official investigative records.

But if he found the excessive chatter tiresome, he could just read the results to wrap it up.

Anyway, the Lord of Hell was surely aware of what Fengo was up to in these little matters.

Sometimes, when Asmodeus insisted on reading the whole report, it wasn’t to stir trouble for Fengo, but to display his mastery of everything.

No one knew for sure, which reports he actually read earnestly.

So, those smart Devils, like Fengo, despite knowing the report might remain unread, would never be sloppy.

Although his head grew a few sizes bigger from writing, Fengo still raced to finish the report swiftly... Glaysia had already tucked away her little mistake, he couldn’t lag behind in filing the report!

Granting time for smoothing over matters for the Princess of Hell didn’t mean Fengo could simply stay silent.

"Lord Fengo." A Black-Clothed Mage suddenly appeared.

"What is it?"

"Rosero sent word, he wants to take Delphus to the Defense Tower."

"Hmm? I remember nothing’s left at the Defense Tower! Is Rosero trying to get Delphus out of Sia Tower?"

"He’s being quite proactive."

"That guy always makes a quick getaway."