Chapter 415 Unit-01s Fine Growth (1/2)
”Joshua, what are you thinking about?”
A curious voice spoke outside the study as the warrior pondered about the future.
With a swift convergence of mana, 03's silhouette formed by the door. With a cotton shawl draped over her, the Avian girl floated into the study with a curious gaze on Joshua. ”You're not the type to stare blankly.”
Joshua turned at the sound and nodded at the artificial intelligence's holograph. ”What, 03? Is something up?”
After she entered the study, 03 arranged the scattered tomes on the cabinet carefully and smiled lightly at the warrior's question.
”You looked weird since returning from the Imperial Capital… What I mean to say is that you could tell us if there's anything making you confused.”
”We are companions,” she added softly. ”It's reasonable that we help each other.”
”… Thanks for your concern, there is indeed something.”
Joshua touched his chin in surprise after 03's words. He never expected that 03 would discover his unusual behavior caused by his recent contemplation of the Mana Tide over the last few days. Taking a mental note of the fact, he hesitated for a while before shaking his head.
”It's not that I couldn't tell you… But there will be omens in one or two years, or five if things progressed slowly. To talk about it now would merely be piling tensions.”
That was the warrior's serious thoughts. The first wave of the mana tide had exploded when the Seven Gods combined to banish the Pentashade Dragon God from the Infinite Horizon into the material plane. As mana surged and the Dragon God wailed in pain, every draconic beast of the Pentashade bloodline descended into madness, brewing a real Draconic Plague.
But now the cause of that Draconic Plague no longer exists this time. Although the Pentashade race was not maimed like they were in the pre-existence, mankind had preserved themselves better than the beasts. There was a more significant advantage in terms of ability compared to the preexistence, while the Pentashade Dragon God did not even have the time to challenge the Seven.
As such, the deities just might prevent the first Mana Tide from affecting the Continent since they did not do battle.
Naturally, 03 should not be informed of these matters for now.
The A.I. girl was a little disappointed by Joshua's refusal and floated off to sit on top of a desk.
”Fine…” she said, her tone sullen. ”Then you're unhappy about being grounded?”
She knew the warrior's personality, and that tying him down would unsettle him. However, the Joshua made a subtle expression at her query.
”Why would I be unhappy? It's a liege's duty to avenge their subjects who died incredulous deaths. The ensuing punishment is also entirely reasonable.”
Joshua walked to the desk and joined 03 by sitting on it too. His eyes then turned towards the map on the wall opposite him. As if the Artificial Intelligence had invoked certain thoughts, his tone became ironic. ”What unsettles me is attitude—from start to finish, nobody cared about Alphonso's death except me.”
However, Joshua's tone soon became calmer instead. ”Those nobles who had made the hit definitely wouldn't care. As for the Emperor stands high above, His Majesty would not even care about such trifles. That being said, the most unnerving of the bunch was Alphonso's children and companions, who withheld news of his death for power without a hint of pain.”
”Such attitude is simply too twisted. To them, their father had been killed and a friend had been hurt, and yet I could not even see a hint of rage in every single one of those people.” Joshua said dispassionately. ”I wonder what Alphonso's spirit in heaven would think.”
”But you did avenge him, didn't you.” 03 shook her head and leaned lightly on Joshua, her tone solemn. ”You've slain the nobles responsible and fought the Emperor because of that. And you've also punished that unworthy son of Alphonso's, whom you've stationed at the Dark Forest Fort as a normal city guard.”