Chapter 374 (2/2)

Randidly shrugged. This sort of debate was interesting, he supposed, but it didn’t really strike him as one that they should be having, when the danger of an Aether drought was looming over them… suddenly he felt a decent amount of regret that he had come over here at all…

“And the winner… is Shawna. I believe she is correct, and her argument has better logical underpinnings. But that was a profoundly fascinating point of view, Peggy, we should-”

Randidly left, before the conversation devolved further.

Back at the small cabin he had claimed for himself, he found Nevaeh curled up, and an extremely small seeming Kiersty climbing over her bony protuberances to slowly near Neveah’s head.

Neveah was supremely amused at the child’s struggles, and was doing her best not to move. Sighing, Randidly scratched his head and hid a smile as he walked passed. Now… since so much time was wasted, time to focus back on-

“Mr. Ghosthound.”

Randidly blinked, and looked around. It was extremely rare for him to miss something, and the voice came as surprise. When he turned, he found himself faced with the slight form of Kiersty’s brother, Nathan.

He seemed less healthy than he had then when Randidly had last seen him, with hollow eyes and deep bags, as well as his bones being extremely prominent, but it was hard to really worry. The System caused a lot of weird effects, especially upon the younger generation, who wasn’t quite so used to the world free from the the System. They accepted things more easily, and carried them to stranger and more foreign extremes. This was likely just an example of that.

Hopefully.

“Yes?” Randidly said, curious.

Nathan nodded slightly, then continued. “I want strength, like the Blessings. To protect Kiersty. I even obtained a Soul Skill, hanging around the Arbor worshippers, the Twisted Sapling. I’ve snuck over to watch the military training, but when they catch me… they kick me out…”

Nathan’s gaze fell to the ground, and Randidly could feel the slowly growing self hatred there, he could practically see Nathan’s inner monologue of recrimination and blame for failing to grow stronger.

But this puzzled Randidly. “...I know they don’t allow you to get a Class, but isn’t there training for…?”

Shaking his head emphatically, Nathan said. “There might be Classes, but they are slow and pointless. Most of the other kids want to just play tag or shoot Mana Bolts at things. None of them really understand… the just don’t get-” Then he fell silent, his gaze slowly turning upwards towards Randidly’s. They eyes locked.

Randidly did not look away first, but he shivered. Just because Donnyton was flourishing when he returned, well run and well equipped, he had assumed that things had been easy for the residents. Based on the look in Nathan’s eyes, that wasn’t necessarily the case. Something very particularly had happened to light a fire in his chest.

There was a strange tightness. Randidly put his hand on Nathan’s shoulder, feeling extremely awkward.

“Please.” The boy’s whisper was desperate.

“Do you truly crave power so much, child…?” Randidly said, feeling something very strange in his heart. It was something he recognized, however, after a moment of reflection.

Karma. The binding threads of fate. Nathan nodded.

Inciting Action. All a spear can do is advance.

“...I’ll see what I can do,” Randidly said, his voice so quiet that he was afraid he wouldn’t be heard.

Or maybe he hoped he wouldn’t be.