Chapter 985 (2/2)

Sighing, Randidly leaned back in the rocking chair until his center of gravity shifted backward. “If we assume that these people are the accumulated subconscious influences from those I’ve encountered, it’s still somewhat worrisome that I’m only one tenth of the population inside the world that is somehow my literal body.”

A ghost of a smile flitted across Lucretia’s face. “Honestly, how much of that remaining one-tenth isn’t also just influences of other people? I think it’s pretty impressive that you had direct control equalling ten percent of the rest of the realm.”

Randidly regarded Lucretia mutely. Lucretia couldn’t resist the urge to chuckle. “I’m just being realistic. How much of ourselves is truly us and how much is just the environment?”

Waving a hand in irritation, Randidly said, “I don’t want to have a nature versus nurture discussion right now. This world is my body; I need to have some semblance of control-”

Then Randidly blinked. His grin was then wolfish. “Ah, of course. You are saying the number doesn’t matter much. Ultimately, it is the ten percent that has the images; that is what matters. Have there been any hints of my images spreading?”

Lucretia nodded. “There are a few places that I’ve seen concrete knock-off image, but most are fuzzy and malformed. Apparently whatever sort of status existence this world endured previously didn’t allow any real images to develop. The country we have allied with, Noran, has already employed several of the individuals from Tellus who can use images as visiting scholars for their military college. Which, ultimately, means we bear increased influence in our ally but also increased exposure to political trouble.

“And although I said there was nothing overt… Noran has been pushing its military college very aggressively these past few years; I would be shocked if they didn’t make a move in the near future. If we want to prevent war, we need to intervene soon. But to do so, I’ll require some time to gather more information,” Lucretia said seriously.

Randidly opened his mouth and then paused. His immediate reaction to conjure a group of Riders for Lucretia, here in the Soulskill, so she would have a group of reliable troops. But the more Randidly thought about it...

At that moment, Randidly could feel his two images on his separate shoulders. Nurture and growth from the World Tree. Destruction and entropy from the Grim Chimera. Releasing a breath, he followed both of those paths forward in his mind, attempting to predict the outcomes of the different stances he could take in regards to his Soulskill. The entire time, Randidly could feel the fragile feeling of security that he had finally managed to develop over the past four months shaping his perspective.

The longer his gaze followed the branching paths leading toward a series of political interventions in his Soulskill, the heavier Randidly’s emerald gaze become. His mind drifted back to the sordid and twisted series of covert operations that the United States green-lit in South America and all of the far-reaching consequences that resulted.

With Randidly’s Control, Focus, and Intelligence, he felt reasonably confident that he could predict the broader consequences and costs of what Lucretia was suggesting. Which was perhaps arrogant. But Randidly’s Crown seemed to resonate as he calculated the lives they could save by preventing a war between the countries present in Randidly’s Soulskill.

The fragile feeling of security flickered and shrunk. Was what Randidly was considering protecting the people of his Alpha Cosmos or simply babying them? We don’t have time for careful calculation or soft solutions.

Lucretia studied him. Then she blinked in shock as Randidly’s face settled into a grimace. “You… you don’t think we should intervene to stop the coming war here?”

“In this land, I wear no Crown,” Randidly said quietly. He could see the unmarked graves of his fellow soldiers along the Hallat, even now. In the dark space of his mind, when it wasn’t populated by images, that was the scenery that was conjured. “What right do I have to impose my will upon these people?”

Lucretia just looked at Randidly.

Helpless, he shook his head. “Do I possess the prerogative to save them from their own foolishness? And more than that- should I?”

“This is your body, for good or for ill.” Lucretia waved her hand in the air. But her eyes stayed on Randidly’s face. “But I can see… well, I was always wondering how the Spearman’s vision would affect you. If this is your body then this war will be a refining process for the unconscious images that you've collected. You would benefit greatly from the war, in a sense.”

Randidly opened his mouth to say something, but Lucretia raised her hand. “I didn’t mean it as a criticism. As it happens… I totally agree that the best course of action is to allow things to resolve themselves. But I suppose I assumed you would find the truth of this situation distasteful.”

“I cannot be gentle. Especially with myself,” Randidly replied.

Grinning, Lucretia said. “Ah, perfect. This is what I wanted to point out to you.” She spread her hands to indicate the world, then brought them together toward Randidly. “You cannot have things both ways. These lives we are talking so casually about are both you and also separate individuals. It is not an either/or. Don’t hide from the ethics by only considering the definition that is convenient for you at the moment.”

Randidly playfully punched Lucretia’s shoulder. “Alright, alright, I get it. No more lectures, please I don’t need them.”

“Really?” Lucretia raised her eyebrows.

Randidly spread his mouth wide, but his expression was not a smile. Her disbelief was clear, so it was time to remind her of his growth. The Crown of Upheaval and Gloom manifested above him and the air began to tremble. Lucretia’s fingers tightened around the arms of her chair while Randidly spoke. “Even if they are just the accumulated unconscious figments that I’ve gathered, do you truly believe their deaths cause me no grief?”

After a few seconds, Randidly released the Crown and the air settled back to normal. Slowly, Lucretia straightened. They returned to their observation of Lucretia’s apprentices for almost ten minutes.

Then, right before the air returned to normal, Lucretia spoke. “Alta would have been happy here. The original Alta, I mean. This land relies heavily on chivalry and unspoken etiquette to get by. Alta… her favorite stories as a child were about bands of heroes.”

Randidly looked upward toward the overcast sky. “Heroes are just the shards of a broken society that refract the most splendid light. Their edges will cut you to the bone. Let’s hope my Soulskill won’t need a hero for a while longer, yet.”