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Chapter 95: 003: It’s an honor to meet you.
This...
Lynch admitted that he was indeed surprised by the news Avery brought tonight.
What was this? An experiment? A drug medium?
Although he had long suspected that Alfred’s strength was unusually abnormal and overly exaggerated, he hadn’t expected the truth to turn out this way...
So, as it seems, the crisis he’d been guarding against wasn’t much of a concern after all.
But...
But Lynch didn’t feel happy about it; instead, a vague chill welled up in his heart.
He furrowed his brow and asked, puzzled, "The Tower doesn’t intervene?"
To be honest, although the name "Shadow Tower" wasn’t impressive, its image in his heart had always been rather positive: orderly, secure, and as long as you didn’t act recklessly, there wouldn’t be any dangers.
In the treacherous and unfamiliar Otherworld, the Tower had always been his emotional haven; whenever he faced any danger, it was the first place he wanted to retreat to, like the arms of a mother.
But now, he was being told that atrocities—like those that took place in the Black Witch Domain where apprentices were maimed and treated as experimental subjects—actually existed here too, and everyone turned a blind eye... This... This... Frankly speaking, the impact was rather overwhelming.
Avery glanced at him and said, "How should they intervene? Where’s the evidence?"
She continued, "At least for now, everything Murphy has done appears to be a meticulous and resource-consuming effort to cultivate Alfred, to enhance his strength. On the surface, there’s no sign of any wrongdoing."
"All our assumptions are based on speculation. You can’t simply confront a wizard who’s thoughtfully nurturing an apprentice just because you think they might have malicious intentions in the future."
Lynch pondered for a moment.
He asked, "So, if the Tower did acquire conclusive evidence, would they actually take action?"
Avery paused in silence.
She didn’t answer directly but said, "The Shadow Tower is a place that values rules. As long as someone breaks those rules and gets caught, even a Judge must pay the corresponding price—no exceptions."
Lynch nodded. "Got it. So the implication is, as long as you don’t get caught, you can do whatever atrocious things you want, right?"
Avery fell silent again. "What you’re trying to say is that it feels unfair, that it’s a bitter world?"
Most people who weren’t born into privilege think this way.
"No."
Lynch shook his head. "I think this setup is fine."
Oddly enough, Avery’s explanation reassured him, aligning with his prior judgment about the Tower’s character.
As for the notion of a truly evil-free utopia, like Shangri-La?
This...
Even the modern society of Earth, where human rights and liberty were widespread, never dared to make such claims, let alone in a world like this, still practicing slavery—it was unrealistic to ask for more.
The existence of rules as a veneer of decency was crucial. As long as those rules were reliable, placing oneself within them provided a basic guarantee of life safety. At least you wouldn’t need to worry about being dragged off by some wizard for experiments while walking down the street...
Avery stared at Lynch for a while. There wasn’t the slightest trace of resentment on his face, and that made her curious.
This world was deeply unfair. Some people, like herself, were born into privilege, enjoying endless resources without doing anything, while others were less fortunate, toiling day and night even for a few Magic Stones.
The disparity in status inevitably bred resentment and hostility among the lower classes.
Living a normal life was already frustrating enough; now, knowing that the "stable order" and "secure protection" they presented weren’t entirely reliable... Thinking of herself in their shoes, Avery felt she wouldn’t be as composed.
Avery said, "How unusual."
Lynch asked, "What is?"
Avery stretched her legs out to one side, slipping them out from beneath her robe, and sat sideways on the ground. "I thought you would be like the other people born into misfortune, railing against the world, furious and indignant, filled with thoughts of injustice."
"Constantly shouting about how the world needs reform, or even, like some lunatics in the Black Witch Domain, believing that this world ought to be destroyed."
Lynch shrugged. "Even the shoddiest order is better than no order at all."
Existence justifies reason. The establishment or collapse of an order isn’t something his complaints could achieve. If someone truly believed it was unjust and needed change, they should go ahead and make it happen. If they could provide a more viable and superior structure, he’d welcome it.
Ultimately, as an outsider, he felt no sense of mission or responsibility toward this world. Life was life, regardless of where he lived, as long as he had a stable environment to study Magic.
Avery squinted slightly.
For some reason, seeing him so calm and composed inexplicably irritated her.
With a hint of provocation, she said, "Really? Then, as the most humble member of this world, you must have endured quite a lot of humiliation growing up? That scene at the welcome banquet must be a common occurrence?"
"So, Peasant, tell me—what does that feel like? I’m genuinely curious."
Lynch glanced at her. He had to admit, this girl was stunningly beautiful.
For no particular reason, he suddenly felt like showing off.
So he spoke in a slightly archaic tone: "Humility of birth isn’t shameful; true courage lies in resilience and adaptability."
Avery froze.
She stared at Lynch for a long time, her beautiful gaze sweeping over him, as though trying to pierce through him.
Feeling puzzled, Lynch asked, "What’s wrong?"
Avery shook her head slowly and said, "You’re truly an odd person. When I first met you, I thought you were just an honest fool. On our second meeting, you surprised me greatly—it turns out all the appearances were mere facades, just the lens through which you see the world."
"And yet, when I thought I’d figured you out, you told me those lenses weren’t merely lenses either."
She fixed her gaze on Lynch’s eyes. "Who exactly are you?"
This...
It all felt rather complicated.
Lynch picked up a nearby stick and stirred the campfire, making the flames burn brighter. A few sparks scattered in the night breeze.
As he watched the sparks, he said casually, "Who can guarantee they’re truly themselves? Just like you."
Avery was taken aback. "Me?"
"Yes," Lynch nodded, speaking bluntly. "Is it really just to make room for Adam or out of fear of Abyssal corruption?"
Adam’s condition was indeed critical; yet, with someone like him—a Biological Transformation Expert—around, life could still be preserved, and the cost wasn’t much greater than succumbing to Abyssal corruption.
He turned to look at her directly. "The real reason you didn’t use a scroll to return but chose to climb over mountains instead?"
Although Avery had hidden her emotions well, along this journey, Lynch had still noticed subtle traces in her demeanor.
Pain, avoidance, fear.
What was she grieving over? What was she avoiding? And what was she afraid of?
In the end, it seemed she didn’t want to go back.
Avery fell silent.
Lynch shrugged. "Well then, Lynch Valen, very pleased to meet you."
...
Early the next morning, the two set off again. Heading east for two days, they eventually reached the Ramos Duchy’s first territory.
Black Rock Territory.
Two thousand kilometers from the Dark Forest.
