Chapter 4: So We Meet, Brothers Once More (4)

Chapter 4: So We Meet, Brothers once More (4).

ـــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــ

This world is corrupt, and what a waste of time it is for a person to strive for purity while everything around him is impurity .

Lucas had lived that reality since his youth, but he didn't want to become a hollow, filthy person with no guiding light .

At least for the sake of his wife and daughter, he couldn't give up .

So despite the cruelty of the world, Lucas persevered so that his family could smile brightly .

In his younger days, when his wife was pregnant, bandits came and threatened to kill her if he didn't give them a ransom.

Lucas was a farmer at the time, and without hesitation, he gave them that year's crop from his fortune and then made a deal with them .

Everyone struggles to earn a living, so what is more beautiful in this world than a small effort but high profit ?

If one is so smart, why would one become a highwayman in the first place ?

These idiots clearly had no business making money, and Lucas took advantage of that and offered them regular payments in exchange for protecting him and his family .

Life is hard, everyone is already struggling to survive, as long as there is an easier way to live, who would refuse ?

Instead of risking fighting, stealing, and dying like dogs, the farmer's words seemed tempting to these thieves .

As their flow of thoughts changed, things went as Lucas expected .

" I've gained some time for myself and my wife, but a thief is no longer in prosperity until he becomes intoxicated and refuses anything less. Their greed will increase with time. I must gain strength in the meantime !"

The absolute truth remains unchanged: force is always the solution .

After days of deep contemplation and worry, Lucas found what he was looking for .

To become an Ego warrior means to perform the awakening ceremony .

The most common method is to join one of the many alliances on this island and pay a huge sum for a slim chance of success, the chance of death or insanity is huge .

But he didn't want to drift into that brutal forest like an idiot, just a simpleton like him, how could they not use him as a pawn ?

You must find a way to gain power, but without being bound by others either …

That was hard .

Unfortunately, if he was younger then …

The best solution was to try to join the Moonlight Academy, but people over the age of twenty were not accepted .

So that option has been removed from the list .

The only option was to build his own faction, making him a useful and unplayable pawn, and once he established himself he could stay out of entanglements as long as he didn't threaten anyone's benefits .

"… I don't have any options, fortunately, I can invest in my work as a farmer and use these barbarians to protect me temporarily, I have the initiative !"

Lucas, don't despair !

After months passed, in the pursuit of strength, Lucas suffered misery, tasted near death and felt it with his body, but he survived .

He became an Ego warrior, and after many struggles, he built himself a simple village .

That was the Black Sand Village, of course, there was some corruption and purity here and there, but it wasn't that bad a life .

Now he is already on the second moon, strong enough to protect his village, away from alliances and political conflicts .

Except for the routine monster attacks, the conflicts with the White Lake Village, the hollow moon nights when some people go crazy, and the occasional natural disaster, everything was fine .

" I lived purely as a chief of my people, the percentage of slavery in my village is the lowest, there was not even bullying, I loved my wife and my eyes saw no one but her… So why ?"

Why do problems love me so much !

Lucas's tears nearly overflowed as he watched the red-eyed young man in front of him .

You wicked bastard, what is the enmity between us? Please tell me !

Contrary to his thoughts, he was smiling with perfect friendliness, though he didn't notice the twitching of his eyes, no, he didn't even want to notice .

" My young sir —"

" Young master? Hahaha, Dad, you sure are funny! Since when is there such formality between us !?"

The young man in front of him laughed heartily as if he found his words funny .

" But you're not —"

" my dad ? "

" Sorry for being rude but —"

" my dad "

A bright smile spreads across the young man's face .

"….."

But those looks …

How in the name of the creator of hell could one have such a killing desire ?

Lucas felt his lifespan suddenly decrease .

" Be comfortable talking as much as you want, Dad. "

Damn you! How can I while you're looking at me like that! Haha! I hope you die alone with no family, you slut !

Of course, Lucas didn't dare put his thoughts into words .

" Well, all joking aside, Black Sand Village Master, we are in an important period now, so I won't spit out nonsense. Be the official guardian for my entrance into the academy. "

While drinking the glass of cold water, the red-eyed young man's eyes turned to one of the office windows, where a woman was sitting .

Her pale silver hair fluttered as the snow fell softly over her umbrella, and instead of standing, she sat in a wheelchair .

While humming happily, she brushed the hair of a young girl who looked similar to her .

A warm calm contrasts with the cold noise around them .

A slight smile spread across Lucas's face before a bitter feeling overcame him .

" You have a family that is truly worth protecting ."

As young Leon said that with a smile, his eyes reflected the meaning of those words .

" You … "

Lucas's teeth chattered in anger as he tried to suppress the urge to kill inside him .

If only he wasn't weaker than the young man in front of him …

" Hahaha, you don't have to be that afraid, as long as you follow my words, tragedies won't happen, it's a win for you technically, right ?"

Yeah, let me come and threaten you one day, see if you'll spit this crap out then .

Leon received nothing but cold eyes .

" Just say it honestly, who did I offend? The East or the West? It's true that I refused the Pale Wanderer's doctor's invitation, but I didn't join the Mad Demon either, so the divided forces over there wouldn't interfere with a mere pebble like me, so who are you ?"

Even though he was in a difficult situation, Lucas's cold voice didn't diminish as he asked .

It's impossible for anyone to send someone as powerful as this young man just for a second moon like him, so there are a lot of random things here .

" It's neither this nor that, and those idiots in White Lake Village obviously won't be able to do it, what do you think, Lucas ?"

Who am I ?

Somehow, even though the situation was very serious, Lucas was feeling uneasy about this young man's way of speaking .

I'm fighting here to save my family, this bastard here is playing puzzles ...

Great, just great !

When Lucas was about to spit out an insult, Leon interrupted him .

" The head of the leader of the White Lake Village "

" … What ? "

Lucas didn't understand .

" If you comply with my request, I will give you his head, and even protect your village against the incoming monster tide. "

" What ? "

Lucas didn't understand again .

" You damn old man, listen when someone is talking to you !"

Leon's curses started to loom large as well, which only increased Lucas's confusion .

" What ? "

Lucas's mind is still trying to understand .

The head of the White Lake Village leader and protection against the incoming monster tide …

It looked pretty perfect actually .

This way, they could expand their control over the border with the forest, increasing their economic resources and political power, not to mention providing a workforce .

Of course, with more resources comes more risk, that's no secret .

Greedy people will come, so the corrupt parts will have to be cut off, positions will have to be redistributed, and stricter laws will have to be enacted .

Not to mention distributing benefits and accurately determining the population size so that hunger rates do not increase ...

But in return, increased strength means greater safety against monsters and humans alike .

This alone is worth the risk .

Lucas had even been thinking for a while about how to wipe out the White Lake Village in order to devote himself to defending against the incoming wave of monsters .

But what does this person say now ?

The solution to all of this, and even more, is to ensure that the enemy's authority is transferred to him ?

Of course he won't understand !

If that bastard wasn't so strong, he would have spat in his face and thrown him out of the place right away !

Leon sighed slightly, but suddenly smiled .

" My father ~"

" I understand what you're saying, defeating the enemy and protecting the village, I understand, so stop saying it in that damn voice please !"

Trying to understand all of that was a thousand times easier than hearing the word "father" from that corrupt mouth .

" So, are you okay ?"

" Let me think …"

Lucas was in no hurry to agree .

Anyway, the situation seemed too ideal, and it seemed foolish to reject the words of someone who could cut off his head and slaughter his village anyway .

But the problem that made him hesitate was not simple .

" You … "

Leon's face looked gloomy .

" Are you afraid of entering the circle of conflict and its entanglement ?"

Leon hit the nail on the head .

To be fair, Lucas' biggest fear was getting drawn into the bloody power struggle on this island .

North, South, East and West, despite the clear division of power, the relations between the powers that be were not that simple .

As the saying goes, there is no eternal enemy or eternal ally, only the benefits remain .

Driven by the desire for survival, power, perhaps family or ambition, people will have no choice but to struggle .

Where there are groups, there is understanding.

where there is understanding, there is always disagreement.

this is how allies and enemies arise.

Even under the guise of homeland and brotherhood, when danger comes, everyone will stop spitting nonsense .

These facts were not hidden from Lucas, nor did he close his eyes to them. He deeply understood the complexity of human relationships .

" Although I understand your concerns, walking away won't help. "

When he saw him daydreaming deeply, he shook his head as his eyes watched the ripples in the water of the cup .

" The ripples have already begun, and it is only a matter of time before the waves rise and swallow the houses. "

Of course, nothing will happen when Leon registers himself as a resident of this village .

At least at first, that is .

Problems lie ahead, Lucas realizes this young man is strong, insanely strong .

How did Lucas know that ?

When that bastard broke the wall, he somehow transmitted the shockwave to his core essence, causing his body to become injured .

The logic behind this was simple, it was not possible to maintain the strength of the wall as it was without a constant infusion of essence energy, but Lucas didn't have a constant reservoir, so what did he do ?

Simply put, he left the remnants of his will in the little energy within the wall, making him slightly situationally aware even when he was inside his office .

When the wall is damaged, Lucas will feel a very weak tingle .

This was the link between the remaining will, the light essence energy and the ego .

To follow that connecting thread in the energy of the essence and then multiply the effect of the damage ?

Unless one was insanely strong, or at least stronger than the enemy, it was impossible .

This young man didn't even break the entire wall, just one area, but he still caused serious injuries .

If such a person entered the academy, it was clear what the result would be, young men just starting out had no chance !

For such a prodigy genius to score in the entrance exams as a native of this village, who wouldn't feel proud ?

That was definitely true …

" I'm sorry, young sir, but my hands and legs are tied. If you are classified as one of my people, neighboring powers could simply take advantage of that to claim you as their property while simultaneously devouring my country, and in the worst case, kill everyone so that you remain without a kinship. "

There were many risks in entering this conflict …

" Is this bastard here joking ?"

Lucas's expression was bitter when Leon's cold voice woke him up .

" Devouring? Killing? Humph, do you think I'm an idiot or a fool who's gone blind? You should already know, White Lake Village has been communicating with the Red Frost Sect for a while now, and the relationship is progressing apace. It won't be long before an elder from the sect is sent to take over. "

When a sect hostile to the Red Frost Sect sees this, what will happen ?

The answer is brighter than the bald head of the older guard that Leon slapped earlier .

That sect would try to control Black Sand Village, whether by benefits or threats, it didn't matter, as long as it meant undermining the Red Frost Sect's authority, what did it matter ?

The most important thing is to maintain profits -

No! Balance! The most important thing is to maintain a balance between powers to maintain peace !

The Red Frost Sect was too shameless, to break the balance just for extra resources, that was no different from being thieves !

Many neighboring powers had this convenient excuse to interfere in the situation .

" Of course, that's what would have happened if it weren't for me ."

Leon wasn't naive, coming here of all places wasn't a coincidence .

Rumors that Lucas has an illegitimate son ?

That was just a setup Leon had done before he even came, to speed things up instead of messing around pointlessly .

Of course, that means there is some value in this small village, a value that others do not realize .

He wasn't about to give others what was his .

" The West is already tense, the Mad Devil and the Pale Wanderer Doctor are about to fight, the East is far away and you have nothing in common, the North is about to enter into an internal war, and the South? They're already in conflict, what can you do? Huh ?"

Bam !

Leon's hand hit the table, making Lucas flinch .

A child talks like an old man and an old man listens like a child, that's truly ...

Anyway !

" Nothing! You can't do anything! All that struggle for years is about to disappear, all because of your petty hesitation! Your village, your family, and even your life! Fear? Who are you kidding? Should I spare you this and kill you already? You blind old bastard !"

Leon's harsh rebuke was becoming increasingly loud .

Lucas closed his eyes with an extremely bitter expression, not refuting any words, because what Leon said was what he himself had concluded .

At worst, he would join the academy faction that demanded complete loyalty …

But it's better than joining others .

However, here came a strange person, very strong, young in age, and despite his rudeness, he was of sound mind and understood the situation .

"… I'm already stuck, do you think I don't know that? I'm already aware! Damn it! But I have a family! To hell with my power and even my village! I can always start from scratch, but my family ?"

Lucas's body trembled with anger, bitterness, and helplessness .

He knew how helpless he was, and it hurt him deeply .

" If I lose them, can I replace them? Can the world's wealth compensate for them? No! Even the position of Blue Moon Alliance Commander is just a meaningless fart if my wife and child aren't alive! I'd rather kill myself than live like this !"

" Every night since the beginning of this problem I suffer from insomnia. Some nights, I hear whispers, what if they die, your decisions will determine their fate, what if you made the worst choice? In my dreams I see the image of my wife and daughter covered in blood, and I can't help but cry, yes cry from helplessness !"

what can i do ?

I am helpless, I am !

" Huff…huff…cough !"

As if he had finished pumping his heart out, Lucas sighed regretfully and coughed, feeling his mouth dry .

" Help yourself "

Leon, who offered him the glass of cold water, looked far removed from his previous coldness and murderous desire .

That made it even more terrifying .

Gloop! Gloop !

Swallowing the water in one gulp, Lucas breathed a sigh of relief .

" … okay "

Lucas muttered with a dark expression .

" What ? "

" I said I agree! Damn you !"

" Calm down, old man ."

" I'm not old, you bastard, I'm still in my forties !"

" What? Seriously ?"

" Are you kidding me ?"

Lucas stared at him a little uncomfortably, confirming that he was serious .

" Damn, you're not old, you're an ancient artifact ."

Leon's expression was serious .

" You wicked bastard …"

As Lucas was cursing him, a strange smile made its way to Leon's face .

As if everything that happened was already expected .

" Anyway, since we're done, it's my turn. "

" What are you talking about …?"

" Oh come on! Don't say you've forgotten what deals actually mean, old man!" Leon had a bright smile on his face .

Lucas felt uneasy when he saw the young man's bright expression …

" This!" His index finger and thumb circled in the air: "I mean it! How could you be so unscrupulous and not give me my dues? I know Senior Lucas isn't a trivial person !"

"…."

Keeping the circle as it was, Leon laughed heartily .

" Attach… Attach me, please …"

The smile on the young man's face was making Lucas even more depressed .

" Impossible! I'm not that unscrupulous! Don't doubt my honesty !"

With that said, Leon began to state his conditions .

After an hour …

A young, handsome, middle-aged man came out of the palace .

The contrast between their expressions was like the earth and the sky .

Leon's face was fresh as if he had received the best skin care in the world .

as for Lucas ...

"… kill me…haha…just kill me already …"

Tears gently fell from his right eye .

The right to give orders and control resources and positions, and up to 50% of all taxes imposed .

If that was all, then fine, but to dry up even the village treasury without a conscience …

Lucas felt his heart bleed like never before .

" We will die poor… My family and I will have no home left… All because of a damned devil who came upon us ."

Is it too late to cooperate with another faction ?

At least they won't steal it openly like that evil bastard did …

" Eeeh! What is this drama, I even kept your ego and your palace for you, do you know how much it hurts me to give up my palace for you so that you and your family wouldn't have to stay on the streets? This ungrateful bastard !"

Seeing Leon's sincere expression, as if his words were true, Lucas's anger surged .

Your home ?

Even a thief has some shame! Even a thief !

Please, one hit! Just one hit is enough !

Then I will die in peace !

Knowing that wish wouldn't come true, Lucas finally sighed in relief .

Although he had felt frustrated, angry, and wanted to kill someone a while ago... he didn't feel any remorse .

It seems that the saying, "Nothing weighs down the heart more than problems, but emotions bottled up before they enter," was true after all .

Sure enough, after pouring out his emotions and actually getting on the boat, he felt all the worries lifted from his heart .

Maybe what Leon did was intentional to make him forget his worries …

" Anyway, let's not forget how sweet I was today in the deal… My buddies are still on the way, let's get the guests ready, shall we ?"

I take back my words, this kid is a real son of a bitch !

Lucas wasn't surprised about Leon's companions, he had already told him the situation .

" Meat! Eat more meat if you don't want to die !"

" How dare you talk to me like that, you brat- Aaaaah !"

Slab !

" Less talk and more action, you bastards !"

As he watched Leon beat the servants and set the tables and food with them, Lucas sighed for who knows how many times today .

" Whether it's while planning or preparing food, you are already a stranger …"

Lucas couldn't help but smile .

After a long period of tension and anxiety, the bitterness left his expression .

Although the young man who came was crazy, the truth cannot be denied .

After he came, Lucas was able to smile .

A carefree smile .