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Chapter 615 Justified Means

　　Oriole knew that he was weak compared to everyone related to Arthur. His runic attainment was everything he had to offer, and it did not help him here. These people were powerful enough to stand against Arthur, who could use every rune, so he was useless.

　　Something clicked in his brain, and Oriole looked around before snatching one of the spirits connected to the witch. The rest stared at him speechlessly as he dragged her into an alley.

　　"Is that hottie alright?"

　　"Maybe venting some steam?"

　　"Ouch, master! Not so rough!" said the spirit as Oriole dragged her into the alley. "Please don't beat me up. I was just joking!"

　　"Are you watching, Gala?" muttered Oriole with a frown while talking to the spirit. "I need to know what happened in the alternate timeline to princess Jasmine. For some reason, she is controlling Runera!"

　　This was what he forgot to ask her under the overwhelming revelations. It did not make sense how Princess Jasmine was connected to all of this, and the witch must know something that Oriole could use.

　　"I see that you have already met her," muttered the spirit with the witch's voice before it morphed into the shape of Gala floating in front of him. "That was something that I also learned in this life, not the other. After all, I never met the princess in the last timeline."

　　"Does that mean you know the reason she is here?"

　　"It is a bitter truth, so prepare yourself. Princess Diana told me that she learned that Jasmine was my beloved's half-sister in the old timeline. That is right. The deranged father who left the princess when she was young was none other than Seref Silvera himself."

　　"...that cannot be possible!" stared Oriole with wide eyes at the witch. "I never heard anything about that, even as the leader of the Devils Hunters!"

　　"The Yozia Empire kept the matter a secret under Seref's request, but the princess was seeking her father in the old timeline. And, just like Arthur, she hated him. However, after the merge, Seref did not make the same mistakes. Even though he isn't in the Yozia Empire anymore, he still managed to bring his daughter to her side."

　　"I was not prepared for that," blinked Oriole as he touched his forehead. "I can't believe Arthur's half-sister almost killed me and that she exists!"

　　"Seref Silvera is a time traveler. It would still be possible even if he were his grandfather, my great grandfather, or even yours. There is no telling how much that man affected the timeline."

　　"...does that include the future?" muttered Oriole. "Everywhere he goes, another version of him must exist, right? How would it work otherwise?"

　　"I am... uncertain. I would love to think some rules limit him, but there is no telling what he can do. That man will allow tragedy to haunt him if it means letting his son become the strongest man alive and the world's savior."

　　"I thought that I somehow understood what a monster he is, but it keeps getting worse," Oriole staggered before slapping his face. "It doesn't matter. Arthur can take him down one day, but he needs to know about this first."

　　"...it's okay to lie to him," said Gala with complex emotion. "I cannot fathom how overwhelming it must be for Arthur to live all of this. We are just bystanders to this absurdity, but he is there in the middle. So, don't let him break."

　　"We are all at the risk of breaking," muttered Oriole while nodding. "I will find a way to make things work. But, for now, he needs to get out of here."

　　"Do your best, kiddo!" said the witch with a wink. "And before I leave, let me warn you about something. If that woman tried to kill you, she wouldn't have failed. Be careful about meeting her again. Seref raised a monster."

　　Then, the witch dissolved under Oriole's confused eyes and turned back into the spirit, hovering without a word. Oriole pressed his lips together before patting the spirit on the head and returning to the group.

　　"I decided on a plan," he said while nodding to Maryam. "We need to find Alexie first before contacting Master and Velos. These tricksters can be useful to us, as they can relay that information. You won't die even if attacked, right?"

　　"Only a spiritual attack can truly kill us, but elemental attacks might harm us! If we are harmed beyond battle, we will be summoned back to the Spirits Realm for recovery until the next battle."

　　"That means you will be fine. Your master can stop me if this plan wouldn't work," said Oriole before letting silence set between them. "Great, I guess no objections. Julia, I need you to take me to where you think the space is hidden. We will try to find a way before calling for reinforcements."

　　"You are falling right into the leader role," smiled Julia, who looked more presentable. "Let's go and save that blondie."

　　"...calling it saving is a stretch because Alexie can beat all of us single-handedly," said Maryam while scratching her face. Oriole raised a brow at her. "I watched the video from the arena battle. It was one of the reasons I wanted to join Ascent, too."

　　"Then you will be earning merit points," smiled Oriole. "Julia, please lead the way."

　　"From here, then," said the runemaster before she turned around and sprinted in a specific direction. The other two didn't dilly-dally and ran after her into the deeper parts of the city.

　　"What did you talk about with the spirit?" asked Maryam while they ran after the runemaster. "Were you talking to the person in the cabin from earlier?"

　　"I was," nodded Oriole.

　　"How is that you know someone inside these ruins, Oriole?" asked the alchemist with a frown. "The more I get to know you, the more it feels like you have a lot of hidden secrets."

　　"And I showed that side to you because I trust you."

　　"You don't trust me."

　　"I do," said Oriole as he turned toward her. "I would never allow anyone near Alexie if I don't trust them. Furthermore, he will know if you had ulterior motives."

　　"Alexie this, Alexie that," sighed the runemaster. "You are being too consumed by a single person, Oriole. I wonder what Alexie did to make you feel so grateful to him."

　　Oriole didn't answer her, but memories of his time in the darkness resurfaced. After Ellen turned him into a giant worm inside a mute world, Oriole had to suffer his soul being devoured by the darkness.

　　It was still hard to look at Ellen without expecting her to betray them once again. However, this was not just for Ellen but for everyone hurt by the hybrid of darkness and creation. When Arthur and Ellen met, Oriole realized that he related to the rage that Arthur showed.

　　After all, even in an alternate timeline, a single choice made by Ellen turned their lives upside down. This mess was still ongoing because she wanted to save her mother, but she was not to blame for her motives.

　　"I want to ask you something," muttered Oriole. "I don't think we will meet a lot after this ordeal ends. But, somehow, I think you will be a good replacement for me in Ascent."

　　"...what did you want to ask?"

　　"Does the end justify the means?" asked Oriole with confusion. "I want to know if you would betray your morals to save someone you love."

　　"I would do that without a second thought," said Maryam as she sprinted beside him. "I am not an all-giving god to think about how my actions would affect others. But, I would do whatever it takes to be happy. I am human, after all."

　　"We are, indeed," sighed Oriole. "We are faulty creatures built for betrayal and selfishness, but I think the most glorious purpose isn't to be selfless. Our glorious purpose is to be more than we have been created to be."

　　"Be more," repeated Maryam as the runemaster in front of them stopped running.

　　"That is the cloud!" said the runemaster while pointing at the sky. The two behind her raised their head to look at an ordinary cloud before staring at each other. "Don't give me that look! I fell from a cloud!"

　　"...how about we vote about believing her or not?" asked Maryam.

　　"We are just two, so we can't vote."

　　"That is your objection?" asked Julia with a hurt expression. "The best place to hide a space is in a cloud, right?"

　　"I don't think you are lying, but what if the cloud moved?"

　　"This cloud is in the same spot I found it, so I guess that confirms it," said Julia while looking at the sky. "I can take us up, but after that, I'm hopeless. And, if we fall inside the illusion again, we are dead."