Chapter 574: A Selfish Good Person

Once the arrays of Runera were activated, it alerted everyone inside the city. The teleportation stations ceased suddenly, and the Runic Guards were summoned. This all happened in one seamless motion, making everyone realize that the Ghost Ruler was involved.

"We have been summoned to apprehend an intruder, and you were there," said the man with the helmet as he sat down in front of Arthur. "You might be a genius brought here for the ruins, but that does not mean you are not an intruder."

"I intruded on the tree," shrugged Arthur as his fingers tapped on the table in sequence, making a galloping sound. "How many years do I have to spend in prison?"

"A minor punishment and restriction, usually," said the man in the helmet. "However, this is a delicate time for Runera after last night"s incident. Have you heard about it?"

"Are you trying to make me spill some unreleased information and then entrap me?" asked Arthur as his fingers stopped tapping. "I heard what was released. I can even recite the lines of the newspaper."

"How about you tell me what happened?"

"A group of runemasters was found dead in Runera. The location has not been revealed, but it is rumored to be inside the ruins. That is all."

The man in front of him stared at Arthur before disappearing from his chair. Arthur leaned back as he waited. These mind games of making him wait for a long time did not work on him. Arthur could estimate the time he spent with Gaia learning the world"s secrets to be almost a decade or even more, but that was on the lower spectrum.

There was something else he had to ponder, as this matter would resolve itself. However, the issue with the Ghost Ruler prevented him from walking freely inside Runera. Arthur expected problems in this timeline to come one after the other, but this was a different reality.

The ident.i.ty of the Ghost Ruler would explain everything for him, but Arthur could not think of someone who would fit. If this were outside of Runera, Arthur would have easily taken them down. However, the runes inside this place were too many for his current strength.

"I can change reality, but the amount is not enough."

His level and his mana limited Arthur. These things determine how much he can change the world and the runes he could use at once. His Art of Creation held the other missing puzzle to regain his former strength.

The door was pushed open as Arthur waited, and he turned to see Julia huffing. Droplets of sweat rolled down her face, and Casca Reverse was standing behind her with the same dignified appearance.

"Would the two of you like to have some tea?" Arthur asked his two rescuers.

***

"The Avens Family of Runera governs the Runic Guards, and their loyalty lies with no one but the Ruler. There is nothing we can do to change their mind, so you cannot leave Runera anymore until this matter is resolved."

"There is no need to worry, Grandmaster Casca," said Arthur, smiling as he sipped out of his cup. "I am glad that I got out of that suffocating room."

"You are too relaxed after the Ghost Ruler mobilized the guards against you. It is a blessing that person cannot talk, or you would have been executed," Julia was about to lose it.

"I doubt that is their desire," said Arthur with a shrug. "I was just talking to them when they threw me into prison. And I thought Julia was the one without friends."

"...I will send you back," said the runemaster as she rose, and Grandmaster Casca chuckled. "You are lucky to have us," she said while sitting down, pouting.

"I managed to convince the Avens Family that you are a valuable a.s.set for this runic exploration and that you will be working with me to open the ruins. This seems to change their minds about linking the murders to an apprentice."

Grandmaster Casca seemed to be in a good mood, even while talking about murders involving his fellow runemasters. Arthur and Julia exchanged glances, and the Grandmaster noticed them.

"I apologize if this sounds a bit heartless, but none of those runemasters deserved to live," he said while picking up his cup of tea. They were sitting inside an outdoor pavilion in the middle of a giant garden, making their conversation entirely private. "I glanced at the names, and all of them were those who used their privileges to extort the poor."

"There are always people like those, but greed was never a reason that warrants death," said Julia in a moderate and pacifist approach, making the two men look at her with surprise.

"I believe Alexie here will agree with me," said Grandmaster Casca as he turned toward Arthur. "You made sure that Hidden Gems serve the lower cla.s.ses. Those who do the opposite deserve to be eliminated, right?"

"I believe in recycling," said Arthur with a smile. "I can change them into honest and hardworking craftsmen. If that does not work, their knowledge is more than they deserve."

This time, it was Arthur"s time to surprise the two of them. A runemaster stripped of his knowledge was no different than a setback to the whole field of runic knowledge. This was why in most cases, a prison of memories was the best solution.

"Our goal is to find the singular truth about the world, and destroying any kind of knowledge is a sin, in my opinion," said Grandmaster Casca. "In any case, we need to convince the Avens that you are crucial to open the ruins."

"...that will not be a problem," said Julia with a smile as she placed down her cup. "I want to reveal the truth about something. The breakthrough we had in the first layer was all thanks to Alexie."

"I like the dedication to the lie we created," smiled Grandmaster Casca. "And I admire that you want to help your friend by crediting him with your achievement. However, that will not be necessary. We just have to take him to the ruins and start working on them."

"I thought that the ruins will not be opened for a while until the investigation ends," frowned Arthur. "And we cannot work on it by ourselves."

"This is different for the Reverse Family," smiled Grandmaster Casca as he rose. "We are obligated to work on decrypting the ruins but never to explore them. That is our true treasure, anyway."

Arthur understood its logic, but it felt weird that the Ghost Ruler would let him walk into the ruins. However, since he wanted to read the rest of the message that was inside the encryption, Arthur decided to tag along.

Grandmaster Casca took them out of his pavilion to board a giant turtle just for him. The deck was also roofless, which made them see how ma.s.sive the Reverse Estate was. Arthur and Julia sat down as Grandmaster Casca went to arrange some things with the rest of his family.

"You shouldn"t reveal that I cracked the First Layer," said Arthur as they sat down. "I am grateful for everything, but it feels like you are overcompensating me at this point. However, you can still be selfish."

"I knew that revealing that information would make me look like I was helping a friend for Grandmaster Casca. A good relationship with him is better than any lame credit."

"That is a lie."

"...is it wrong to be good?" she elbowed his arm lightly while sitting down. "I realized that it feels better when I do the right things. Furthermore, it rewards me a lot when I do them for you."

"A selfish good person," laughed Arthur as the turtle flew through the sky. "I wanted to see the ruins soon and privately, and somehow it worked well for me."

"A blessing in disguise," said Julia before she tapped his shoulder. "However, remember to trust no one. What Grandmaster Casca said about those runemasters deserving to die seems extreme."

Arthur realized that she was warning him about the Grandmaster, who spoke to one of his family members on the communication artifacts. His face did not suggest a manipulative person, nor did his actions, but it did not hurt him to be careful.

"I will be careful," said Arthur with a nod. Then, as the turtle took them toward the divine tree, Arthur decided to ask the prisoner he had in a separate s.p.a.ce.

After closing his eyes, Arthur allowed his consciousness to materialize inside the prisoner he created for Kirk. The room was empty, and Arthur frowned. Then, the bathroom door opened, and Kirk walked out with a towel around his waist.

"You are getting too comfortable inside this prisoner," frowned Arthur before waving his finger. "Wear clothes. I need to ask you about a little incident inside Runera, and I know the world"s best a.s.sa.s.sins know about it."