Chapter 1236

No. 140: The Unchanging

The lighting was ample, for this medium-sized office.

Three window sills untouched by curtains drew in the afternoon's artificial light as much as possible, also reflecting the two sides seated opposite each other inside.

The tense atmosphere remained, yet the youth who had stepped into the room had already captured everyone's gaze at this moment.

"Little..." the demon nun who had risen to her feet wanted to speak but stopped.

"Oh oh! Little Aomo! Let Aunt—"

"Be normal."

Not only did she stand up, she also opened her arms to charge forward, but the werewolf woman was grabbed by the vampire man beside her; the man first looked at the smiling youth, then couldn't help shifting his gaze to the nun beside him.

However, the woman who was somewhat hard to restrain continued earnestly: "What do you mean 'be normal'! This is exactly the reaction I should have after not seeing you for years!"

"You still say werewolves being stupid is a stereotype!" The vampire felt somewhat unable to retort, only feeling unable to stop this suicidal dog-woman.

"It's exactly a stereotype! My degree is far higher than yours! Young master of Lesenbula!"

"You bitch!"

"Hey, why is this ghost suddenly in a hurry?"

"..."

Aomo had thought since childhood that the several uncles and aunts at the orphanage were very comedic, or, using the terminology of the Boundary Gate Area, very entertaining.

During class in the classroom, it was fine; usually he was alone.

But once you see them in the office, you often see them abandon the children they should be educating with earnest advice, going from pointing fingers to endless arguing to immediately fighting.

The building's built-in protective magic set could be activated instantly, and then some staff members who had no class would immediately come running to watch, jeer, and place bets.

And at the very beginning—the kid who had been called to the office—could take this opportunity to swagger out.

Of course, very few children actually did that.

More children, like adults, would call friends and come together to watch this 'battle of the strong' that they might not often see when they grow up.

After all, with the protective magic set in operation there's no danger, and you can even see your favorite teachers looking cool and flashy; even if it's only for a few seconds, it's still cool!

In the Demon Realm Area, which child could resist flashy effects and punching-kicking clashes?

Even little Aomo would honestly stand in place and wait, after all, truly running away would be too unconventional.

Time flies, and now he saw those two teachers again, laying into each other.

Their appearance hadn't changed, nor their clothing; time truly finds it hard to leave traces on vampires and werewolves, but when he saw that uncle holding out for eight seconds without being smashed to the ground, even showing signs of being evenly matched...

He still felt the weight of time.

Although he also heard Miss Eersula whispering not far away:

"Isn't that the Crimson Edict of the Blood-Covered Prince...? Could the friend he spoke of be..."

"Blood-Covered Prince," Aomo had seen this title on the Rhodes Island Forum; it was a senior of Miss Telexiya on the path to becoming a demon king.

Because of his gentle methods, he was killed by his brother and returned to the myriad souls; he was supposed to be dead completely, but due to a technological breakthrough in source stone research here, he was resurrected, taking the place of his brother who seemed to have been blocked from arriving, and assumed the position of the Blood Demon (roughly equivalent to the vampire race) lord here.

This made the demon fall silent.

It seems the saying about the weight of time isn't entirely true either; Uncle Lesenbra's change could also be a recent matter.

Isn't that just simply wasting time? But a dozen or so years are fine for him…… Aomo thought uncertainly, no longer staring at their duel as before, he turned and walked toward Bopang.

"Aomo."

Mòlīsēn Líndùn spoke first, outwardly claiming to be his son, but when addressing the person himself he had always used his name, a habit the two had not changed in over ten years.

Aomo had not yet had a chance to respond when he again heard a trembling voice coming from behind.

"…Little Aomo."

He turned his head, extended his left hand backward, and lightly pressed down, signaling to put away weapons and stay alert.

Everyone originally shouldn't have been enemies.

"Grandma, long time no see." He performed a salute by placing his hand over his chest.

"15 years, 7 months, and 3 days, not that long." Standing in place, gazing through a page of the desk at this no-longer-screen true likeness, the nun spoke softly.

"The day you left, I remember it very clearly; my math is also good, I could calculate it immediately, and it was very precise, unfortunately…" She paused, "Until today."

"?"xN.

This remark left a group of people baffled; even the man and woman dueling not far away across the spatial barrier turned their heads because of it.

After all, in their impression, Hanna's calculations had never been wrong, unless……

The data given at the start was already problematic.

"You arrived four minutes earlier than you said; that was intentional, right?"

"Yes."

"You even brought gifts, unnecessary gifts; is that your stance?"

"You understand very well."

"For Mòlīsēn Líndùn?"

"For everyone."

"Huh?" The werewolf was the first not to understand.

The vampire gazed at the demon, also taking in the girls beside the demon, then immediately looked toward the demonic nun, remaining silent.

That last one, at this very moment, laughed.

He laughed, somewhat helplessly, with a touch of indulgence.

"Little Aomo, you're still this greedy."

"Greed is precisely the source of ambition; every child here has been educated this way."

"Yeah, we once hoped you would become an existence like Lord Mammon; when you refused back then, not allowing any of us to visit you, I was especially moved."

……

I think, ah, this child, though mixed-blood, is truly always outstanding; so young can already decisively and ruthlessly cut ties with everyone—perhaps the orphanage could produce a human leader or a demon duke.

The Federation no longer has any human leaders, Grandma.

Indeed, the human leader has been replaced by that lump of iron for two hundred years, but since I've seen that era two hundred years ago and witnessed the moment that lump of iron came to rule humanity, I might also witness the moment it is destroyed, right?

Of course, as long as you live long enough, you'll surely see it.

I hope you live just as long, Little Aomo; I once firmly believed in your achievements, but where exactly did things start to go wrong?

"You didn't toss aside this little vampire the way you used us," looking at Morrison's illusion, she then looked toward Texas and Xintiaoxi, "and even found two short-lived girlfriends."

Unlike the other kids, you're not just playing around, right?

I've been following your news, setting aside the baseless exaggerations; you've been surpassing the other kids more and more, yet your heart has become more and more like a human's.

Is it because of this little vampire? Or because of those two girls? Or perhaps because of those horse girls?

She looked at everyone, but didn't look at Eursula, leaving the pink-haired Sakazi officer wanting to speak but stopping.

How come eating this melon makes you angry?

Regardless of how outsiders feel, the conversation here continued; after hearing so much, Aomo spoke, his words still gentle.

If I say it's this world, can you understand?

What nonsense is that? Huh? Why are you looking so serious?

Don't make noise.

After the barrier was lifted, the werewolf standing in the present space was very dissatisfied, while opposite her, the nun and the vampire remained silent together, the latter even making her keep quiet.

This world, other worlds—after all, what I'm saying is exactly everything I've come into contact with, Grandma. He gazed at her, his dark red eyes seeing the ferocity in her own eyes, "If we must trace a cause, they are a cause, the father is also a cause, and you all are likewise a cause."

Ignoring a certain excited electronic vampire, Aomo continued: "No matter how hard it is to accept, this is the fact, and perhaps there are degrees of importance within it."

But if we are to conduct a conviction, to hold a trial, then I think, whether judge or executor, only I myself should do it, right, Grandma?

You have no qualification, nobody does; when you think others are deeply sinful, have you ever considered that in my heart, the gravest sin is actually yours?

... Truly cruel.

She fell silent for two seconds, watching the youth suddenly utter an exclamation seemingly unrelated to the topic.

Yeah, truly cruel.

Repeating her sigh, Aomo Lindun gazed at this elder who had once been ruthlessly cut off by him, yet who gladly accepted that coldness.

You simply take it for granted to define a child's future, wanting to dominate their entire world.

Then, like a parent in Eastern culture, do you fill that motive with the utterly sorrowful phrase 'for your own good'?

……

Next, will you insist on using the Demon Realm's rules to prove authority with force? Or will you invite me to sit down, giving me a chance to make up for past mistakes?

This is what you wanted to hear, isn't it, Grandma?

Ah, indeed, you still satisfy me like this, Little Aomo.