Chapter 106 -
Ixion sat in a lotus position, Runa standing behind him awkwardly resting her hands on his shoulders.
"What an odd ability you have."
Learning a person's emotions through heightened observation seemed to be a secondary passive function of her Aspect. As for the main one…
Ixion thought back to the description he had Runa reveal to him.
[Cathartic Mandate] - [You draw forth the buried fractures of the heart, unraveling restraint and coercing emotion into revelation.]
It was after hearing the description that he instantly got a sense of why Sloth urged him to gain Runa as a friend…
'She's going to be my glorified therapist!'
It would be Runa's job to stop Ixion from going insane too early. Preferably at all. Though that was a tall ask.
It would be hard to claim even a shred of sanity when his kill count eventually surpassed a million — a million not including the Scourge.
As for the actual effect…
It sedated him.
All his fears, woes, and uncertainties from his memories still existed, but they made no harrowing presence in his mind. For the first time in many years, he felt like he could think completely rationally.
Ixion threw his head back, resting it on Runa's knee and looking up at her. As he did, he thought to himself…
'Ah, I forgot she was wearing a skirt. But blue is an interesting color.'
Runa jumped back and pulled down the hem of her pleated skirt.
"You pervert!"
Ixion caught himself, then stood and turned. With his elevated capacity for thinking, he replied:
"So I've been called. Yet, perversity is the nature of the world. Therefore, denying one's perversity gives rise to true perversity."
With a deep crimson blush and a furiously flicking tail, Runa shouted back:
"Huh?"
It seemed she'd been so startled that his status had become secondary in her mind. Or perhaps her sense of security around Ixion came because of using her ability. Perhaps she glimpsed whatever emotions were released from the king.
Ixion began pacing in circles, placing his fingers on his chin.
"Think about it. The basic drive of an animal is to proliferate. Perversity is the compass guiding one toward that goal. It instills a carnal desire aimed at glorification. Humans are no exception, being animals as well."
Runa sighed and placed a hand on her forehead, her ears folding slightly downward.
Ixion's eyes widened as his repeated motions grew faster.
"If one were to deny their carnal desires, their perversity, they'd be denying their existence. So if I lied and said I wasn't a pervert, I'd be committing the ultimate fallacy of existence!"
'Yes, yes. It all makes sense!'
Ixion felt he was encroaching upon it. Number 55 of 'No Regrets.'
"I am a pervert in the sense of the word you know, yes! But true perverts are the ones who suppress their urges and deny humanity! Seriously, what's more perverted than that?! Can one even qualify as an animal?! As a human?! No! They cannot! They'd amount to nothing more than a lie! A lie of existence!"
Slack-jawed, Runa watched this king as he crouched down while gripping his temples.
"Tell me, Runa! Is there anything more perverted than that?! What's more perverted than denying perversity, the meaning of life?!"
The cat looked down upon the crouched king.
"I'm afraid you lost me at 'think about it'. I stopped thinking about it around then."
Ixion dropped his arms to the side and stood.
"Ah, so you're a true pervert."
"Huh?" Runa's eyes narrowed and her brow crinkled. "I'm not a pervert. You are."
Ixion chuckled and took a step toward Runa.
"Oh, but you are."
Runa took a half step away and replied:
"No, I'm not!"
"Okay, okay… but tell me this, dear Runa. Have you never been horny? Have you never walked by a man or a woman and been like: 'Wow! I want to see them naked!'"
Runa took another step back while raising her arms. Her pale cheeks turned a deep red; her lips fluttered open and closed.
"H-huh? Wuh? Ah? Buh?"
"Well, are you going to answer or not? Or perhaps you're preparing a lie. But lies don't work on me. Besides, your startled reaction has revealed the ultimate truth, as there is no truth more telling than that of the body!"
Pleased with himself, Ixion laughed, then added:
"Come on. Don't be shy."
Runa jumped back and brought down her raised arms, folding them over her bust.
"Y-you! The rumors were true! You lecher! You fiend!"
Ixion laughed.
"To get so emotional as to call a king a lecher and a fiend to his face? Now, now. What more proof do I need as to where true perversity lies?!"
A guttural growl escaped Runa's throat.
"It's not like that!"
Ixion took a step toward Runa.
"Then how is it, dear pervert?"
"Not like that!"
A theatrical sigh fell from Ixion's mouth.
"Ah, how sad. A woman rejecting her own perversity! Her own life! Now, now! We need to make things right!"
"Make things… wuh?"
With a boisterous laugh, Ixion said:
"My chambers are always open to you, Runa."
To which the cat screeched:
"Pervert! Seriously?! D-did you just invite me to your bedchambers?! H-how immoral!"
Ixion threw up his hands and shrugged his shoulders.
"I believe I have stated and articulated my point. So, I'll let time be the judge of truth. I await the day you understand the meaning of life as I have just grasped in full — I await the day you'll come to me."
"T-that's not going to happen!"
Ixion chuckled.
"Now, now. Who said that? Your body? I think not. It was spoken by a mind rejecting the very core of its nature. So, I'll take it with a grain of salt."
Runa let out a light growl at the unhinged philosopher of Catatran.
"Grr!"
But it was a playful growl with no true mal-intent.
'Ah, she'll come to see the truth in due time!'