Chapter 238: The Truth Sect’s Demon (2)
[Title Activated: The Truth Sect’s Demon]
[Ability Activated: A Lie Acknowledged by Truth.]
[The lie has been erased from existence through the Law of Nihility.]
[The lie has become the truth.]
[The world has no knowledge that the bearer of Sovereign Pride, Ravian Veyr, had any involvement in the Orc Camp Incident.]
[The truth will remain sealed from the Laws of the World until its owner personally chooses to reveal it.]
[You cannot use this ability again for six months due to the depletion of your remaining Law of Void energy.]
The moment his ability activated, Ravian experienced a strange, almost angelic sensation, as though a familiar power were cleansing his entire existence before enveloping him in a veil that separated him from the outside world.
This was the Law of Void erasing the lie from his very existence.
As Sovereign Pride’s announcement came to an end, a faint smile appeared on Ravian’s face when he noticed the white glow in Karius’s eyes gradually fading until it disappeared completely.
His words had been recognized as the truth, and nothing but the truth.
Karius closed his eyes and slowly exhaled, taking another deep breath before opening them again and looking at Ravian with a focused gaze that carried a hint of self-reproach.
"All right, Ravian. From now on, there will be no more questions about the reason for your disappearance, and I won’t allow anyone to doubt you again," Karius declared, placing both hands on Ravian’s shoulders and giving them a gentle squeeze.
It was the kind of gesture fathers often made when they wanted to impress upon their sons a lesson that carried more weight than words alone could convey.
Ravian recognized the mood and, for once, refrained from making a joke, merely giving his master a calm nod in response.
"Good. You may return to your squad’s quarters now," Karius said, before continuing in a firmer tone. "However, you’re forbidden from doing anything outside the camp. Get some rest, and I mean actual rest. I’ll summon you later so we can finish our conversation and begin your training in the Dmitri family’s fighting style."
Karius paused after finishing his instructions, neither leaving nor immediately dismissing Ravian, as though there were still something he wanted to say. Noticing his hesitation, Ravian remained where he was and waited.
"Actually, there are quite a few things concerning your spiritual power that we still need to discuss, Ravian. From your first use of flames, according to your own account, to your use of aura earlier, which undoubtedly proves the existence of your spiritual essence, and how you managed to accomplish all of this without a meditation technique."
Karius rubbed his forehead as though the mere thought of it were giving him a headache.
"There are far too many strange things about you, but as I promised, I won’t ask you any more questions for now. Just go back and get some proper rest until I summon you again, boy."
With that, Karius returned to his desk and settled into his chair, expecting Ravian to leave. Contrary to his expectations, however, his disciple remained standing in front of him.
"What is it? Is there something else you want?" Karius asked.
Ravian shook his head.
"No, Master. I just wanted to thank you... for everything," Ravian replied, his calm tone strangely at odds with the heartfelt words he was speaking. "And there’s something you should know. I never disappoint those who place their trust in me."
Karius was taken aback by the sudden, dramatic declaration, which hardly seemed appropriate coming from a young man who had barely entered the Ninth Rank. Yet the seriousness in Ravian’s eyes made it impossible to dismiss his words as an empty sentiment.
To most people, a promise might be something ordinary, easily made and occasionally forgotten, but Ravian was nothing like most people.
To Ravian, a promise was a sword, one that would fall upon his own neck should he ever fail to honor it.
Had Karius understood the true weight of a promise made by someone like him, he would never have reacted with the casual indifference he was about to display.
"Tsk. Just get out of here, boy, and stop bothering me," Karius grumbled, waving his hand dismissively to drive him out of the office.
Ravian smiled faintly before turning to leave, closing the door behind him as he stepped outside.
The moment his disciple disappeared, however, Karius’s mocking expression faded, replaced by a calm seriousness as he stared at the closed door.
"I don’t know why, but I have a feeling that taking you as my disciple will turn out to be the best decision I’ve ever made in my entire life, Ravian."
...
Ravian left the command building feeling a sense of relief he had never expected to obtain so easily, especially considering that only a few hours earlier, he had been preparing himself for the possibility of confronting his own master if he failed to convince him of his innocence regarding the Orc Camp Incident.
Yet everything had gone considerably better than he had anticipated, perhaps even better than it had any right to.
’A Lie Acknowledged by Truth, huh?’
Recalling the notifications that had appeared before him when he activated his title’s ability for the first time, Ravian couldn’t help but smile at the sheer absurdity of what had just taken place inside the office.
He had used the power of the Law of Nihility to turn his lie into reality, then forced the power of one of the Fourteen Taboos to acknowledge it as the truth without even detecting that anything had been manipulated!
Well, technically, he hadn’t been the one who accomplished that. His title had done all the work.
But the title belonged to him in the first place, didn’t it?
Yes, it seemed his shamelessness truly knew no bounds.
In any case, if the Blind Maiden ever discovered what had happened, what kind of reaction would she have?
’Hahaha, I don’t even want to imagine the look on that bitch’s face when she discovers that I can lie right in front of her followers without any of them being able to do a damn thing about it.’
The thought was entertaining enough to make him want to burst out laughing, but another realization soon crossed his mind, robbing him of a considerable portion of his amusement.