Chapter 220: Meetings
The evening shadows lengthened across Grim’s study as the last echoes of footsteps faded from the corridors.
Grim remained seated at his desk, the mysterious book resting before him like a sleeping serpent.
The leather cover seemed to pulse with dark energy, and the revelation of its authorship continued to send shockwaves through his understanding of Imperial history.
"Truth of the Empire. By the First Emperor," he murmured again, running his fingers across the ancient binding.
[You shouldn’t trust everything written in old books,] Caius said, his voice heavy with concern that bordered on alarm. [Especially books that appear mysteriously on your desk without explanation.]
"Are you suggesting the First Emperor would lie about his own empire?" Grim asked, though he kept his voice low despite being alone.
[I’m suggesting that books can be forged, titles can be falsified, and enemies can plant false evidence to mislead the unwary,] Caius replied with growing urgency. [Think about it. A book written by the Empire’s founder just happens to appear in your study at the exact moment when you’re struggling with corruption and moral choices?]
Grim paused, his hand hovering over the book’s cover. The spirit’s words carried uncomfortable logic, but the dark mana whispered that such skepticism was simply fear of uncomfortable truths.
"The writing style matches historical documents from that period," he said, though even as he spoke, he realized he wasn’t entirely certain how he knew that.
[Does it? Or does it simply feel like it should?] Caius pressed. [The corruption has been affecting your perception. How can you be certain you’re reading what’s actually written rather than what the dark mana wants you to see?]
The question struck deeper than Grim wanted to admit. Since the corruption had taken hold, he’d noticed subtle changes in how he perceived the world around him—colors seemed more vivid, emotions felt more intense, and moral boundaries appeared less defined.