Chapter 1055: Confession [2] |
"I think it might be better to show you."
Arianne blinked in confusion.
Show her? What exactly needed to be shown instead of explained?
Still, the look on Sir Mic's face made her swallow the questions that immediately rose to her lips. For the first time since she had met him, she saw a deep conflict in his eyes.
"Sir Mic?"
She reached out and touched his arm.
"Are you okay?"
No reply came immediately. Instead, he slowly stood up and helped her to her feet.
The entire time, his expression remained unusually serious, causing Arianne's heart to beat faster. Did something happen? Was it because of her?
Without answering, Michael guided her toward the open section of the office. Then he raised a hand.
Space distorted.
A circular gate appeared before them. It rapidly expanded until it became large enough for a person to walk through.
Beyond it lay a forest. Not one Arianne recognized. Towering trees stretched toward the heavens while faint green mist drifted between their trunks.
"Go inside," Michael said.
Arianne turned toward him.
"What?"
"Walk straight ahead." His voice remained calm. "It's safe."
Honestly, safety was not what worried her. What worried her was him. Something was clearly bothering him.
Still, after a brief hesitation, she nodded. If he wanted to show her something, then she would trust him.
Arianne stepped through the portal.
The moment she crossed over, the first thing she noticed was the air. It felt different. Cleaner. Fresher. Every breath felt strangely refreshing.
Then she looked upward.
Her steps faltered.
The sky.
The sky was unlike anything she had ever seen. Green. Purple. Countless colors blended together above her.
Beautiful. Yet slightly eerie. It felt like standing beneath the heavens of another world.
For several moments, Arianne simply stared. Then she remembered Michael's instructions.
Walk straight ahead.
So she did.
The forest was quiet. Only the sound of her footsteps accompanied her. Occasionally, strange lights drifted between the trees like wandering spirits.
Eventually, the forest began to thin. A few minutes later, she arrived at a cliff.
And there, standing near the edge, was a figure. His back faced her. For some reason, the silhouette looked familiar. Very familiar.
Arianne frowned.
Why? The height. The posture. The build. Something about him reminded her of someone.
As though sensing her presence, the figure slowly turned around.
The moment he did, Arianne froze. Her eyes widened. Her thoughts stopped.
Because standing there was Sir Mic.
But that made no sense. Michael was supposed to be back in the office. So why was he standing here?
Arianne stared at the young man in disbelief. At first glance, there was no mistake. The face was the same. The eyes were the same.
Yet the longer she looked, the more she noticed things that felt different.
The most obvious difference was his clothing. Arianne had never seen anything like it before. Gone were the elegant robes and noble attire that Sir Mic usually wore. There were no embroidered patterns.
Instead, he wore a simple black shirt that fit closely against his upper body and a pair of dark blue trousers made from a material she could not identify.
The outfit looked incredibly plain. Yet somehow, it wasn't.
The strange clothes seemed designed with a completely different philosophy from anything she knew. There was no attempt to display wealth, authority, or power. Yet the more she looked at them, the more refined they seemed.
It was a simplicity that somehow felt elegant.
Arianne found herself unable to look away. If the nobles of the empire saw such clothing, they would probably dismiss it as commoner's attire. Yet she somehow felt they would all be wrong.
The style possessed a strange beauty. A beauty she could not explain.
It felt free.
Then there was the second difference.
Youth.
Sir Mic had always appeared young. But standing before her now, that youthful appearance seemed even more obvious. He suddenly looked closer to his actual age. Like a young man. Not some noble lord. Just a young man.
It made him seem more approachable, as the aura of mystery that constantly surrounded Sir Mic felt thinner here.
Arianne's confusion only deepened. This was undoubtedly Sir Mic. She could feel it. Yet at the same time, they felt different.
For several moments, neither of them spoke. The silence stretched between them.
Arianne looked at the young man standing before her while Michael looked back with an expression she had never seen before. There was nervousness. There was hesitation. And there was fear.
The last one surprised her the most.
Fear? On Sir Mic? The same man who had challenged an empire and won? The same man who could casually command legendary existences?
"Miss Arianne."
His voice broke the silence.
"Yes?"
Michael hesitated for a moment before asking a question that completely caught her off guard.
"Have you ever heard the term Otherworlder before?"
Arianne blinked in confusion. Then she slowly shook her head.
"No."
Michael nodded as though he had expected that answer. For several seconds he remained silent again.
Then he asked another question.
"Have you ever wondered where I came from?"
This time Arianne paused.
Of course she had. Who wouldn't? Sir Mic had appeared almost out of nowhere. He possessed strength that defied common sense. Even his behavior was occasionally strange.
Naturally she had been curious.
Arianne nodded in response. Then immediately shook her head.
"I am curious. But it's okay."
"Hm?"
"If Sir Mic isn't ready to tell me, then you don't have to." Arianne smiled softly. "I can wait."
"Whether it's now or later." Her voice became quieter. "I'll wait until you're ready."
For a moment Michael simply stared at her. Then a bitter smile appeared on his face.
The sight made Arianne's heart tighten. For some reason, that smile looked sad.
"Miss Arianne."
"Yes?"
"The truth is…"
Michael looked toward the strange sky above them.
"I don't come from this world."
Arianne blinked. For a moment she thought she had misheard.
"What?"
Michael looked back at her.
"I come from a place called Aurora."
Aurora.
The name sounded beautiful. Yet completely unfamiliar.
"Aurora?" she repeated.
Michael nodded. Then he began speaking.
"In Aurora, there are no kings."
Arianne frowned.
"No kings?"
"No."
"No emperors?"
"No."
"No nobles?"
"No."
The more answers she received, the more unbelievable everything sounded.
Arianne stared at him. Then stared harder. Then narrowed her eyes.
Michael noticed immediately.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
Arianne crossed her arms.
"Are you sure you're not joking?"
"Miss Arianne."
"Sir Mic."
"Call me Michael."
"Why?"
"Call me Michael."
"…Michael."
"Thank you."
Arianne felt a bit strange about Michael's behavior but went on to voice her confusion anyway.
"You expect me to believe there's a place without nobles, kings, or emperors?"
"But it's true, though."
"Then who rules?"
Michael opened his mouth. Then paused. Then opened it again.
Honestly, explaining modern governments to someone born in a feudal empire suddenly felt impossible.
"It's complicated."
Arianne immediately looked victorious.
"I knew it."
Michael sighed. Then continued.
"In Aurora, there are also supernatural people."
"Like knights and mages?"
"Yes and no."
Arianne tilted her head.
"No?"
"There are two major groups." Michael raised two fingers. "Cultivators and Awakeners."
Arianne felt like she was drowning in confusion. The first term sounded somewhat familiar, but the second didn't.
"What are cultivators?"
"Basically everyone you're familiar with."
"What?"
"Knights. Mages. Necromancers. Elementalists. Healers." "They all fall under the broad category of cultivators."
"Oh."
That part made sense. Then she remembered the second group.
"What about Awakeners?"
This time Michael became noticeably more serious.
"They're different."
"How?"
"They grow stronger much faster."
Arianne's eyes widened slightly.
"Faster than geniuses?"
"Much faster."
That was absurd.
Michael continued.
"They possess status panels."
Arianne froze. She recalled this was what Sir Mic had once called that blue glass that appeared in her eyes when she had called that deer more than a month ago. Unfortunately he hadn't seemed willing to explain further at the time.
Now she was even more interested, and her attention sharpened.
Michael looked directly into her eyes.
"The most important thing is, every Awakener has access to another world."
Another world?
Arianne frowned.
"What does that mean?"
Michael took a slow breath. Then continued.
"They can enter another world using a body similar to their real one. There, they have another identity. And can live another life."
Arianne's heartbeat slowly accelerated. Something about this conversation suddenly felt strange. She wasn't sure why.
Michael continued regardless. Since he had started, he had to continue.
"The body they use isn't exactly fake. The original body in my world experiences everything the other body experiences as well."
Arianne felt her heartbeat speed up again. For some reason, she suddenly had a bad feeling.
With his gaze fixed on Arianne, Michael took a deep breath.
"Miss Arianne. What if…"
Michael hesitated for only a second. Then finally forced the words out.
"What if I told you that Sir Mic Nor is one of those identities?"
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