Chapter 106: "This is Your Future"

The entire painting was of an exceptionally high standard. Even the Death Consul Azik had to admit that the young angel before him was indeed quite skilled in the art of drawing. No wonder he had insisted on painting his portrait upon their first meeting; he genuinely seemed to love and excel in this field.

But what did it mean?

Death Consul scrutinized the picture in his hand, puzzled. He couldn't help but look at Lynn and ask, "Prince Libert, is the matter related to me that you mentioned referring to this painting?"

Lynn didn't answer immediately. Instead, he leisurely wiped his fingers clean with a handkerchief, poured himself a cup of tea, and took a comfortable sip. Only then did he speak, adopting a very mystical tone:

"This is your future."

Azik: ...?

Azik felt that he had been rendered speechless far too many times today, but he couldn't help it. He stared almost incredulously at Lynn, then looked down at the painting in his hand. After a long moment, he said, "Prince Libert, this is not a funny joke."

"I am not joking with you. I just saw your future and recorded it truthfully, that's all." Lynn put down his tea and looked at Azik, his expression no longer frivolous and relaxed but now carrying a touch of seriousness and gravity.

At this moment, he no longer seemed like a carefree, dashing youth but more like a wise man who had seen through all of existence.

Azik's expression also grew more solemn, although due to his naturally stern demeanor, this added gravity wasn't overly apparent.

"To my knowledge, you do not follow the Wheel of Fortune pathway." Azik spoke, sensing that things might be going beyond his expectations. But just as in the banquet earlier, where he sensed danger but didn't move, his rationality was now telling him to leave, yet he didn't.

"You're right, I do not follow the Wheel of Fortune pathway, but that doesn't contradict my ability to see the future, does it?" Lynn smiled at Azik, speaking slowly,

"I saw your soul no longer whole, split in two. I saw you trapped in endless cycles of reincarnation, repeatedly losing your memory and searching again and again."

"I saw you having the family you yearned for in these cycles, only to inevitably lose them."

"I saw that at the end of your journey, where you were supposed to lose yourself entirely, you met someone who changed your fate. That person was your student, your anchor, through whom you avoided destruction and gained the chance to choose."

"I saw you finally choosing humanity, abandoning divinity."

Azik almost instinctively clenched the painting in his hand but relaxed his grip before he could tear it. It was hard to say what was going through his mind at that moment.

After a long pause, Lynn heard Azik's somewhat dry voice, "What you are saying is utterly absurd."

"You don't have to believe me," Lynn smiled, lifting his tea again. He seemed completely unconcerned about whether Azik believed him. "I am merely recounting the future I saw. Whether you believe it or not is your business, not mine."

Azik instinctively frowned. He could see that Libert genuinely didn't care whether he believed him or not. It seemed Libert was indeed just informing him, nothing more.

"Alright, I have told you what I needed to. Azik, if you have other official duties to attend to, please go ahead." Lynn smiled as he put down his tea. "I also need to find Mr Bethel. I plan to explore the capital of the Balam Empire thoroughly tonight!"

Having said his piece, Lynn brushed past Azik, preparing to leave the meeting room.

With his message delivered, it was time to make his exit and leave the Azik some time to think.

As for whether Azik would believe his words... Lynn knew that he wouldn't believe him so easily.

But... Lynn glanced back at the still silent Azik, a smile tugging at his lips.

A moment of doubt is all that's needed, isn't it?

"Oh, by the way." Standing at the meeting room door, Lynn suddenly remembered something and looked back at Azik. "I wouldn't recommend you tell your father about what I said today. Of course, if you're looking to court death, I won't stop you."

Death Consul looked at him and replied coldly, "Prince Libert, please do not sow discord between me and His Majesty. That is a very inappropriate behavior."

"Heh!" Lynn couldn't help but laugh. He looked up at Azik, still smiling. "So you're not entirely unaware, huh? That your father is making you more and more like him."

From the moment he saw the Death Consul, Lynn's "aftereffect" had already told him that the God of Death, Salinger, hadn't just whimsically transformed Azik into his resurrection tool before dying.

Much like the True Creator did with Lanevus, the God of Death, Salinger, had been deliberately modifying his most excellent offspring, Azik, from the beginning, nudging him to become more like him, making him a more suitable vessel for his resurrection.

And it seemed that Azik wasn't entirely unaware. Perhaps out of faith, fear, or obedience to his father and deity, he chose to comply, to pretend he hadn't noticed, to act as if nothing was happening.

Of course, it could also be because Azik couldn't do anything about it.

He was merely the God of Death's offspring, just a Sequence 2 Death Consul. Even though he was second only to one in the Balam Empire, in the presence of the God of Death, he was just a pawn that could be manipulated at will.

But to say Azik was entirely willing... Lynn looked at Him and couldn't help but laugh.

If he were truly willing, there wouldn't be a future Mr. Azik, would there?

How could someone cold and unfeeling be willing to give everything for another cold and unfeeling being?

"...It is my duty as his offspring to give everything for His Majesty," Death Consul Azik replied after a brief silence.

"Perhaps. But if anyone tried to make me give everything, I'd beat them until they gave everything to me. The last person who tried to attack me is now a pen, and I must say, it's quite suitable for writing stories." Lynn spoke with a gentle, harmless tone, but the content of his words was anything but.

(End of chapter)