The Kind of Evil-Chapter 284: Fear of change.

‎Two weeks had passed, and they finally arrived at Cartisel Harbor, one of the Marines bases in Central Neva. It was located in the south of Central Neva, and next to the harbor was the Arbas Kingdom, the Kingdom of Gold Mines.

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‎Everyone decided to take a day to rest at the Marines base since they had been on the sea for more than a week. They met with Janustus Cater, one of the Commanders of the Sea in Central Neva Sea. He had prepared everything for their arrival, including a feast for them to enjoy.

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‎Rasmus barely touched his food because he couldn't feel anything or taste anything. He avoided eating because he often bit his own tongue and inner cheeks. The worst part was that he couldn't tell where the food was in his mouth, and he could choke because he didn't know if the food had been chewed evenly or not.

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‎"It's getting worse?" Carrion looked at Rasmus, who didn't even lift the spoon and fork ever since he entered the dining hall.

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‎"No, it's still as bad as before, I can't eat anything solid right now," Rasmus answered as he drank a glass of water. freewebnøvel.com

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‎Erlina looked at Rasmus and she looked so worried about his condition. She then asked the knights to bring a loaf of bread and a tomato soup. Rasmus glanced at her and realized she wanted to help him to stay healthy and didn't want him to starve.

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‎"When was the last time you ate, Count?" Daryus asked as he approached Rasmus and tried to check Rasmus's pulse.

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‎"I haven't eaten anything in the past six days," Rasmus answered as he looked at how Daryus carefully and thoroughly checked his pulse.

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‎"Six days... but your heart rate is normal and stable..." Daryus furrowed his brows, completely baffled by it. He then checked Rasmus's pupils. "Since you don't feel hungry, I'm worried that your health is going to decline, but somehow your health is still normal..." he continued as he pulled away from Rasmus.

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‎Rasmus also noticed that his health didn't decline even after not eating for six days straight. He didn't lose energy nor did he feel sluggish, he felt normal.

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‎"Give me your hand," Aris reached toward Rasmus's hand.

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‎Rasmus didn't hesitate to put his right hand in Aris's palm. He then watched Aris cut open his palm with her nail. It shocked everyone at the table, but on the other hand, Rasmus didn't even flinch since he didn't feel a thing.

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‎Daryus noticed that Rasmus's hand didn't bleed even though his palm got cut open. He slowly narrowed his eyes to observe Rasmus's palm, finding it bizarre and shocking.

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‎"What's that mean, Lady Aris?" Daryus asked as he looked at Aris.

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‎"His body has stopped aging, and small wounds like cuts won't be an issue anymore," Aris answered as she kept staring at the wound. "His body is slowly adapting with the power within his body. Soon, his body will grow sturdier that human swords won't be able to cut his skin, then after that, he will be able to regenerate his wounds easily," she continued.

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‎Everyone who heard Aris's explanation became scared of Rasmus's awakening. It wasn't because he would become like Aris that could turn a nation into a flat land in a single night, they were afraid of Rasmus's change in his personality. They knew the moment he lost his senses and felt nothing but emptiness, it would affect his way of thinking. They were afraid that Rasmus would change into something worse than he already was.

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‎"What is the chance of me having my senses back, Aris?" Rasmus asked as he looked at Aris.

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‎Aris was the one who always answered a question without hesitation. However, this time she took her time to think of an answer. She had the usual stoicism, but her hesitation was enough to put everyone on the edge.

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‎"I don't know. There has never been a half Orthias before. You're the first case, and your body is of a human, not a personified Mana like the rest of us," Aris answered as she stared into Rasmus's eyes.

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‎"It would be a shame if I can't taste anything," Rasmus responded as he took a sip of his water. "What's the point of staying a human if I can't taste a thing," he chuckled.

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‎Those last words gave everyone goosebumps because they interpreted it as if Rasmus would destroy humankind because he wasn't one anymore. They didn't know if he was joking, being serious, or had a meaning behind those words.

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‎"It's still better than my condition, Count," Astrea said as she chuckled. While Rasmus's condition seemed bad, hers was worse since her health and body were declining slowly but surely.

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‎"Fair point," Rasmus smiled as he nodded.

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‎The knight came with a loaf of bread and tomato soup. Erlina carefully tasted the soup, making sure there was nothing off about the soup. Once she was sure there was nothing weird inside the soup, she offered it to Rasmus.

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‎"Well, there's a saying that you shouldn't forget where you came from. I don't give a damn about your Orthias lineage, but you have flesh and bones. If you're not a human, then you're also not an Orthias. Or, you can be both at the same time. Which scenario will you choose?" Erlina asked as she smiled at Rasmus.

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‎"Why are you asking that as if I'm going to change into something, Erlina?" Rasmus asked back as he dipped the bread into the tomato soup. "I don't seek pleasure, this won't change a thing," he continued and then took a bite of the soggy bread.

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‎"It does matter, and yes, I'm afraid that you'll change, Count," Erlina sighed as she massaged her nose bridge. "You're already boring, so stop becoming more boring," she sighed once again as she stared into Rasmus's eyes.

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‎Rasmus chewed the soggy bread slowly and carefully as he stared back at Erlina. He only responded with a soft smile as he kept chewing the bread before he swallowed it.

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‎Erlina was dissatisfied with Rasmus's response, and immediately held Rasmus's arm and gripped it tightly. She kept staring into his eyes, she then slowly narrowed her eyes as she tightened her grip. There were no words between those two, but Rasmus understood her completely since they both knew each other well enough.

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‎Rasmus knew that Erlina wasn't the type who would push her boundaries. However, this time she didn't hesitate to do so and the meaning behind it was deeper than it looked. He could tell that she didn't want him to change because the people that followed him would change their minds. She risked her boundaries so Rasmus could be more serious about the issue.

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‎The others didn't understand them at all because they didn't know the bond those two had before. Even Carrion who knew both of them well, he had no idea what was going on.

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‎Rasmus slowly closed his eyes and opened them again. Not long after that, Erlina loosened up her grip and slowly removed her hand from his arm. He then continued eating his dipped bread in the tomato soup while the others kept staring at him with a curious look on their faces.

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‎Once Rasmus was done eating his soup, he excused himself with Aris beside him. They both went to their room and decided to enjoy the silence and the scenery of the shore from up high.

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‎"You have been observing them lately. Does humankind interest you now, Aris?" Rasmus asked as he leaned against the wall next to the window.

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‎"No, I found them both complicated and simple at the same time. The inconsistency is too much to understand," Aris answered as she leaned against the wall next to the window, across from Rasmus, staring at the city in the distance.

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‎"That's what they called fooling themselves..." Rasmus muttered. "They want to be true to themselves, but they're afraid of rejection. What's the point of being true to themselves when they feel lonely while at the same time, what's the point of being a part of something when you're lying to yourself..." he continued.

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‎Aris glanced at Rasmus for a moment before she decided to ask the question.

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‎"What about you? Will you linger on what you have built while you're slowly changing or to let everything go and be true to yourself?" Aris asked.

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‎"That's a great question, but the answer is no. In the end, they're not aligning with my view of reality, they never have and I never told them to. I don't linger on what I have built, and I'm always being true to myself," Rasmus answered as he softened his gaze when the sun was setting in front of him.

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‎Aris knew Rasmus well enough and had observed him long enough to understand his expression. One thing that she found out was that Rasmus always said the truth with weight.

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‎"That's good to hear," Aris responded and watched the sky turn dark.

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