When you meet someone who acts in a way that makes no sense, or speaks in an unconventional way, it's typical for one to think the other person is plain rude or weird. That is, until you actually get to know him, her or hir.

I don’t think I could’ve ever understood why Cain did what he did, nor why Eugine pushed me to the brink of death, nor why Trisha acted as if killing me was no big deal.

Just as why one wouldn’t understand my decisions to help Lucia, nor why I pressured Trisha with bloodlust, or why I apologized to her after noticing I’ve gone too far. They would’ve never known that it’s because I was repeating the sins of the past.

Everyone has a reason. And not every action aligns with our limited understanding, no matter how we think we can analyze another person.

Sometimes, it isn’t even about the reason.

It’s typical of fantasy novels to piece together the outcome of certain actions in the political space as if some perfectly intertwined score of cadences. How a viscount would act if you did this, and how the prediction comes true; everything goes as planned.

also has this general correlation correction where the MC manages to predict a line of events.

Cool, amazing, sure but, it would make more sense if an oversight occurs; things that make no sense.

I can’t predict what will happen. Unlike unrealistic story characters with cheat foresight.

Frist was Trisha’s message.

[“Remember to bring Lucia together with you.”]

[“Sure thing.”]

I won’t. Lucia wasn’t with me, and it wouldn’t make a difference except perhaps the lack of that +30% buff.

Next was Lucifer’s.

[“I know I’m being intrusive over your rights, but please promise that you’ll come back to 7SEAS. Our admiral is looking forward to meet you.”]

[“I’ll try my best.”]

What is my best? Am I saying I might reconsider? Getting into a mess and helping Lucia to find hirs father. Though I don't know what to prepare for, since Avner’s protagonist's correction is still at work, I may just be able to save Carlos.

I debated between telling Radingo or not. In the end, I decided to keep it a secret until I actually secure the objective. No point telling them something I hadn’t confirmed yet. I still have some suspicions that this might be a trap.

What exactly should I be doing here? In this world.

“I’ve told myself not to get involved with these things.”

Something small spiraling out of control, into this mess.

All I wanted to know is if Novelle is safe. Yet here I am getting myself into trouble.

It’s not like I have death flags to resolve either.

Is there something more to it I’m not aware of, even as Shin?

This is what I mean by not being able to understand someone. Humans aren’t rational creatures. There’s nothing that could explain why I did what I did.

[“Lynda, I’ll be visiting you in Friday morning around 10.”]

There’s still a couple days before the day of Trisha’s operation. I stop by her place once for the sake of it.

===

“Lia, are you coming?”

“Where are you going again this time?”

“To visit my friend at the hospital, the one with NtBM.”

“I don’t want to go..”

The outcome of getting mad is always negative. Obviously.

Lia’s probably unsettled by what happened yesterday. My explanations didn’t do much to help hir get over hirs fears.

Or maybe stamping a negative image of being mad is wrong?

I don’t know how exactly I should think about anger. It hurts people. So why do people do it?

Who am I to philosophize these sorts of things anyways?

Saying goodbye to my grandparents who once again pushed me a bag of tidbits for Lynda, I made my way to the ELRT station.

I will be going directly to the hospital this time around. I don’t have the stomach to show up in front of Cain anymore.

On the way, I read Trisha’s messages which supplied me with more info regarding the LIGHTSHADOW fleet.

It’s a local fleet, which means they don’t have members outside Alska. Consisting of 10 members, the 5 submarines are the main powerhouse. The other 5 are a mix of corvettes and frigates. No destroyers.

Trisha also sent me the link to that angel-demon news website.

The thumbnail of it already looks like some shady website. I left it alone.

[“Are you really planning to kill them?”]

Aren’t angels supposed to be genial creatures?

[“Yes. Did you think we angels are all good beings?”]

As sacred of a title being an angel is, bloodshed is inevitable even amongst themselves. She took up a secret contract from the demons, shattering the notion that angels and demons are at odds with one another.

This entire concept of angels and demons being eternal enemies is nothing more than an illusion.

Otherwise it could just be because of my limited knowledge. Having seen what I have, not everything is as it seems.

There is no one click answer using search engines to gather information about the angel-demon war. Most of what we need to know comes from word of mouth or rumors. Not only does this mean the messages are likely inaccurate, it also means that the information is prone to distortion.

Cain said that the angels and demons should be united.

Lucifer said that no matter the faction, there are good and bad individuals in both.

Trisha showed me that angels and demons are really no different from one other.

Angels and demons are just degotary titles that mislead people. What’s the difference between angels that can’t trust demons when there are angels that can’t even trust angels? It’s our biases in judgment; conflict, an aspect of the world you can’t avoid.

Put simply, I’m now aware that I can’t just take words at face value. It doesn’t matter if the person is an ally. I need to filter their perspective through my own lens of the world.

After a few stops, the coach arrived at Alskan General Hospital. I hopped off and made my way into the building.

When I got to the counter at the executive room, I was greeted by a nurse that wasn’t Miss Shelly. She guided me into Lynda’s unit.

“Miss Lynda, you have a visitor.”

She wasn’t alone this time around.

A guy with similar orange hair to Lynda. He looked to be around 20 years old. Giving off the hunky vibe of a healthy young adult, I figured that he was her brother.

“Avner?”

“Who? Your friend?”

“Morning Lynda. Excuse me.”

I tried my best to act courteous by nodding a little in her brother’s direction.

Lynda leaned over and whispered something to him. He nodded in an amused manner.

“Nice to meet you, Avner. I’m Dowal, and as you can guess by our hair colour, I’m her brother.”

“Nice to meet you too Dowal. Here’s a gift,” I placed the paper bag on the table,

“What’s in it this time,” Lynda took a peek at the contents.

She took out the paper box and opened it.

Seaweed crackers.

“Hey. That’s impolite,” Dowal said.

“Who cares, want to eat some, Avner?”

I shrugged, and pulled over the chair from one side. I turned to the nurse and gave her a nod. She gave the room a brief glance before allowing us some privacy by leaving.

“Avner~”

When I turned back around, Lynda was waving a cracker in front of my face.

I picked it with my index finger and thumb.

“Lia didn’t come today,” I said.

“Did something happen?”

“Xe said xe didn’t feel like coming.”

Lynda took another cracker and tossed it into her mouth.

“Have some,” I shook the paper container in front of Dowal since he looked lost.

He stared at the cracker in silence.

“Bro, can you get me my water?”

Breaking his trance, Lynda asked.

“Don’t you have legs?” Dowal hissed.

“I don’t.”

“...”

“I’ll get it, which one is it?”

“Ah, no it’s alright, I’ll do it..”

“The pink one.”

“Here.”

I was closer to it and acted first. Dowal who got up from his seat had to sit back down. Double up the awkwardness. Being a brother is tough.

I passed the bottle to Lynda.

“Thanks.”

She opened the cap and gulped down the water.

“I think this would go well with cheese,” she said.

“You want me to get some cheesy wedges later?” Dowal asked. I get the feeling he wanted to restore his pride as an older brother.

“Yes please!”

Dowal shook his head with a smile.

“Are you a college student?” I asked out of curiosity.

“Me? No. I only have my high school certificate. Found work in the power sector industry and went there to help out once I got out.”

“What work do you do there?”

“I got into it because of some connection I had with this person I found online. I actually started out by doing miscellaneous stuff like running checks on the solar panels and monitoring for any fluctuations in the geothermal turbine readings. Since I have some basics in coding, I’m like a debugger for the IT team now. Anyways, I still have a long way to go. When I heard my sister got NtBM, I was in the middle of an important team deadline. So I couldn't return to Alska. I only managed to take a leave yesterday.”

I nodded.

“How did you two get to know each other? I remember hearing my sister complain that nobody comes to visit her.”

“Ah, only he ever came to visit me,” Lynda said

“It sounds weird when you put it that way,” Dowal responded.

“I’m being serious. No one else besides Avner came to visit me. And he’s not even from my class,” Lynda snapped the cracker in between her teeth.

“What about Cain and my etler? Did they just disappear from your cerebral grey matter?” I said.

“And them too..”

“You two in a relationship?”

I shook my head to Dowal’s question. Lynda nodded away.

“Not.”

I glared at her.

“Yet.”

She glared back

“Hey.”

What do you mean yet?

“You saved me so..”

“So what?”

“Want a cracker?”

Dodging the question by forcing a cracker on me. I pinched the new cracker and tossed it into my mouth.

“R-right, I still need to thank you for noticing my sister's condition. I heard that you’re the one who sent her to the hospital for a checkup with a teacher. So.. what do you like about my sister anyways?”

“I’m not in a relationship with her.”

“Yet.”

Lynda, stop adding words to my sentences.

“Okay..”

“She’s older than me, just so you know.”

“I don’t think age matters. It’s about the heart.”

“It’s too early for love,” I said.

“What do you mean it’s too early?” Lynda hissed.

“Your friend is right in his own way,” Dowal said.

“But he’s the only one who ever cared enough to visit. Not even one of my classmates cared!”

If only she knew I was forced to visit her, and not because I wanted to.

“Lynda, let’s be clear here. I didn’t save you because I liked you alright?” I said.

“I’m getting dumped already?”

“We’re not even in a relationship.”

“Next year. We still have one more year. Don’t forget to join the baking club, I’ll be there, once I get out of this boring place.”

I didn’t know how to reply to that.

“Yay~”

Lynda threw another cracker into her mouth. Dowal looked at her with a concerned expression.