Chapter 159 Deep Talk
It was like a bolt from the blue for Percy Brody to learn that his brother was leaving White Tower University.
What made Percy even more unacceptable was that even if he had to leave the career he loved - although he couldn't see why these civilians were worth his brother's time - his brother was unwilling to go back to the Brody family with him.
Rationally, he understood that the other party wouldn't be able to stay at White Tower University for long, and Percy Brody wasn't truly an idiot who couldn't see the situation clearly. Furthermore, the Brody family was too weak, and he couldn't even bring himself to offer him protection. Young geniuses were indeed rare and precious, but to those behemoths, they were nothing more than disposable supplies.
From an angle where no one could see, the eyes of the black-haired boy with a delicate face were as dark and cold as a deep pool.
Ever since he entered the Saint Bartolomeo Warlock Academy, the naive and awkward young noble had only longed to prove that he was no worse than his brother. Titles and reputations were nothing more than the sweet trophies of victory. But now, an unprecedented desire for power and status was swirling darkly in the depths of his body like a poisonous swamp.
If he could enter the Royal Court Council, if he could make the Brody family strong and restore the status of their ancestors, even better than before... if he could make no one dare to bully the Brody family's bloodline, even the king would have to pay the price for it - then would his brother choose to seek his protection, instead of treating him like an ugly fledgling, throwing him in a safe "nest", letting him watch helplessly as his brother stood with other irrelevant people, moving further and further away from him?
But on the surface, he didn't show anything, just made a tearful expression and tried to tug at his brother's sleeve—he discovered that his seemingly cold and heartless brother was actually very soft-hearted and not good at dealing with his tears. Whenever he made this expression, perhaps the other party didn't realize it, but his tone would always soften.
"Brother, can't I really come with you?" Percy asked pitifully.
"No." The professor frowned and took a step back. "You are the head of the Brody family. At least for now, Ironthorn Territory still needs you."
"I'd rather not be the head of the family!" He deliberately threw a tantrum like a child, acting like a spoiled brat and saying, "Brother, I was wrong. I shouldn't have competed with you for the position of head of the family. What's so good about being the head of the family? I can't even do what I want to do..."
"Don't be silly." Nova's mouth twitched at his rubbing, and his tone became stern: "Do you really think you got this by yourself? If I wanted this title, would you still be able to stand in front of me alive?"
The implication is that since this is the situation he has set up, the other party has to take it whether they want it or not - this is how arbitrary a tyrant is.
If it were the old Percy Brody, this harsh and rude remark might have angered the sensitive, proud and self-deprecating young nobleman so much that he would turn around and leave.
But now, having already humiliated himself in front of everyone, and besides, this was his brother—Percy just said cheerfully, "But you didn't kill me after all, did you?"
He even surprisingly concluded: "So, brother, you still have me in your heart!"
Nova: “…”
It was rare for him to not know what to say, and this time he was the one who wanted to turn around and leave.
Then the professor suddenly heard his foolish cousin whisper to him, "Brother, there is one thing I don't understand."
"If you want to deal with the Church, and these students and townspeople in White Tower Town are already obedient to your orders, why not seize this opportunity to control them and use them as bargaining chips in negotiations with the Royal Court? This will allow you to regain your noble status, enter the center of power, and compete with those you want to deal with?"
He stared into his brother's glassy, smoky gray eyes and offered sincere advice from the bottom of his heart—but somehow, he felt less and less confident the more he spoke, and an inexplicable panic made his voice become smaller and smaller: "No matter how you look at it, noble status is more advantageous and more convenient, isn't it?"
After a long silence, just as Percy began to suspect that he had said something wrong, he suddenly heard his brother ask an irrelevant question: "Have you read what I published?"
So that's it. Percy breathed a sigh of relief: "I have it."
"I've read everything from the Limin Daily to the journals you've published!" He said, seemingly taking credit for it. "Including this issue of the History of Gods. I think you're absolutely right, brother. Gods are human..."
The other person remained calm: "What do you think of the Limin Daily?"
"Very provocative...?"
Percy was a little bewildered. Seeing that no one was speaking, he added eagerly, "I don't mean to blame you. You've persuaded a group of ignorant civilians to rebel against the Church just because of your words. Including this time's riot in White Tower Town, those students and townspeople were simply manipulated by you, and the Church was forced to suffer a great loss. You didn't even have to resort to violence, you achieved this with just a few words. Brother, you're really amazing!"
"...Percy Brody." The professor calmly looked at the young face that was somewhat similar to his. Percy couldn't help shivering, and the courage and bravery he had just shown in front of others suddenly disappeared.
At a certain moment, he felt that the other party seemed to have seen through him long ago, and easily dissected his body, carelessly turning out all the distortions, filth and darkness deep in his soul, and judging them one by one coldly and ruthlessly.
The man announced word by word into the depths of Percy Brody's drastically shrunken pupils, "At least for now, your thoughts have already doomed you and me to be on different paths."
His heart suddenly stopped beating for a moment, and he heard himself stammering, "Brother, brother...why do you say that..."
"But it's not your fault." The other person's expression was as calm as ever, and Percy even began to hate this calmness - he wanted to shatter it, even if it meant making that person look at him with disgust and hatred.
"This is the evil result of the education you received since childhood."
Percy stared at him blankly: "...Brother?"
The other party did not respond: "You should have met Ivan Adrian."
"...I know him," Percy whispered. He wanted to complain to someone, like how he hadn't been allowed into his brother's office, and he had snuck in to steal cookies. But now was obviously not the right time to act like a spoiled brat, so he reluctantly complimented the man: "He's a good speaker, and very brave... If he weren't a humble commoner, or even just an ordinary person, he might have achieved something."
"Maybe he's not as powerful as you, nor as 'noble' as you. But in terms of leadership, you can't match him." Facing the other man's incredulous gaze, the professor said coldly, "The plan to capture the Inquisition was essentially led by him and Daniga. I was merely responsible for providing some remote guidance."
Percy suppressed the sudden jealousy that was like a thorn in his flesh and reluctantly agreed, "He is indeed quite good."
But the other party's next words made his expression completely distorted.
"And he is my fellow traveler, but you are not," his brother asked. "Do you understand why?"
...He must be looking awful right now, Percy thought desperately, but he couldn't help it. That was his brother, sharing the same noble blood. That mysterious, terrifyingly powerful man was fine, but one day he'd trample someone under his feet. But a commoner, an ordinary person—why?
Little Brody let his nails dig into his palms, forcing himself to continue thinking: "...Because he is your student, a civilian, an ordinary person, just like you, my brother, are now?"
"Because we all stand for the common people, to fight against the injustices of the world." The professor looked intently at the other man's extremely pale face. "You may think this is just a hypocritical and ridiculous slogan, but if you have truly read the Limin Daily, you should know what I mean."
"I will never deny the deliberate incitement I displayed in my writing, nor will I deny that I was stirring up public opinion—but you must learn to see the essence through phenomena, Percy. Don't be blinded by what those in power deliberately instill in you and lose your ability to think for yourself."
Percy felt himself being intimidated by those eyes, like the desolate moon. He couldn't help but tremble slightly, and could only stand there, forced to listen to the man's cold judgment: "You are nobler than the common people, but lower than the nobles and the royal family. So, how is the nobles and the royal family's view of you different from your view of the common people? Just like I am a commoner now, do you think that I have suddenly become lowly and dirty?"
He retorted eagerly: "How could I think that you, brother, are mean and dirty?!"
The other party's tone softened. "So, what exactly is noble? What is base? Is it determined by our 'bloodline' at birth as human beings? Or is it just a lie deliberately created by the exploiters to consolidate their position and divide the exploited?"
"So think more, Percy, and never give up dialectical thinking. If you have any questions, you can ask me." Seeing him stunned, his brother patted his shoulder, which was rare, and said meaningfully: "I don't hope that one day we will become enemies facing each other with swords."
——He had seen through him long ago.
Then Nova suddenly heard the person in front of him whisper: "...Is that person also your fellow traveler?"
He was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized: "You mean Azuka?"
Seeing the man nod slightly, he answered without hesitation: "Yes, he is my collaborator."
"…Just a collaborator?"
Nova's eyebrows jumped when he suddenly heard an inexplicably familiar sentence. He subconsciously took a step back, and then realized that the person in front of him was not someone.
"Why do you ask?" He narrowed his eyes warily and looked at the other person.
"...He is very dangerous. I am just worried about you and want to know what your relationship with him is." The other man bit his lip, his face extremely pale.
"Deep collaborators with shared interests, best friends with similar ideals and mutual trust." The professor hesitated and remembered what the man had said.
——I won’t force you to accept me now. The God of Struggle and Change gently rubbed his hair, but his fingers gently slid down to the back of his neck.
Don't feel stressed or burdened by this, he whispered. You can regard me as... one of your loyal and devout believers and pursuers. I assure you that nothing will change between us.
However, he didn't like the local term "believers" so he carefully added, "plus suitors who are not unpleasant."
But Brody suddenly looked shaky. Facing Nova's puzzled gaze, the black-haired boy asked him tremblingly, his voice a little shaky: "So you really, kissed?"
"That's right." The professor frowned. "Any questions?"
The author has something to say:
Savior: Yes, I can kiss, hug and lick my suitor, the plan is through.jpg
Professor: I was so horny when someone sucked me, but I felt so comfortable being stroked, so after struggling for a long time, I finally decided to lie back down.
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