Book 2: Chapter 489
There was no immediate response.
But it felt like something was lodged in his throat. Lukas suddenly wondered what he would say even if he opened his mouth at that moment.
While he was immersed in that feeling, Iris raised her lowered head once more. Then, she blinked her eyes once before speaking.
“Would you like to have a seat?”
Where?
Before he could even say this out loud, a table and a pair of chairs fell from the sky. He wasn’t exactly sure how high they had fallen from, but it was definitely high enough for furniture made of wood to be smashed upon landing.
Nevertheless, the furniture completed the landing with surprising grace.
There wasn’t a single sound, not even a rattle. It was as if they were stuck to a wall made of glue.
The table was a dining table. This was because there was food on the table*. Although the menu wasn’t amazing. (*: The word for dining table is basically ‘food table’)
It was just freshly baked bread, soup, bacon, and a gla.s.s of milk each.
Iris sat down first. Then, she repeated her words, except this time, it was with her gaze. He had no choice but to sit in front of her.
Of course, that was all.
He didn’t think he could eat carefreely in this place, moreover, in front of Iris.
Iris, who was staring blankly at Lukas, snapped her finger once more. This time, a cup of coffee fell from the sky.
“…”
He looked down at the steaming cup.
Coffee.
It was Lukas’ favourite drink.
But, of course, Iris didn’t know that… She shouldn’t have known that.
She knew a fact she shouldn’t have known. In that case, how did she find out?
It was obvious. She’d read it in the Void Records.
“…”
It suddenly felt like all of his memories lost their colour.
What she’d just said made sense to him now. She had learned everything about Lukas through ‘information’ rather than ‘memory’. That gap that they could feel between them would not be filled even if they were to make countless memories in the future.
He knew.
Serving coffee for him was her way of showing consideration for Lukas. However, that consideration had now become poison.
There was only a table between them, but it felt as if there was a thousand foot precipice between Lukas and her.
He took a sip of the coffee to get rid of that feeling. To his surprise, it worked. The aching in his chest subsided a little.
Now that he thought about it, Lukas realised that he shouldn’t have been so affected by this.
He had already been given a solution for their relationship. Of course, it was just a simple conclusion and couldn’t be called the correct answer, but at least it was something he could understand since he himself had deliberated and put forward. He just had to accept it.
Nevertheless, the reason he’d been so affected was simply because Lukas could not have predicted this development.
Iris had learned about ‘Lukas’. And yet, she didn’t seem interested.
Those two facts combined were the causes of Lukas’ confusion.
‘However, it’s over now.’
He took another sip of coffee.
As soon as the mellow flavour flowed over the tip of his tongue and went down his oesophagus, the pain in his chest could no longer be felt. That was a change that surprised even him.
Lukas was now able to look at the situation with calm eyes.
“Was this your doing?”
“Huh?”
“This furniture, it doesn’t seem like they were simply summoned.”
“…indeed. You are level headed and capable of quickly judging the situation. Just like in the book.”
“…”
“You must have been very fond of the being called ‘Iris Peacefinder’. However, there isn’t even the slightest hint of agitation in your eyes as you look at my face now. It seems you were able to calm down and sort your emotions in a short time, just like it said.”
“…”
“I went off tangent. You asked about my power, didn’t you?”
Iris brushed her fingertips across the tabletop.
“That’s right. It’s not like summoning. I didn’t move them from somewhere.”
“Did you create them?”
Although Lukas’ a.s.sumption was unrealistic, it was highly probable. Although creation was by no means a power granted to mortals, Iris was an exception.
After all, she was the Apostle who had been given the authority of none other than Lord himself. She had trained that power for at least thousands of years to help Lukas escape, and even after Lord’s death, she hadn’t lost her authority over s.p.a.ce.
Of course, her ability to create wasn’t on the same level as Lord in his prime, who could create a variety of things from nothing. In fact, Lukas didn’t think that Iris, whom he’d simply shared his power with, would be able to reach that level.
However, perhaps…
“It’s a bit different.”
A whispered voice tickled his ears.
“It is simply a copy of something that was recorded in this place. Perhaps it would be more accurate to call it materialisation.”
“Materialisation?”
“The table that was called here now is the breakfast that a man named ‘Dumar Chester’ had on the eighth day of July when he was 47. Ah, the man named Dumar was not my acquaintance.”
Lukas hesitated.
“…you have the power to materialise what is written in the void?”
“To an extremely limited extent.”
Iris didn’t seem to think it was a big deal, but it wasn’t something that should be said so calmly.
It seemed that something unreasonable and extremely unrealistic was taking place.
In other words, Iris… had successfully connected to the void?
‘How was that possible…’
It shouldn’t have been possible for the vessel of a mortal to contain even a fraction of the information held within the Void Records, the Akashic Records.
It was quite natural.
The trick that Iris had displayed was only beginning to enter the entrance of the transcendent stage. If she became able to use that power as she pleased, she would be able to take out any creation in the universe whenever she desired.
She would be able to obtain an authority that was very close to G.o.d’s, no, that —it was safe to say— belonged to G.o.d.
“Are you not eating?”
Iris spoke again.
“I don’t have an appet.i.te.”
It hadn’t been there in the first place, but it had fallen even more after the conversation just now.
“Wouldn’t it be better to eat? You seem hungry.”
“…”
It was an accurate a.n.a.lysis.
It had been quite a while since they had entered the mine, and all he’d eaten until then was the piece of flesh that he’d eaten to comfort Pale. In fact, if he let go of his concentration even slightly, he would be able to feel his stomach complaining of hunger.
Lukas hesitated for a moment, but soon picked up the tableware. He didn’t have an appet.i.te since he had just drank the coffee, but after eating a few spoonfuls of soup, his appet.i.te returned.
The simple meal quickly came to an end.
In the meantime, Iris read a book without paying any attention to Lukas. Looking at the cover, it was still a book about Lukas.
All of a sudden, Lukas wanted to read that book as well.
“The people you know.”
Without taking her eyes from the book, Iris spoke.
“Most of them agree with Diablo’s ideals.”
“…what?”
“They came to understand the ideas he advocated.”
Lukas remained silent for a moment.
“Do you mean the crazy claim about spreading death to the Three Thousand Worlds?”
“Yes.”
Silence fell once more as he recalled Diablo’s claim once more.
“I can’t understand.”
But even after thinking about it again, he still felt that he couldn’t understand it.
“It’s not even sophistry. There’s no way the people I know would agree to that.”
Right. Unless they all had collectively gone mad.
But Iris made a puzzled expression before nodding as if she understood something.
“I guess you didn’t hear everything from Diablo, did you?”
“He told me to hear the rest from you. That’s why I’m here.”
“…from, me.”
Iris lowered her head slightly and lightly ran her finger across her lips. It was a habit that appeared whenever she was lost in thought.
“Most things are recorded in this place.”
Then, looking at Lukas, she continued.
“Not everything, most things.”
She repeated her words with emphasis. Then she looked at Lukas’ face. As if she expected to see some kind of reaction after he heard this.
But she didn’t show any reactions to Lukas.
Iris… was a woman who could perfectly hide her thoughts if she wanted to. Although she hadn’t been easy to read in the first place, the unique light in her eyes had become several times deeper than before. In order to forcefully peek at her thoughts, she would have to be agitated or confused, but Lukas couldn’t think of a way to do that.
In other words,
Lukas couldn’t guess what Iris’ intentions were for saying this.
“This place looks huge, doesn’t it? It’s just as it looks. This library is even bigger than the current world outside that has become a mega universe after the Great Fusion.”
After saying that, she took a moment to catch her breath. He had the vague feeling that she was gathering her momentum.
Lukas…
Had a hunch that what she was about to say was the most important.
“But even though it’s huge, it isn’t infinite. That is the truth of the world.”
For a moment, Iris’ eyes seemed to become pitch black for a moment.
“Nothing is eternal in this world.”
…Something.
He felt like this was something he’d felt before.
When was it?
It was definitely not when he was Lukas, but perhaps it was when he was Frey.
The look in Iris’ eyes was similar to something he’d seen before—
“-then you can go now.”
“What?”
“Or is there something else you want to say?”
When Iris tilted her head to the side and asked this, he became speechless.
Of course, there was nothing Lukas needed from Iris. Because he hadn’t expected to meet Iris in the first place.
“…Diablo had sent me here confidently. It seemed he thought that I would be able to reach some kind of conclusion.
“I see.”
“However, that didn’t turn out to be the case.”
Lukas spoke with a complicated voice.
“I still don’t understand Diablo’s ideals. I still think of him as a risk factor, and I still haven’t changed my mind about killing him whenever I encounter him.”
“Nevertheless, that is all I can say.”
“Iris, what are you hiding-”
It was at that moment.
The s.p.a.ce next to Lukas split open and someone suddenly appeared.
It was Pale.
“You…?”
Without even looking at the bewildered Lukas, she looked around with a pout. Then, she revealed her signature bright smile.
“I came to pick you up since you were taking so long!”
“How did you come here?”
“The entrance didn’t disappear and it’s still open. Ah. That stupid skeleton ran away. Gloomy b.a.s.t.a.r.d. I don’t like that guy. Next time I see him, I’m going to kill him.”
She crossed her arms while speaking as if it was no big deal.
Then, she looked up at the towering bookshelves as tall as buildings and muttered in a faint voice.
“Hmm. Indeed. This place is…”
“…”
“What about you, Lukas? Are you done with your business?”
It was at that moment.
Pale’s gaze, which was moving around, finally settled on Iris.
For a moment, the two silently looked at each other.
It was Pale who smiled first. After making her signature wide smile, she suddenly grabbed Lukas by the arm and began leading him away.
“Since you’re done with your business, let’s get going. The ‘top’ seems a bit noisy.”
“Wait. I’m not…”
“Hurry.”
He couldn’t understand Pale’s suddenly rushed att.i.tude. Lukas, who was half led and half dragged, subconsciously turned back to look at Iris, and couldn’t help but tremble.
For the first time, there was a ripple of emotion on Iris’ expressionless face.