Chapter 143: Why do you want to become stronger?
"Why do you want to become stronger?"
Syr, forcing herself to calm down, asked another question.
She wanted to know why Luke's thoughts were so peculiar.
"Why do I want to become stronger? Do you need a reason to become stronger?"
Luke's words once again rendered Syr speechless.
After a long while, she spoke again: "Then let me put it another way."
"What do you plan to do after you become strong enough?"
Upon hearing this, Luke laughed.
"That would be, to become even stronger!"
Syr couldn't understand; she found she simply couldn't see through Luke's way of thinking.
With a trembling voice, she asked Luke one last question.
"What's the point of becoming stronger like that…"
"Enough, Syr, this boy is different from what you imagined."
Syr's words were interrupted by Mama Mia.
Mia, holding a dish, looked down at Luke, who was sitting in the chair.
At this moment, she completely understood that Luke was different from her, from them, from everyone in Orario.
To him, becoming stronger does not need to have a meaning.
To become strong, to become stronger, to become stronger than everyone else.
Isn't that the most meaningful thing?
"Boy, what will you do if one day you can no longer become stronger?"
"Then, I guess I would have reached my goal."
…
Luke sat in the chair, eating his meal somewhat awkwardly.
Even though he was in a familiar and bustling tavern, Luke felt uncomfortable all over.
The reason was the strange glances that Mia, Syr, and Anya, who had heard him speak earlier, occasionally cast at him.
Luke was used to regular sights.
Whether they were looks of envy or jealousy, of goodwill or hostility, of seeing a genius or a monster.
Having been through two mission worlds, Luke wasn't completely indifferent, but he could at least keep a straight face.
But what was this situation?
Why were they all looking at him with a kind of 'caring' gaze?
Did he say something wrong earlier???
While Luke was completely bewildered.
On the other side.
Syr, full of confusion, was working while asking Mama Mia:
"Mia, what kind of experiences could lead him to have such 'peculiar' thoughts?"
"...This is the first time I've seen this kind of 'freak'."
Mia sighed.
She did understand what Luke meant.
In this little monster's eyes, becoming stronger was essentially the same as living.
Of course, people don't need a reason to live.
When you can't live anymore or don't want to live anymore, your life will come to an end.
"But, at least what I can be sure of is, his childhood must have been abnormal."
"I'm afraid that in the worldview he formed at the beginning, there were no positive elements like family affection, love, or dreams."
"Likewise, there were also no negative elements like fear, timidity, or dread."
"But, how could Luke possibly be like he is now..."
Syr's words weren't finished, but her meaning had been successfully conveyed to Mia.
"You're asking why he seems so normal, right?"
"That's why I lament this kid's talent."
Mia shifted her gaze away from Luke.
Mia wasn't ready for Luke to notice her assessment of him yet.
"I don't know if someone told him, or if he figured it out himself."
"This kid seems to have been 'abnormal' but then later on absorbed and understood these 'normal' elements, filling in his own gaps."
Mama Mia's explanation completely confused Syr.
While Anya, who was eavesdropping nearby, had given up thinking altogether.
"So, Luke is now considered a normal person?"
"But his words from earlier, they don't seem like those of a normal person."
Syr tried hard to understand Mia's meaning.
"...On the surface, it seems to be the case, most of the time at least."
"But, essentially, there's still a bit of a difference."
A normal person's worldview is built up layer by layer from childhood.
Father and mother, eating and drinking, family affection and romantic love, familiarity and strangeness, one layer after another, constructing a person's complete worldview.
And the worldview isn't static; the outer layers are more likely to shatter due to their actions, and after breaking, they will be replaced by new correct concepts.
Thus, the outer layers are less important, less touching to one's core, but at the same time, they are more complete, more correct, more perfect.
Now, Luke, like ordinary people, has constructed a very complete worldview.
The only difference is that at the place closest to the essence of his soul, the 'abnormal' part he first constructed hasn't disappeared.
Instead, it has been wrapped up layer by layer by those that came after.
"Syr, imagine this."
"If one day, that boy falls in love with someone, but that person prevents him from becoming stronger."
"What do you think he will do then?"
Syr followed Mama Mia's reasoning, seeming to understand Luke's situation a bit more.
Just take living as an example.
If the people closest to you were to act against you, like your parents, your lover, your siblings.
You might feel sad, upset, pained, angry, resistant, because they are the core parts of your world, they can truly touch your heart.
But what if someone who is only at the stage of familiarity and acquaintance wants to attack you?
In Luke's worldview, the most central parts are not the parents, lovers, or siblings.
They are the outermost part of his worldview, not the inner part.
Then, what would Luke do in this situation?
Regardless of who it is, as long as they stand in his way of becoming stronger, as long as someone tries to block the cornerstone of his worldview.
Then it's as if they were standing in the path of a sword.
Just like Luke said.
"If an enemy appears in front of you, it's only natural to cut them down, right?"
At that moment, Syr began to understand what Luke truly meant by his words.
She also understood what a real 'sword' meant.
After explaining to Syr, Mama Mia remained silent, just quietly wiping the table and organizing the messy tableware.
There was one thing she didn't say.
That everything has exceptions.
Although the worldview is constructed in a layer-by-layer manner, it's not without its special cases.
Heart-breaking, soul-touching, life-altering events are extremely rare, but they are not non-existent.
If, in Luke's future life, he encounters something truly precious to him.
Then, sheathing the sword may not be entirely impossible.
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