"Why do you need a fake system?" Karavan asked.
"Because... " Cassius paused wondering if he should answer honestly, then leaned over the table, while looking Karavan dead in the eyes. "I don't want to die in ten years."
"That's... not something a kid should say." Karavan replied, looking at him pitifully.
"Do you actually believe I'm just an ordinary kid?" Cassius glared. Karavan's suspicious behavior earlier made it seem like he knew more than he let on.
Karavan chuckled. "You're right. You're definitely extraordinary."
'That's not what I meant. ' Cassius thought, trying to find out if he knew he was a regressor indirectly.
"Sir—"
"Just call me Kar," Karavan cut him off. "No need for formalities. I'm your system now, right?"
"Alright… Kar," Cassius continued. "You mentioned being a regressor, but didn't explain how."
"That is correct," Kar smiled, resting his elbow on the table.
"I'm asking you to explain how." Cassius stated more clearly, since it didn't seem Kar understood his request.
Kar leaned back, holding his chin, "I don't want to?" He grinned.
"Hah," Cassius pulled the contract up from the table and pointed at the second clause, "Look here, you aren't allowed to withhold information from me."
"Hmm," Kar leaned closer, "Where does it say that?"
Cassius turned the paper around to look at it.
2. Karavan will not tell a single lie to Cassius
That's what it said. And not being able to lie is not the same as not being able to keep secrets.
'Shit.' Cassius made an awkward expression as he realized he messed up.
"PFFT-" Kar almost fell off his chair from laughter, "I'm just kidding, I'll tell you."
"Really?" Cassius asked annoyed.
"Yeah," Kar composed himself, "It just needs a really strong urge to change the past, and the power to back it up. I'm the only regressor in this world by the way."
'So he doesn't know I'm a regressor? I suppose I was just overthinking things.'
"Alright," Cassius replied, "You said you could make me the most powerful man in the world, right?"
"Oh?" Kar grinned, "So, you admit thats what you want, right?"
"No," Cassius refuted proudly. "I just don't want to die a tragic death at age 20."
"Kid," Kar sighed. "Why do you think you're going to die in 10 years? That's not how a young boy should think."
Cassius stared deeply into Karavan's eyes before speaking, "Because it already happened."
"What?" Kar furrowed his eyebrows.
"Because. it. already. happened." Cassius repeated himself more slowly. Why was this guy having such a hard time understanding? He of all people should understand.
"What do you mean?" Kar asked. "Is this something you dreamt? Did you have a nightmare?"
"I wish it were a nightmare," Cassius sighed, "Sadly, it was definitely real. I died at the age of 20, after being betrayed by my older brother and thrown off a cliff into the abyss."
Kar stared quietly at Cassius, and seeing as Kar wasn't saying anything, Cassius felt an unexpected urge to explain further. He just wanted someone to know what he went through, someone who could perhaps relate.
"It all started the day I failed my awakening ceremony," Cassius began solemnly. "That was the day the world abandoned me. I used to look back at that moment and ask myself why it happened, ask myself what I could have possibly done to deserve all this. That's when I realized it was all my fault. "
"Cas-" Kar raised his arm to interrupt him.
"No, don't interrupt me," Cassius glared at him. "Don't give me that pitiful look. You don't know anything about me. You don't know what happened. You don't know what they did after that. You don't know why I'm at fault."
"Why is it your fault?" Karavan asked, looking deeply affected by Cassius's words. As if he felt them firsthand.
"Because I trusted them," Cassius bit his lip, averting his gaze. "Because I believed they would never abandon me. Because I believed they cared about me. Because I believed my father loved me more than any other boy in the world."
A tear rolled down Cassius's cheek as he clenched his fists under the table. He couldn't understand why he felt the need to tell this man his story when he barely even knew him.
Perhaps, it was because the man's life was bound to him by a contract, or maybe it was because the man looked identical to him so it felt like he was talking to himself.
But regardless... Cassius continued to tell his story and Karavan continued to listen carefully.
"They even killed Rocky," Cassius began choking back his tears. "What did Rocky do wrong? He was such a good boy..."
Rocky was a small puppy with gray fur and blue eyes that Cassius received for his 9th birthday. He was trained to accompany Cassius in the dungeons, but he was killed off after Cassius didn't awaken because he was no longer needed. If Cassius had just awakened, rocky would have lived.
"After Rocky died, there was only one person who cared about me," Cassius gritted his teeth. "Then, 5 years later, she disappeared, and I was left all alone. Without her, I couldn't take it anymore, so I ran away."
Cassius regained his composure and continued, "During that time, I trained hard and worked as a mercenary and became one of the strongest unawakened in the empire. Then, I managed to awaken as a systemless hunter. "
"But then, soon after, my father died," Cassius said calmly.
"Oh, Sorry?" Karavan seemed confused at Cassius sudden change in tone.
"Nah, man. You got it all wrong," Cassius chuckled. "That's not the sad part."
"Oh?"
"The sad part was what came after that. The Trial." Cassius continued, "The trial is a test that all Blackwood-"
"Wait - did you just say Blackwood? As in Char Blackwood?" Kar interrupted.
"Ah, did I not mention I was his descendant?" Cassius rubbed his head.
"No?" Kar said, "You didn't even mention you were nobility. You only gave me your first name when I asked."
"Is that a problem?"
"No," Karavan sighed, "But it does make things different."
"It does?"
"Yes, after all, that makes your family my enemy."
Cassius couldn't care less why the blackwood's were his enemy so he didn't ask. All that mattered was that they were his enemy.
"Great." Cassius smirked, "they happen to be my enemy too."