Endless Debt

"Tracking? I suppose so."

Olivia admitted unexpectedly, "You know the tension between the Order Bureau and the All Secrets Order. I have to make sure you won’t do anything bad. After all, you’re a Defender."

A Defender is just a tier below a Seeker of Glory, yet equally deadly. In the conventions of the Extraordinary World, if a High Tier Condenser enters another’s territory without permission, it can be considered a declaration of war, showing the terrifying destructive power of a High Tier Condenser.

"Even if the relationship is tense, it’s not to the point of drawn swords, is it?" Bologue questioned back, "Your actions are full of distrust towards the Order Bureau."

"Stop saying such naive things. Do you believe in trust?" Olivia asked.

"Of course, I do believe in it. You know the Order Bureau’s deeply ingrained principle is almost blindly stupid trust," Bologue elaborated further, "and I don’t mean that pejoratively."

"What about when you face people outside the Order Bureau?"

Olivia, seeing Bologue didn’t immediately answer, allowed a rare smirk to form on her usually cold face, a mocking smile, "See, you understand, don’t you?"

"So let’s not waste time with verbal sparring. You don’t like it, and I’m not good at it," Olivia adjusted her hair, her previously unfocused gaze focusing on Bologue for the first time.

"So what do you want?" Bologue asked sincerely, "When I can’t come to terms in a dialogue, I usually resort to fighting. I hope you don’t think the same way?"

Bologue stretched his muscles and, in front of Olivia, casually placed his hand on the hilt of the Grudge-biting sword, while the other hand hung low, ready to grasp the Vengeful Saw Axe.

Bologue was not joking around about the aura of hostility surrounding him.

"Willing to fight here? I never shy away from a challenge."

Bologue was brimming with confidence, not just in his own strength but also because this was the Land of Secrets. Even if he ended up battered, what would be damaged were the properties of the All Secrets Order.

"Is everyone in your Order Bureau such a war maniac?"

Olivia had no desire to fight. On one hand, battling Bologue would only worsen the already tense situation between the Order Bureau and the All Secrets Order. On the other hand, as Bologue thought, this was the property of the All Secrets Order.

"Not at all, only a few of us are like me, eager to resolve issues through violence." Bologue released the sword hilt.

"Violence can’t solve every problem."

"But you must admit, violence is indeed an efficient and convenient method," Bologue praised, "And you don’t want to be stuck engaging in months-long debates with an enemy at the negotiation table, do you? All that saliva, it’s gross."

Olivia couldn’t help but smile; Bologue had amused her.

"So what exactly do you want? Even if you’re here to keep an eye on me, you don’t have to be so blatant, do you? And having a Duke personally come is both an honor and a discomfort."

Bologue said as he turned, presenting his side to Olivia. This action fully exposed his back, revealing the clothing and wound cut by a dagger.

Olivia noticed it too, "You’re wounded?"

"It’s nothing. I’m an Undead, with some peculiar hobby," Bologue reached back to touch his wound, retrieving a bloody smear, "like self-harm or something."

Bologue touched it a few more times, and the bloodstain disappeared. He smiled, "Heals quickly, don’t worry."

He added, "Thanks for your concern."

While Bologue was engaged in conversation with Olivia, Olivia was also using the Whistle to conduct a silent conversation with Bologue.

"What are you doing?"

Seeing Bologue deliberately expose his wound, Olivia asked nervously.

"I want to test if she could find you out," Bologue said, "It seems you’re not cognitively distorted or using optical invisibility because at this distance, Olivia should have noticed something unusual with careful observation."

Bologue unabashedly probed Olivia, "How are you doing this?"

"Are you crazy?" Olivia responded, filled with anger.

"Do you want to neutralize me? Go ahead, but remember, Olivia is watching me closely," Bologue felt quite confident of his position.

Olivia fell completely silent, maintaining absolute silence as she hid around Bologue to avoid being discovered by Olivia while Bologue continued his conversation with her.

"I harbor no hostility towards you, Bologue."

Olivia’s tone was sincere, and the cold temperament on her body had faded significantly.

Bologue remained as assertive as ever, "I know, and you shouldn’t harbor any hostility."

Olivia wasn’t provoked by Bologue’s demeanor. Seeing her stable emotions, Bologue took the initiative to apologize, "Sorry, it wasn’t intentional. I just really dislike that inexplicable sense of superiority you all carry."

"I understand. It’s a stereotype about us from the outside world, but also some of our own flaws," Olivia sighed, "I’ve been trying to make myself more humble."

"I have noticed that compared to your two attendants, you are undoubtedly much better," Bologue glanced around, "Shall we change places to talk?"

Unknowingly, there were many more pedestrians on the roadside, all pretending to be busy with their own affairs, but casting sidelong glances here.

Bologue could understand their feelings; those living in the outer ring of the High Tower were The Imperfect, the lowest existence in the All Secrets Order. Now the legendary Duke of Madness appeared on the street, even if they didn’t kneel to pay respects, they couldn’t help but take a few more looks to see what difference there was between themselves and those high and mighty people.

"Okay," Ossana nodded and led Bologue, "Follow me."

"Where are you taking me?" Bologue followed her.

"Rather than these, why not chat with me first."

"An assessment?"

"Sort of," Ossana walked into the shadows of an alley, her voice coming from the darkness, "If you pass, I will show you what I want you to see."

"Why choose me?"

"You are the Undead, even if an accident happens, you won’t die. You can live on even with only a head."

Bologue somewhat understood Ossana’s meaning. As he followed Ossana through the alley, Ossana’s noticeable luxurious attire disappeared, replaced by extremely ordinary clothing, just like a street passerby.

The two waited by the roadside for a moment, and a bus slowly came along. There weren’t many passengers on board, just a few scattered ones. The driver was dozing off, and the vehicle was rusty, looking as if it had been in operation for many years.

"I thought the Land of Secrets was filled with creations as exquisite as the High Tower. I didn’t expect there would be such worn-out things."

Bologue and Ossana sat in the last row, from which they could observe everyone on the bus.

"There is no absolutely perfect existence in the world, just as the Land of Secrets has its flaws," Ossana said.

"So, you also regard lower-tier Imperfect individuals as part of yourselves, considering them flaws?" Bologue felt slightly surprised.

"No," Ossana shook her head, "Only a small number recognize this. More people see The Imperfect as being the same as ordinary people, something that should be eliminated and not considered one of us."

She smiled self-deprecatingly, "First, delineate Condensers and humans, then Condensers and The Imperfect. What do you think will happen here next?"

For Bologue, this wasn’t hard to guess, "Just categorize tier by tier, identity endlessly divided, and resources of power and enjoyment endlessly split."

"I guess so too," Ossana leaned against the bus window, looking at the changing scenes outside, "I can’t explicitly help these people; otherwise, those extremists in the council would think I’ve tarnished the sanctity of Condensers."

"You don’t believe in the ideology of Condenser supremacy?"

Bologue thought he had figured out Ossana’s thoughts, but Ossana shook her head and said firmly in an extremely tough tone.

"On the contrary, I agree with the ideology of Condenser supremacy. In fact, I’m an absolute supporter of this ideology."

"But you don’t quite resemble the supremacists in my impression," Bologue said.

"The extremists think so too."

"Do you think you’re a moderate?"

"Moderate? No, I consider myself the only Truth Faction, walking the truly correct path."

"Truth Faction? Can you tell me more?"

Bologue was intensely curious about Ossana, as was the invisible Olivia.

"Alright, but before I elaborate on my thoughts, I want to ask you one more question, Bologue," Ossana continued, "As this pathological division continues to subdivide, what do you think the structure of the world will become?"

Bologue pondered deeply, and the word ’Crowned’ involuntarily surfaced in his mind — a great tier beyond Seeker of Glory, existing only in imagination.

"An existence that transcends all Condensers, possessing supreme power."

Bologue spoke according to his imagination, "By the time they acquire this absolute power, they essentially command the majority or even all resources, with everyone’s existence merely serving them. By then, there won’t be any distinctions between Condensers, The Imperfect, or ordinary people; all are inferior before them."

Ossana concluded, "An Ultimate Condenser."

"Even possessing absolute power, an Ultimate Condenser remains mortal and will eventually be killed by time," Ossana paused and then asked, "But what if this Ultimate Condenser also acquired an Undying Body?"

This time Bologue didn’t provide an answer, perhaps even he hadn’t thought about these issues, but the invisible Olivia quietly whispered, her voice echoing in Bologue’s mind.

"An eternal Tyrant, plundering endless Blood Tax."

Olivia was all too familiar with what Ossana had described, as this was precisely the prototype of the Extraordinary Disaster · Eternal Blood Tax.

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