19 Book 3 Chapter 15

The view on top of Pantheon's pillar was a sight to behold. Far off was the sun, it's warmth washing away the chilly air. Below was a glittering sea of grass and flowers. The harmless critters began their day, bringing the community floors to life. The singing of birds was music to the ears, while the smell of dew sharpened the senses. A place like this was a tonic to the human spirit.

With a flicker of light, Jason teleported to the inside of his house. Furniture littered the structure without concern for aesthetics. Before he had the materials for a mansion, he cared little for 'style' and 'class'. For now, he stuffed as many objects that gave stats inside as he could.

Someone knocked on his front door almost as soon as he appeared. Sensing a familiar presence, he opened the door and greeted Olivia. "Yo, were you waiting?"

Olivia made an exaggerated bow. "I am here as an ambassador."

"Oh?" Jason forced back a chuckle as he took a step back and gestured for Olivia to enter. "What an honor it is for the most skilled ambassador in the world to visit my little kingdom. Please, enter the royal palace."

Olivia walked in while donning a dignified expression. After a quick survey of the 'palace', she turned, cleared her throat, pulled out a scroll, and began to read. Or at least that was what Jason assumed would happen. Instead, she just stared at the scroll without speaking a word.

Jason held a playful smile. "Does the ambassador not have anything to say?"

"Tch." Olivia's noble expression vanished as she tossed the scroll behind her. "I didn't think this far."

"Haha, not bad, not bad. You still have a long way to go in the art of acting, though." Jason folded his arms as he sat in one of the many chairs in the room.

"Oh?" Olivia sat across from him with a curious look. "Are you so skilled because you flirt with so many women?"

"Hey, hey." Jason gesticulated wildly. "They're the one's flirting with me, I'm just playing along. And besides, what are you implying?"

Olivia ignored his question and continued her offensive. "Do they know you're almost a hundred years old?"

"Hey, a hundred years old?" Beads of sweat formed on Jason's forehead. "Technically my soul is a bit old, but my mentality and body have never aged."

Olivia went for the killing blow. "So what you're saying is you never grew up?"

Jason gasped. He fell limp against the chair, completely and utterly defeated. Olivia wore a smug expression upon seeing this. "So we're tied one to one then?"

Jason covered his face shamefully and replied. "Really? Because it feels like you won."

After a moment, Jason caught his breath and asked. "So? What are you here for?"

Olivia leaned to the side and hung her legs over her chair before answering. "Roy sent me to check up on you."

"Did he say anything?"

"Well," Olivia looked up at the ceiling. "He told me what happened last night and asked whether he was right or wrong."

"And you replied with?" Jason recalled the emotionless assassin from his original timeline.

Olivia wore a melancholic expression as she said. "I told him that someone who cuts off their feelings is to become inhuman, and to expect someone else to do the same… is cruel."

Jason was startled upon noticing the gaze in her eyes. It made him wonder what exactly Cay Wolf did to her.

"He gave this spiel about how the ends justify the means." Olivia rolled her eyes. "I didn't think he was that naive, so I gave him several hypotheticals which quickly backed him off his stance."

Jason narrowed his eyes as he thought to himself. The ends justify the means, huh?

Olivia jumped to her feet and spread her hands. "After that, he said he needed to do some thinking and asked for me to check in on you."

Just then, there was another knock at the door. Speak of the devil. Jason thought as he called out. "Come in, it's unlocked!"

Roy entered with his usual smile. He walked up to Jason and gave an awkward cough. "Well, uh, first off, I'm sorry for questioning your motives. I shouldn't have done that."

Jason waved his hand dismissively. "Apology accepted."

Roy scratched his head. "I did some asking around, and, well, it appears I'm in the minority."

Sensing the confusion and self-doubt in Roy's emotions, Jason stood up and firmly clasped Roy's shoulders. "Look, I don't think you're wrong. It's just… not everyone has as much conviction as you."

Roy's face lit up. "I'm not wrong?"

Jason let out a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry, but don't expect me to stop doing what I've been doing. I don't know what'll happen if I don't distract myself."

"Distract yourself from what?" Olivia and Roy asked simultaneously.

Jason was about to answer, but in the end decided that maybe it was better for them not to know. It would only affect them negatively. Jason shook his head. "Nothing, don't worry about it." He glanced outside. "Besides, the meeting with the others is soon. I have a lot of information to share, so be prepared for a lot of sitting."

Roy and Olivia were smart enough not to pry further. Just as they turned to leave, the front door slammed open as a disheveled man barged in while hollering. "JASOOOON!"

The trio were baffled as they watched Su Long trip over his feet and slam forehead first onto the floor. Without delay, Su Long shot to his feet, his crazed eyes homing in on Jason. "You, you, you rascal!" Su Long pointed with an accusing finger. "Why didn't you tell me you were a time traveler?"

"Ah." Jason rubbed the back of his head and apologized. "It's not that I didn't trust yo-"

"Trust?" Su Long pulled at his hair. "Are you stupid?! I don't care about that!"

"Uh…" Jason was unable to keep up.

Su Long raised his chin to the sky. "Obviously I'm a genius blacksmith, right?"

"Yeah, you're without equal!" Jason, Roy, and Olivia agreed quickly, long ago learning that it was better to go along with Su Long's antics.

"And obviously I have much room to grow, right?"

"Absolutely." The trio forced a smile.

"Then you know already! Idiot!" Su Long stomped the floor angrily. "Why haven't you told me what amazing inventions the genius me in the future invented?"

Jason's jaw dropped. This was Su Long's first response to learning the news? He wasn't focused on the asshole who created the tower? Not that time traveling was possible or that humanity was completely wiped out? But this? Really?

Roy asked sheepishly from the side. "Su Long, no offense, but what if you didn't invent anything else?"

Now it was Su Long's jaw that dropped. He looked at Roy as if he was seeing the most horrifying creature to exist, and then without pause, resumed his previous expression as if he had never heard Roy in the first place.

Jason patted Su Long's shoulder. "Haha, I'll keep it a surprise for now. Why don't we go to the meeting first?"

Instead of growing impatient, Su Long straightened his hair, stood up straight, and replied calmly. "Alright, let's go."

Roy and Olivia gaze eachother a look, as if saying 'That's it?'.