Chapter 268: Noodles
Charles' heart was in turmoil as he stared at the frozen screen. His assumption was right. The Foundation had fallen because they had made contact with Divinities. Researching relics couldn't satisfy them anymore; they had attempted to obtain the power of the Divinities!
The gigantic mantises above the dome weren't lying. The previous calamity had indeed been caused by humanity. It was no wonder they were so adamant about not allowing any human being to step foot onto Newbound City once more.
Charles couldn't even imagine just what kind of calamity had wiped the Foundation out so thoroughly and swiftly that their contingency plans couldn't even be activated and were rendered useless.
Are humans truly as weak as ants before the Divinities? If the Divinities beneath the sea got bored enough one day that they decided to go up to the surface, then... Charles felt a shiver down his spine. No, this isn't the time to think about that. Tobba has just said that he has seen something far more terrifying than that calamity, and he also told me to be wary of the Pope. What exactly did he see?
Charles looked down at the tablet in his hand and tapped it a few times to find more information. However, the other videos were just nonsense taken by the descendants of the young boy.
Charles frowned slightly at the burning questions in his head. Tobba was clearly capable of predicting the future before he went mad. Charles found the living relic to be more believable than the Pope, whose intentions were inscrutable.
The Pope had no ill intent toward him at the moment, but Charles couldn't help but keep on thinking about just why Tobba had warned him to beware of the Pope. How would the Pope be able to cause a calamity far more terrifying than what had annihilated the Foundation?
It didn't make sense. The Subterranean Sea was also home to the Divine Light Order, which meant that they would also suffer greatly if such a calamity were to happen.
Charles thought about the things the Pope had done so far, and he couldn't find anything suspicious.
Clank!
The tablet in Laesto's hand fell to the ground. Laesto looked incredibly somber as he swayed unsteadily, looking like he would collapse at any second.
"Hey, are you okay?" Charles hurriedly supported him. Chart your course back to the origins of this substance at n0v^lbin
Laesto's expression was complex as he stared at Charles. After a while, his trembling lips fluttered open as he asked, "My ancestors were from the surface as well? Just like you?"
"Well, he has no reason to lie to us, so it must be true," Charles replied.
"Oh, I see..." Laesto sat down on a stool. There was a hint of relief in Laesto's marred visage.
"How do you feel now that the puzzle that has been plaguing you for the majority of your life has finally been resolved?" Charles asked.
"Yeah, a bottle will do," Charles replied.
"All right, then. Please give me a moment, sir. Mom! One order of salt-baked lobster balls noodles and a bottle of mushroom wine!" the enthusiastic, freckled young woman shouted as she hopped into the back kitchen.
Charles looked around while waiting for his food, and the sight of students eating and chatting merrily assuaged his frantic heart. For some reason, Charles felt like he had become an ordinary person as he listened to the chaos around him.
Charles' food soon arrived. He pierced a piece of lobster meat with a fork and wrapped it with the noodles before putting it into his mouth. After chewing a few times, he nodded in satisfaction; it tasted better than he had expected.
Under the freckled young woman's surprised gaze, Charles took a great swig of the mushroom wine. Charles nodded once more; the mushroom wine tasted great. It was no wonder their business was booming, even though it was already so late in the evening.
Charles continued eating, and his mind soon cleared up as he ate with gusto. The delicious meal had chased away the hunger gnawing at him, which also improved his mood.
Charles was in the middle of eating seconds when a young woman wearing round glasses walked up to him and asked carefully, "Sir, can you share your table with me? I have nowhere else to sit..."
Charles noticed the book in her arm, and he nodded in response before pushing his plates away.
"Thank you so much! Nini, I want a bowl of rye porridge, please," the bespectacled young woman said as she sat down from across Charles after pulling out the stool beneath the table.
Soon, a bowl of porridge the size of Charles' fist was served in front of the bespectacled young woman. She flushed slightly upon noticing the stark contrast between her humble rye porridge and Charles' feast.
She picked up her spoon and ate in a hurry. However, it seemed that she was eating too fast because she started coughing violently.
A tissue appeared before the bespectacled young woman. She accepted it and thanked Charles.
"It's already so late; how come you're not home yet?" Charles asked casually while chewing on his noodles.
"You can only borrow a limited number of books from the library. If you want to read more books, you have to stay inside the library. Actually, I'm going back to the library once I'm done eating," the bespectacled young woman replied.
"I'm already exhausted just hearing that from you. Are you not tired at all?" Charles asked.
The bespectacled young woman put the tissue aside and continued on eating her rye porridge while speaking in between mouthfuls. "It's not tiring at all. I can easily find a high-paying job once I graduate, so it's fine. By then, Mom won't have to wash other people's clothes every day to earn money."
"It's great that you hold high hopes for your future. With that in mind, hardships won't be so hard."
"Yes, and I appreciate Governor Swann's education subsidies as well. If it weren't for the subsidies, there's no way I could have made it into such a great university."