Chapter 792: The Reason Behind the Decision
Translator: TransN Editor: TransN
When Roland was lost in thoughts, Garcia could not wait any more and asked, "Iâve answered your question. Now, I want to hear your answer."
It took him a few seconds before he made a reply, "Ah, yes, Iâll join the association."
"What?" She seemed surprised.
He spread out his hands and said, "Iâm willing to join you. Isnât that what youâre asking for?"
"Yes... I was just thinking that you..."
"You thought I got cold feet?" He chuckled. "I really just went shopping with my relative in the afternoon. Why canât you trust me? But can I apply to join the association now? You said that the senior is the referee."
Garcia stared at Roland for quite a long time with a serious look, as if she was discerning whether or not this application was sincerely meant. After that she shook her head and explained, "No, sheâs not a referee. Sheâs my master. I invited her to come to show you how to better use the Force of Nature, but sheâll never want to meet you again."
Hearing this, Roland thought, "Uhm, is it because that I stood her up today? She must have been very upset and it seemed that she even reproached Garcia."
She pulled out a piece of paper from her tea table and gave it to him. "You just need to fill out this form to apply. Your signature is required."
Roland was startled. "Is it so simple? Itâs an association secretly protecting the whole world. Donât you need to hold a ceremony or test my ability first?
Garcia sneered coldly. "Come on. Do you think we are the ancient Priory of Sion or Knights of the Holy Temple? Itâs modern times now. Your signature just indicates that we protect your right to know. When the association receives your application form, itâll check your identity and file for social security and grants in your name." She paused. "As for the ability test, anyone who has awakened with the Force of Nature is eligible to become a martialist. You can get much stronger if you work hard. Given this, a test for a newly awakened doesnât determine anything."
Roland felt it was really weird to hear a person brought up in an ancient royal family to talk like this.
When he picked up the pen and was about to sign, she stopped him.
She said solemnly, "I have to remind you again. Once you become one of us, youâll no longer be an ordinary person. Youâll enjoy the rights granted by the Martialist Association and meanwhile have to fulfill your obligations. If you betray us or disclose our secret information, youâll immediately become our enemy. When that happens, we wonât bring you to a court. Weâre allowed to punish any betrayer according to our own procedure. I hope you think it over before you sign."
She had fervently hoped that he could join the association, but now she was reminding him of the risks of joining it. This changed his attitude toward her. He found Garcia in this Dream World was totally different. No matter how devious and cruel the Queen of Clearwater had been back in the Kingdom of Graycastle, she handled everything open and aboveboard in this world.
"I know what Iâm doing." Roland nodded and signed his name. "Now, can you tell me the truth about the Erosion?"
"No." She folded the application form carefully and put it in a wooden box under the tea table. "Itâll take about two days to verify your identity. You just filed an application. Youâre not an official member of the association, so I canât tell you anything about it."
"Well... then Iâve another question. You said that a martialist could get a generous reward by killing a Fallen Evil. Is that true?"
"Iâve clearly explained this to you before," said Garcia, seeming a little disappointed hearing this question about pecuniary returns.
"Iâm not asking about how much the reward is. I just want to know how can the association check that Iâm the one who killed the Fallen Evil." Roland shrugged. "During a mission, I guess I wonât be able to fight against a Fallen Evil while recording the whole process with a camera by myself. Do I have to invite another martialist to witness the fight? Or, you guys adopt the ancient way, counting the heads I bring back?"
Garcia got grumpy and said, "Is money that important to you? No matter who kills a Fallen Evil, the world will end up being clearer. Why do you square accounts in every detail and are so particular about personal gains?"
Roland argued, "Youâre a well-known martialist whose reward for winning a match is equivalent to a common personâs yearly income, but just two months ago, I was still a jobless guy. I have to take care of myself and the little girl. Youâre right. Money is very important to me!"
He deliberately made use of her misunderstanding to delude her into believing this lie. After all, he just wanted to find out the cause of the Erosion through the Martialist association rather than devote himself to the association.
Besides, money was indeed very important to him.
Garcia stared at him for a moment, still seeming a little annoyed and then said, "To prove that youâve killed a Fallen Evil, you just need to give its mutated Natural Core to the association."
"I can hand this thing over to the association?" Roland was slightly surprised. Now he thought that it might not be an accident that the core of the Fallen Evil who had awakened in the McDonaldâs had remained solid in Phyllisâ hand.
"Of course. Itâs the source of the Fallen Evilâs power. Once a mutation occurs, itâll never recover. It can prove the Fallen Evil is eroded. If we donât collect these mutated cores and lock them away, theyâll infect other people sooner or later. Ordinary people will lose their minds simply by touching it."
"You mean... a mutated core can be used by different people?"
Garcia said with resentment, "Yes, thatâs why some people are collecting them. We know exactly what theyâre thinking. Donât they worry that theyâll destroy our world by doing so?"
Hearing this, Roland immediately realized that another group of people were organized to collect the mutated cores and act against the Martialist Association. Garcia who had just let this information slip in a fit of anger was reluctant to divulge any more details about those people.
"But the association must have stored a great number of mutated cores. Arenât you afraid that theyâll find the location of the cores or some martialist will betray and leak the secret to themâ"
"Itâs impossible!" She interrupted without hesitation. "Although youâre not allowed to know these things at this moment, I can assure you that those crazy guys will never break through the defense line guarding the core area of the Martialist Association. Before they get to the place, the four Defenders will tear them into pieces!"
He really wanted to ask her where this core area was and who the four Defenders were, but he knew for sure that he could not get the answers from her today. Given this, he suppressed his curiosity and thought to himself. What if I get into the place where those mutated cores are stored and release all of their Force of Nature into the air. When that happens, whatâll happen to this Dream World and to myself? How strong will my power and the warm flow circulating in my body become?
No matter whatâll happen at that time, I really look forward to it.