Chapter 117: Elena’s Feelings & Encounter With Mia

It took quite a while before Aurelius finally closed ListRanker’s post and the forum as a whole.

He was satisfied. Today’s doomscrolling had proven unexpectedly useful.

Not only had he seen the abilities of his Protagonist "competitors" and gained an approximate estimate of their strength, but ListRanker’s ranking had also granted him a deeper understanding of the Awakeners in Nova Roma.

’I’m afraid that his list is no less comprehensive than the restricted information of medium-level Awakener organizations.’

’Sure enough, the Players’ ability to communicate regardless of distance is perfect for gathering intelligence. Their death-seeking nature makes it even more so.’

’Who would have thought that a Player had entered Duchess Solomon’s battalion and was able to sell her information?’

’If this characteristic is used well, Players could very well create an intelligence network spanning across Nova Roma.’

Aurelius briefly thought about it before he eventually shook his head.

As he rose to his feet, he took one more look at the Player Panel.

Originally, his eyes were filled with anticipation.

Unfortunately, the expectation soon faded away.

The Fated Hero title had not been upgraded as he hoped.

The third trailer had not been enough to push it to the next level.

Whether it was because the amount of fame required was higher than before, or because he "shared" the trailer with three other people, Aurelius had no way of knowing.

After fixing his clothes, he exited the room.

He noticed a maid absent-mindedly passing through a nearby corridor, her footsteps rapid.

Just as he was about to stop her and ask what was going on, the solemn expression on her face made him swallow the words that were at the tip of his tongue.

He had a guess about what was happening.

Indeed.

When he reached the staircase leading down to the first floor, he noticed a large number of servants gathered outside a towering velvet door.

Some of them were anxious. Others looked concerned.

No matter what, though, they all looked panicked.

Aurelius frowned.

"Alright." His voice suddenly spread through the corridor.

"Don’t you have anything else to do? Standing here and wasting everyone’s time?"

"Go! Go! Return to your posts!"

His scolding brought most of the servants back to their senses.

With fearful expressions, they glanced toward Aurelius and hurriedly nodded.

Then, as though afraid he would scold them further, they quickly left.

Soon, Aurelius was the only person remaining in the entire corridor.

Yet there was still a sound accompanying him.

A soft whisper.

When he approached the velvet door, the whisper only grew louder.

With his enhanced Base Stats, Aurelius was able to make out some of the words.

"I... shouldn’t... have left..."

"It’s... my... fault..."

Only bits and pieces could be heard. He was unable to listen to the full speech.

Even so, Aurelius understood the general meaning of the mutterings.

He sighed.

Knocking gently on the door, he was about to step inside.

Yet just as he reached for the knob, he found that he couldn’t turn it.

The door was locked. From the inside.

It was no wonder the servants had gathered outside and none of them had tried to enter.

"Mom! It’s okay!" Aurelius leaned closer and said.

"There’s no reason to be so hard on yourself."

"Isn’t it just a visit to the family? I doubt there will be any danger."

His voice was gentle and comforting.

The muttering inside stopped for a second.

But before Aurelius could feel relieved, it began again, this time even quieter.

His words received no answer.

Elena seemed to have no intention of speaking to him.

Aurelius looked ready to knock again.

But his hand stopped halfway through the motion.

In the end, he held back his impulse.

After taking one last look at the door, he walked down the stairs and left the mansion.

The Blood Sun City was lively.

Pedestrians walked through the streets, while carriages, which were usually rare to see, could be found almost everywhere. This was the area of the nobles, after all.

Despite this, Aurelius was not in the mood to observe them.

His mind drifted back to Elena’s state as his fists clenched subconsciously.

He recalled his earlier conversation with Arthur, as well as the relationship between the mother and son and the Sol family.

To be honest, Aurelius had little feeling toward the matter.

Although his old self, before he awakened his memories, had sought to earn Earl Sol’s attention, Aurelius no longer had such a need.

It was not that he had forgiven his father and was about to make up with him.

Rather, he was simply indifferent to him.

He harbored neither hatred nor affection. He regarded him as a simple stranger.

Yet his mother was obviously different.

Having experienced everything he had, and even more, her relationship with his father was far more complicated.

Similarly, the feelings toward the suffering they had gone through were far more intense. The brief contact with Arthur and the order of his father had nearly driven her mad.

"Sol family... Earl Sol..." Aurelius whispered under his breath, his eyes flashing as though he had made a decision.

His expression gradually darkened.

But just as his face was about to turn cold, a sudden shout interrupted his thoughts.

"Ay! Aurelius! Over here!" A happy female voice echoed from behind.

Upon turning around, an innocent, smiling face entered his vision.

Mia.

"Why are you looking so down? Could it be that something happened?" she asked, touching her cheek with one finger.

She stared at Aurelius’ face for several seconds, as though judging his state.

Finally, her eyes lit up!

"How about it? Didn’t you promise to take me out for a cup of coffee?"

"Let’s do it now!"

Aurelius had no time to answer.

Before he could react, Mia had wrapped her arms around his own, pressing her chest against him.

Then, without any hesitation, she forcefully dragged him away.

"A new shop opened in the neighborhood recently. My friend said it’s doing quite well, despite being somewhat expensive."

"Of course, it doesn’t matter."

"Since it’s your treat, don’t expect me to go easy on you!" Mia’s voice lingered behind them, accompanied by her soft laughter.