Chapter 345: Revealing the Truth

[Screw you, Gloria.]

[You don’t even have anything to show. What a genius? Did you sleep with your officers to get all those promotions?]

Gloria just looked at all the hate comments with hollow eyes as though she couldn’t care less about anything else. There was no point in thinking about it anymore.

"I guess my career is really over." Gloria muttered.

"You don’t have to look at it. It’s not good for your health. Even Auric received those comments all the time, but he just didn’t care much about them."

Gloria weakly tilted her head to the right, finding Katarina sitting next to her.

"..." Gloria chuckled. "I don’t know... I’m just... tired."

"What’s wrong? Are you sure you are still fine? Do you need some help?"

"I used to admire my parents. My father was a great person who maintained his integrity. Even during the hardest times, he would be able to complete his mission. My mother was a wonder woman as well. Despite having so much work, she always spent time with me.

"In the end, I never really resented them. It was true that they might not have much time for me, but they were always there. They always did their best to make time for me. That was why I thought I wanted to be someone like them. I would help them, and maybe we could have time.

"I did my best in school, trying to get the best result, but in my first year, that incident happened. My father passed away. My mother was struggling a lot, but she still showed a strong facade. She kept cheering for me, so I didn’t want to make her worry as well.

"I did my best and kept getting the best score they could give me so that I could tell my mother that I would help her in the future. Unfortunately, my mother passed away not long after.

"I was fortunate enough to have an uncle who could help me when both of my parents passed away, so I wanted to repay him. I did my best in military school, but it looks like my career is going to be over soon.

"And now, I’m contemplating whether I should leave the country or not. After all, I still have to repay his kindness."

"..." Katarina was contemplating. On the one hand, she could show her uncle’s true face to her. On the other hand, the truth might harm her, especially when she was already in this condition.

That was why she was wondering if this was actually the correct choice. If she just gave it to her, Katarina could finally break free from her last link to Dermania.

Katarina just didn’t know if that would be too much for Gloria.

"What?"

After pondering the matter for a moment, Katarina decided to tell her the truth. "You are the toughest soldier. Don’t be down because of all this, okay?"

"I can continue just fine. It’s just... I don’t know if I have any purpose anymore. Maybe I should just follow what my uncle wants and marry someone he chooses to repay him."

Katarina bit her lip. "Don’t do that."

"Why? I don’t know how to repay him."

"No, what I mean is that you don’t owe him anything. Instead, he’s the one owing you everything."

"What do you mean?"

"When I suggested helping with your naturalization, Auric asked me to investigate your background first. In the end, even if he agreed, he didn’t want another spy in his life. He didn’t feel like being betrayed."

"I don’t think anyone likes to be betrayed." Gloria shook her head helplessly.

"Yeah. Unfortunately, you have been betrayed all this time."

"What do you mean?"

"Let’s see... I don’t have everything on me, so do you mind if we just look at the ones I have on my phone right now?"

"Yeah?" Gloria was confused.

Katarina took out her phone and opened the results of the investigation.

Gloria read it carefully, thinking not much about it. She simply didn’t have anything. At most, she would find information about her parents. That was all.

To her surprise, the report was mostly about her uncle. Why would her uncle garner so much investigation?

She narrowed her gaze and looked through it. Although there was no explicit mention of her uncle, there was so much data that truly linked all the incidents to her uncle. In other words, the uncle she trusted the most was actually the culprit who killed her parents.

"What? You’re joking, right?"

"I wish I did, but..." Katarina shook her head helplessly. "Do you know my family?"

"I have at least heard of the notorious information broker family from Esfrata."

"Although we are notorious, we have never given anyone false information during the trade. I can guarantee that information with my family name." Katarina nodded.

"..." Since Katarina used her family name to guarantee the information, it just meant she was confident that all this information was nothing but the truth.

"You’re joking, right?" She asked again, not wanting to believe it.

"Unfortunately, no."

Gloria gritted her teeth. Her gaze was filled with anger as though she really wanted to kill her uncle.

Katarina continued, "Do you want revenge?"

"I do. I’m going to kill that bastard right now." Gloria, of course, had some weird feelings about her uncle. After all, every time she was about to be promoted after becoming a major, there would always be some problems. Her uncle would be there to comfort her.

It was weird, but when such coincidences happened three or even more times, it couldn’t be helped if she sensed something about it.

Head Instructor Ryan had just confirmed the situation. The problem wasn’t with her.

"Sit down." Katarina shook her head. "What can you do about this? Don’t you know that the sweetest revenge is when you are living well?"

"And forget about all this?" Gloria clenched her fists.

"There is actually the second half of that saying. It’s true that the sweetest revenge is by simply showing that person that you’re living well. However, you’re living well because that revenge is not carried out by your hand personally. There will be so many people willing to do it for you without you asking them to do it." Katarina smiled.

"!!!" Gloria’s body shook. "What are you talking about?"

Katarina smiled. "I’m giving you an opportunity not only to achieve your goal but also to get your revenge without even lifting a single finger. The problem is whether you are a hot-headed person who likes to dirty your hands just to get your revenge and feel empty about it after that or you are a person who looks into the future and the possible life you will have after your revenge."

"..." Gloria bit her lip. "Do you think I can even do anything like that? What? Do you think becoming a Rank 6 human is enough?"

Katarina smiled. "Of course, that’s not enough. You need to aim higher."

Gloria froze. She shook her head. "I have no talent to achieve something like that."

"What if you will have that chance?"

"Do you mean Auric can give you that chance?"

"There will soon come a day in the future when Rank 7 becomes the new Rank 6. I’m just preparing myself for that new future. In the past, people were pioneering the way and gradually divided the ranks, but not many people knew about Rank 6 until the second generation of awakeners was born, you know?"

Gloria looked down, pondering. "Don’t you feel it’s a waste to tell this information to me? I can just bring this information back to my superiors. This is information that no one can pass on."

"You can do that." Katarina chuckled. "Though, I doubt it will mean anything to you. What next? You will just get abandoned again, and at that time, no one will be offering you an opportunity. My grandfather used to tell me that in our lifetime, we will experience three life-changing moments.

"The first one is our parents. What we are born with will determine most of our lives. The second is our friends. Who will be with us not only in schools but also on the battlefields? That will shape our trust and character.

"The third one is the opportunity that will change your entire career... the career that will determine who you will become in the future. And now, I’m merely extending that opportunity to you. Whether you take it or not, it’s not my problem. You can use that information however you want.

"At the very least, Auric trusts you with that opportunity. Will you betray his trust or will you accept his trust?"

Gloria bit her lip. "Even if I do accept his trust, there’s nothing I can do here. I am not someone so unprincipled that I would betray just anyone at any time. I have been entrusted with this mission, so I won’t help you during this training program."

Katarina pointed at her. "Which is why I managed to persuade Auric to accept you. You have a character. If you promise something, you will do your best to accomplish it even with a knife stabbing you from behind. If he doesn’t betray your trust, you will not betray his trust either. That’s why I extended that invitation. How about this? Don’t do anything that will destroy your future. Instead, use the time during the training program to see whether my investigation is right or wrong. Give me the answer at the end of the training program."

"..." Gloria contemplated. It wasn’t an opportunity that might not come twice. If she made the wrong choice, her life would be over.

If she had to be honest, she actually thought the rope Auric extended toward her looked sturdier.

Meanwhile, the current rope she was clinging to had so much grease on it that it was hard to just hang on.

"Give me that time. Even if I reject your offer, I promise I won’t tell anyone about it." Gloria nodded. Her eyes had become firmer.

Although disappointment was still clouding her mind, she knew that she had to live on. Her main goal remained. She couldn’t rebuild her family if she ended up going to jail because she did a stupid thing.

She stood up and said, "I had planned to come here just to get drunk and forget all the mess around me. Somehow my mind has become clearer than ever."

"You don’t need me to bring you back again?" Katarina smirked, teasing her.

Gloria smiled. "Thank you."

"Don’t thank me yet. Thank you when you really come to my side. Trust me, you won’t ever feel disappointed." Katarina smiled.

Gloria nodded with a serious expression before walking back to the hotel.

Katarina, on the other hand, sent a message to Auric. "Mission accomplished. It looks like she is going to join you after the training program."