Chapter 384 - A Problem Of Two Souls
After picking up Mia, they headed back to the Chief Palace together. Along the way, Chief Valencia was surprised by how well the other two got along.
She did not sense the slightest aversion to strangers from the little girl. Even she did not get such treatment.
The little girl was still a little wary of her when they first met. After her initial surprise, she thought with alarm, 'Aren't they getting along too well?!'
"Is Little Brother Leonhardt fond of children?" Chief Valencia asked, seemingly casual on the surface.
Ironhead had also asked Leon this question before. Thus, he did not think much of it and acknowledged it with a nod, "Un, I am fond of children."
Some distance between Mia and Leon was immediately created as Chief Valencia pulled Mia away and looked at Leon warily.
"I'm warning you, there's a line you cannot cross! Little Mia might be cute and adorable, but she is too young!" Chief Valencia warned while shielding Mia from Leon like a mother hen protecting its chick.
Leon was stunned before his eyes widened in horror and said, "Woah, hold on a f*cking minute! You are sorely mistaken! It's not like that!"
"It's not like what exactly?"
"It's not like… argh!"
Chief Valencia's wary gaze pierced right through Leon's heart. He received a serious mental blow after being looked at like he was some lolicon.
After furiously trying to explain himself out of the quagmire, the group of three made it back to the Chief Palace. Leon only managed to dodge a bullet after he finally convinced the chief of her misunderstanding.
Sweat trickled down his forehead after the ordeal while Mia could be heard giggling.
"I've heard Little Brother Leonhardt had exhausted himself while treating numerous warriors after the battle. Feel free to use the washroom and get some rest. We will meet again later after you are properly rested."
Chief Valencia bade goodbye to Leon before turning to the little girl and said, "Let us go see your mother, Little Mia."
"Alright, Aunty. See you next time, Brother Leon—Leonhardt!" Mia waved cutely while Chief Valencia carried her away.
Leon wave back but froze after seeing Chief Valencia turning her head around to give him a warning look.
It seemed that she was not entirely convinced.
Leon could only scratch his head wryly and accept the fact that Chief Valencia will continue to be guarded against him. He wondered what he had done wrong to be seen as a child predator.
"Haiz…"
He sighed despondently and headed back to the room he shared the night with Darlene. That girl must still be waiting for his return.
After taking a few dozen steps downs the guest rooms, he bumped into Lumi shortly after.
"Aha! I knew I would run into you here sooner or later! Why did you leave me behind outside the city all by myself?" Lumi said with an aggrieved expression.
"Ah, sorry about that. It must have slipped my mind while I was tending to the wounded warriors." Leon awkwardly said.
Lumi immediately pouted.
However, she shortly recalled the respect and admiration the wounded warriors had in their eyes when she mentioned Leon's name back in the med bay. Since he was busy doing good deeds, she could only unwillingly forgive him for leaving her behind.
"Never mind. There is something I want to ask you. What happened to the battle? I can't seem to remember anything…" Lumi began asking.
"Hmm…" Leon contemplated for a moment before asking back, "Do you really not remember anything while you were out."
Lumi shook her head.
Apart from before the scene of her getting shot, everything else was a blank slate until she woke up.
"Hmm, what can I say? A lot had happened. But before that, did you ever have an elder sister named Duna?" Leon inquired.
"An elder sister named… Duna? Hm? Duna… Duna…" Lumi mumbled the name repeatedly like she had heard it somewhere before, but it had become too distant and vague to remember.
When Lumi forced the issue, she suddenly lost strength and passed out as her body began to fall towards the ground.
"Lumi!"
Leon caught her before she hit the ground and felt the weight of her body. It was heavier compared to her weightless past. It could be said that she had gained weight.
This was possibly due to absorbing his pseudo-Grantmist Energy after Lumi advanced to the Corporeal state.
Leon placed Lumi inside his Worldspace and quickly reviewed some related books in the Archive with a slight frown.
Since Lumi passed out, Duna should have awakened. However, that was not the case. The both of them seemed to be unconscious.
"What's wrong, Lumi?" Maya appeared beside Leon and asked curiously.
"She passed out after I tried to mention her elder sister Duna to her," Leon answered promptly as he continued to peruse information on the matter.
But no matter how he looked, there did not seem to be any precedented medical cases that explained what happened to Lumi.
'An unprecedented case that has not been recorded in the [Divine Book of Life]? This is a first…' Leon frowned.
"You told her about her elder sister? Oh, you shouldn't have done that." Maya said.
"I can see that, and I am trying to understand why it is a problem. Do you know something?" Leon asked after seeing how Maya was quite willing to talk.
Since she seemed so cooperative, why would he continue using the Archive when he can ask the knowledgeable artifact spirit directly?
"Well, you should give up on checking the Archive for answers. Lumi's case is a special one. If I'm not wrong, her problem is no longer as simple as a psychological disorder nor a problem with the soul, but a problem that is a fusion of both problems."
Leon nodded.
The book in his hand dissipated into energy particles and flew back to the high-rise bookshelf before converging back into a book on the shelf. The high-rise bookshelf descended into the ground and disappeared shortly after, returning the Archive back to its flat white state.
"A fusion of both problems, huh? That is assuming that another soul is residing inside her apart from the fragment of Devil Soul. And that soul is supposedly Lumi's elder sister Duna. However, she seems to have forgotten this person due to her psychological disorder, which passed all her negative feelings onto Duna and merged with her…"
Leon began to analyze the problem quickly after Maya gave him a heading. His years of studying medicine did not seem to be in vain.
"So should Lumi becomes fully aware of Duna, her split personality would be fixed. But in the process of taking back the negative feelings she had given to her elder sister Duna, she will also be absorbing Duna herself… which leads to the merging of both their souls. But in the process of merging two souls, the more dominant one will take control, while the other one disappears…"
"You're quick to understand the heart of the matter. That is also what I have guessed. Thus, the reason she passed out with Duna not waking up either is none of them subconsciously want to merge with the other." Maya stated.
"It seems I should not bring up the topic of her elder sister again in the future," Leon said with a concerned frown. This matter was quite delicate.
"Yes, unless you want Lumi to disappear forever. Although she is the main host, Duna is definitely the stronger one of the two." Maya said.
Leon nodded.
He completely agreed with Maya's statement. Lumi soft and gentle, while Duna was vengeful and overbearing. Lumi definitely would not stand a chance against her elder sister if they fuse.
However, there was also another possibility, and that is Duna completely surrenders herself and allow Lumi to become the dominant one during the merge. Still, then Lumi would definitely not want that either. Thus, both of them fell into a self-induced coma, with neither one of them waking up.
"This is problematic. Let this matter end here."
"Sure, now about the matter with the new stories you promised—"
Swoosh!
Before Maya could finish her words, Leon's spirit had already disappeared from the Archive and returned to the outside world.
"This bastard sure is quick to run!" Maya stamped her in rage. Having lived such a long life, she found everything dull and boring. Reading novels has become her hobby, but Leon would not even grant that for her.
However, it was not that he did not want to, but the fact that there is none to give her!
The Darkmoon Tribe had a library, but the tribe was, after all, a warring tribe where everyone's life regularly dances on the precipice of danger. No one neither had the luxury nor boredom to be writing novels for others to read.
"Uh—"
Leon was met with Darlene's face up close as soon as he opened his eyes, causing him to let out a sound of surprise.
"You're back. What were you doing just standing here? Were you too tired and just took a nap on the spot?" Darlene inquired with a sweet smile before grabbing his hand and pulling him along. "Come, let us go back to our room."
"Wait, I have not washed up yet."
"Then let's go to the washroom. I will help wash your back." Darlene said proactively with a slight blush.
Shortly after, Leon's little brother woke up energetically as soon he began having dirty thoughts.
"Well… hehe… let us go wash together then."