Faced with Iris's comment, Orsaga simply shrugged, not bothering to argue.
"I just think, as long as I'm living happily, everything else is a minor detail."
His laid-back attitude wasn't something only Iris had criticized—both Golarial and Alison had brought it up more than once.
After some discussion, the three of them had unanimously agreed: if Orsaga weren't so lazy, he'd be a threat far more dangerous than he already was.
His terrible personality was bad enough.
But talent, resources, and luck?
He had them all—and none of them were ordinary.
If you added a relentless work ethic and ambition to that mix, it would be a recipe for disaster. Getting listed on wanted posters across many nations would be the least of it.
Honestly, the more of a slacker he was, the better it was for everyone else.
Because a hardworking menace would never stop making headlines and causing chaos on a massive scale.
On top of that, sooner or later, someone would trace the clues back to him.
At that point, life would become a non-stop cycle of fighting or prepping for the next fight. Just imagining it made Orsaga feel tired.
It completely clashed with his hedonistic view of life.
What he truly wanted was a peaceful lifestyle: good food, good drink, waking up with evolution points in his account, and heading out every few days to burn and kill as he pleased.
Even though Evelina couldn't read his mind, she could tell from his tone and eyes that he wasn't lying.
He really did believe that happiness was the most important thing.
She chuckled softly. "I didn't think you'd be even lazier than what Iris and Kayla said."
Sure, his ideals made him sound like someone hopeless, like mud that wouldn't stick to a wall. But compared to those who had no idea what they wanted in life, it was already an improvement.
At least he had a clear goal.
Not caught in a half-hearted limbo of neither striving seriously nor relaxing fully—he wasn't doomed to fail at both ends.
"But still, it's good for young people to learn a few things," she added kindly. "If you have the time, I think you should stop by the Central Library. You might gain something from it."
"You should know, this city is famous as a cultural hub in the region. Its collection of books is incredibly comprehensive. That's actually why I chose to settle here."
Hearing that, Orsaga's eyes lit up. Aside from pleasure, knowledge was one of the few things that genuinely interested him.
"I'll check it out," he replied.
Evelina immediately showed a satisfied expression—like a teacher seeing promise in a student.
It made Orsaga feel a little helpless.
---
As their conversation continued, time passed slowly.
Their topics began to branch out—one strange or trivial subject after another was tossed around between the four of them.
From the fairness of sports competitions to the safety of various foods, they chatted freely and without restraint.
What surprised Iris, Kayla, and Evelina the most was that Orsaga seemed to know at least a little about everything. No matter what they brought up, he could follow along like it was nothing—almost like a walking encyclopedia.
They couldn't help but feel amazed.
His knowledge far exceeded what they'd assumed. He definitely wasn't just some useless slacker.
---
"By the way," Evelina suddenly asked, "how do you see this world?"
It was an odd, almost random question.
Orsaga thought silently for a moment, then replied, "It's not bad—pretty big, I guess."
What he meant by "big" wasn't just the planet beneath their feet. It included the vast expanse of the cosmos overhead.
Based on his scans, this world was structured like a full-fledged universe, made up of countless galaxies. In other words, its true size had to be measured in light-years.
Given that, while this particular planet might be kind of trashy, the overall power level of this universe likely surpassed that of the last world he'd visited—by a wide margin.
That was also why Orsaga was cautious here.
He had no idea what kind of civilizations or powerhouses might be hiding out there in the unknown reaches of space.
If he caused too much of a stir, the world's will might "coincidentally" send some unstoppable powerhouse his way. And then... he'd get his face smashed in.
---
But Evelina clearly didn't interpret his words the same way he did.
She seemed a little absent-minded as she murmured, "Big? Yeah... definitely big. Eight continents, 321 nations... most people won't even see a fraction of them in their lifetime.
But with that size comes countless problems—wars, diseases, resource shortages… So many challenges dragging down human civilization. I wonder if we'll ever get off this planet."
Orsaga smiled. "Whether we do or not, it's not something we'll know any time soon."
"That's true… it's a long way off. Still, I can't help but feel like this world is just too cruel. I want to change it—just a little."
Orsaga could immediately smell the idealism in that line and chuckled, teasing, "That's a pretty noble ambition."
He didn't take it seriously at all.
He knew better than anyone: as long as individuals had differences and conflicts, the world would never stop being cruel.
And as everyone knows, between living beings—aside from a rare few who share the same ideals—there's almost no true understanding or compassion.
Conflict is inevitable. So is division.
---
Some time later.
After Orsaga left the café, Evelina calmly turned to Iris and Kayla.
"From now on, it's best if you both keep your distance from him," she said. "He's hiding a lot more than he lets on."
Iris blinked, puzzled. "Isn't that normal? Everyone has their secrets."
"But his are... unusual. They represent serious risk."
Evelina raised her wrist and pointed at her bracelet. "When I was with him, I couldn't detect a single trace of his presence. It was like he didn't exist at all. I could only perceive him visually—and even that felt unnatural. Not even anomalies or spirits can mask themselves like that..."
Iris fell silent.
She knew her mentor well. Evelina had once obtained a divine ruin—gaining many strange and powerful artifacts in the process.
And those artifacts were so potent that not even supernatural beings could resist them.
If they were ineffective on Orsaga, then whatever he was hiding… was truly terrifying.
For safety's sake, staying away from him really was the wisest choice.
By the way, what people call a "divine ruin" is really just an old-fashioned term—rooted in fear, reverence, and mystery toward the unknown.
In modern terms, the "ruin" Evelina had discovered was actually a relic left behind by extraterrestrials.
____
T/N:
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