Chapter 319: Chapter 319.The universe is vast
"He’s extremely vengeful, as the rumors say."
Several individuals mused, clearly understanding what Kailen Darkhaven was doing here. He was adding more fuel to the fire, bringing her down another peg.
What sort of faceslapping was this? But now that he mentioned it, he wasn’t wrong.
This woman was really a vile-minded person, now that they thought of it. From her own words, she had just pointed out she purposefully accused him of something he had not done, knowing full well that her accusations could have spelled his doom had he been a regular person and a weakling without any way to defend himself.
"Ye-s, I was very stupid and presumptuous, thinking the whole universe revolves around me. Please forgive me," Valeria blurted out anxiously, her tone rushed, her head still bowed at Kailen’s feet.
A cold smile played at the edge of his lips as he spoke. "So what were you trying to accomplish by attempting to ruin someone else’s life?"
Valeria replied, tears and snot running down her face, her haughty and princely demeanor long erased in the eyes of the onlookers. "I’m sorry, sir. I will repent from now on."
She crushed her head on the floor incessantly, her heart thumping wildly in fear.
Kailen snorted at her, then turned to look at Rin with a polite expression that betrayed the coldness he had held towards the fellow’s sister a few moments prior.
He asked Rin, "Sir, what would have happened to me if I were weak, having no way to defend myself against these accusations?"
Rin replied, choosing not to mince words. He wouldn’t make the mistake of being dishonest and miss out on the chance to rope this fellow into the Runesmith Society. Even if his words would not work in favor of his stupid sister, he wouldn’t give up on this opportunity.
"Even if the truth of the matter was confirmed—that you were innocent against her claims and had been let off—there’s no way you’d have it easy. My sister would have leveraged my position in the Runesmith Association to make life difficult for you."
Kailen nodded politely. "Thank you for your sincerity."
He turned to look down at Valeria, who felt betrayed by her brother’s actions.
A thought transmission, however, was transferred to her by her brother.
"This is the only way, sister. You brought this on yourself. I cannot sacrifice the efforts I’ve made to get this far over your stupidity. If I lose this job, the resources our family enjoys will go down the drain. You are not the only one I’m taking care of. I’m taking care of our parents too, and I have a wife and two children. I won’t stand by you and let you ruin everything with your own superiority complex."
Rin’s harsh, yet truthful words made her realize that no one was coming to her rescue this time.
She had really messed up. She was at the mercy of Kailen Darkhaven.
Kailen stared at her coldly, then sighed.
"The universe is vast, full of terrifying beings, endless possibilities, and countless mysteries. Don’t think you are better than others just because you are more privileged than them—especially when the resources you enjoy are entirely, solely dependent on someone else’s position. You are but a frog in a well."
After those words, Kailen nodded past Rin, about to head towards where he would receive his Runesmith badge.
Rin really appreciated Kailen’s way of handling the issue. It seemed the young man had decided to give him some face—deciding to end the matter here without pursuing it further.
"Young sir," Rin’s figure appeared before Kailen. He performed a small bow. "Thank you for your consideration. I’ll make sure to be more strict with her so that she doesn’t cause any more trouble for anyone else."
Kailen merely nodded. "It’s all water under the bridge, sir."
Rin nodded, appreciating the young man more. Although he was cold and merciless to those who crossed him, there were situations where he exercised restraint, not intending to blow things out of proportion.
The incident that had occurred now was a perfect example.
This was a sign of maturity that not all youngsters had.
Kailen Darkhaven—was he really just a seventeen-year-old? When he acted even more maturely than some hundred-year youngsters?
"He also has terrifying horizons. Unlike most youngsters who feel hot-headed with their background and start to think they’ve arrived—throwing their weight around, especially when they are deemed to have some potential and minuscule strength over their peers—he’s different. From the words he just spoke, it seems the vast universe is his focus, not just the Astral Empire or the several low-tier civilizations surrounding us. He’s a natural-born prodigy. He will go far. It’s a pity though, that my stupid sister had to ruin his impression of her. Perhaps, had something developed between them, I’d have a future powerhouse as my brother-in-law. But alas."
After a split second of reasoning, Rin addressed Kailen once more.
"Young sir, I personally came to meet you about something important. Can we head to my office?"
Kailen simply nodded. "Sure."
He mused inwardly, "I don’t really see the need to object. It’s obviously about my examination results. I’m sure he’d hand over the Runesmith badge to me personally alongside some special benefits. As for the conversation he wants to have with me, it must be concerning the Inter-Empire Secondary Carrier Conference which will be happening soon."
Kailen turned into a streak of light and followed him, their figures retreating under the gazes of the onlookers.
Meanwhile, the onlookers were still in deep thought about Kailen’s words.
Kailen had said something very profound—something most of them would reflect on from now on.
The universe was vast, and just because you were crowned some overlord in your circle did not mean you could look down on others. There would always be powerful people out there that could kill you with a flick of their finger. Unnecessary pride would only get one killed or humiliated.
And what had happened to Valeria was a perfect example.
As for Valeria, she was utterly dumbstruck, still seated on the ground, reflecting on Kailen’s words. She had learned a very powerful lesson today from Kailen Darkhaven.
She had to change from today.
She was not angry at him for humiliating her, or mad at her brother for leaving her to her demise. She rather felt completely ashamed of herself for being so narrow-minded and thinking she was better than everyone just because she was a rank 0 runesmith and had a strong background thanks to her brother.
The onlookers cast various sidelong and contemptuous glances at her as she sat lost in thought on the ground.
"Had I made a good first impression, I could have become close to him. But alas. No one knows this, but I’m a big fangirl of Kailen Darkhaven, having a big crush on him. To think I’d meet and miss my chance, and humiliate myself like this!"
Various thoughts of had I known and regret flashed through her mind from time to time, but there was no cure for regret.
She’d probably look back on this day in the future and remember how she missed the chance to befriend someone who would grow to become an extremely strong powerhouse revered across the empire.