The path of the Soul Emperor

Chapter 29

Was Alex right in his next actions?

In the eyes of some, Alex might seem like a hero, but to others, he wasn't.

He stood in a neutral space.

People are complicated—so long as their own interests aren't threatened, they don't care.

If Alex's actions benefited them, they would call him a good person.

If his actions didn't benefit them, they would call him a bad person.

But what is good or bad?

From the perspective of people, there is no absolute good or bad.

What the people in this town were doing wasn't inherently good or bad either.

To them, killing, pillaging, and enslaving those of lower status were justifiable actions.

The imbalance arose because those of lower status vastly outnumbered those of higher status.

This echoed Alex's earlier statement about respect:

if everyone respected each other, there would be no conflicts, built on the simple understanding that we all bleed and die.

But even so, nobles would never understand. As Alex had said before, they saw themselves as gods rather than humans.

The ability to take a life doesn't make you a god; it simply means you hold a great responsibility.

Only those who have faced death understand how quickly it can come—that's why it is often said:

"A child born in peace has different values than a child born in war."

Children born in peace are strong in some areas and weak in others.

But they could never match the strength of children born in war, whose suffering shapes them.

Suffering has always been the catalyst for creating either the strongest people in the world or the most dangerous.

Such individuals live by codes born from their life experiences.

That's why, in Alex's old world, weakness was widespread.

In this world, people at least learned to mind their own business, something his old world severely lacked.

His previous world hid its darkness to maintain a façade of peace, while here, it was openly displayed.

Nobles and the wealthy could do as they pleased without consequence.

What a shame.

"At the very least, maybe they'll understand when it all burns," Alex muttered, gazing out the window.

Lisa, meanwhile, was happily chatting with a small spirit fairy named Eve. The fairy, proud as ever, said, "Yes, I know I'm amazing."

Lisa smiled, poking Eve's tiny face. "Yeah, I missed you, Eve. And I'm sorry for putting you in danger."

Stella entered the room, carrying Amber, who was now clean and wearing a new dress Lisa had bought earlier.

Luna was also present, while Kevin trained outside the town, despising life within its walls.

Alex turned to Lisa and casually asked, "How about we destroy this whole town?"

Stella was puzzled. "Didn't you say you didn't want to attract attention to us?"

Lisa added, "You also said that freeing those people would only lead to the same outcome."

Alex scratched his head. "Yeah, that's true, but I hate how those people act. And who cares if that guy decides to make us his enemy?"

Lisa giggled. "Hehehe, I knew you'd come around."

Alex smirked. "I was thinking of doing this later, but why not start now?"

Stella asked, "Start what?"

Alex explained, "An organization. We could recruit those who can fight, train them, and promise others a good life if they follow our instructions."

Lisa questioned, "How are we going to do that?"

Alex shrugged. "Well, I can create endless soul contracts, so it won't be a problem."

Lisa and Eve gasped in unison. "What?!"

Stella exclaimed, "Wait, are those the contracts you made Ava sign?"

Alex nodded. "Yes."

Eve, astonished, said, "Human, don't lie! That's practically impossible. Soul contracts can only be made if you have absolute control over soul essence!"

Alex chuckled and began forming contracts in front of everyone in the room. Eve, who had lived over 300 years, was witnessing this for the first time. "How is this possible?"

Lisa, equally shocked, admitted, "Wow, I'm surprised. But I'm also happy to see you opening up to us."

Stella chimed in, "Yeah, you always seemed like the type to keep everything to yourself. It's a good trait, but I hate it because I know so little about you." She pouted.

Eve muttered, "I think I'm going to die."

Alex smiled apologetically. "Sorry for being so secretive. There are many things I'm still trying to understand about myself. Can you bear with me?"

Stella reassured him. "It's okay. When you're ready to talk, we'll talk."

Lisa said nothing, while Eve commented, "Well, it does explain how you could heal my soul."

Alex clarified, "I didn't just heal your soul; I also connected it to Lisa's. If Lisa dies, you die too."

Lisa and Eve gasped. "What?!"

Alex, now carrying Amber, explained calmly, "This ensures Lisa will always be safe. If the little wind spirit dies, it will eventually be reborn but may lose some power. However, if Lisa dies, it's different."

"This is to ensure the spirit prioritizes Lisa's life over its own."

Eve sighed in frustration but accepted the explanation. "It's fine, Lisa. It doesn't matter."

Lisa, conflicted, murmured, "But..." She couldn't find the words and fell silent.

Stella pouted. "What about me?"

Alex smiled, stroking her hair as she sat beside him on the bed. "My dear, I would never let you die. And even if you did, your soul would always come to me." This was true because of the marriage contract Alex had placed on them both.

"But just to be safe, I may develop a skill in the future to protect your soul—and maybe your physical body as well," Alex added.

The contracts, already in effect, shimmered as he spoke. "What I've said today must remain a secret," Alex instructed.

He made Luna, Eve, Lisa, and even Amber sign the contracts, ensuring none of them could ever reveal his secrets.