Transmigrated to a Dark Fantasy World of SSS-Rank: King of the Void-Chapter 20: The World of True Men

Old Aslan brought the bowl to his lips, sipping the soup with such calm elegance that anyone would think he belonged to the nobility. Then, from the breast pocket of his coat, he took out a white handkerchief and wiped his lips.

"A man must know when to pretend he isn’t seeing anything. Otherwise, the ladies will look at him poorly. Many times, it will end in blows, and as a man, one cannot raise his hand against a woman who does not deserve it."

Confused, Mitsuki looked at the ground. He tried to justify himself, but the only thing he managed to say was, "No. I didn’t..." His voice trailed off when he felt the old man’s serious gaze on him.

"Mitsuki Kirishima, you cannot look people in the eye, yet you have eyes to look at women. Don’t you find that a little contradictory? That is not what a man does."

’Well, it’s not like he’s wrong, but after seeing Jeanne naked, I can’t help looking at her and remembering everything... And it’s only been, what, half an hour...’

Resigned, he replied, "I have no excuse. I admit I looked at Jeanne in a way..."

Aslan nodded with a faint, calm smile.

"I am not scolding you; nor am I saying that you cannot look at women. However, there are ways to do so. If you could see your face at that moment, you would surely be ashamed of yourself."

"Is it really that obvious?"

The old man lifted the bowl to his lips once more—repeating the same composed process as before.

"One could say that your gaze, young Kirishima, resembles that of a predator in the dark. The princess must have noticed, but since she likes you very much, she said nothing about it. Besides, she is accustomed to dealing with unpleasant men."

’Unpleasant? I guess I fit that mold, but this is her fault! Who told her to undress in front of me?! I’m still a young virgin man! Of course I’m going to get excited if I see a beautiful naked woman! And obviously I won’t be able to take my eyes off her!’

"I can’t deny it, but... things happened and I..."

"I know. I was able to hear a bit of your conversation with the princess from here."

’What?! How could he hear us from here? Does he have some kind of super hearing?’ Mitsuki thought with an awkward, crooked smile.

"And while the princess is far too spontaneous, incapable of feeling shame, you as a man must take responsibility. Had you firmly refused, the princess would have yielded—but you did not."

’This old man... He knows what he’s talking about. I can’t refute any of it.’

Finishing his soup, Aslan set the bowl aside and adjusted himself in his seat, resting his elbows on his knees.

"I have noticed that you struggle greatly to hold conversations, to look people in the eye, and to say what you think; you shrink into yourself, allow Miss Ellegaard to disrespect you, and let the princess toy with you. Those shortcomings distance you from the world of true men."

Bringing his hand closer to the campfire, a faint golden light manifested, transforming into a beautiful silver double-edged sword with a sharp tip—its guard black and gold, adorned with a blue flower whose metallic roots extended along the grip to the silver pommel. He used the tip of the blade to stir the coals.

That surprised Mitsuki. Old Aslan had just demonstrated that he could use magic.

"You must understand that a man without the necessary traits cannot survive in this world, for time will cast him into the abyss of his own weaknesses."

Mitsuki sighed.

’I can’t say he’s wrong. What does it even mean to be a true man? Damn it, how did this conversation even end up here?’

Aslan looked at him in silence for a few seconds. Noticing that the boy would not say anything, he shook his head and said, "You do not even attempt to question my way of thinking. Your silence is what will bury you, Mitsuki Kirishima. But you are still young, so you can learn. If you remain and travel with us, perhaps I will help you with that. After all, being an old man who drives a carriage is quite boring."

"It’s only been a few days, so I think it’s too soon to know whether I’ll stay with you..." he finally said. "Besides, I’ve always done things on my own; I don’t like taking too much from others. So, once I’ve repaid my debt to you, I will probably go my own way."

Aslan cleaned the tip of the sword with a black handkerchief he took from his trouser pocket. Once he made sure the blade was spotless, he made it disappear as he said, "I see. In that case, to avoid owing anything to anyone, do you plan to do everything alone?"

"That’s the plan."

"That is not right," Aslan said thoughtfully. "No one in this world can survive alone. A man must learn that, at times, he will need the help of those around him."

’As if I didn’t know that...’

The King of the Void did not climb to the top alone. There was someone who stood by him, even if all he could do in return for her company was give her money.

"I know, but I’ll be fine on my own. I’m used to the feeling."

Aslan shook his head. "Mitsuki Kirishima, you still have much to learn. I only hope that life will not be cruel when it teaches you how to live."

Those final words left Mitsuki deep in thought. A somber expression took over his face as he reflected. Aslan smiled faintly upon noticing it—his words had managed to make that gloomy boy think, at least a little, about how he had handled his life so far.

"That will be all for now. I feel I have learned much about you from such a short conversation. I will go feed the horses. Until then, I hope you reflect on what I mentioned earlier. Perhaps you will come to understand the world of true men."

The old man approached the carriage. Mitsuki glanced at him for a moment before turning his gaze back to the fire’s flame.

’A true man, huh...’

Not in the biological sense, but in the ideological and moral one. Aslan, being an elderly man, seemed to know far too much about it.

It was something worth thinking about.