Read Novel Full Chapter 181: What Is Love?
Chapter 181: What Is Love?
The rest of the day passed, and the door to the council of Vice had opened and closed, Vale having never stepped inside.
He’d go next month, but there were too many horrifying factors at present.
Mainly...
’I’d be alone with Sloth!’
Well, Envy may show up, but Vale didn’t care to meet her at the moment. He’d already gotten the information he wanted from her.
In any case, that marked another month he’d been in Pandora.
’My life has gotten... weird.’
Vale smiled as he stretched his arms while still in bed.
Sivian had actually slotted in quite nicely in the dungeon. She was currently training with Salome and Toy.
Awilix took Mias’ place and served as the gate guardian while also watching over the fake Thirty-One.
As for Mias...
He sat on Awilix’s monstrosity of a bed parallel to Vale’s.
Mias rested his back against the quilts, then asked:
"What is it you wanted to ask?"
Vale yawned as he sat up, then said:
"Love Story."
Mias’s eyes narrowed, but he soon made sense of what Vale meant. Though it was clear he hadn’t known why Vale had brought it up.
’Love Story...’
That was Lust.
Well, that was what the name ’Lust’ meant back on Kaldora.
’Lu’ - Love
’St’ - Story
’But...’
Vale had overlooked it at first, but after charming Sivian, it crept back into his mind. The description of Charm. Specifically, the last line.
[Charm] - [As the incarnation of Lust... But, beware, the acid of Love rusts the chains of Lust.]
Vale hadn’t ignored the line, but he’d been focusing on what love meant to lust.
He knew the two were by no means opposites. They were quite intertwined and intermingled. So, he’d been theorizing and thinking on how love combatted lust.
But now he knew ’Lust’ was more than just a term, but the name of a person.
And because it was a proper noun, the description had capitalized it.
While maybe it referred to lust as Vale once knew it, it may also be referring to Lust, the entity.
Going off that logic...
’Love is capitalized as well.’
At first, Vale had just assumed Love was another who spread their Origin on Kaldora to escape.
But it didn’t line up.
’Because of Lust...’
’Lust’s name is derivative of love.’
Love had been used as a part of Lust’s name, meaning at least the idea was known and had existed on Kaldora.
That meant Love was either a being from a different world or something else entirely.
Not to mention...
’The Virtues.’
Vale had just glossed over it in his initial discussion with Mias, but Vale hadn’t brought up the Virtues at the time, only the Vice.
He’d simply assumed that if the Vice came from Kaldora, then the Virtues did as well.
Mias asked in response:
"Is there something you wish to know about Lust?"
Vale slid his legs over the side of the bed and faced Mias as he asked:
"What can you tell me about Love?"
Mias tilted his head in slight confusion. Then, with a little dismay, he replied:
"As much as it’s a little painful to admit, Vale, I’m really not the one to look toward for love advice. That’s one area of knowledge I can sadly admit I’m not well-versed in."
Vale tried to stifle his laugh so as not make fun of the scholar.
When he calmed himself down, Vale clarified.
"In one of my descriptions, Love is capitalized. I was wondering if you knew them. Or more so, if they were part of the Origin crew."
Mias’s head craned to the side, and he brought his fingertips to his chin.
"Origin crew? What an odd thing to call those ten. But, there was no person known as ’Love’ that I know of. Which suggests they did not exist on Kaldora, since I knew almost everyone and everything important there. Furthermore, much like you knew of the word lust, but not of Lust, my world knew love."
’Ten? Well, that’s another question I have now...’
But that one could be addressed later.
Vale quizzically asked:
"So, Love is from a different world?"
Mias brought his gaze to Vale’s necklace.
"Not necessarily... Though that is possible. However, just because a person establishes an Origin doesn’t mean that it has to be unique. For example, the concept of love may exist before someone establishes an Origin for it. Furthermore, an Origin is also shareable. Multiple people could be known as the god of love."
Vale’s eyes narrowed, and he leaned back on the bed.
"That doesn’t really answer my question."
Mias replied:
"I was getting to that... Love may be the name of a person from another world who spread their Origin to the others, but at the same time, just because it is capitalized in the description doesn’t mean it is a name..."
Mias paused and studied Vale’s confused expression.
Mias eventually continued:
"Love could also be capitalized if it is a place — though I doubt it in this case. Or it may be capitalized as a heavenly concept to distinguish from the lowercase word. Throughout history, at least in my world, many concepts were capitalized to make them stand out. These concepts emphasized a philosophical idea or a specific component of a higher order. It wouldn’t be surprising for something so enrooted in mortal life like love that it would become an abstract concept treated as a proper noun."
’...’
’Can he say that a little simpler? Please?’
Vale was smart, but he could only contain as much knowledge as was available to slumrats. While he knew each word Mias said, their meaning together became muddled and confusing.
"That um... I think I’ll need a second to make full sense of it. But, uh, then what about the Virtues? Like Ophelia, Kindness?"
Mias had an odd look wash over his face when Vale said Ophelia’s name.
Vale thought he saw a dark twinkle in his sable eyes.
Mias eventually replied:
"I guess they’re in the same situation as ’Love’."
Mias paused for a second, then added:
"But now that you’ve brought it up, I will investigate. My interest has been piqued. This development is most fascin—"
Mias abruptly cut off, then coughed and added:
"...intriguing. It’s most intriguing."