Card Apprentice Daily Log

Chapter 2615: Greater Good

Date: Unspecified

Time: Unspecified

Location: Myriad Realms, Card World, Southern Region, Southern Capital, Guild Association Mall, Warehouse No. 234

Listening to Anna, I shook my head in quiet disappointment. Seeing my reaction, she quickly softened her tone and tried to persuade me. ”Wyatt, I’m doing this for the greater good—”

”I understand, Anna,” I cut in before she could finish. ”That isn’t the issue. I’m disappointed because your vision is so narrow, so limited.”

Yes, listening to her plans on how to use me was an eye-opener and had offended me, but I forced myself to remain tolerant. After all, she had shown the same patience when I had used her love and status to establish myself in the Southern Region and the Card World itself.

”What is that supposed to mean?” Anna asked, visibly shaken. ”Don’t tell me you want to be the next Southern Ruler?”

In her memory of me, such ambition had never existed. Her regal status had meant nothing in my eyes. My indifference to power was part of what had once drawn her to me. Yet, here she was doubting my intentions, such was the allure of the throne and crown.

”There you go again,” I said, shaking my head with exaggerated displeasure at her closed-mindedness. ”Once more, you prove just how narrow and limited your vision truly is. I’m honestly feeling second-hand embarrassment for having fallen for someone like you. And here I thought you would be different from your ancestors.” My voice cooled. ”I suppose the extreme path really did ruin you for me and the card world.”

”I don’t understand,” Anna said, frustration seeping into her voice. ”Stop beating around the bush. If this is your attempt to mock my intelligence, then I give up. Surprise, surprise, you’re smarter than I am. Now be straight with me, just as I was with you.”

She abandoned the guessing game altogether, openly admitting that she had no idea what I was hinting at.

”Why limit yourself to the Southern Region,” I replied, still denying her the direct answer she wanted. ”Why not change the entire Card World? Why settle for improving the lives of Southern citizens when we could uplift the whole card apprentice society to unprecedented heights?”

I spoke deliberately, believing that an answer one arrives at on their own lingers far longer than one simply handed to them.

”As far as I know, you have no history of abusing drugs,” Anna replied dryly. ”Did you hit your head during the fight or something?”

For a moment, she thought she might have missed something crucial. Instead, it sounded no different from every warlord’s wet dream.

”Every warlord has said the same thing before declaring war on their neighbors,” she continued, her tone turning sharp. ”They ruined millions of innocent lives and shattered countless families, yet their people still defended them as conquerors. Let us first improve ourselves. Then we can talk about improving others, and only if they want it. Otherwise, it’s pointless.”

”Honey, I don’t fancy myself a conqueror or a savior,” I said calmly. ”I’m a capitalist, through and through. The more they earn, the more they spend, and the more I stand to gain. I would never do anything to break that chain.”

I appeared behind Anna and wrapped my arms around her, activating my ’If you see me, I see you’ ability. She struggled instinctively, trying to break free. Leaning closer, I whispered into her ear, ”The Card World is not our final stage...”

Her resistance weakened as I continued, my voice low and measured. ”There are individuals across the myriad realms who can destroy our world from the farthest corner of existence, long before we even sense our impending doom.”

When she finally stopped resisting altogether, I spoke again, unrestrained. ”When I reach that height, I want you by my side, as one of my three queens.”

Hearing that, Anna asked coolly, ”And what guarantee do I have that it will remain just three queens, with no additions along the way?”

”You women need to learn how to protect your man,” I replied with a light, teasing tone. ”Do I need to teach you that too?”

She shot back instantly, ”So now it’s my fault that you want three wives?”

”Yes,” I agreed shamelessly. ”If you had forced yourself on me back when you had the chance, the way Jill did, who knows what might have happened?” I even used Jill as proof to support my argument.

”So it was Jill you were referring to back when you returned from Sun Blossom City after faking your death,” Anna said irritably, piecing it together. ”Ann should have realized it the moment Jill rushed to the Southern Capital to warn you about the central government’s plan to kidnap you. What was she thinking?”

She spoke her thoughts out aloud, frustration creeping into her voice, coming dangerously close to the truth that Ann had likely found a way to hide or mask her memories from her. It was a real pain to deal with cards that were smarter than you. Fortunately, Anne possessed an obvious weakness, one Anna could exploit to bend her to her will, unlike in Ann’s case.

”...” I chose not to tell Anna that Ann had already guessed my relationship with Jill back in the Southern Capital. I had no desire to wedge myself further between the twins—no, triplets—than I already had. It felt like navigating a real-life game of minesweeper. One wrong step, and I had no idea what would explode. So I decided to avoid that subject altogether.

Ann had already made her eagerness toward me painfully clear, and as for Anne, there was no question at all. As for Anna... that was best left unanswered for now.

”How long do you plan to keep holding me like that?” Anna asked, snapping me out of my thoughts. Despite her words, she made no attempt to struggle free. With that, my courage grew bolder, planning to slowly and steadily break past all her defenses.