Card Apprentice Daily Log

Chapter 3058: Healthy Attitude Towards Change

Date: Unspecified

Time: Unspecified

Location: Myriad Realms, Card World, Five Regions, Southern Region, Blossom District, Sky Blossom City, TSR Tower, Guild Meeting Hall

Asong slowly looked around the meeting hall, studying the face of every leader present. They all carried the same youthful defiance. The same unyielding determination.

It reminded her of herself years ago, when she had stood before the nobles of the Central Capital, fighting for the commoners of the Central Region without a shred of fear.

She could still remember that fire. That spirit. That unwavering belief she could change the world.

‘When did I lose it?’ she wondered. Her gaze eventually settled on the young man who had made all of this possible.

Why had she opposed him so fiercely? Was it truly because she feared history repeating itself… Or because he was accomplishing everything she had once dreamed of, yet failed to achieve?

‘Jealousy?’ The thought surfaced so suddenly that it caught even her off guard. She instinctively shook her head. Then she paused.

Perhaps what civilization should fear wasn’t change, it was stagnation. In the end, it didn’t matter whether this new regime eventually became as flawed as the one it replaced. What mattered was whether the people retained the courage to bring about another new regime when the old one had outlived its purpose.

Just as individuals learned through failure…Civilizations also evolved by making mistakes, correcting them, and growing stronger.

If guided by capable hands, they advanced. If not, they inevitably collapsed, making way for something new.

‘Jealousy…Yes.’ For the first time, Asong admitted the feeling to herself. She wasn’t jealous of the boy. Not of his overwhelming power. Nor of the authority he wielded.

She was jealous of everyone standing in this room. They weren’t afraid of change. They understood there were no guarantees, no certainty that the New Empire would succeed where every civilization before it had eventually failed. Yet they had chosen to stake their lives on it anyway.

Not because they believed it was perfect. But because they believed the gears of civilization had to keep turning. If their generation failed, then the next one would learn from their mistakes and continue pushing forward.

And perhaps one day, someone would finally build the ideal civilization. Even if that civilization, too, would one day become flawed and give way to another. That was the natural course of history.

Asong finally understood what had been eating away at her all this time. She hadn’t been protecting the future. She had been fearing it.

Somewhere along the way, the fearless revolutionary who had once challenged the Central Government had become someone searching for certainty before daring to take another step.

The realization left a bitter smile on her lips. She had once believed caution was wisdom. Now she wondered if it had simply been fear wearing wisdom’s mask. Asong looked toward Aurelia. The young woman was smiling, a mixture of pride and bashfulness on her face as she stole glances at their young ruler.

Asong couldn’t help but shake her head. ‘Ah… youth. I miss having heroes to look up to.’

It was obvious to everyone in the meeting hall that Aurelia idolized His Highness. To some, it bordered on worship. And he knew it.

That was precisely why he overlooked many of her impulsive outbursts. As long as her loyalty remained genuine and her intentions sincere, he was willing to tolerate the occasional mistake.

Taking advantage of the silence that followed, Aba stepped forward and summoned her Card Spirit.

“Here,” she said, extending the card. “Take Froseye back.”

She forced a grin. “Just… be nice to her until I save enough money to buy her from you. Out of respect for our friendship, I hope you’ll at least hold onto her for me.”

The moment those words left her mouth, Froseye immediately returned to Aba’s Grimoire of her own accord. No matter how Aba tried to summon her back out, Froseye stubbornly refused to leave the Grimoire, making her stance perfectly clear.

Seeing the exchange, Asong let out a quiet sigh. “Aba… keep her. Wyatt was only teasing you earlier.”

She then raised her eyes to meet the young man’s gaze. It was the first time since their argument that she looked at him without hostility. There was no defiance left in her voice. Nor was there resignation. Only acceptance. She had made her choice.

Watching the silent understanding pass between the two, Aba finally threw both hands into the air.

She let out an exasperated groan. She pointed accusingly at both Asong and me. “You people are unbelievable… and just as manipulative. Playing with other people’s feelings like that. Try pulling something like that again, and you’ll have to answer to me.”

Despite her threatening words, everyone in the room knew she was venting more than anything else.

Without another thought, Aba dragged over an empty chair and dropped it beside mine before casually making herself comfortable, as though we were old friends chatting after class instead of attending the New Empire’s Second Assembly.

The movement instantly drew every eye in the hall.

Moments ago, everyone had been too occupied processing Hive Spirit, the VR Slime Cards, and the heated debate between Asong and Aurelia to pay attention to Aba’s complete disregard for court etiquette.

Now… They noticed. Every single breach of protocol. She had spoken to their ruler without honorifics. She had argued with him openly. Now she had pulled a chair next to him without so much as asking for permission. The atmosphere shifted almost immediately.

Dozens of hostile gazes converged on Aba. To them, she wasn’t merely being casual. She was disrespecting the very authority upon which the New Empire stood. Guest or not, many felt she had gone too far.

Realizing the danger a heartbeat before Aba did, Agatha and Asong reacted at almost the same time. They moved instinctively. Not to defend her argument. But to save her from everyone else’s anger before someone else decided to act on it impulsively like Aurelia did earlier.