Yarra’s Adventure Notes
Chapter 877 - 141 Philarx’s Purpose

Chapter 877: Chapter 141 Philarx’s Purpose

"What news?" Catherine was suddenly startled from her emotions by Pannis’ reminder, her cheeks flushing red as she let go and took several steps back. She pretended to be calm, straightening out the no-longer-needed rain cape to cover her own panic, and stuttered, "And what compensation? Did you receive any unforeseen news inside?"

"Yeah," Lina, standing behind Catherine, said in a nasal tone, her voice laced with a quirky inflection. "Don’t just blurt out half a sentence with no beginning or end. Otherwise, your big sister here is going to worry."

"Well, it’s difficult to explain in just a few words. I’ll elaborate when we have more time," Pannis said. He didn’t see Catherine turning her head to where he couldn’t see, baring her teeth at Lina in a fierce expression. Nor did he see Lina scrunching up her nose, silently mouthing a sentence about sneaking off. Of course, he also missed Vivian slyly jabbing her finger into Catherine’s waist, which was protected by scale armor. He saw none of this; instead, after hesitating for a moment and shaking his head, he continued, "Anyway, before we started the battle, he told me a lot about the Divine Servant and even gave me some potions. He said the information and potions were compensation for me. At the time, I didn’t understand what he meant, but looking back, it turns out to be compensation for having to kill him. Heh, expecting compensation for persuading me to kill him, I don’t know what that old man was thinking. I don’t think a sane person would have such muddled thoughts."

"From what you’re saying, it seems like Master Fila was already prepared... well, to be killed by you," Catherine said, halting mid-sentence before deciding to continue, "and had even thought about compensation already?"

"Yes, he was mentally prepared," Pannis replied, nodding but still looking somewhat bewildered. "And I have this very odd feeling that from the beginning to the end, it was all part of his plan. He seemed to have been deliberately pushing me these past two years, pushing me into this battle with him as if he wanted to die by my hand on purpose."

"Could it be that Master Fila felt guilty about what he had done? After all, he was once a hero, and now he has caused the deaths of so many," Catherine consoled Pannis. "Feeling guilty and finding it hard to stop himself, maybe he wanted to die by your hand to find release?"

"No, you don’t understand him. He’s not a hero, never was. He’s nothing but a zealous scholar," Pannis shook his head. "Victor and Felic actually inherited his sense of right and wrong. In his mind, it’s perfectly normal that so many people died; he even believes that it wouldn’t matter if everyone in the Yarran World died. Therefore, he’s the type who would never feel guilty about taking lives. And you don’t understand him. A man like him has a very strong will. If he wants to do something, he will do it, and only death can stop him. Similarly, if he doesn’t want to do something, he will definitely stop. So there’s no way he’s out of control and can only find release in death by my hand."

"Then there’s nothing we can do," Catherine said helplessly. "I can’t guess why Master Fila planned for you to kill him."

"Could it be because he wanted to use you to make a breakthrough?" Muir, who had been trailing behind the girls like a spectator, finally spoke up. "I remember you saying Fila kept deepening his understanding of Time magic during the battle with you. I had this thought at the time: maybe he wanted to use you to break through that barrier. After all, in his mind, you might be the only one who could pose as a worthy opponent and put enough pressure on him to push beyond the limit."

"I considered that at first," Pannis still shook his head. "When I saw him deepening his understanding, I had the same suspicion. But on further thought, it doesn’t make sense. It’s too risky a method, with a great chance of failure, which doesn’t suit his cautious personality. He once told me that the possibility of success with the second method of breakthrough was very high, but irrevocable, so he didn’t choose it. Looking at it this way, making a breakthrough during battle contradicts the description of a very high chance of success, which is why I dismissed that initial speculation."

"Hm, maybe you’re right," Muir slid his fingers over the strings of his instrument and shrugged, "The thoughts of you Demigods are always odd—who can guess what they might be? Perhaps he simply takes pleasure in watching you fret internally, just as you often enjoy your own twisted sense of humor."

"Hey, you really have a way with words," Pannis glared sideways at Muir, who was intentionally using teasing to sidetrack the conversation, expressing a desire to comfort, yet dissatisfied, she said, "The ordeal is over, why are you still hanging around here? Shouldn’t you hurry back to your Elven Forest to paint nudes? Or have you decided to set your sights on the humans of Butte now?"

"You who blaspheme against art should be smitten with Divine Punishment by our god Yeda," Muir huffed coldly, "Besides, even if you tell me to leave now, I won’t. I’ve found a new collaborator and we’re planning a joint creation."

"Exactly, exactly," Freya, who had been silently engrossed in her small notebook, suddenly lifted her head and said happily, "Mr. Muir and I have agreed—I’ll take care of the writing, and he’ll handle the music. Together we aim to craft an epic poem with music that rivals the Song of Yarra. The tale of a fallen warrior in turmoil, a hero who, for the happiness of millions, must embark upon another journey. After countless perils, he finally stands before his former comrades, tears welling in his eyes as he draws his sword in confrontation. Oh, it’s just... Hey, hey, don’t tear it up, my God, give me my inspiration back!"

Pannis stood rooted to the spot for a long while, a genuine smile slowly spreading across his face, he earnestly said, "Thank you, all of you, really, thank you."

The three boisterous girls suddenly calmed down, turned their heads to look at Pannis, one of them sending him a beaming smile, then... they became entangled once again. It was Catherine who still maintained her dignity, adding, "Regardless, our task here is finished, even though there was no reward."

"Yes, it’s done," Pannis nodded, "Let’s go home."

"But can we just leave directly like this?" Catherine asked, "With Warrensen scared off by you, what about Master Fila’s territory? Don’t we need to explain things? Leaving abruptly could cause quite a bit of turmoil, couldn’t it?"

"There’s no need for concern," a female voice suddenly came from afar. As they looked up, they saw a young woman dressed as a maid slowly approaching. Everyone recalled her from their memories—she was one of Philarx’s maids, and Pannis recognized her even more so, for before meeting Philarx, it was he who had personally escorted this maid out of the Mage Tower. (To be continued. If you like this work, we welcome you to vote for us on Qidian (qidian.com), your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)