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816 - Cultural Gap
🕑 Added 2024-12-24 23:00:15 +0000 UTCSeraphina gave Aron a puzzled look after hearing his firm declaration about remaining with one wife. After a moment of hesitation, she asked, “Do you have many offspring, my lord?”
Aron, caught off guard by the sudden shift in the conversation, replied, “No, I don’t have any. Why?” His curiosity was piqued, and he couldn’t help but wonder what prompted the question. At the same time, a part of him questioned whether this entire conversation was somehow tied to Nova’s earlier efforts to help Seraphina come to terms with her defeat—or if it was something else entirely.
Instead of answering directly, Seraphina posed another question. “Is it because your soul partner is incapable of bearing strong offspring from your seed?”
“No,” Aron replied curtly, though his expression betrayed his growing confusion. His thoughts screamed, What the heck are these questions for?
Seraphina pressed on, her tone carrying both sincerity and a hint of frustration. “Then shouldn’t you take as many strong soul partners as possible to produce numerous offspring, increasing the chances of someone as strong as you being born? Wouldn’t that strengthen your empire and ensure your legacy? So why deny me the chance to be your soul partner when I am certain I could bear strong offspring for you?”
Her explanation was straightforward, rooted in her own cultural values and logic. Yet, to Aron, it felt like the conversation had veered into deeply uncomfortable territory he hadn’t anticipated.
Seraphina wasn’t angry about being denied; she was simply curious why Aron would dismiss what seemed to her like an obvious and beneficial suggestion, especially when there appeared to be no downside.
Aron let out a deep sigh as the realization dawned on him—this was a clash of cultural norms. In her civilization, love wasn’t understood in the same way humans experienced it. Instead, they revered strength above all else, with romantic attachment tied closely to admiration for power. By her culture’s standards, Seraphina would be considered “in love” with Aron, driven by a desire to create strong offspring with him. This was also likely why she remained unmarried—no one had been strong enough to challenge her for her hand in marriage.
Aron racked his brain for a way to explain his perspective in terms she could grasp. However, he quickly realized that any explanation would inevitably raise more questions, especially given the profound differences in their values. After a brief moment of contemplation, he said, “It seems the cultural differences between us make it difficult for me to explain this in a way that makes sense right now. Once you’ve completed the task of handing the nanomachines to one of your subordinates, I’ll share our culture with you through assimilation. It should help you understand my actions, decisions, and those of other humans. Until then, let’s put this conversation on hold.”
Although Seraphina didn’t receive the clear answer she had hoped for, she recognized the importance of bridging the cultural gap. She nodded in agreement, understanding what her lord wanted to convey. Rising gracefully, she headed toward the door, where Nova stood waiting with a small container. Taking the container, she bowed slightly before leaving to carry out the task her lord had assigned.
“I really hope she hasn’t developed an obsession with me—things could get complicated if she has,” Aron muttered, leaning his head against his hand. He was deep in thought, wondering what actions Seraphina might take to get what she wanted, especially if those actions were considered normal in her culture.
{Don’t worry, sir. I’ll keep an eye on her and make sure to update you if I notice any signs of such behavior,} Nova reassured him. However, if someone had been observing Nova closely, they would have noticed the faint smile tugging at her lips as she fought to hold back laughter. To her, the situation seemed more amusing than concerning, and she was enjoying the unexpected drama that this new addition to the "family" was bringing.
“I want to go to my wife,” Aron finally said with a sigh, realizing this situation might turn into a source of future headaches.
{You’ll have to settle for meeting her in VR until everything here is sorted out,} Nova teased, patting Aron on the back in a mock attempt to console him. {Once this is over, you can enjoy a well-deserved vacation with her.}
Aron groaned softly, already feeling the weight of the current situation and imagining the relief he’d feel once it was all behind him.
“Now we wait,” Aron said, activating the hologram display to check on the progress of the orders he had given to the government. The screen lit up, showing fifty massive cargo ships leaving Earth’s orbit, steadily making their way in his direction.
The cargo ships were loaded with the mana stones Aron had promised to gift to the other side as a gesture of goodwill. These weren’t just any mana stones—they represented a rare and valuable resource, and the shipment contained more than double the required amount to create a wormhole to return home.
Despite the excess, Aron had deliberately chosen this amount. He wanted to demonstrate the abundance of mana stones available to his empire and use this gesture to establish trust and goodwill with the other side. By providing something so costly for free, Aron aimed to lay the foundation for a strong relationship, ensuring that his generosity would not go unnoticed.
As Aron closed the hologram, he turned to Nova and asked, “How is our progress in decoding the data they gave us?”
{We’re making quick progress with the unencrypted data. For the encrypted ones, we’re holding off for now, focusing all computing power on analyzing the accessible ones first. Once that’s completed, we’ll redirect full resources to decrypting the rest,} Nova explained, materializing a new hologram that displayed the detailed progress of the task.
“Inform me the moment even one of them is fully decoded,” Aron instructed, his tone neutral but failing to mask the underlying excitement. He was eager to delve into the trove of knowledge this data promised.
The thought of what might be hidden in them spurred his enthusiasm. Aron enjoyed nothing more than creating and innovating, and he was certain this knowledge would hold the key to breakthroughs he hadn’t yet even imagined. If the data contained what he hoped for, it could potentially cut the Sysptem Points (SP) required to implement his plans by half—or possibly even more.
Nova gave a slight nod, noting the rare gleam of anticipation in Aron’s usually composed demeanor—{Understood, sir. I’ll notify you immediately.}
Comments
GripenSupremacy
TYFTC!! Happy holidays everyone!!
Jade
TYFTC!! FIRST!!!
