The White Dragonborn woman's unexpected assertiveness.
At first, she had been somewhat reserved, seemingly unused to sharing a table with others. She also seemed to hope that chatting would ease the awkward atmosphere.
But for some reason, once they actually started talking, Li Aoz discovered that some of her views resembled his younger self, and even Lioz.
To keep a perfectly fine young woman from going astray and reaching old age only to realize she did not even know how to enjoy life, Li Aoz hurriedly began trying to dissuade her, lest another Lioz appear.
One efficiency-obsessed lunatic like that was enough.
"Man can conquer nature—when has man ever actually won?"
Li Aoz took a sip of lemon soda and grumbled, "I'm not trying to discourage you, but you look like you just entered society, right? At the beginning, I was full of passion too. I always thought the world was vast and I could roam free. I worked hard and achieved a little, but it was nowhere near enough. I still needed others to give me a hand. Even now, I can only barely compete on the same starting line as the children and descendants of those important figures."
"This world is cruel. Your personal efforts may not necessarily be recognized. A heart devoted to serving the country may instead be met with suspicion and denial. And when you truly accomplish something, others will come over wanting to pick your peaches and claim part of the credit."
"You want to fight others, thinking efficiency alone can let you outcompete everyone else? That is not worth it. When you finally look back, you'll find that aside from competition and battle, there were no warm moments in your life worth cherishing or reminiscing about."
"You came from the Deep Shadow Blood