"If you're smart, think carefully about the connections here, and you'll understand why I said that," Solam said.
Serilef calmed down and slowly considered the meaning behind Solam's words. She was very smart, so she vaguely sensed something, yet she couldn't put her finger on what was wrong. In the end, she gave up.
Serilef was an exceptionally gifted paladin, but she was only an exceptionally gifted paladin. She had experienced too little. She had always been a flower raised in a greenhouse, growing up amid everyone's praise and care. She was clever, but some things could not be figured out through cleverness alone.
"Then... tell me. Didn't you just say that if I needed it, you could tell me?" Serilef looked at Solam pleadingly.
This time, Solam did not say anything more. From his own standpoint, he had already told Serilef everything he ought to tell her. As for whether she listened, Solam did not care. Just as he had said, they were destined not to be on the same path. He had no obligation to keep educating her.
So this time, Solam did not keep her guessing and told Serilef directly.
"Like I said, if you need to know, I can tell you. Didn't you want to know why I said Athkatla was doomed to destruction? Then I'll tell you why: because this city has already lost its soul." Solam shrugged. Then, without waiting for Serilef to ask, he continued, "I'm not being mysterious. It's the truth. This city has lost the foundation for its existence. That is what I mean by its soul."
"This world is dangerous, Sery. It always has been. In such a dangerous world, do you know what the foundation for establishing a city is?"
Solam's question was a little too profound, and Serilef