The room was once more divided with that statement between those who were aware and those who weren’t, with the majority who seemed to know coming from the aquatic side since that was where the murders took place.
Of the terrestrial, it seemed there was a lot more shock. Falk at the very least had been unaware as to the reason for the delay and Ben was getting the impression that it was news to most others around him too, many looking surprised with only one among them coming across as excited more than anything.
Yeah, I’m understanding more and more why nobody wants to look at the spooky girl when she’s going to have a reaction like that. More importantly, murder huh?
It immediately made him want to know more, both about the circumstances and the details of it. The why was a big one and he had to hold himself back from doing anything given that he’d somehow already gotten far more eyes on him than he’d planned on when all of that started, doing his best to wait for anyone else to speak up before he resorted to plundering the murderer’s memories to sate his curiosity, with his patience soon being rewarded.
“What? What did you do?” Yuzu asked as she rose from her seat, looking like she already had some idea, with Regnal seeming entirely indifferent to the matter.
“I did exactly what I wanted, should that really be so shocking? And whatever power they held is meaningless when I’m easily worth a hundred of them.”
“We don’t count lives so easily,” Killi told him. “You don’t get to decide who lives and dies because of some personal grudge.”
“Why not, your gods do and I’m supposedly going to be one eventually,” He shot back. “And for that matter, how dare any of you natives judge me, you have no right. Bringing me to this world to fight your enemies and expecting me to forgive mine at the same time, I’d rather this entire world be destroyed than accept those animals.”
The table didn’t take such a statement quietly, opinions were immediately being shouted back and forth in a scene that reminded him of a miniature version of what he saw from the actual gods of the world while Ben began putting together what he was hearing through context, with it looking like all of this stemmed from something Verbum had told him about in the past, a mistake that was objectively on the gods who had brought them to that world.
Among the summoned groups, there was one that was brought who had been equally split between two races in what sounded like some sort of interstellar war, with one being invaded by the other in a scene that didn’t sound entirely different from what their world was currently going through.
He was sure the thought process behind the act was to get a bit more variety with the groups they took but it was obviously a bad choice from the get-go, destined to end in the current situation the moment it was discovered that one on the defending side had come with a skill at the third tier.
Really, if anything it was just lucky that it had taken so long to happen at all, though it didn’t seem like it was going to resolve itself any time soon and made it clear why the meeting was expected to stretch on for a few days. Everyone had opinions and these were the sorts of people that couldn’t be beholden to any governing body. How was any mortal meant to rule over someone who was destined for godhood? The most they could do was toss it to their equals and hope they’d somehow sort it out amongst themselves.
“While we live on the world we are tied to its laws,” The divine chef sighed, wanting things to end even a few moments sooner to get back to her work. “It doesn’t matter what anyone else says. It’s not acceptable now and it won't be acceptable when you ascend.”
“That’s easy to say I’m sure,” Regnal sneered. “And I’m sure you’d be all so much better in my position, wouldn’t you? If you were ripped from the world after seeing those you love killed by demons, only to be told to fight obediently by their sides, you’d all do it without a word and just make peace.”
“I would choose peace in a heartbeat if I could.”
“How noble.”
The tone was mocking and it seemed things would never end with the conversation running in circles from there. He couldn’t be allowed to take his revenge while ignoring the law and it was unfair for anyone on that world to judge him when he’d been brought specifically to fight in a whole new war while being told to forget about the one that killed him. It seemed like things would only keep going nowhere too so since he’d already been dragged into things more than he’d hoped, Ben decided to add a different fuel to the fire.
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“Hey Killi, sorry to speak up like this but am I right to say all of this boils down to whether or not a third tier can get away with murder?”
“A simplification but yes.”
“Okay, cool,” He nodded before pointing at Rook. “When I arrived here yesterday, Rook attempted to murder me by teleporting me way up into the sky and leaving me to fall.”
All at once the arguments at the table stopped, the room falling silent enough they’d be able to hear a pin fall while Killi in particular pinched her brow before speaking in strained words.
“Rook, explain yourself this instant.”
“Hmm, me? What’s there to explain? Are you really going to trust this kid?”
“Over you? Any day, yes. I feel confident that’s something any one of us could agree on. Now, since that means you absolutely did it, you explain yourself right this fucking instant.”
“Or what?” He grinned. “Gonna kill me?”
“If you think I haven’t put any of my vast knowledge towards figuring out the numerous ways of dealing with an immortal then you’re sorely mistaken. Now explain, lest I prove myself to you.”
“What’s the big deal, he’s just being dramatic. Who dies from a bit of a fall? And in case you’ve forgotten, we’re fucking gods. I wanted to so I did, it’s as simple as that.”
“In case you’ve forgotten, we’re still mortal, as flesh as any other with any future of divinity as uncertain as the fate of the world. You do not just get to kill people. Now, why did you want to murder Ben?”
“He was asking me to dinner,” Thera chimed in, not looking at the man. “Although he didn’t get very far into asking.”
It seemed like the room heaved a collective groan when she said it, with Killi’s mood changing from anger to disgust.
“Ah, so you flagrantly ignored the law to once more be rejected by a girl centuries your junior. Pathetic. I count my blessings you’ll never ascend.”
“Fuck you, I’m actually free at least. You can have your little meetings and debates and whatever the fuck else you want but in the end it’s the ones like me and Regnal who actually know what’s up. Being a god is about using the power you have and not being bound by whatever stupid feelings mortals have on the topic.”
“I’d prefer not to be compared to you,” Regnal cut in. “Our reasoning is as different as night and day.”
“Both in the sky. Screw all of you anyway, what do you hope to accomplish here? Yeah, you know what, I do what I want and if I want to find a lady who’s going to still be attractive in a couple centuries to have some fun with before she loses her looks then that’s up to me and how I get it is up to me too, if it means getting rid of some brat in the way then that’s my business.”
Huh, I wonder how many levels of his… I would assume immortality probably sprouted from something like healing enhancement so I’m going with that. Either way, how many levels did he get from people beating this shit out of him? A personality like that, I’m not betting on it being a recent development. Although centuries is the sort of span a person could use to change.
He felt strangely indifferent to hearing that someone was trying to murder him to make a pass at his girlfriend, he’d already had a person try and fight him for her before along with some of their pre-dating dealings with Ather and Roan, with the only thing really popping into his head being the question of if he was ever going to get a taste of it from the other perspective.
Would it be fun to have some psycho decide they want me badly enough to attack Thera for a change? Mmh, no, pretty sure I’d hate that. It would be easier to solve though considering she could probably squash anyone else like a bug, no clue how the hell I’m supposed to deal with this asshole if he isn’t giving up and can teleport, gonna have to spend some brain power on that or just steal whatever ideas Killi has on the topic.
“So then what are you going to do?” Rook asked as he looked around. “You think I haven’t been through this song and dance before? The answer is a big, fat, nothing, now more than ever. You think you’re going to punish us now especially when there’s still another wave coming? Keep dreaming and stop wasting our time. Now if that’s not going anywhere, what do you say we move on already?”
Killi looked ready to snap but it was the divine chef who spoke first, sounding resigned to it all. “He’s right. As awful as a bastard as he is, what are we going to do about either of them? I move that we put an end to this for the day and reconvene tomorrow as planned and put the issue of the both of them on hold until the end of the third wave. If we live we can figure out how Regnal should be punished then and how we should deal with the other idiot. All in favour?”
A round of ayes went up once more, with enough of the group looking done with things that they were happy to stop there and push the matter to the distant and uncertain future, letting things end in the hopes the air would clear by the next day.