“...”

After having been essentially kicked out of the room by John, Prota was at a loss. She stared down the hall blankly, as if waiting for someone to tell her what to do.

She wasn’t sure how to feel. There was a mild sense of betrayal about this situation, but at the same time, she couldn’t deny that she had been incredibly bored. Besides, it hadn’t seemed like John was trying to hide anything from her, so in the end, there wasn’t too much to be upset about. The king had given her permission to wander around as long as she wasn’t stopped by any guards, so with nothing better to do, she wandered off.

The inside of the palace was fascinating. She’d never seen anything like it. Marble pillars, stained glass windows sitting at the top of high ceiling corridors, fragments of light spilling all over smooth stone floors… this was somewhere most people would never see, let alone think of seeing. And yet, here she was.

However, the inside of the palace could only be so interesting. Soon, it became repetitive. Outside. Right, there were interesting things there. She tried to find her way out but ended up getting lost. Wandering around for a bit only served to ruin her sense of direction even more. In the end, she remembered she had a personal map and used it, gaining a pretty decent map of the castle in the meantime.

Soon, she was outside in the palace garden. Once again, it was a scenery unlike anything she’d ever seen. The blooming bushes and flowers were properly taken care of and trimmed, stones neatly outlining paths in the fresh growing grass. She stared in interest as she hopped from one stone to another, making her way toward a fountain in the centre of the area. Despite the beauty of the scenery, something felt… off.

Her whole life had been a jumble of messes, thrown together into some semblance of normality. Come to think of it, her memories of a “normal life” were slowly disappearing completely. There were a few memories of her parents, her sister, and her village, but she couldn’t remember many specifics. The insane chaos she’d been through was slowly become “normal,” to the point where true normality was becoming mundane and boring.

What if she had accepted John’s offer back then? For her to go live in an orphanage, to live a peaceful life, to grow up and live as a child. There would be no [Resets]. No training. No death, no fighting, no panic. She wouldn’t have to worry about John all the time, and she wouldn’t have to deal with the mental stress of dying and coming back, over and over. She would’ve never felt worried that John would leave her. She wouldn’t feel guilty for letting him die.

But… John had to be there for her to worry about him. He had to be there so that she could care for him. If she’d gone into an orphanage, what would happen? She’d sit in a corner, quiet, fearful to talk to others, keeping to herself. The rumours of a devil child would linger, and she’d never truly be safe. And what about Anta? She’d never be rescued. Never be saved.

“Ah, so you were here.”

Prota flinched. Someone was calling out to her?

“You’re Prota, right? It’s nice to meet you. I’m Hart. We met earlier, when you first got out of the carriage?”

Prota turned to see Destiny’s sister looking at her with a pleasant smile. Despite being only thirteen or fourteen, she looked strangely mature for her age. She wore a simple black dress, carrying a case on her back. Despite its innocent look, Prota knew it was a giant weapon that was even bigger than her.

So, despite Hart’s kind smile, Prota couldn’t help but shiver. This was the girl who could discipline Destiny, who she considered to be strong. What did she want with her? What did Prota have that Hart would approach her?

“I heard that you were sent out early, so I offered to show you around. Is that ok?”

“...yes,” Prota said in a quiet voice. It’d taken her a lot to get that word out.

“Sounds good! Well, as you can already see, we’re in the garden…”

For the next half hour, Hart led Prota around the castle. It was much better with a guide this time, and she was able to see interesting things she’d never seen the first time she’d wandered around. The library in particular caught her interest. It was kept tidy, but the smell and look of the old books and shelves were comforting. Beams of sunlight warmed the floors and table, making them comfortable to sit near.

“Oh, do you enjoy this place?” Hart said. “Des used to come here all the time as a child. He was especially interested in magic books… regardless, anything in this place is open for you to read. Just try not to wreck them, ok?”

“...expensive?”

“What was that? Oh, are these expensive?” Hart slowly took a book off a shelf and wiped the cover. “No, not really. The precious books are kept under lock, in a separate area. But still, even if something is expendable, shouldn’t we try to keep them safe?”

Prota looked at the book with a troubled expression, although it wasn’t visible to Hart. Regardless, the older girl sensed something was off.

“Ah, don’t worry about it. I’m not saying not to read them. What’s the point in a book you can’t read? If it breaks, it breaks. All I’m saying is that you shouldn’t break them. I don’t think we’ll have to worry about that, though.”

Prota looked up at Hart with a new perspective. This girl wasn’t dangerous, right? She really did seem kind.

“Come on, the tour of the palace is almost done. Well, there’s a lot of other rooms, but I don’t think you’ll be around here without an escort all that much.”

Prota followed Hart out of the library and through the halls. She would’ve had no idea where she was were it not for her map system. She was grateful Hart was showing her around. This way, she could come back to the library as much as she wanted.

“Here, the training grounds.”

Hart opened a set of heavy doors to reveal a large outdoor area. In one corner were a set of training dummies, while another corner had stashes of swords, shields, and other various weapons for soldiers.

“Des’ letter said you were pretty strong. So…”

Behind her, Hart’s case began to expand and reform, slowly changing into a giant black hammer lined with gold. It landed on the ground with an audible thump, a small crater forming in the ground. Prota shrank back in fear.

“How about we end this with a friendly duel?”

~~~

John leaned back in his chair. It wasn’t that he was trying to hide things from Prota, but there were things he wanted to do that she didn’t need to be involved in. Besides, it was possible things were going to get messy, and he had no plans to involve Prota in politics. There was a game that would be played here, and it was better that she wasn’t part of it. Besides, she wasn’t the best at lying. He had a feeling there would be a lot of that here.

He’d spent a considerable amount of time describing the process of what’d happened, leaving out a few key details, namely those about souls and Doctor. The king had listened patiently, nodding and asking questions when appropriate. As John finished, the room fell silent.

“There’s still more, isn’t there?” the king said quietly.

John took a sip of tea. The king wasn’t stupid.

“Sir,” John said, his tone unusually serious. The king was probably taken aback, but he wasn’t an amateur. If he felt any different, he didn’t show it.

“In this world, there’s the realm of mortals, and then there’s the realm of gods. Right?”

“Indeed. We exist in a world below that of Mystics and gods. We could never hope to reach their plane of existence.”

“Well… actually, that’s not the point. Mister king. That is in “this world.” There are other worlds. And then there are things beyond even those worlds.”

“What… are you saying?”

“I’m saying that there are things even the gods. And those would be things no one should know.”

“Are you implying that this is one of those things?” the king said, the smile frozen on his face. It was unusually stiff. The masks were up, and deciphering what the other person meant was now the goal. As soon as John had thrown the bait, the game had begun. The words spoken were merely covers for the true intent each party held.

“Maybe. My point is, are you ready to deal with what could come next?”

“As king of this country, I’ve seen a lot. The wisdom of my predecessors has guided me a long way,” the man said. “And I do not know how trustworthy your word is. You may be Destiny’s friend and companion, but that is not enough. I have seen people fall to those they thought were family, friends betrayed by lifelong companions, all for the sake of something greater. You approaching me with this does not strengthen my opinion of you.”

“Well, yeah,” John nodded. “Makes sense. I didn’t think you were an idiot. You wouldn’t just get all chummy with me because I said something mysterious. But at some point, you won’t really have a choice. The things we dealt with weren’t of this world, like I said. And not even the gods know how to deal with it.”

“You speak as if you, too, are not of this world.”

“What do you think?”

John stared deep into the king’s eyes, his gaze unwavering. The king stared back with equal determination, trying to decipher what he could. Suddenly, with a slight motion of his hand, three women leapt out of the shadows, knives instantly at John’s throat.

John flinched, but that, too, was just an act. He’d known they were there since he’d entered the room. Just another reason to send Prota out. It was possible she’d known as well, but… no, she wasn’t at the level where she trusted John to handle himself. If she’d known there were threats, she would’ve told him. Well, it was for the better. It wasn’t as if he needed protection here. There was still one more person hiding in the shadows, anyway.

“I could’ve had you killed at any moment,” the king said quietly. “Your life is in my hands. I’ve been kind up to this point, but any other royalty would not have tolerated your attitude for even a moment. I would suggest you proceed carefully.”

“Like I said. You’re not stupid,” John pointed out. “I could just be an idiot. Maybe I’m a little sick in the head. Maybe I’m insane. But given the report Destiny gave you, I’m sure you’d wait to see what I have to say first.”

“I’m sure you are not the only one with the information you have.”

“And what if I am?”

Another moment of silence.

“Listen up. There’s only one . And don’t bullshit me with this attitude shit. Etiquette is just a way for nobles to jerk each other off because they don’t have the raw power or leverage to do what they want. You know that, don’t you? Mister king.”

John leaned back in his chair. Things were going well. It was possible he was being played here, but he suspected he currently had complete control of the conversation. The king probably believed he had some sort of leverage. He had John at knife point. He could kill John whenever he wanted to.

But something like that would never be leverage against someone like John.

“Honestly, I did not want to resort to this,” the king said. “But if I must, I will resort to-”

John reached into his pocket slowly, reaching into his pocket dimension in secret. The women tensed, their blades touching John’s neck, drawing a thin line of blood, but he didn’t stop. His movements were slow and deliberate. When his arm came up, there was a small orb in it.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“Do you know what this is?”

The king frowned. John put the orb on the table, away from the king. “This is soul energy.”

“...!”

“Doctor, the man we were hunting, figured out how to extract this.”

“Destiny mentioned this-”

“I’m quite familiar with this, to be honest. Not because I’ve done any experimenting, but simply because of my source of information.”

“Does your godly intuition have something to do with this source of information?”

“Perhaps,” John said. “And I’d be willing to tell you more if you back off a little.”

There was no movement from the weapons at John’s throat. Flinching was the last thing he’d give them, though. Any more, and the power held at the table would shift over to the king. It was time to stop being afraid.

John needed to be holding the advantage at all times. They were playing politics, after all, and advantage meant a lot. Considering his position, John didn’t have much else. No power. No prestige. He didn’t even have a reputation. All he had was information and the ability to lie.

And the king was expecting him to lie.

“What’s your name, mister king?”

“...Aegnor. Aegnor Elvus, king of the elves,” the man said hesitantly.

“Listen… Aegnor. I’m gonna call you that, ok? Look. I’m manaless. I’m sure Destiny told you that. So there should be no threat here. I need to speak to you. In private.”

“...what?”

What, did you think I was just gonna say something like this in front of anyone? These knife wielding people gotta go. You can threaten to kill me or whatever. I’m fine with that,” John said. “It’s not the first time I’ve been held at knifepoint. But if you want to hear what I have to say, then call in a deaf guard, or tell these people to leave. Your choice.”

The king frowned, showing his first crack in his defences. John let out a slow, controlled breath. It’d been a while since he had to play this game, but he still had it in him. He suspected there would be more of this to come.

To be honest, the king wasn’t nearly as cunning as others had been, but that was fine. John himself was rusty anyway, so this was a good way to get back into it. [Resets] were no longer an option. He couldn’t go back and choose a different line of dialogue.

This had to work, first try.

“Very well. You may leave.”

“But sir-”

“He is manaless. Do you think me to be that weak?”

The women left without another word. John let his body relax just a little bit. It would’ve been really stupid if he died here like this.

“Very well. What is it you have to tell me?”

“Well, how much do you know about Quaesitor Veritatis?” John said.

Jinae’s group. She’d told him about it as he’d been about to kill her. A group of powerful people dedicated to chasing the “truth” of this world. A group who was convinced that there was something more to the world than Celeste and the gods. John sincerely hoped they’d never reach that truth, but knowing of them would surely come in handy. Thankfully, their name was coming in handy. The king’s eyes widened.

“You- don’t tell me, you’re-”

“No, I’m not in their little cult,” John said. “But I’m familiar with one of them. What, do you know any of them?”

“...no,” the king said. “I’m afraid not. But my father would tell me stories of them. And that name is not well known. If you know of them, are acquainted with their members, then…”

“What I’m about to tell you might sound unbelievable, but it’s up to you whether you believe this or not,” John said. “Do you know what that group seeks?”

“The ‘truth’ of this world,” the king said slowly. “I’m unsure of what this means, but I know that they are beyond our power. If those mighty members cannot reach it and continue to seek it, then that truth must be rare and powerful indeed.”

“Very good,” John said, clapping. “Gold star for you. Now, what if I told you that I’ve already reached the ‘truth’ they’ve been seeking for so long?”

“Ha!” the king laughed. “You? A child? You’re-”

The king was about to continue, but he stopped as he looked at John. There was no smile on John’s face. No hint of a joke. No bluff. No nothing. John was completely confident in his claim. The king wanted to believe it was a bluff. It had to be. How could the manaless boy in front of him know something as powerful as the truth of the world? Something a group such as Quaesitor Veritatis was still searching for?

But something made the king believe John. There was something about that boy that he couldn’t shake off no matter how hard he tried.

“How do you think I know the group? I don’t want anything to do with them. It was that old lady that approached me first. The one I owe a little something to, now. Jinae, that bastard…”

“Impossible.”

“Yeah, yeah, sure. Aegnor. Listen. The man we killed was extracting souls and using them for… well, I actually don’t care to think about it. The point is, he had a power that exceeded this world. A power that involved this ‘truth’ we just talked about. It’s a power that defies common sense. A power that commands absolute control.”

“But you beat him.”

“Well, yeah. Obviously,” John nodded. “I don’t know how we did it. Things kinda spiralled out of control. But it’s possible there are more like him. Look. The world is about to get flipped on its head.”

“...in what way?”

“I don’t know.”

The king stared. What?

“I don’t know,” John said, shaking his head. “Probably something about the demon king, if I had to guess. Maybe the presence of a new hero, even.”

“I- what?”

“The world was supposed to encounter something. What that is, I’m not sure, but it was going to be shaken up like never before. If I had to guess, the permanent defeat of the Demon King or something like that. But now… well, it’s a little different than before. The extraction of souls was probably just the start.”

“Then…”

“I’ll make you an offer, then.”

John was manually breathing at this point, forcing himself to take calm, regular breaths. He was taking a gamble here, and there wasn’t a [Reset] to save him. He was relying on a few things. One was his persuasion and speech. Another was his information, or rather, the king’s lack thereof.

But the final thing was the [Author’s] bad writing. John was relying on the fact that the [Author] would likely let this fly. The king wasn’t resisting nearly as much as John had expected, but that was just making his job easier. He hadn’t originally thought of doing this, but he was being given a chance. A chance to do something.

So he’d take it.

“Let’s make a deal.”

“...what?” the king said warily.

“Let’s say the world is like a train. It’s going down a track. But right now, the train is currently being derailed. I’ll do my best to put it back on track.”

“You? You still haven’t given me anything that’ll let me trust you. Granted, you seem to know what you’re saying but still… then tell me something. Anything. Prove yourself.”

John laughed. “Nope. Not doing that. But, well… I’ll let you know this much. Destiny is a lot more important than you might think. He might just be front and centre of a stage known as Devfroth. All lights on him. And I can tell you like that boy. And the world needs him, and he was going to deliver. Probably. But now, there’s a solid chance he might die before doing what he was supposed to do. So I’ll keep him safe as best I can.”

“...then what do you want in return?”

“Your backing.”

“My… backing?”

“There’s a certain noble I’m not very fond of. And I’d like to do something about it. So in the event that something happens, I just want you to say that you support me.”

“You’re going after a noble?” the king exclaimed. “If you do that and I back you, you’d cause international war. Do you even understand what you’re asking for?”

John grimaced. He’d just played his hand wrong. If he didn’t salvage things here, everything he’d done would be for nothing.

“No, no, that’s not what I’m saying. I just need you to say that you know I didn’t do anything. No matter how important a noble is, they won’t go to war over a single son. I don’t need you to defend me or support me. I just need you to say that you can guarantee I’m not a villain.”

“And in return… how can I trust you?”

“Don’t,” John said. “That would be the rational thing to do. But I think rationality went out the window the moment you kept me alive.”

The king rubbed his chin. What was he supposed to do?

“...fine,” he said quietly. “I’ll do it.”

“Very good!” John grinned, getting up.

“You trust me?”

“Well, sure,” John shrugged. His serious demeanour was gone, just like that. “If you don’t save me, I’ll just come for you next. It’s pretty easy, right? The man with nothing to lose is the scariest of all and all that. And trust me. I’ve got very little to lose.”

He started heading to the door but was stopped at the king called out one more time.

“...what are your plans for this world? You’re clearly more than you let on,” the king said. “Perhaps you’re even a god in a child’s body. It would make sense. Your arrogance. Your intuition. Then do you plan to save this world? Or doom it?”

John snorted. “You’re asking me that? Even if I was a god, I’m a terribly weak one. What do you want me to do?”

“You’re the one who told me that logic was no longer part of the game,” the king smiled. “Or did I mishear?”

“...if you’re asking if I’m on Destiny’s side, then yes,” John said quietly. “That’s all you need to know.”

“Very good,” the king nodded.

“Well, I’m out!” John exclaimed, his old nature back as if nothing had ever happened. “I’ll see you around, mister king. Sorry about acting super casual, but I’m not fond of bowing down and glazing. Destiny was worried about me dealing with you, so I hope you won’t tell him about this.”

The king flinched. Right. He smiled, closing his eyes. “I understand. I hope you get along well with that boy.”

“Yeah. You seem like a good king. Hey, let me know if you ever need a favour. I’ll do what I can to help you out.”

The king nodded once more, sending John out. He watched as the door closed, staring long after John had left.

“What a dangerous boy,” Aegnor sighed. He could feel the tension in his body melting away. “What do you think, Haze?”

The king’s bodyguard stepped out from the shadows, bowing. “He noticed me, sire.”

“Did he now?”

“I believe his claims of being manaless are true. Despite this, he was unusually skilled in many ways. He noticed our assassins before they moved, and despite this, acted surprised and afraid until it no longer suited his purposes. He noticed me as well, although I did not reveal my presence. The way he took control of the conversation was masterful, and the amount of information he possessed was abnormal. His arrogance was likely the only aspect of him that was honest, and he is in the position to act as such.”

“Thank you, Haze. Helpful as always.”

“I serve you to the best of my ability, my lord.”

“How is Destiny?”

“I have not yet had the opportunity to speak with him, sire.”

“Go home, then. Spend time with your son,” Aegnor smiled. “I’ll be fine.”

“Thank you, sir. If I may provide one more piece of advice, then.”

“Speak.”

Haze looked out at the door John had gone through. “That boy was wearing a mask.”

“Yes, I could tell. The way he changed at the end was unusually unnerving. It was as if he were an entirely different person.”

“Yes, sir. But… I’m not quite sure which version of him was the mask.”

“...elaborate.”

“Neither version of that boy felt genuine. It was impossible for me to discern whether her was telling the truth or not the entire time. Sir. If I may be honest… that boy is incredibly skilled at getting what he wants. Neither version of himself might have been the real him. If he wears masks to disguise himself, it’s possible a maskless version of him doesn’t even exist in the first place. His true motives likely remain unknown.”

The king nodded slowly, rubbing his chin.

“We’ve gotten ourselves quite the troublesome ally, haven’t we?”