‘I'm an idiot. Really, I went mad.’
Ed has just finished writing another note. He hid it in a book – he knew that the time was coming when the deity would come back. He thought about it all day long, and already had a few questions prepared for it. At some point, however, he began to consider that maybe, out of nervousness, everything that happened yesterday he simply hallucinated. But soon he got the proof that it didn't: the candles in the room extinguished, and the atmosphere became heavy.
‘Philosophers... You think about everything so deeply, you make thousands of theories and believe in each one of them, and then you cannot even explain your point of view logically.’
“I am not a philosopher.” Edward answered calmly. “I have a few questions for you before I answer whether I have made my decision or not.”
‘For example.’
“How do the Believers of the Light know about you? Why are they talking about your arrival?”
‘They always did, haven't you noticed?’ The voice laughed. ‘And they know, as the creator of their religion inscribed me as the devil, and that it is a grave sin to take advantage of my offer. And as you know, they’re fanatics, so they believe it all.’
“Another thing, can you fulfil any wish?”
‘Yes. Even if someone wants to be a god, I can make it happen. But I usually avoid such people, unless the fools change their minds during the game. It's a nuisance, really, sometimes humans are so goddamn undecided.’
“I'll admit, you're right here. Next, how often do you appear? Have you also appeared during the Old Era?”
‘Ha, you have an awful lot of questions! It depends. I can appear again after five hundred years, or after three thousand. It depends on how fast my powers regenerate. And yes, I did. I can even tell you that I appeared at the time when mankind established the Current Era, 976 years ago, because that's what we have now, isn't it? And only if you humans didn't play the game of selecting times for some eras, it would be now the year 3789. Well, but if we added the prehistory and some other periods, this number would be much bigger. Although, this world is still older than you could ever imagine.’
“Don't waste the time talking about meaningless things. Alright, another question. You said something about seals... What's that about keeping them?”
‘It's rather simple. A seal entitles you to be summoned by me to the place where the final fight will take place. And it's rather normal and logical for some players to want to reduce their competition by gaining the seals of others. Of course, you can always try to take it away from them afterwards, or hide yourself until the final match, but the second option is extremely cowardly. The more seals you have, the merrier, and the less enemies you have at the end, the better.’
“And how do you get such a seal?”
‘You have to look for it! And if they're all actually taken, look for those who have one! The seal attaches itself to a hand, some may give it to you voluntarily after losing, if they are a type of ‘honour warrior’, otherwise just tear it away magically. Or, most effectively... just cut off their hand.’ He laughed. Ed didn’t feel like laughing at all.
“How many people do you choose?”
‘I usually choose one or maybe two people more than total number of seals. Of course, there may ultimately be less than twelve of you, if someone at once gets two of these.’
“I see.”
At the same time, Kasei entered the house. She went straight in library’s direction knowing that Ed was here. She wanted to talk about Peter and convince him that everything was not lost yet, and they should continue to fight.
When she came to the door, she felt something.... strange. Even if she wasn't a magician and didn't feel the magical energy so well, she knew something was wrong. She pulled the handle slightly, the door was open because the deity made sure to loosen the lock before.
‘I think we have a visitor.’ He said in a playful tone. The golden-haired man moved his gaze to the door with horror.
“Ed?” Kasei asked. “Everything okay...?”
“Kasei... Um. Yes, it's okay... Could you... get out?”
‘But why would she?’ As the redheaded girl heard the voice from nowhere, she threw herself in Ed's direction, hid behind him and started shaking. ‘She's your weapon, right? Aren't you going to take her to battle with you? Not doing so would be foolish, Edward.’
“Ed... What's going on?” She asked, frightened.
“Kasei... Uh... This is the... deity of wishes.” He explained with shame.
“WHAT?!” she screamed. “BUT... WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!”
‘Haha! Those reactions never bore me!’
“Tell me...” Edward started. “Is she in danger for finding out about it?”
‘No. I told you, some people already know about me. So, any more questions, Edward?’
“Yes. When will you summon us?”
‘When I’ll feel it’s about time.’
“Yet another question. Where are we supposed to look for information about you?”
‘Do you really think I will answer this one? That would be too easy, mortal. If you want a wish, fight for it with your own blood. All I will tell you is that I have chosen Gormilia as a gathering place, and this is where the final fight will take place. It may be that you’ll need to look for information abroad, but it is really not my business how.’
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“Heh... I knew it wouldn't be easy... But it’s nothing. What is simple in life?”
“Ed... You really want to fight to get a wish from this deity?! You?! But you... don't believe in gods....” Kasei told in a breaking voice.
“Don't believe in gods? It's hard not to believe when you have experienced something like this...” He got up from the stool on which he was sitting all this time. “I have always despised the gods, I have despised... I still despise the Believers of Light for how fanatically they approach their beliefs. But you know what? Since I got proof of the existence of a higher power in this world, I will try to get to know it. To find out who it is, how it sees us... and why it doesn't reveal itself, because I think one deity doesn't have to be the only being standing above us, the mortals. And besides... I owe this wish to Peter. I owe it to him for never being much of help to him in anything... I want to fulfil his dream, and try to find an answer to my new philosophical question: who is standing over this world, what is the truth.
‘Amazing!’ the deity laughed. ‘I really don't regret choosing you. I didn't think you'd change your attitude so fast! But, well, you people are unpredictable. So answer me, Edward of Rebellar: are you joining this game or not?"
Kasei looked at Ed, who gently lowered his head. He smiled.
“Do I really need to answer?”
‘Ha, you got me.’ He laughed again. ‘I will give you one basic clue: Look for the traces of an energy similar to my own all over the country, then you will find the seal. Find out the rest yourself. Have fun, see you in the finale! If only, of course, you will survive until then. Don't disappoint me!’
“Ed.... How is it even possible...?!” Kasei shouted out, and then the heavy aura subsided, the candles lighted up again.
“I don't know. But it doesn't matter. I have to go, now.”
“What about Peter?!”
“You will tell him that I left village for a while to rest...” He started walking quickly to the door, but then Kasei blocked the way with her own body, spreading her hands wide open.
“NO WAY, YOU IDIOT!” She screamed. “IF YOU'RE FIGHTING, I'M FIGHTING WITH YOU!”
“No, Kasei, it's too dangerous. I got into a divine game...”
“So what?!” She threw herself at him and grabbed his shirt. “You're fighting for Peter, for whom I want to fight too! You are fighting for Ian, who died! You fight to teach Mateo a lesson! You are my master, damn it! Military masters don't go to a battle without their weapons, no matter how good they are! I want to fight with you, I want to fight for Peter!” She pulled his shirt aggressively while talking, Ed closed his eyes and patted her on the head. He laughed quietly.
“WHAT ARE YOU LAUGHING AT?”
“Because you showed me your soft side. And you called me your master, I didn't believe that this day would ever come. But, well, there's a lot of things that are impossible that happened to me lately...”
Kasei’s face reddened, she pushed him lightly and turned around.
“S-Stop making fun of me, you idiot... I hate you.” She hissed.
“Yes, I know.” He smiled.
“But... really... what about Peter?”
“If you're going to come with me, we have to fool him that we’re going to travel for... something. For some new books for me, for example... Of course, if it takes longer than two weeks, he will get suspicious for sure, but what else can we do? I don't want him to get involved.”
“Do you want to destroy Hemasitus using that wish from a deity?”
“No. I want to use the wish to give Peter something that heals Hemasitus. After all, he said himself that he could fulfil any wish.” Then he took a sheet of paper and started writing a message to his brother on it.
“I still can’t believe that it's really happening... You have a lot of explaining to do.”
“I will. How nice it is that Peter is not currently here...” He sighed.
“He’s been in the clinic all this time. I saw him there.” They went out to the courtyard together, and left a note in a clearly visible place here. “So, Ed... what now?”
“Let's take some money. We need to get a seal and some information on what exactly this game is all about. Apparently there are people who know it... Maybe the noble families for example, but if so, then which one of them?
“We will succeed! You will see!” She shouted, self-confident, raising a clenched fist high. The golden-haired man smiled lightly.
“We must. This is our chance, which not everyone gets. If I can help Peter in this way, I will do it, I do not have any wishes myself. So... are you sure? Do you really want to come with me?”
“I do, you moron.” She put out her tongue.
“Well, Kasei... Let's go before someone sees us. The hardest fight of our lives awaits us, a real divine war for one goal...”
End of Chapter 2