Within the orphanage, there was a church. Much like the rest of the three-story building, the church wasn't in the best state of repair. The floorboards, although free of dust, were protruding in some areas. There were only two pews in the room, both uncovered and unprotected against the ravages of time. The windows were made of frosted glass that filtered the sunlight entering the room, casting it in a muted palette of gray and white. At the southern end of the church, there was a closed wooden door that led to the rest of the orphanage. At the northern end, directly opposite the door, was the most humble of pulpits. Three candlesticks were arranged side by side in front of a waist-high altar, with a single white sheet covering the wooden structure. White curtains, riddled with holes, hung from a pole above the altar on both sides.
In front of the altar was Sasha Fullmoon. She sat on her knees with her wings out and her hands clasped together. With her head hung low and her eyes closed, she began praying to the Chief God. What was her wish? To seek another audience with her deity so that she may receive an answer to the question that caused her to lose her connection in the first place.
“If the Mamono were created by the Chief God and She loves all Her creations, then don't the Mamono deserve love as well?”
Before, when she asked that, she immediately lost her connection to the Chief God. There was no ceremony, no warning, nothing at all. The blessing bestowed upon her by her deity was there one moment and ripped away the next. There was no recourse for her, no opportunity for redemption, nothing. Only rejection from the God she had worshiped since childhood.
Could anyone truly blame her for asking that question the moment she got the chance to?
She had hoped to receive an answer this time. Hear the Chief God's decree to help calm the uncertainty within her heart. That is what she thought would happen. The Chief God would provide her with an answer, and the anxiety eating away at her sanity would finally subside.
She couldn't have been more wrong.
"What?!" It was all Sasha could say. How else should she respond to the Chief God, the Head of the Pantheon, and the one who created humanity and monsters, saying that she made the Mamono to destroy things? Still shocked, she barely managed to speak again, "What do you mean? You made them to... to destroy?"
Sasha's confusion only grew as she felt the Chief God's presence envelop her. The Goddess' words were filled with grim acceptance, "Sasha, normally, I wouldn't tell you this. But given the circumstances, keeping you in the dark wouldn't help at all. Especially, with what you have become.”
“What I...have become?”
“I speak of your newfound abilities. Your wings and the ability to summon coins, food, and drinks for anyone in need."
"But...but you gave these to me...didn't you?"
“No, I did not,” the Chief God's words pierced Sasha's heart like daggers. Her knees weakened, and her hands began to tremble. If her powers didn't come from the Chief God, then that meant she was still excommunicated. That the Chief God had not welcomed her back. But then...
“Then... then why can I speak to you? If you still reject me, keep me from your light, why even pretend to listen to my prayers?” Sasha couldn't help the accusing tone creeping into her voice. Her desire for answers had only intensified with each passing second. She could feel the shards of hope she once held close slipping through her fingers.
Then the Chief God spoke again, “Because, Sasha. You are no longer human. You're a God.”
Sasha froze in place. Seconds ticked by as she tried to make sense of what the Chief God had just said. The only sound Sasha could hear was the beating of her own heart. She slowly, very slowly, lifted her head and opened her eyes. She spoke while staring up at the ceiling and said, "I...I am a what?”
“A God. Demi-God more specifically. But still a God,” the Chief God didn't even hesitate as she continued. Her voice echoed in Sasha's head, carrying with it the grandeur one expects of a Goddess. Yet as she continued to listen, Sasha swore she could hear a sense of fatigue and tension in the voice. She wasn't given long to ponder that, as the Chief God continued, “Right now, you are in your infancy. But your power will grow as time goes on.”
“W-Wait! What do you mean? I-I can't be a-a-a God. That's impossible! Nothing could possibly indicate that,” Sasha said, shaking her head in disbelief.
“Sasha. You created matter out of nothing. With nothing but an exertion of will. What else could do that except a God?”
Sasha was speechless. There was nothing she could say because there was nothing to say. The Chief God was correct. No one, not even among the Mamono, could simply create something from nothing. It was completely impossible for anyone....except the divine. That revelation shook Sasha to her core. For she had done exactly that.
Creating a bag of coins for the orphanage out of thin air.
Creating food for the children out of thin air.
She could create things out of thin air.
Which could only mean...
“Bu-Bu-But how? How is that even possible?"
“I am unsure and will do everything I can to discover the cause. But until then, the fact remains that you are now part of the divine. You deserve to know the truth about the Mamono. And their purpose for in this world.”
Sasha fell silent to allow the Chief God to speak. And to give herself some time to process these new revelations. When it seemed like she wasn't going to respond, the Chief God continued, “The Mamono were not created to be loved. They were created to destroy.”
"To destroy...what?"
“...Humans. When the time was right and humanity grew too numerous, they were to destroy them until they were brought down to the previous level.”
This time, Sasha couldn't help but gasp in shock.
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“Elllt~. Elllt~ Elllt~.”
Francisca felt the sweat drip down her face as she nervously chuckled at the display happening next to her. She leaned forward in her carriage seat and tapped Wilmarina's shoulder, “Uh, Mary? I know you're happy that El is back. But don't you think what you're doing is a bit... much?"
Wilmarina glanced at Francisca out the corner of her eye while keeping her arms wrapped around Elt's shoulders. The only man in the carriage was completely trapped within the embrace of his childhood friend. He could do little but sit there with a perpetual blush on his face, while one of his hands rested on Wilmarina's thigh. Wilmarina took one look at Francisca, shook her head, and then pressed herself further against Elt's chest. She nuzzled her face against his jerkin, trying to get as close to him as possible. Elt's only response was to pat Wilmarina on the back. Which seemed to encourage her to press herself closer to him.
Francisca's eyes widened in shock as she turned her attention to Merse, who was seated directly across from her. Merse had her arms crossed and was staring at Wilmarina's actions with her mouth agape. When she noticed Francisca's questioning stare, the only thing she could do was slowly shake her head to indicate that she was just as lost as Francisca. With neither of them having any idea what was going on, they both turned their gaze to the only other person in the carriage. The only person who wasn't bothered by the strongest Hero of Lescatie draping herself over Elt like a coat.
Mimil.
She sat to Merse's left, gazing out the carriage window with a carefree expression. Her staff rested across her lap as she sat with her legs crossed. She didn't even glance at what was happening directly in front of her. Francisca coughed into her hand to get her attention. Mimil turned to look at the Princess. Francisca jerked her head toward Elt and Wilmarina, pointing her thumb at them for emphasis. Mimil didn't even look at the two of them. She simply shrugged and said, "Francisca, we're better off letting Wilmarina get it out of her system now. Well, as much as she can get it out of her system now anyway. It's gonna take more than this to help her calm down.”
“I suppose but-wait. What do you mean?” Francisca asked, raising an eyebrow. Merse, Elt, and Wilmarina also stopped what they were doing to give Mimil their undivided attention.
“I don't want to say too much. But if Wilmarina and Elt disappear into a room one day, don't interrupt them," Mimil said firmly, without a single hint of hesitation in her voice. She then turned to look out the window again as everyone processed her words.
Merse was the first to understand her meaning, throwing her hands up and shouting, “Woah, woah, woah, what?"! What?!”
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Francisca swiftly connected the dots, her face turning red as she fanned herself with her hand, “M-M-Mimil!”
“What? What is she talking about?” Elt asked, looking around the carriage for some kind of confirmation. When both Merse and Francisca refused to meet his eyes, he looked down at Wilmarina. The moment he met her eyes, he felt his heart skip a beat in both fear and another indescribable emotion. But it made him feel... strange. Strange enough that he couldn't help but stammer as Wilmarina pulled her face close to his. He froze as her lips drew closer and closer...
"Wait, wait, wait, wait!" Francisca grabbed Wilmarina by the shoulders and pulled her back. Wilmarina gasped as she was roughly dragged away from Elt. However, her grip on the boy was tight enough to drag Elt along with her. When Francisca managed to pull Wilmarina upright, she inadvertently ended up pulling Elt right into Wilmarina's chest.
Wilmarina yelps as she feels Elt's warmth against her skin. She closed her eyes and pulled Elt closer to her body as she spoke, “Elt~. You feel so warm against me~.”
Elt didn't dare to speak. Not because he was afraid of the potential consequences. But because he could hardly believe what was happening right now. Never in a million years did he think he would find himself in a situation like this. With his face buried in Mary's chest, her powerful arms hugging him. All his thoughts were preoccupied with trying to comprehend how he managed to get his face between the two breasts of his childhood friend. And no matter how much he thought about it, he kept drawing a blank. Mary running her fingers down his spine didn't help as the tingling sensation spread through his body.
Merse's mouth was so wide that it was surprising it didn't fall off. She was accustomed to seeing affection openly displayed like that. Her own partners, especially those in a relationship, frequently did that when they were off duty. But they were ordinary soldiers. Wilmarina was a Hero. Not just a Hero, but the foremost hero in the nation. She was meant to embody everything that the Order held sacred. Purity, honor, bravery, and all those virtues.
Yet here she was, treating Elt like a lifeline and not hiding at all what she wants to do to him. Right in front of all of them, for goodness' sake!
Francisca's eyes widened as she shook her head, “Mary! This is completely inappropriate! You need to let Elt go and-“
“NO!” Wilmarina shook Francisca off and moved away from the Princess. She shifted to the right side of the seat, maintaining a firm grip on Elt as she moved. Her emotions flared as she glared at Francisca, “I don't care about any of that. I'm with Elt again, and that's all that matters to me. Nothing else!”
Taken aback, Francisca held up her hands to try to placate her friend. But before she could speak, Elt suddenly pushed himself out of Wilmarina's grasp. Wilmarina looked shocked as Elt gazed into her eyes. His initial shock remained, but it was no longer focused on his present situation. Instead, it was directed at what Wilmarina had just said. He wasn't surprised that she said it. It was the way she said it. And the emotions he sensed inside her heart.
“You...you really mean that, Mary? You...You actually don't think anyone else matters? Except for me?” Elt stared at Wilmarina with his mouth wide open. Wilmarina, seeing the shock on his face, felt dread fill her heart as she realized the impact of her words. She opened her mouth to retract her statement, but then realized that it wouldn't work. If Elt could see through the mask that no one else could, then he would be able to discern any attempts she made to conceal her true feelings. Shame filled her as she averted her eyes from Elt's gaze. Elt stayed silent for a few moments. Then, he swallowed before gently cupping Wilmarina's cheeks in his hands.
“Mary, I...I know that you were hurt. And even now, I don't know if I can ever truly understand the extent of the hurt you experienced because of while I was gone. But... but please. Just for me...don't be like that. Please don't say that nothing else matters except for me. Not because you're a Hero, or because it's your duty, or anything like that. But because that way of thinking will rot your soul. So, please, please don't be like that,” Elt's voice was as gentle as an autumn breeze, his fingers gently rubbing Wilmarina's cheeks to help keep her calm. His expression changed from a shocked frown to a pleading smile.
Soothed by his words and voice, Wilmarina could only nod as she tilted her head forward until it touched Elt's. She closed her eyes and took a deep, calming breath. Then she let out a long, tension-filled sigh. Her eyes were calm as she opened them. Her voice was serene as she spoke, "O-Okay, Elt. I'll... I'll try. For you.”
A sense of relief filled the silence that fell across the carriage as Wilmarina and Elt sat there, gazing into each other's eyes. Francisca sank back into her seat, relieved that Elt had managed to get through to Mary. The silence was only broken when Merse loudly cleared her throat. Everyone turned to look at her as she spoke, "Well, now that that's taken care of, would you two lovebirds mind sitting normally? I don't think the people who clean these carriages would appreciate it if they knew you two were all over each other while you were in here.”
Elt's face turned a deep shade of pink at Merse's words. He disentangled himself from Wilmarina and sat in the center of the seat, with Wilmarina on his left and Francisca on his right. Francisca covered her lips and giggled at Elt's embarrassment, while Wilmarina shot a glare in Merse's direction. However, her expression softened when she felt Elt's hand grab hold of her own. She entwined her fingers with Elt's before giving Francisca an apologetic nod. Francisca smiled and returned the nod to indicate that there were no hard feelings. Once everyone was settled, Merse turned her gaze to Mimil and said, “Okay. Mimil, start explaining."
“Explaining what?” Mimil's voice never rose above her monotone. She did turn to look Merse in the eye, but her indifferent expression remained unchanged.
“You know what. What you said earlier. How we're...'gods,'” Merse made air quotes with her fingers as she said that.
Mimil sat up in her seat and nodded, “Ah, I see. I suppose I should explain that more clearly. Especially since we are already on the right path.”
"Right path?" Francisca raised her eyebrow. "What path?"
“The Path of Destiny. To put it another way, Fate," Mimil leaned back in her seat and started swinging her legs back and forth as she spoke, “If we make the right decisions going forward, we can avoid the destiny that the Mamono created for us and Lescatie. It is one of the reasons I said we need to pick up Sasha next. Her decisions have heavily contributed to setting Lescatie on its current path, and if we do not bring her into the fold she will become a formidable adversary in the future. Thus, we must—"
"Okay, stop, stop, stop," Merse said, putting both of her arms out in front of her while shaking her head. She looked at Mimil with astonishment and said, "What the fuck are you talking about? Fate? Destiny? Sasha being responsible for the nation? What does any of this have to do with what has happened to us?!”
Mimil looked around at the other occupants in the carriage. Francisca, Elt, and Wilmarina all stared at her with confused expressions. Not a single one of them had followed what she had said. Mimil blinks and then nods, "Apologies. I got ahead of myself. I am still getting used to the overwhelming amount of knowledge flowing through my mind every single second. Please, give me a moment."
Mimil took a moment to inhale and exhale, taking calming breaths. Once her thoughts were in order, she spoke again, "As I mentioned earlier, we are gods. Well, in a way. We are still young and more like Demi-Gods than full divinities. But that will change as time passes and we become stronger. But even so, we have all already gained powers over specific aspects of the world around us. These powers enable us to perform miracles that surpass even the Mamono can do. As it stands, there is not a single person in Lescate who could prove to be our equal in anything."
“That still doesn't tell us what we are? Like, okay, we're Demi-Gods, but are you saying we're like the Chief God or Ares or something?" Merse said with a shrug.
Mimil shook her head and said, "No, nothing like them. Not yet, anyway. We are essentially like infant deities that will grow in power as time goes on.”
"Um, Mimil, how do you know all this?” Elt asked, leaning forward in his seat.
Mimil tapped the side of her head with a finger and said, "Because, Elt, my domains are Lore, Magic, and Fate. I am aware of events pertinent to both the present and the future. And that affords me the knowledge of many, many, many things. Including the identity of the person who did this to us.”
Everyone fell silent as their bodies tensed. All eyes were on Mimil now as she put one hand on her chin, “I'm going to assume this silence means you all know who I'm talking about. The man in black who came to us last night.”
“He...he stabbed me,” Wilmarina said, tightening her grip on Elt's hand, “and I...I couldn't do anything. It happened so fast that I...I didn't even see it coming.”
“That was the same for me,” Merse nodded while thinking back to last night, “I got up in the middle of the night because I knew someone was in my house. But when I came downstairs, I didn't see anyone. Next thing I know, an old man is behind me, and then bam! He stabs me with something. And when I wake up, I feel different.”
“The same goes for me. Except, when I woke up, my illness was gone,” Francisca frowned before her eyes widened in shock, “Wait...Mimil!? Are you saying that man was...?"
Mimil nodded and said, "Yes, he was like us. A god. But he was much, much older and far stronger. Do not be ashamed that none of you were able to anticipate his attack. Even if you, Merse, fought him with Wilmarina, Sasha, Primera, and myself, we wouldn't have stood a chance.”
"But...how can you be sure of all this, Mimil? What evidence do you—" Before Elt could finish, Mimil raised her right hand with its palm up. One second, there was nothing in her hand. The next bright, golden lines of sand suddenly appeared on her palm. They swirled together, intertwining and mixing as their golden light filled the carriage. Mimil's fingers remained still, and she did not gaze at the Mana she summoned to her hands. She guided it with sheer willpower, shaping it into a glass orb the size of her palm.
She waited until everyone was rendered speechless and staring at the orb in her hands. Only then did she speak, "Being the God of Magic gives me an intimate understanding of how Mana works within this world. And through that understanding, I have come to realize why the Mamono are stronger than us. Their corrupted mana is more versatile, efficient, and potent than our own. Their status as monsters gives them control over mana that even our greatest mages can never hope to achieve. Given the current circumstances, humanity has no way to match the Mamono. At least, until now. With my new abilities, I can effortlessly reproduce anything that the Mamono can do...and much more. As I have become aware of a type of magic that would even shame a Lilim. And creating an object out of nothing? Child's play compared to what I am truly capable of."
She brought the orb closer to her and stared into it as she spoke, “However, this will not be sufficient. For fate itself is on the side of the Mamono. Fate has been corrupted by them. Turned into a weapon that serves their purposes. But it doesn't need to be this way. For, while Fate is powerful, it is not inevitable. If we choose the right path, we may be able to prevent a catastrophe in the future. We have already taken the first steps on that path: reuniting Elt with Wilmarina and Francisca.”
“Then, what's the next one?” Francisca asked, still uncertain where Mimil was going with this.
Just as she said this, the carriage came to a sudden stop. The driver shouted down to them, “Princess Francisca. We have arrived.”
Mimil stood up, turned, and opened the carriage door. Everyone squinted as the sun's rays hit their eyes before looking out to see Sasha's Orphanage standing before them. Mimil wasted no time walking out of the carriage. As she stepped onto the ground, she called back to Francisca and replied, "Making sure Sasha becomes our ally.”