From Peter's point of view, the room looked to be safe. One might say it was too safe. Anthony didn't bother with it too much, since among his past interviewees were some of the most paranoid people on earth so he was used to it.

Peter on the other hand was more than a little creeped out. The least concerning part of the room was the complete lack of windows, even though the office was in the corner of the otherwise almost completely see through building.

He already had his suspicions when he had to go through the unnaturally heavy door but after getting inside he was certain. The paint job in the room was seriously impressive but even that couldn't hide the fact that everything inside was made out of thick sheets of metal, probably further strengthened by the old man's ability. And he didn't even know about the various weapons littered all over the room, some of which were still useful even with the man's overwhelming power.

The overly secure room didn't fit its owner at all who seemed to be quite a pleasant person to be around, or was incredibly good at acting like it.

{You must be Peter! Please take a seat, it's a lot more comfortable than just standing around.}

He cautiously approached the chair but only sat down after confirming that it was the same as what Anthony used, which he did by checking whether it was still warm.

"Excuse my rudeness, sir, but what does an angel like you want to talk with me about?"

A hint of surprise appeared on Edward's face. Seemingly confused and unsure what to say. However, it only lasted for a few moments before he continued like nothing happened.

{So that's what she decided to call herself! It's not the worst idea around I'll tell you that. To answer your question, I just want to establish goodwill between us.}

"I see. Could you maybe elaborate on how and why you wish to do that?"

Peter tried to be very careful about how he was phrasing his sentences. On one hand he didn't want to be tricked into agreeing to anything, on the other hand he recognized his position to be the perfect opportunity to ask questions about what was happening to him and the others outside.

He had already figured out that the term angel wasn't really as universal as he thought. He did hear the ethereals calling one of their own a shoulder demon but he thought, based on the mocking tone, that it was meant to be a joke. Turns out that both terms were intended as such.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

{The first part of your question is quite easy to answer, I have a bank for a reason. The second is a little more complicated. Think of it as you being the most likely winner of a horse race, or more specifically, the most likely winner that I'm actually willing to bet on.}

With the limited information Peter had the answer sounded reasonable enough but he also knew how lacking his knowledge was.

"If you don't mind me asking, what's wrong with the other competitors?"

{How much do you know about your situation?}

"Only that I'm a player in some cosmic game without free will of my own."

Hearing his answer, the old man facepalmed alongside a quiet but audibly irritated {Morons!} escaping from his mouth. Then he continued with his usual polite tone, although clearly annoyed by what he heard.

{There must have been some misunderstanding. You do have free will, just one that tends to agree with your patron. Most of us were really careful about who we chose. It's the star holders that don't have it, not anymore.

About the original question. The problem with the other competitors is a conflict of interest. Take the princess of that castle and her patron. They would rather see the rest of us die a horrifying death than let one of their own people be even slightly inconvenienced. It's understandable, really. My problem is with the us dying part.

Your patron is what we call an observer. Those who leave others alone unless they are given a really good reason not to. And as far as I can tell, you're not likely to stray from that tendency of hers.}

Aside from getting to know a little more about his patron, Peter came to the unfortunate conclusion that things might not remain as peaceful between him and his fellow competitors as he hoped.

Based on the way the possessed Edward talked, he was convinced that this game of theirs would have some consequences for regular people so having someone normal win was in the interest of most of them, even if it resulted in fighting.

"Then let’s start negotiating, since that's why you wanted me here. Isn't it?"

{Yes, that is exactly the reason. What I want is that you leave my champion and stars alone once things start to get complicated. In exchange your bank account's upkeep cost will be waived and it's holding cap lifted. Does that sound fair?}

"Sure, I can agree to that. Is there anything else you wanted?"

{No, not really. Would you mind signing our agreement in writing? "

"Absolutely not! Won't even shake on it!"

And with that, Peter stormed out of the room before the bank director, who was once again himself, could say another word. Once outside, he had time to evaluate what happened in the past few minutes.

As far as he was concerned he only got good things out of the meeting. A significant amount of new information he was dying to share with the others and little more freedom in terms of his spending money already made the entire trip through the ocean worth it in his eyes.