Orario.
The game was interrupted due to one very 'unexpected' event, more specifically, the termination of the closed field containing the Dungeon. Ouranos had left the Prayer Room, and was now, as 3rd magic told me, at the top of the Tower of Babel. And now Morgan and I stood on the wall of the city and watched a now rather familiar scene.
Numerous monsters had burst out of the Dungeon, attacking everything around them. At first it was just the usual goblins and kobolds, but with each passing minute, the variety of monsters increased more and more. The gods raised their Familias to counter the onslaught, and the civilians mostly hid in their homes or began to flee the city altogether.
Tia was obviously greatly concerned, and even contacted me to get permission to take on the Beast form for protection. To this, I shook my head, reasoning that such a method was useless due to the endless stream of monsters, and so I sent her to the Dungeon, as only such a method could solve the problem.
My views hadn't changed in any way since visiting the last world, meaning that I didn't care, and Morgan didn't care at all. The glance she was throwing at me did pique my interest, though.
- "Is there something you want to say?" I asked, "Somehow, I feel like you're expecting something from me."
- "Why not help them?"
- "Why? Tia's already gone to the Dungeon, and it's only a matter of time before they're rescued without my interference. And as if you care about them."
- "You know, I've noticed something rather interesting," Morgan began, staring off into the distance, "When a person gets the power to rule the world and dictate to it whatever rules he wants, he doesn't, interestingly enough. I don't mean something material, like money, for example, but something more. The world in his eyes becomes gray and unremarkable, and if something manages to arouse feelings in him, he will do anything to keep that 'something'."
- "What's your point?" I raised an eyebrow.
- "Why did you agree to the mosquito's proposal?"
- "Because I could get a..."
- "A benefit? But he didn't say what kind or for whom," Morgan shook her finger. "You value everyone who lives in your home. And given what I said, it would be more logical to refuse him, wouldn't it? Still trying to keep the 'plot' alive. Still keeping us and your relatively peaceful life. But for some reason, you took him up on his offer. Why?"
- "Because I wanted to?" I said, "People want things from time to time, too."
- "That's right. A wish. Your wish."
- "I'm still missing the point of the conversation. What does this have to do with helping the people of this town?"
- "You weren't brought here by a perceived 'benefit', but by something else. You wanted something," she said, coming closer and looking into my eyes, "What was it?"
I frowned.
On second thought, her words actually made sense. It would make more sense to turn down Zelretch's offer and continue doing what I was doing. But in that case, what benefit was I hoping for? What did I want to gain or accomplish?
And at this thought, memories of the battle against the spirit came to my mind. It was then that I experienced two emotions that vividly surfaced before my eyes: excitement and satisfaction. Excitement at his strength, that he, if he had the time, could have truly challenged me with an epic and truly legendary battle. And satisfaction at what I did afterward, when I gave him another chance. A chance to understand myself and come to my own choices.
I could not experience excitement here, there were no opponents of my caliber or even close to it. But satisfaction... Well, it is fully achievable here. Showing local humanity a path that didn't need anyone else but humanity itself. And even if it would eventually come to an end, the significance and memory of the path traveled would go nowhere, leaving the opportunity to look back and try to find and correct mistakes.
Was it savior syndrome? I think not. It wasn't a desire to feel needed, far from it. Rather, it was a kind of human pride and personal justice. Did it sound selfish and arrogant? Heh. I've never been altruistic.
I still respect everyone's personal choices, but only if they were made consciously, and with knowledge of the full picture. How fickle people are, huh?
- "And you do have a way with words, my dear wife," I grinned, "How would you like to marry me?"
- "It took you quite a while to realize that," Morgan let out a chuckle and smiled, "And we're already married, but there's no ring on my finger. Do you realize that at least?"
- "Yes, yes, Your Majesty," I laughed and, creating a silver ring with gold inlays, knelt down and then took her hand, "We'll skip the ceremony, after all, I have things to do."
- "How indelicate. I have a terrible husband," Morgan smirked and let me put the ring on her finger. And at that moment, I felt a change in my Soul Mirror. As I looked into it, another throne next to mine came into view, painted in gray-blue colors and with a design reminiscent of Morgan's throne in the Lost Belt, "Now go. But then I want a real ceremony."
- "To make Artoria jealous?" I rolled my eyes and got up from my knee.
- "Of course, because I'm better than she is," Morgan said and looked at the ring.
- "How petty we are."
- "Too bad for us," Morgan said, and I grinned again, taking the form of a Servant.
Well, let's get started.
-0-
I teleported to the top of the Tower of Babel, where Ouranos stood looking out over the battling city.
- "Oh, Lord Ouranos, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in your little reclusive room?" I asked, standing up beside him.
- "Do you think, Romani, are mortals and gods equal?" Ouranos asked, ignoring my words.
- "That's a funny joke."
- "I think so, too," Ouranos nodded, "When we first came down to the Lower World, we just wanted to have fun, to find something to break our boredom. And it was all right at first, but then..."
- "It doesn't seem to have changed much now," I shrugged.
- "You don't understand, Romani, but I don't blame you. You're strong, but you're still a mortal," Ouranos said and put his hands behind his back, "The gods have begun... to imitate mortals. Trying to be like them, forgetting their pride and power. We are above you and should remain so, but unfortunately, things have descended into this."
He paused and his face hardened.
- "Monsters were not a problem for us, our strength was more than enough to counter them. We could build up our strength through the faith of mortals, protecting them with Arcanum, and subjugate entire countries, but some of us decided that was too... inhumane. They wanted to play the mortals' game, and got too caught up in it, becoming, in effect, mortals themselves."
Ouranos clenched his fists.
- "We work like mortals. We live like mortals. We think like mortals. We even make an effort to take what is already ours. And it's time for that to stop. Back to who we are."
I raised an eyebrow.
So that's what he was going for, huh? I guess my opinion of the gods was a little wrong. They'd changed, partially, true, but still, and that didn't please Ouranos, who was a stickler for conservatism. He wanted to bring things back to the way they were when gods and humans were clearly separated from each other. I think if it wasn't for us, he would have had to wait a long time. However...
I grinned.
Well, his wish will be fulfilled, and mine as well, for they overlap.
- "I can reassure you, Ouranos," I said, drawing his attention. "We agree on the desire to separate gods and men."
I activated the 1st magic, and the top of the Tower of Babel was surrounded by hundreds of thousands of different weapons. They hovered in the air for a few seconds and then shot downward, scattering all over the city. A few of them killed random monsters, but most stuck into the ground right in front of the confused and panicked people, sticking their hilt and shafts out in their directions.
Each weapon was relatively ordinary, but sharper, stronger, and more durable to be able to pierce through the protective scales, chitin, and other body parts of monsters up to the third level.
- "These?" Ouranos asked.
- "In order to separate humans and gods, the former need to realize that they alone choose and decide their fate. Of course, some would prefer to leave everything to others, but not all. And this is more than enough to show that gods are not a necessity, but a choice."
- "And over time, the attitude of mortals to the gods will change, and thus the gods themselves," Ouranos nodded, "Zelretch was right about you."
At those words, I grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him toward me. Ouranos didn't even have time to react and just stared at me with a raised eyebrow.
- "Now, let's get more specific. What was he saying?"
-0-
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