In the end Valeure decided she wanted all the paintings. With the exception of the hero’s family portraits that Sofia never showed her. She also took some old furniture and sculptures. Suddenly Sofia’s storage ring felt quite empty.
“You have six questions, we will stop after that, I have other things to attend to that just announced themselves…” she said, deflating on her invisible chair.
Doesn’t look like something she wants to attend. Alright then, six questions. That should be enough. I need to make it count.
“What are special things I should know about being a saint and my patron God?”
“That is a bit of a compound question but I shall play along. Interesting that this would be the first thing you would ask about. Quite clever. Almost amusing. There are a few things you probably do not know about sainthood, like how Gods chose us because they have stuff they want us to do on the physical plane. Things that you should know however? You should know about the Saint Alliance. And your patron God? Stay away from anything related to Him. Scripture is not benevolent. Next question?”
That’s it? What the fuck is the Saint Alliance? And no wonder He isn’t benevolent. Could’ve guessed that! But it is interesting to have the confirmation that some gods are benevolent and some aren’t. I need to be more careful how I word my questions.
“What advice would you give me to become as strong as possible in the future if you were my mother and mentor?”
Valeure giggled at the question. “Sure, let’s go with that. Hmmm. My best advice is : go as far as you can in the trials. Never be done. If you can do even a bit more, do it. And when it comes time to invest in your stats, make sure to get at least twenty thousand health and stamina, then only upgrade mana every single time. And as a mother I would add : respect your scribe.”
Interesting that she would stop upgrading health past twenty thousand… Does she expect me to not know what scribes are? I get the feeling that she’s trying to fish the next questions out of me. First the Saint Alliance and now this… Well. No luck. I already know about scribes, somewhat, I know that they exist and what they do, at least, and mine’s been working extra hours so I’m not complaining. Alright. Four more.
It seemed Valeure had one last thing to add, “And unrelated but since you mentioned mothers. If you want kids, have them now. It gets harder the stronger you are, just a heads-up.”
O-... Okay. I, uhhh. Hum. Well.
Lets… keep this in mind for later…
Now. Question.
“What are the Recessed and what is their goal?”
Valeure seemed quite surprised that Sofia would ask such a question, she didn’t even comment about it this time, directly answering “The Recessed are the defunct Gods that exist in the plane beyond the spiritual realm. They represent everything that is hated. There doesn’t seem to be a unified goal They share. In place of system managed Saints, They have ritually created Apostles, and the Demon King who oversees them. A weird bunch, and that’s about it, don’t bother them and they won’t bother you usually.”
A lot of this is pretty much what I guessed… I’m a half-Saint and a half-Apostle… And then there’s the Deep too. What a mess. Isn’t this basically like being unfaithful? Well. They forced it on me. They can’t complain. I represent no one!
Now for the most crucial question of them all.
Valeure was waiting.
“What caused the tide in the Sovuln Kingdom, and why have strong people like you done nothing to fix it?”
The fox Saintess sighed.
“So this really is why there was no trace of you before Verenha. Why three years between the tide and the orphanage I wonder? Well. It is your personal life. I’m sorry you had to go through that. The tide was sudden and unexpected. The exact cause is undetermined but apparently something blew up in a forgotten underground dungeon and then you know the rest. Mana storms, distorted space, a literal tide of monsters flooding the land…
“And it’s very simple why we did nothing to fix it. It’s too late. Those who could escape did, you should know that firsthand. Everyone else… Admittedly now we could go and secure the outer parts, but even if we kill the monsters, the land is still fragmented. And the monsters near the epicenter are no small game. They are dangerous even for me. As long as Skyreach holds, there isn’t a real reason to try to clean it up. And I wouldn’t want to take work out of the Oracle's back,” she said and winked, finishing the explanation.
THAT’S IT?!
I don’t need to be mad at her, at them. It was already too late, I knew before she told me...
But they won’t even try to fix it?
I see.
Fine.
That was always the plan anyway.
I’ll do it myself.
Well. This was all I needed to hear. My plan hasn’t changed. I just need to carefully avoid the epicenter... Next question is the secondary objective. And then the finish will be a bit of lighthearted fun between Saints, since that’ll be the end of the meeting anyway.
“What exactly are soul parasites?”
This question shocked the fox Saintess even more, so much that she straightened up from her slouched posture “Where in the system’s name have you heard about this? Soul parasites are creatures above level 300. They exist solely in the spiritual realm, which makes them tricky to spot and even harder to kill. They hide deep in their victim’s soul and amplify or dampen certain emotions. Usually their goal is to bait someone into strengthening their connection with the spiritual realm, until they devour the soul. But not always,” she explained with a disgusted expression, before slouching back ever so slightly. “You have one last question…”
This pretty much confirms that I fell victim to one of these. How?
Level 300?!
Can’t be Ovohen then. The Oracle? But why? To kill me even if I flee? Is that why no one came after me? That’s sickening.
Well then. My secondary target is set in stone. Wait for me, Oracle of the Church.
Now for the last question. I wonder how she will react to this one. This feels a bit brazen. Foolish, even. But hell if I’m not going to ask. You were the one who wanted entertainment.
“Can I ask anything? My last question is a bit unusual. Dangerous maybe.”
“Let me hear it.” There wasn’t a figment of hesitation in Valeure’s voice.
Since she asks so politely.
“What can you tell me about Aphenoreth?”
Valeure froze.
The fox Saintess was so surprised she even messed up her flight for an instant, almost dropping down to the ground before she got it back under control.
She looked around everywhere, then back at Sofia.
“Are you alright in the head?” she asked softly, ever so slightly drifting away from Sofia.
“Seriously, even you? How am I to know anything about this if any time I ask, everyone acts like I’m crazy? You said anything was fine!” Sofia’s disappointment oozed through her tone. Though her mind sang to another tune.
Even she is impressed? That’s big. Now if I can coerce her into actually answering…
“You asked other people?! Dear God…”
She kept feverishly looking around, as if waiting for something to happen.
“Is it that bad?”
Seeing that nothing actually occurred, Valeure regained some composure, though she now sat in a much less relaxed way.
“You really have no idea, don’t you? ‘Dangerous’ doesn’t even begin to cut it!” She said, pointing at Sofia with a raised finger. “How did you even learn of this in the first place… Out of all the things you do not talk about, this is the one. Saying or even writing anything about it by mentioning a name is taking the risk of bringing their attention to you. You do NOT want that. If that happens… Death is the best thing that could happen to you then…”
She took an instant to recollect her thoughts, switching to a curled up position with her legs crossed as if in a deep reflection.
“Fine, since you paid for it… There are, as far as I know, four such names, I only know of two. The one you mentioned is the most widely known. Or rather the least secret. It has been discovered in a few old texts and relics. Items as old as this planet itself. Those who utter the name usually incur a swift and gruesome death, when they aren’t simply erased. I fully expected you to join them. I have no idea how you can still be alive. Perhaps it is luck. If I was you I would thank the Gods and never look back. Never speak about it again. That is all I can say without endangering myself.”
I don’t know if I should feel lucky to be blessed by that, or horrified…
Well, I’m way past having time to be scared about things that aren’t a direct threat. I wish I could stop worrying about so many things for a second. Seriously.
My interactions with the Deep have all been positive until now.
Scary, but beneficial.
I’m fine with that. No need to dread it.
In the end Valeure decided she wanted all the paintings. With the exception of the hero’s family portraits that Sofia never showed her. She also took some old furniture and sculptures. Suddenly Sofia’s storage ring felt quite empty.
“You have six questions, we will stop after that, I have other things to attend to that just announced themselves…” she said, deflating on her invisible chair.
Doesn’t look like something she wants to attend. Alright then, six questions. That should be enough. I need to make it count.
“What are special things I should know about being a saint and my patron God?”
“That is a bit of a compound question but I shall play along. Interesting that this would be the first thing you would ask about. Quite clever. Almost amusing. There are a few things you probably do not know about sainthood, like how Gods chose us because they have stuff they want us to do on the physical plane. Things that you should know however? You should know about the Saint Alliance. And your patron God? Stay away from anything related to Him. Scripture is not benevolent. Next question?”
That’s it? What the fuck is the Saint Alliance? And no wonder He isn’t benevolent. Could’ve guessed that! But it is interesting to have the confirmation that some gods are benevolent and some aren’t. I need to be more careful how I word my questions.
“What advice would you give me to become as strong as possible in the future if you were my mother and mentor?”
Valeure giggled at the question. “Sure, let’s go with that. Hmmm. My best advice is : go as far as you can in the trials. Never be done. If you can do even a bit more, do it. And when it comes time to invest in your stats, make sure to get at least twenty thousand health and stamina, then only upgrade mana every single time. And as a mother I would add : respect your scribe.”
Interesting that she would stop upgrading health past twenty thousand… Does she expect me to not know what scribes are? I get the feeling that she’s trying to fish the next questions out of me. First the Saint Alliance and now this… Well. No luck. I already know about scribes, somewhat, I know that they exist and what they do, at least, and mine’s been working extra hours so I’m not complaining. Alright. Four more.
It seemed Valeure had one last thing to add, “And unrelated but since you mentioned mothers. If you want kids, have them now. It gets harder the stronger you are, just a heads-up.”
O-... Okay. I, uhhh. Hum. Well.
Lets… keep this in mind for later…
Now. Question.
“What are the Recessed and what is their goal?”
Valeure seemed quite surprised that Sofia would ask such a question, she didn’t even comment about it this time, directly answering “The Recessed are the defunct Gods that exist in the plane beyond the spiritual realm. They represent everything that is hated. There doesn’t seem to be a unified goal They share. In place of system managed Saints, They have ritually created Apostles, and the Demon King who oversees them. A weird bunch, and that’s about it, don’t bother them and they won’t bother you usually.”
A lot of this is pretty much what I guessed… I’m a half-Saint and a half-Apostle… And then there’s the Deep too. What a mess. Isn’t this basically like being unfaithful? Well. They forced it on me. They can’t complain. I represent no one!
Now for the most crucial question of them all.
Valeure was waiting.
“What caused the tide in the Sovuln Kingdom, and why have strong people like you done nothing to fix it?”
The fox Saintess sighed.
“So this really is why there was no trace of you before Verenha. Why three years between the tide and the orphanage I wonder? Well. It is your personal life. I’m sorry you had to go through that. The tide was sudden and unexpected. The exact cause is undetermined but apparently something blew up in a forgotten underground dungeon and then you know the rest. Mana storms, distorted space, a literal tide of monsters flooding the land…
“And it’s very simple why we did nothing to fix it. It’s too late. Those who could escape did, you should know that firsthand. Everyone else… Admittedly now we could go and secure the outer parts, but even if we kill the monsters, the land is still fragmented. And the monsters near the epicenter are no small game. They are dangerous even for me. As long as Skyreach holds, there isn’t a real reason to try to clean it up. And I wouldn’t want to take work out of the Oracle's back,” she said and winked, finishing the explanation.
THAT’S IT?!
I don’t need to be mad at her, at them. It was already too late, I knew before she told me...
But they won’t even try to fix it?
I see.
Fine.
That was always the plan anyway.
I’ll do it myself.
Well. This was all I needed to hear. My plan hasn’t changed. I just need to carefully avoid the epicenter... Next question is the secondary objective. And then the finish will be a bit of lighthearted fun between Saints, since that’ll be the end of the meeting anyway.
“What exactly are soul parasites?”
This question shocked the fox Saintess even more, so much that she straightened up from her slouched posture “Where in the system’s name have you heard about this? Soul parasites are creatures above level 300. They exist solely in the spiritual realm, which makes them tricky to spot and even harder to kill. They hide deep in their victim’s soul and amplify or dampen certain emotions. Usually their goal is to bait someone into strengthening their connection with the spiritual realm, until they devour the soul. But not always,” she explained with a disgusted expression, before slouching back ever so slightly. “You have one last question…”
This pretty much confirms that I fell victim to one of these. How?
Level 300?!
Can’t be Ovohen then. The Oracle? But why? To kill me even if I flee? Is that why no one came after me? That’s sickening.
Well then. My secondary target is set in stone. Wait for me, Oracle of the Church.
Now for the last question. I wonder how she will react to this one. This feels a bit brazen. Foolish, even. But hell if I’m not going to ask. You were the one who wanted entertainment.
“Can I ask anything? My last question is a bit unusual. Dangerous maybe.”
“Let me hear it.” There wasn’t a figment of hesitation in Valeure’s voice.
Since she asks so politely.
“What can you tell me about Aphenoreth?”
Valeure froze.
The fox Saintess was so surprised she even messed up her flight for an instant, almost dropping down to the ground before she got it back under control.
She looked around everywhere, then back at Sofia.
“Are you alright in the head?” she asked softly, ever so slightly drifting away from Sofia.
“Seriously, even you? How am I to know anything about this if any time I ask, everyone acts like I’m crazy? You said anything was fine!” Sofia’s disappointment oozed through her tone. Though her mind sang to another tune.
Even she is impressed? That’s big. Now if I can coerce her into actually answering…
“You asked other people?! Dear God…”
She kept feverishly looking around, as if waiting for something to happen.
“Is it that bad?”
Seeing that nothing actually occurred, Valeure regained some composure, though she now sat in a much less relaxed way.
“You really have no idea, don’t you? ‘Dangerous’ doesn’t even begin to cut it!” She said, pointing at Sofia with a raised finger. “How did you even learn of this in the first place… Out of all the things you do not talk about, this is the one. Saying or even writing anything about it by mentioning a name is taking the risk of bringing their attention to you. You do NOT want that. If that happens… Death is the best thing that could happen to you then…”
She took an instant to recollect her thoughts, switching to a curled up position with her legs crossed as if in a deep reflection.
“Fine, since you paid for it… There are, as far as I know, four such names, I only know of two. The one you mentioned is the most widely known. Or rather the least secret. It has been discovered in a few old texts and relics. Items as old as this planet itself. Those who utter the name usually incur a swift and gruesome death, when they aren’t simply erased. I fully expected you to join them. I have no idea how you can still be alive. Perhaps it is luck. If I was you I would thank the Gods and never look back. Never speak about it again. That is all I can say without endangering myself.”
I don’t know if I should feel lucky to be blessed by that, or horrified…
Well, I’m way past having time to be scared about things that aren’t a direct threat. I wish I could stop worrying about so many things for a second. Seriously.
My interactions with the Deep have all been positive until now.
Scary, but beneficial.
I’m fine with that. No need to dread it.
