Chapter 4: Preparations of Approval
"So, what do you have in mind?"
From my ear comes the perhaps-unsettling voice of Fels, transmitting through the Oculus hidden behind a lock of my hair.
On my hip is a decent purse, filled to the brim with an amount of valis that would've made Lili stalk me for a good hour or two. As the benefits of having Lord Ouranos, God of the Guild, as your patron Deity give a slight jingle with every step I take, I make sure to look out for any shifty-eyed folk while completely covering myself with the Fleece.
And at the same time, I try to regain the delicate footwork I learned in the Far East, taking the coin's jingle—or lack thereof—as an indicator of success.
"Although we have given you free reign over your funds, I certainly hope you aren't planning on heading to the Pleasure District first thing in the morning."
I raise the hem of my cloak slightly and whisper into the crystal on my neck.
"Of course not. I'm a taken man."
"…Ah."
"You don't have to worry about being insensitive or anything, Fels. I won't have a breakdown over you poking a bit of fun. In fact, go ahead—it'll keep my spirits up."
"You are being quite light-hearted today."
"I'm the same as ever, Fels. But I will say… Talking to my Goddess reaffirmed a lot of things for me, and seeing her healthy and vibrant was relieving, in a way."
"…Since you say I'm allowed to poke fun, I will go ahead and mention that you looked on the verge of tears several times during your meeting."
"Somewhat, but I'm pretty sure it didn't show on my face."
"…Perhaps it's out of place for a skeleton to say this, but you are making me feel quite morbid and insensitive, joking about your mental state."
"I'm just taking your advice, Fels."
"My advice?"
"You talked about it once—about how you came to cope with your immortality. A dark sense of humour, making light of the reality you are forced to accept. It somewhat fools the brain, you said."
"…As a skeleton, I'm afraid I don't have a brain to fool."
"Well I do. Though, I wouldn't dare to compare my situation to yours."
"Let us not stray too far and return to the subject at hand. Again, what do you have planned?"
"Fels, I'm an Adventurer. When adventurers have money, it's either sex, food, supplies or equipment, sometimes all at once. Though I will reiterate, I don't go to brothels."
"All at once?"
"Apparently there's a brothel in the Pleasure District that doubles as an armoury. A lot of Adventurers have fetishes for specific armour or weapons, from what I hear."
"Ah, the Filthy Steel. I am aware."
"Oh, that's surprising. But anyway, I'm just getting some armour. From an actual shop, of course. What about you? Have you done what I asked for?"
"I have scoured the safe-deposit boxes in East street and have located the one owned by your prum. Quite a chore, I must tell you, but it is done."
"Thank you, Fels. And what about the Ishtar Familia?"
"I've failed to find anything that would prove their involvement with the remnants of Evilus. Is there any way you could narrow down my search?"
"I'm sorry, but I only learned of Ishtar Familia's involvement after they were… defeated, so I'm not sure what you should be looking for. I also wasn't very involved with the Evilus situation, so I'm not sure what they were doing at this time."
"So you've said… Either way, I have moved on for now and am currently searching around Lord Dionysius' lodgings. I have yet to find anything, but I still have one more location to go."
Just as Fels finishes talking, I notice a familiar door peek out from around the bend.
"Alright. Good luck Fels. I've arrived at the store, so I'll contact you later."
Fels heard the Oculus transmit the sound of a bell—the kind you find on shop doors—before it went silent, leaving him to focus on the task given to him.
To think I would be ordered around by a 14-year old child…
Sure, he was experienced mentally, but Bell Cranel's young and naïve appearance completely betrayed any idea of expertise. The Great Sage, the Shadow of the Guild, being ordered by what looked to be a prepubescent country boy.
To think someone could just walk in and become captain of the Ouranos Familia within a day…
Crushing the nagging at the back of his mind, Fels ran, or more specifically did what he considered "running": falling into a shadow and reappearing out of another one.
At some point in his long existence, this became the norm over just running. It was just… so more efficient.
Not to mention stealthy.
The Wine Cellar is soon.
And with said stealthy movement, he was now nearing another building that Lord Dionysius was known to own: a wine cellar around the edge of Orario, a humble yet cared-for structure that fit the moniker of one known as the God of Wine… Well, in Orario, Lord Soma was the one known for wine, but regardless.
The structure was innocuous, built with the same brick and mortar that the entire area used, but with observation the care it received became obvious: no other building in the area had such chiseled walls, such vibrant plant-life blooming in their front porch, such clean and clear windows—
And yet, knowing what he knew now, the structure looked nothing more than ominous to Fels. And after more observation, the friendly visage began to crack in Fel's non-existant eyes.
The curtains were made of shadwool, known for being nearly impenetrable to light.
The fine-kept walls were not cleaned, but rather maintained for security. When he reached his hand into the wall, Fels could immediately tell they were thick and dense, to a level usually reserved for Familia treasuries.
He had been inside before, and it truly was just a wine cellar. He knew for a fact this wasn't their treasury, unless the Dionysius Familia preserved their funds as wine.
The plants, though innocuous, was positioned in a way that an intruder would leave marks, surrounding the windows with vines and lining the porch.
An outwardly cordial visage surrounding a guarded inside, hiding what truly brewed inside.
Knowing what Bell Cranel told them, Fels could not think anything but that the building truly did reflect the God.
Enyo. "The destroyer of the city" in the God's tongue. To think such an innocuous, unproblematic God desires complete destruction…
Normally, Fels would've doubted such an accusation. However, after Ouranos himself confirmed Bell Cranel was telling the truth, and after seeing his Falna, there was little room to deny.
Nevermind the impossible task of somehow fooling Ouranos, the Falna inscribed on Bell Cranel's back couldn't lie.
And as such, the moment Fels confirmed no one was inside, he did not hesitate to scrouge around, looking for anything incriminating.
Just because they knew Lord Dionysius was planning destruction didn't mean they could arrest him without actual evidence. If they tried, the impartial stance of the Guild would be destroyed and Orario's stability would be affected.
Of course, there was the option of presenting Bell Cranel before the Gods and having him speak the truth, but such would only be a last measure performed with select Gods they knew to be trustworthy.
For revealing Bell Cranel, and the fact he held knowledge of the future, was information they absolutely could not let spread.
"Evilus is not our worst enemy," was it?
It was a measure insisted by the man himself. To keep the true enemy in the dark.
To think such evil is brewing beyond Orario.
For, according to Bell Cranel, their greatest foe was not the remnants of Evilus, Enyo, nor the dungeon or the beings who brewed in its depths.
To think the apocalypse is more insidious than ever conceived.
Fels paused for a moment, then quickly returned to his search, feeling a sense of urgency from the knowledge churning in his head.
Among Bell Cranel's words of the future, there were things Fels' mind could only barely comprehend, could barely reason with, even after Ouranos declared the man truthful.
Facing possibilities even his ancient knowledge and wisdom couldn't imagine, Fels found himself moving ever faster, as if the world itself was on a clock.
To think… there would be beings who follow the Apocalypse itself.
...
...
—
He stopped himself.
Those were things out of their reach as of now. Here, he should focus on the task at hand, for Evilus was nonetheless a threat.
So Fels stopped thinking, instead moving his body by instinct to simply and efficiently accomplish the task at hand—a trick of the mind he had mastered over the years.
And he continued on this way until the Oculus under his cloak began give a dim glow, signalling a call.
So the child captain calls. Well, I am about finished.
He quickly phased through the floor and began traveling through the shadows of Orario's buildings, moving without notice.
And once he began "running" again, heading towards another destination designated by Bell Cranel, that nagging at the back of his head returned. A constant, bothersome throbbing beating away at the back of his skull.
Fels thought that, if he still had skin, his face would be twisted to a grimace.
To get rid of the nagging feeling, he thought back to the short conversation they had and started running over the facts in his mind.
A dark sense of humour is certainly something I use. If the future me really told him that, I must've trusted him enough to talk about miscellaneous things… The way he navigates Orario is like a local, and he certainly uses shortcuts often. Though, that could be attributed to a good sense of direction or time studying the map. However, his Falna can't lie, and from what's written there, it's hard to deny his claim of Time Travel. His words and knowledge are honest. However, that by itself is not…
…Hestia-sama seemed to seem something in him, and he certainly had a genuine-looking reaction to meeting her, but that could be incredible acting. Though most Gods certainly would see through shallow falsities of demeanour, Hestia-sama is new to Genkai…
However, what of Ouranos? To think any mortal could lie to Ouranos or deceive him with an act is fanciful at best.
In that case, what is there to say? If he speaks the truth and there is no act, what is there to say?
However, even after running through all the fact in his head, the nagging feeling remained.
…Perhaps I should talk to Ouranos about this.
East Street.
It's certainly not a place I frequented often in the future. Or is it my past life?
Either way, I remember Lili often had business in these places, particularly when we were trying to gather information on the Xenos, Freya Familia, Evilus and such. She would usually go alone with only some tools and her Cinderella disguise as protection. It would be a lie to say she was ill-equipped, though. The light load made her lithe and she was tricky with her tools, not to mention Cinderella's form-shifting capabilities.
But despite that, I would still get worried: especially so when we were going against the Freya Famila. But, the one time I tried to go with her, she told me:
"A place like East Street, or at least the places I'm going to visit, aren't fit for someone like you, Bell-sama… Please leave this to me. I'm confident most people don't know those streets as well as I do."
When was it, exactly? When exactly… did she stop objecting?
Well, either way I'm here now.
Walking across the back alleys of East Street, I can clearly feel the shift in atmosphere.
Empty bottles piled in corners, reeking a slight, pungent scent that's reminiscent of vomit. A glass window that's cracked on the edge, right where the handle is. A torn-up, grimy shirt just lying on the street, thrown away without care of where it ended up.
Too call it the slums would be a lie. There are no slums in Orario: only less wealthy areas, and even the worst of them are plenty habitable.
However, after saying all that, if someone were to get attacked in broad daylight in Orario and didn't have a certain sun god of passion aiming for them, it would be in a place like this. It's not decrepit, exactly, just dangerous and suffocating to the unfamiliar. Almost like the early floors of the Dungeon.
And you can never underestimate the dungeon.
Glad I got armour before coming here.
I have the Fleece wrapped under my shirt so I can have my armour in clear view, which I've nicked and bruised in certain places. In addition, I bought a cheap hood to cover my face and left the remaining money to Fels. Currently, there is nothing valuable on me except for the Hestia Knife and Fleece.
Well, there is one more thing, but I'll be losing it soon enough.
…This hood isn't really doing much, is it?
I think, looking at some of the sidelong gazes I'm getting. Mainly fixated on my hair and eyes, since even in the colourful Orario white hair and red eyes is a rarity. Well, they're probably more interested since I'm a distinctly unfamiliar face.
"Fels, is she close?" I whisper into the Oculus hidden under my hood.
"Quickly go down right at next alley. She is close and running."
I speed up and round the corner Fels mentioned, jumping over a bottle of whisky as I dash down the alley.
"She ran all this way? What did you do to her Fels?"
"I attracted a few Soma Familia members nearby with wine. Soma occasionally gifts Ouranos with a genuine article, and the smell tends to linger in the glass."
"Wait, really? Soma-sama gives you wine?"
"It is one of the few things Ouranos allows himself to enjoy."
Huh, I never knew…
"Anyway, how close now?"
"Very. You should hide now."
Without hesitation, I reach under my shirt, pull out the Fleece and invert it to the dark side—
And the moment I do, I see a familiar figure run past the street just in front of me. A short, red-haired beastgirl wearing a raggedy cloak that envelops her whole figure.
She soon comes to a stop in the alley just opposite to me, and after glancing both ways to ensure no one is around, she ducks behind some trash, pulls her body close, and begins muttering under her breath.
I walk closer, watching out for glass shards while making sure my armour doesn't clang on the way.
And as I approach, I begin to hear whisps, short cuts, of what she's muttering. A chant. A chant so familiar that it sounds less like a spell and more like a lullaby, or a folk song I heard in my childhood. A set of tones and words that brings me
"…Your wound is—My wound is— Echoing message of Moonlight—"
"Cinderella—"
And for a half second, before she once again changes her appearance, I see her. Brown hair, Brown eyes, and—
—and just like that, her face disappears and is replaced by an unfamiliar human look.
She takes off her cloak and clothes, hiding the former and inverting the latter before re-equipping them. In an instant, she goes from a red beastgirl with a cloak to a skinny and malnourished dark-haired human dressed in full black.
From my left, I hear a few men approach. Moving out of their way, I recognize them as Soma members. They look around, surveying the area for a short second. They glance over at the human in the alley, but soon pay her no mind and begin running again.
…You've always been quick on your feet.
It's another long second before she breaths a slight sigh of relief, and yet another before she tentatively stands up.
Come on Lili. Notice it.
And as she glances both ways, making sure they've all but left, her eyes flicker to a tiny glimmer from the street's edge. She walks over, crouches down, and picks up the glittering thing, quickly hiding it under her clothes before scurrying off.
There you go, Lili.
And just like that, after silently seeing her off I retreat into another alley and take off the Fleece, once again wrapping it around my waist.
"Fels, are you following her?"
"She's nowhere near fast enough for me to lose her."
"How reliable. Thanks, Fels."
"She doesn't seem to be heading for the safe, though."
"She's probably going to take a roundabout path or hide the key. Either way, please keep an eye on her. She will definitely try out the key."
"Such a complicated scheme, just to hand a girl money…"
The key Lili picked up unlocks a rental safe in the East District's safe point, which contains more than enough money for her to leave the Soma Familia. We were able to calculate the necessary amount thanks to Fels finding Lili's safe and investigating it beforehand.
"Like I said, I don't want to reveal myself to them. If Ouranos-sama hadn't asked it of me, I probably wouldn't've talked to Hestia-sama, either."
"Is it necessary to be that cautious?"
"Most definitely."
"…Very well. Anyway, I will keep watch on the girl."
"Once again, thank you."
However, even if Lili has Cinderella there's still a chance she gets intercepted mid-way and robbed by her Familia. Therefore, Fels will keep an eye on her. We've inserted a small magic stone into the key, which will allow Fels to keep track of its position with a map.
"Alright, I'm heading back for the meeting. Fels, I'll see you later."
"Understood."
"I am… GANESHA!"
"Yes, you certainly are, Ganesha-sama."
There was a large spectrum of Gods in Orario, ranging from eccentric to normal, loud to quiet, popular to unknown and so on.
All by mortal standards, of course.
And there was one God that was completely aligned to one side of the spectrum?
Normal? No! He was an eccentric man who would create buildings after his masked image.
Quiet? No! He was a booming man with a voice that could span an entire city.
Popular? Yes! For he was—
"I AM GANESHA, GOD OF THE PEOPLE!"
The guild receptionist simply held her closed-eyed smile in front of the masked Deity's eccentric outbursts.
"We're here to discuss logistics for the Monster Feria." Announced the azure-haired women besides Lord Ganesha in a completely flat voice.
The receptionist nodded and led them to a meeting room out back, keeping her closed-eyed smile the whole way in response to Lord Ganesha's occasional declarations and posing, which died down as they faded from public view.
It was a common sight for the members of Ganesha Familia and their captain Shakit Varma, who often accompanied her God. The bombastic Deity tended to die down when there was no crowd for, as he said himself, "Ganesha is a God of the people."
In that case, without a crowd or a public in sight, who was he? If Ganesha was a persona, a deity for the people, who was the Deity of Orario's largest Familia without an audience?
"I am ganesha!"
Why, he was ganesha. Not Ganesha, but ganesha.
"Here you are. Another receptionist will be here soon, so please make yourselves comfortable." Said the receptionist, bringing them to a reserved meeting room out back. The two thanked her and went inside, making sure to lock the door behind them.
And instead of waiting for the receptionist, who they knew wasn't coming, they started poking around the bookshelf in the corner, arranging and pulling the books in a specific order until—
Scree…
With the slightest, near-inaudible screech, a secret stairway opened on an empty portion of the wall. Without missing a beat, the Deity and his captain descended the winding stairs, only illuminated at the very bottom where torchlight was leaking in. Soon, they arrived at the bottom where the Guild's Deity awaited.
"You wanted to meet, Ouranos?"
Began ganesha without any of his usual bombast, instead adopting a composed, low tone. It was not often the God asked to meet him directly, with the last time being when they were finalizing the Monster Feria idea.
Behind Ganesha, Shakit gave a deep bow to the oppressive Deity before stepping up beside her God. A bit closer than normal, for even if she was the Level 5 Captain of the Ganesha Familia, there was a certain aura about Ouranos-sama that was hard to dismiss.
And as the approached, they quickly noticed they were not alone. For a figure, draped in a pure-white cloak that obstructed part of their face, stood next to Ouranos on his throne. Usually, they would've expected the dark-hooded Fels to be here, so seeing a person with a completely different colour and aura made them stop for a second.
"And who is this?" Asked ganesha, confused but not phased. Meanwhile, Shakit gave a curious glance up from behind him.
As usual, she could not decipher a thing from the Ancient God's face, but from the white-cloaked figure she gleamed some details. Though the cloak was obstructing, a bit of white hair was poking out the bottom, a hair colour she failed to connect with anyone she knew.
In response to ganesha, the figure walked down from Ouranos' throne, reached the bottom and gave a deep bow, still hiding their face.
"He is the Captain and sole member of my Familia." Announced the God, much to the surprise of those below him.
"You took on a child, Ouranos?" Asked an incredulous ganesha, looking back and forth between the God and the cloaked man. "What brought this on? Are you going to break the Guild's neutral stance?"
As ganesha asked, Shakit swallowed. She knew the guild, and Lord Ouranos in particular, maintained a completely neutral stance, acting as an administrative force not through might but influence. Their patron Deity had no Familia to accommodate that neutral stance, making deliberate attempts to prevent the Guild's position and power from becoming oppressive or almighty. So to say the Ouranos of the guild took on a Familia member… it was a shocking thing, to say the least.
"I am not changing the Guild's stance. His position as my Familia's captain will remain a secret, and I would like you to help disguise it. I want to leave his Familia as yours in Guild records and have you acknowledge him as a member in spirit, in case a God questions his affiliation."
The God looked to the cloaked man staring at him. Picking up on the gesture, he pulled back his hood, revealing a young, naïve-looking boy with pure white hair and deep red eyes.
"My name is Bell Cranel. Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Ganesha-sama."
The God nodded with an impressed look and extended his hand, which Bell soon accepted with a strong handshake.
"Nice to meet you, Bell. Tell me, how did you manage to convince Ouranos to take you on? How did you even start?" He asked with amusement, trying to think of a child that would "fit" Ouranos and coming up short. He then looked up to the Deity himself. "And Ouranos, if you plan to keep his position a secret, what's your goal? You could've simply asked me to take him on, so why didn't you?"
"I shall answer both." Began the Deity. "He came to my chambers, asking to join my Familia, and I judged him to be worthy. That is it."
"How short." Replied ganesha, who then took a moment to stare at Bell. "For Ouranos to take you on, just like that, you must be quite impressive."
The boy just scratched the back of his head and avoided the compliment.
"And about the Monster Felia…?" He asked, implying more beyond his words.
"He knows about the Xenos, yes."
"And what do you think about them?" he asked with a serious ferocity in his eyes, daring the white-haired boy to attempt a lie.
In response, Bell thought for a second and replied:
"…I sincerely wish for a future where they could walk among us as equals, under the same sun."
And Ganesha's ferocity died down, for he could feel the honesty—and even moreso sincerity—in the boy's words. "Good." He said.
"Do you have anything else to ask?"
"I won't ask too much, Ouranos. I trust your judgement." Replied the God. "However, I do have one more thing to ask each of you."
"First." He pointed at Ouranos. "Ouranos, you say he 'fit' your Familia, but you've never even desired one. If the fact you took a child got out, there will be questions from all sides of Orario, trying to gleam your intention. Some might think you're trying to spread influence and rule Orario with an iron fist, some might believe you intend to step down as the guild's deity, so on. No matter what, there will be chaos. Why take him on, despite that? Why take him on yourself instead of deferring to me?"
"What special reason do you have, creating a Familia for one man?"
For all intents and purposes, Ouranos had broken several of his personal rules for a boy who looked no more than 14. The Ouranos, who subjected himself to this lifestyle for the good of all.
Just what was Ouranos trying to do?
The ancient Deity did not wait to pause and instead responded curtly and directly, denying any room for doubt.
"Authority and respect. Not for me, but for him."
Instead, it was ganesha who paused upon hearing Ouranos' answer, for it was far from anything within expectations.
"I do not intend to expand my influence. Instead, I am giving him influence, for when the day he is revealed as the sole member and captain of the Familia belonging to the Ouranos, it will undoubtable draw respect and offer authority."
The silence grew and expanded to every corner of the large hall, enveloping everything in a suffocating nothingness. It was as if every morsel of air was sucked out, leaving emptiness even lesser than nothing.
Ouranos-sama took him in…just so he could gain influence? And he does plan on revealing his Familia someday? He broke his own code not for himself, but for a mortal?
It was impossible to guess what thoughts were floating about behind masked Deity's calm demeanour, but it was easy to tell what the azure-haired women beside him thought, for as calm as she was, she was only mortal.
Compared to the two Gods, it was plain to see on her normally ice-cold demeanour.
Shock.
Utter shock and nothing less filled her mind, to hear such words from the Deity.
"Of course, my end goal has not changed." He clarified. "I simply decided this was the best approach. My goals have remained as constant as they have ever been."
"…To protect."
Ouranos nodded.
Ganesha finally shifted away after a long silence, turning to meet the man Ouranos would do so much for.
"Then here is my second question." He said, raising his hand to point at the bridge between the white-haired boy's eyes. "One does not simply walk up to Ouranos and ask to join his Familia without a goal. What are you trying to do, Bell Cranel?"
And just like his Deity, Bell did not hesitate or dare leave a pause for doubt. He responded, clear and steadfast—
"I wish to protect my loved ones and fulfill my promises, Lord Ganesha." He began, training his gaze directly at the God's eyes as if the mask didn't exist. "And to do that, though it may sound childish of me, I wish to become like the Heroes you would see in fairy tales and raise my blade against Genkai's great adversaries."
He stepped forward, daring to come face-to-face with a Deity.
"Ganesha-sama, I—"
And without doubt, without hesitation, without a trace of deceit, he declared—no, dared to declare—in front of the God's face:
"—I will conquer the Dungeon and kill the One-eyed Black Dragon."
And Ganesha could not sense anything but truth.
It was near midnight once Fels returned to Ouranos' chamber.
To his disappointment, the prum—Lili—did not immediately go and quit the Soma Familia. Instead, after confirming the money in the safe, she left her lodgings and moved to a cheap inn. Afterwards, she seeming to be gathering information on Familias, likely contemplating her options were she to leave.
However, Fels also noticed how she spent a significant amount of time gathering information on the routes leading out of Orario and the nearby cities.
In the end, the hardest decision for her will likely be whether to stay in Orario or leave.
Fels was well aware of the discrimination supporters faced. Even if she switched Familias, few would accept a pure supporter and even fewer would give her a fair chance. If her goal was to survive rather than seeking ambition from the Dungeon, leaving Orario was no doubt an option.
However, Orario—and the Dungeon—is still the center of the world. Leaving once you've felt the decadence of significance brought by Orario… It is more than a simple choice.
Fels cast aside his thoughts for now and approached the God who was alone in the Chamber.
"I hear the talk with Ganesha went well?"
"He agreed to provide the required assistance. With compensation, of course."
After hearing that, Fels immediately began running the numbers in his head.
"There were no complications with the Monster Felia. He has left the documents in the usual room, if you wish to look."
"I see. And what about Bell Cranel? Where is he now?"
"The Dungeon."
So, he isn't here to listen…
"Go ahead and talk, Fels. We are alone."
Fels was not surprised Ouranos knew his intentions. Even if he was an undead mass of bones and robes, he knew that was nowhere enough to disguise his intentions under Ouranos' ancient wisdom and scrutiny.
However…
"Why?"
He began simply, and Ouranos waited him to continue.
"Even if he speaks the truth, even if he has done everything he's spoken of, to… so unconditionally support him, and with such immediacy, seems—"
"Too much?"
"It simply feels too fast. Ouranos, I understand you see far more than I do, but just what makes you support him so unconditionally? Yes, he has knowledge of the future, but even then you accepted him so readily. Just what gave you such assurance in this decision? Certainty to the point you, without hesitation, created a Familia for him?"
"Ouranos—just what is it that you saw?"
This time, a silence did feel Ouranos' chamber. However, his momentary silence was not a cause for doubt—he was simply taking his time. When it came to other Gods or mortal children, Ouranos would always respond promptly and without pause so as to never, even the tiniest bit, appear in doubt.
However, he had no need for such formalities or appearances with Fels, the undead who by now knew him better than most Gods.
And so, after a calm pause, the Deity spoke.
"…It has been a long time since I have seen other souls."
Fels stayed silent, letting his old friend finish.
"It is usually only children of Ganesha or the Guild staff. Sometimes, children other Gods bring as bodyguards."
…Where is he going with this?
Fels of course knew of this "light of the soul" that certain Gods could see. Ouranos wasn't even the only one who could in Orario. Rather than a big secret, it was a niche topic.
For Gods like Ouranos and Freya, the Light increased their perceptiveness regarding mortals, helping them gleam into the "child's truth"—that's what he knew.
"Is there more to this "soul's light" that I am unware of?"
"…In the God's tongue I call it Alifostis. There is no agreed upon word between the Gods, since it is a sight only seen in Genkai, available to only a few of us."
"But don't the Gods accommodate mortal souls once they die? How could a soul be unfamiliar to them?"
"The souls we see in Tenkai are cleansed to its core, into it's barest form, for reincarnation: something we call Pyrina, the center of being. However, in Genkai I see the soul tied to mortal vices and desires, reflecting not just the core of their being, but their life as well."
He raised his head and closed his eyes, as if contemplating.
"As young as Freya is to Genkai, she is still talented at observing the Alifostis. However, I think she is yet to see as deeply or clearly as I."
"…And what did you see, Ouranos?"
Now, his brow loosened somewhat, a rare sight from the eternally stone-faced God that made it seem like he was recalling something pleasant.
"It would be thoughtless of me to simply share the sight of one's soul. I cannot not give you a description, Fels, for doing so would be entering a conversation belonging to the domain of Gods. For a mortal to learn of, to see another's soul is a step too far. Perhaps in a few more millennia, you could breach that domain with your wisdom and observe for yourself."
"I would not try and encroach on Godhood again, but that aside, is the reason you support Bell Cranel so much is because of this Alifostis? You saw his being, and determined him to be worthy?"
"…I saw the core of his being, and what life molded him into."
Ouranos opened his eyes, and Fels could not place the look in the Deity's eyes: an unfamiliar…vitality? That froze him in place.
"I do not get to see Orario, the city I live and protect, nor the children there, who I do this for. Of course, I have no qualms about such, and I have never doubted myself into becoming weak-willed."
"However, perhaps that is why I appreciate the few souls I do see, for they remind me of what lies above. And when Bell Cranel took off his cloak, leaving his soul in full view, I was strongly reminded. I reminisced. I reflected on why I pray for and not to, why I pray instead of being prayed to."
Fels could not speak. Not now, when the ancient God was dispensing something more than just wisdom:
His emotion, or what little he dared to show, or perhaps even dared to possess.
"Fels, would you believe me if I said Genkai is more beautiful than Tenkai?"
And at that, Fels felt his millennia of thought screech to a halt and float, as if the storm of knowledge in his mind reached a calm, quiet silence. A serene, yet definite and powerful, not to mention beautiful and tragic, realization was forming in his mind, one of understanding bordering on the realm of Gods.
"…The descended Gods certainly do seem to enjoy themselves here."
Ouranos gave a discreet, slight nod.
"Fels, if your wisdom ever truly approaches the Realm of Deities, going even further than simply seeing souls…turn away. Turn away and live as a mortal, no matter how distant you may be from it. Do not ever breach that final barrier, and do not ever enter that plane. I promise you, I will make certain your soul sees the light of your desire, whether it be glory or love. So I implore thee—"
"Do not ever surrender your soul to Godhood."
It was only when the Deity sat back down that Fels realized he had knelt down to one knee and that Ouranos had stood up sometime during his speech.
"As for Bell Cranel, have patience. I give you my word, just as I have promised your soul, that he is worthy of what we are giving him."
Fels paused, then dared to release a sigh.
"If you say so much, there is nothing I could possibly disagree with."
He quickly thought of his plans for tomorrow and the work that needed to be done.
"I suppose, then, I will pay him a visit in the Dungeon. Let me see what the skills and spells of the future, wielded by a man with Ouranos' approval, can do."
"Very well. He should still be on the first floor."
Fels began stepping away to the nearest shadow, looking to leave.
But just before he left, just as the tip of his robe met shadow, he heard behind him—
"Fels, the light of your soul has also reminded me over the years."
—and with those words, he left feeling slightly bashful.
"Oh, Fels. Didn't expect to see you here."
It would be an understatement to say Fels was underwhelmed.
After all, he just had this large talk with Ouranos over this white-haired man being worthy, and now he finds him fighting—
"…Have you only been fighting Goblins?"
"So far, yes."
Fels imagined the status on Bell Cranel's back crying.
"…Three spells and five skills, and all you've been killing are Goblins?"
"You say that, but my stats are still that of a fresh level one. Plus, I'm still not used to this body and this level of strength, so I'm taking my time to adjust."
"Even if you say that… Well, I suppose I can't fault you. You are being wise instead of reckless, unlike headstrong beginners who meet death too soon."
"…If you're that disappointed, I could show you a spell?"
"You can chant?"
"No. I've tried, but with the inconsistency I feel with my voice and throat, I can't do long chants properly. Not that I have the mana to cast my big spells at this level, anyway, but—"
The Dungeon crumbled some distance away, spawning multiple Goblins.
"There is one spell I have with a super-short chant and low mana cost."
The little green creatures quickly began charging, sputtering spit and nonsensical noise while swinging their clubs around.
The white-haired adventurer raised his hand towards them.
"Though, I'm not sure if you'll be impressed by just this, since I have rock-bottom mana right now—"
The goblins drew closer.
"But I assure you, this spell is different."
Right in front.
"After all, it is from the future. The Second Golden Age."
Close, very close—
"So, watch carefully."
They leaped, winding their clubs back and aiming for the adventurer's body with the full force provided by their tiny body.
And as their clubs swung down, encroaching on his armour, magical power drove itself to the man's hand.
The next moment, he began and finished chanting in the same breath, and as the mana began forming itself to a sliver of sparking fire, the Goblins could feel it with their meagre instincts:
They were done for.
"Flashbolt!"