“I…”
Rudis hesitated, not knowing how to bring it up. Lavane just stood still while waiting for her. His generous silence encouraged her.
“Mr. Lavane, I don’t know what you meant when you said you will move on my will.”
“Hmm.”
At Rudis’s words, Lavane turned his head and smiled.
“Don’t think about it so hard. It’s simpler than you think.”
Lavane frowned slightly.
Even though he said that, Rudis did not seem to have a good grasp on it.
“For example, look at this.”
After organizing his thoughts, Lavane beckoned Rudis to come closer. She approached him carefully and stood under an old tree. Looking up from below, the branches of the old tree and the snowflakes hanging from it looked like huge, elaborate statues.
“What season do you like the best, Rudis?”
“Season…?”
“Yes.”
“Spring… spring is my favorite.”
Rudis’s reply brought a smile back on her face.
“I knew it.”
How could he know?
Rudis looked up again and opened her eyes.
“What’s this…”
There were various flowers blooming on the tree. Looking around, it was still winter. Surrounded by old trees, spring was only in the tree that encircled Rudis and Lavane.
It was a ridiculous sight.
The flowers that burst before Rudis’s eyes soon fell and spring-colored sprouts sprang up on the spot.
“Aging things are only a fraction of my power. It’s also the most docile.”
When Lavane flicked his finger, the sprout became a lush green leaf, it soon turned red and fell to the ground, and then the snow flower bloomed again.
Rudis was astonished by the amazing sight. This miracle is only a fraction of his power?
“I’m mainly responsible for destruction, pain, and aging.”
It was hard to understand because Lavane’s words were very abstract. Still, she could roughly see that he deals with destructive forces. The blooming of flowers on an old tree accelerated to death from the instant aging.
Lavane’s definition of destructive power was not just about defeating the opponent. He knew how to handle everything about destruction and death.
Rudis realized once again that the being next to her was an ancient god, and that man has a terrible power where it can be called a disaster. No matter how powerful a beast can be, it was clear that it would be swept away like a sheet of paper in front of Lavane.
“Do you mean you can do this whenever and however you want?”
“Yes.”
Lavane simply affirmed.
“I’m not as omnipotent as the real god, but I can do anything as far as destruction is concerned.”
He said it as if it were a really trivial thing to do with this miracle. Only then did Rudis fear the repercussions of his power. Lavane’s power was the kind of thing that humans wanted the most. It was clear that not only the emperor but everyone else in the empire would want to covet his power.
There will be people who would fear, worship, and ostracize Lavane.
“So, Rudis.”
Rudis was lost in thought when Lavane called her.
“Go ahead and make a wish, because if you don’t want anything, the meaning of my existence will disappear.”
His gaze turned toward Rudis’s neck, which was covered from the coat. She felt the red magic that was engraved on her body became hot.
“I’m sure there’s something you want.”
It was not until Lavane pointed it out when Rudis managed to recall his original purpose.
“I want you to save the empire from the demons.”
“That’s a pretty abstract idea.”
She was told to make a wish, but he was disappointed when he heard it.
“Um…”
Rudis became embarrassed and spoke in a more cautious manner.
“Please.”
Lavane’s golden eyes moved slowly and looked at her.
“Tell me what you really want, not what you have to do as a princess.”
“Demon suppression…?”
Rudis tried to bring that up again and Lavane shook his head.
“Don’t make a request, tell me your wish.”
She became confused. Are favors and wishes different? It was very difficult for Rudis, who even went out for a walk for the first time, to distinguish between requests and wishes.
“It doesn’t have to be a wish for destruction or death. Anything that I can do within my power is fine.”
“I’m not sure what wish I should make.”
Rudis, who had been hesitating for a long time, confessed honestly.
This time, Lavane became silent.
Rudis tried to find other clues in his golden eyes, which were like jewels.
“It can be anything.”
But he kept repeating what he said earlier. Gradually, she was forced to realize that no matter how vain or absurd her wish may be, he will strive to make it come true.
“But…”
Rudis’s voice trembled.
“But I really don’t know. Not once in my life…”
She has ever wanted anything.
Rudis recalled Selena, who knew well that she would just be happy if she were by herself. To want, to desire, and to be greedy, it was only possible with experience in those thoughts.
“If it’s hard for you right now, you can postpone making a wish until you find a ‘real wish’. You can’t put it off forever, but it’s okay to not say it now.”
Lavane said comfortably. His tone was friendly, but Rudis somehow became emotional and sorrowful. It was unfair that she never had anything and lived in poverty, but when an ancient god appeared to her, she still had no wish. Anger began to burn inside of her.
Lavane smiled satisfactorily when he saw the rippling waves in Rudis’s purple eyes.
“…I want to leave the palace.”
Rudis spoke after a long time.
“I don’t think that’s all.”
Then, as if Lavane was waiting, he spoke.
“Is leaving the palace really all you want? What about afterwards?”
After leaving the palace?
She never thought about that. After escaping the threats to her life, she’ll need to settle in a safe place, but those are only the ‘minimum conditions’ to live.
What will be next?
Rudis wanted something like everyone else. She didn’t want to remain poor anymore.
She glanced up again and looked up at the twigs from the old tree and the endless sky between them. She then recalled the moment when she encountered the fear of death in the stone chamber. It was the moment she thought it was all over and the moment she lost all hope.
Then, a spring day which was full of life came into Rudis’s mind. It was the experience from sneaking out of the palace where she lived like a slave, then running out into the middle of spring while feeling the soft dirt on her bare feet.
That was the only time in Rudis’s life where she felt truly free. She wanted to have that freedom. She wanted to have all the good things that greeted her, the warm air, the sound of birds chirping in her ears, and the thrilling sense of excitement.
Rudis closed her eyes and recalled all those things. Fortunately, it was a word she knew.
“I still don’t know, but first… I want to live a life.”
“Yes. That’s enough for now.”
At last, Lavane smiled broadly.
“Take it easy. I came here after waiting for five thousand years to make your wish come true.”
He kissed Rudis on the forehead like he did in the stone chamber.
2. Beast Subjugation
~*~
The story of subjugating the beasts ended easily.
-If that’s your wish.
However, Lavane’s cold expression didn’t go away until the end. When Rudis became frightened of his expression, he immediately added an explanation.
-I hate it because I have to take you with me.
Lavane explained that he could not physically stay away from her. That was also the first time she heard that.
So, Rudis asked Bennett to investigate information about ancient gods more thoroughly.
-It won’t be hard to protect you, but I don’t want to show you trivial, dirty things.
Lavane had said while staring at the snowfield with his discontented golden eyes.
-Little, dirty things…
So far, no one has expressed the demons that way. They suddenly appeared while eating people, communicating to each other in strange languages, and polluting places which turned into disasters. It was very difficult to even speak about.
But Lavane talked about it as if they were just a weed in a garden. At this point, Rudis wondered if it was possible that Lavane didn’t know about the true nature of the demons. As soon as she was about to open her mouth and tell him in detail about the situation, Lavane’s golden eyes, which were fixated in the snow field, slowly moved to her.
-As you may have guessed from my words, space is limited to me.
-What?
-I can move freely within a certain range around you, but I can’t move outside from that range. In other words, we need to be prepared to go to the areas occupied by the demons to get rid of them.
-Ah… So I have to leave the palace and get ready to go to those areas.
Rudis’s expression darkened. Unlike Lavane and the others, it’ll take a lot for her to get out of the palace. Even though she’s half-blood, she’s still a princess who is now under the protection of the temple, so it’ll take her at least a year to get out of the palace.
-Why, what’s bothering you?
Lavane, who saw the look on her face, asked.
-Don’t worry. The delay is due to the limitations of this body, not my lack of ability.
It seemed frustrating for him to be trapped in the body of a human being while he lived in chaos as an ancient god.
-It’s not that…
-Then what is it?
-During this time, the number of casualties increased…
Although she has never seen it in person, she was told of the horrors caused by the mass destruction for the past three years. The fact that the demons eat young children also bothered her.
So far, she hasn’t really thought about it properly since she has been trying to get herself together, but as the situation changed and became more urgent, she felt like she needed to run out right away.
-Human damage?
Rudis shook her head.
-Hm, I heard humans used to care about each other. To preserve your species, which is highly populated, it will be difficult to survive alone.
When she listened to Lavane words, which seemed to be spoken straight out of an academic book, Rudis got goosebumps. However, she bit her lips to desperately not show it.
-If I get help from the temple and the Duke of Arctus, I can save a lot of time.
Rudis spoke in a calm tone.
-Is there anything you want me to do until then?
-Not yet.
-Alright.
Lavane replied emotionlessly.
-Call me whenever you need me. I’ll be there.
His tone was insensitive, but the words he added afterwards were more gentle.
As soon as the conversation was over, Lavane disappeared.