Chapter 9: The Men and the god (9) Trial (4)
Character Map:
"X" = Protagonist
"(X)" = Protagonist's strong inner thoughts
'0X0= Goddess Mnemosyne
'1X1'=Mike?
'2X2'=Calvin?
'3X3'=John?
'4X4'=Norkin?
'5X5'=Belkorn?
'6X6'=Damian?
'X' = Extras
'XXX'= Enemy
Other Notations:
[X] = What is written on something
--- = POV change
|||| = Time skip
== = Time recap
"""" = Return from Recap
(X) = Explanation/author's note
([X]) = Sound effect
{X} = Buttons or actions that may trigger an event
---
"And so, I made a choice. You mortals—on the brink of death—could be saved by my divinity. But to do that without ensuring loyalty would've been reckless."
"Thus, the game."
"¹–⁶ ..... ¹–⁶"
"You understand now, don't you? So let me be direct."
"Agree—and you shall be mine. But I am no Evil God Aspirant. Your wills will remain your own. That, I vow."
"Refuse... and face the consequences."
At my words, silence ensued—a deafening, almost oppressive silence that stretched on for seconds, making it feel as though time itself had stalled.
"(...It seems I put a little too much effort into making this scene tense... now it's too tense. Ugh, what should I do now...)"
As the heavy silence continued, a step echoed through the still air.
Turning my gaze to its source, I saw Smither Belkorn stepping forward, his eyes locked onto mine. He walked calmly, unhurriedly, until he stood directly in front of me. He stared at me, then down at my outstretched hand, then back to my face. Looking once more at his own hand, and then mine, he reached out and shook my hand.
"⁵ I'll be in your care... my patron. ⁵"
With those words, he firmly gripped my hand again, then released it, stepping to my side. Now, he stood beside me, silently gazing at the others.
I glanced at Smither Belkorn again—the one who had unexpectedly taken my hand first—and thought:
"(Whoa... that was unexpected. Of all of them, I thought this guy would be least likely to accept me first. Good thing this avatar form conceals my facial expressions... Otherwise, I'd be showing a completely shocked face—not exactly fitting for a so-called aspirant god.)"
I shook the thought from my mind just as another figure stepped forward—another surprise.
Walking steadily with his staff, Druid John approached me. He stopped in front of me and, without the slightest hesitation, took my hand and shook it.
"³ I shall honor the agreement, and serve you—beside Mother Nature. ³"
Surprised, my thoughts slipped from my mouth before I could catch them.
"Ho? I thought you would be the one to reject me."
"³ Hahaha. Well, since I retain my will, it means I can still uphold my oath to Mother Nature. As such, expect that I may refuse any orders that violate the sacred teachings of the druids—such as endangering forests or harming nature's treasures. Beyond that, I will do my best to walk alongside your endeavors, my patron. ³"
Hearing Druid John's words, I was once again bewildered. How did this happen? I questioned in my thoughts.
At that moment, the AI appeared beside my consciousness and began to explain.
It turns out the druids don't worship a god or goddess of nature, as I had assumed. No—rather, they worship nature itself. The flora, the fauna, the very essence of nature in its purest form. They don't need a divine intermediary. Their reverence is directed at the nature itself.
As the AI continued, I learned this wasn't as unprecedented as I'd thought. Throughout history, and even in the present, there have been numerous cases of druids forming contracts with gods or god-aspirants—with conditions. The most notable clause? They must never be asked to violate their oath to nature.
It's a simple rule: no harming of forests or sacred natural places, and no slaying of magical beasts unless provoked or under dire necessity and other more but primarily focused around this reason. Most gods have learned to accept these conditions—and for good reason. Having a druid on your side is worth the price, especially when it comes to navigating the forests—terrains heavily favored by dungeons, which often spawn monsters. In other words, the very grounds where merits to godhood are born.
Looking at the contract formed between me and Druid John, it seemed all conditions were met. I had, perhaps unknowingly, passed the test. And so, the two I believed would be the most difficult to sway—Smither Belkorn and Druid John—had become the first to accept my offer.
All these thoughts passed in just a few short seconds. Druid John stepped beside me, standing next to Smither Belkorn, both gazing silently at the rest.
And as if to prove that these two are proven to difficult to recruit
Swordsman Mike stepped forward next, his voice decisive and unwavering.
"¹ I stand by my savior—and now, by my patron. ¹"
Next came Guardian Norkin, his voice boisterous and filled with hearty approval.
"⁴ Aye, any god who can make this kind of miracle and save me make my hammer worth swingin' for! ⁴"
Then came Mage Damian, pride in his voice—but not arrogance—as he extended his hand.
"⁶ As you indeed saved me, you passed my scrutiny and qualified to take me under your banner. I look forward to seeing just how far we'll go. ⁶"
And lastly—perhaps the most reluctant of the six—Archer Calvin let out a long sigh, as if finally conceding to a choice already made in his heart. He stepped forward, his words simple.
"² I guess... I have no reason to refuse. Just don't disappoint me, 'Patron.' ²"
He took my hand and shook it.
With that final handshake, all six stood beside me.
My game... was complete.
=====================================================
Time passed. We buried the coachman—or rather, the slaver—who had been killed by the beast. After some digging (figuratively and literally), I found out that the people I had recruited were deceived, beaten, and forced into slavery.
It turns out these individuals weren't even together at first. They were simply grouped by chance, delivered in the same carriage to be sold in a far-off nation where illegal slavery still thrives.
The country we're currently in, I learned, does practice slavery—but only under a legal framework. Those who fall into slavery are typically debtors or criminals, classified as "debt slaves" or "criminal slaves." However, those who are kidnapped or coerced into servitude—like the ones I saved—are considered illegal slaves.
This land, called the Kindheart Kingdom, has a reputation for tolerance and diplomatic ties with various races, even with the reclusive Elvendom of Elvenhart. Unlike other nations, such as the human-supremacist Mandrake Empire, Kindheart is a multiracial kingdom, and as such, it cannot tolerate the illegal enslavement of people—especially when specific races are targeted.
Back to the matter at hand: every one of my new companions was newly arrived in this kingdom, each from different homelands. They were tricked and abducted, falling into the slave trade.
I was about to ask them about how it happened, but a thought stopped me. Perhaps it was too soon. They might not yet be ready—or willing—to revisit those memories. So, I remained silent and instead instructed them to gather what they could. We would depart soon.
Fortunately, the beast had only attacked the slaver, sparing the horses. And since the carriage remained mostly intact, we were able to set off smoothly.
As for the beast—it had submitted during the trial and never once resisted afterward. Surprisingly, Druid John was able to tame and form a contract with it. This should have been impossible due to the beast's higher rank, but because of its mental exhaustion and diminished will from the simulation, the bond succeeded.
Now, Druid John rides the beast alongside the carriage. He said he wants to build trust and discipline before we reach the city.
After several hours of travel, the distant silhouette of walls and towers came into view. We arrived at what the locals call the Frontier City, known formally as Shieldon—the first and farthest line of defense on this side of the Kindheart Kingdom.
"According to the geography lessons I studied before descending into this world, this is Shieldon—Kindheart's bulwark against invasion."