The Wisdom Relic

I was sure if I was drinking something, I would have choked again. But what the f*ck was going on with all this mess anyway? Marco's wife? This relationships were getting more and more confusing, and I did not know how to begin understanding all this.

"Nádia Maram... she was very friendly. The first Brard to be chosen guardian of a relic. Henry set out to help her to live, and when she did, they were in that passionate relationship." Marco returned to his apathetic, bored expression, and as he spoke, he looked out the window: "Until that time, I had not yet taken over the Empire, and Henry and I were friends... the best of them", then he became thoughtful, "really was something predestined…" and laughed as he said it. "So when I turned the Emperor, I stole his beloved when she was waiting for his son, made her marry me, registered the boy as mine, and forbade Henry to come back to her."

After all, what the hell was he telling me? I was completely horrified. And he said it as casually as if it were not anything too much. As if he had nailed a play to a friend.

"Nadia fell ill in pregnancy. Her body rejected the changes, but she persisted in giving birth and after the boy was born, she did not allow herself to be treated", perhaps now he had shown a hint of feeling, but it was anger and not sadness. This conversation was becoming very surreal. "She still lived a lot... more than six years convalescing. And when the day came when she died... Henry simply collapsed, and you were born!"

I felt disgusted about Marco at this moment, hearing his story.

"What do you want to tell me? Want me to be sure that 'Your Majesty' is a scoundrel? You have just confessed that you have ruined your best friend's happiness and family!" I did not know how to express my growing disgust for him in words, but I was sure he would know what I was feeling, "Why did you do that? You apparently did not even love her! It seems that all you did was just to be envious of Henry…"

I asked for a reason but I do not think I really wanted to know an answer. I was getting sick.

"Envy, huh? Actually, it can be said that, yes…" Marco leaned forward in his chair, and it looked pretty dangerous now. — but why did I do it, and whether I loved her or not, that is beside the point, nor is it pertinent information now. We did not come here to work on the tragic life of the guardians of this generation. It's twenty minutes to the fifteenth hour of the day and I'll have to leave... I'll be back only after the New Year's Festival over, and I will not have time to talk to you personally before the meeting with the others out there.

"So say what you want already! — I insisted, feeling the depths of my insides turn as I talked to him. I wanted to get out of there as fast as I could.

"Since Nadia's death, Henry has become emotionally unfit to deal with the guardian's responsibility, I have taken custody of the Creation and Wisdom Relics. I never pretended to become guardian of them. Besides, though as you saw, the Creation Relic was waiting for you. In the coming meeting, I want you to vote in favor that I continue to keep the Wisdom Relic."

Marco was objective and straight to the point this time. However, his request took me completely by surprise.

"Theoretically the existence of the Relics should be a secret of the government, and you want to stay as guardian of one of them?"

"No." Marco got up, went to the nearby closet, and took out a shrine similar to what he had kept the Creation Relic when he forced it on me, "You will stay with it. I'll even give it to you right now!" I felt my body tighten with fear, imagining the side effects it would suffer from having one of these things with me. "Open when you're alone, or give it to Henry, whatever... what matters is that the information that comes out is that this is going to stay with me."

"But why?" I did not restrain myself, I reached out to receive the reliquary.

"Just a feeling I have that this will be better for your safety, and I cannot tell a lie myself… This Relic, under certain circumstances, at the hands of an ambitious and evil person, is the most dangerous. While Creation produces matter and absorbs energy, and Transmutation manipulates all kinds of energy and alters forms, the Wisdom Relic creates gravity and can attract and accumulates all the knowledge produced. All of it, in all space time until now. It is like a great library, where everything that was once said, written, produced, and taught is stored.

" do not understand how it can be the most dangerous…" I expressed, twirling the reliquary between my fingers trying to feel the object inside. It did not seem to have such offensive power.

"Of course you do not understand, you're still very trivial!", he replied seriously, "Knowledge is useless in the hands of those who do not want or do not know how to use it... but a psychopathic genius putting his hands on the source of all the knowledge of the universe... what couldn't he do? Have access to everything that has already been said about life, your family, your past, and all other people... everything!"

"You're very mean for someone who's asking a favor…" I replied offended by the "trivial", but I understood what he meant.

"So do not face it like a favor. Face like an order!", he replied, "One thing you can be sure of: You'll regret it if you don't do it."

He stared at me deeply, and I knew that everything he said had to be true, including the threats, but the fact that he wanted to be seen as a jerk caught me completely by surprise. I could only sigh and fasten the shrine hidden inside my neckline. Marco raised an eyebrow, but watched me quietly as I finished.

"Next thing I want, you have to leave Henry's house as soon as possible, if not, immediately." He spoke very seriously, as if the fact that I was staying at Henry's house was much more serious than the possibility of one of the Relics being at risk."

"May I ask why? Shouldn't the guardians of the Relics, theoretically, work together?"

"From what I've seen in your head, you're clinging to him because you feel you're alone in this world." Marco said directly, "You do not think you have any relatives here, and you do not have anyone else you can get along with, interact with or maintain a sincere friendship... even more with the limitations of language and people you could relate to."

"And what should I do? Come to the palace to be under your wings and have all my steps guarded by you?"

I mocked. I could not do anything about limiting languages, even though I find it rather strange that in a meeting with people of different nationalities, none of them used a translator point, but I would not use it as an excuse to stop me from interacting with others.

"I would not say this is not the best option", he replied, "I still do not trust Henry's sanity. He is still very unbalanced. He can become an easy prey for any enemy."

"But what enemies are these? Who are these people who want to get their hands on the Relics and use them in a perverse way? Weren't the Relics supposed to be secret?" I fired irritably.

Marco did not answer. He spent a whole minute staring at his own nails, seeming to decide what to do, until finally he said,

"These enemies ... the most dangerous part in them, is that I do not know who exactly they are…" He turned to the window and looked outside. The sun was almost set, "It is someone who knows that I, the Emperor, knows the secret of the Relics, and intentionally is hiding from me…" he was now very angry when he said that. "Now... how can he do it?"

I imagined that it should be impossible to even land on the planet with bad intentions without Marco knowing, giving his control over the power of omniscience.

"It was they who caused the xenophobic wars!" I said suddenly recalling a memory that had sprouted in my head and that had caused my suspension from school, and I felt powerless against this invisible enemy who was able to manipulate the people to go to war.

"Interesting how your mind works... you have remote access from Nadia's memories…" This seemed to be very interesting information for him. "Then I already know how I'll charge you for the slap you gave me."

Marco smiled sadly and cruelly. I waited with fear for what he would say:

"I want a kiss from you!"