Deity 2.321

Viggo did not dare to make a promise lightly without knowing what Miriam was proposing. The latter dismissed him and told him to come and get her when he had a clear answer.

Viggo walked out of the room and found the old butler in the hall. An old man with gray hair and beard dressed in a black robe.

—Pedro— said Viggo —take me to my room—

Pedro lowered his face in a gesture of respect and pointed to the hallway —please here— he said.

Viggo walked down the third-floor hallway, looking at the furniture, tapestries, paintings, and ceramics. All the best quality. On the other hand, Viggo observed the old man ahead of him. A man with skin tanned by the desert, with a straight back like a spear and a virile posture. Pedro may not have been anymore, but you could see the years as a warrior in his posture and way of moving.

—Pedro— said Viggo.

Pedro looked back and matched his advance so he could see Viggo in the face —Yes, sir?— he asked.

—Your lady, she's smart, isn't she?—

—She is the most outstanding of all the princesses of the desert— Pedro replied earnestly, but his gaze was full of pride.

—I see, she's your daughter—

—God Viggo, this humble old man is just a butler— Pedro said looking forward and avoiding making eye contact with Viggo —his words could cost this old man his head—

—Pedro, you see, in my family, it is not strange to adopt children— Viggo said matter-of-factly —my father adopted my brother Ottar, and I adopted a boy and a girl. All of them fabulous and beautiful. Ottar is my father's son and the children I adopt are my children. However, simply saying "they are mine" does not make them my children. But the fact of taking care of them, caring for them and looking for them to have the best in this life. Aren't you the same?—

Pedro continued to move forward at a slow pace, without uttering a word or looking at Viggo. The latter followed him to the second floor and when they reached the door of Viggo's room, they stopped.

Viggo looked at Pedro, and the old man looked at him back.

—Boy— Pedro said in a fatherly tone. For the first time he did not refer to Viggo as God, but for what he was —I don't know what you propose when you ask me such a thing or tell me your story, but I can tell you that I appreciate my girl as the most valuable thing in life. In addition, I will tell you the following: your wife could go, win the goodwill of the goddess Hera, but my girl went before her and if your wife had not appeared, my girl would be the heir of the goddess Hera—

—The fate of some is the misfortune of others— said Viggo.

Pedro nodded gently and bowed his face in a sign of respect —with your permission, sir. Everything has been prepared inside your room. If you need anything, there is a bell. If you shake it, one of the servants will come to serve you—

—You can retire— replied Viggo.

Pedro turned around and went in the direction of the stairs leading down to the first floor.

Viggo turned around and stood in front of the door. He took the handle and opened it. He entered the room and found a spacious room, adorned with the finest furniture and rugs. Inside were Sakura and Ana, sitting in armchairs and drinking wine. The coffee table had trays with fruits, bottles of wine and other delicacies.

—I see they were well taken care of— Viggo said with a broad smile. He closed the door and advanced to the couches. He sat in one, but it was impossible for him to be comfortable. The backrest was too small, and he couldn't support his head.

Sakura and Ana had removed their purple breastplates. They only left the dark clothes they always wore under the armor. Ana had grapes in her left hand and ate them one by one. On the other side, Sakura was holding a glass of wine and giving him small sips.

—Yes, they took good care of us— Ana replied, putting a grape in her mouth.

Sakura looked at Viggo and asked —How did it go for you?—

—You could say fine, but I have some complications— replied Viggo, looked at the coffee table, took a silver cup and took a bottle of wine. He poured himself a little and took the glass with his right hand. He took a brief sip and continued —she's a greedy woman and she wants things. Well, like all people, but let's just say it's...—

—Like Semiramis? You shake her hand, and she takes your elbow— Sakura replied with a sneer.

—Yes, but that's not the problem. The problem is that she asked me for too big a promise and I don't know what she's hiding—

—You could occupy your clairvoyance— said Ana.

—Yes, but if I do that, I will become dependent on my power and my mind will become sluggish—

—You have a very convenient power— said Ana —I don't know why you limit it, maybe this secret is something serious—

—It is important to cultivate an agile mind. I want to use my power as a last resort—

—I find it boring— said Ana —besides, you're king of the gods. They're not your family or friends—

—Miriam is the mother of Jason's daughters—

—And do you know them?—

—No, but I want to create a long-term relationship of trust. If I force things, none of that will be possible—

—Too much diplomacy— Ana pointed out —I think you should be more coercive—

—I don't think so, I need allies, not tools. I will not fall into the same mistakes that Odin made—

—I think that's a good thought— said Ana, nodded looking at nothingness and mechanically put a grape in her mouth. She ate it and went on —but I think you think too much about extremes. Think scales, we've been talking about it the other time, about putting a note to your actions, a unit of measurement. The same thing exists to get things done, push, but don't be excessive. Be kind, but never shy. Speak your mind, but don't be overbearing or helpful—

"It's a delicate balance" Viggo could hear in his mind in his master's thick voice. In the end, everything in life was something like this, finding the delicate balance. Viggo chuckled quietly and drank from his glass.

Ana and Sakura stared at him, but did not insist on the subject, it seems that he had understood what he had to do.

Viggo didn't need much, he didn't even need something from Miriam to know what she was up to. If she wanted the king of the gods to make an overt and overly compromising promise, it should be something important enough for her to request such a promise.

Viggo stayed in his armchair while Sakura and Ana ate and drank. He occupied his clairvoyance, and his vision took the form of an eagle that rose to the heavens. Then he sees the whole city of Shalzard surrounded by the huge walls and the almost endless desert.

Viggo channelled more divine power and his clairvoyance caused the flow of time to accelerate. He saw how the great city of Shalzard was besieged and turned into a pile of ashes. Then it was rebuilt, expanded, new roads were formed. However, everything was within the range of normal. Until his vision advanced up to twelve years in the future and he saw how a tower like that of Babel, rose in the middle of the desert of Kaios. Large, majestic, with a tubular shape and made of white stone.

Viggo flew with his vision to the tower, but could only reach a couple of kilometers away, something prevented him from approaching with his clairvoyance. Viggo gained altitude, but still could not approach the tower. It was a wide perimeter that separated the tower from the influence of any power. However, Viggo saw that this was not the only tower. In the distance rose three other towers at each corner of the continent.

Viggo traveled to the southeast, between the wasteland of Kalang and the abandoned world, in the territory of Larrios. The tower was like that of Babel and the same as the one that appeared in Kaios. It had the same type of construction and reached the sky.

Then he traveled to the snowy area, north of the empire and found the other tower.

Finally, he travels to the region of the ruins of Elsos, to the northwest, very close to the Dragon Valley. A huge tower of Babel was also raised.

Viggo stared at the tower of Babel surrounded by thick fog and a ghost forest. Viggo let time flow around the tower of Babel, in the ruins of Elsos, and the panorama changed. The mist dissipated and the ghost forest gave way to a beautiful pure forest, filled with wonderful vegetation.

Then Viggo understood that the towers would also bring changes at the earth level. He returned to travel to the desert of Kaios in a few seconds with the help of his clairvoyance, but when he arrived, he did not know the region. The Kaios desert had been transformed into a beautiful jungle full of rivers, abundant vegetation, and life.

Then Viggo understood why Miriam had asked him for such a heavy promise. If she administered the desert of Kaios which in the future would be extremely fertile, she would be richer than the royal family of Opera Meilstora. She was a woman with enormous ambition, even greater than Semiramis herself.

Viggo turned off his clairvoyance and found himself lying on his bed, with the lights off. He could hear the soft breathing of two people next to him. Viggo turned to the right, stretched out his hands, and stroked a slender, curvy, toned body. He could feel with his body the length of her hair, it was Ana.

—Viggo, are I done yet?— asked Ana, half asleep.

—Yes, I'm done— whispered Viggo.

—You spent a lot of time occupying your power. Sakura and I worried—

—I'm sorry, but it was necessary. This is bigger than you imagine. This is no longer so simple. Something has changed, or rather, I have changed something about the future—

—For better or for worse?— asked Ana, she woke up immediately to hear the last words. The changes weren't bad, but it all depended on whether you could face them. She turned around and looked at Viggo from very close.

—I don't know, but this means studying more and talking with Miriam. She knows anything, but I doubt it's hers. She must have obtained some kind of knowledge from somewhere or someone provided it to her. Plus, there's the fact that we found those creatures with the obsidian stone—

—Don't worry, you've already corrected a part of the future. Bell and Ottar will be fine, remember? We just need to keep working together—

—I still don't know if I was right to tell you about the future. Mortals...—

Ana covered his mouth with her index finger and didn't let him continue —you're going to stop being mortal, but becoming a god doesn't make you an expert. Even Bishamon and that woman, Athena, are in favor of dialogue. It is important to discuss problems. You remember what you told me "I need allies, not tools" That's what you're doing, building allies you can trust and tell them your problems—

—Thank you, I don't know what I would do without you—

—Mmm, that depends— Ana said with a flirtatious smile, brought her lips closer and gave him a tender kiss.