Chapter 11: The Men and the god (11) Faith and Fate (2)
Chapter 11: The Men and the god (11) Faith (2)
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
---
'1–6 Dice, the God of Games 1–6.'
As my name in the divine language means possibilities and probabilities, the name should fit.
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Moments later, we were now within the city of Shieldon. As we looked around—since all of us were new to the city—my first impression was of the sturdy houses, expected from a frontier settlement.
I knew that in this world, cities closer to the kingdom's center—far from the frontier—often didn't even have walls, and their buildings were made of wood and other materials just enough to withstand the elements like sun and wind.
Here in the frontier, however, the buildings were clearly more robust and fortified, likely in preparation for possible invasions from enemy nations and frequent monster attacks.
At that, I nodded and appreciated the other qualities of the city and began thinking of our next steps. We then asked a guard for directions to the nearest stable, and he kindly pointed it out.
When we arrived at the stable, I discussed my intention to sell the horses for money. After a short negotiation, it was decided—that we would sell the horses to the stable, which also dealt in buying and selling.
We couldn't afford to pay for the horses' upkeep or stabling fees, so selling them was the best option. As for the carriage, I asked to refrain from selling it and instead proposed lending it to the stable for their transportation business within the city.
The condition was that they take care of the carriage until we returned to claim it. They gladly agreed.
Since we were considered a religious order, we were treated respectfully by the stable owner. We even made a formal vow in the name of our god to honor the agreement. To add context, there exists something called a God Vow, often used by religious orders—swearing by the name of an aspirant god—to formalize contracts. These vows are overseen by higher gods in the divine realm, who judge whether both parties uphold the terms.
With the contract settled, we received our money and headed to an inn recommended by the stable owner. As night began to fall, we entered the inn and rented two rooms, three people per room for everyone to rest.
And with that, the day concluded… at least for the tired bodies of my recruited followers.
As my followers fell asleep, I summoned their consciousnesses into the astral projection realm that I oversee. I woke them up one by one. When they opened their eyes, they were surprised—floating weightlessly in a vast void—and immediately panicked, flailing as if they were about to fall, trying to grasp something solid beneath them.
At that, I calmed them down and began to explain.
"Well, to keep it short, you are now within my domain—an astral projection realm, to be exact. If I were to explain this in layman's terms, I'd say you're currently inside my mind. I summoned your consciousnesses into this space—a mental realm, simplified—a place where will and awareness reside and take shape."
At that moment, within the form of the avatar I constructed in this mental realm, I began shaping the space itself. The initial void—blank and endless—vanished. In its place, a brilliant blue sky expanded, devouring the blackness of the void until it stretched far and wide, touching the edges of a distant horizon. Beneath us, clouds gently formed, floating in harmony with the sky above.
Then, upon the floating plane we stood—or rather hovered—I began constructing a temple, inspired by the Temple of the Pantheon belonging to my master and mentor, the Goddess of Memory, Mnemosyne.
Since we were within a dream-like mind realm, I dared to replicate and renovate the chief temple of the Greek Pantheon—Zeus's temple—altering it to suit my own tastes. Not satisfied with that alone, I even borrowed elements from other pantheons I admired.
But once I finished… I noticed something. There's a saying: "All good things, when combined, don't always make something better." True enough, the temple ended up looking bizarre. Still, if asked whether I liked it—I would say I absolutely did. I could now admire all the things I loved in one place. Even if it wasn't to others' tastes, I had simply to separate its elements to let them appreciate it individually.
With the scenery in place, I then manifested their bodies—avatars shaped by their consciousness in this realm—granting form to what was previously only formless minds. As their new forms solidified, I gently laid them upon the temple floor.
"Apologies for the delay. Now then, I've summoned you here to discuss something important."
At that, I conjured a round table in the center of the temple. Chairs manifested around it, one for each of them, and a larger, grander seat at the head of the circle for myself. As we all took our seats, I manifested food and drink upon the table—not real food to nourish the body, but delicacies that the mind could taste and enjoy.
"Go ahead and feast while we hold this meeting,"
I said, voice calm.
"I've summoned you all here to discuss our future endeavors and plans… and to officially appoint you all as my followers through a ceremony, which will commence once our discussion concludes."
As I said that, I willed the roof of my temple in this plane of consciousness to vanish, revealing the sky above. The blue of day faded into night, and in its place, the myriad colors of the cosmos emerged—galaxies swirling, nebulae glowing, and starlight painting the heavens with breathtaking beauty and vastness.
The six individuals seated before me each expressed their awe in their own way. Notably, Norkin the dwarf let out a boisterous cry of amazement, while Jacob the elf praised the majesty of the night sky and offered solemn reverence toward natural nature and me.
Hearing their reactions, I was glad I had staged this performance. With this, I ensured that a sense of reverence and wonder imprinted itself into their minds—something sacred and weighty, fitting of one who seeks godhood.
"Now then,"
As I begin my words
"Although the way I recruited all of you may have been unbecoming of an aspirant god, I offer you my apology. I do not feel shame for what I have done, for it was a decision I chose and took full responsibility for."
As I spoke, I placed a hand over my heart and offered a slight bow—a gesture of etiquette recognized in both the mortal and divine realms. At this, all present at the table remained silent, showing respect. The moment of silence stretched, heavy with meaning, until I straightened once more.
"Now then, as for the reason behind my descent… While the purpose of aspirant gods descending to the mortal realm is well known, I shall state it again—for formality and clarity."
I paused for a moment, letting my gaze sweep over each of them. From their expressions, I could tell they already knew what I was about to say. The reason had been passed down since the first divine descent in this world.
"I, Dice—the God of Games—have come for honor, power, and dominion over this world. I have come to forge my epic in this realm, to let my name be known, and to let my rule be felt across this land."
At that, silence fell across the entire realm of consciousness—deep, reverent, and eternal.