Chapter 48 Forgiveness

The power and grandeur of the Goddess had completely vanished. Before Amon sat an ordinary girl, crying from hurt and an overflow of emotions. Amon didn't think about how the girl, with truly feminine cunning, was picking the lock to his soul and heart.

"So many grand words... I'll storm the heavens... I'll free you... liar!"

Fallen Goddess cried even harder. Her tears, pure as morning dew, flowed like hail down her cheeks.

This sight made Amon's heart beat faster. He felt a strange awkwardness. The sorcerer had often seen heart-wrenching scenes, and even more often, he had been involved in creating them. He had incited conflicts, throwing millions into the crucible of war. He had tangled and deceived, enjoying the beauty of his manipulations. Amon's soul had been numb to others' suffering and pain. They didn't matter – in the center of his universe was himself.

That's what he had thought until this moment. Seeing the crying Goddess, the sorcerer felt an unfamiliar softness in his chest.

'She's like a book submerged in a river,' a ridiculous thought flashed through his mind. 'The ink spreads and mixes with the water. And along with it, the thoughts of long-departed sages. Even a beautiful binding can't preserve its contents.'

He felt pity for Fallen Goddess.

'I shouldn't have pressured her,' Amon thought with regret. It was almost as if he was justifying himself to himself. 'Thunder and lightning, screams… I pushed too far. The Goddess may still be useful to me. She's capricious, inconsistent, and spoiled. Her arrogance literally makes me sick. But she has power. And she may be my only ticket to the real world!'

Hiding behind these sensible thoughts, Amon approached Fallen Goddess and sat down beside her.

"Alright, calm down," Amon said softly. Unexpectedly for him, there was a hint of guilt in his tone. "We both overreacted."

In response, the Goddess only sniffled.

"I overreacted," Amon quickly corrected himself. "I admit, I was wrong. No Supreme Goddess! I'll keep my word and free you, the contract doesn't matter. That you chose me is already a great honor."

It was as if the sorcerer had lost control of his speech. What he said sounded much more sincere than he had intended.

Fallen Goddess sniffled, her hands still covering her face.

"You're lying again…" the Goddess said in a trembling voice. Amon thought he detected a hint of triumph and coquettishness in her words, but who could understand this strange being?

"No, I rarely lie, and right now I'm telling the absolute truth. Lies are unworthy of a knight! Don't worry, I'll do everything in my power and even more!"

"I'm in a weak position," Fallen Goddess said, swallowing her tears.

"You misunderstood me! It was a compliment," Amon lied. "Weakness adorns a woman just as strength adorns a man. How many great deeds have been done in the name of a woman's weakness? Countless. Think about it—would we sacrifice ourselves if we knew a woman could stand up for herself? What's the point?"

"That's true," the Goddess agreed. She pulled her hands from her face and looked at the sorcerer with trust. "You've already performed a great deed for me. I completely forgot—you saved my priestess. I looked at you through her eyes and rejoiced that I had my own hero."

At these words, she began crying again. The sorcerer ground his teeth. Fallen Goddess refused to calm down and move on to the matter at hand.

'What am I supposed to do with you?' Amon thought irritably. 'Nothing's working!'

He hadn't noticed that he'd said this out loud.

"Say you're an idiot," Fallen Goddess murmured, wiping her tears with her hands.

The sorcerer frowned in displeasure, but he spoke the required words.

"I'm an idiot."

"Say I was right. About everything."

"You were right about everything."

Fallen Goddess stopped crying and smiled at the corners of her mouth.

"And now say, say… that I'm your goddess and you wouldn't trade me for anyone!"

Amon wanted to sink through the earth. In the Ocean of Terror, the sorcerer had humiliated himself a few times for the sake of advantage. Now something similar was happening. And, as always, it wasn't bringing him any joy.

"You're my goddess. The most beautiful, intelligent, and attractive. Other goddesses are nothing compared to you! And I wouldn't trade you for anyone, I swear!"

As he recited this flattery, Amon barely managed to keep a straight face. He struggled to prevent it from breaking into a sour grimace.

Her words pleased the Goddess. Obviously, she had gotten what she wanted. The girl quietly giggled and looked at Amon. Her tears had dried up. As if in tune with her mood, the clouds in the sky parted. The sorcerer wanted to touch Fallen Goddess to cement his success, but his hand passed through her like air.

"Pity it can't happen," the Goddess kept her gentle gaze on Amon. "I would have kissed you."

'Thank the Dark Gods and all the warp demons that it can't happen!' the sorcerer thought happily.

"The longer the separation, the sweeter the reunion," Amon said solemnly.

"Such nice words. Very pleasant," Fallen Goddess's cheeks flushed. "Oh! I mustn't do it like that."

The Goddess perked up and flew into the air, settling on a throne that had appeared from nowhere. Her face adopted a majestic expression.

"You spoke worthy words, knight. I forgive your coldness, for the Goddess is above human emotions," Fallen Goddess said haughtily and seriously. Playful glints flashed in the depths of her green eyes. "Except for love for her creations. You said you had questions. I permit you to ask them, but first tell me about your journey."

'Finally!' Amon nearly exclaimed. The Goddess's change in behavior didn't surprise him. She had behaved the same way during their first meeting, but now the sorcerer knew what was hidden behind the false grandeur. At least, that's what he thought.

"The journey was short. I passed through the desert, heading to El-Farrah, great Goddess," Amon easily played along. "There, I hope to master magic. I think magic will be needed for your freedom. Along the way, I saved a priestess from ignorant barbarians who hadn't yet accepted your rule."

"I know this," Fallen Goddess said gravely. "Good start. I'm pleased. As for magic, I could start teaching you myself, but the hours of our meeting are drawing to a close."

'And you spent them arguing with me!' Amon almost said, but wisely kept silent.

The Goddess waved her hand graciously.

"Ask your questions, knight."

'It's too early to ask about other worlds,' Amon quickly reasoned. 'First, I need to fully rehabilitate myself. I'll ask a more expected question.'

"I need to know how to free you," the sorcerer said. "One sword is clearly not enough."

Fallen Goddess nodded and thought for a moment, tilting her head sweetly.

"In our first meeting, I mentioned the Symphony of the Heavenly Spheres, knight. When I created the world, I divided it into levels. The first, highest, is Heaven. The abode of angels and my former residence. But in truth, their purpose lies elsewhere…"

The Goddess launched into an elaborate description of the architecture of the world. She often fell silent, furrowing her brow as she recalled the smaller details. At times, the Goddess spoke at great speed, inserting many unfamiliar terms. When the sorcerer made a confused expression, Fallen Goddess paused her explanations.

She pursed her lips and snapped her fingers, searching for simpler expressions. The Goddess's speech was rather disjointed and confusing. It seemed that she didn't fully understand why she had created the world the way she did and not differently.