Chapter 45 - Reactions

 Many thanks to Sam Ellis for bringing the second sponsored chapter of the week!

Chapter 45 - Reactions

Emelyn’s POV:

I didn’t understand why Merlin had called us here, but he started to tell us a story about the origin of the world…

Merlin: “Contrary to what is written in history books and to what the different cults say, when this world was created, the gods didn’t create the five races, as a matter of fact, at that point in time, the gods didn’t even exist…”

*Seriously? Did he call us here only to give us a history lesson?*

Merlin: “…The gods carried out their plan and the ones sacrificed to create the seal were Natura, Minutorars, Fera, Asmodea, Bastheth and Lokiseth, five goddesses and a lonely god who heroically gave up their very existences to protect their chosen race, with the exception of Bastheth, who just didn’t want to let go of her twin, Fera, and decided to accompany her into the oblivion…”

I can’t put my finger on it, but there is something in Merlin’s story that doesn’t add up… I just don’t know what it is, but the feeling remains…

Merlin: “So, the god that appeared before me while I was in a coma, and taught me the true history of our world, told me that the seal on the hexad is weakening, and a war will break out in a few years.”

Anthon: “But you are still a kid! What can a kid do in a war? Even if the one who talked to you was really a god, what does he expect of you?”

Merlin: “You are right, father, but I can at least prepare for it and get stronger!”

Emelyn: “Is that why you built an underground complex beneath the city and started to build up a secret corps of your own?”

My words left Merlin speechless, and my husband too. The former was probably surprised that I had seen through his plans, that were quite good for a boy his age, while the latter had been shocked by my words, because he doesn’t understand what I meant.

Merlin: “Yes, how did you figure it out?”

Emelyn: “I’m your mother, how wouldn’t I?”

Of course I knew something was up, I just wasn’t aware of the details. However, Merlin had just admitted it was like I thought, there is just a small detail… he started to make those preparations before going into a coma, which means that god had already appeared before him at that time.

I don’t really know for what reason he tries to hide that fact, but Leyla and Anthon don’t seem to have realized Merlin was lying about it. I know that if he is lying about it, then he must have a very good reason to do so, I won’t pry any further for now, but it looks like Merlin and I are going to have a very serious talk very soon.

Emelyn: “Merlin. Don’t go around telling the true history of Klantea, like you did with us! Otherwise, you might get labelled as an heretic by the church, and hunted down!”

Merlin: “I know, mother, and I won’t! Then, do you believe me?”

Emelyn: “Yes, I do, dear.”

Leyla: “I believe you too!”

Anthon: “I don’t know whether what you just told us is true or not, but it kind of makes sense, so it probably is the truth. However, your mother is right, you must keep that story for yourself!”

Merlin: “I understand, father.”

I usually wouldn’t believe such a tale, but this is the second time I have heard that “true history of Klantea”. The first time I heard it was years ago, when I was still working at the Adventurers Guild. An ancient parchment had been found in some ruins, and the guild master, who knew the ancient language in which it was written, had translated its contents.

I happened to read the translation, before emissaries from the church destroyed the original and the translation. The translation of the parchment stated the same “true history” Merlin just told us, and Merlin has no way to know its contents, only a handful of people know them.

That leaves only one possibility, he really has been visited by a god and was told he true story of the world. But that leaves a question unanswered… *What could an all-powerful god want from my 7-year-old son?*

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Leyla’s POV:

It surprised me when I heard that Merlin had summoned Emelyn, Anthon, and me to his room. I didn’t really know what it was about, but my sister’s face told me that it was something important.

*Has his health worsened again?* Let’s hope that is not the case.

*No, Leyla, keep your mind cool. He looked fine yesterday, so he will be fine. Thinking otherwise might jinx him!*  

Merlin used a magic stone to create a soundproofing barrier as soon as we arrived, which was very strange. That in itself wouldn’t have been a bad thing, but it was quite wasteful, those magic stones are anything but cheap. Only after he started talking, did I understand that the soundproofing barrier was really necessary!

I would have considered the story he told us as the product of a child’s imagination, if I hadn’t seen the face my sister made when she heard it. Unlike our husband, my sister wasn’t showing incredulity in her face. Far from it, what she was showing was remembrance and astonishment.

I really couldn’t consider myself a good sister, if I was unable to recognize the changes in Emelyn’s expression, after all these years. However, I could see that her astonishment didn’t come from the contents in Merlin’s story, but from the fact that he knew about that “true history” of our world.

*Could it be that my sister had already heard that “true history” somewhere else?*

Well, it doesn’t matter much. What matters now is that Merlin is ok. I don’t think we could deal with the situation if he were to fall in a coma again, or had another accident. And just like that, the conversation advanced to the point of him telling us he had been ordered by the god to become an adventurer.

Merlin: “Well, as I said, the god that appeared before me told me to become an adventurer before going to Hexenwunder Royal Academy. The two main reasons for that are the need for me to get stronger, and to find some items during the missions, that will help in the war.”

Leyla: “Will you take Adelle, Lupa and Bastet with you?”

Merlin: “No, the god forbade me from doing so. He said they would die if I did. He gave me his blessing of protection, but he didn’t have enough power to do the same with the girls.”

Emelyn: “Well, there is no room for discussion, if that’s the case. But it’s going to be troublesome to keep them here without you. They might even run away from home to look for you…”

Merlin: “I’ll probably have to slip away in the middle of the night, to avoid them. However, if I do that, I’ll make sure to have come up with a way of dealing with the girls in my absence.”

Leyla: “Just make sure you don’t break their hearts!”

Merlin: “Don’t worry aunt Leyla, I don’t plan to.”

I’m well aware that he doesn’t want to hurt the feelings of the girls, but as mature as he is, he doesn’t understand how complex a girl’s heart is… Those girls have been waiting for him, for a whole year, being by his side whenever it was possible for them to do so.

Merlin doesn’t understand that for them, he has already become their reason of living. If he were to lose his life, there is no doubt they would kill themselves to accompany him in the afterlife! Adelle probably have doubts about it because she still has family left, but that is not the case with Lupa and Bastet.

He really should be very careful while handling them. Let's just hope that everything goes well, and nothing will happen to Merlin. It would be good if during those 2 years he is going to be away, the girls get used to it... Such dependence was good to get over the deaths of their parents, but it is not good in the long run...

*I wonder if Emelyn and I should give Merlin a crash course in women and love… At least, we should clearly explain to him the extent of the feelings the girls have for him!*

Let’s just hope that everything goes well and he handles the situation properly…

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Anthon’s POV:

I didn’t know why this rascal had asked Emelyn to bring Leyla and me to his room, but what is the first thing I see him do as soon as we arrive and close the door? He wastes a mana stone to create a soundproofing barrier. There goes 1 gold!

*I know that with the income from the city, you have more money than your parents, kid. But couldn’t you at least cut some slack to your old man, instead of showing off?*

He then explained the reason why he had asked us to come, and started telling us a story he had called the “true history” of this world. The said “true history” was something we had never heard before, in it the existent gods on this world are 23 instead of 11, and 6 of them are bad guys sealed in a different plane, while another 6 sacrificed themselves to keep them there.

The point where the story became even more farfetched, was that the “true history of Klantea” had been told to him by a god! Like the gods don’t have anything better to do than appearing before a 7-year-old kid while he is in a coma, and putting strange ideas on his head.

Strangely enough, my 2 wives believed his words, and Emelyn even added that while we were living in Shephiria, she had heard a rumor about something strange happening with the prophecy tiles of the temple. That really took the cake! At that point, I didn’t know what was what anymore!

With that rumor supporting Merlin’s story, the possibility of an eventual war involving several kingdoms, became somewhat of a certainty. Now, I started to understand why Merlin had designed the city of Ragnarök in the way he had done.

Aside from its beautiful architectural design, there were some parts of the city that looked like they had been specifically designed to resist a long siege, but that didn’t make any sense, for it seemed a little too much even for a city located near the border with another kingdom.

However, after hearing Merlin’s story, everything started to make sense: when he designed the city, he did so expecting no little trouble in the future! But that gave birth to another enigma, if he had been visited by that god during his coma, how did he design the city that way, months before falling into a coma?

I felt that there was something which didn’t quite add up in his story, but although that was the case, my 2 wives didn’t say anything. The both of them are very smart, I know for sure that if they figured out what was wrong in Merlin’s story, they would have pointed out by now…

So it is probably that I am just being too paranoid… After all, if he has been visited once by a god, it could very well have happened twice, thrice, or any number of times…

*What the heck? How can those 2 be so calm about this? Merlin is only 7! How can a god ask a 7-year-old kid to help him prepare for a war to come, and even force him to join the Adventurers Guild?*

The worst part about all this is that I can’t do much to help him, despite being his father. As depressing as it may be, the only thing I can do right now, is to go back to the training regime I used to do when I was young, and try to get back in top shape before that war starts.

I’m afraid that will be the only way I’ll have to protect my family, though, if Merlin survives, he’ll probably be far stronger than I… which is not exactly a bad thing, new generations shall be better and stronger than the previous ones, that is the way of the world…

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