"A choice…" Unlike Medici, who lacked key information, the Ancient Sun God clearly understood what this choice entailed. He glanced at the sky, sighed, and said, "The madness of humanity, the rationality of divinity... what a dilemma."
"So, what's your choice?" Alaric asked, genuinely curious.
"I don't know." The Ancient Sun God replied, shaking His head. He looked at Alaric. "I don't fully grasp what's happened in the future or what this world is like now. I'll need to understand it thoroughly before I can decide."
Despite being summoned before, those brief moments hadn't been enough. Though He'd exchanged some information with this era's True Creator and Adam, it was limited.
Some things couldn't be conveyed through mere information... like the state of the world, the precarious barrier. Only by seeing it Himself could the Ancient Sun God truly comprehend.
"Tch, Adam's got a clever plan. It looks like a one-off deal, but I'll probably be stuck with you lot for a long time!" Alaric half-joked, though he didn't truly feel cheated.
A Conqueror characteristic was worth it, and summoning the Ancient Sun God wasn't a bad deal for him either.
More summons meant more chances to build rapport!
Plus, for experiments involving altering history, the Ancient Sun God was the ideal candidate…
Alaric kept his expression neutral, maintaining his slightly complaining demeanor.
"Sorry for the trouble, Mr. Alaric." The Ancient Sun God said, seeing through the act but not calling it out, offering a polite smile instead.
"No choice... I'm a conscientious businessman!" Alaric shrugged, then said, "We've got some time today. Why don't we walk around Backlund? You can see this era for yourself."
"Backlund?" The Ancient Sun God hadn't heard the name. In His time, the city didn't exist, and prior information exchanges wouldn't have covered such trivial details.
"Yep, Backlund, the capital of the Loen Kingdom…" Alaric began dutifully explaining Backlund's basics, grabbing the Ancient Sun God's shoulder. In the next moment, they appeared elsewhere.
"This is the Queens District…"
Over the next few minutes, Alaric used his Traveler abilities to give the Ancient Sun God a whirlwind tour of Backlund's districts. Though they didn't linger long in each, it was enough for Him to grasp the basic state of the populace. Soon, they reached the final area.
"This is the East District."
Alaric said little this time, quietly gazing at the slum-like buildings nearby.
The Ancient Sun God's brows furrowed almost instantly. His eyes scanned the area, His voice tinged with disbelief. "I don't understand. How could the Seven Gods allow a place like this to exist? Even if they don't care about the people… about ordinary lives, can't they see the danger this poses?"
In an ordinary world, a slum might just be a slum. But in the world of the Mysteries, such places were breeding grounds for evil gods.
"They see it, of course. The churches do want to change things, but the churches balance each other, and the churches and the royal family check one another. No one's willing to compromise, so this is what you get." Alaric said, pausing to glance at the Ancient Sun God. "You can't expect today's gods to share your high morals. Unless there's a major crisis, they won't sacrifice their interests for a potential threat."
The Ancient Sun God fell silent for a few seconds before asking, "Has no one tried to change this?"
"Maybe some have, but you know this world... power is authority thanks to Beyonders. The gods are the ultimate arbiters. If they don't want change, who can spark a revolution?" Alaric spoke plainly. In the original story, Klein was the perfect example. Before becoming the Lord of Mysteries, he couldn't liberate the colonies. After he did, others yielded without him needing to act.
"And with the apocalypse looming, many things take a backseat. Even if one of the Seven Gods wanted to act, the apocalypse's threat means they can't risk weakening themselves." Alaric added after a moment.
Some gods might want change, but the apocalypse forced compromises.
The Ancient Sun God went quiet again, staring at the low, shabby houses. After several seconds, He said, "But many of these people won't live to see the apocalypse."
Alaric glanced at Him. "I thought you'd say, 'It's a necessary sacrifice.'"
"No one's sacrifice is necessary." The Ancient Sun God said, shaking His head. "Every sacrifice is our failure."
"You really are different from Adam." Alaric concluded seriously, then shrugged. "But I don't think it's entirely the Seven Gods' fault. Many are in poor condition themselves, tasked with maintaining the barrier and fending off Outer Deities. At the end of the day, the real culprits are the Outer Deities."
The Ancient Sun God blinked, surprised, and looked at Alaric. "That view… catches me off guard."
"Tell me it doesn't make sense!" Alaric said, patting His shoulder. "Or do you think I'm just biased against the Seven Gods?"
"Your opening remarks did sound like you were targeting them." The Ancient Sun God said, waiting for an explanation.
"I'm just stating facts." Alaric said with a smile. "Sure, the Seven Gods share some blame for the world's state, but extraordinary times call for nuance. They're trying to protect this world... that's undeniable merit. The apocalypse is real, so at this juncture, instead of judging them, I think it's more important we all work together to take down the Outer Deities."
"Of course, if the Outer Deities are dealt with and the apocalypse averted, and the Seven Gods still do nothing, then it's on them. I'd support you taking action against them then."
Alaric's point was clear: debating who's to blame for the world's state was pointless now. Surviving the apocalypse came first; they could settle scores later.
"Naturally, I'm not denying that this means abandoning these people, but…" Alaric blinked. "I didn't cause their misery, and I'm not obligated to save them, so don't guilt-trip me."
Alaric wasn't a saint. Even after Medici's wake-up call made him realize this was a real world, he wasn't the type to dedicate himself to saving others, even in his original world. He admired good people, pitied the innocent, and didn't mind lending a hand... but that was it.
His words left the Ancient Sun God with a wry smile. Shaking His head, He said, "I never thought saving them was your duty. And…" He paused, looking at Alaric. "You showed me this on purpose, didn't you?"
Alaric smiled, not denying it.
He had no interest in starting a revolution, but he didn't mind nudging a professional in that direction.
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Hi guys, Elenea here! I just want to announce that starting now I'll be trying to focus on my own original fanfic, which I've been thinking about for the past few days (lol I really mulled this over briefly for a few days and decided I'm going to make it a full novel).
[Worse Than the Devil (DxD)]
Synopsis:
Devil.
An evil and chaotic creature, born from hell, which are often a scapegoat for humans. Blamed for the atrocities they themselves commit.
"The devil made me do it."
A phrase always uttered by humans after committing crimes, casting blame and responsibility for their wrongdoings onto the devil.
But not all humans are like that, for there is one man who would gleefully commit atrocities that would be condemned by all of human history and accept the blame and responsibility for those wrongs with open arms.
His name is Michael, but in stark contrast to the meaning of his name 'Who is like God' he is not a devout man who draws near to God's embrace. Instead… he is the one who sends lost sheep to meet God's embrace much faster.
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Btw, a quick note before you decide to read, if you have a heart as pure as glass, I suggest you don't read this because it REALLY gets dark to early. The first chapter will give you a little idea of what I might explore later on in this fanservice harem-themed world like DxD.
Adios!