Raul POV.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
Micah, you idiot, did you really think you could beat me with your half-wit...?
The first wish: a piece of Yggdrasil.
But Yggdrasil is the bridge connecting the realms, and the area we're in right now is what the Norse gods call Midgard.
In other words, Yggdrasil is tied to the world, and the soil is considered a part of the tree—after all, soil is one of the most important parts of any tree.
If there is no soil, then it means there is no tree.
In Yggdrasil's case, this is even more significant.
That's why even a bit of soil contains a tiny piece of Yggdrasil's energy—trillions of times less than a real branch, but that doesn't change the fact that it holds Yggdrasil energy.
Lara figured that out too. When she started thinking about sensing the life force around her, she realized the soil had life energy in it.
Even though she had little knowledge about Yggdrasil before, she put herself in my shoes.
BOOOM
The answer was right there.
Seeing Micah's disappointed face was satisfying.
That fool needed to remember what I'm capable of.
I sealed his emotions, not his intelligence; he can think more realistically now because no emotion is involved in his thinking.
According to the agreement, he has to wish for feasible things. For example, he can't ask Lara to conquer the world for him.
Or to resurrect his wife...
Since the guy can't feel emotions, when Lara explains it logically, he'll have to accept this answer.
I told Lara to hurry in the first wish because people come up with more creative ideas when they have to finish a task quickly.
Artemis and I are watching the world from the moon, observing what Lara's doing.
The world is truly massive.
"Raul... did you know Lara would pull this off?" said Artemis, setting her guitar down on the ground.
But I gave Artemis a sideways glance, and she continued playing her guitar.
Gods learn quickly; one day of training brings them to the same level as someone who's trained for ten years.
"Artemis, sometimes you need to use your brain more than your muscles. While slowly training Lara, I'm collecting a debt..." I said.
Artemis looked tired too: "But you're changing the girl. She's not ready to see the world's darkness..."
"No, she's already seen a part of it. She needs to learn how to deal with people using her words."
"But it doesn't seem like you're doing a good job—the Valentine royal family is hunting you." Artemis's words hit me like an arrow.
I narrowed my eyes and kicked her butt: "Why'd you stop? Keep playing."
"AHHHHH FUCK OFF, RAUL!" she said, trying to run away, and I chased after her, pulling out my staff.
Taming a Goddess is tough...
Finally, Artemis stopped and fell to the ground: "Okay, don't hit me, I surrender. I won't ask stupid questions anymore."
Instead of a hit, Artemis felt a hand on her head: "That's better, you NEET goddess."
Artemis's hair is really beautiful, that's why I keep messing it up, but she puffed out her cheeks: "You're no different from me."
"Hmm, I didn't hear that. Could you say it again?" On Raul's forehead, there's a + sign.
Artemis was about to speak, but shut up when she saw Raul's expression: "I was just thinking how smart, handsome, and charismatic you are."
I could swear Artemis was cursing all my ancestors...
But still, it's not what she thinks of me—it's her words are matter.
Because the longer you sustain a lie, the more it turns into truth, at least for the thoughts passing through your mind.
If a person lies to themselves for years that they're a millionaire, even if they're in debt to the bank, they'll eventually claim to be a millionaire.
If a person who killed someone tells themselves long enough that they didn't kill, their mind will eventually discard that memory.
With time, you can even deceive your own conscience...
A huge couch appeared—it looked quite large: "Come on, sit down and let's watch if Micah has gotten smart."
Artemis zipped onto the couch, and I did the same. Popcorn appeared in our hands.
Artemis shoved a handful into her mouth.
Lara and Micah were being watched right now...
Lara POV.
"I didn't trick you, Micah. Now tell me your second wish," I said, because I've been explaining the connection between Yggdrasil and the realms to this guy for an hour.
I know he knows it, but he doesn't care—he seems to enjoy wasting my time.
A smile appeared on Micah's face: "My brother, Alfred von Everic—he died because of Raul... Make it possible for me to talk to my deceased brother."
I sighed; looks like I'll have to mess with necromancy: "Of course, I accept your second wish. Tell me your brother's grave," I said, though I could guess the answer; I wanted to hear it from him.
"Do I have to tell you everything? Go find it yourself!" he said and gestured for me to leave.
I narrowed my eyes.
Micah von Everic.
Not just Raul—you've pissed me off too...