"No, especially not on such a sacred and holy night boy. This is the day we finally meet our pope after so long. Besides, we owe you a favour, and our Lord never likes to owe favours. He likes to give not take." The tall man replied while ignoring the magi Luke was preparing.
"The Fake one?" Luke asked clearly understanding that the favour was about ruining all evidence of his sister back at the village.
The Tall man nodded while the barkeeper spoke "You may think it as nothing but protecting your sister boy, but to us, it was a big deal, even though our Lord could have done it himself. Ask us what you need?"
"Can I talk to Linda?" Luke asked as he dissipated his magi particles.
"That is beyond us boy. She owes two people in her life. One is you and one is the Lord himself. What she did to the village was for both you and her. Now what she is about to do is for the lord. She doesn't wish you to distract her until her mission is complete boy. After that, she will be willing to see you." The barkeeper explained.
"For me? What do you mean for me?" Luke asked in confusion.
"She was shown the truth. The truth about how her death broke you along with the truth of her mother. Do you think she kept her calm when she realised what that women caused you to be?" The barkeeper explained.
"Shown? How much do you know?" Luke asked fearing the worst
"We told you as much as you want to know." The tall man replied
"Cut the crap! Tell me what you and she knows about me." Luke replied in anger.
The tall man sighed before piercing his eyes at him. "Luke Storm. The Storm of misfortune, I am not sure exactly how long you lived in the future as that is only known to her and Lord.
What I do know is that you were not an average citizen of the empire after your sisters' death in your past life. A warrior of the highest calibre or a warrior of the highest luck. No one other than her and the Lord knows. But know this don't rely on your luck like you did last time." Luke stepped back in shock as the man revealed the secret he has not revealed to anyone.
"How?" He asked back.
"You are meddling in the affairs of deities boy, and that to the Fake one. This is the least he can do." The barkeeper spoke up.
"Was she there in my past life? Did she bring me back?" Luke asked back after coming to realisation with the true power of a deity.
"She don't have that kind of power to bring your soul across time. But she is favoured to be able to be in the presence of the most powerful and hidden one in the whole of existence. Know this though you being back is not the work of the Fake one, it is of someone else's attempted hidden work.
But unfortunately, that certain deity didn't realise they were messing with the works of the most powerful and hidden one. The deity who sent you back will be in contact with you sooner or later." The tall man explained.
"Most powerful one. Isn't the Fake one afraid of the consequence he might bring upon himself for that title?" Luke asked back in fear. Even the apostles of the other deities dared not to address themselves like that due to fearing the Almighty one.
Although the Almighty one was acknowledged by all the deity as being the most powerful deity he didn't mind the other deities having followers. Hence the reason why other deities have churches, apostles and followers. But none of them was as great and powerful as the Almighty.
"Oh, right I keep forgetting you are very observant. I suggest you don't say that to anyone else, not that anyone's going to believe you. Why do you think none of the apostles of the deities is after your sister for what she did? Not only are they not aware of him, but they are also not aware of us his followers.
Our lord is a very, how do you say it, an oddball of sorts even amongst the deities. He prefers to watch since the very beginning and hates being involved, other than pulling the occasional prank and scaring the shit out of all beings in existence. He likes watching them running around like headless chicken especially those deities when he pulls his occasional pranks.
Hence you never heard of us. If it wasn't for the most reverend one you would never come to know about us. Hell, even the deities have no idea of his existence." The tall man explained while laughing.
Luke was surprised that a deity would do such a thing. He knows for sure if it was him or anyone else they would blatantly announce their might before others and seek worship from them. Yet here was a deity who cared for none of that. "Are you ok with being so disrespectful to your deity?"
"He is a very lenient one as long as you don't break his rules, which he is very strict about." The barkeeper explained.
"Anyway, it seems our time is up. Our congregation is about to disperse. I suggest you don't wander around here for long, I don't have to tell you why?" The tall man gave a knowing look. Luke understood that the agents would soon arrive.
"Why are you targeting the 3rd prince John, when your lord hates being involved?" Luke suddenly remembered something important.
"He is currently the most interesting being that our lord has ever seen." The barkeeper replied while smiling.
"That doesn't explain why he is being targeted." Luke retorted back.
"Let's just say if all the powerful beings, apostles and deities gathered to fight our lord it wouldn't still be as exciting as fighting the 3rd prince." Luke's face blackened at what he was just told. He noted how the barkeeper had said exciting not defeat, meaning if all the powerful beings gathered together it was nothing but a simple source of entertainment to him. He now had a clear idea of the power Lord Fake wielded.
"But he is just a soulless. At most he will live for 8 years maximum with the imperial healers." Luke replied in confusion why the Fake one was picking a fight with a dying person.
"Yet he remains the greatest threat to everyone in the empire. Even the people in his own alliance will strike him down first before anyone else could do it. That is the kind of venomous reptile he is."
Seeing the shock and confusion remaining on his face the barkeeper sighed before he put on a serious face to explain. "There was a time when the whole royal court, commandments and the emperor himself kneeled before him. If he had wanted they would have personally enthroned him as the emperor at that moment. But do you know what he instead sought out?
Instead of choosing to be the emperor he chose the option to play in the game to become an emperor, the very thing he could have easily become." Luke became silent as he processed the illogical choice of John.
"You see out of every being in existence he is an oddball, just like our lord. No one can predict what he is going to do, what he wants to do, or anything. Only someone like him can unbox the greatest surprise for our lord. Let it be 8 years, 100 years or even a few days, no matter how long it is, our Lord is willing to play with him. And Linda will be the torch that brings his attention to our lord."
"That is twisted and demented. You are putting Linda in danger by doing that." Luke replied in disgust, fearing for his sisters' wellbeing even more.
"He is the most interesting person our lord has come across. Our lord has decided for the first time ever to challenge someone, and of all the powerful people and deities he chose someone without any personal might. Now, do you see how capable and interesting John is compared to someone like the deities or even you who has returned to the past?" The tall man explained.
"I won't allow you to put Linda in danger. What if I interfere with your plans? Does she even know about him?" Luke said as he started to gather his magi particles.
He expected them to turn aggressive but contrary to his expectation they just smiled before the barkeeper replied "You are free to interfere as much as you like. Our Lord loves surprises more than anyone does.
The gathering held today was to let Linda become aware of how powerful John exactly is. She has a much better idea than you how powerful he is. She can choose after this gathering whether to proceed with this mission or not. It's her choice."
Luke was about to go mad in fury. He did a deep inhale and exhales to try and calm down. After a while, he asked them "What if I do it for her?"
"Like we said he doesn't like to be owed." The barkeeper replied as his cloak fluttered in the wind.
"Then what if I join you. Then he won't owe me anything. Just let me do it in her stead." Luke begged.
"I am afraid that is not up to us. Unlike the other deities where the follower chooses them, the Fake one chooses his follower. One can choose to be his follower only after he has extended his greeting. But don't worry due to that sneaky works of the deity that send you back in time, he has decided to pull one of his usual pranks on the deities and the world bit earlier than usual; you along with everyone else can participate in that game." The tall man replied.
"Then you won't mind if I stop you right?" Luke asked back.
"Feel free to." The tall man shrugged as he replied.
"You better leave now. The sniffers are getting close. It would put your sister out of focus if she were to find out you were captured." The barkeeper warned him. Luke looked down to see that everyone including his sister had already disappeared.
"I will stop you." Luke warned before going.
"Don't ruin the surprise." He heard the low grumblings of the tall man while he disappeared into the night.