Results of the tests: I lost my sense of touch. I can't feel anything at all.
"Well, considering your age, it is a relief you only lost that. Your lack of blood surely played a major role, since poison could not circulate as much." N'donkeu is always the composed man, analyzing everything. How did he fall in love with the way he is? A complete mystery.
"Hey, I heard that one!" He yells at me.
"Didn't you two declare your feelings officially perhaps?"
"There is nothing to declare."
"Y-y-yes, he is right. Nothing to declare Kevin!" Those two are getting on my nerves with their act.
"Just kiss already, mom and dad acted the same even when I was around, so I know at least that much: you two are in love."
"WE ARE NOT!!"
"And quite the romantic love at that."
N'donkeu takes a deep breath.
"Fuuuu... Anyway, you are all healed now, so we will send you back. Spending more time here would be meaningless since you aren't worthy anyway."
"How can you know that?" Yeah, how can you know that? Mister I know it all. Maria backs me up as well.
"He touched the door, but it did not open, meaning he is not worthy. That door judges the potential of people's power from this world, and only those who have what it takes to reach my room will be able to enter."
"I am still a kid, though."
"It doesn't matter; it judges potential, not actual strength."
"That's why I told you your tests were always too difficult; I never understood them." Maria is pouting.
"You are an idiot, so I didn't have hope for you. And you opened the door with ease every time, so you are not one to talk."
Maria, you are a traitor. "No, I am not Kevin!"
"You guys should stop reading my mind."
"Well, we can't help it. People tend to lie too much and for no reason." They both look at me with a 'we are not wrong' expression.
"Can I do that too? It must be really convenient."
"Hmm, you can't use Angas, and your mind's structure is not built yet, so no. At least for now, you can't. but I will write the scripts in your memory, when you will learn Angas and learn to control it fully, you will be able to."
"Wait, you can write in people's memory?!! Are you also a higher existence?!" Was Tatiana also able to read my mind like this? Was she deceiving then and mocking me as she could hear everything?
"A higher what? Anyway, Maria, please prepare the-"
"And me!! I will gift you with the knowledge to sever the goddess connection!" Maria screams so loudly we are pushed back a little. Is she jealous because she couldn't give me anything?
"You and your ego..."
"I am a hero. I can't let him go like this."
"Of course you can!" And they start arguing again. Ah, couples...
"I will prepare the teleportation then. Do what you want, but do it fast."
"Okay." Maria answers N'donkeu with her hand raised like a student. Her chest sways a bit when she does.
"Kevin, you are a very courageous and brave kid. Your parents must be-"
"Please, Do not mention them. I am not brave or anything, complimenting me will just make me feel bad, so please, stop." I tell her with my face down.
"I see… Well, here is the script to sever the goddess connection. It is a script only we heroes normally know... It will activate your subconsciousness as soon as you start using Angas. That way, the burden on your mind will be greatly reduced, but you might have occasional headaches, especially the first time you will use Angas, so hang in there and be ready. I will also give you this one, just in case."
"What script are you writing now?" I ask her without looking. I don't want her to see my face right now.
"This one will bring you back here when you are ready. I am sure you being here was not the goddess's influence, nor was it a coincidence. Although coincidence is also a part of fate. I think you are what we are both waiting for."
Do you not understand?! I am not any kind of good kid or a chosen or anything. I am garbage, waste that was thrown away for being useless. I am just sh- I suddenly feel an embrace, warm and delicate, like mom when I was crying in the middle of the night sometimes, telling me that everything is going to be alright.
"It is not your fault; you did nothing wrong. Kevin is a good kid." Why are you comforting me Maria? Am I really that pathetic? Will she look at me like Tatiana? Am I really that worthless? She pats my head gently with her hand.
"Why are you doing this?"
"Because I have seen a guy like you before. Who was on the brink of breaking apart, the world had tried everything to destroy him and backstabbed him, but he was hanging on, living with only the wish of death and murder in his mouth. And I could not do it. I could not tell him what I should have, and in the end, only regrets remained. So I don't want to do the same ever. I will say what I have to and save you from yourself even by force. Because I am the light that erases all shadows." I hear something splashing on the ground. I am crying again without knowing.
"That person must have been really precious if you still regret it."
"More than my own life, I would say." She takes a glimpse at N'donkeu behind her.
"Thank you, Maria, and also…"
"What? Still feeling under the weather?"
"You really have big breasts."
"You little rascal!!" She stands up while slapping me, but I don't feel anything. No sense of touch is really great… Or not. "How can a kid be this perverted?! You are really no different."
"No different?" I ask her all curious. "Who am I no different from?"
"I am ready. Kid, come here." While we were busy talking, N'donkeu had already finished his teleportation preparation. In front of him, there is a transparent blue-like sphere. It looks like the mom's orb.
"Woah!! My mother also had something like this but way smaller."
"Your mom could combine the thousand scripts necessary for teleportation in three minutes. She must be pretty much a genius then." N'donkeu act all smug like he did something no one else could.
"No, well, she said it was a condensed something." I try to remember what mom was explaining that time as best as I can, but nothing really important comes to mind.
"Oh...? they have reached the condensed form then? Those stupid guys from the academy must be less thickhead now. But they are really not there yet. Such a shame." Apparently he understands. I don't know what he is talking about anyway so. I step in the sphere, and it starts glowing.
"I have written the script to connect to people's minds like promised. Use it to converse or learn people's true intentions; it is your choice. Since Maria insisted, I also gave you something else, but well… You will understand in time. Explaining it will do you no good."
What did he put inside my head to be so hesitant? Oi, I don't want to explode because of a weird thing you have put!! "I will send to Floras kingdom, in the outskirts of ONLKAH, it is the capital. I have to send you back with the body of the person you came here with and the beast you killed, I am sorry. All variables here must be cleansed."
"But you said poison is contagious."
"Don't worry; it is not anymore. Farewell, kid. And one last warning: DO NOT SPEAK OF MY NAME OR THIS PLACE EVER TO ANYBODY NO MATTER WHAT!" Looking at me all serious, N'donkeu says something with a very cold voice, as if to warn me of an unknown consequence.
"Okay, I will not. Ever."
"Well, I am sure you won't." He smiles. For the first time, he smiles, a warm smile. I suppose he really was not really a cold guy.
"Kevin, do not forget what I told you, life will be hard and people treacherous but, never give up and keep your head up high." Maria comes over and talks to me with her arms on her hips again. All hero attitude. Looking at them one last time, I think I should say something at least.
"Thank you very much for healing me. I will never forget this. May we see each other again and…"
"You bet we will! You better work your ass off for that!!" Maria says with her fist clenched.
"I am sure we will Kevin." N'DONKEU crosses his arms. "And what then kid?" You keep acting all smug hm.
"Stop ogling at her breasts. You have been staring for a while now." Take that!
"What?! I was n-"
"You pervert!!!". All I heard was a slapping sound then I was teleported.
***
"He is gone now."
"Yeah, he is. Quite the courageous kid. I like him, he should come back fast. I want to talk about so many things."
"You felt it too, right?"
"Yeah, that power inside him, it is not from here. I don't think Mother gave it to him. Must be another god."
"They would go so far as to intervene like this. MEETIA must be slacking off way more than before then."
"Says the one and only ALL ROUNDER. Were you not also the same?"
"No, there was no external influence in my case. Or we would have know by now."
"In any case, I hope he will come back soon. Also…"
"What?"
"You are staring again."