Their Shock was not entirely unfounded.
What was about to become a Saint was a person who lost to a dog after a night spent drinking not too long ago.
"There must be some kind of mistake. The First Young Master, awakening as the Saint? How can he even qualify!?" the owner of a bar Theo frequents laughed at the idea, "The Young Master is a good customer, but... he's no Saint material."
"That's right! He's a lecherous beast! He mumbles at himself and acts as though he's some kind of king! I have been subjected to many lecherous gazes, but that bastards' eyes are the slimmest one can have! He has no decency! How can someone be like that be a Saint!?"
Even a woman of the pleasure district raised her doubts.
"What are the Gods thinking, making someone like him a Saint!? He curses at others who look at him funny; he shed crocodile tears when others had enough of him!" A young man wearing clean and bejeweled clothes protested with a harrumph, "Why not just tell us who is the one going to become the Saint! Why are you even lying, Old Viel?"
For a moment, everyone who held discontent towards the Young Master's unruly actions finally burst. They unwittingly threw away their pretense of respect to the Young Master and shouted their doubts in full volume.
"There's no way that asshole can become a Saint! If what Old Viel is saying is true, I'm willing to go around the City with my hands!" the young aggrieved young man double-downed.
"That's right!" some even agreed.
They questioned the reality of things, but Viel could not even provide an answer. Even he did not know what was happening.
'...could it be that the Young Lady is wrong?'
"Come on, Old Viel; we only wish to know who it is—"
"Viel is not lying. It is indeed Theo who is going to ascend as a Saint."
A thundering voice echoed, shutting the clamorous shouts of the people.
All it took was a single voice.
"My Lord, what are you doing here? I thought you were looking after the First Young Master?" Viel asked, concerned as to what Alba might say,
'He's not one to mince his words... oh boy, please don't add too much on my plate.' he prayed.
"Rose is already there; we both know she is not one to leave his side even when asked. Out of everyone in the Region, she is the most knowledgeable of the situation. Just trust in her, and speaking of trust..." Alba turned to the now-silent crowd.
The once boisterous and opinionated people all clammed their mouths.
"Is something the matter with my son awakening as a Saint?" a silver light flashed. Alba stepped outside of the Gates with a spear in hand.
The common folk saw Alba and immediately swallowed their saliva. Especially the young rich brat leading the protest.
The young man felt like he was the only one receiving Alba's gaze... he felt weak in the knees.
"N-no, My Lord… it is just… the First Young Master has been nothing but the Region's headache for the longest time… it is just puzzling for me... US... for everyone. WE are simply confused about how the First Young Master could be chosen as a Saint despite all his wrongs. "
Despite his shaking voice, the Young Man managed to eke out the words. Everyone glared at him for having them get caught up in his words.
Alba snorted at the young rich brat, "Your doubts only exist because you failed to see Theo's fight. He fought in secret to protect our Region's Name, all those who doubt him should be ashamed… not that I am any different."
"???" Alba was soft-spoken, but everyone heard what he said. The First Young Master was protecting the Region's Name?
There were not that many reasons to look down on the Leian Region. Other than the danger surrounding the Region with them being near the Intal People and the many Hunting Zones, prone to Corruption Tides, Theo's existence was often used to degrade them.
"Yeah, their Knights are strong, but I doubt they are disciplined. Don't believe me? Look at their son, if they can't even discipline that waste, do you think they can hold the leash to a proper Knight's Order?"
"The Sigurds can't even control that blasted wastrel. Why would you trust them an economy!?"
"Look at how they raised their firstborn son; they expect us to believe they are above their ways as commoners? Give me a break!"
"Theo lives there."
Theo was a go-to area when targetting a flaw.
How could they believe that Theo was protecting them when he's the main problem!
Even Viel could not make out what he meant.
However, Alba did not elaborate in his words, "Anyway, Viel, make sure to remember the people who made agreed to the bet. Have them uphold their words, do not worry, I will be the one to walk a lap around the City if Theo fails to become a Saint."
"Yes, My Lord." Viel sighed as he agreed.
Alba never jokes, and everyone who agreed to the young man just swallowed their saliva.
Alba then disappeared from the ground.
A small tempestuous gale ran through the crowd as Alba jumped high up into the air.
They raised their heads and saw Alba with his Silver Spear; he tightly grabbed hold of its shaft!
SLASH!
With a single swing, the Sigurd Mansion's top was cleaved clean.
With the same passive expression, Alba observed Theo's light touching Laura's room, "There, windows opened."
***
Sigurd House — Theo's Room.
Floating in the air, with the Golden light piercing the heavens, Heruzen was ascending to become a Saint.
Everyone waited with bated breath Heruzen was singing, to an ancient song, "Tatatatan~tan~ta~tan, tararan-ever was, den, den, deden—"
Alone in the borders of life and death, Heruzen enjoyed the peace and quiet as he tinkered with floating panels.
System Activation… Processing
Administrator Access — XX_Heruzen_XX / Theo Sigurd — Opened
Name of System: ____
"I need a name, or else I'm going to name you Asshole. The Asshole System… I actually like the ring to tha—"
[…Fate, just call me Fate.]
"See, was that hard? Good girl—"
[Ugh… you're insufferable.]
"Hehe." Heruzen snickered.
Name of System: Fate (Accepted)
Name of User: Heruzen (Theo)
Fate System — Activating
Initializing Optimal Pre-Set Functions — Reality Chains in effect — Reality Conforming… — Corruption Detected — Adapting — Failed…
The system is too strong to be activated and the activator cannot bypass the laws in place.
"As expected, I am too weak to make a System to my own liking."
The laws of reality were too strong and his Divine Energy was too weak to bypass the rules..
Every world has laws in place.
Physics, Magic, Martial Arts, Illusions, Divinity, Taming, everything follows a process. The laws in place keep the world intact and working as intended. However, Systems make it so that reality itself is disturbed to suit the user's liking.
Dimensional Stores that pull out items from out of nowhere.
Hypnotic abilities that override the soul of the affected.
An RPG Save and Load Process.
A Maniacal Sex System.
A leveling System.
A System that makes Magic child play.
Something a teenager dreams of having that allows him to enslave others without repercussions.
A Healing System that gives you every power imaginable.
A System that follows the imagination of the user mainly having the function of a Show they watched.
An Evolution System.
Systems, to his knowledge, were just a means to calculate bypass the laws of reality. A system allows its users to possess God-like abilities through unorthodox and mostly easies methods.
To activate a System, however, the Administrator must be strong enough to bypass the laws of the world. Heruzen was too weak.
He wasn't surprised.
"Diagnosis."
The majority of the System's Ability cannot be activated.
"Erase everything that does not conform to the laws retain anything that can be used — Start."
Administrator Command, Accepted — Erasure of unneeded and Incalculable Functions staring—
Erased Function:
User Levelling System (Erased)
Status Control (Erased)
999 Takeover Gifts (Erased)
Fate Control (Erased)
Red String Seer (Erased)
Soul Creation (Erased)
Store (Erased)
Barter (Erased)
Save and Load (Erased)
Creative Mode (Erased)
Time Manipulation (Erased)
World Creation (Erased)
Copy Ability (Erased)
Dimension Rule (Erased)
Reset (Erased)
.
.
.
A wall of texts was slapped on his face in the form of a translucent blue panel. It was something familiar to him.
Many of the System's Ability had been erased due to it being too powerful for him to manifest.
[Fate System] abilities Optimizing… Function Creation… Matching what remains with Possible Auxiliary abilities… Completed.
"What did I retain?"
Retained Abilities/Gift:
Hero Package
Saint Package
"The Packages are retained, that's go—wait…the fuck is this?"
[Those are the Extracted Gift from Theo's soul, I thought I told you, you're going to become a Hero so what did you expe—]
"No, no, I'm not talking about that. I knew that's going to happen, What I'm talking about is this shit right here —[Saint Package]—when the fuck did this… I mean… am I going to become an asshole hypocrite? Of all the bullshi—aaaaaaaaah!"
Heruzen was madly displeased.
[Aren't you overreacting a little? You assimilated me to your arsenal, what did you expect!?]
"You forced our lives to merge, what do you mean I assimilated you?"
[…yeah, you're right. But, come on, being a Saint is what so many wishes to become. You get a lot of benefit, you know?]
"The hell are you talking about!? Not everything is about power, your dingus. It's the principle of things. I have hated these kinds of piece of shit people. These hypocritical assholes lie with every breath they take, thinking they are the cleanest person in the room. These people are mostly the reasons why wars happen in the first place, waging war in the name of some asshole God like yourself."
[That's—]
"What? Are you going to tell me it's not true? You're the Goddess of Fate; why not tell me how many innocent people got killed because "They praise a different God" epidemic? Or how about the "Kill them because they do follow our agenda using the name of our Gods and manipulate public opinion" events that you so gladly allow to happen?" Heruzen was fuming.
He should know their schemes well; Heruzen had faced many such people and even took over people like these. It was not a pleasant experience becoming that which you loath.
[I...can't say much about that. Everything has a wrong side; corrupted beings exist because of desires. Servants of Gods get lost in their path, corruption ran rampant throughout history, but Saints and such people are needed to give people hope that everything has goodness. Maybe those you encountered are bad, but not everyone is the same. Why not become a Saint and become your preferred version? It's not like you're going to allow rules to dictate your actions anyway. Before you ask, the answer is no. It will not allow the Gods to interfere with your actions. In fact, because you are now considered a Saint through me, then, that's another layer of protection! Not only from Deities but also Demons.]
"—AH! Dammit, you know what? Fuck it. Fuck it! I'll let it slide. can't get rid of it anyway!" Heruzen threw the entire thing behind his mind, "This just gives me an out on the whole Demonic problems. Just show me the entirety of the System Function."
[…]
System Function
Soul Slot (1000 —> 10)
Self-Scan
Progress Bar
Mini Map
Seal (3x)
Reading through the System function, Heruzen regained his calm, reviewing what he retained and what got erased.
"I didn't even manage to drag the Infinite Mana over? I was also hoping for a Soul Copy, there goes the plan of creating a Perfect Clone. Well, at least I got Self-Scan and I got more than enough seals for a trump card — good enough – begin activation."
Activating System… 1… 2… 3… 100%
Congratulations Administrator
"You trying to smooth your way out of my irritation? Keep it up, it's actually working. Can you beg some more? I want to calm down a little."
[What? That wasn't m—]
"No need to be embarrassed about being a suck-up. Everyone does it on their first day of work. You'll be back to cursing me in three days, or minutes, depending on your stance. But, do a good job and I'll give you a body."
[As I said, I am not the—wait, did you say you're going to give me a bod—]
Light swallowed Heruzen and the Borders of Life and Death was emptied.
A moment later, however, a voice not belonging to Heruzen nor Fate echoed in the void.
"I…I can't do it… the Corruption, it is too strong."
"Believe in yourself, in your training, Allen—"
A Hero occupied the Borders of Life and Death summoning his plot armor.