Chereads / The Vicissitudes of Life / Chapter 113 - CXIII

Chapter 113 - CXIII

When it speaks – for of course it had to possess intelligence as well – its question to me seems wholly nonsensical.

"Have you come to kill me, then? I have spent some time without a visitor, I do hope that you will entertain me a while before you commence your pointless attempt."

[A question, a request, a challenge, and an insult! My, what an efficient display of words!] Or, at least, perhaps I would think this if I was not scared wholly out of my wits.

I am silent for a moment; the creature of indeterminate form is silent for this time. Finally, once I have convinced myself that I haven't died quite yet and formulate a response, I reply to his loaded duo of sentences.

"Why, I have no intention of killing you, whoever you may be. I was investigating a monster disturbance and was led to you, or, more specifically, this great aura of yours. Of course, even though I didn't even know you were here, I would be happy to entertain you, whatever that entails; though, if you expect us to have a battle of sorts, I am afraid to say that you are so entirely out of my league in sheer power that I wouldn't even last a single exchange." Thankfully, my more respectful and humble reasoned side is able to seize control in this interaction; for had it not, I would surely die. In this situation, pride going before destruction could not be more true.

"Oh? No intention of killing me, you say? Why, I had felt… Well, nevermind, I needn't discuss such things. You say that you came to investigate a disturbance regarding monsters in this area, I am afraid I wouldn't be of much help, I know little of what transpires beyond this domain of mine."

"Well, it is almost certain that they fled in response to the mighty aura floody the caves that this room is attached to…"

"Ah, well, if that is the known cause, then I suppose I must be the culprit, I recently released a large quantity of built up energy. If there were monsters beyond my domain, which is quite possible considering that my aura is sufficient to nurture a mighty number of them like sunlight nourishes plants, they may very well have been startled away; then, I suppose, that would make me the cause of your little problem."

His words are full of sincerity, yet, he seems to not give even the slightest care to the fact that he is the sole cause of a flood of dangerous monsters spreading across the nearby lands.

"So, you say that you will entertain me, yet you intend to do so without any combat? Well, you are certainly welcome to try. I don't get many visitors you see, and killing everyone who comes down here is somewhat bland; not to mention that it brings extremely little benefit to me, I figure, why bother? Well, if you will entertain me, I will first request that you share with me your name."

[Well that's fortunate, I suppose; it would seem that he has no intention of killing me immediately, perhaps if I deal with him with caution I may possibly survive? Though he says that he has killed many people who have come to disturb him, it is clear that he has no qualms regarding killing – not that that is a particularly bad thing; in a world where the only difference between the moralities of two people is the varying degree of evil by which they are possessed, who am I to complain if someone does away with some of them? Still, I had better be on my best behavior if I hope to survive; this would be a truly awful time for my madness to act up.]

"My name is Anetor, though I must confess to holding very little in the way of fondness for it. Now it is my turn to ask, what is your name? I daresay that I may have heard it before; after all, a being of power so magnificent as yours must surely not be unknown throughout the ages?"

"Hm? Why, I perchance to say that you may well be correct in that you know of me. For I am Rahvert, the first of the liches of this world, known by many as the Lich God."