Should the goals of a majority precede your own?
No. Even when the majority consist of people far beyond your own intellect, prowess or even capabilities. By backing down on your own goals you'd consequently be hurting yourself. Only when the goals of a majority and yours overlap should you let them take any form of priority.
With the knowledge that Uriel, the Hansmen, and possibly every other country will be trying to take the Yventia capital in the roundabout of two years Im not perplexed, excited or too keen. If anything I honestly don't care.
Had I been some other go lucky protagonists I would try to stop the Hansmen or the capital but because I've spent little to no free time getting invested with either I'm simply left with two options: Watch from afar and get accused of being held in contempt by Uriel (if he survives) or Die trying to fight for people I don't even like.
I pondered this while spread across the living room of the Hansmen headquarters, I caressed the head of a stray cat who wondered in and watched as the fire in the fire place dwindled slightly before resuming its usual burn. I was really just biding my time, I remember a the whole rumor that a grand magi with grand power from a far land would arrive to save the world from the impending Ragnarok that was to come about.
I was "that" Magi but with my public humiliation I ended up being regarded as a public freak and abnormality. Truly a shame how people switch sides. Speaking of switching sides, the capital might end up having a extra person to help them fight depending on how my mood is come the day of the raid. My training is going well so far given me and Luci have been working towards creating our own Sacred Arts Technique. With Uriel giving us examples how they're generally used or created it shouldn't be too hard.
With sacred arts all you're doing is shifting and manipulating the energy in your body and covering your body to your own advantage. And since sacred arts is the primordial form of any power in this world, it can be either further enhanced or applied using Chordatta and Magic. This is good for me as I'm the only one who can use both but not so much for Luci who lacks the innate ability or talent to execute one.
Typically you're more or less really flexible with how you're able to do it, you'd just need a basic idea on how you'd do it. Uriel's Belphagor allows him to absorb and deconstruct any electrical or magical energy into processable energy for himself. And by magical energy, he made it so it's not strictly magic but anything without a physical form this could be fire, wind, or light. All of these are without physical form and typically act as a form of energy. Even things we might not be aware of could fit the criteria of "magical energy". He's even got it where ideas and constructs are broken down slowly with his presence so Selenes ability to cast a subjective field is automatically nullified whenever he's around.
He's capable of using Chordatta in any way he desires so he's got everything down to pat, it's genuinely clear that he's the only one fit to lead the Hansmen but it's surprising to know there's someone out there in this country who's stronger than him.
As much as I hate him it's vaguely inspiring, I really wanna be like him. Powerful, badass, not giving a fuck. Well I've got two years or so to reach that point.
While in the middle of that thought I was flicked on the forehead by some fucking cretin. I looked up slightly and saw a green haired motherfucker.
She had a long braid in the back with short wispy bangs. She had a eccentric grin showing from ear to ear, there was a glimmer in her eyes which didn't go away for a single moment. This was the asshole who pimp slapped me and made me flinch the other day. I mean she didn't pimp slap me but you know what I mean. She's trouble.
If I remember correctly her name was—
"Zel here! Hiya! What's up newbie. I heard ya' just got your cape, how does it feel knowing you're in the hansmen now? Hm? I bet it kinda sucks knowing we WHOOPED YO ASS when we first met! But I hope we can put that behind us, it's kinda happened to a lot of us."
Eccentricity, that's the best way I could describe her. She was rather loud and enigmatic with just this first interaction.
"Errr..— yeah, no hard feelings. Zel right? You mind if I ask what you specialize in?"
"Hm? Me? Well! I specialize in close range magic! People call me the Green conquest given in always the first one within an enemies stronghold with the leader nearly beaten within a inch of their life!"
"Ah.. that's good to know."
I replied a bit creeped out but I don't know why I was even surprised at this point, everyone here had a few screws loose.
"Hey! Heyyyy.. Sumi! Look at me!"
"Yeah..?"
"You're free today righttt..?"
"Maybe.."
I didn't know per say how I'd handled someone of this caliber. Zel's personality was just a lot for me to handle, it was breaking down my defenses where with Uriel's already monotone asshole personality I can match it enough to be just like him. However, with Zel I am simply not built to be a eccentric bitch.
"Alrighty!! Let's go—!"
"Hu—.."
Before I could even ask, "Go where?" She had gripped my fucking arm and jumped through the window and traversed the sky casually at speeds probably exceeding lightning itself. I'm sure we were traveling at light speed at some point cause the amount of time it took us to get from the hansmen base to wherever we were now was too short. Not only that, the geographical features of the area we were in was far from what Astarens. It took a second but following us was several sonic booms that hadn't caught up until now.
We finally landed in what appeared to be a desolate land with strange plant life unlike that of earths. Even more so unlike any world I've ever seen.
"Wh-where the in the fuck are we Zel..?"
"Just a little bit South west, Northern Borders of the Demon continent.."
"What..?"
She wasn't nearly as eccentric as she was before, she had more of a serious look on her face. In the same way Luci changed from being timid to serious when battle started.
"You know, I've been around town. I've messed around a bit, learned what you're capable of before the Hansmen could even figure out existence. I was there at the guild when they figured you'd be able to use magic and chordatta! I snorted so hard when I saw a little runt like yourself was going to be the grand magi who was supposed to save the entire world from Ragnarok? Then a few days later when I was taking a stroll buying myself some roasted meat you completely implode a guy from the inside out. I was like: HOLY FUCK SHIT! THAT WAS FUNNY!"
"Are you some kind of stalker or.."
"No, but I do know that Uriel and you have a little agreement going on. I was there too taking a piss in a nearby bush."
"How the fuck are you everywhere?"
"Let's not forget how Luci told you about the operation just the other day! You might be wondering how am I everywhere at once and I respond to that with my blessing: Divine Timing, I'm always in the right place at the right time whenever it suits me or a collective of individuals I know the most."
"I just asked— you know what nevermind, anyway what are you gonna do with the knowledge you have?"
I'm currently at a lost for what to do, I almost kind of expected that someone was nearby or watching me but I didn't know it was this fucking lunatic. She seemed complexly out of her mind or at least high on something. Would it be wrong for me to ask her to pass me some?
"I'm not gonna spread if, and I haven't if that's what you're wondering."
"Then what are you—"
"I wanna train you myself, Uriel is a big softie so he isn't pushing you properly. But, during the next two years we'll be fighting here every two days to get you in tip top shape so you can bring me...—"
"Bring you—.."
"SO YOU CAN BRING ME TO MY KNEES, COVERED IN BLOOD, AT MY WITS END WITH NO HOPE OF WINNING. I WANT YOU TO MASSACRE ME AND LEAVE ME IN SO MUCH PAIN SUMIII..—!~"
"Oh my fucking goodness I've gotta get out of here.."
I've been dragged into a situation with a masochistic, eccentric, murderous and delirious green lunatic. She wasn't bad looking by any means, in fact she was kind of hot but by all means I wanted nothing to do with her. I started backing away slowly while she was fidgeting out of control hugging and caressing her own body. She was seemingly on the borderline of a orgasm. I was fucking disgusted, Goku ain't have to deal with no shit like this.
"SUMIIII.. come on, just the thought of it makes me so hot..! I know how much potential you have, you're the only one who truly bring an end to this world, the only one who can fill me with the satisfaction I desire!"
She crawled towards me and gripped my ankle, I tried kicking her off of me but she just moaned louder.
"BRo, why can't you just get Uriel to do it..?"
"Uriel?.. he fights without fighting. He shifts his body and makes his opponent wear themselves out before knocking them out. He's done it to all of us."
"Oh."
She let go slowly before dusting herself off and regaining her posture and composure. You could see the disgust on my face from a mile away. I wanted to run away still but I felt like I wouldn't be able to make it far without her catching up in a second.
"So...—! I'm gonna train you every two or three days from today onward in offensive and defensive magic, along with combat practice so you're constantly on edge and have to think 5 steps ahead and instinctually in battle!"
"All so I can beat you into submission?"
"Yeah, after that I don't really care what you do with yours skills. Murder a entire country, not my concern. Been there done that."
I started at her momentarily, she looked away.
"What.."
"Don't worry about it!"
I was going to be training with a lunatic.
Zel had a relatively large plan for training but for life in store for me after I figured out her masochistic motives a bit more. We attracted some sparse demon beast hordes but that was the extent of it. I saw up close that she was casually moving at speeds which bordered light speed. She basically ran through the demon beast by accident while trying to provide an example. I tried to ask her how she moved so fast all the time and responded with "it runs in the family." I wanted to hit her so badly.
"So, Sumi..— for magic I want you know this. Whatever you might feel be true for it, how to execute it is going to be the right way. Never second guess yourself."
"Why might I ask?.."
"Well you see.. magic was created so 'truth' could reach us. So we could be closer to getting to it. All magicians innately have a proper first guess, if ever in the past you've noticed that your first guess was the right one then bam."
"So my completely by chance first guess is all the proof I need to be a magician?"
"No, not really I'm just fucking with you Sumi!"
She laughed a bit before getting back to her demonstration.
"Magic can take the form of many things, the way you channel it all depends on you and what you're comfortable with. Sometimes it's proved to be more effect to chant the spell or thing you're doing before hand, or using a grimoire to achieve better results. Because you're talented I'll just show you how to force magic circles!"
"Force magic circles? Don't those appear once the spell caster completes the spell? It's said to be the matrix where truth brings forth whatever you desire at that moment. Well, that's just what I've heard."
"Yeah! Precisely! But I'm sure you should know people have drawn magic circles to set traps or used them in inscriptions to leave a lasting effect or set of commands. Im sure you're aware of the trash destruction function we installed in the base?"
"Yes, it literally sets shit fire when I'm using the ba— actually never mind, I know where you're getting at now."
That entire base was full of mysteries and figuring out that the bathroom was a terrible place to be was just one of them.
"Long story short— if you have a desire truth will react to it, whether your desire is strong enough to reach truth will ultimately affect the efficiency and power of the spell. Most people don't know this and typically have to say various commands in a different tongue in order to achieve a specific or more often, non specific response. For us, the Hansmen. We master our Sacred Arts technique so truth or chordatta can respond to that instead of a different multitude of commands which requires a lot of studying and other things which I find to be a bore!"
"I don't have my Sacred Arts technique yet, well.. I haven't tried to."
"But you have your chordatta application?.."
"Yes—.."
I said this dejectedly thinking I fucked up somewhere, I kinda just assumed with chordatta I can do whatever I want. Hell, Uriel confirmed it for me.
"That's pretty impressive Sumi! That just means you're bound to have way more diversity as far as techniques go then!.."
"Really?.."
"I mean yeah, depending on your technique. Uriel has a rule/condition based technique which is usually hard to pull off but it allows him a much greater reserve of energy and freedom with technique execution and fighting."
"What about Selene?"
"Selene?.. well I think he has a offset or marble based technique. His adapts his body constantly and works on auto, it's only strong because of his Chordatta technique. Since you're talented and smart I'm assuming, your technique should be amazing! Not only that, the possibilities along with it should be great!"
Maybe her eccentricity isn't that bad, I found it nice that I was being praised so much for something I haven't done it accomplished yet. I stood there and put my hands on my hips.
"Well instead of saying how great it should be, you mind helping me execute it?"
"I'd love to Sumi."
Over the course of 7 or so hours we worked on my sacred arts technique which coincidentally was based off one of my favorite series of all time. We named the sacred arts Leviathan, I explained to her promptly, I'd be deconstructing whatever I came in contact with at a astronomically small level, atomic even. Then I'd be reconstructing it. The process would occur at the same speed my brain pcan process information. This would all be done using my Sacred Arts and manipulating my own energy. By breaking down and deconstructing other substances I could siphon their energy as well so I wouldn't be expending my own constantly. If anything I'd be losing half of what I'm giving. Of course I wouldn't need to yell out the name of my technique every time I use it like literal literary. That's what I wanted to avoid the most. As long as some part of my body has made contact with the ground I can deconstruct it.
Not including the fact I can assemble lightning.
"I'm quite confident in my Sacred Art technique yknow—.."
"I would be too, your technique one that could easily rival Uriel. His focuses on energy and things beyond physical nature, yours is essentially the opposite so you're definitely likely to cause an upset once you get a bit more experience battle wise."
"Now as far as experience goes—"
"I'm going to be putting you through hell every other day Sumi! But for the time being, let's head back okay!"
"Oka—.."
She gripped my arms and yanked me once again, I could see faint colors as we were zipped throughout the sky at a speed far greater than what I could comprehend at the moment. We'd make it to the base in less than 2 seconds.
"Alright Sumi! I'll see you later!" She'd say this happily acting completely ignorant of the entire day we just had. Uriel and Mary would've been standing right there wondering what just happened but they ignored it and went back to their own business.
"We haven't gone too much into the budget this year so we'll have enough for the end of the vacation and some more to spare."
"Good, I think we should be able to conclude things here Mary."
"Understood, I'll see you tomorrow Uri."
Mary eventually walked away, I stared at her ass the entire time. I could see the outline of her ass swaying and moving the entire time she took a single step. I studied it and made sure I could visualize it when my eyes closed. It was so plump and juicy I simply can't not stare, I'm grabbing it the next time I see her.
However Uriel was watching me stare at her like a creep, he just shook his head in disappointment.
"You disappointment everyday I hope you know that."
"I'm fully aware Uri."
He walked away shortly afterwards.
I sighed finally as I was genuinely content with the day I just had. I learned the fundamentals of magic all over again but the Hansmen version.
Learned things about Zel, some I wish I never knew and some I found to be quite interesting. Her entire family has named their children using the same pretense where they end with "El" the first to start thing was her ancestor who happened to have been In the hansmen with Dante Astaire. Their name was Vael, the family started as a group of assassins and continues to do that til this day never once stopping. I found that to be rather entertaining, instead of keeping lastnames they kept the first names following a familial pattern.
And maybe it wasn't so bad that Zel wanted me to beat her within a inch of her life when the time comes to take over the capital. I kept this thought in mind while I went to sleep, I thought about how I'd be making myself better to get payback on the Hansmen but now I found myself growing slightly fond of two of them.
As I drifted to sleep I wondered if I'd have what it takes to mutilate Luci the same way I'm going to the others. Maybe, I'll spare him.
Or not.
Eventually I'd find myself walking throughout the base exhausted, while Zel was next to me chipper and shining brighter than before.
"SUMIII!! I MISSED YOUUU, LETS HANG OUT AGAINN!"
"Please kill yourself."
"AWEEE SO HARSH! LETS GOOO!"
She gripped me midway through me finishing my morning routine and we found ourselves back at the demon continent borders. I don't think I'll ever get used to just zipping over the vast majority of the world in less than a few seconds.
But, that's what I'll be doing for the next two years. Only because my goals overlap with this eccentric devils, for the next two years I'll be training so hard that I'll truly become a muscle mommy. Maybe it's not the goal of a majority, but the goal of this girl furthers mine and helps me. Surely I'll have to partake in the raid for the capital not because the majority of the Hansmen are apart but because in 2 years I'll be killing everyone in this god forsaken country.
In two and a half years everything will drastically change.