"I see that you made use of your thoughts well," he praises but he also thinks she's overly sensitive. "I was thinking, why did you exclude the obvious idea?"
Valerie shrugged. "That man obviously has good products, he could be compared to the other merchants, but he's not selling well. I think maybe he's sad because he doesn't sell anything yet, but then, he had something to offer, but the merchant wasn't doing anything to do so. That's why I excluded the idea he was sad because of not selling well, but rather because he's hiding something," she explained, trying to tell Ares why she did that to make sure he understands why.
There is no answer to his question, he thought. Or maybe, she's just denying it, to prove her point. Ares looked at her amaze, but also it made him smile. "You wanna find out?" he asked, pointing at the same merchant they were talking about earlier.
Confusion suddenly arose from her mind, she didn't know how to respond. It was, probably, because it was confusing and she cannot comprehend the reason behind Ares' sudden action. While she was thinking, Ares pulled her hand and immediately ran towards the merchant's tiny store, while holding her hand.
Valerie didn't let go as she usually does, upon running, a glimpse of Ares' tidal hair waves at the wind's interference, and underneath is a beautiful eyelashes she's ever seen. It's like everything went slow, it wasn't doing anything, perhaps it was slower—perhaps everything she saw was so slow that she could even see the small part of his smiling lips.
She had never known the feeling of such—warmness, delight and frightened at what she could see in front of her. She was ready to accept it, but also not ready to commit, everything she felt was new.
Sometimes she even thinks she is deserving to feel that way. Just as her hand follows, her soul remains, frightened of following that light, cold and shivers. "Valerie?" she looked forward, as hearing a familiar voice made her startled.
She looked at him and stared, it was Ares calling her back to reality. He smiled and held her hand, gripping over Valerie's shaking hands. "Calm down and breathe in. I told you didn't I? We will do this process by process until you feel comfortable, you have all the time given, I'll give you that. So don't worry and start over, I'll pull you out as much as I can."
He must have sensed her emotions breaking, however, she didn't hate it. Perhaps, Ares knew her better than herself, after all. He knows her suffering, and he knows when something can happen. Ares must have read based on her silence, or perhaps because of her shivering hands, in case she just felt fully aware that Ares knew how to calm her down.
She nodded and breathed in and out. The coldness of shivers slowly disappears from her hand. She then decided to follow her father, and discover what is new. Although she hasn't fully forgiven him, she still thinks it is best to follow at least a bit of her heart and accept his kindness.
Maybe if it can start with that, truly she'll change, although that still scares her.
"Now, are you okay?" asked Ares, his voice was filled with worry yet also filled with relief.
"Yes," she said, nodding her head.
God gives a long breath before he smiles. He shifted his body and continued walking, long after they reached the store, he pulled her gently closer to him and faced the merchant.
"Good day sir," he politely said to the merchant in front. Hearing his voice made the merchant flinch, and Ares remained smiling on him.
"A yes, good day," although he as well greeted Ares back, it still can be heard from his voice a small startled sound of a man shivering inside.
Ares noticed that part and started with the conversation. "Good lord! Why are you down, young sir?" even Ares' fluttery made the merchant dumbfounded.
Maybe because he was found out, or rather, because he is hiding something behind that scared face. His silence made Ares impatient but he ended up waiting for a response.
"Stop bothering me! I'm working, if you don't buy then scram!"
It was sudden, but the face of the merchant suddenly changed. He waved his hand, trying to get rid of them only did Valerie notice it. "Ares," she carefully pushed his hand trying to get Ares' attention.
When Ares looked, she immediately pointed at a cloth from the merchant's store, with a bit of single blood shedding on it. Just a dot, so it is barely seen, but Valerie's eye was modified so she can see even at that distance.
Ares looked at the one she pointed, it was a cloth, but what was special about it? His nose suddenly turns blitz, shifting over the merchant's cold face, and turns towards Valerie smiling at her before he lets her go.
"Sir, according to the act of Thiliria Kingdom, monarchy arc of: 26B, announced by his majesty the king—in a major alliance of drug dealing and murder, subjected to such an act will be immediately restrained and awaits his final judgment," he breathed out and said.
Before the merchant knew, Ares pulled the table from his store and threw it away, destroying it bits by bits. "Wait! What are you—"
"Murder is one, and drugs is second, do you confess such a crime?"
For a while, Valerie thinks her father looks more like a guard than a God. Did he really become a merchant? It still confuses her.
The man's color turned pale, he was rude earlier but being stripped off his rights made him unable to talk back. He knew to himself what crime he did, and that crime isn't something light to begin with. He murdered someone, and that someone was a stranger he knew so well.
Would he confess his sin? He can't say no right now, he's been caught red handed. Trying to avoid it can only lead to a tougher punishment, or perhaps he's already dead. He did something unforgivable, that he is aware.
He can't just avoid it and tell them he didn't do it.
Maybe that's the fact that Valerie didn't see, hidden underneath is a belt of crime, and something that can't be foreseen by the most tyrannical logic.
"Someone tell the guards, right now!"
The scream of the God made everyone startled, yet for some unknown reason, they obeyed his demand. Someone did call a nearby guard, someone who was just patrolling the entire market, and ran towards the scene of crime where the Merchant was left in dismay.
"I—" he spoke and looked at the guards. "I confess that I did this crime," then he shifted his gaze towards the man who exposed him and he slowly walked forward, throwing away the knife and kneeled before him. "I beg you, I didn't have a choice! I was threatened by this guy! He told me if I couldn't even pay the protection fee, I'd be damned. I didn't do it on purpose, it was an accident, please don't take me to prison, I have to feed my family!"
Ares pulled his robe down and grabbed Valerie to step back from the merchant or the killer. He didn't pity the man despite giving a pitiful grieve, he only pulled himself so he wouldn't get touched by him, though that's not because he didn't want to be touched but rather didn't want the man sharing his demise.
The God of War isn't afraid of blood, nor crimes. He had done that himself, but as of now, the God of War is on vacation from the drenched reality of his yet again known purpose.
"I cannot help you—for such a crime you should take responsibility for. If it's truly a threat and you didn't do it intentionally, you must not be afraid of anything. You'll be judged according to the law, and whichever punishment you receive stands on your ground, pick a defender who can speak for your rights and find evidence to which your crime can be lessened," said Ares, pulling his sharp gaze towards the man who was kneeling before him.
The man—the merchant felt his eyes spark, as if he was looking at a holy thing whose eyes suffice different kinds of feelings. He didn't realize he was talking to a God, some few Gods are living alongside mortals but it was rare enough that no one can see.
Unless that God is none other than Ares, who was rumored to have stayed in Thiliria Kingdom and become a tourist model from around and across the entire Armenia.
He might be the one standing in front of him. "My good lord," the merchant mumbled, his eyes showing terror, it was all hell and extreme fear of a man kneeling in front of a merciless God. "I've only sinned once, yet why are you here, Ares, God of War."
"You must think I'm a fool, dear sir, I am just but a filthy traveler after all," said Ares, and the God smiled. The man steps back, instead of seeing an ordinary smile, he saw more than that—a devil himself.
To say the least, Ares didn't mind such an illusion. "You are the horde of hell, Ares the God of all Violence!"
Ares gritted his teeth and looked down. "You must have mistaken me for a God, but I'm just a traveler who fought starvation in the southern region. I am not supernatural, but rather just a humble man."
It must be his smile that had made the merchant cry in pain before he fell down and faint on the ground. Valerie's eyes widened, she had felt something sharper than the blade, and the coldness that shifted from Ares' touch.
For a moment, he became different.