"I've been harsh to her, don't you think?"
I stopped sipping on the beer Gaius gave me and just stared at him. Honestly, I don't know what to say, or to be specific, I couldn't put my feelings into proper words. I knew who the former god was referring to when he said those; while I was there and I could tell that he was really harsh in his rebuke, there was also that part where I could understand Gaius' outbursts towards Seirna. We were running out of time, and the Overseer Saint—drunk on her zeal and self-righteous anger—did the unthinkable and massacred an entire city of dwarves with her god-power. Even an elementary schooler would say her actions contributed to strengthening the Seductress…the scenario we were trying to avoid.
"It's useless to hide your sentiments from me, Kuro," Gaius chuckled. "This is your mind, and I'm here. You can say I'm 'engraved' here ever since we exchanged bodies, and your thoughts are immediately revealed to me."
"Hey, you only did what you think is best," I replied, trying to console him. "Seirna overstepped her boundaries, thinking that she was right."
"This is also the reason you need to be firm," the former god pointed out. "Even saints can do stuff themselves, especially if they think it will lead to a better result."
"No," I shook my head. "While you have your points, Gaius, I prefer to rule through my way. Forcing everyone to follow me without question isn't one of those."
I heard the former god sigh and took one of the skewered meats from our little celebratory barbecue. After a few moments of silence, beers, and food, Gaius broke the ice.
"That child, she really hates being useless," he said in-between his alcohol. "I can still remember how she would look for something to do, even as we raised her to be one of the saints."
"When you say 'we,' you're talking about your 'wife' here, no? The Lady Arame, who turned out to be the Seductress?"
Gaius nodded. "Hey, I was fooled by her unearthly beauty. But yeah, Seirna…she never wanted to have anyone think that she was unnecessary to the group."
Well, I don't think the Overseer Saint was a special case. While I'm relatively lazy, I'd still give enough time and effort not to attract unwanted attention for being 'useless.' Even more so when you think you're doing your best, only to be slapped with the reality that your actions made everything worse.
"Come on now, Kuro! Make your mind!" Gaius blurted out. "Tell me straight if I was an ass, or not!"
"I'm a neutral party," I reiterated. "Your rants are rude for sure, but it's the truth. And Seirna needs some awakening from her fanatical trance."
The former god only laughed.
"What's funny?"
"You're really considerate."
"I give credit where it is due."
"Right…"
"So," I took another beer can from Gaius when I noticed mine was already empty. "What's going to happen next?"
"I don't know," he shrugged. "You're the god of Chersea now. Of course, there'll be formalities, like that acclamation rituals, and the investiture ceremony in the halls of the heavenly palaces, standing among the gods. But, starting today, the fate of Chersea and the Other Realms rested in your hands. You can make them as you saw fit."
"Well…true," it was my turn to sigh. "And really, just thinking about the huge responsibility is already scaring me. The thoughts of the people, and my legacy in the long run…no one likes to be trampled and spit upon, after all."
"If you are talking about our world's trend to lean on atheism, then we can't help it. God's representatives in that place abused their mandate, hence the hatred on the deity they represent. Lucky for those apostates though, the one in-charge of Earth is a patient, loving god. If that was me, I've long destroyed everything in fire and sulfur."
"Heh, but yeah, I can't control people's hearts and minds. Even when I say to everyone 'love your neighbor,' they will still circumvent that and adapt to their own rules. And through their selfish desires, my name will be disrespected and hated."
Gaius gave me a tap on the back. "You said it yourself; better try it than live your whole life in regret, thinking of what could've happen if you did the opposite. Besides, don't sweat it too much. If your 'priests' said something you didn't command, just send fire down from heaven and burn them to cinders."
I only laughed in reply to his suggestion, before revealing, "I really want, and plan, to step down once I achieved my goals, similar to what you did."
"Have mercy on the Cherseans; these mortals need a god to guide and protect them."
"That's why I'm suffering this dilemma! I want to help, but I'm intimidated by the huge responsibility!"
Gaius, looking through my thoughts, said nothing. He just gave me a pat on the shoulder, and a nod, as if saying 'as long as I'm here, I'll guide you.'
Well, that's a bit reassuring for me.
"But, Kuro…"
"Yeah?"
"I'll stay with you as long as the last slivers of my existence holds. However, I'd like to ask, what the hell is this thing I'm seeing in your mind about retaking Cherflammen?"
"Oh that?" I smirked. "It is what it is. I'm taking back the land of the demons, Cherflammen. The Seductress might be a prisoner there, but it isn't hers."
"Quite…a dangerous project, don't you think?"
"I have to admit, it is dangerous," I nodded. "However, I'm just looking ahead in the future. I want to prevent trouble while I have the power and influence to do so. Cherflammen, though it has been cut-off from the other worlds, is technically within the universe where Chersea, Cherwind, Cherwoods and Cherhom belonged. Imagine the possibility of someone accidentally stumbling into that dead world and releasing the Seductress. And imagine that event happening during when the praises and reverence of the people for me have long vanished. Won't the Cherseans be in real shit if that occurs?"
"Leave them to their fates, if they dropped you."
"You know I can't do that; in respect to Maddie, Ruro, Natasha, Hinwe, Helgath and Seirna's wishes, I'll protect these worlds they love, even if I was forgotten."
"Heh, I thought it's the power of friendship. The power of love is also formidable, huh?"
"Shut up with the cheesy stuff. Look, there's another reason I'm doing that, though it's related to the first point. Both of us knew the problem with human. The Cherseans may be amicable with the other races now, but with our brief lives, and even shorter memories, there will come a time when everything we have fought and died for in these days will be forgotten. Wars will erupt once again. As god, I want to keep the demons and humans from fighting, and the Demon Lands north of Chersea will be a point of contention, even as Maddie granted it to the demons 'for eternity.' If a new, militant Saint succeeds her, and that saint proves to be a 'purist human,' there will surely be a bloodbath. It's not a question of 'if,' but of 'when.' And I've come to love both demons and humans, so I'll do my best to 'separate' them."
"Hoh, you're really thinking ahead, Kuro! For that, no matter what you say, you won't convince me that you're not the right person to be Chersea's god," Gaius commented, and added, "Also, I'm curious; did you get your scenario from the biblical story of the Hebrews' exodus from ancient Egypt?"
"Yeah. I seek to avoid that from happening."
The former god then stood up, and gave me a plate full of barbecue, as well as another beer can. "You really have my respect, Kuro. An outsider, yet you care more than anyone else for this world and the others."
I shook my head. "More than that, I'm just upholding the will of the six ladies who put their trust in me…"