Zayne barely had enough time to get changed. The food wasn't even served yet, and half of the village seemed to have already heard about the appearance of a prophet, and came flocking to the tavern. There were kids fascinated by Zayne's swords, housewives and elderly devoted to their faith, who wanted to see the prophet with their own eyes…
"Sir, are you really a messenger of god?"
"Can you ask him to fulfill my prayer?"
"Can I touch your sword?"
"Did god Zayne send you here to help us?"
"Does it have any magic?"
"Could you help us get rid of the monsters?"
"…"
Sitting on an old wooden bench by the best table in the tiny tavern, Zayne listened to the rowdy crowd, his brows twitching.
If they all had so much time on their hands, then they should just kneel down and pray!
Still, he put on a gentle smile. As annoying as it was, attention was good. If he played it right, he could strengthen their faith and convince them to increase their offerings.
"God Zayne has heard all of your prayers. If your faith is strong enough, then you will all be rewarded in due time. All you need to do is-"
"Oh yea? Den wha are ya ere for?" a gruff voice came from the entrance, interrupting Zayne.
Yet another wave of people had arrived. This time, it was a group of burly men, ranging from late teens to middle age. Hunters, judging by their build and attire.
And at the back of the group, there was Sydell, standing with his arms crossed, staring at Zayne with a smirk. He was the one to round them up, it seemed.
'…How annoying.'
"Hm? Yer not sayin' anythin'? Did ya c'mere just to mooch off our women?"
"Right, right! Yer not gonna just take and not give back anythin' in turn, are ya?"
"You guys!" Priska called, as she finally came back from the kitchen, carrying plates with steaming hot stew and fresh bread. "Wha're y'all doing ere? Ya shoulda..."
She was about to start arguing with the crowd, but Zayne raised his hand.
"Are you questioning god?" he asked calmly, turning toward the hunters.
"Not god, we're questionin' ya!"
"That's the same thing. I'm a prophet sent by god Zayne. By questioning me, you're questioning the god's choice."
A few of the hunters hesitated, exchanging uneasy glances between themselves. When it was put like that… Even though they were not convinced yet, was it really worth risking incurring the god's wrath to continue questioning the 'prophet'?
Not everyone, however, was so easily deterred.
"We're not questionin' the god's choice. We're questionin' ya, whether yer a real prophet or just a fake. If ya want us to believe ya, prove yerself!"
Zayne let out a sigh. They were just mortals, from a poor, tiny village at that. It was ridiculous that he, as a god, would have to cater to them, insignificant people who would only be around for a few decades at most anyway. Still, if he managed to increase their faith, at least for the short time they were alive, the points they could generate…
So, once again, he smiled, calmly asking, "How can I prove myself?"
"Show us a miracle!"
…Of course. They just had to ask for something that would most likely require points.
"I have seen a miracle!" Once again, Priska stepped forward, before Zayne even had time to say anything. "See dat sword o'er there? I saw it appear out of nowhere!"
"Dat could've been a magic trick!"
"Yea, maybe he's just a mage!"
"Yer don't know what yer talkin' about!" One of the housewives joined the argument. "What would a mage do 'round ere?"
"Maybe he's a runaway criminal or somethin'!"
"Right! Don't be fooled by his manners and face!"
Zayne let out a short, scornful laugh, interrupting the pointless argument. Although he remained calm, his expression was now cold, with not a trace of the smile he wore just a moment ago.
"Well, in such case, what's the point of me performing any miracles? Aren't you just going to dismiss it as magic tricks anyway?" he asked the hunters.
"Dis…"
"I am not going to waste god's grace on people who don't believe anyway."
With this, the hunters were finally shut up. There was nothing they could say. They've never met any mages, so they wouldn't be able to tell the difference between magic and divine power.
Of course, that didn't make their concerns any less valid. Their arguments made a lot of sense…
But this only annoyed Zayne even more. People who relied on reason a lot were harder to convert. And even when they believed in Zayne, they prayed less on average, and tended to be more stingy with their offerings as well. In other words, hardly worth the effort.
"Are ya gonna just ignore us den?" Disappointed with how the situation unfolded, Sydell finally stepped forward.
'Is it ever gonna end?' Zayne barely held back a sigh. "I've never said that."
He might have intended to do so, but planning and saying it out loud were two different things.
"So? God musta send ya ere for reason, yea? Yer given a sword… Are ya gonna exterminate the monsters den?"
Exterminate the monsters? There was no way. There were so many monsters around, that if Zayne were to try to hunt them all down, he could spend decades doing nothing else, and he still wouldn't be able to completely eliminate the threat. Such a request was unreasonable, even when directed toward the 'prophet' sent by god.
"Yer not gonna? Are ya afraid?"
Enough was enough. Zayne stood up, and walked over to Sydell.
He was only about an average hight, back when he was still human. It was rare for Zayne to tower over anyone.
However, the people in Erithen were shorter than on Earth. Zayne smiled, looking down at Sydell, who was a good five inches shorter than him. Such a hight difference, when combined with Zayne's alleged status, his cold mannerism and confidence, was enough to intimidate the young man.
"Why would I be? I have received god's grace. Of course I can help you out with your monster problem a bit."
He would have to fight monsters sooner or later anyway, once he left the village. It wouldn't be much of an issue for him to stay for two or three days, and get some practice beforehand.
Maybe. He'd consider it later.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I would like to finish my meal before it gets cold. Priska made it specially for me, it would be a shame for it to go to waste… Don't you think?"
Zayne turned around, and returned to the table, leaving the heartbroken Sydell rooted in place.