Deception (5)

Swoosh, whoosh.

I silently exhaled and inhaled repeatedly in a volume that couldnt be heard.

The most important point in this deception strategy is my remaining mana.

Penelopes fabric is certainly a magnificent item that holds immeasurable mana, but it doesnt mean that I can freely do this kind of ridiculous stuff endlessly.

I was able to lower Heldres guard and deal a fatal blow, but I cant use this attack again.

Im already having a hard time just maintaining the form of Excalibur and Mjlnir. It seems like my acting is still working for now though.

By the way,

P-please spare me! I beg you! Ill do anything!

Heldre is begging.

It was a new experience for me, but it wasnt very pleasant.

Heldre is portrayed as quite a formidable opponent in the game.

Of course, he is defeated by the faculty members of Constel, so its difficult for the main character, Aster Evans, to properly face Heldre. Its also something that happens much later on.

Because of that, Heldre is depicted as a very mysterious character in the game because we dont see his fall.

He injures quite a few of Constels teachers and apparently resists until the end, so there are even some fans of Heldre.

And yet, hes begging for his life. Hes bending the pride of the Zodiac.

Heldre.

I called his name and asked him something that was bothering me.

What about your Divine Power?

......

Heldre lowered his head. I couldnt see his expression, but his trembling head was expressing fury and humiliation.

Heldre didnt use his Divine Power.

All 12 members of the Zodiac have Divine Power. If you dont have Divine Power to begin with, you cant become a Zodiac. There is an insurmountable difference between magic and aura.

However, Heldre didnt use Divine Power. Even after both of his arms were blown off.

Of course, I know the reason why.

Youve been abandoned, havent you?

......

The will of the gods is fickle.

Sometimes they dont give Divine Power to anyone, and sometimes several gods cling to one person.

Like Heldre, there are cases where power is given and then taken back.

Of course, I don't know the reason. In the game, it was said that Heldre resisted until the end, but is that possible without divine power?

"......I haven't been abandoned......"

At that moment, Heldre recited in a voice filled with anger.

"The gods have not forsaken me. They are still alive by my side."

"Then why"

I stopped speaking mid-sentence. Something began to rise around Heldre's body.

It's been a while since I've seen it. A characteristic only visible to players. A purple miasma.

"......!"

I see.

They are indeed by his side.

Originally, players thought this purple miasma indicated a character had 'fallen'. Characters usually exhibit eccentric behaviors when the miasma appears.

However, I have witnessed something during the golem incident.

I saw 'Hephaestus' manifest from the miasma rising around Edwin.

In other words, the miasma is not evidence of 'corruption', but rather evidence of a god manifesting.

In other words,

[It's nice to meet you, Frondier de Roach.]

The time that stopped during the golem incident.

And the voice that probably only I can hear.

The miasma took shape, appearing as a woman.

[Let me greet you.]

And the woman gracefully bowed her head.

[My name is Hestia.]

Hestia.

The goddess of the hearth, the protector of the home. Considered the most gentle deity in Greek and Roman mythology.

...To be honest, she doesn't match Heldre at all. Just as 'Renzo', the 'Glutton of Chaos', has the war god Alex as his divine power, I expected Heldre to have someone similarly matched.

Perhaps in the world of Etius, the image of the gods I generally know is different.

[It seems you think I don't fit in here.]

Truly a deity. She easily catches onto my inner thoughts.

"That's right. I'm curious why you gave Heldre divine power."

I spoke in the paused time. I couldn't speak when Hephaestus stopped time, but does this mean Hestia is a higher deity?

[The reason is simple. I love humanity] Hestia said with her characteristic calm and clear voice.

Whether that benevolent demeanor was genuine or a fabricated lie, there was still no way to tell.

"What do you mean?"

[I believed that helping him was the way to save the most humans.]

"An invasion of monsters, then."

Hestia nodded.

[Gods can roughly know what qualities a human will have when they are born, what destiny they will follow. That's why I helped Heldre. Because he plays the most significant role in repelling the invasion of monsters.]

[Before that invasion, Heldre was a vicious criminal, and now, he dreams of revolutionizing the palace.]

[It's difficult for me to respond to laws and crimes made among humans. There's only one thing I can say: the number of humans Heldre has saved far exceeds those he has killed, and that number is overwhelmingly greater than anyone else in the present.]

Hestia, who loves humans.

Whether they are evil or good, she loves and saves them without discrimination, the more, the better.

Therefore, she bestowed divine power upon Heldre, who saved the most humans.

Truly, it's a god's way of thinking.

[But I do not agree with the revolution. That future will only bring a horrific death filled with bloodshed. So, I tried to suppress Heldre as much as I could.]

Indeed, it's said that Heldre changed after the barrier was erected.

From a criminal known only for bloodshed to one possessing kindness and mercy. People say it's because he became 'Zodiac,' but perhaps it was Hestia's influence.

"Was your suppression in vain then?"

[I have no intention of forcefully changing his mind. Since he is nothing but a doll of the gods, not a human. That's why I left him. Right now, I am just using his body. He can no longer borrow divine power from me. I will only grant divine power when and how I choose.]

Not granting divine power.

Then does that mean Heldre carried out the revolution without Hestia's help?

Are the cowardly actions Heldre is showing now a reaction to losing divine power?

But in the game, probably Hestia lent him the divine power at the time of the final battle. Although whether the current Hestia would do the same is unknown.

[We don't have much time, so let me make this brief.]

Hestia said.

It seems like she is about to tell me the real reason she showed herself to me.

[As the human world is chaotic, it doesn't mean that things are peaceful here where the gods are.]

"Not peaceful..."

At my murmuring, Hestia nodded.

[I can't explain the details. If I mention certain keywords, it will call other gods, which will put you in danger too.]

"Can you tell me at least the gist of it?"

At my question, Hestia closed her eyes for a moment, seemingly pondering.

She seemed to be thinking about how to convey her message while avoiding any keywords that might catch the attention of other gods.

[There was a problem that the gods have not been able to solve for a very long time. The opposing stance for solving that problem has existed since ancient times.]

"And that has some effect on humans, is that it?"

Hestia nodded.

I asked.

"Then, whose side are you on, Hestia-nim?"

[Let's just say that I'm on your side. For now.]

Hestia, who loves humans, is on my side for now.

If it's true that the gods are currently in conflict, this was huge information.

[But I heard that there might be something you can do in this situation.]

"Something I can do?"

I looked at Hestia questioningly.

At that moment, Hestia and I made eye contact.

"...Ah."

A momentary vision filled my eyes, reminiscent of when I had encountered Hephaestus.

Within the scene was the figure of Hestia, forever repeating the same tasks.

Her daily life, flickering by like a dream.

Lighting the forge, watching over the human world with a compassionate gaze.

The eternal flame within the forge.

"Hestia's Hearth."

I stored that hearth in the 'workshop'.

[...Really,]

Awakening from that vision, I heard Hestia's murmur.

Though not clear, it seemed Hestia was surprised.

[So, you can observe the past through the eyes of a god. Just as Hephaestus mentioned.]

"......"

I found myself unable to respond. Not that I didn't want to, but I too was unaware of how this was possible.

Artemis's bow and arrows. These were the weapons I witnessed from Hephaestus's past.

The condition must have been meeting a god manifested in purple haze. Yet, having directly observed the past, I felt no sense of having done anything.

Instead, it felt as though the god's past was imposing itself upon me.

[It's time.]

Hestia, who suddenly spoke, seemed to lift her head slightly, as if sensing something.

[Be careful, Frondier. As you know, you have many enemies.]

"......It's comforting to know that some among the gods are on my side."

Within the slowly fading haze, she seemed to briefly smile at my words.

And as the paused time began to flow once more,

I saw Heldre again.