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”Are you disappointed?” Duskleaf asked. ”You would have killed all four of them in a heartbeat just to avoid the slightest inconvenience. A choice he didn’t even consider.”

”No… if I wanted him to be a mirror image of me, I wouldn’t like him nearly as much,” Vilastromoz shook his head. ”Sentimentality can be healthy as long as he doesn’t overdo it.”

”His Path is not yours and never will be,” Duskleaf sighed. ”He is far more controlled than you ever were.”

Vilastromoz smirked. ”You say that… and yet I wonder what happens when he is truly pushed. I believe we shall come to discover that his and my extremes are not that different. That the lines he is willing to cross are far less controlled and restained than you believe.”

Duskleaf frowned but didn’t speak further. Not entirely able to disagree.

--

Reika had been at many social gatherings in her life and done plenty of convincing and negotiating. She had worked for her clan and even argued for more research funding… but trying to convince three fanatics that meeting their god and someone who was essentially a prophet wasn’t that big of a deal was way out of her league. To make it worse, then they had hung out with Jake and been casual with him for quite a while already, and this seemed to only hit them harder as they, in retrospect, viewed their actions as insulting if not downright blasphemous. This was clearly not something where logic could win.

After she had made the barrier and Jake was gone, it put a dampener on the mood, and Irin finally lifted her head as she stared at Reika. ”You knew?”

”Yes,” Reika just answered.

”For how long?”

”Since before we entered the Order. Jake’s identity is hidden here but not on our planet,” Reika explained. ”Back there, everyone with any status knows.”

”How…” Irin muttered as she fell silent again.

Bastilla still looked at Reika with disbelief without speaking as Reika sighed. She considered her approach to try and salvage the situation they found themselves in. She knew that her own casual demeanor was already way off from what the three of them would expect of her and would use that in her approach.

Rather than attempt to spin a tale of lies or a new cover-up, she decided to just go with the truth… a slightly modified truth with a good deal of her own conjecture mixed in, but the truth nonetheless.

”You must remember that Jake and I come from a planet that hasn’t even had the system for a few years yet. I didn’t even believe gods actually existed before the system arrived, and there is a good chance Jake didn’t either. Moreover, we come from a world with a modern culture focused heavily on individualism and a belief in personal freedom and equality. At least the parts of the world we were from. No one was inherently superior to others, at least we believed they weren’t, and anyone claiming to be better due to their inborn traits was heavily ostracized and looked down upon,” Reika began explaining as the three of them listened.

”The concept of others being superior is so foreign to us and also why I personally have a hard time adapting to a world with literal gods. It is a slow process, but I am getting more acclimated to it these days. I know they are superior; I know that a being such as the Malefic Viper is an existence I can barely dream of approaching, and I feel it deep in my bones every time I am confronted with a creature of superior strength and grade. But Jake does not feel this fear. You all know he has a Bloodline, and that Bloodline offers him innate resistance to auras and presences. Due to it, he does not feel the suppression of a god’s presence and coupled with his upbringing and inherent values and culture, he simply doesn’t share the same sentiment as most everyone in the multiverse. He does not experience fear nor reverence towards those superior to him, and in turn, he does not wish to be viewed as superior either simply due to what or who he is. Let us also be fair, Jake is not the most normal person, even on his best days. I do not say that to criticize him in any way either. Would anyone expect the Chosen of a Primordial to be normal? Has any of you ever met one before? I do not know if it is just me, but if each god can only have one Chosen, is it not only to be expected that person will be unique? And that the Chosen of a Primordial will be more special than any other?”

She needed to speak rather carefully and avoid saying anything too incendiary. While Jake could get away with blasphemy, Reika didn’t believe she could. Not in a million years. She also wanted to kind of excuse why Jake acted as he did.

The thing about his Bloodline was something she had pre-approved by Jake a long time ago. She had been told the properties of his Bloodline before and knew it allowed him to resist auras. Parts of her wondered if it had other aspects as well, but it wasn’t something she would think about too much and definitely never ask about.

Reika tried to reach them but had a hard time reading the three members of the Order, especially the dragonkin, as she quite honestly had no idea what expressions they made or what emotions those expressions represented. Bastilla also just stared blankly as she likely tried to process everything, and Irin looked deep in thought.

I don’t need to convince Bastilla or even Draskil. As long as I get Irin on board and we reach an understanding, she can rope in the two others. Jake will also likely be able to convince Draskil himself, Reika thought as she talked directly to Irin.

”Irin… what are you thinking about right now?” she asked the demon. Even if she had an idea, she still wanted to confirm.

”I… I just saw the Malefic One in person and have spoken to his Chosen several times,” Irin said as a stupid smile covered her face.

Not what I thought, Reika quickly realized as Irin kept talking.

”I even approached the Chosen with the intent to…” Irin said as her eyes opened wide. ”What have I done? How could I not have realized? My behavior has been utterly unbecoming… should I beg? No, I don’t deserve forgiveness; I should just-”

”Hey!” Reika yelled as she chopped the head of the succubus, hurting her hand a bit. ”Snap out of it already. Didn’t you hear a single word I said before? That he said before leaving.”

Irin finally looked up, and with her attention, Reika spoke again. ”You know what is really unforgivable? Thinking that if the Chosen and the Malefic One wanted to hide his identity, you could figure it out on your own. Or you believing that any actions you have done while interacting with the disguise he purposefully made weren’t something he wanted. Consider it for a moment. Jake already told you why he wanted to hide his identity before. Are you questioning his judgment?”

”I would never!” Irin said dismissively, if not a bit mad.

”Then you still don’t get it. This part is primarily my own conjecture, but while we know why Jake wanted to hide his identity, have you considered why the Malefic One approved?” Reika asked, getting a few interested glances.

”While I do not dare claim I understand the thoughts of a Primordial, would it not make sense that this is related to the Path of his Chosen? Perhaps it has been deemed that he benefits from interactions with others without them knowing his true identity. Perhaps it is something entirely else. Either way, the Malefic Viper likely wants us to question his Chosen. Judge his Chosen. Allow his Chosen to grow. For him to make his own choices and walk his own Path not affected by his status. Do notice how the Malefic One even asked the opinion of Jake and seemed relaxed with him. Machinations far above our realm of understanding are taking place, and if we truly wish to show our loyalty, the best we can do is to act as they want of us by not seeing Jake as the Malefic One’s Chosen. Even if we do at least recognize it, then we should not use it as an excuse to treat him differently,” Reika explained to Irin.

”When I first learned he was the Chosen of the Malefic One, I had a hard time comprehending it, and after coming here to the Order, I have to remind myself every day that treating Jake like Jake the Chosen and not Jake the person goes directly against what he himself and the Viper wishes. So at the very least, try to treat him like a normal person. You have his permission and the permission of the Malefic One to do this,” Reika said, only lying a little bit as she didn’t ever really struggle with his identity. She also chose to add on one more thing that she only sent to Irin.

”And consider the possibilities. You have an open invitation to approach and interact with the Chosen in a casual way. Are you really going to throw such a golden opportunity away?”

If Reika had learned one thing while in the Order, it was that everyone was inherently selfish. Irin was worried for several reasons, most of them to do with self-preservation and fear of what could happen to her if Jake was genuinely mad or offended. So rather than Irin seeing it as a negative that she now knew, Reika wanted her to see it as something to take advantage of. Jake could deal with whatever the outcome of that was.

Her words clearly reached the demon as Irin seemed to focus and think it over. A few seconds passed before her eyes darted up. ”Are you certain that this is truly the will of the Malefic One and his Chosen?”

”Well, no,” Reika answered honestly. ”But I have yet to be smitten for blasphemy, and I have treated Jake normally ever since we met. He even asked me to join for this dungeon run showing that he clearly isn’t offended by my presence or how I act.”

”So you just act like you don’t know he is the Chosen?” she asked clarifyingly.

”It is more accurate to say that I act like him being the Chosen isn’t really that big of a deal. I recognize it, I know it, but I don’t make it be what defines him. That is also his wish, and I respect that,” Reika once more answered.

”Still don’t get why he hides it,” Draskil muttered, finally speaking.

Can’t tell them Jake doesn’t actually think it is that big of a deal and just annoying to be a Chosen… Reika thought as she instead made a roundabout answer. ”Who are we to even try? If that is the Path Jake and the Malefic One has chosen, the most respectful thing we can do is to honor their wishes.”

She felt like she was talking in circles, but sometimes repetition could be helpful. Reika felt like she had made some good process, but there was still work to do before she felt confident ”releasing” the three of them upon Jake.

Jake, in the meantime, had chosen to run away to a place no one else could go.

”Why did you even bother trying to hide your identity to begin with when you can’t be arsed to actually keep hiding?” sim-Jake asked the real Jake as they both sat in the Soulspace.

”I just prefer it if people don’t know I am the Chosen. It isn’t a make-or-break-it kind of deal,” Jake shrugged.

”It is more the lack of decisiveness,” sim-Jake criticized. ”You half-ass so many things. You start doing something only to quit halfway through, or you just stop bothering.”

”So I should have killed all four of them?” Jake asked with a scoff.

”I am saying you should have never bothered hiding your identity at all or have been fully prepared for it eventually coming out when you barely try to stay under the radar. You are not going to change the entire multiverse and their views on gods or their Chosen. It is natural to submit to those more powerful than yourself, and they all know it. It is the law of the multiverse, and there is a reason why natural suppression between grades exists. There is a reason we do not feel it either, as we are born to stand beside or above everyone. Better to just embrace that you are indeed superior and then go from there,” sim-Jake said.

”We are not having this conversation again,” Jake sighed as he stood up within the Soulspace.

”You spent your entire life trying to fit in and adapt to a world you never fit into. Yet now, when you finally find a world you fit into, you try to apply those useless values that only led to the suppression of your Bloodline – of who you are,” Jake’s other self kept talking. ”Why not just accept it? It is an inevitability anyway. With time we will reach levels of power where being Chosen or not has no meaning.”

”And at that time, it will at least be earned and not merely given because Villy decided to give it to me,” Jake shot back.

”Fair, I at least get that. You don’t want to borrow his clout, even if I will say it is earned. Villy has recognized that we are worth it, and I get him. Like I just said, then he also views us reaching the apex as a foregone conclusion, and when eternity is the timeline you are used to working with, why not get ahead of the curve and just recognize us as worth viewing as an equal right away?” sim-Jake said.

”That or die,” Jake pointed out.

”True, true. Definitely shouldn’t do that,” sim-Jake chuckled as he also stood up. ”Anyway, enough about that, let’s talk about what actually matters. I have been busy while you were playing alchemist, and I wanted some input.”

”No, you don’t need my input,” Jake said.

”Heh, true. I just want to show off my progress,” sim-Jake smirked.

”So, you beating up the chimera again?”

”Nah, this isn’t about the fighting style this time around but my other project,” sim-Jake explained. ”Watch this.”

Sim-Jake closed his eyes and focused for a moment. He knelt down and jumped forward as suddenly he turned all shadowy. Several copies of sim-Jake then appeared in a line between him and his destination before he finally appeared more than a hundred meters away.

”Space magic,” Jake quickly concluded.

”Bingo," sim-Jake said. It is far better than Basic Shadow Vault of Umbra but far from useful yet. So yeah, hold back on upgrading it. Mixing in space magic like I am is already pushing it away from its Origin in Umbra’s Legacy, but I need far more to properly make it our own.”

Jake nodded. ”Alright. Keep up the good work. Anything else to add? If not, I want to go study the drop of blood I stole from Villy a bit.”

”Just one thing,” sim-Jake said. ”Fight some more C-grades with space magic if you can. I got a lot of ideas from reviewing the fight with the Phantomshade Panther.”

Jake nodded in understanding as he went towards the red marble floating inside his Soulspace in a desolate area. He hadn’t really interacted with it actively that much but thought it was high time he began studying it properly. A full analysis was out of the question, but he should be able to at least figure something useful out.

He didn’t know how much time he had either and, quite honestly, was more occupied with passing the time than anything else, so he didn’t have to think about the outside world that he would have to deal with pretty soon.

Jake sincerely hoped that Reika would succeed. If she didn’t, it would really suck. He had enjoyed the dungeon quite a lot despite the shitty mushroom theme only because he had good company. Not to misunderstand, Jake liked his solo adventures, but he also liked to at least have the option of teaming up. It also had many benefits, as Jake had learned quite a few things from his party members.

If Reika failed, Jake wasn’t even sure what his plans were. Would he cut them off? Distance himself? Accept them no longer treating him like before? He genuinely didn’t know.

All he could do was hope that it didn’t come to that.