I want power. I really want it. I want it so much I could cry. Actually, I’m still kind of wavering about it. Part of me wants to take back what I said and ask for it, but that can’t happen. If I did that, then I would no longer be myself. If I were to betray my own heart for power, I would be the same as an uncontrollable gun. It doesn’t matter how powerful a gun is. If it shoots people it shouldn’t, then it’s worthless.
The Goddess was quiet for a moment. “Hee hee hee hee hee.”
Seeing Sei’s attitude, the Goddess tossed aside her affectionate smile for one that had her mouth curving like a crescent moon. Then, she started clapping as if praising Sei before she grabbed his jaw.
“I see, I see! As expected of a hero. What a wonderful mindset. I praise you for the strength of your conviction! Yes, I don’t hate that kind of attitude, not at all. In fact, I find it wonderful that you’re trying to walk on your own two feet, but that’s exactly why it’s so pitiful... Ah, what a poor child you are. Even though your convictions are so strong, your abilities do not match. That is so extremely unfortunate.”
The Goddess didn’t listen to one word of what Sei had to say. Instead, she just continued the conversation on her own. She didn’t do this out of hate for Sei; she wasn’t even mad that she had been refused. In fact, it was the opposite. From the bottom of her heart, she thought, Ah, what a wonderful child just brimming with bravery! Yes, this is how people have to be! They should walk on their own feet instead of chasing after some wish or clinging to divinity. That is the strength of humanity, as well as its beauty.
However, that was exactly why she couldn’t help but pity Sei. Even though people like him were the most worthy of power, they would always end up refusing it. He deserves to be saved. He should be saved! He needs to be saved, needs to be!
“Be at ease. I will not abandon you. You deserve happiness. Feel free to be a little more selfish. I will forgive you. Allow me to save you from your powerlessness.”
The Goddess was attempting to be a forceful savior. She would not listen to those she was saving; she saved them because she herself wanted to. He’s wonderful. Truly wonderful, without exaggeration. He deserves happiness. I will make him happy.
That was the moment Sei realized something. Up until now, he’d thought of the Goddess Alovenus as a villain who was playing around with the world as she pleased. I was wrong... This goddess... This way-too-awful goddess is just way, way off base.
“Even if you do not desire it, I will bestow power upon you. Do not worry. When you next awake, it will all be over.”
She was no longer even pretending to listen to what Sei wanted. A puppet with no will would not be much in battle, but that was only if there wasn’t an overwhelming stat difference. Now, however, things would be different. After absorbing not just the ouroboroses but a part of the universe as experience, Sei would become basically invincible. He would be strong enough to defeat Lufas.
In order to force her aid on him, the Goddess lifted Sei’s jaw.
“Heed my order. Refuse her with your own will.”
That was when another power that was already inside Sei intervened, and he shook off the Goddess’s hand.
Sei turned around only to find Lufas there. This was Sei’s inner psyche, though, so there was no way Lufas should have been there. However, she had already worked her control inside Sei. Of course, it wasn’t to actually control him. She had done so in order to protect him from those who would control him regardless of his will.
“Wha—?! L-Lufas?! Why are you here...?” the Goddess asked.
“Hmph. I figured you’d do something like this, Alovenus. It seems you really did try to force power on him... But it’s too bad, isn’t it?”
“Wai— Wait a second! It can’t be... Did you do that without his permission?”
Lufas had acted just before Sei had gotten on the Ark. When she’d patted him on the shoulder, she’d activated a skill as a good-luck charm. The skill’s name was Capture. It was one of the basic skills of the Monster Tamer, one that captured the target and put it under the user’s control. However, as one might have been able to tell from how it worked on Parthenos, the target didn’t necessarily have to be a monster. If the user wanted, they could capture humans, or anything else, for that matter.
“This kid, Sei, is already spoken for. As long as you don’t defeat me, you can’t touch him.”
“You fiend!”
The Goddess conveniently ignored her own actions as her shout echoed through the world of Sei’s inner psyche. At the same time, all the experience, or mana, that was flooding towards Sei lost its destination. The hero himself had rejected the script, so this was no longer a story. At this point, the Goddess’s scenario had completely collapsed.
“Why...?”
Alovenus clenched her fists as she looked at Sei. I don’t get it. I just don’t. Why won’t he accept the power? There’re no demerits to it at all! It’s free. There are no catches. I was just going to give him cheat powers that would allow him to defeat anything in this world! I told him I was going to save him. I said I was going to make things easy. So why was I rejected? Didn’t he admit that he actually wanted it deep down? Didn’t he say that he hated his weakness? So why not just take it? That would solve all his problems. Why would he meaninglessly take the hard, painful choice?