Emiya residence.
- "Wait, did I hear correctly that you're willing to give me basically everything?" I asked, when the thoughts of divinity were out of my head, "And what is the 'Throne of Heaven' in principle?"
- "Yes, the decision was unanimous among all the great seraphim," Gabriel nodded, "And the Throne? Well... we don't know much about it ourselves, other than what I've already said. Unless my brother knows something about it, and you'll have to ask him yourself."
I stared at her suspiciously.
Unanimously? I wonder. As I recall, the great seraphim are Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel, who make up the highest council of Heaven. And they all agree to give me everything? To a man from another world, even if he is the Pseudo-Slave of Solomon? Sounds pretty suspicious no matter which way you look at it.
And then there's the 'Throne of Heaven'. What's that? How exactly does it work? And most importantly, what are the consequences if I occupy it? There's no mention of it anywhere, so all I have to do is meet with Michael to get some answers.
The suggestion itself... is not unreasonable. Sacred Gear may seem like a great fortune, as it gives supernatural powers and, in fact, elevates its bearer among other people, but it is not so. Having received it, a person becomes a target, and from a member of the crowd he turns into an asset. A military asset.
Sacred Gear - a weapon that gives the ability to resist the enemies of humanity. And Longines allow you to defeat and kill the gods themselves. As a result, there are only two ways to develop the life of the carrier: submission or struggle. A peaceful life, as such, becomes inaccessible, no matter how much effort he puts into it.
Of course, as I said at the summit then, not everyone desires a peaceful and ordinary life, but what about others who are not so fortunate? The same Issei, for example. He's a completely ordinary teenager, with ordinary dreams and ordinary demands on life. I mean, if he didn't have Ddraig, he would have grown up, found a job, a beautiful wife, had kids, and that's it. His life's purpose is fully achieved.
Except the circumstances are very different. The powers that be, for whom he is nothing more than a tool, forced him to join the supernatural world by giving him a Sacred Gear, one of the strongest Longinus. He wasn't even asked if he wanted it and his current life.
And I doubt he was fully explained the consequences that would arise. His parents are ordinary people. Die in an accidental explosion? Easy. Get held hostage by demon enemies? Likewise. Yes, they're protected, but will it help? I don't think so. Any Servant, absolutely anyone, can break into their home and take or kill them. And there are plenty of creatures with their powers in this world.
To summarize, I HAVE to visit Heaven and take a look at the systems. This is what my principles demand, and what I myself want. If I can correct them and change the pattern of issuing Sacred Gear, the world will be a much better place, I think. However, again, how will Alaia react? If I did that, the consequences wouldn't just be huge, but much, much bigger.
I sighed tiredly and rubbed my temples.
I'll have to deal with this on the spot, after thinking it through. I just couldn't ignore the opportunity Heaven had given me.
- "Okay, I get it," I said and looked at Griselda, "Heaven is very clear about me, but what does the Church think? I doubt that the Vatican will accept it calmly and without further ado."
- "There have been... changes in the structure of the Church..." Griselda said uncertainly.
- "I beg your pardon?"
- "After your words, Lord Michael began to restructure it. He brought in free angels to inspect every branch and keep watch. There was a massive purge of unworthy elements in accordance with his commandments. As it turned out, there were... plenty of such individuals."
Okay...that's a big change.
- "It did not affect those who by bad luck had fallen under bad influences and had a chance to reform. They were given probation and jobs, and every meeting of the Cardinals and the Pope is accompanied by one of the seraphim. Many cases have come to light which... are contrary to the tenets of Heaven and humanity. Every one of them is being investigated by angels to make sure the details are true and justice is done."
- "As Griselda said, Brother held a meeting of seraphim where he appointed several of them to assist the Church. Something like the Holy Sword will never appear again, this we can promise, Romani-san. And it will follow you, as the rings are still on you, and they are direct proof that father supports you. Even if you are from another world, father is still father, as is his light."
- "Interesting." Morgan commented, and I raised an eyebrow.
It sounded promising, of course, but something was bugging me. Like there's something behind it all. But then, an epiphany popped into my head.
And Michael is cunning. He is using not only his sister, but also the Church and Heaven to get me. Am I going to condemn him? More likely no than yes, because the goal is relatively justified. After all, Heaven is the weakest part of the Bible faction.
The angels have far more problems than the demons and the Fallen. Their numbers are replenished very, very slowly, as there is a big chance of falling at the coitus, which is feared by the angels themselves. It's like turning your back on your creator and father.
Angels only mate with angels, because if there is someone else, the angel is almost guaranteed to fall. Demons and the Fallen have no such problem. The former have Figures of Evil, and the latter have many half-breeds all over the world.
Of course, there are Brave Saints based on playing cards, but there are only four sets, wielded only by the great seraphim. There are a maximum of fourteen spots in the deck, which is less even than one full set of Figures of Evil, and there are a pond's worth of Higher Class demons by birth.
Apparently, Michael is hoping I'll solve this problem, since it's the system responsible for 'Sanctity' that affects the drop. If I manage to adjust it in such a way that it becomes possible to give birth to a new angel without a chance to fall, then all life in Heaven will play with new colors.
One detail is also worth mentioning. If I sit on the Heavenly Throne, whatever it is, the Biblical mythology will become the strongest among the rest, given the functions it has heard. And this will be affected not only by my strength, but also by the strength of the Servants that will be with me. The heroes of legends who receive an endless supply of mana and are fueled by the world itself, some of whom are assassins of the gods, represent a colossal power.
Plus, there's also the Biblical God. Life, death, creation, destruction, love, justice, and so on. There are many possessions, and usually a god has only one or two of them, but not him. Because of him, the influence of Biblical mythology dominates the world even after his death.
Going back to Michael, he knows my principles, which I have narrated myself, and therefore counts on the impossibility of ignoring his request.
I grinned.
Well played, Michael, the most treacherous angel in the whole world.
- "Okay, I think I'll visit Heaven sometime this week, unless there are any incidents that require my attention. Since you're in touch with Michael, give him this."
- "Thank you, Romani-san," Gabriel smiled beautifully, and Griselda sighed in relief, "And what is the 'True Magic' that King Arthur mentioned? You didn't tell me about it."
-0-
Kyoto.
- "Honestly, I was expecting you by tonight, but no way now, Romani-san. Is something wrong?" Yasaka asked, sitting in her office with a pile of various papers and ink.
- "No, no, not at all, Yasaka-san. I just didn't want to be late, and suddenly, you'd be free earlier than planned. You're a busy woman, and taking up your time just seems impolite to me." I said calmly, sitting across from her and sipping my hot coffee.
- "For some reason I feel like you've been using me as an escape route. Can you tell me if I'm right, or is it just my idle guess?" She asked cheerfully, to which I made a very hurt look on my face.
As soon as we talked about our situation and expressed ourselves, some semblance of friendship formed between us. She began to act more open and carefree, toning down the diplomatic tone. A pleasant change, I suppose.
- "I won't answer that question."
- "How childish," Yasaka chuckled, "But come on. I'm a little busy right now and can't spare your time. Shall I assign someone to accompany you? Take a walk around the city, see the sights."
- "No need, I'll find something to do," I shook my head, "Where's Kunou?"
- "She's in class," Yasaka answered, and then widened her eyes as if she had a thought. "By the way, she'll be taking a break in a couple hours. You can keep her company. She'll show you around the city, and you'll get to know each other better. How would you feel about that?"
- "Sure, sounds good."
It's a good idea. Besides, most of my visits have been to food stands and such. Maybe I'll broaden my horizons and see what Kunou has to say about our situation. I don't have much to do anyway, and hopefully nothing much will happen. Someone's attack, for example. Uh-huh-uh.
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A/N: How's the chapter? Give us your opinion. You may well be able to influence future chapters.
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