Ugh, what typical cult-like nonsense...
After giving me that intense glare, I wondered what kind of “enlightening” crap he was about to spew. I was tempted to just brush him off, saying I didn’t need any of that nonsense, and be on my way. But then a question popped into my head.
Bishop Andrea stood before Casimir, not a single gray hair on his head and no sign of the convulsive coughing fits that plagued him in the game. In fact, without the burden of illness, he looked nearly two decades younger than his digital counterpart.
Casimir’s description of him stuck with me.
She said he was like a writhing mass of insects masquerading as a human.
“What does not having the Blessing of Order have to do with wanting to avoid Ledeia’s Apostle?”
Pretend to date?
With Athanas?
What a terrible thing to say!
“E-Even if we tried, no one will believe it! We need someone more believable, someone people would actually think you could fall for.”
How should I respond?
“Of course... I do. You’re the legendary hero, the Savior of Order itself.”
And the main character of a game I spent over 200 hours playing.
It’s impossible not to feel a special connection.
...This bastard?
Why is this guy acting like a cliche villain, monologuing in front of the OP protagonist just to get his a*s kicked?
Now would be the perfect opportunity to show him my true nature and teach him a lesson in humility…
The ‘quiet place’ Athanas took me to turned out to be a prayer room.
I wondered if it was okay to have casual conversations in a sacred space like this, but as soon as I stepped inside, those thoughts vanished.
“Why is there a bed in the prayer room...” I asked, staring at the huge, comfy-looking bed taking up half the room. This wasn’t some little cot for power naps - two people could easily sprawl out on this thing.
No matter how many times I flipped the paper over, those words were the only thing written.
I couldn’t believe it.
This is a real as*hole move, isn’t it?
“...From the moment you found this secret space, you started considering the possibility that I have [Retrograde].”
Like some cliché evil mid-boss villain, Athanas launched into a monologue without being asked.
“There seems to be some kind of note inside.” Athanas fearlessly reached into the coffin and pulled out a piece of paper.
Wait, [Retrograde] isn’t in there?
Before I could even wrap my head around the situation, Athanas examined the note, his brow furrowed in concentration. “...There’s some strange information scribbled on it.”
I never expected that reaction from him.
…But I guess it makes sense, considering how harshly I had rejected him every single time before.
Trying to play it cool, I quickly added, “Don’t worry about it if you have other plans.”
I tossed and turned all night, my mind racing with worries and concerns. The realization that the Church of Order was utterly useless had hit me hard and sleep eluded me.