92 Illusion Of Choice

In truth, Isaac had already arrived at his students' side quite a few seconds before he had actually intervened in the events that had been unfolding. At the same time as he had teleported, he had also blurred his existence, so as to have a chance to take a closer look at everything before getting himself involved. Simultaneously, he had also used his Eyes of Hermes, as the Magic enabled him to get a far better overview of the overall situation than he would have been privy to by only using his regular senses.

Tabitha's and Suicia's situation had seemed stable, so he hadn't worried about it. When he had seen the unfamiliar Ray, however, he had raised his guard for a moment, before he had figured out what exactly she was. At that point, after he had glanced at the observing white robed youngster, he had already formulated his plan - one that would give each attending party exactly what he had wanted them to see.

He had spent a short moment to explain to Ais that her help wouldn't be needed and had thanked her for having been ready to come to his side at a moment's notice, then he had started his performance. Luckily, he hadn't needed to act much, as all he had needed to do to achieve the intended effects was to clearly show the emotions that had filled a corner of his heart.

His students got saved and his enemies obliterated, with one of their numbers even successfully taken alive, ready for an 'interrogation'. The unknown force that the peeping tom belonged to would get a warning, so if he had to slaughter them all later, he could at least say that he had tried to give them a chance. As for Ray, she both got to see his capabilities as well as his ruthlessness. He had wanted to convey to her that, should his reverse scale - his people - be touched, there would be hell to pay. Although he had been certain that she would end up one of his allies, or at least not an enemy, it was better to be safe rather than sorry.

When he had portrayed how much he valued those that followed him, including Averin, a fellow Xenos, he had sneakily started to worm himself into the Siren's heart.

Isaac had long since believed there to be more monsters like Averin, he had just never met any of them. Whether or not they had formed a group had been unknown, but as long as their numbers reached a certain amount, then he had judged that it would be quite likely. Because of this, he had mentally prepared himself for this probability long ago.

As for the connection between the Xenos and the Hermes Familia? He had had no clue whether or not there actually was one. He hadn't known whether or not Hermes was in contact with them, but he had been quite certain that a slippery manipulator like the god of travellers would surely be aware of this faction. This guess of his had only been reinforced when the Hermes Familia had made no attempt to question him about Averin, or to even approach his students to get into contact with the rooster out of curiosity. Thanks to this he had been able to wager a guess that Hermes, at the very least, was aware of the existence of monsters like his Jack Bird subordinate.

Should there be a group of them, then the god would likely know about them as well. As Hermes seemed like a man that wouldn't hesitate to make use of everyone that he came across to further his own goals - which didn't seem to be antagonistic in nature - he would have surely attempted to contact this group of sentient monsters, and positive relations between the two forces would nearly be guaranteed. Telling Ray about the two Hermes Familia women had been a gamble, but from how relaxed the two seemed to be around her, it looked like it had paid off, causing Isaac to smile to himself inwardly.

As for the words that had ultimately settled deep within the Xenos leader's heart and made her see a hope for the future? He had just stated the truth. He didn't want to build a relationship, whether it be cooperative or competitive, on a lie. This positive outcome had simply been a result of luck - his mindset was in the ballpark of how the Xenos had always wished to be treated.

They had been constantly abused and killed, so even without getting any preferential treatment from him, Ray had felt like the world had just brightened up significantly. This showed clearly in her bright and happy smile, which caused the group to fall silent for a moment after they got blinded by it.

'Are they… afraid of me?'

The Siren couldn't help but fear that those new potential allies of hers had been scared away by her unusual looks, but soon, this worry dissipated entirely. The Chienthrope girl spoke up, fascination sparkling in her gentle brown eyes.

"Wow… you're so beautiful!"

The rest of the group nodded in confirmation, even Isaac, causing the Siren to both blush a little and to recover. With a small smile, she replied to them embarrassedly.

"I'm glad that my appearance didn't frighten you. Thank you for the kind words, umm…?"

At this moment, she finally realized that she didn't know the names of most of the people here, so she shot a pleading gaze at the girl who had praised her.

"Mina, Mina Teagle. I'm milord's faithful retainer!"

All too proud to announce her allegiance, Mina introduced herself with a complacent smile. Before Ray could even ask her for further clarification, the mostly expressionless, icy Raccoon girl next to her also chimed in.

"Aselina Sceaga, I'm also his retainer."

Seeing that everyone was introducing themselves, Kalin decided that it would be wisest to join in. He shrugged and pointed at himself.

"As for me, I'm Kalin Myre, and Isaac is my teacher."

He chose to avoid mentioning that he was also a part of his familia, as the two Hermes Familia members with them didn't know about Isaac's ascendence yet - it would be foolish of him to reveal it just like that.

Now, only Averin was left. He had already mostly recovered, so it wasn't difficult for him to put on airs, like he usually did. He hopped on Mina's shoulder, puffed out his chest and looked down upon all of the ones sitting on the ground. His beak was slightly raised upwards towards the ceiling and an arrogant expression spread on his face. Still, to all of the observers, he seemed more cute and adorkable than imposing.

"This Lord Bird is the great and mighty Averin, a faithful retainer of the most prestigious of masters, the Lord of Transcendence and the future ruler of this world, His Majesty Isaac Blackshaw!!"

Isaac almost choked on his potato snack when he heard his rooster's self-introduction. He was already long used to the bird's usual theatrics, but never before had he been included in his bragging. All of those fancy titles… how did he even come up with them!? More importantly, however, Isaac wasn't interested in the throne of this world at all! This was totally giving off the wrong impression, wasn't it!?

"Ufufu. I see, I see. So you really love your master, huh?"

An amused chuckle escaped Ray's lips and she couldn't help but tease the young Jack Bird mirthfully. She didn't take these senseless titles seriously, as they didn't even mean anything to her. What was a 'Lord of Transcendence'? And why would it matter to her who ruled this world? Her kin worried exclusively about survival and having a place to belong, so the power struggles at the very top didn't interest her. It was something that was simply too far removed from her life to even think about. Lastly, Isaac may be a powerful human, but he was undoubtedly still very far from such a prestigious position. All of this enabled her to see through to the truth of the matter. Averin really valued his master, even to the point of trying to lift him up alongside himself with his bragging. How adorable!

"Y-You…!!!"

Averin was both infuriated and speechless, he didn't even know what to do. Thankfully, he calmed down very quickly when Mina grabbed him from her shoulder and hugged him again. The familiar sensation made him snap out of his stupor.

'Fine, I'll forgive you this once!'

Thoughts like these flashed through his mind as he poutingly glared at Ray from within the comfortable embrace.

"Ahem, I have something that I need to talk to you about, everyone."

Ray's words were more of a formality, as she had already previously garnered everyone's attention. Promptly, she continued.

"You are probably wondering about what exactly the 'Xenos' are. That is the name that we, the sentient monsters, have chosen for ourselves after forming a group. Averin here is undoubtedly one of our kin as well."

Seeing that everyone followed her so far, she proceeded to explain.

"Some of us are not capable of speech, or haven't learned to speak yet. So if you ever encounter a monster that isn't mindless and hostile, please be aware that it could be one of my kin!"

Mentally, Isaac reviewed all of his battles, only to determine that he hadn't met any unusual monsters besides Averin - and now Ray - before. So seemingly, Xenos were extremely rare, even rarer than variants. Speaking of variants, hadn't he met almost none of those in all of his time within the dungeon? Regular adventurers came across them quite frequently, so why did they seem to avoid him like the plague?

Shaking his head slightly to disperse these distracting thoughts, Isaac faced Ray and asked a question.

"If we find a Xenos, what do you want us to do? Leaving them behind could endanger them."

A thankful smile spread on the Siren's lips, and she nodded.

"You are correct about that. Regular monsters attack my kin, as I'm sure you've noticed before. So, if possible, it would be great if you could bring them to one of our hidden gathering spots, one of our 'villages'. Speaking of, I would like to request that you leave Averin in our hands as well. Surely, his life will become much more comfortable when amongst his kin."

During the first part of her reply, the entire group had seemed amicable - during the latter half, however, the students grew somewhat hostile, or at least a little bit annoyed. Even Isaac showed a frown, but before anyone could make any rash decisions due to their impulse-fuelled emotions, he raised his hand to defuse the situation. Then, he looked directly into Ray's eyes. This time, he was a lot more wary than before.

"Why do you think so?"

Contrary to what Isaac had feared, Ray didn't see the students' reaction in a negative light, instead, it made her feel happy for her fellow Xenos. To be cared about this much, it was something that she and the others truly longed for!

"First of all, I'm sure you already know about the dream of us Xenos - to reach the surface and walk underneath the blue sky, revelling in and exploring the world. What you might not yet be aware of is that we also want to be accepted by the sentient races, to walk amongst them as equals. Only late in life did some of us realize that our dream wasn't only to be taken literally. 'Reaching the surface', or rather, 'seeing the light of day' also means that we want to be accepted by others, for who we are."

So far, so good. When thinking about what she was about to say, however, Ray uncontrollably sighed.

"Sadly, there is one single problem which makes this nearly impossible, or at least very hard to achieve. It isn't hard for some of us to disguise ourselves and leave the dungeon. But whenever we leave it, we grow weaker and weaker until we inevitably die. This means that we both can't really live on the surface, and that because of this, the sentient races won't have much contact with us. Everyone fears the unknown, so the less contact that we have, the harder it is for their prejudices to be proven wrong, for us to appear to them in a better and new light. The rare contact that we have had with others down here has also exclusively been negative, your group and our benefactor's forces excluded. In any case, Averin here surely suffers whenever you bring him out of the dungeon, so wouldn't it be better to leave him here with his kin until we can find a solution?"

Towards the end, Ray's expression turned into one of pleading, but what greeted her wasn't the reluctant agreement that she had anticipated and hoped for, but slight amusement. Seeing the confusion written all over her face, Isaac smiled kindly and explained what was going on.

"I've already dealt with that problem, at least in Averin's case. I can't say that I have found a 'solution' per se, but I can indeed ensure that a Xenos won't lose their vitality outside of the dungeon. As for the specifics…"

With a short glance in Tabitha's and Suicia's direction, he signalled that they weren't close enough allies to divulge this secret to.

"I can't disclose them at the moment. Still, I can tell you that currently, it involves a kind of 'sacrifice' on the Xenos' part, which Averin had gladly agreed to. I accidentally stumbled across this way of escaping the problem. As for a real solution, I have not yet researched the exact cause and effect of this phenomenon, so I haven't come up with one yet. Of course, for the right price, I could always prioritize it and figure out a way. I will only claim my payment after I've been successful, so don't you worry about me ripping you off."

Shocked, Ray stared at Isaac in disbelief. Did he really think that he could get rid of the chain that had bound them for all their lives… by himself? And this deal that he proposed, wasn't it far too lenient? What if he worked for nothing? He wouldn't gain anything and only waste his time futilely.

Seconds later, a determined look appeared on the Siren's face.

"Before we talk about this, can you let me experience that accidental solution that worked for Averin? I am willing to shoulder any sacrifice for my kin!"

'Just according to plan.'

A small smile played across Isaac's lips, then he nodded.

"Sure. But first, Tabitha and Suicia, can you please return to the surface? I will personally return this group of my students home, and although we are business partners, this is a confidential matter."

The two women had already been preparing themselves for this for a while, so they stood up quickly. Stretching herself relaxedly, Tabitha smiled at the group and waved them goodbye.

"Until next time, then! God, I really need a shower and a Potion, I'm hurting all over…"

Once the two left his range of perception, Isaac's expression turned serious.

"Please keep what you're about to see a secret. I will bring all of us out of the dungeon in a moment, so you'll be able to observe that Averin really doesn't grow weaker. Don't be afraid, though, I promise to bring you back immediately should you choose that the 'sacrifice' is too much."

Not even a fraction of a second after his last word had left his lips, a very confused Ray, alongside the group of students and Isaac, found herself sitting on mossy ground. Fresh air like she had only smelled a handful of times entered her nostrils and sunlight shone right on her face, causing her to blink in surprise and bewilderment.

'This is… the surface!?'

She was in a small glade in a forest, with the wide expanse of the blue sky seemingly an endless distance above her head. Even if she flew upwards for weeks, she doubted she would ever reach an end. The leaves of the trees rustled in the gentle breeze and insects crawled about in a few places. The mossy patch that she was sitting on still felt a little bit wet, as the last vestiges of morning dew had yet to entirely evaporate. A small fox peeked around a tree in the distance, thinking itself to be far enough away to escape anyone's notice. For Ray, however, perceiving it was effortless.

Completely taken aback by this sudden change in scenery, Ray stayed quiet and smiled happily, her mind mostly blank.

Moments later, however, she noticed that her vitality had started to wane, but only very slightly. It influenced her less than even a mosquito bite, but she still detected it, forcefully bringing her back to reality.

"How did you bring us here?"

Admittedly, Ray was a little scared, but she was also intrigued. Just how had Isaac done this?

"Teleportation. We are currently outside of Orario, as I thought a place closer to nature, with less people, would be preferable."

His explanation only brought up more questions. Still, it seemed like he didn't want to give her a clearer answer. To return her focus to the matter at hand, he handed her Averin.

"I'm sure you can tell that he isn't growing any weaker. So, if you still want me to tell you why, I can provide you with an explanation."

It didn't take Ray long to become assured that Isaac's words had been the truth. Although this weakening process was extremely slow, as someone who had experienced it herself multiple times, she could still perceive the very slight differences a little easier than others. The rooster, to her delight, really didn't show any change whatsoever. Well, he was growing annoyed at having been tossed over to a stranger just like that, but that was about it.

'So he wasn't lying!'

With a relieved smile on her face, Ray looked straight at the mysterious man.

"Please tell me."

A nod later, the explanation began.

"When Averin joined my familia and got bestowed with my Falna, I noticed that whatever siphoned off his vitality before started to focus on my blood instead. Still, my Ichor is a bit special and, for all intents and purposes, basically inexhaustible. From that point onward, he never had to worry about your kin's problem again."

When he stated it so openly, it would take an idiot to not notice the implications. In shock, Ray widened her eyes. She would have fallen over if she hadn't already been sitting.

"Y-You're a god!?"

Smirking slightly, Isaac controlled his body to have a drop of golden blood form on his fingertip. A slight amount of Divine Aura spread with him at the center, barely enough for the surrounding group to notice it. There was no need to cause too huge of a commotion, after all.

"Yes and no. While I am a god, I am also very different from pretty much every other god in this world. All you need to know is this: I can freely move between the dungeon and the outside world with a simple thought, and if a Xenos joins my familia, then they can escape their chains. No other god that I know of can provide you with this service, as their Ichor isn't inexhaustible like mine. The 'sacrifice' that I mentioned before is simply that you or any other Xenos would have to become one of my people, and as a result lose a bit of freedom. But as you've seen, I treat those that follow me very well, so I wouldn't call it a bad deal."

Honestly, Ray didn't understand what he meant when he claimed to be different from other gods. After all, it wasn't like she had had much contact with deities. But she quickly picked up on the essential parts of his explanation: He was currently the only one that could definitely help them.

Conflicted, she was lost in her thoughts for a while, before shooting him an inquiring gaze. She had just recalled one of his previous claims.

"How confident are you in finding a real solution to my kin's problem?"

Isaac's reply was immediate.

"100 percent. I can guarantee it. Sadly, besides giving you my word, I can't do anything else to convince you of that."

Taken aback by this blatant and possibly exaggerated confidence, it took Ray a few seconds until she was ready to ask her follow-up question.

"And what is your price? You said that we'd only have to pay you if you succeeded, but what do you want?"

Suddenly, an innocent and saintly smile spread on Isaac's lips, evoking in her heart a sense of déjà vu. Involuntarily, she grew a little restless.

"Nothing much. I guess your absolute loyalty would do?"

With her eyes widened in disbelief, Ray stuttered.

"W-What? Why!?"

He shrugged while his smile turned a little more gentle and less terrifyingly righteous. The instinctive fear that any sufficiently perceptive observer's heart got subjected to was reduced as well.

"I don't run a charity and I can always use more capable subordinates. Your personality is likeable and I think you would get along with the rest of my people just fine. Also, more importantly, I think it's an extremely good deal. Either, all Xenos can join my familia, or only you can become one of my people. In both cases, your outcome would be the same, but in the latter, your kin would finally be free."

'That's true… but…'

Ray narrowed her eyes and glared at Isaac, suspecting him of wanting to take advantage of her. For a long time now, some members of the sentient races had been kidnapping beautiful female Xenos, no doubt 'enjoying' their bodies or selling them to the highest bidder. Was the fate that Isaac was offering to her not a similar one?

The more that she thought about it, the more she couldn't help but disagree with her earlier assumption. First of all, as he had made her an offer, she would be choosing this fate out of her own free will. Secondly, she would indeed be doing a great service to her kin - it wouldn't be pointless suffering. Thirdly, she would be freed of the dungeon's shackles herself as well. And lastly, she knew that this man was at least capable of the first possibility that he had proposed, so he was trustworthy to a degree and also generous, for even presenting her kin with another option.

A heavy sigh later, the Siren nodded resolutely. Even if it meant that she would potentially become this man's plaything after he found a solution, she had decided to bear with it. For her kin's future, her own happiness was something that she could part with.

"I said that I was ready to shoulder the sacrifice, so I will. Please, help my kin!"

Little did she know that the reason as to why Isaac had asked for her absolute loyalty was exactly what he had stated - to gain a powerful subordinate, not an outlet for his lust. He simply thought that it would be great to add her to his ranks for pretty much free. Researching how to solve this problem was something that he would have done in the future anyway, so her request simply altered its priority in his mind. It was slightly taxing to let his Ichor constantly regenerate within Averin's Falna, so removing this very minor headache would have been on his agenda sooner or later.

Aside from that, he had to admit that her willingness to offer herself up as a tribute for her kin's freedom was a kind of devotion that was optimal for a subordinate of his to have. Once she took a shine to his people, she would surely end up striving for their wellbeing as well.

"Alright, I shall. Then let's get started. Please let me inspect your body."

Only when Ray blushed fiercely at his words did he realize just what kind of misunderstanding she had fallen victim to.