The Plan

"What did you think of that?"

"He is most definitely planning something."

"Then why don't we kill him now?"

"If we do we will seem like a bloodthirsty cultist organization; attacking someone who came to talk peace. So we can only deal with it when they attack."

"This is so annoying..."

"Lady Alma, when is your next visit with Lord Alex?"

"Tomorrow! I can't wait! I am going to show him the apples we got! I am so excited!"

"Haha! Yes, let us focus on the moments of peace we will receive for now..."

**

"Sir, what do you plan to do?"

"We need to get the entire Pantheon church to deal with this. I initially thought that they would need our help to quickly kill the Inquisition members, but from the looks of it... they were killed within minutes." Fitzpatrick sighed as he looked at the sky wondering what the future held. "I wanted to help them, giving us a chance to hold the initiative in negotiations, but... I could only get them to promise they would promise they would not attack my people if we ever came into their area... And you know what they SAID?"

"No sir..."

"THEY SAID THEY WOULDN'T ATTACK WEAKLING FOR NO REASON! HAAAAA! Haaaa... haaa... hahahahaHAHAHA! I WILL SHOW THEM WHAT A WEAKLING CAN DO!"

As their leader laughed to himself, the soldiers started talking about it themselves.

"I was there and the crazy story of the child appears to be true!":

"What!? Is it really led by a child?"

"Yes! From what I understand only Derek over there entered with with the baron, but they said that each leader got one guardian to defend their leader. From what I could tell the leader was clearly the child!"

"No way! I thought that it was impossible?"

"You know what is even crazier? The baron's trained eye claimed that most of the Inquisition members were killed personally by the child's spear!"

"No, is that really what happened?"

"Well... The baron said that there could be another spear user that appeared in the battle but was unseen as they wanted it to look like only three people fought and they were extra powerful."

"But! Is it still likely to be the child?"

"Not really sure, but isn't it better to have a crazy story? Better to tell over drinks! We can even claim we fought and say we were only side characters to the child warrior!"

"Child warrior? Maybe we should name her the God's Apostle? Doesn't that sound cooler?"

"No no no. We have to make sure the child part is included to add extra disbelief!"

"So like, 'The God's child reborn had fought and she was so powerful that even the arrogant Inquisition cowered in fear!' something like that?"

"I like that, when we get back I am definitely going to Darald's Tavern to get drunk and tell the story."

"We just have to agree on what to call her before and her feats! Can't have people calling our bluff."

"Yes!" x5

"But what about the Pantheon Church? Didn't the baron say he would get their help?"

"Isn't that better? The church might even try and make the story even greater to elevate the level of their god? I mean isn't the story of a false god's child being weak under the might of a true god's army a better story?"

"You shouldn't say that, if a church believer is around they might just kill you for heresy! Haha!"

*sigh* "The only thing I fear is the power the church will gain in the baron's territory. He spent so long making the church seem ungodly that we don't even fear their wrath, but if they grab ahold of the baron's people, they might never let go again."

"Still mad at that priest, David?"

"His child died, who wouldn't be mad."

Everyone frowned as the laughing atmosphere changed for the worse. Suddenly the soldier named David spoke. "I am willing to believe in this new god that appeared here."

"What! The baron had just said he would seek the church's help to eradicate this place!"

"Exactly... The church..."

Everyone looked sad as they realized what was happening. They had all heard his story and had supported him before. The only reason David was a soldier now was because the baron promised to get the church completely out of his land by the time he died.

He was largely successful having only a single church house in each of the villages he owned. This had earned David's loyalty, but now seeing the baron want to throw away his hard work and invite the church's influence back in... He no longer cared much for this baron.

David looked to the sky with a helpless expression, "When I return I will get my wife and two children to come with me to join this village and church. They haven't existed much and will likely agree to have new members so soon."

"Will you at least drink with us one more time?"

"Of course... One last drink before everything goes to shit."

***

"So, are you ever going to talk?"

"I'll pass. I won't listen to my captors."

"I am the only one here though?"

Cynthia glared at Alex harshly, "Hmph..."

Alex sighed one more time before giving up, "Well I guess I will leave you here to sulk for no reason." Standing up he started walking away before pausing, "It has been twenty minutes, enjoy your stay, but make sure not to take anything."

Seeing Alex leave up the stairs, Cynthia started looking around the bookstore more before smiling evilly, "Well I won't be taking anything really, I will put it back when I am done~"

Opening a book she looked at the cover that looked blurry as if the words were distorted. "H-E-L-P? What is it saying?" Confused she opened up the book only to see lines seemingly written at random. She concentrated on trying to read it only to have some blurry words appear.

"You have not paid... What the hell! *sigh* This is stupid. Why can't he really let me leave? Talk? Does he want a date? I did see some lust when I first appeared, but then he hid it really well. Will he make me go back to my world in a completely different time? Does he think it will punish me? hehe~ I have no one to go back to."

She casually put back the book and sat down to wait... After a long while she once again heard footsteps. She turned to see the young man walk down again.

"Missed me~?"

Putting on a confused face Alex looked at her like she was crazy, "It has been two hours, you can leave whenever you want."

"You haven't opened it for me yet~"

Rolling his eyes Alex opened the door and held it while gesturing for her to leave. Cynthia felt like she already knew what was going to happen and casually walked to the door and stopped right before it and looked at Alex, "I know you are going to close it, so why tempt me~?"

A hint of annoyance flashed in his eyes as he grabbed her shoulder and pushed her out before slamming the door shut. "If you see the door again just leave the fog in an opposite direction!"

Cynthia looked shocked as she had thought he would trap her forever there. Looking at the fog in front and the door behind her, she looked a bit lost as she really didn't know what to do. After hesitating for a while she straightened herself before turning back and walking right back into the door.

"What the hell was that! Aren't you going to trap me here?"

Alex who had just sat down and started reading a book looked up annoyed, "What would I get out of trapping you here?"

"My body? My everything?"

"What is so special about your body? As for everything? I think your personality is worthless and I don't see much else."

"My body is amazing! And~ I can cook!"

"I have hundreds of books that can teach a toddler to cook five times better than you can! As for your body, as I said before, what makes it special? I can find a few million woman with a better body than yours, so I ask again what is special?"

"You don't say that to a woman! Also, I would like to see you try to cook better than me!"

"No, social norms and just politeness dictates I don't say anything of the sort to a woman, but if you are rude I am going to be rude back. As for other things like I would never find someone like you, I can find hundreds of others with almost the exact same look as yours, and can find people with a better personality than yours, so I ask again, what is special about you?"

"I could enter your shop!"

"So can billions of people."

"Then why don't they?!"

"Because I decided that it would be up to fate if we meet making the door only appear at random times and making it so everyone and everything can enter the fog, but only 'good' people can enter the door. You aren't special, only lucky." Seeing Cynthia go silent Alex looked back to his book and ignored her.

Cynthia looked shocked as she had never heard such harsh words in her life. Most were either screaming for mercy while others trying to sleep with her, but for the first time someone was being rude to her. Sure she had heard people curse her existence, but they always looked at her with hatred because of what she said. Alex on the other hand looked completely uninterested.

After a while, she was exasperated thinking of what to say and started yelling again, "I am special! You can't find someone as amazing as me! I survived as an orphan and maintained my virginity till now!" As she was mad she started spouting everything that she felt was special about her whether it was her abilities or her hopes and dreams. Everything was spilled on the table in her rage and uncertainty.

No longer in the right state of mind she just kept speaking, "I am the leader of the group Black Orchids! We are controlling half of the kingdom! Do you understand I might not have all your weird powers, but I can say for certain I am powerful! I have changed the entire political structure of the kingdom within ten years! Everyone is somehow influenced by my organization!"

After being yelled at for several hours without stopping Alex smiled at Cynthia who seemed to have lost steam and run out of things to say. "Thank you for paying, I will let you take two books. What do you want?" As he spoke five books flew from different places before landing on the small table in front of him.

Cynthia who had just spilled her life story was so angry she looked at the books not even noticing that the names had become clear for her to read and took two before leaving in a huff. She no longer cared about this place that had insulted her. She learned from the first moment she was powerless against the store owner when she first arrived, so she could only leave taking something hoping to burn the books when she got back.

She had just spilled so much, but that idiot only considered her life story worth two books? The more she thought of it the angrier she got. Helplessly she grumbled under her breath as she walked. As she left the bookstore she didn't turn back this time and walked directly out of the fog. Eventually, the familiar streets of the noble district came back into sight as she took a deep breath smelling the familiar sents of the streets.

She just hoped to forget this experience eventually...

_______________

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