Masks Are Cool

I was sitting on a seat of a huge table that can be called a round table. There were several others sitting on other seats. Seven of them, including the fat man that brought me there. Everyone was wearing a mask. There were masks or all shapes, sizes and colors. There was a funny man wearing a clown mask (the very reason he looked funny) and a shady man with a crow mask that reminds you of a plague doctor (again, the very reason he looked shady). The fat man wore a pumpkin mask which gave off an ominous aura.

"Hey pumpkin, is that the new recruit the goddess mentioned?" asked a woman wearing a cute monkey mask that would remind you of a cold-hearted murderer.

"That's true. He would be the ninth." replied the pumpkin mask.

"Welcome, little man! And that mask... eh... circle mask? I'll just call you white... Anyway, welcome!" said the crow mask. It was a feminine voice. A female? The personality was quite opposite of what I expected as well.

I was wearing a white mask. A plain, white, circular mask with two holes for the eyes.

『So, everyone has gathered, right?』the goddess' voice began echoing through the room.

"Silence, the great goddess has spoken!" shouted the pumpkin mask.

『Thank you. So now, things have gotten out of control on my side.』

"Is that the reason Lady Justice hadn't contacted us in the past seven years?" asked a man in a fox mask.

『I am afraid so. I am in need of assistance up here. That is the reason why I sent his child as the ninth seat.』

"Was it necessary to choose another apostle instead of calling one of us?" asked the clown mask.

"You shall not talk so rudely to the goddess, clown!"

『It's okay. For certain reasons, I cannot explain the situation up here, but the child is the only person that could help me.』

"Do you mean, this child has enough power to stand against the guardians?" asked the crow mask.

『No. It is more like, if this child cannot defeat the guardians, nobody else can.』

"So little man here is a prodigy?" crow mask sounded surprised.

『Something like that.』

"I only see eight apostles here. Where is the other one?" I asked.

"The eighth is a newbie as well. You will be introduced to her soon enough. You will be working together, after all." replied the pumpkin.

『As of now, my only connection with this world is white, meaning, if white perishes, I will no longer be connected to this world. I would like to avoid that at all costs. I am the leader of the neutral faction after all. This world, which is under my jurisdiction, would be the primary target of gods from either faction.』

"Factions?" I asked.

『Crow, could I ask you to instruct white all of our basics within the next week?』

"Leave it to me, Lady Justice. I look forward to getting along with white as well." replied the crow mask.

『I shall take my leave then.』

Saying so, the godly aura that surrounded the room faded away.

『Ahh that was tiring. Anyways, make sure to pay attention to your classes from crow for the next week. The basics are important knowledge for an apostle.』she was back into my head again.

Apostle stuff? Wasn't the one week supposed to be utilized to teach the child about their title?

『I can always teach you about your title. The title can wait. Basics go first.』

[Did you just read my mind?]

『These masks serve as spiritual connection between me and the wearer. That's why I can read your mind. Normally I would be able to do it without the mask if I weren't in my current weakened state.』

So the masks weren't just for show after all.

==========

Several minutes after the meeting ended, Mr. Pumpkin took me to one of the rooms in the facility.

"This will be your personal room during your week's stay here. Crow mask will fetch you for her classes later."

"Oh okay." I couldn't really say anything. Mr. Pumpkin left the room leaving me alone. While the mask room and the meeting room looked like ruins, the room I was in looked as luxurious as a high-class inn.

I had nothing to do. I couldn't practice magic in the room. I decided to try experimenting with Magic Creation.

『I would rather advise against using it too much.』

[What do you mean?]

『As I am right now, the protection I can provide to apostles is limited. Magic Creation uses a lot of mana and can cause disturbances in the world.』

I never knew it was such a dangerous technique. I decided not to use it unless I really needed to.

[By the way, goddess...]

『...?』

[What did you mean by limited power?]

『I guess it should be fine if I told you... Listen, brat! What I am going to tell you is serious information. Promise me you would never reveal this to anyone else.』

[I prefer to not hear it then.]

『Eh???』

[If its such an important secret, wouldn't it be better off if I didn't know it?]

I felt an overwhelming force. I was incapable of even giving a mental reply. Since I got too used to her being inside my head for long, I slowly began to forget that she was a goddess.

『I am serious.』

[W-what is it?]

『I... don't exist.』