Chapter 169 169: The Second Sire's Offer
As far as Killian was concerned, there was no need to play mind games with a Ruler.
They knew what they wanted and would usually bend others to agree with their cause. Being direct and straight was the only way to go about it.
He didn't need a Patron. A Ruler breathing down his neck would jeopardize him faster than anything.
He also didn't see a need for one, since his brother's life had taken a sour turn after they came into his life.
'To think Father wasn't even the one that convinced them but some angel? That is just so suspicious.'
"Would you be willing to compete then?"
Killian blinked once. The question had caught him off guard. "Compete?" Why would competing be the next best solution to not having a Patron? "For what?"
"To become one of the Celestials."
The room fell silent, a state it became whenever either of the two said something outlandish. Killian stared for several seconds, then pointed at himself.
"Me?" He realized he had been asking that often, and because the Ruler kept surprising him.
The Second Sire nodded.
Killian glanced at the two on the beds, then back at the Ruler. "Why me?"
"Why not?"
That reply made Killian more confused. He pointed towards the boys on the bed. "And them? The reason I was where you found me is because of my brother, and the other is my friend."
He lowered his hand. "I wasn't fighting or competing. Or trying to kill anybody. You didn't even see my match so you don't know my potential."
He pointed toward the beds again. "Those two were all of the above. So if there's any flashy reward, that oddly involves fighting some more, they deserve it. I'm loyal enough to not take someone's opportunity."
Killian sat back on his seat after that.
The Second Sire's smile stretched wider and a small chuckle left him. The Coordinators looked at him carefully, to be sure they heard him, then retracted their heads, returning to their statuesque position.
"So you were trying to save them when I found you?"
Killian nodded. "They passed out so I carried them. That was my only involvement." He spread his hands. "I have absolutely nothing to do with any of this."
"The Coordinator explained that." The Second Sire replied.
Killian paused, then agreed by pointing at the Coordinator. "Exactly. He did." His voice rose slightly. "I shouldn't even be in here."
The Second Sire looked mildly interested as he stared at the boy. He left his seat, and started pacing around the bed.
Killian watched him attentively, reminding himself that he had been arguing with a man that huge.
"You believe this to be a punishment, don't you? To compete as a Celestial just sounds like the worst possible thing in your understanding, doesn't it?"
Killian answered immediately. "Of course."
He had read about Celestials once, and knew he never wanted to do it.
He made that decision long before he awakened a Forbidden Element, and that made him practically unable to be a Celestial who used the Light Element.
A mortal servant of heaven that bridged the gap between the Goddess and her children on Earth.
A Celestial could wield a portion of the Goddess' power to exact judgement on humans on earth and in some cases, on the angels on earth and heaven.
As grand as that sounded, it was still being a servant to the Goddess. Away from all one knew. And alone.
The basic requirement was being able to wield the Goddess's power and Killian already failed by being a user of a Darkness Element.
"You do know what it means to be offered to compete to be a Celestial, yes?" The Second Sire asked, raising a brow. "It's not something done as a punishment."
Killian turned his face away. He would be the only one to understand his reasoning.
The Second Sire stared at him. "Give me a reason then."
Killian frowned. He pointed at his brother and then at Reginald. "Simple. They were the ones fighting hard. They deserve such a chance, and not me."
He placed a hand on his chest. "I was only at the right place at the wrong time. I do not have what it takes to be a Celestial."
'Starting with being unable to wield light.'
The Second Sire remained silent.
Killian folded his arms. "Not only does it feel like a punishment but it isn't fair if the ones who did their best weren't rewarded. I'm sure either of them would want to compete to become a Celestial."
The Ruler tilted his head slightly. "Is that all?"
"Yes. I mean, not exactly, but yes."
"Really?"
"Really."
The room remained completely silent.
Eventually the Second Sire sighed, and pointed to the door. "You were the reason I arrived earlier. I did not come because of those fighting."
Killian waited, before asking. "Didn't you come because the Dead Zone trapped all oxygen and we needed another source for air circulation?"
That had been his quick conclusion when a Ruler descended from a ceiling, situated on top of an arena. There was no reply and he frowned.
He gestured toward the outside. "The arena. You came to fix the breathing circulation issue—"
"Well, did I fix it?"
Killian thought for a while. "Actually, no. The air coming in was still strapped around the Wind User. But that's why you came in from there, no?"
"I just arrived."
"And chose to descend from the ceiling?" Killian stared at him in disbelief. "The ceiling above the arena where two young wardens were injured?"
"How would I know they were injured?" The Second Sire's gaze remained fixed on him.
"Still you must've known there could be an ongoing match." Killian paused, and glanced at the Coordinators. They also looked doubtful. "Did you really just make an entrance?"
"I just arrived." The Second Sire said again, more seriously than the first.
Killian rested his back on the seat again, recalibrating his thoughts and finding new ways to approach this.
'This man isn't very sensible.'
That was the first conclusion that seemed most certain. He tilted his neck, keeping the eye contact.
'At the same time, I can't say that he's unreasonable.'
A Ruler like him would exist within the spectrum of absolute, even down to their mistakes or unhinged actions. It was simply what could be done.
The only possible outcome.
'Is this what power feels like?'
'Is it possible to learn this power?'