Chaoter 76: Madness
After finishing the exterior of the church and after a heated debate of what the symbol for the Chalk Princess should be, Dawn and Lea returned to Renar to deal with the war situation.
But today, Dawn doesn't care about any of that. The moment they entered Dawn's personal study and locked the door behind them, the princess's carefully maintained composure shattered completely.
"I DID IT!", Dawn screamed, launching herself at Lea with such force the taller woman stumbled backward, "I actually did it! The throne responded!!"
Lea caught her awkwardly, still adjusting to her enhanced cognition, making everything feel slower than it should, "Your Highness—"
The princess pulled back just enough to grab Lea's shoulders, her amber eyes blazing with manic energy. "Did you see it?! Did you feel it?! The Divine Throne was there!! It was considering me! Judging me! And it didn't reject me!"
"I saw it.", she admitted, her golden eyes reflecting Dawn's excitement despite her more measured tone, "You technically became a god."
"TECHNICALLY!", Dawn spun away, pacing frantically across her paper-strewn room, "Technically! I'm so close, Lea! All I need now is for the Divine Throne to fully accept me. To merge with me. To make me the actual, literal Goddess of Technology!"
She turned back, her expression caught between euphoria and terror. "Do you understand what this means? I'll be divine!! I'll have authority over Progress and Enlightenment!! I'll be able to shape the future of humanity itself!!"
Lea watched her friend pace, noting the trembling in Dawn's hands, the manic edge to her smile, "Are you... okay?"
"Okay?!", Dawn laughed, high and breathless, "I'm terrified!! I'm exhilarated!! I'm—"
She stopped abruptly, pressing her hands to her face, "I just claimed a Divine Throne in front of hundreds of witnesses... I declared myself the First Blessed of the Chalk Princess... I made myself the spiritual leader of an entire religious movement!!"
Her hands dropped, revealing a grin that was equal parts triumph and madness, "They believed me. Everything is going according to plan!!"
"Dawn—"
The princess grabbed Lea's hands, squeezing them tightly, "Thank you for being here, for witnessing this. For..."
She paused, her expression softening, "For not thinking I'm insane."
"I think you're a little insane...", Lea said honestly.
Dawn let out a real laugh this time, not the manic edge from before, "Fair, I'm attempting to claim godhood! That's pretty much the definition of insane!!"
She pulled Lea into another hug, this one gentler, "But I'm doing it anyway. Because someone has to. Because the throne is empty and wandering, and if I don't claim it, someone else will. Someone who might not use that power responsibly."
Lea returned the hug carefully, her slower physical movements making it feel deliberate, "Just... don't lose yourself in the process."
"I won't.", Dawn promised, pulling back with a smile that was more genuine now, "I have you to keep me grounded."
She glanced at the pile of military reports on her desk and sighed, "But you're right. War situation, assassination plot. Reality still exists even when you're ascending to divinity."
"Unfortunately so.", Lea agreed. For once, she was glad that Lady Keter was there to guide them, or else it would be a wild goose chase just to learn the next Step.
Dawn straightened her clothes, composing herself back into the professional princess, "Alright, let's deal with the mortal problems first. Then we can worry about my impending godhood."
But even as she said it, her eyes gleamed with that same manic excitement.
And Lea wondered whether helping Dawn claim a Divine Throne was the right choice.
Too late to turn back now...
=0=0=
Meanwhile, in the New World.
The Tome of Light appeared again, causing another expedition member to go insane. Eric was running as fast as he could, even removing his eardrums to not hear the voice.
Turning back, he could see the Saintess once again challenge the God of Light. Only an insane person would do that, and well, she is insane by definition. But could she reach the floating book in the sky?
The Saintess jumped, cracking the earth beneath her, launching herself into the air with her golden sword of Judgement.
Boom!!
She broke the sound barrier, her eyes glowing red with ferocity that would make anyone panic. However, her opponent was a book, and a Trickster God.
As she was about to slice it—
The Tome of Light moved up slightly.
—She missed by millimeters.
Olivier crashed into the ground, her eyes full of fury directed at the book in the sky, disappearing as Its voice receded. Standing back up and wiping blood away from her eyes, the Saintess roared and shook the earth out of frustration.
"Why in the name of Lady Pain does it keep appearing?!", she grit her teeth.
For the mission, she would challenge gods themselves, even if the obvious result was her death. All true followers of the goddess, including Eric, are like this. But it is a different story when an evil god runs away after causing chaos.
And far away, Jim pulled his hood down and threw his attire into the active volcano. Afraid that the Saintess might catch his scent, he took every precaution possible... it was not hard to find information about which Paths the Saintess took.
Sixth Step of Madness, Judgement, Evolution. According to Lady Keter, this combination is called Beast.
He truly wants to help this expedition team; they are unfamiliar with the Tome of Light's frequent activity, and he really wants to see the birth of the Goddess of Madness' child.
So he approached the bitter Blessed. Trying not let her sniff him too much.
For the Saintess, it looked like a very suspicious black-haired young man, with heterochromia - right eye being black and left eye being yellow, randomly approached her. From the smell, she indicated that he's about 20 to 22 years old.
And she feels a bit of familiarity...
"Who are you?", her voice dripped with venom and caution.
"I-I'm an Adventurer.", he stuttered, hastily pulling out his badge, "I'm here to help you."
"No. I asked. Who. Are. You?", her golden eyes glow with the power of Judgement, trying to discern his thoughts.
Seeing no way out of this, Jim coughed, "Ehem, I'm Jim Ramore, Blessed of The Sacred Flame."
"The Sacred Flame... the God of Justice...", the Saintess muttered, her power told her he did not lie, "Then how will you assist us, one from another faith?"
"My primary Path is Destiny, I can open to where the Land of Crimson Tree—"
He ducked to the side, avoiding a Judgement Sword thrown at him at the speed of sound... he almost lost his head.
"Do not make light of our Divine Mission.", she declared, summoning another sword and pointing it at him, "We don't need any Traveller's help."
"Ah... um... I could guide you using a safer way that has less contact with that book.", he feels like running away, but that would expose him.
The main ability for Destiny's Fourth Step is Passage; he can open up gateways to where he had been before. The problem is... he still hasn't used it at all, just running and feeling the thrill of speed was enough for him. Running away would expose him as the heretic who invaded a Holy Site.
In other words, if he retreats now, he wouldn't know where he would end up.
After a quiet showdown, the Saintess finally spoke.
"Very well, you shall be our guide.", with a step, she was instantly right in front of Jim, "But if you deceive us once... a Blessed or not, I will tear your body apart bit by bit."
"Y-Yes!!", he answered out of fear.
The laws against murder in the New World aren't as strict as those on the main continent, just frown upon. One might think killing a Blessed of a god and a benefactor of the New World tribes would make Saintess Olivier hesitate.
But no, she is insane. She doesn't care for the consequences at all.
"Now, adventurer. I hire you to be our guide through the New World.", at least, she still has some senses left, "I will pay you with two gold bars."
For an escort, this is too much, but seeing how unfazed the Saintess was, he accepted.
"I oblige, Your Eminence."
And Eric, who had returned, witnessed the exchange.
=0=0=
Later, when the Argonauts gathered once again, everyone was seated within the monochrome world.
Lady Keter made an announcement.
"It seems like the requirements for summoning me had loosened. So, you don't need to sacrifice your life for me. Just call me, and I'll be there."
So the Goddess of Time, trapped in this void, will once again walk the earth.
Lea and Dawn began to speculate, their thoughts almost identical to each other.
The most significant thing that happened was Dawn attracting the Chalk Princess. Could this be a requirement for Lady Keter to return?
Like a Divine Throne drifting toward another god, but that wouldn't make sense due to the existence of The Sacred Flame, who resides in a well-known location.
Ultimately, they couldn't comprehend whatever divine machination.
"But the price for summoning me now is the same as when you have questions."
In other words, random trinkets or food...
"And so, call me whenever you are desperate~"
With that, the gathering began between the Argonauts.