Chapter Five Hundred and Ninety-Two - The World Isn't the Boss of Me |
Chapter Five Hundred and Ninety-Two - The World Isn't the Boss of Me
There was a comfortable silence on the deck for a while. The towering storm hid the sun, but high above us, it's light spilled over the tallest thunderheads, turning the western cloud wall gold-white, a burning glow which illuminated the whole interior of the eye.
I hadn't been paying too much attention until now, but there was a strange, unique scent in the air. Like ozone, which wasn't unexpected so close to a storm, but also something else. It was faint, but the odour was growing a little stronger with the morning sun. Freshly cut grass and lilies? But no, there wasn't anything that should smell that way.
It took me a moment to realize that I wasn't actually smelling anything. It was magic. It was growing thicker in the air. Nowhere near what would happen around a dungeon's core, but still, more than usual.
Then again, we were in an unusual place, so maybe it was normal? And Guinevere didn't seem bothered by the change at all.
"Rainnewt and a few of the others should be here soon," she said, cutting into the peaceful moment. "Tonight, maybe, or early tomorrow."
"Darn," I said. "I... kinda wouldn't mind missing him."
She laughed, the sound very pretty and kind of husky. "I also have known a few people that I'd rather miss," she said. "But if you can set aside your dislike for the greater good, then this meeting will certainly go well."
"Why should I need to?" I asked as I looked up to her. The moment of calm had let me think a little bit, on what was going on, on that whole quest thing, and on 'the greater good' stuff.
I shifted a little. I knew what I wanted to say, but it was a little confrontational, and I never much liked starting an argument. Still, I felt like I should at least say what was on my mind. "Why should I need to set aside my dislike for the greater good? What do I actually get in return for compromising my morals?"
The foxkin raised an eyebrow.
"Sometimes there are good reasons to compromise, but now?" I huffed a very Amaryllis-like huff.
"He's a Quester chosen by the World," she noted, calmly.
I shrugged. "So what? I have the same Quest, and you don't see me trying to manipulate countries into kicking off a World War. I haven't killed anybody or tricked people with fake friendship, either."
"Don't forget the kidnapping," Desiree pointed out.
That was a good point. "I don't think I'm that good of a person, but I... well, I'm trying to not be bad, and I don't know if Rainnewt is even trying that much."
"I see. Your opinions on Rainnewt are so strong?"
I nodded. "Rainnewt is just one guy. He doesn't even have S-Rank Cleaning, so he's useless for actually curing dungeons. The best he can do is destroy them, at least for now. And I know he worked with you on that device-thing, which ... it didn't seem very effective to me, but even if it is, I'm sure you can already build one without him."
"It is within my abilities," she confirmed.
I took a deep breath. "We don't need him. We'd be better off with... I don't know, something like a team of high-level maids. We should imprison him so we can save the world in peace, without having to watch our backs for his sudden yet inevitable betrayal."
"Are you so certain that he would betray you?" Guinevere asked. Her four tails all swung from one side to the other.
I didn't hesitate. "Yes."
"It is my misfortune to have been kidnapped by that cur," Desiree said. "That alone is enough to assure me that he would betray anyone, to say nothing of the many dark tales recounted by my companions. Which begs the question of why the Black Avatars have accepted to work with him."
"Oh? Do you think he's tricked us?" Guinevere asked.
Desiree considered it for a moment, then raised three fingers. "A trio of possibilities present themselves. The worst of these is that his goals and that of the Black Avatars, as well as his methods, align. A rogue would work with a pirate, and a cutpurse with a thief."
"You have a low opinion of us," Guinever observed.
"Not necessarily, Lady Guinevere. I'm speculating," she replied. "The second option is that he has obtained your organization's assistance through trickery. This one strikes me as very much something a man of his worth would attempt to do. Embellishments and lies are his favored methods."
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"I see. And that third finger which remains raised?"
Desiree lowered it, then let her hand drop. "The most likely possibility, or at least the one I wish to be true. The Black Avatars are working with Rainnewt because, as dastardly as the man is, you perceive it as a necessary evil when weighed against a threat to the World.. One may well stand shoulder to shoulder with even the most vile person when facing a greater threat without necessarily sinking to the level of such a villain."
One of Guinevere's tails came around and tapped her chin. "I see. I would rather think that our situation isn't summed up so easily, but your third prospect is the closest to the current reality. We have been working with Rainnewt because he has a World-given quest. Our purpose as an organization and as people, has always been to serve the World."
"Even if the quest is coming from someone icky?" I asked.
"Even so," Guinevere said. "Who are we to question the World's choices in champion?"
"I mean, I don't think that the World is infallible," I said. "It gave me a quest too, and that was a mistake."
"Was it?" she asked. "How so?"
"Well... I uh, kind of decided to ignore it from the start?" I said. I looked away. It was kind of embarrassing. "I showed up on Dirt with the quest, and then I ah, never really did anything about it, not on purpose, anyway. I had other things I wanted to do."
"I see. I suppose it's somewhat forgivable, at least initially. Ignorance is a shield in some respects. But now you know better, do you not?"
I thought about it. "No?"
She blinked. "You don't?"
"I don't wanna," I said simply. "I'll help people and try to fix dungeons as we come across them, but I don't know if I want to get swept up in this huge thing. I want to have fun with my friends, see the world, make more friends, and learn new things. I guess that following the World's quest won't stop me from doing most of those things, but still, I don't want to be stuck that hard."
"That's an attitude that would bother a lot of the Black Avatars."
"I guess it might, but I don't think it's necessarily the 'wrong' way to do things either, so... yeah, I think I'll keep thinking that way."
Guinevere laughed. "I see. You found some interesting companions on your journey away from home, Desiree," she said, addressing my friend. "They may well lead you into some trouble, but if you all survive, you may come out of it with a couple more tails to show for it."
Desiree's own tails flicked. "That would be a fantastic boon, but I did not choose to remain with the good captain because I believed her to be a quick route to additional power. I remain with her because she is a good friend with a kind heart."
"Ah!" I said before bouncing over and tackling Desiree in a hug. I squished her face with my cheek. "I think you're a good friend too!"
Guinevere's lips twitched into a smile. "Are you all this... cuddly?"
"I wish!" I said. "Some of the crew are a little less touchy-feely, and some are downright grumps! But I've been slowly whittling away at all of my friends, one hug at a time. Eventually I'm sure they'll all love hugs and close contact as much as I do!"
"I'm not sure if the Black Avatars are ready for anything quite like that. We've been mostly professional with each other over the years. Not that friendships haven't formed, but those are mostly just... working relationships?"
"That's actually kind of sad," I said. "Especially if you're all stuck on one little island together. I couldn't imagine being this close to a bunch of people and not being friends with all of them."
She shrugged. "It's not so bad. We spar and share meals and troubles with each other. I'd go so far as to say that we're all mostly friendly with each other, we're just as close as the crew of this ship seem to be."
"I guess that's alright," I said. I didn't feel like it really was, but telling the foxkin lady to her face that I didn't like the way they did things and that I had a bit of pity for her didn't seem like a very nice thing to do. "So, what are the Black Avatars going to do today?"
"Well, I thought that since we were waiting, you might like to see how we keep this island afloat." She flicked a tail in my direction. "You, in particular, might find it interesting."
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