CH155

“You know, I’ve never wanted to push the issue, but I’m just saying if you and her were to produce children I’d be able to get a couple believers that could potentially live a thousand years. Just something to think about if you feel like doing more to secure the stability of my faith.”

“Really, that’s the first thing you bring up? I just got here,” Ben told his god, already not feeling the conversation. Being a bit tempted by a friend he was close to was normal enough as far as humans went, but actually making a pass wasn’t happening.

Myriad seemed to be mostly joking anyway, not that he would have minded such a thing, but switched conversations easily enough. “In that case, would you rather discuss your ambitions of trapping a soul to be used for eternity?”

“Absolutely! Do you think it’s actually possible?” He asked with enthusiasm, not picking up the dread in his god’s voice.

“The problem is that it’s all too possible! The moment I heard you float the idea and could see how instantly captivated with it you’d become I had to immediately rush to Anailia to discreetly ask about the implications of such a thing! You do get that sounds evil, right?”

“I mean, I guess? I already hunt animals for parts though, that’s just one more part to use.”

“…It’s an excellent thing that the forbidden gods didn’t have the option to try and take you as a believer.”

“Hey, all of you gods agreed to collect two hundred souls specifically to force into your war, I don’t think there’s much moral high ground here.”

“Honestly, fair enough,” The cube relented after a moment’s thought.

“So then what did Anailia say about it?”

“That you’re lucky you’ve already made a good impression on her if you’re going to try something like that. She can’t guarantee what the other gods would say, but it should be alright so long as you don’t publish however you accomplish it and you don’t try it on any of the sapient races. She was extra clear on that last bit and so am I; if you even try to trap the soul of a single person on this would, you’ll be executed immediately and condemned to the infinite hells, regardless of the rules about how mortal punishment is handled.”

“No worries on that front, even I can tell that would be unethical. Just to be clear though, where do demons fall as far as experimental materials go?”

“Pfff, you won’t find a single god in the world that cares what you do with them. In fact, I’m fairly sure many gods would actively approve of you doing something like that, so if you insist on trying it out once you’re skilled enough be sure that’s what you go for.”

“Will do. On a similar note, I’ve got a small favour to ask you.”

“I’m not the best choice to teach you magic,” Myriad said, seeing the question in Ben’s thoughts. “I’ve told you, the way my race used it is far different from the current standard.”

“Sure, but I’m also going to be modeling my enchantment off of your designs. I’ll be reading up on different spells that are currently used anyway, and I have Sonya and Falk to bother about it too, but it doesn’t hurt to have a different perspective on things.”

Myriad thought quietly for a moment. It was true that it would do no harm to teach him, and a part of him did regret the fact that his race’s means of using magic was essentially a lost art in the current day. Even if it would only be revitalized as enchanting techniques instead of the true ritual magic he specialized in, it was nice to think the knowledge he had could be used.

“Alright, there’s no harm so I’ll teach you when you’re done in the village. It does make it a bit more of a shame you don’t have the talent for magic yourself, with the way you’ve sprouted extra minds you could have potentially acted as a ritual mage without needing to rely on the help of others.”

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“No need to remind me,” He said dryly before changing the subject. “Anyway, about the village, do you have any ideas for how I can earn a bit more faith for you?”

“I honestly think that so long as you keep doing what you’re doing it will go fine. Why, are you feeling rushed?”

“A bit,” He admitted. “There can only be so many bats living in the woods, I doubt I’ll be able to finish everything I want to before the rest of them are done with their hunt so a quicker way of winning people over would be handy.”

“I’m pretty sure you’ll have time. They’d have to not only get the ones currently there, but also the surrounding area after all, which won’t necessarily be as easy as drawing the ones in a known space like their sacred woods.”