Champ stood with his arms folded over his chest, as per usual. He had been surprised over the past few days. As had the others. A level eleven boy who could easily beat peak F grade beasts. Even pretending to struggle when he so obviously wasn't.

And the skill he used to conceal his information. What a skill it was. They wondered where he'd got it. Even they could not peer past it wantonly.

"So? What do you all think?" Ma'la asked.

"He has vast potential. And an amazing future, no doubt," Champ was the one who answered first. He needed the others to look away from the boy. "But he is still an F grade. The difference in grades is insurmountable." His argument was full proof. The boy was useless for their purposes.

"Not necessarily," the drowned - which is what she had been called since conceptualisation - cut in. "What we are, and I use this term very loosely, is gods. No matter how weak we are or how disparate our origins, it is our job to make the impossible possible."

"You're suggesting the boy coming here was not a mistake then?" Ma'la asked.

The drowned shared a look with another god then, the silent Dust to Dust. And then with the Lord of the Burning land.

The Lord was the one who spoke. "We have been interested for a while in the subject of soul transference."

There was a moment of shocked silence in the jam packed room. Champ was a little impressed, considering the implications. The last time something like this had been done, it had been glorious. Normally, he would have supported any plan with even a modicum of hope, but the boy had seen too much.

"Even if what you say is possible, and that is a big if, the boy's soul is too weak. He is from an Essence Desert. I do not think…"

"We are gods," the drowned said again. "We must make this happen somehow."

"Work on this, drowned," Ma'la spoke with authority. "I want the four of you explaining your idea better in the next meeting. Champ, follow me."

Of course she had caught on to him trying to sabotage the meeting.

"I know you saw the boy first," she said once they were alone. "I also know you don't have as many doubts as I do concerning his suitability."

Champ scowled. "You think I'd lie about his suitability?"

"Yes, I do."

Champ shrugged. "Fine. Whatever. The boy sees too much."

"Ah, yes. His ability to see you and Deufont. And to even hear and understand your words. Do you think there is something special about that ability?"

"It should be impossible to see us now. For anyone," Champ said seriously, forgetting about hiding his secrets for a moment.

"He is from another world though."

"The merchant - who is a higher grade, mind you - cannot see me."

"How do you…" But then she looked at his face and shook her head. "Of course you would. I know I don't say this often, but your bullish nature can be helpful at times. So there is something about the boy, huh? I'll leave you in charge of watching over him for now."

"What?!" Champ asked. "How could you do this to me? That snort nosed brat?!"

Ma'la watched him for a few moments. Then she frowned at him.

"Isn't your intention to keep him from us so we don't find out what embarrassing situation he caught you in?"

Champ froze a moment as realisation struck. "What?! Who said that? That's…ridiculous."

"Is it?" Ma'la said with a gentle, motherly smile. It looked like a smirk to Champ.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

"It was Deufont, wasn't it? Deu, come here! Come here right now?"

"So my guess is true then?" Ma'la asked, now truly smirking on this occasion.

She was only leader of their little rebellion because of her influence. The influence her worshipers had gained after winning the long war that people thought would never end. Sometimes Champ doubted the god he himself had worshiped, Burn, and who he'd voted to lead, would try to escape with the rest of them. Well, not that Champ planned to leave in either case.

"Watch the boy. And if there is a good opportunity, make contact. Before that though, I think I can invest a bit of our authority into providing him a little nudge."

****

Rafe hadn't seen Filoria for a few days. It didn't bother him. But Helare was still coming and just staring at him from a distance.

He had cooled down after all these days, and would probably not be cold when he spoke with her. He had been speaking with Hestus, and he'd found that the demons weren't slaves per se.

More like willing prisoners of war. After they'd been defeated during the early phases of the tutorial, they'd decided to sue for peace, citing that if they returned to their horde, they'd be killed for their failure.

And who had defeated their resident demon king. The hero, as the blues referred to him . Filoria's father.

Rafe didn't know much about him, except that he'd ended a thousands year old war in one month after the system came. Rafe found himself curious about this war, sometimes. He found himself curious about this world. Why had he come here?

"You…do not have the local language skill, do you?" Hestus asked him once.

"What?" Rafe asked, genuinely caught off guard.

"Or at least, that's not all you have," Hestus continued, not making any sense.

"What are you talking about?"

"That question just now was in gnomish, but you understood it perfectly. What kind of translation skill do you have?"

"Hey, Hestus, are you alright? You sound like a gerbil." Rafe tried to deflect.

Hestus stared at him for a few moments, his expression shifting from confused to resolute to confused once again.

"No, I'm sure you understand me. Plus, gnomish doesn't sound at all like gerbils do, whatever those are."

"You must be coming down with something. That's definitely gerbish."

"Huh, jokes on you, mister! That was an Elven tongue just then."

Rafe threw his hands in the air. It was a gesture for peace, but also one to inform Hestus he couldn't tell him anything.

"Fine, I won't pry. I guess I somewhat understand the need for secrets, being a merchant and all."

They relapsed into silence, the only sound Rafe's soft-ish hammer strikes to test a newly cooled blade's length. Hestus started to speak soon after that.

"The girl," his beard flicked and pointed in Helare's direction. "Are you going to just ignore the fact she's been coming here all this time? Waiting for you to acknowledge her?"

Rafe covertly stared at the girl, as he'd been doing over the past week or so.

"I did go off pretty hard on her, didn't I? Still, she could just offer an apology."

"That is…ah, that might be hard. She is a princess, after all."

Rafe looked at her again. She had had a desk brought to her new favourite haunt, and there she received reports and guests all day. She looked like a queen holding court. Next to a busy and loud metal working area.

"How big is this kingdom that she is a princess of?"

Hestus shrugged. "I don't know the scale you're used to, being from a new, obviously weaker and smaller planet. But the kingdom she hails from covers the entire expanse of this E grade planet."

Rafe found himself frowning. "Her family rules the whole planet?"

But then, he had definitely seen other tribes of Elemenoids here before. Mostly the fiery orange haired kind. A few earthy green and airy white. But mostly the fire Elemenoids.

Rafe considered the scale, the difference in their world views. Then he shrugged. These weren't things he was likely ever going to deal with. He had less than two months until the tutorial system would be withdrawn from Earth. Then he'd know his fate. Was it of interest to learn more about this planet before then?

He stared at Helare for a time, wishing he was still angry at the woman. Truth be told, his emotions had been out of control that day. They'd been out of control since the system betrayed him.

The girl would never apologise to him, but maybe that wasn't necessary. Maybe he would apologise to her instead. She was showing her sincerity a bit, coming to his camp everyday and watching him work.

Besides, maybe if he extended an olive branch, she'd stop coming here and making his life uncomfortable. He'd noticed a lot of eyes on him over the past few days. Eyes of higher grade individuals. Watching his every move. Obviously they'd seen their princess's interest in him and did not approve. And he needed a bit of wiggle room to use his inventory. To use his new treasures to improve his insights.

"Hey, Hestus, can I trade a few of my credits for something?"

Hestus hesitated. "Normally, I'd be all over a few credits. But I think Lady Filoria's knowledge of your current finances is a problem. Her father…well, he expects he might get a quest system soon."

"Don't worry about it. I'm pretty sure it will not be a problem. I can just give them however much I have left. I just want to buy two cut gems. Nothing too serious."

He was frowning at Helare when he said it. He knew it wouldn't be a problem, because sooner or later he would be leaving this planet, this place. Also, wouldn't it be an interesting challenge, trying to make something that wasn't swords. He had tried to make axe blades the day before, but it had been a less than successful venture.

He did have a pair of earrings he could give her, but something told himnot to. Some instinct told him those earrings had been given to him for a reason, and that he'd need them in the future. Maybe he was going to have to crossdress in order to travel the multiverse?

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