Chapter 11: Field Trip, part 4

Mama, a girl kissed me today.

A real-life woman.

Problem is…

Bitch is crazy.

The woman is completely off her meds.

“Master Jack, please accept my humblest apology! I- I didn’t know what came over me to do such an unforgivable act! Please, please punish me for my sins, but spare my children, I beg you, O Lord!”

“Annie, calm down.”

“A-At that moment I was overcome with intense emotions a-and you were right next to me so I…”

“Calm your tits, woman. It’s fine, really!”

“You may be angry with me my lord, but please let it end with my pathetic self! Kill me! Cast me into the vacuum of space! Torture me for my crimes. But the children, they are innocent! So please, great one, please spare them!”

“Chill out, bitch! I said it’s fine! Better than fine! But if you regret it then… look, just go clean yourself up and forget this ever happened, okay!?”

The handsome woman who just gave me a taste of heaven is clinging to my legs with snots and tears spilling out of her perfectly sculpted face.

She’s acting as if I’m some kind of petty god who would smite her for her blasphemous act of giving me a peck on the lips.

I’m sure this scene right here is some sick fuck’s sexual fantasy made real. But for someone who fantasizes about a romantic date under the moonlight like myself… It's just sad, bro. It’s just so sad and pathetic, I want to take her to a psychiatrist once and for all.

“Shut up, over there! I’m trying to- Ooofff!!!”

Kyle brought another bag to his mouth and hurled his twisting insides out. The guy’s so sick, he’s unaware of anything happening around him.

The only other person in our private compartment totally missed out on my awkward first kiss. Not sure if I should be glad or annoyed by that fact.

If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?

Sure I was there, and then there’s Annie… and another fellow…

Fuck me!

How did I lose to a total nutcase like her, again?

‘Perfection… achieve Perfection…’

Shut up, you lousy sword! No one asked for your Goddamn opinion!

‘The creator… desires… Perfection…’

Yeah yeah, I heard it all before! Now shut the fuck up for five minutes!

A nutcase goddess and her single-minded creation. Truly a match made in heaven.

I glance down at the sorry figure at my feet and I have to ask myself…

How the fuck did this woman brainwash me with her Intent alone? Completely taking over my mind, body, and Mana with her insane level of will?

It’s gotta be some kind of joke, right? A cruel gag at my expense.

If it is, then I’m not laughing, and neither is she.

What a sorry sight you are… my Marianne.

My Ruler. My Goddess. My Queen.

The woman who is so batshit insane, she bends the rule of the universe to conform to her delusions.

The woman with Intent so powerful, she unknowingly took control of a master of the Grand Order.

And if the visions the wooden sword showed me were to be believed, she even defeated a powerful wizard with her own two hands.

A cripple killing a Level Five master.

The universe would be set on fire if they knew.

Oh, Marianne. My sweet Marianne. My silly stupid Marianne.

What in the world am I going to do with you?

***

After much consolation, Annie finally stopped crying and washed herself up.

The girl still felt awkward around me, so she mostly hung out with her children and the young saplings.

Saplings who would either grow into great wizards or see their talent rot away. Only time could tell.

Twelve whole talented individuals from a single planet, that’s gotta be some kind of record, right? OR perhaps it was all due to the influence of their clueless goddess.

Her and her ‘God’s chosen’ nonsense.

Should I tell Marianne that she, herself, was the one who did the choosing? The girl saw any kid in a bad situation and immediately envisioned a blight ol’ future for them.

It was her Intent that bestowed power upon these children.

She who does not process Mana can command them as her loyal subjects.

Command. Manipulate. Bestow.

But not for herself. No. For the children. Only for the children.

They are her life. Her whole world. And she refused to have anything bad ever happen to them.

She would kill for them. She would die for them. Over and over and over again.

For she is Mother Marianne, Goddess of misfortunate children.

Ever since I touched her sword like a dumbass, I’ve been studying her. Trying to find a way to break free from her influence.

I followed in her footsteps. I read through her books. I studied the visions the sword gave me. I tried my best to peer into her mind.

But in the end… All I learned was that I can’t bring myself to hate the crazy broad.

Marianne may be insane but her intentions are pure. Everything she does, no matter how cruel or self-destructive, she does it all out of love.

Love…

Her lips tasted good, didn't they? Sweet, gentle, and full of life.

I should be over the moon, but I’m not. How could I, when I know for a fact that my thoughts and desires are not fully my own?

I glanced down at my wrist. The sword was there, in the form of a bracelet. Walking around with a wooden stick would be too eye-catching so I transmogrified it into something more convenient.

Not gonna lie, I was hoping that breaking the damn thing down into tiny particles before reconstructing it would wipe away its annoying Intent, but no such luck.

‘Perfection… Always aim for Perfection…’

Huh… What a pain in the ass.

How the fuck would an ugly bastard like me suppose to achieve perfection, anyhow? Think, sword, think!

Fuck it. Whatever. My life’s over. My sense of self, gone. So I don’t care anymore!

I stopped my useless introspection and focused on the here and now.

Our voyage had traveled out of Villam’s solar system. Soon enough, we would arrive at a sub-space station and switch over to faster-than-light travel speed.

If you think Kyle is sick now, just wait till he sees and feels galaxies whooshing by him. The poor bastard.

“Want me to hold your hair, four eyes?”

“Fuck off, shorty! Offff!!!”

The man said before hugging his favorite toilet bowl like a guy with a massive hangover.

Speaking of toilets, Annie is having a hell of a time cleaning every corner of the ship. Living out her space janitor fantasy.

Looking at my goddess scrubbing the floor while humming a cute tune gives me several conflicting emotions. But if she’s happy then I suppose that’s fine.

As for the children, the group of orphans now spends most of their time in the dining hall, stuffing as many delicacies in their little mouths as possible. Little Dave is getting fatter by the day and the boy seems to be proud of that fact.

The Masters-to-be, or saplings as I like to call them, are also doing well enough for themselves. Making friends. Chatting excitedly about the future. And playing around as kids their age do.

All except for Abigail.

Girl’s an outcast, even when she’s surrounded by people she should have plenty in common with.

They all have high potential. They are around the same age. And they all grew up on the same planet with similar backgrounds. Yet Abigail actively put up this impenetrable wall of ice around her.

I don’t know what she’s thinking in that head of hers, but it's definitely not healthy for her own development.

Humans are herd animals, we can’t survive on our own. Especially in this vast universe where death and destruction are lurking at every corner.

Even someone like me still needed to partner up with Kyle. These junior wizards must learn to work together fast if they don’t want to be eaten alive by the cold darkness of space.

***

Space. Cold. Dark. Desolation.

But still full of colors and life.

At least Marianne seemed to think so. The woman was glued to looking out the windows at the sights of nebulas and galaxies. She’s never bored of staring into the cosmos for several hours a day. Her endless enthusiasm was so infectious, the children gathered around her, and together they would point out the names of each heavenly body.

I found the sight to be very amusing.

A month-long flight passes by in an instant when you’re having fun.

Finally, our vessel existed sub-space-travel. We had already journeyed a distance of hundreds of millions of light-years and it was time for a pit stop.

Now, it’s time for separation.

The goddess said her goodbyes to her children.

She apologized. She wished them well. She promised a reunion.

There were no tears, as the orphans knew how much her dreams meant to her. They, more than anyone, hope for Annie’s happiness.

Our ship cut through the black ocean of space, making its way to our destination.

To Exterius, the outer rim space station.

A large man-made structure that serves as a spaceport and home to millions of people from all corners of the universe.

The place was a neutral zone, existing beyond the authorities of nations or mage lodges.

A haven for both criminals and good ordinary citizens who prefer love over war.

It was a messy place. It was a dirty place. It wasn’t perfect by any means.

But to so many, it was paradise.

But now…

Paradise was lost.

Kyle and I stared in horror at the destroyed remains of Exterius.

What once was a station the size of a bustling metropolis was laid waste beyond recognition!

Shit, nothing can be easy, can it!?

I quickly ordered everyone to return to their quarters before rushing to the command deck with Kyle.

[Come in! Come in! This is commercial-flight TG-025 Villam to Exterius! Exterius please respond, over! Come in! Come in!…]

The place was in chaos with crew members running around like chickens with their heads cut off. With a single handwave, I took command of the situation.

“Captain, report!”

“We’re trying to assess the situation my lords, but we can’t reach anyone! Not Exterius! Not the Space Rangers!”

“The Rangers never patrol this sector, you know that! How much energy do we have left!?”

“Not enough for another jump, I fear. But we can make an emergency landing on the planet Relicta. The place is deserted but there are several bunkers with supplies down there. We could send out an SOS and wait for rescue.”

I opened the star map and looked at the orange sand planet close by. Too close.

“No, it’s too dangerous. We don’t know who or what attacked the station. For all we know, there could be an army waiting down there!”

I quickly scrolled through the map, searching for a safe haven.

“There, Caeruleum!”

I pointed at a resort planet just a solar system away.

“But my lord, our Mana battery is running dry. We don't have enough to make the distance!”

“Says who? There’s a walking Mana tank right here.”

I tapped Kyle's shoulder. The man gave me a knowing glance then nodded.

“What about you, Jack? Don’t tell me you’re going to…”

The giraffe looked at me with worry in his eyes. He knew exactly what I’m about to do.

“According to schedule, two of our own are on that station. You know the rule, nerd. No man left behind.”

“But Jack…”

My long-time friend tried to say something but I ignored him.

“Captain!”

“Yes, my lord!”

“Move this ship to a safe distance and set up a parameter. Boot up all your radars to look out for any anomalies! Mana resonance. Energy field. Heat signature. Moss codes. Anything at all! Don’t let a single spec of space dust reach this ship without you knowing, understood!?”

“It will be done, my lord!”

“Kyle! I want you to create a shield around this entire ship. It needs to be strong enough to withstand a nuclear blast. You need to reserve your energy, so use the saplings’ Mana to do it!”

The man gave me another nod. His face was pale, a mixture of sickness and fear.

“And don’t you dare show that face to the children, four-eyes! Show them the dignity of a Master, or at least fake it until you make it!”

“Ha… smartass…”

“Captain! Prepare two rescue vessels and assign me your second-best security team! I’ll join them shortly!”

I turned around before receiving confirmation and exited the command deck. I made my way to my room to grab a few essential pieces of equipment, namely my custom-made spacesuit.

I felt a presence outside my room, so I called her in. With my permission, the door slid open and my queen stepped past the threshold.

“Ha! There isn’t a boring moment with you, is there, Annie?”

“My master… I… I hear them… Their cries. Their fears. They’re calling me.”

Mother Marianne, Goddess of misfortunate children.

Sweet kind Marianne, what am I going to do with you?

“Stay here Annie. Stay and protect your kids. You’re the least qualified person to help anyone.”

“B-But I…”

I stepped close to the tall woman and beckoned her to lean down.

I cupped her beautiful face in my hands and wiped her tears away.

“Annie… One day you will be strong enough to protect everyone you hold dear. One day you will learn to use your powers. But now, you are weak. Weak. Blind. Helpless.”

Her amber eyes gazed into my soul. She who always acted like a dizzy bimbo isn’t nearly as ignorant as she let on. If she was, she wouldn’t have been able to cultivate Abigail. She wouldn't have been able to master Level Three books.

“I should hate you for killing my soul, for using me as a tool. But I know… everything you do, no matter how cruel, you did it all for them… Only for them.”

I transformed the sword back to its original shape. A wooden sword, as coarse and rough as the hands that made it.

“M-Master Jack… Jack…I… I’m sorry… I…”

“Marianne, you’re batshit fucking insane. But… you smell nice, and that's all that matters.”

Her eyes are filled with regret and confusion but her lips seemed very inviting.

So I kissed her.

Even crazy tasted sweet, who knew.

“Jack… I… I have no idea what you’re talking about. And why do you have my sword!?”

“Ha! Of course, you don’t, dearest. Of course, you don’t.”

I separated myself from the dizzy goddess and opened my armory.

Rows upon rows of military-grade weapons that can be used even by a cripple.

“Hey, lady, you know how to use a blaster?”

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