[Chapter 24 part 2] Soul – Barsal’s visit

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“Welcome to the glittering auditorium! Astra Skyfell has determined your common sense is woefully lacking. Luckily for you, I happened to be taking a break from adventuring and can instruct you on the glories of Enera. Rejoice!” I see…

Rose raised her hand. “Question! The pursuit of immortality is a race against time. Procrastinating seems unwise, even for a Saint. Could you explain?”

“Sure.” Emerit answered. “Firstly, I’m confident in my chances. Secondly, my partner didn’t make it. A decade-long mourning period won’t hurt me.”

“What does that mean?” Silver asked. Next to him, Kate hid her head in her hands.

“Astra warned me, but… You lot really have been living under a rock, huh?” Emerit laughed. “If a saint or immortal says their partner didn’t make it, it means their significant other passed on from old age.”

“For me it was Alphonse. He was too sweet. I, on the other hand, am wild. He tried to keep up while I soared, but fell behind. He stayed with me until the end.” His eyes were a little hazy, “This story is, tragically, all too common.”

The silence was swiftly broken by Free, “Just to confirm, you’re attracted to men?” Please restrain yourself sometimes.

“I appreciate beauty in all its forms.” Emerit answered without missing a beat. At least he’s not bothered. “Incidentally, romance is one of my taboo subjects. As awesome as I am, I’m not on the market.”

Love… Silver might’ve already found it. Sadly, secrecy would make it challenging for the rest of them. Keeping ourselves alive should be our priority.

Emerit clapped loudly, sending a wave of fire washing over the room, “With that out of the way, let’s begin with the five great underlying principles of this world. The first is what I call the ‘the rule of cool’. The HEAVENLY DAO will make anything, even the impossible, happen as long as it’s wicked sweet.”

“This truth permeates all aspects of Enera, especially combat. There’s always time to call out your finishing move, regardless of circumstance. A fraction of a second will do. Time and space will bend to make it so.”

“And you should be calling out your attacks. Style is critical. There’s a hidden multiplier for ‘coolness’, making flashy attacks absurdly strong.”

“This is the first lesson. Be magnificent and you’ll be rewarded.”

“Are ninjas cool?” Light called out.

Emerit gave a big thumbs up, “Absolutely.” They’re on the same wavelength.

“The next guiding principle is ‘Odds Favors the Extraordinary’. Simply put, probability skews against the mundane.”

“Take flipping this coin.” Emerit held up a shiny piece of bullion. “The chance of it landing on either side should be fifty-fifty. But what if we spice things up? If it’s heads, I will reveal an embarrassing secret about Miki——”

“Stop!” A fairy zipped into view.

“I’m performing an important demonstration.” Emerit protested, peeved.

“It’s forbidden!” The fairy repeated, flashing away. Emerit watched the fading static resentfully.

“I didn’t expect them to react so fast…” He mumbled. “The point is random events lean towards the thrilling. Considering what I planned on revealing, heads would’ve been a sure bet…”

“Anyway, this is so established that architects and engineers take it into account in their designs. Understanding its workings is crucial for you as well.”

“In real fights, ‘Odds Favors the Extraordinary’ can have a drastic impact. To recognize the ‘context’ which creates these instances, you must know which side the ‘audience’ is rooting for. Who’s the underdog? Upset victories are satisfying. Who’s more popular? Main characters always have the advantage. Who has the ‘right’ to win? Factors like Righteous Grudges have a powerful effect. Does your opponent have a ‘narrative’ backing them? You’ve witnessed first hand what happens to those who oppose a central plotline…”

It’s probably safe to assume all our instructors know about the assassination attempt. It was proof they were trusted. As for their lesson, he found certain aspects confusing. How do you tell who’s a main character? The world wasn’t a book.

“You’ll experience it one day, a battle where probability is turned against you. The ground beneath you will lose its traction. None of your attacks will cleanly connect. Meanwhile your opponents misfires will curve towards you. You’ll lose visibility or suffer distractions at key moments. When confronted with such a situation, consider retreating until the context turns in your favor.”

“Question!” Rose exclaimed. “Doesn’t this make it difficult for villains?”

“Well, your typical, one-dimensional villains do end up screwed most of the time.” Emerit said pensively. “But consider instead someone like Sola. She was definitely a main character in her story, an underdog facing off against all of humanity, with a deep righteous grudge. Do you think probability was often against her?”

Soul remembered their encounter with the Laughing Man. He must also have a narrative backing him or else he wouldn’t have survived to this day.

“Moving on, the ‘Law of Conservation’ states nothing important can be wasted. The Blessings protects important characters. Last survivors of tragedies will mysteriously be rescued. Texts filled with forbidden secrets will weather the passage of time. Ancient machinery will remain operational after eons.”

“This goes beyond mere preservation. Lost legendary artifacts and weapons reappear in dungeons. Forgotten knowledge is enshrined in the Endless Library. Extinct species are recycled as challenges in Lost World… Anything that once inspired awe will return someday in some form.”

We’re alive because of this. In that room of dead babies, they were too important to perish. The ‘reincarnation’ of the seven heroes and Sola now walk Enera on the eve of a Dark Age… How much of this was arranged?

“The fourth principle is short and sweet: ‘rewards must be merited’. Immortality is earned by arduously building up your legend. A dungeon’s prize is obtained by risking your life. Attacks are enhanced in recognition of style and flair. Every benefit has a price which must be paid. There are no free lunches.”

“Cheating is never tolerate. Remember this. Even if an opportunity to game the system arises, don’t take it. Illegitimate gains will be lost, with catastrophic luck soon following. Scamming the HEAVENLY DAO doesn’t works.”

Soul approved. Foul play shouldn’t be allowed.

“The final principle is the ‘narrative integrity is sacred’. No spoilers are allowed, ever. Beyond that, nothing that ruins a story is permitted.”

“Everyone has experienced it, reading a bad novel where the central conflict is resolve by a Deus ex Machina out of nowhere. Isn’t this the worst? The HEAVENLY DAO appreciates the frustration.”

What’s a Deus Ex Machina? While Soul got the gist, he wished the man wouldn’t resort to obscure expressions. I’m not Wise, you know?

“While it may play favorites and stack the decks, the HEAVENLY DAO never determines outcomes. This is why the Blessing isn’t endless. In a conflict, no side is guaranteed victory.”

“Objection!” Dawn yelled playfully. “Our experience yesterday contradicts this. Weren’t we handed victory?”

“Did you really win though?” Emerit asked coyly. “The assassins are still out there. Their goal remains achievable. Nothing is settled. In fact, that’s probably why Siegfried showed up. It was the only way to force a retreat without killing them all.”

Oh, I see! It’s true they’d been prepared to continue even after witnessing their crushed comrade. Our conflict was delayed, not resolved.

“With that, I’m done.” Emerit bowed grandly. “I’ll presently take questions.”

“Me first!” Rose spoke up. “Why haven’t I heard of these principles before?”

“Because I made them up!” Emerit declared proudly.

“WHAT?” Rose uttered in disbelief.

Emerit laughed, “Many such as myself have been seeking to clarify the workings of Enera for millennia. Regrettably, the HEAVENLY DAO values mystery too much. Data from studies is always wrong. Experiments never match reality. Active investigations simply don’t work when you’re researching an all-knowing being. The only way to forward is passive observation and anecdotal accounts.”

“If you were looking for a definitive explanation, you won’t find it. I’m the best you’ll get.”

“I’m next” Hope cut in. “Legonas explained the Blessing, but told us to press you for the details. I’m doing so now.” Hope said.

“Consulting me is always wise.” Emerit approved.

Upon hearing what they knew, he continued, “The Blessing has a role Legonas failed to highlight. It protects the natural order. A background character doesn’t have the right to kill a protagonist. The Blessing is particularly powerful in enforcing this reality.”

“What’s a ‘background character’?” Soul asked.

Emerit smiled, “It’s all the forgettable individuals which populate Enera. Every faceless person in uniform. Those who aren’t even given names.” Doesn’t everyone have a name?

“Fiction is harsh. The audience’s attention span is limited. Not everyone can be star.” Emerit lamented mockingly. I don’t appreciate this logic, no matter how true.

“A major reason guns suffer so much is that they’re designed to empower the weak. Around Enera, military arm their nameless grunts with enchanted artillery to increase their effectiveness against saints and immortals. The Blessing reacts violently to this affront. Firearms everywhere are effected.”

“I see.” Hope said attentively. “Any advice on overcoming this?”

“Two bits. First, as Legonas suggested, use revolvers. Militaries exclusively rely on automatic weapons these days, so other types are less affected.”

“Second, don’t be too depressed. As you gain prominence, life will get easier. A main character has the right to kill anyone. A single bullet from the immortal Clay Donnaster can rip most Blessings to shreds.”

From there, Free took over. She was determined to understand ‘specialization’, asking surprisingly technical questions. For his part, Emerit was all too happy to delve into the convoluted inner work of ‘classes’. Soul gave up following. I’ll learn what I need later. The back and for eventually drifted onto the subject of ninjas for the remainder of the session. Light was elated.

Returning to the Rose Palace, Soul reflected. Since we left the arctic three days ago, we’ve been saved twice… We must grow stronger. Their training was progressing smoothly. Hope, Wise, Free and Rose had instructors. Light was about to meet his original. Dawn never required assistance.

He smiled. Aren’t I the one in trouble? Astra had said she’d inquired around Aery if anyone had reproduced Ethan’s work, but he wasn’t hopeful. Not all martial arts were equal. The quality of ours is why Dawn and I have such an advantage. ‘Winter’s Embrace’ was a supreme discipline and closely guarded secret. Given its limited pool of practitioners, it was unlikely anyone had possessed Ethan’s affinities and genius.

I’ll have to make a choice. There existed a near infinite number of martial arts. Switching to one which better suited him would be the fastest way to power up. Or I could stick with ‘winter’s embrace’ and modify it myself. If his original had done so, he could too. It might take decades though…

Putting the matter aside, he faced his siblings, “What is everyone’s impression of the Isle of Dreams?”

(continued in part 3)