Kamigami – 22 part 2

Salia went out into the plaza and walked through the corridor. Not towards her god seat, but away from it.
The words of the god dragon were right.
She knew that he was trying to correct her wrong way of thinking. That being said, she still could not nod her head so easily.
If it was so possible to justify everything about the games, then why had her world been destroyed?
Her world had been opened up as a playground, and she was not allowed to interfere at all. And when they finally left, everything was dead and gone.
The despair that she felt at that time, the thought of all the lost lives, made her hesitate to follow the rules of the game.
Still, she was participating in the game now. And the difficulty was high enough. It made no sense to put more restrictions on herself.
But still…

“I cannot blame Sheto.”

Salia chuckled self-deprecatingly.

“We are both very stubborn.”
“I suppose that is the source of your strength.”

Said the rat, who had suddenly appeared next to her. He then bowed as if to apologize for the intrusion.

“There are not many who would stand strong against such hardships.”
“I am just stubborn to the bone. But it means that I get stuck at the problem in front of me.”
“…It sounds like your talk with the dragon god did not go as planned.”

She did not answer, but he nodded, found his ‘cave’, and went inside of it.
This time, they arrived in a large open space that resembled an underground cathedral.

“I suppose this is a good spot for a secret meeting.”
“Connected caves are made from materials from fallen worlds. Evacus, you seem to know a lot about such matters.”
“Well, I have been helped by gods of many worlds. So one gains knowledge on the way.”

The ran said with a proud expression. He then prepared a similar table and chairs as last time, and they sat down together.

“So, what did you and the dragon god talk about?”
“It pains me to have to say this, when you have been so hospitable. However…”
“I see. You cannot say. Though, admitting it is the same as giving me an answer.”

It was obvious that she had asked him about the games. Though, she did not want the others to know about her hesitation in regards to using blessings.

“I just have so many options, and so I wanted his advice. But he scolded me, saying I should not ask someone who is not even participating.”
“Indeed. Well, you became a greater god so suddenly, so it’s not surprising that you would have such troubles. So, what will you do now?”
“…Is that what you wanted to ask me?”

Evacus laughed.

“Too bad. I was hoping you would let something slip.”
“Even a foolish boar could see your traps.”
“However, I doubt you can talk so confidently for long. Without a blessing, the young kobold will soon become exhausted and fade away.”
“That’s…”

Evacus sounded like he understood her situation. Indeed, it was quite clear to anyone who had been watching.

“I suppose the first thing is to have allies. And some kind of weapons.”
“Evacus?”
“Ah, just the shallow thoughts of a rat. You need not listen to me.”

Evacus sipped his drink and continued to talk.

“When the gods prepare their Heroes, they tend to share the blessings with the party members. Prophecies and messages to skilled mercenaries and sorcerers. It is important to create an advantageous environment around the Hero.”
“But, Sheto is a monster. That would not work with him.”
“Then find those of other races, and have them cooperate.”
“That’s…”

Sheto would not accept it. He would probably become angry at the suggestion.
Evacus continued.

“Either that, or give him a divine vessel. If he had invincible armor and weapons, like Zephalis’s Hero, it would make things so much easier.”
“I thought of that…but they are not suited for him.”
“Why is that?”
“Kobolds are small and have little arm strength. Even if they are protected by a strong barrier, they do not have the power to support it and push back. Besides, the others will just use the same tactics that we did.”

As Sheto had little aptitude for magic, it would be hard for him to use a magic bracelet. These Heroes from other worlds had numerous forms of entertainment that involved the use of magic. So it was easier for them to visualize and use it.

“So he must have tools that are suited for him. Well…that seems rather obvious?”

Of course, she did have an idea for what kind of divine vessel to give Sheto. There was no denying that.

“Apparently, you now have one thing that you can tell the other gods.”
“It seems that I do. Thank you.”

Evacus laughed and nodded. A more perceptive god might have then shared something they had as a way of keeping his mouth shut. But then again, she had nothing to offer.
Salia felt that at this rate, she would do nothing but lose.

“So, Evacus. Who will you be taking this gossip to?”
“You need to try a little harder, if you want to make me answer your questions.”

The rate shrugged. Then he picked up some grapes off of the table.

“I don’t mean to be insolent, but don’t you know the first thing about negotiating?”
“No. I prefer to be direct, and speak to those who I can trust.”
“Indeed. Trust is important when it comes to negotiating.”
“…How surprising. I was sure I would be lectured on how to act shrewdly.”

Evacus plucked some of the grapes off and lined them up on the table.

“When it comes to trust, the people negotiating are promising to not take all of the grapes for themself. Otherwise, you could just take them by force.”
“There can also be violence in negotiations, through misrepresentation or deceit.”
“Of course. However, such violence can only be done once, before the other party becomes cautious and leaves. After that, no one will negotiate with you, and you will have no choice but to resort to low-level violence every time.”

The term ‘low-level violence’ was painful to hear. It was true that her actions were far from being on the level of a proper negotiation. However, it was also a fact that those who engaged in even more blatant violence were often in positions of higher authority than she was, which seemed like a contradiction.

“That being said, that kind of violence can be effective. Destroy the person you are negotiating with, and take everything. And then you don’t have to consider the next time.”
“I suppose I would be a good example of that.”
“I didn’t mean to reprimand you, and I apologize if you are offended. That being said, it’s just one way of doing things. Are you going to cut me?”
“I have no intention of doing that right now… Or rather, I can’t.”

The rat smiled and nodded at this.

Next Part

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