The Manipulators

Willier-Chapter 20

I was never simply a mistake that was made by him. He never intended me to touch a single piece of ice or holiness of the God. I always wondered why, for it is his choice alone to bring me upon this world, disregarding everyone's doubt and protest. Now I know better. He saw through what no one did. He knows who is God despite the fact that God himself is oblivious to his own power and origin.

...

It was a beautiful day by Felsen and Silvestro standard: not a cloud in the sky and the sun directly shone down upon me. I was sitting perfectly still on a bench in a grassy courtyard of the castle as gentle winds blew past me and the branches above, shuffling Ingeborg's hair as she whispered with Hallam. They did not need to whisper, for the nearest person, Lunist or not, is at least several yards away from us. Perhaps they are whispering about Gelumnatio secrets that a Combustioantitheus born is not supposed to hear, but I am mentally too busy to even grasp a single sound. I stared at a puddle of water below me, my mind kept traveling back to years ago when dear Pyrrhus is still around. 

Pyrrhus is like a puzzle that I had to try to figure out. He was Baron Burnheart's best friend since childhood and an indispensable member to Burnheart's rule, yet he would scowl when I act patriotic to the Gula, and a beating is inevitable. In fact, I do not even know why he beats me, for I am like him and thus never feels any form of pain. He hates every single part of me that is Gelumnatio like, which means he hates me; he is the one who decided to rape a Gelumnatio and keeping her alive for nine months just so I could be born. He finds me insufferable, and I have no damn idea how I survived seven years with him without any trauma. Though all negatives aside, he was a great teacher. He taught me all I need to know about what he called "inferior heat" and insisted me to learn his greatest technique of all. I didn't get to finish it before Burnheart's empire collapsed under the pressure of the Boneman and the former Best Duo. 

"Willier." Spoke Ingeborg suddenly. I snapped out of whatever I was thinking and turned my head toward her fast enough for it to let out a loud crack sound. Ingeborg, eyes widened, leaned toward the opposite direction and signaled me to calm down. I am very clam already. "Bear with me, but why was Trueman's fire blue?" 

"Because it is hot enough to be so." I responded. Thanks to Trueman's presence, I could easily 'blame' the fire on to him. 

Ingeborg nodded her head and started to bombard me with various questions about how fire works. Based on my bare minimum knowledge and pure skill, I could only answer what I believe to be the correct answer. After a while of making stuff up, I concluded and told her to ask Marvick for more accurate answer. 

"I already did. He told me answers that are somewhat different than yours. Nonetheless, he doesn't know a lot and told me to ask a friend of his." Said Ingeborg with a small smile. Looks like she knows I am bullshitting, but she... doesn't think so? "That friend didn't like me at first, but he changed his attitude quickly." Ingnius, perhaps. 

Somehow, this started a conversation between the three of us. Though I called it a conversation, it is more like questions and answers. Ingeborg is the questioner and Hallam and I answered all sorts of strange questions that include if ice could burn. I have to admit, she is really a curious one. 

Halfway through questioning, Ridge appeared out of one of the corridors and ran down a dirt path and arrived to his destination: us. He tried to talk, but his quick and hard inhale of air stopped him from uttering a single word. After several intakes, he calmed down enough to talk to us. "I just heard from several Lunists AND Solists that we are postponing any more mission that involves entering Orinkemi." 

"Why?" Asked Ingeborg, as if the answer couldn't be clear enough. 

"As it turns out, Sanguinem Vas is on their side." Responded Ridge with a shrug. "Or so I've heard." Before Ingeborg could ask what it is, I quickly whispered into her ear that a Sanguinem Vas is the blood God.