Chapter 61: Council
Inside a dimly lit, arena-like assembly, multiple figures, their faces concealed by miasma, spoke.
The smell of lavender was spread evenly throughout the arena, a purple mist drifting blowing around.
"…So he's the boy," a figure wearing a business-like suit said, sounding amused.
"…He looks skinny," a shirtless, muscular man laughed out loud.
"…He looks weak," a classy woman gave her opinion.
The muscular figure turned around to face her.
"Does your Patron have anything to say about him?"
"No. He's being strangely quiet."
"That's unlike Him."
A figure wearing a shaman attire, with many feathers sprouting from their hair, pointed at the unconscious boy below.
"The boy has an evil aura sticking out from him. The spirits of the land feel uncomfortable going near his body."
"That's strange," a woman wearing a nun outfit mumbled. "I can feel a great amount of love within this young Nephilim."
"Love…" a bald figure wearing the garments of a monk raised their palm. "The worst emotion a Nephilim can experience."
"Not everyone here is like you," the woman from before scoffed. "I'm surprised that your nether regions haven't atrophied yet."
"Amida Butsu…" the monk said repeatedly, his words sounding more like gunfire than prayers.
"Please, people. Have some respect." the figure with the business attire said.
Hearing his words, the Nephilim shut their mouths.
"What's the purpose of this meeting?" he asked.
Franz raised the boy's unconscious body from his collar. "His name is Gray. Hailing from a normal life and a happy family, he found himself meddled in our world at the young age of sixteen. Under the wing of Sahvin, he who has first united this assembly, he learnt Intra in less than an hour!"
Franz looked at the figures as worry crept into his mind.
…Gray's pros could never outweigh his cons.
They weren't like Franz, curious people who wanted to see how Gray would rise beyond them.
They were old-fashioned and closed-minded.
Franz had to bring up every good thing he could find about the boy.
Every figure, even those who did not speak, rose from their seat.
"One hour…?!"
"…I've never heard this before. Razier, have you?" the classy woman asked, her gaze fixed above her. She waited for a response, but it never came, causing her to give a confused expression.
"Hahaha!" the muscular figure beat his chest. "It took me four entire months!"
"The boy could become a great monk."
"…Bizarre." the shaman muttered.
Franz then said, his tone solemn.
"…These next words shall not be repeated to any Nephilim who doesn't belong to this assembly."
'One of the worst things about being a Nephilim of the Right-Hand Path…' Franz thought. 'Is how truthful you're supposed to be.'
Franz produced a golden talisman from his pocket. The talisman instantly expanded, becoming twenty times its size, producing shimmers of pure gold.
"Today I vow in front of every single one of you. If you dare to speak about my next words…"
The assembly began to read the contents of each clause.
The receiving party of Nephilim agrees that all information shared by the disclosing Nephilim is confidential, bearing the utmost secrecy.
The receiving party of Nephilim shall not disclose this information to anyone, not human, not Nephilim, not any of the species belonging to Assiah, below and above nor shall they try to pry into information that isn't theirs to know.
The receiving party of Nephilim acknowledges that any attempt at disclosure, even if not fully executed, shall be met with…
"I will personally slay you."
Death!
The assembly became quiet.
Franz wasn't a force to be trifled with.
And so every Nephilim stood up. Silently, they sliced their palms open, their blood flowing towards the vowing talisman.
The talisman folded on its own and flew into Franz's hands soon after.
As the vow became active, it would inform Franz about the leaker's location, their name, and would place a mark on the people they revealed the information to, allowing Franz to dispose of them if he needed to.
Franz bowed slightly.
"Thank you for the collaboration." he briefly glanced towards Gray. "The reason of this meeting is for you, the highest ranking member of the Right-Hand Path, to officially accept this boy in our midst."
"What's the boy's Root? What's his purity?" the monk questioned.
"He's an Onironaut." Franz spoke, aware of the matters he would soon expose.
The monk lowered his palm.
"What a shame. Given his talent with Intra, he would've been perfect as a monk."
The classy woman spoke.
"…A rare sight. Are you perhaps planning on holding him in your flock? My faction could have a use for him."
Franz smiled.
"I'm afraid I must."
"I shall retire my offer then."
The man with the attire of a business man then interrupted.
"…A Nephilim like you would've never caused this ruckus for this simple cause. Is there something else you're trying to say?"
'Damn it.'
"As insightful as always, Mered. Your words are correct. The boy right here is special. Not only is he the only known Onironaut who can reveal the future without entering the Eternal Landscape of the Begotten Self…"
"What?!" they interrupted.
Every member stood up as the assembly became agitated.
"…That's impossible…" the man in the business attire muttered, his eyes open wide.
"How could he do that?!"
"Is he truly an Onironaut?!"
"This can't happen, it's illogical!"
"Hahahahahaha! Interesting, how interesting!"
"…But he's also someone who possesses a Secondary Mercurial Fragment."
The room went quiet.
"…"
The faces of the assembly fell.
A mysterious wind blew inside the assembly, an incredible sense of animosity was instantly emanated from them, causing the room to shake.
"Sacrilegious!" the monk clutched his necklace, veins bubbling in his rough hand.
"You dare bring one of the foul ones into this assembly?"
"Courting death!"
"To commit the taboo at such a young age! I knew the boy was evil!" the shaman screamed, producing a feathery bow from his back.
"What's the meaning behind this!"
"Silence!" Franz roared. "The boy is anything but the aberrations you fear! He's the victim of an eldritch being's corruption, just like of how every single person inside this room is! 'He' has disguised Himself as a Mercurial Fragment, inhabiting his body as a normal one would!"
Upon hearing the pronoun 'He,' they shook.
"A Deity?!"
"First that girl possessed by Sin of and now this, how dare you!"
The man in the business attire raised his arm.
Suddenly, the minds of the Nephilim became clearer.
"…Forgive me for using my ability on you, my companions. But I think our fellow Nephilim deserves to be heard."
Although reluctantly, the Nephilim quieted down.
"…Thank you, Mered. I greatly appreciate your consideration."
Mered acknowledged the praise with slight nod of his head.
"…The boy, after an encounter with Sin's Vassal, had gotten attacked by her. Thanks to the sudden awakening of his unique Onironaut characteristics, he could live, defeating the girl—and by the aid of his Secondary Mercurial Fragment—he could defeat, possibly even kill…"
"Sin himself."
"?!"
"…After an expedition inside her Mercurial Fragment, it came to my attention that the altar inside His Vassal was split, prohibiting His return inside our world for an unknown period."
"…The boy—did he destroy it willingly…?"
"We theorize that He awoke after the boy faced Sin's true form, allowing Him to dispose of it."
Their faces turned ashen.
If He awoke once more, could they defeat him?
"…Does he recall Sin's true form?" the woman in the nun attire questioned.
"His Second Fragment hid every memory about the event in shadows impossible to be pried into."
Hearing this, she gave a sigh of relief.
The monk started to produce a golden light.
"The boy is too dangerous..."
…
Gray's vision slowly returned.
He found himself in a weird place.
It was something like an amphitheater, with him being on the lower end of the theater.
Above him there were many figures, their face covered by miasma, similar to what he had seen with the warehouse.
One of them was pointing at him.
He had a yellowish, shaolin robe, similar to the movies he had recently watched to get a sense of how martial arts worked.
"…Uh…?"
"We must dispose of him when he's weak. Buddha will acknowledge his sacrifice."
Most Nephilim nodded, agreeing with the monk's judgement.
"We respect Sahvin…"
"But, he's too dangerous."
"…Huh?" Gray mumbled.
The figures started to whisper with each other.
"…He's awake."
"The boy is awake..."
"…Gray, you're awake…?" Franz asked, bringing him to eye level.
"…Can you put me down?" Gray asked.
"Yes. Of course."
Gray patted his clothes down and turned around.
"Who are these people? Are they Nephilim…?"
"They are."
Gray fixed his posture and awkwardly bowed.
"…Good evening."
He turned his neck and whispered.
"…What are we doing here?"
"Sorry for sedating you. I needed to bring you inside this place. They can't let this stronghold be found by anyone."
"…And currently, they are planning your execution."
"…What?!" Gray said, shocked.
"I told you they were paranoid."
"You told them everything?!" Gray almost yelled.
"I had to. They are the Nephilim who belong to the newly established Council of the Right-Hand Path. They inspect every member who officially enters inside our ranks. And if they see what I saw, you will die."
"It makes sense but…you told me that nobody should get this information leaked to them."
Franz smiled. "Even if they're stiff-necked, they still are members of the Right-Hand Path. They worry because they fear you will harm someone else."
Gray nodded in understanding.
He raised his gaze towards the Right-Hand Path.
"Council of the Right-Hand Path... I understand your concerns, but I'd prefer to keep on living."
"This matter does not concern you, boy." the shaman said.
"…This matter doesn't concern me? I'm the guy you want to execute in cold blood…"
The woman dressed like a nun interrupted.
"Your abilities might kill many people, I hope you're aware of it."
"…But..." Gray stammered.
"There are no buts when lives are at stake." she spread her arms. "Most of us have a family, people they love. Do you think we want them to get hurt?"
Gray felt anger course through him.
"No…but."
"Do you think I want my family to get hurt, do you think I want to leave my sister alone?"
One of the Council snapped.
"Your death will save thousands! What's the point in sacrificing them all for just a person!"
Gray gritted his teeth.
"You know…I never asked to be a Nephilim."
"I've been thrust into a world I cannot understand, facing things I cannot even begin to comprehend—getting launched here and there, from a normal world where people live without fears, to one where I have to fight to live."
"…And the single, brief fucking moment I start to acquire enough power to protect the one I love, you dare to try and remove that from me?!"
"You want to murder me for sins I didn't even commit, all because you're fearful I someday will!"
"Is this this really the Right-Hand Path? How do you believe you can protect humans when you can't even defend someone who's innocent?!"
"When I faced madness I at least had the courage to condemn my own actions, but you? To be human even when you aren't…To face against madness with humanity…"
"What bullshit is that…"
"This Council is already mad! You scum have hidden under the guise of humanity, killing people for a shared belief of protection!"
Gray scoffed.
"You disgust me!"
Franz looked at Gray, surprised.
'This kid…'
"You dare?!" the shaman roared, cocked an arrow and shot it.
Franz caught it and snapped it in half.
"…You're stepping out of bounds, Je'eb. Remember who first united this assembly. Are you sure you want to go behind Sahvin's back and murder his protégé?"
"Besides,"
"Your own companions are starting to consider the boy's words."
Je'eb turned around, his gaze wild.
Behind him, the Council whispered among themselves.
The muscular man spoke dejectedly, "…The boy's words contain a tinge of truth."
One of them said, "Is this really the first impression we gave to this young Nephilim…?"
A different one said, "Have we been distancing ourselves from humanity all along…?"
One of the oldest angrily denied, "How could this be…! I nurtured the many children I saved, and their kids and so on! I've been as near to humanity as one can…!"
Another rebuked, "Your descendants aren't aware of the actions we pursued to give them safety…!"
"If every single member of this Council told their wives, their spiritual sons, and their grandchildren about what we've done, would they manage to keep a straight face?"
Gray asked what that Council member meant by spiritual sons, as he was aware the Nephilim couldn't have children on their own. Franz explained briefly, saying that some Nephilim took a few of the orphaned young with them, nurturing them as their own children.
Their faces lowered even further.
Considering Gray's young age, the behavior and disgust following their action was the most humane reaction the Council had gotten so far.
"The members we drove out without batting an eye for being too merciful, those blameless Nephilim, the experimented people who we destroyed without any trace of regrets…"
"What were their sacrifices even for…?"
The shaman snapped.
"They were for our security, you damned fools!"
"…What's the problem with this guy…?" Gray wondered.
"…He lost his wife after sparing a Nephilim." Franz remarked.
"…"
"…You foolish ones have forgotten our history! The only reason the Right-Hand Path has survived this far is because we had the strength to uproot the evils at their core!"
Verily, Gray recognized a slight truth within his words. He too, had thought of destroying his opponent before they even pursued their goals.
Although those thoughts were born from madness, it did not mean they had no truth within them.
If he had murdered Ivan, he would've escaped death several times.
…But.
If he had done this act,
Gray didn't believe he would have had the strength to call himself 'human' anymore.
Some listened to the shaman's words, but they could not believe his words fully.
Although it was early to say that they would change their ways completely, Gray was sure they would begin to lighten their judgments.
In the case of innocent beings who had done nothing wrong but be at the wrong place and the wrong time, Gray fully believed they needed to be spared.
Seeing the doubt within his colleagues' faces, the shaman had a look of resignation.
"…So this is it. This is the future you want to pursue."
"I shall depart from this foolish path. I shall continue with my tribe, fulfilling the law, our sole duty for humanity."
He pointed at Gray, his worn finger trembling.
"When the boy becomes a catastrophe, you won't be here to tell me I was correct."
The shaman's figure disappeared, as if he had teleported.
The council was shaken from the shaman's departure. He was a formidable figure, one who had much power.
Gray turned to Franz.
"…Could he be dangerous? Could he leak this information?"
"He won't. He made a vow, it will restrict him fully. And… whether he wants to or not, he knows the risks he will face."
After speaking with themselves and reaching a new agreement, the council then spoke.
"We officially accept you as one of our own."
"From now…you will be known as "Meleuse." For you have meddled with our thoughts, mixing your human opinions with ours, changing our way of thinking."
"What's going on…?" he questioned.
"Every Nephilim of the Right-Hand Path receives a new name upon being accepted. It's a long tradition stemming from the lost age of our Path. It allows us to keep our identities hidden while on missions.
"…Ophanin, you and Sahvin must guide the boy properly. You must teach him how to control his powers and emotions…Prepare talismans and other means of protection for the outside world. Create lairs of seclusion and sealing items lest the boy loses control…!"
"But if all those things fail, you must be prepared to kill!"