Chapter Sixteen - The God of Innovation

 “Huh?” Surya’s face turned both puzzled and more irritated. “What kind of strange question is that?”

Hm?

“I’m ‘The Forgiver’.” I smirked while putting my hand to my chest. “So shouldn’t you be excited to be forgiven by me?”

Surya tilted his head. “Am I supposed to know you?”

It felt like I'd been stabbed.

“And what kind of stupid name is ‘The Forgiver’? Sounds like a wannabe hero.”

Another stab.

“You think you can just come in here and act more superior than me? I’ve heard of a lot of important beings and you’re not one of them.”

Brutal.

I can’t even be mad… I also had no clue who I was…

“Ahem!” I cleared my throat. “Allow me to reintroduce myself. I am ‘The God of Forgiveness’, also known as ‘The Forgiver’. I have come far and wide to forgive all the other Gods for their past or future actions.”

“Eh?” He still doesn’t believe me it seems.

“Unfortunantely my only hard evidence is seeing into your past, which I can’t do right now for some reason.” Tch. What a useless ability. I can’t even use it on command.

“But, by forgiving you, I can prevent any future harm to come.” I continued. “I also have a close companion known as Astral, ‘The God of The Universe’. And I’ve already forgiven Alice who is-”

“Wait.”

Did this guy just cut me off?

“Astral?” His face suddenly seemed more interested in what I had to say. “How do you know about him? Last I checked, he didn’t have any friends other than-.”

Surya looked me up and down and carefully examined me.

“Oh no.” His face turned horrified. Surya threw himself on the ground and started apologizing. “I am so sorry! Please don’t tell Popstral what I’ve done!”

Huh?!

“That’s right!” He quickly sat himself next to me again. “I am Surya, and you are ‘The Forgiver', correct? Popstral raised me in my youth. Or actually-. You’d know him as Astral. I am so sorry for disrespecting you! You are my superior in every way. I think we started off on the wrong foot. You may ask me any and all questions! As a matter of fact, you don’t even need to take the test again. Come visit me whenever!”

What’s gotten into him?

For some reason, I feel a sense of superiority. I guess I must be famous after all.

“So your superior is Astral?” I asked him in a more important tone.

Surya nodded several times in response.

If that’s the case, I wonder why he agreed to not join me to come here if he was so close to the God I needed to forgive.

“Surya.” I turned to him seriously.

“Hm?” He responded quickly. Now he’s listening obediently. It’s kind of hard to believe that Astral raised him.

“This test… Why’d you make it so difficult in the first place? Could it possibly be related to why I might need to forgive you?”

It’s hard to believe that this young God (compared to the rest) could’ve done something so detrimental.

“Well…” Surya slightly bowed his head. “The point of this test is to eliminate ‘The God of Preservation’s’ believers.”

Huh?

“Eliminate?” I tilted my head in concern. “You mean… Like to execute?”

“Exactly that!”

Is this guy crazy?

“But why…?”

He stared at me silently before slouching on his couch.

“At first, I didn’t get what was so wrong with the ‘God of Preservation’.” Surya lifted his right hand towards the empty ceiling. “I thought, ‘Why are we hating on them? They are one of us.’”

He moved his hand over his eyes and grinned. “I was wrong. Me and them, we’re very different. They’d sacrifice anything to be a God to their believers, while I’d sacrifice anything to be anything but a God. And that cost me greatly. Popstral told me a story and I used that to make the most impossible test for anyone but Popstral.”

Surya looked over at me from under his hand. “I was hoping to see him one last time… Just once more… Before I’m forced to live as an actual God. Just like my believers want…”

My vision blinded, as my last sight of Surya’s expression was similar to the one I’ve seen in Halette’s vision. The one on the exact same couch…

…

I don’t remember much when I woke up. The farthest I could remember was sitting at a small wooden table, watching a mythical man monitor my reaction to his cooking.

[Wait… Is this backstory first person? And the mythical man is Astral, isn’t it? -The Forgiver]

I took a bite of the gross, green substance on my plate and glared at the mythical man before forcing myself to gulp.

“So how do you like it?” The mythical man asked. “I can make more if you’d like.”

“I’m stuffed!” I quickly shouted. “If anything, I want to hear more about the story you always tell me!”

“Hm…” Astral frowned before looking outside the window. “I think you might be a bit busy today.”

I looked outside the small window. Just like any other day, there were a lot of elf-like beings outside, who claimed to be my believers, waiting for my presence.

“Say..Mythical man…” I mumbled.

“Yes?” He responded.

“Why do those people out there worship me and call me their Lord?”

Astral grinned. “For starters, it could be because you know what the word worship means at your young age.”

The days got more boring and long. One day, I decided to sneak out.

I ran through the trees that were easy to hide in. It seemed that their home was just made with very little signs of life other than trees.

THUD!

Without knowing where I was going, I fell into a trap-like hole.

Hm? Why don’t I feel any pain?

I waited in that hole for what seemed like an eternity.

Would that mythical man come find me?

“Are you okay?” A light voice called. I stared up to find a small girl with deep, cheerful blue eyes, dirty blonde hair, and pointy ears looking down at me.

[Deja vu…]

The girl giggled softly before pulling the net up.

“How’d you get yourself trapped in the most obvious trap?” The girl joked. She had a paper hat while holding a paper crocheted bird in her hands. “Wow! Your looks are pretty unique. Your pops and mama must be beautiful.”

“Pops and mama?” I curiously asked her.

“You talk!” She smiled brightly. “A pops and mama are two older people who take care of you. I call mine Popnico and Mamolly! It mixes their names.”

“Names…” I murmured to myself.

“What’s your name?” She asked me.

“My name…” Did I have a name? I thought back to the mythical man’s stories. “I’m… Surya.”

“Surya. That’s a nice name.” She reached her hand out towards me. “I’m Nancy. Nancy Callyith!”

“Nancy.. Callyith.” I shook her hand.

She placed her paper hat on my head and smiled brightly.

“Let’s play often, Surya!”

I snuck back into the house and walked quietly towards the couch. I don’t think the mythical man is here yet.

“Where were you?” I jumped as the mythical man laid creepily on the couch.

Should I be honest?

But I kind of want to keep my encounter with Nancy a secret.

“What’s with the weird hat?” His eyebrows tilted at the sight.

“A believer gave it to me.” I quickly said.

The room turned silent before the mythical man sighed.

“Well as long as you were with one of your believers.” He sat up and patted my head. “Goodnight, kid.”

“It’s Surya.”

“Huh?”

“It’s Surya.” I repeated. “What’s your name?”

The mythical man stared blankly at me before laughing.

“In all my years, I never imagined that another God would ask for my name.” He patted my head once more. “It’s Astral. Nice to meet you, Surya.”

“Nice to meet you… Popstral.”

I ran to my room, leaving the mythical man, now known as Popstral, shocked.

The next day, I ran away from the house again.

I found the trap and waited by it.

“Oh!” I looked up towards Nancy’s voice. She pointed at her head, which was also wearing a paper hat, and smiled. “We’re matching!”

Several years went by and I was now a teenager.

“What’s that you’re looking at Nance?” Nancy was holding a golden circle that seemed to bring her a ton of joy.

“It’s a medal!” She replied. “It seems that our Lord must favor me. I keep getting the top grade in the class.”

“How does that mean the Lord favors you?”

She tilted her head in confusion before patiently describing to me. “Our Lord is actually ‘The God of Innovation’. They allow us to constantly evolve and remain the smartest of beings.”

“There you are!” Popstral interrupted. “Do you know how much your believers need you?” Popstral paused after he noticed I was with someone. “Who’s this?”

“This is Nancy Callyith!” I responded excitedly. “She’s my friend and apparently I’m helping her get the top grade! Isn’t that right Nance-...”

I noticed her once cheerful face turn into horror.

“You’re ‘The God of Innovation’?” She carefully asked.

I thought to myself before nodding. “Yeah, I guess that is what everyone’s been calling me other than their Lord.”

“I-” Nance quickly stood up. “I’m sorry. I must go.”

I quickly grabbed her arm in panic. “See you next time Nance.”

She nodded without looking me in the eyes before leaving my grasp.

I noticed that Popstral’s face turned sullen as she left.

I wonder… Did I do something wrong…?

“Our Lord! It is so nice to meet you!” A man with brown hair and dark blue eyes greeted me. “I am Annico Callyith.” He stood to the side to introduce two others. “This is Molly Callyith, my wife. And this is Nancy Callyith, my daughter.”

I noticed Nance avoided my eye contact.

After our last encounter, Popstral offered me to officially get acquainted with the Callyith’s so we can be friends in the public eye as well. I obviously agreed quite quickly.

“It’s nice to meet you three.” I replied gently. “Popstral told me a lot about your family. It’s an honor to meet a family of the first generation in our new nation.”

“The honor is all ours, our Lord!” Molly clasped her hands in joy. “Isn’t that right my dear.”

Nance nodded and gave me a sad smile. “You helped me a lot with my studies.”

“Indeed our Lord did!” Annico interrupted. “Which is why, we’d love your blessing for our Nancy to find the right marriage partner. Hopefully someone just as smart!”

“Marriage partner?” I tilted my head.

“Basically, marriage partners are what Molly and Annico are towards each other.” Popstral quickly explained.

What Popnico and Mamolly are to each other? Just two people who stay together forever?

“Then I don’t think there’d be a candidate more suited than me.” I quickly informed.

Everyone gasped and their faces filled with horror. Not just the Callyith’s, but my other believers who waited for their turn to see me turned fearful.

“Hey! Surya just what are you saying!?” Nance quickly shouted.

“Ahem!” Popstral interrupted. “Pardon our Lord’s sudden announcement. He is still young and uniformed about these small things.”

Popstral turned to me and patted my shoulder. “According to our God’s laws, it is strictly prohibited for a God and its believer to have an inappropriate relationship with one another. Also the first generation bloodlines must continue, so it cannot be with a God.”

Huh?

“What kind of strange rule is that?” I rudely argued. “Last I checked, I'm their God? Why do I have to follow unnecessary rules?”

“Oh please understand, our Lord!” Molly bowed as her husband quickly followed.

Seeing Nance and Popstral’s fearful eyes, I quickly nodded.

Later that day, Nance came to visit me in my home for the first time.

Just like usual, she wore a paper hat.

“I’m a little sad.” Nance finally told me on the couch. “If you’re a God, then I kind of wish I could be there to see your whole life.”

“My whole life?” I tilted my head in confusion at her words.

She smiled and nodded. “Unless you commit a heinous crime, then you are immortal.”

“Immortal means to live forever. That’s technically impossible.”

“It’s impossible for everyone but a God.” She corrected me. “And that’s why, I don’t want you to forget me.”

Nance took off her paper hat and unfolded it. The drawing was of them when they talked about what they’d want if they were God’s.

“You said that as a God, you’d want to know how many believers you have.” Nance laughed. “I had no idea you were being serious until now.”

“You made a hat for it?”

“I make a hat for all of our ideas.” She grabbed my hand. “In your eternal life, I’ll make sure that you never forget me. I’ll invent the God’s window. No… We’ll invent the God's window.”