GODLY AUDIENCES: SIEG

[divus]

Comments

[divus]

...yeah, I heard. We've talked already. It's a little sad, isn't it? But I think they'll come back someday.

[heartmunculus]

A little bit. Ray said as long as we all don't die this week he'll come back.

[Which shouldn't be too hard, but with these pile ups of four bodies a week...]

I think he's being honest about that.

[divus]

You think? Unless someone tries to move him again without his permission...but I really hope so. He's been with me since the beginning.

But you, Nonon-san and Yu-san are really important. It's even more important now more than ever that you guys stick together.

[heartmunculus]

There's no reason for him to lie, but you know him better than I do. He said some of the other god's powers were more useful, so I think he's surprisingly honest.

... Have we all been with you since the beginning?

[divus]

He is, but don't tell him you think so. He'd just deny it. But I've asked him to be honest with me since the beginning anyway.

[A nod.] None of you have moved or chosen to leave at all until now.

[heartmunculus]

Narukami did that when we were talking earlier. Some of us talked about the other gods we were offered at the very beginning. He guessed Ray was given Sincerity.

I can only speak for myself. I agree with your ideals and I've given you my word. [So he won't be going anywhere.]

[divus]

That's a really funny choice for him. And that doesn't surprise me. Yu-kun is very smart, even if sometimes he's a little off.

I want to keep being the god I need to be to help you win, but you know I'm only as strong as my followers. So...that means a lot to me.

[heartmunculus]

I think Ruin is a strange choice for me too. So it's not like Sincerity would be a terrible guess for Ray... Even if he keeps a lot to himself.

Is that really how it works?

[divus]

The idea of Ruin and what you want to do with that Grail...if you squint it sort of makes sense. But Ray doesn't hold back his opinions much. That could be why.

Why wouldn't it work like that?

[heartmunculus]

He did what for salvation. But the way he wanted to go about it... Humanity would be functionally dead.

I thought gods were powerful no matter how many people followed them. ... I guess it's different for you. [ Since what happened to Fortune ]

[divus]

It's definitely different for us. Maybe that's just how our pantheon works, I'm not sure. One of the others might know.

...I'm kind of glad you don't want humanity to be functionally dead. That sounds terrible.

[heartmunculus]

[There's a little pause.]

Do you know who Jeanne d'Arc is? She's also known as the Holy Maiden of Orleans.

[divus]

Um...I've might've heard of her, but I'm not sure. She was like a revolutionist or something, right? [Sort of? Help, Sieg.]

[heartmunculus]

If you're from Japan, that makes sense. She's more well known around Europe.

The Holy Maiden was a peasant from the villages of France. She claimed to hear god's voice and managed to stop the siege of Orleans after just nine days of being deployed.

She's seen the best and worst that humanity had to offer. Jeanne was burned at the stake and through it all she never once resented those people for it.

I met her during the Holy Grail War. If she could believe in humanity's ability to become better, than so could I.

[divus]

...that's a really sweet way to look at it, Sieg-kun. It's hard to see the good sometimes, isn't it? But knowing that it's there and that there's potential...sometimes we just have to remember that.

I think that's how it was for us in my old life, too. We knew people could be better than what they were, so we had to fight for the chance to let them.

...if she was burned at the stake, how did you meet her? Was that before?

[heartmunculus]

It took me a while to decide protecting people was worth it. [Especially after the entire Jack the Ripper fiasco.] But that's what I think and I won't change from that.

Ah... No. She was summoned during the Holy Grail War to keep things fair. She's recorded as a Heroic Spirit, even if she doesn't have any wishes that she wants granted.

[divus]

..you're a good person. Don't let anyone ever say otherwise.

What does it mean to be recorded as aHeroic Spirit anyway? Is it sort of like this? You participate in the war and get wishes? I've still never been that clear on how it all works.

[heartmunculus]

[His Saint Graph (card) says Neutral Good. He doesn't doubt that.]

Heroic Spirits are spirits of heroes who achieved great deeds in life, having become objects of worship after their death. King Arthur. Um... You're Japanese, right? Okita Souji and Tomoe Gozen both count.

[divus]

Oh! [Yeah, before it was kind of confusing but he starts speaking her language and she claps.] I get it, it's like tsukumogami! The spirits are held in objects and can be given life on their own. And they live forever. It's like that?

[heartmunculus]

Yes. A little bit like that.

If people have stories that have been etched into history, they become heroic spirits. Astolfo's contract with me never ran out so... he'll be on earth exploring and helping people until the end.

[He does miss him.]

[divus]

And that's why you want to join him, right? If you're still connected, it just makes sense.

[heartmunculus]

That's right. I miss Jeanne too. The three of us were rarely able to spend time together.

[divus]

I have a feeling you're going to get to see them again soon. We'll make it happen.

[heartmunculus]

Soon... That would be nice.

[divus]

And even while you guys are apart, you remember each other and have those memories, don't you? That probably makes it a little easier.