Chapter 236: INTERLUDE. The destructive element

He didn’t need to defend himself from others. In fact, defending himself only would’ve made him more suspicious. And Goddess of Wizards’ scheme did not go as well as she planned, since God of Rogues wasn’t yet called in front of the entire dozen of his siblings in divinity to explain his sins and plead for forgiveness.

No, thankfully.

But she did go and talk with the others, that snake, and some of said others didn’t need much encouragement. Like God of Paladins, who paid God of Rogues a private visit full of vague threats and orders to “drop all unclean thoughts”, or else.

Or Goddess of Clerics, who spoke the same things in a softer tone…

While God of Rogues could only smile and assure them he had no such thoughts and this is all the atmosphere of paranoia talking, and of course, of course, the mysterious culprit must’ve been an angel. They weren’t always of the best sort in life. Why expect better from them after death?

Others, thankfully, had enough shame, sense or dislike for drama to avoid doing anything like this. Still, God of Rogues had to talk with them, if only for the job. 

He continued to talk with the gods about their angels, and with the angels themselves, weaved his web of falsehoods, looked for a scapegoat that would fit nicely in its middle… It was true, after all, that angels weren’t saints.

In the process of his “investigation”, God of Rogues uncovered so many fascinating things… Aivena was just one of the many sinners, and not even the most scandalous. If not for her capture and subsequent loss of Devourer himself, God of Rogues would’ve forgotten her name by the time he learnt so many new ones.

The angels stole things that should’ve gone to their masters or their subordinates, debased those weaker than themselves for the fun of it, danced around laws for their gain, and entered all sorts of illicit affairs. Even in his own domain!

Though, God of Rogues felt pride in that there were much fewer unknown to him illicit affairs in his part of Heaven. All affairs like these were to be accounted for and controlled for their further success.

So, God of Rogues asked about the angels from their masters, and the master of all angels in a domain was its god. And lately, gods were less predisposed to answer his questions, and more so, answer them honestly.

After all, if he was the traitor, who knew what he would do with the information?

In the fact of that, Goddess of Sorcerers’ bright smile at the sight of him was unexpected. And beautiful, God of Rogues had to admit. Pearl-white teeth, apple-red lips, but more so, the genuine joy in the sparkling eyes.

“Rogues! I was just thinking to call you when you asked to come. I. Just. Can’t anymore! This stress is going to suck all the… all the everything from me.” The goddess groaned and rubbed her cheeks. “I hate problems you can’t simply blast away!”

“You wanted to see me, Sorcerers?” God of Rogues asked, inwardly tensing a little from the unexpected friendliness, and slowly sat in a guest chair.

Goddess of Sorcerers nodded and began to pace back and forth across the cabinet. This one wasn’t a place borrowed from some temple, but a room in her personal palace. Like its owner, the place was messy and bright. Documents, books and pretty useless things lied around in piles, where only the goddess herself could find something with ease—and God of Rogues always wondered how she managed that, when it seemed to him that she moved things back and forth without even thinking about it.

Even now—she picked up a pen, rolled it in her hands absentmindedly, then put it down in another place, all without missing a step.

“Yes! Listen, I know you must hate it when we ask, but did you find anything new about the traitor, Rogues?” Goddess of Sorcerers didn’t even wait for him to reply. The look on his face must’ve been enough for her to stop and sigh. “Well, I didn’t hope. Well, I DID hope, but I knew you didn’t. That’s not what I wanted to talk with you about. I thought I found if not a lead, then something interesting… My templars did. I ordered them to keep it shush for now, because of all that traitor thing.”

“A thing? You think it’s related to God of Monks’ disappearance?” God of Rogues leaned forward, tensing more. He didn’t think if Goddess of Sorcerers found the truth, or even a shard of the truth, she’d invite him here… no, wait, she’d do just that. And blast him into smithereens by herself.

He shifted a little so his wrist now was right on top of his secret knife sheath.

Goddess of Sorcerers slowly shook her head. “No… but it’s related to Devourer, and I think he is related to that. These two things are too close to each other to not be, don’t you think? Didn’t you say so yourself? Or did you not… Ah, doesn’t matter.” She waved her hand. “I’m sure you understand, anyway.”

“It is, indeed, highly suspicious… But one of us working with Devourer? Sounds impossible.”

Goddess of Sorcerers shrugged. “Strangers things happened, really. And that would’ve explained why we still didn’t find him. An anti-magic field… I remember the chaos beasts with them, and I’m sure their cores weren’t all destroyed. If one of us gave him such a core, well… Well, you must understand yourself.”

God of Rogues nodded, confirming that he understood all of it, even if he had no desire to give his valuable core to Devourer, who won’t even think about returning it. No, he would more probably kill the loaner and solve his problems that way.

“But what it was that you found?” he asked, guiding the talkative goddess to the original topic before she grew too distracted and forgot about it entirely.

She was only too happy to tell him.