1066 A New Heaven's Will & The Solution To The Biggest Problem
"A few months ago, I promised I'd take you on a date to Pluto. It ended up being our honeymoon." Varian said as they strolled in the newly constructed Pluto military bases.
"Honeymoon in a military base, very romantic." Sarah locked his arms and snickered.
Now, there's no commercial or residential districts on Pluto. Everything was either converted for military use or demolished.
So, the only sights the husband and wife caught were the endless black, green and red of military buildings and patrolling soldiers.
"Pluto will be pushed to the edge of the solar system. It'll be the most important military garrison. Other planetoids will also be arranged in the same trajectory." Varian revealed the military strategy.
"You're building a chain of big planetoids around the solar system to block any invasion, hm?" Sarah stepped into the air with a burst of white light and raised a brow.
"Yes," Varian's calm face grew solemn. "I think in a year at least or five years at most, we'll have the visitors of the nearby province when they conduct a territory census."
"It'll raise deep suspicions. Why did a star system that had no aura to speak of until recently suddenly have awakeners and more importantly, a celestial ranker?" Sarah narrowed her eyes and gripped his arm tighter. "Another war?"
Varian shook his head. "I'm consulting Boo and searching up the ruins for a solution. Even if we fight the province and win, what about the Duchy? Even those failed princes and princesses in the Duchies were so strong and had Sovereigns as bodyguards. We don't need to contemplate about their celestial rankers."
The honeymoon ended up as a war discussion.
— — — —
"…And that's why, I think it's okay for us to have a child now." Sia fiddled with her fingers and said as they strolled the busy street markets.
Varian exhaled deeply. "I don't wish a bring a life to the world without securing its future."
"There's no absolute security, is there?" Sia shrugged.
"No. But…" Varian once again explained the problem they'd be soon facing.
This honeymoon turned into a brainstorming session.
— — —
"Oh? Hey! It's you! You came back! You really did! Yaaay!" A pair of little wings circled around Varian and cried in joy in the voice of a little child.
Varian gently caressed the wings and patted it. "It's a promise."
"Hm…but how did you enter? The ruins wouldn't open for a few more months." The little wings pulled together, as if expressing its confusion.
"While I'm no longer technically the Scion since I gave it away to my wife, for some reason, I'm still recognized as one. I wonder why?" Varian shrugged. "So, I found I could enter any ruins at will."
"That sounds so nice…going anywhere you want anytime." The little wings muttered in a dreamy tone and drooped slightly. "I-I've never seen the outside world."
"Wanna go on a tour?" Varian gently nudged it. "Even though the ruins are wonderful, you can see so many things, it'll just blow your mind."
"B-But I can't…I'm an abandoned successor to the Heaven's Will." In the dark and lonely chamber, the wings curled together and returned to the top of one of the three altars.
'…how did it survive so much loneliness?' Varian sighed inwardly and waved his hand.
The planets stood still for a moment and all the eight ruins lit up. Then pillars of light shot into the sky from each ruins and a grand light swept the solar system.
The altars in the chamber disintegrated into light particles and assimilated into the wings.
"I…I am…I see a blue planet, a red one! Two big suns! Wait, why are there two, shouldn't there be only one?" The little wings' voice was full of joy, excitement and curiosity.
It's like a child seeing the world for the first time and perhaps it was exactly that.
"You can see the entire solar system now that you're the Heaven's Will, huh." Varian asked even though he knew the answer already.
"Yes! I can! Those buildings are glittering like stars! And the ocean, it's so blue! It's very vast! Oh and those people! Little kids, men and women, old and young…they're crying, laughing, talking…so many things, I can see them all! I can hear them all!"
The wings flapped with excitement and flew around Varian at high speed.
But then, it began to slow down.
"Some people are just like me…they're feeling alone, others are fortunate, they have someone to talk to…I feel their sadness, I can also feel their joy…I feel like they're a part of me, that I am them…"
The wings slowly stopped in front of Varian and enveloped him in its gentle and warm touch like it's hugging him.
"I…I no longer feel alone. I'm no longer alone." The sweet voice was filled with pain Varian couldn't even begin to fathom.
A thousand year loneliness finally ended. Except for the wings, no one could understand how much this gift meant.
Beating its tiny wings against his chest like a little child throwing a tantrum, it cried in an unbelievably soft and sad voice. "W-Why are you so nice to me…you didn't have to keep your promise, I couldn't have done anything. Even when you did come, you could've just visited and left.
No one would say anything…no one except you even knows I exist. I am just a failure that couldn't do its job, a living defect from the past. What have I even done to deserve your care?"
Varian felt his heart stir in pain at those words. But he decided to lighten up instead of making it any sadder.
"Actually, I helped you so that you can help me. I'm not a good guy, you see. I'm a tyrannical Emperor who wants to make you work nonstop and get things done." Varian made a malicious expression.
"Ah-hahaha! I'll work! I'll work everyday! I wanted to work for thousands of years and had no chance! I'm created for that every purpose!" The wings chuckled like a sweet child and flapped around excitedly.
"…" Varian scratched his head at the unexpected response. Who would've thought this little guy was a workaholic?
"Um, well…"
"Yes, yes, please, what's the work I have to finish? I don't have much power now, but I can do a lot of things! Right from the first planet to the last! Please give me the task! I beg you!"
"Er, find all the criminals of an organization called Shadow Order. The remnants went into hiding. I suspect some of them are in undiscovered secret realms." Varian said and waved his hand. "Take your time, you can tell me the progress after I return in a mon—"
"Done!" The wings exclaimed.
"What?"
"I took some time to understand who exactly the Shadow Order is, so sorry for the delay. So, there are 359 people in total. 290 of them are in six secret realms and are running out of food while the remaining 69 are scattered across the planets and space cities."
As the little wings reported, a screen made of pure aura formed in front of Varian and showed the details of them all.
"Holy fu—" Varian stopped from swearing in front of the little guy. Then, a thought flashed in his mind and he asked with a burning gaze. "You can access the knowledge of devas?"
"Whatever is left, yes. I'm the Heaven's Will now."
"Excellent! We're facing a situation now and are in the risk of exposing our secret to the province that'll find us soon. I need your help, find a solution!"
And Varian did find a solution.
It's just not easy.
