Rohan flopped onto the luxurious bed. This time, he did not have the energy or the mood to be amazed by how grand the guest room was.
'I feel so tired. Too many things had happened, far too quickly. The past few days had been a blur of chaos and exhaustion.'
'I do not even remember the last time I was able to lie in a bed like this.'
If he counted the time he had been chained by the Shadow Cult, it had been more than ten days since he last had proper rest.
Ever since he obtained the system, Rohan had been in high spirits. Why would he not be? The system granted him tremendous benefits. Yet he could not ignore the weight pressing down on him. It was not just physical fatigue, but the growing burden of everything he would have to face.
'I am now being hunted by the Lastbender Family. I still have the quests. And there is also the problem with Rivia Academy.'
He closed his eyes, trying to drift into sleep. For a moment, his body sank into the softness of the bed.
Then, suddenly, he opened his eyes and sat up.
'I am just being weak. So what if I am tired? So what if I am hurt? These are only excuses I am giving myself so I can slack off.'
With renewed resolve, he stood and began to observe Edmund. Since he had suddenly left without warning, he was curious to see what Edmund would do.
But as he had expected, Edmund simply adapted and went to the gathering with someone else.
'Truly a dependable follower,' Rohan thought.
He then walked out of the bedroom, even though he had entered it less than ten minutes ago.
At a relaxed pace, he made his way toward Merlinda's bedroom.
After a short while, he arrived and knocked on the door, but there was no response even after he waited for some time. He then decided to use his authority to locate her. Once he confirmed where she was, he turned and headed in that direction.
Before long, he stepped into the inner courtyard, an open space enclosed by high stone walls with the sky stretching wide above.
Rohan spotted her at once. Pale and still, with silver hair touched by a single flower. The loose white dress slipped softly off her shoulders, its light fabric and lace catching the faintest movement as she sat at one of the tables, absorbed in her book.
He stepped closer, then took a seat across from her. "I need your help," he said firmly.
Merlinda's gaze slid to him for a moment, then drifted back to her book.
"The Lord did tell me to help you," she said lightly. "But I don't like doing things for free… it feels so dull."
"So tell me," she added, a faint smile touching her lips, "what exactly do I get out of this?"
At that moment, Rohan felt a flicker of disappointment.
'What am I even supposed to say? That she should help me just because the Lord said so? But that would sound strange.'
He then cleared his throat before asking, "Why wont you listen to what I want your help with?"
"Sure." She said before she closed the book and put it on the table.
"I need money to build a church for the Lord," he said. "And a weapon. Something magical, if possible. I also need your help dealing with the Lastbender family. For now… just keeping them from kidnapping or killing me would be a good start."
He knew full well how shameless he sounded, but he accepted it as a necessary price for his progress and survival. In this cruel world, Rohan believed he could not survive if he was constantly concerned with shame.
Merlinda let out a soft chuckle the moment he finished.
"You don't even know my name," she said, tilting her head slightly, eyes flicking over him with amusement. "And I don't know yours. You haven't even thanked me for saving your life."
"And yet, here you are… asking for so much."
She leaned back just a little. "Tell me, are you doing this because you know you have that subtle, almost invisible little hold over me?"
"Or are you simply that foolish?"
Rohan froze, at that moment, the realization hitting him all at once. He had blurred the line between himself and the persona of the Storm God while speaking to her.
'Right… I didn't ask her name because, as the Storm God, I already knew it.'
'And I did not thank her, perhaps because I was too exhausted at the time, or perhaps because I saw her as someone beneath me, given that she had already sworn her faith to the Storm God.'
'I was wrong...'
Not only he acknowledged his mistake, he also realized he needed to be more careful going forward, or he might end up revealing his identity as the Storm God.
'But what did she mean… about me having some kind of invisible hold over her?'
'A hold? That wasn't possible.'
'I had never—'
He then suddenly thought of Edmund. Of how naturally he had followed his plan.
He thought of David, someone who constantly clashed with Edmund, who clearly disliked the idea of Edmund taking the lead. And yet, when Rohan told him what to do, he followed with very little resistance.
None of them had ever truly questioned him. Not in a way that mattered.
And at that moment, a faint unease crept into his chest.
"…You're overthinking it," Rohan said finally.
For a second, she simply watched him, as if weighing something unseen.
"…You're either very dangerous, or very stupid."
"…I haven't decided which yet."
She leaned forward slightly.
"But I am curious."
Her fingers tapped lightly against the table.
"I'll help you, but not out of kindness. Just think of it as… an investment."
"I'll provide you with money," she continued. "Enough to start your little church."
"As for the weapon… My family might have something suitable."
"But the Lastbender family? That depends on how interesting you remain."
After hearing that Merlinda was willing to help, Rohan felt a sense of relief. But at the same time, he felt confused.
"What do you mean by 'interesting,' exactly?" he asked.
Merlinda tilted her head slightly.
"Interesting…" she repeated softly.
"It means," she said calmly, "that I haven't lost interest in you."
"…for now."
Rohan held back the urge to frown. 'And what exactly do I have to do to be interesting? What does she even consider interesting?' he wondered.
He kept those questions to himself. Because he was certain Merlinda wouldn't give him a satisfying answer.
Rather than asking another question, he decided to introduce himself.
"My name's Rohan. And thank you, not just for helping me, but also for saving my life."
Still with a smile on her face, she also introduced herself.
"Merlinda Leviathan."