Chapter 41: The God of Games Loves His Flock (2/2)

There was little wonder that the King of Tierra would brave the heresy to declare his faith in the God of Games.

Just as there was little wonder why Tierra would be destroyed by the mortal puppets of other gods.

It was an indescribable dejection that Marni found hard to bear.

He accepted the letter of evidence that the branch chief passed to him, took off the ring that proved him a member of the Silver Chimes and returned it to the chief before turning to leave without another word.

It was outside the building where he breathed the cool air of winter that Marni found the hardness in his chest easing.

“I’m starting to miss those dimwits back in the village…”

That being said, he was not giving up on preaching to the refugees.

In fact, when he understood that the God of Games may be the one divine being who stood on the side of humankind, Marni had resolved himself to do all he can and recruit more believers without drawing attention from the other churches.

It was also one of the few things that he, a most normal human could help that great god with.

***

When Marni climbed on to his carriage to leave for the refugee camps outside of the city and look for someone he could preach to, a girl dashed out from an alley turning, catching his attention.

She looked around sixteen or seventeen and appeared to be avoiding someone. Still, her ragged appearance did not conceal her elegant face: her blonde ponytail seemed to reflect the sun and danced as she ran, bringing some mysterious degree of warmth to the winter day.

Being a merchant who had experienced many a badger game or honey traps, Marni was not the type so easily allured. What really caught his attention about the girl was the white name that hovered over her head.

Leah Yakaran.

The girl also caught sight of Marni atop his carriage then, as well as the same Player name displayed in the same style above his head.

Utterly anxious at first, she paused and hesitated for a moment, before hesitantly saying, “O Master of Games, grant us new life?”

Marni quickly nodded in understanding, realizing that she was a believer of the God of Games like himself and echoed, “O Master of Games, grant us new life!”

It was the password that opens the System bestowed by the God of Games after all. Equivalents back on Earth would be the ‘Namo Amitabha’ that Buddhist monks would chant, Taoists”Immeasurable Heaven’ or ‘the twin trails of tears of loved ones’ for fans of the movie Wandering Earth 1.

Either way, it was a secret code that only believers of the God of Games would know.

Marni opened the door to his carriage and gestured for Leah to hide inside.