A few minutes later, Daneel was joined by four others, with the two females seated to one side and the two males to the other. All four were trying not to gawk at the giant who had just fashioned an artistic bottle out of thin air and was staring into its contents as if it held the secrets of the universe.
Daneel had not bothered to give an explanation, choosing instead to think of any other minute details about the plan to kill, or save Angaria that he might have overlooked. Hence, the others had had no option but to reach their own conclusions about the giant, but so far, it seemed that they had gotten no further than understanding that he was the one who had saved the Emperor and given Daneel the pathway to the Mainland.
After a few seconds, all of them dropped all pretenses when a pearly liquid magically appeared in the bottle. It danced inside the glass, twinkling in and out of existence, and when it settled, pinpricks of light bloomed all over, each glowing with the alternating colors of the rainbow.
A satisfied smile came on the gentle giant's face. Conjuring four classes, he filled them to the brim and motioned the newcomers to drink up.
This finally made Daneel snap out of his line of thought. Seeing that the giant had finished preparing another batch, he cocked one eyebrow with admiration and said to his sovereigns, "I'm paraphrasing here, but what you're about to drink… is a treat. Don't hesitate. I do insist that you all tell me what you taste…"
The looked at him with narrowed eyebrows, but when he did not move to say anything else, they all picked up the glasses with varying emotions. Elanev blustered, as always. He was the first to drink up, and the first to get the expression of disappointment on his face. Faxul was cautious, but seeing his elder brother's reaction, he grew curious and went through the same motions, too. By then, the two queens were bewildered, so they shrugged together and clinked their classes before swallowing half the contents in one swift motion.
Daneel laughed freely when the reason behind the wine's name appeared in front of him, once more. He saw that his heart had grown much, much lighter after spending time with Eloise, and for this, he was truly grateful to the giant.
Just like him, the others learned their lesson and drank much more slowly the second time. Almost comically, all of their faces relaxed at the same time and made them look as if they had soaked to their necks in a hot tub on a cold day.
Prodding Elanev, who was the closest to him on the right with his leg, he simply tipped his glass to reiterate his request and took a sip.
Elanev's voice boomed in the abandoned city. "Whatever this is, I want ten bottles! No, a hundred! It tastes exactly like the roast boar that old Jenny used to make! Oh, we satiated each other all night, then she satiated my stomach in the morning…it was bliss, I tell you! Until my dad caught wind of it and chased me home with a spell cast broom���still, I miss her so much!"
Daneel blinked and shook his head, knowing that he should have expected something like this. His curiosity regarding what the others had tasted only grew, though, so he pointed his glass to Faxul, next.
Faxul took a few seconds to answer. When he did speak, it was as if he had carefully measured each word.
"I… remember the mushroom soup that my father and grandfather fussed over, once, when the chef fell ill. They could have commanded anyone in the Kingdom to make it, but I was hungry, so they took up the job. It is… a very happy memory."
Daneel had always known that his best friend never spoke much, but inside, he was a deeply emotional man. His eyes shone with tears, now, for a moment, before he wiped them and looked to the ceiling, as if departing from the present and losing himself in that memory.
Xuan gave her answer without being prompted.
"I was used as a pawn by almost all of my family, and even though my best friend eventually betrayed me… the love she bore me was always real. She used to make a spicy noodle dish with so much effort that I always emptied the plate even though it wasn't very good. I just loved the way she beamed every time I smiled and said that it was great. She…"
Her voice broke, then, and Daneel and Eloise both moved, together, to embrace her. That was all they could do; the past could not be changed, so they endeavored to make the present better by giving her their support.
Finally, it was Eloise's turn. After patting Xuan on her shoulder and leaning back, she looked into the distance wistfully and said, "I tasted… the first meal that I had with my mother after Daneel liberated her. We shared a simple lunch of curried chicken and rice together, but it was the tastiest I had ever eaten as she made it with her own hands. I can't believe that I won't be able to see her again for a long time, soon…"
Silence fell upon them all as Eloise reminded them of the fate that soon awaited them. She gulped and shook her head apologetically, but Daneel raised his hand to stop her and said, "Well, that brings us full circle to what you've called us to discuss. I only told you that you would all be coming with me because that is all I know. Apparently, there are some other details that we need to find out, so I was asked to summon you all. Mr. Giant, the stage is yours. But before that, even though I'm ashamed that I haven't asked so far, tell me…what is your name?"
With a deep laugh that seemed to be coming from the very bottom of the earth, the giant said, "Ince, I was called Galahad, but I was supposed to have surrendered that name when I joined myself with the will of the world. Just like what happened before… seeing the way you five are so comfortable with each other reminded me of my favorite pastime: drinking good wine and bantering with my friends. Yes, these details should be heard by all of you. There are some minor ones which I will transmit to your Godking later, so I'll go over only the most important points now. First and foremost: just like this little piece of land has such a strong Will, the Mainland possesses a sentience whose power you cannot even begin to comprehend. I don't think even the most powerful on the Mainland have managed to touch it, yet. It only acts when it detects foreign intruders. This is why no one from the outside has ever been able to target the Mainland like they target the others; continents like Angaria can only put up a minor resistance, whereas the Will of the mainland can crush anyone and anything that wishes to intrude upon its land. As such… it is also completely averse to any being that is born elsewhere to tread on its soil. I'll give it to you straight: you'll have to leave your physical bodies behind. Only your consciousnesses will be the ones making the journey, and that is why I told the Godking that he does not need to think about talent when choosing those that would accompany him. After you make the journey, your tale is yours alone… you will have to use everything around you to accomplish your goals. The spell I'm going to use is an ancient one. It will let you enter the bodies of those in a general range of age that is near yours, who have recently died or are in such an extremely injured state that they are close to death. You-"
As soon as Daneel heard this, he completely phased out of the present.
Suddenly, he was reminded of the way he had reached Angaria. Explosions seem to be going off in his mind as he saw the similarity, and in the next moment, he remembered something that he had forgotten.
Hastily, he said in his mind, "System, what was that you said a day ago? I…need to ask the right question?"
[Affirmative.]
"Who created you?"
[Answer locked.]
Daneel had felt his entire mind be swept away with excitement when he had remembered the system's statement, and deduced that one of the biggest secrets he still wanted to uncover might have been revealed. Alas, it turned out that it wasn't so straightforward…but he kept the momentum going, while the giant continued to speak about the dangers of the Mainland.
"How did I get to Angaria?"
[Answer locked.]
"Why did the transmigration process even begin, and why is it similar to what Galahad is going to do?"
[Answer locked.]
Each answer made more and more frustration take the place of all that excitement. After all, it was cruel to be given hope and then let down, but then…a sudden idea struck him.
Almost hesitantly, he asked, "Where can I find the answers to all these questions?"
The answer made him shoot to his feet.
[Correct question has been asked. Unlocked answer: secret conditions to be fulfilled to reveal the answers can only be sought after in the place known as the 'Mainland'. After reaching the primary objective of World Domination System, level two, all of host's questions can be answered. World Domination System, level two will be activated with change in host's location.]
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