The God of Jesters
Chapter 584 - 9.08.1 Parting words.

Chapter 584: 9.08.1 Parting words.

"In my eyes, they are great Humans, but giving up what made them human to achieve their goals no longer qualifies them to be human in my eyes."

Her meaning.

Her meaning was far more beautiful than Amir could have ever expected.

It was young love, the kind that I had always envied, the kind that I could never enjoy. And what stops me from enjoying it is not my body, but something far more simpler. ’I will remain unlovable.’ It’s a thought I always had and something I used to hide away from. But after a certain point, I came to accept this truth.

My nature, it’s not compatible with this world and its people. And I won’t blame them for it, for I see the struggle that comes once one falls in love, it’s a weakness that I can’t afford. ’This broken piece of my body lacks the edge... I am envying the love a bit too much.’

I thought, shutting my eyes from the scene below. Not all clones of mine were the same even if we were born of the same core. Depending on the parts that were added and taken away, the nature would differ slightly from the real me. Something that is done out of necessity.

Parting away the souls is a dangerous thing to do, as no one knows when they will develop their own ego that might cause harm to the original. Which is why the original always added a flaw artificially into the clone. A flaw that makes them weaker and more susceptible to failure. The core never hides this from his clones, it lets them know that they are a lacking existence that is incomplete without him.

’So this is mine I guess, overt envy for love. A weakness.’ I came to this conclusion, finding that the mind of the original is always so unpredictable. Well, that’s what is good about me. I can’t even trust myself at certain points. ’What a treat though. Such envy feels fun in its own way.’

Ignoring my incomplete existence, I focused my senses on the other members of Team One, each currently dealing with some problems of their own, with Mini being the freest one, though it would seem she had been treating my puppet body as a doll and doing a simple play along her other dolls.

’She still isn’t grown up.’ Mini although it doesn’t appear on the surface due to her always hiding her face under the hood. But Mini is not human, she is a dwarf-like my own body. A female dwarf who was bullied a lot before being rescued by the orphanage.

However, the state in which we found her small and young body was not right. In her youth, she was far shorter than other kids of her age, which made her an easier target to bully and exploit by certain beggar mafias that used to haunt the streets of Yethel before the great purge.

She was one of their best tools due to her small build which made her appear way more pitiful. However, some things happened in which she tried to run away with the little money she collected and was beaten to the brink of death.

No, she was left to die on the streets if not for one of my rats finding her. ’Still no progress... I hope a day comes when you are grown up girl.’ Since that incident after waking up in the orphanage, she had barely talked to others, and it was not until learning Exorcist techniques that she gained enough confidence to even hold a proper conversation.

However, she only ever spoke out of necessity and hid from direct confrontations. The fear that was entrenched in her heart around her youth was not so easily purged.

Though what could be purged is those bastards, that I did enjoy killing. ’Let’s enjoy some family time.’ I spoke, possessing the doll again and joining in the little play that she never got to enjoy as a kid herself. Though this is not done for no purpose, I can see her struggle and shame over her failure to retain that boy named Rosso. She blamed herself like her brother Owl did at a greater scale.

That’s how fragile her mind was. Owl might be a great leader in many aspects, but he had some weaknesses that can’t be ignored. But what can I say, he was the only one to take this position after the true leader of this Team fell for someone and abandoned the fate ordained for him.

On the other hand, it didn’t take long before Scart joined in as well. Say what you will about this thieving bastard, but he knows to care for his family.

******

It was a pleasant journey without any extra actions to see. And why would there be extra action when there were countless talismans protecting the ship from prying eyes?

If there was something of interest that happened on the ship was Amir finally daring to come out even in his broken state. He was curious about us, about this weird family, and whether what he had been told by his grandfather was actually true.

Which part of it probably was, as for the rest? I don’t know for I lack the knowledge or ability to enter his mind at the moment.

Though that was the most of it, he hadn’t brought his guard down one bit and there was even a little bit of fear on his face as he looked at Kairut reconstructing his body on the side. A genuine fear that was born out of finding an existence far stronger than him. This means that he can see through Kairut’s strength even in his weakened state.

Which was a bit interesting, making me curious about what else his eyes could see. This might give me insight into his bloodline a bit more. Though now was not the time. I lacked the time or even personnel capable of entering that accursed place.

Without Kairut, there was no one qualified enough to enter Caves of Wonderment that were said to have all your dreams come true, though how this rumor began, no one knows as there is barely anyone that survives those hellish caves.

This boy named Amir, was neither a legendary being nor an anomaly, making his resistance to corruption far weaker. The foreign influence that eyes that place will have a field day with him. Which would be so wasteful.

"Not even us?"

"I won’t be alone or in danger if you are wondering and even if I am, as long as our purpose is fulfilled, there is no need for this part of me to even exist. My death also doesn’t mean an end, what means an end is a failure to rescue Malidi."

"And in case I do fail and can’t bring him here in time, go into hiding and stay away from Yethel for the next five years, something will happen, including many deaths and I don’t to see you getting involved in any of those matters." There are certain things better left unsaid.

No one can take advantage of me without suffering the consequences and I believe Lord Emotion knows this full well, hence his rush to control me. But he knows not of what I had hidden, for even I lack the knowledge of it. So how could I, under his control even stop it?

Which makes it all the more funny.

However, this contingency only works if he is in Yethel. So it’s better if he is unaware of what kind of dirty deeds I had in mind for him.

"Fuu, as you wish." Spoke to Owl, showing some disappointment. He had thought that I would stay on this journey with him and others for a long time. But such times are long gone, I am not the one I used to be.

This small meeting was only between my kids and me, though Kairut had forced his ears in using his Legendary status. He had the courtesy to keep Amir out of it.

"Don’t be so sad, kids. If I fail, it doesn’t mean a permanent end for me. My true body is a Totem now. With enough propaganda, you can influence it to turn back into me... though it would require a few millennia of propaganda and loads of sacrifices, but it will work." I joked out loud before turning to others, who also seemed a bit down.

"Mini, I have said it multiple times before, but you are not a child anymore. Try to be more open from now on. Don’t delve into your failure with Rosso, though I won’t ask you to forget it as well. Learn where you made a mistake and try to make sure it doesn’t happen again." I won’t ask her to stop playing with those dolls, as I enjoyed that stuff as well, though on a greater scale, so somewhat I can relate to her.

As for the rest, I genuinely hoped that she would grow out of this phase that had gone on for over a decade at this point.

"As for you Skart, well there is little I have to say about you, as you are fucking perfect as you are. So never change, never worry, and keep taking care of your siblings." My words, they felt like parting words, for they were.

As no one knows what can happen later, the world is unpredictable, and those caves are even more so.

"And Minat, come forward and stop hiding behind Gazelle first," I spoke, finding that Minat that little guy had been hiding behind his sister again. "Yes, Master." He spoke appearing defeated. I can see it in his eyes, he already knows what this small goodbye meant. A sign that he isn’t as ignorant as he used to be. "I am proud of you boy... if not for you, the last operation would have been a disaster. So be proud about it, take your head up and see me in the eyes." I asked out of my doll body, which did appear a bit bizarre, but no one in this scene treated it as such.

"Only you have the power to protect each and every one of them, and I hope you keep doing it in the future... in a future where I am present in the worst-case scenario that is."

Though my words did leave him with teary eyes, along with some skulking from Mini’s side, I turned to Gazelle who being the oldest was also the last I would speak to today.

"Keep them together." These were the only words I had for her, and she understood the weight of it without any details.

"As you say, master." She bowed, followed by others who did the same. And by the time they got up again, I was there no more. Leaving a simple whisper in Gazelle’s ears, only meant for her. ’Don’t bite off more than you can chew... he is dangerous.’