Life Of A Nobody - as a Villain-Chapter 448 Trials of Aelthar -4

"But it's not the truth, is it? Your disciples didn't kill you for any righteous reason, they killed you for selfish reasons." Rio replied, his words changing the world around him once more, where the vision and character started shifting according to the story he told.

"The gods promised them power, and the mortal realm to rule _ and they agreed instantly."

"Cause if their actions were even slightly righteous, their faces wouldn't show the smiles of relief, or the grin of victory when they killed you, but the glossing of guilt and tinge of regret."

From the novel, Rio knew Aelthar was a god stuck in past, at the time of his death - he didn't need anything else other than a mirror to show him the truth.

An answer which could clear his lingering doubts, regrets, and obsession. — and since Rio was no therapist himself, he just copy-pasted what Leon said to get Aelthar to move on.

"Reasons may make their choices seem understandable, god Aelthar. But that doesn't mean, it was right."

Experience new stories on novelbuddy

This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

"So you're telling me you would never forgive them?" The voice asked again.

"Forgiveness isn't given, it's earned." Rio said shaking his head, "Words of apology never amount to anything. If they're truly sorry, they'll search up ways to make it up to you. And not just shed tears in silence, or forgive all about you."

"So you do believe in second chances then?"

"Yes."

"But aren't you afraid of making the same mistake all over again?" The voice asked and explained, "If I had learned from my mistakes with Kaelion, I wouldn't have been blind to my disciples' duplicity."

"But then you wouldn't have any fond memories of them either. Hatred in heart can never lead to happiness." Rio explained, "The fear of betrayal shouldn't turn you into a heartless person. That's just wrong, and lonely."

"But how will you trust anyone ever again? What's broken cannot be fixed. Wounds heal, scars remain, shattered glass and the cracks remain." The voice spoke poetically for once. And Rio replied in the same way.

"But who said that things should always go back to the way they were before, _why can't a second chance start with something new."

As Rio's words finished, the world around him changed, showing a new future, one where Aelthar and his disciples lived happily together, once they realized their mistakes and paid it's price.

A future of peace where sins and sadness of the past didn't affect the present.

"Wisely said." The voice said, smiling at his answer. "But it's always easy finding faults in others' stories. But what if it happened to you?"

"What if, someone you love betrayed you, left you to die, _ only to return with an excuse, or an explanation which sounds just, would you still be willing to judge them through the same sentence you've given for my disciples. Or will your emotions cloud your judgement?" Aelthar spoke, his words sending Rio in another frenzy of illusion, one which nearly broke the facade he's been carrying through this whole trial.

Rio watched himself being back on earth. At a time where he was at his lowest. When he did feel lonely, betrayed, abandoned _ when people he trusted did push a dagger in his back.

Quite literally in the case of Nashi.

But he knew this was coming, so instead of what he saw, or felt, or believed in himself _ he still turned a blind eye and repeated the same words Leon said.

"Why should I change myself cause of what others did? Just as punishing someone innocent for someone else's crime isn't just _ the same is the case for judging my future allies based on what my past colleagues did."

"The risk of betrayal is always there, but that's love isn't it?"

"All that matters in the end is to be content with what you're doing, and what you've done. If you feel that's enough, then it should be enough." Rio said, finishing his words finally. "So god Aelthar, you can let go of any grudges, guilt, or sadness in your heart. And be content, cause you, absolutely lived one of the best lives _ ever."

"Haha ahha ahhaha," Hearing Rio's words, the god suddenly started laughing loudly, as if he heard something funny.

His laughter, making Rio confused, as he tried to recall if he overstepped his boundaries.

"I've lived my whole life bearing the weight of saving others on my shoulders, that I never knew there would come a day when my soul would get saved by someone else instead."

As the voice finished speaking, Rio found himself back in the temple where his trial first started. As if everything that happened was nothing but an illusion, and he didn't even have to move a step from his place from start to finish. As if not a second had passed since then.

But there were some changes around the temple as he looked more carefully.

Instead of the statue in the center, there now stood the ethereal figure of Aelthar. And behind him instead of a wall of glory, were steps leading up to a throne. On which was placed the gourd Aelthar always wore around his waist.

"My mistakes were to trust people blindly, to judge them the way I judge myself. Which is why I failed to see the thirst in Kaelion, or the hunger of my disciples _ my successor should never make these mistakes." Aelthar spoke, finally letting off some steam and starting his final speech.

"But he shouldn't also be stuck in his suffering and be rigid with his principles."

"You've shown me the will to sacrifice yourself for the ones you care about in one instant, but you've also shown me that you're not bound by emotions and will look past their sins in the other."

"Cherish these lessons well. And do with my legacy what I couldn't do. Bring peace."

With that said, Aelthar pointed his hand towards the throne and stepped aside. His soul smiling in relief as it finally found it's successor and let go of all the burdens and sadness in his heart.

Leaving Rio alone in the temple, with nothing but the shining throne in it.

Any normal person would've walked straight, touched the throne or picked the gourd over it, thinking the trial was over, but Rio, who knew the plot knew this was the final trick.

So he ignored the magnificent throne, and without even looking at it, stepped aside and walked behind it. Just like Aelthar did for Kaelion and planned to do with his disciples.

Someone like Aelthar who never cared about praise or positions, would never keep a throne which signifies fame and power _especially for his legacy. And pass it on to his successor.

Sitting on the throne simply meant not knowing the very thing you desired about. Which in turn opposes everything Aelthar believed in.

'Thanks Apollo, if you didn't guide Leon so well in the novel, I'd never get anything so easily.' Rio thought in his mind, and closed his eyes, waiting to get the baptism of light which carried the legacy of Aelthar, only to feel _nothing.

Same was the case for his system, who opened it's mouth to chug down the soul of Aelthar, and wait patiently, yet nothing came..

….

(This isn't right. Author said the light felt warm and bubbly, and then Leon could feel mystical fog swirling around his mana core, and wada nada. _ but … ) The emptiness of feeling nothing confused Rio and he opened his eyes again, only to see Aelthar's figure which should've disappeared the moment he spoke about letting go of regrets part, appear in the temple once more.

"Your betrayal proves the very point of my soul's lingering obsession. I cannot trust people so easily again." Aelthar spoke, his voice now sounding chilling instead of the gentle tone he had earlier. "My legacy cannot be given to you, mortal. You failed this trial."

The god was going on about some random gibberish but Rio was in no mood to listen to it. He was still too confused over what went wrong.

He did everything the same as Leon did in the novel, down to the very last word, emotions, or even the expressions he showed on his face _ yet somehow something changed.

(Is this fate?) He cursed in his mind, while thinking how to explain stuff to Aelthar.

(But even fate has limits. I just need to find the loophole.)

(The guy's a fool, I just need to butter him up with a sob story and maybe he'll even shed a tear for me. At that time, asking about his legacy shouldn't be too much.) Rio thought, already planning to act as a victim and forge a heartbreaking sad sob story for the god to listen, when something even more unexpected happened.

Once bitten twice shy.

And here, poor Aelthar was twice bitten so __ anyway dude finally pulled something beyond anything Rio could snuggle his way through.

He failed the trial and it was time to see the truth.

Enhance your reading experience by removing ads for as low as $1!