Cauron's face drained of color, a beat of absolute shock radiating from his whole body at that moment.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Mr. L's expression tense while the strange machine that he had buckled to his wrist was clicking fast.
Taking a breath, the deity spoke in a resolute tone, showing not a single sign of anger.
"『No.』"
Leonardo's expression fell, his face falling even deeper than it already was, and a frown came across his lips.
"If I may be so bold as to ask, what is your reasoning for denying this? You are a god, and therefore, you have information that we mere mortals do not about the Ghostships. You would be a prime—"
He was cut off by the black-haired being.
"『Do not test your luck, Leonardo. As the so-called 'King' of Dreams, you know there is a line I mustn't cross. Revealing the secrets behind the properties of other deities or even crafting something similar would far surpass that border.』"
Beside him, Cauron's lips trembled, the words of his patron disappointing him immensely.
He is opposed to the curiosity of man!?
Attempting to speak up, he was quickly silenced by both the Sea King and the deity, the crimson-haired man's mouth moving first.
"I understand your position…"
His sentence ran off.
"However, you have no right to deny this child's ability to declare it himself."
A smile came across Lord Drynch's face, warming the room considerably in an act of kindness.
H-he's standing up for me?
Looking over towards Mr. L, he watched as the god's mouth opened, then closed again as if he was deep in thought.
"『He will only have that right when he comes of age.』"
There was a silence that came over the room for a moment as the words processed in the orange-haired boy's mind.
H-he's agreeing with a mortal?
In the many years he had known the deity before him, he had never witnessed him give in to the wishes of another, especially that of a human.
Leonardo seemed to think on the words for a moment, a slow sigh escaping his lips as he stood up.
"Then it is settled."
He bowed respectfully towards the gray-eyed god before him, then turned to Cauron.
"I will see you in eight years, my boy. I expect you to have the ability to defend yourself by then as well, so practice in the combat chambers."
Walking by and rummaging his hand through the boy's orange hair, the Sea King quietly exited the room, leaving the boy and the deity alone.
Neither of the two spoke for a moment, the remnants of the conversation still lingering between them.
"I'll return to my studies then…"
Standing up slowly, he was stopped by a hand wrapping around his arm, his gaze instantly warping to meet the fragment's eyes.
"『Do not forget the rules of this world, Cauron.』"
His tone was unusually serious, a certain weight behind each word making the boy shiver down his spine.
"『There is nothing less trustworthy than a mortal's greed.』"
And with that, his form faded into nothingness, leaving the child alone in the chamber, a cool wind echoing throughout.
…
December 1st, 2999.
Cauron stood on the docks facing the vast ocean ahead, a small ship he had purchased from a local shipwright floating gently in the waves.
Behind him, Mr. L sat relaxed on a crate of fish, his arms crossed and the ring of stardust above his head twinkling an unusual blue.
"I'll be departing now."
The now 18-year-old Cauron Thorn wore a white-collared shirt, his pair of glasses finely refined from silver, now resting on the bridge of his nose.
"『Hmm…』"
The deity hardly responded, simply enjoying the view of the sea as he watched the ship bob up and down.
The orange-haired man's head tilted slightly to the side to find the gray eyes of his patron.
"I must thank you for giving me a chance, my Lord."
In his age, he had learned to treat a true god with more respect than in his youth, the title of lord now one he used often.
"『Spare me the semantics.』"
He raised his hand upward, the rough winds ceasing immediately, and the tides greatly reducing their speed.
Slowly, he rose from his perch, his body floating gently through the air towards where Cauron stood patiently.
"『Before you depart, there are two gifts I must impart upon you.』"
The young man frowned, a look of confusion spreading across his face.
"『First, I shall grant you an emblem of your choosing. You have read through the textbooks I provided to you, so you should be able to make a wise choice.』"
Holding his palm outward towards the boy, it glowed a radiant white, a flickering promise that a single touch onto any part of his body would instantly summon one of the rarest marks in the universe.
The boy thought for a moment before nodding his head and responding aloud.
"The Emblem of Sphinx."
Mr. L's expression immediately froze, his brow furrowing downward as he questioned the boy's choice openly.
"『The negatives outweigh the positives by an incredible margin…』"
Even with all the knowledge of the universe, the God of Knowledge and Wisdom couldn't understand why he would choose such an emblem when far greater ones still existed.
The Emblem of Sphinx would allow him a perfect memory and unstoppable deductive ability; however, that is at the cost of his freedom.
If he could not deduct even a single piece of useful knowledge about every person he would ever meet, he would suffer extreme agony until his death.
Fortunately, the emblem was great for finding information to satisfy the urge, with its main ability being to see through a person's life and understand something about them.
"『Why should I grant you a blessing that will ultimately lead you to death?』"
There was an unusual amount of care behind his words, something that Cauron noted within his mind.
"You should know this more than anyone. That urge for information."
He paused, looking at an intricate marking below the deity's neck.
"The Emblem of Sphinx is simply a far lower-level mark than that of your own Insignia of Knowledge that harnesses your Divine Authority, and grants you the ability of omniscience. Albeit, currently it is tainted by the Gates of Heaven…"
Strengthening his resolve, he straightened his posture, making direct eye contact with his patron.
"Imbue the emblem."
Mr. L hesitated, his arm stagnant for a moment, but soon moving ever so slightly.
Is he truly worried about my health? I've never seen him act like this before…
After a moment, the wind resumed, and the waves took hold once again, the god's palm touching against Cauron's back.
Without delay, a searing pain overwhelmed the boy, forcing him to grimace, yet only a second later, his vision swarmed with information.
Feeling the knowledge of the emblem and how to use it seep into his essence, he immediately concluded.
Does it allow me to read emotions and the surface layer of thoughts?
Moving his eyes upward and towards the God of Knowledge, he instantly felt a wave of sadness wash over him, the truest of feelings of the man on full display.
H-he's sad?
Not quite understanding how the rigid, cold, and completely emotionless deity could ever feel such an emotion, he took a step back.
"『Do not gaze at a deity with such prying eyes. If I weren't such a kind soul, you wouldn't even be in pieces on the ground.』"
Cauron nodded slowly, the emblem on his back deactivating to only a passive state, allowing him to gaze at anything he wished and only gain minor facts about them.
"What is my second gift?"
Remembering the earlier comment, he waited for the god's response that came soon after.
"『This.』"
Before the orange-haired man could react, Mr. L's hand rested on top of his head, a gentle pat resounding through his very soul.
"『Goodbye Cauron.』"
The black-haired deity smiled as he stared down at the boy he once took in from the cold gates of Nautilus.
Back then, he had ended the life of the boy's former foster mother without much thought, a fact he had regretted for years.
If he had simply spoken to her, perhaps the human nature that had been refined into her soul could've been unraveled.
Yet now, as he stood a mere step away from the boy and watched him board his ship, he could only beam with pride.
"『Perhaps human nature isn't set for destruction as I had thought.』"
Slowly, the vessel pulled away from the dock, the warm waves of the Sea of Mystery carrying it out into the sea.
He watched as the boy he had raised waved back at him, a smile lingering on his chiselled face.
"『When he returns, I'll make sure to apologize for my past remarks. Maybe I'll even tell him my name.』"
In the distance, as the evening sun took hold of the sky and turned it a bright orange, the world took note of the date that the future King of Mysteries set sail to the high seas.