The room fell silent for a long time. It did not seem like the Kingmaker was interested in talking to me again. I fidgeted a little in my seat as I looked at him and wondered if I was right about him and his cohorts harming the High Priest.
From what I had come to understand about the Kingmaker, he was not someone who would do the dirty work himself. He preferred to be in the background and manipulate others into doing his bidding.
Yet, I had heard a lot about the rejection of the High Priest's ways by the Kingmaker and the Order of the Paragons. It would not be farfetched to assume that one of the so-called paragons would be willing to take the step.
The paragons had a lot of power, and some had direct access to the High Priest. It would not take a lot of effort to find an opportunity to do something to the High Priest in secret and plot for his death.
The Kingmaker would probably not be opposed to the plan. As he said, he was willing to do whatever it took in order to bring the world to the place he believed the creator wanted. Perhaps, he was not directly involved, but he was probably an accomplice.
But again, it was possible that the High Priest had just fallen gravely ill due to natural causes. My paranoid mind was probably projecting my thoughts because I wanted the plot to be more exciting than it really was.
With that, I decided to stop making up scenarios of a secret assassination plot against the High Priest. However, my brain, which is prone to hyperactivity, could not be truly quieted, and I could not control my mouth after a long silence.
The hyperactive and impulsive have always been strong in me.
"Are you trying to determine the predictability of your plans by testing me?" I asked the Kingmaker when I thought about what I had been going through since I met him. He had questioned me endlessly, forcing me to answer questions he knew answers to.
It seemed like I was running simulations for him, trying to map out his course of action, even though he already had plans in motion.
"What do you mean?" The Kingmaker asked.
I fidget in my seat as I look at him, looking unbothered by my obviously inappropriate question. His eyes look hidden behind those thick glasses.
"I am not one to overestimate my value or intelligence, but I think there is a reason you are keeping me here. I thought you wanted to have a villain moment where you tell someone exactly how you plan to mould the so-called perfect world." I explained.
"However, I keep forgetting you are not a villain exactly, but a soldier who thinks they are doing the right thing. Moreover, you are not foolish because you have avoided the most common pitfalls of every villain."
The Kingmaker looks mildly intrigued. "And what would those be?"
"The seven deadly sins. Every single villain falls because of one of these sins. The most obvious pitfall is, naturally, pride. Most villains are too confident in their abilities and always end up overestimating themselves."
"Naturally, I would think that this would be the sin of a man who wants to shape the world in their ideology. However, I realise that you show incredible control and commit none of the sins, always acting in moderation."
A lot of times, I speak as I think, but it often helps me to come up with new ideas.
"The absence of these sins means that you would not be opposed to doing whatever it takes to fulfil your mission, even consulting a petty nobody like me. It is truly rare to see someone who embodies the virtues they believe in, even though I still disagree with the goals."
The Kingmaker seems to freeze a little, but it could have been a trick of my eye.
"What exactly do you think I want from you?"
I look at him directly, ignoring my discomfort at his eerie gaze.
"I think you want to know to what extent your mission could be compromised. Your confidence in winning the war is based on the fact that nobody could ever predict that there is a person or people who are trying to reshape the world into a version based on old world religious values. It is implausible in this modern world since we are focused on money and politics."
"However, there is always a risk that someone could stumble upon the truth. You acted like you wanted to give me the answers I always wanted at first. Instead, you have made me reason and provide you with the answers I believe to be true."
I narrow my eyes slightly. "There is no guarantee that I answered the questions correctly. However, you want to have a baseline of what someone like me, or perhaps a smarter and madder person, might theorise if they were to stumble upon information about your plans."
The Kingmaker laughs lightly.
It is unnerving.
"I can indeed not tell you what you have gotten right so far, but on this, you are correct. The chances of anyone believing the ramblings of a conspiracy theorist are low, but there is always a small chance. I do not take chances." He explained.
I fall silent because I know he is right. However, something occurs to me in the silence, now that I know that I was just a pawn in a complicated game. I could have been wrong about the High Priest.
"It occurs to me that there is another theory about the High Priest. Priests have been forgotten for a long time, and religion is no longer as esteemed as it was in the days you want to bring back. In addition, the High Priest is no longer as valued as they used to be."
"There is a chance that the people who want to see the prosperity of a religious world are using his illness to bring more attention to the old ways. It is the perfect publicity for a religion that has been forgotten."
"Whether there was foul play or not, the attention will be drawn to the direction you need it. Nothing makes people remember the good old times more than a tragedy. And nostalgia is a powerful tool for bringing people back home. Am I right?" I said with challenge in my eyes.
The Kingmaker looks surprised. "I thought you would be averse to sharing your thoughts after understanding my plans."
I shrugged without a care. "No one believes the ramblings of a mad person. It does not matter if I tell you or the world my thoughts."