Secrets of the Villainous Empress

Chapter Eleven: Meetings Are Just Morning Assemblies

-System, are you on my side?-

{The System is always on your side}

-But the gods created you!-

 {That is the information the host has been given}

-Are you not going to say more?-

{What are the hosts three wishes?}

Three wishes? So like three rewards?

-Wait, I want to…-

{What are the hosts three wishes?}

The command prompted again.

-Hold on! First I want to know more ab…-

{What are the hosts three wishes?} {What are the hosts three wishes?} {What are the hosts three wishes?} {What are the hosts three wishes?} {What are the hosts three wishes?} {What are the hosts three wishes?} {What are the hosts three wishes?} {What are the hosts three wishes?} {What are the hosts three wishes?} {What are the hosts three wishes?} {What are the hosts three wishes?} {What are the hosts three wishes?} {What are the hosts three wishes?} {What are the hosts three wishes?} {What are the hosts three wishes?} {What are the hosts three wishes?} {What are the hosts three wishes?} {What are the hosts three wishes?}{What are the hosts three wishes?} {What are the hosts three wishes?} {What are the hosts three wishes?} {What are the hosts three wishes?} {What are the hosts three wishes?} {What are the hosts three wishes}

The command prompted repeatedly filling every inch of the space around me. The situation felt similar to when continual error messages would pop up in computers.

Is this some sort of glitch?

-Okay! Okay!-

-Firstly, I want this to be my last life and role.-

{The host has given two wishes, and both are irrelevant}

-What?-

 {The host has spoken two wishes, and both are irrelevant}

-What, what do you mean irrelevant-

{Because the basis of the curse had two involved, when one is freed, so is the other}

-Oh-

{The system also noticed the use of the conjunction 'and', indicating two wishes, the wishes need to be stated one at a time}

-s**t, so that’s how it is. I need to be careful when using conjunctions.-

Still, doesn't that mean that the gods were toying with me about offering my freedom as though it were a reward?

{I want, on one day out of the five or three days that the full moon shines, similarly to Azalea’s curse, for me to instead have full privileges over the System}

{Wish recorded: The host will gain access to the System for 6 hours every month on one day at random out all the total number of full moon days}

I see that has been made possible. I had once asked for that, but the gods had insisted that it would be abominable to have one such creature who is overpowered.

Yes, one such creature. I wonder if this ‘creature’ can rival the gods?

“I wish to have power that rivals the gods of this world.”

{The host will no longer be in this world after the role is complete}

 {The system's power cannot stretch outside the dimension}

-I know, I understand that. That wish is just my reassurance. The gods are crafty, and the laws of causality are still missing, so I do not for a second believe that they will not put up a fight after my leaving. So this is an assurance, in case the book still binds me after the role. I want power that rivals the gods so that I never have to be their errand girl again.-

 {Wish recorded: If the host is still bound to this world after her role is complete, she will receive power that rivals the gods, allowing her to ascend}

-Ascend?-

 {Ascend}

-Not the pronunciation!! I mean, what do you mean ascend-

 {Ascend: (verb) go up or climb}

-Are…are you playing dumb?-

 {What are the hosts three wishes?}

Yeesh, we are back to this?

“Fine, I wish for the system to grant me my greatest wish at the end of the role. I cannot foresee the future, but if I know one thing, it's that what we want keeps changing.” I sighed, “So for my last wish, I wish for the system to grant whatever it is that I will desire at that time.”

 {The host’s wish is not specified}

 {System detected an error; the System cannot record the wish}

“What? Please!” I pleaded to the screen before me, as I often did (in private), “I do not wish to have any regrets after enuring so much here.”

By that, I mean money. If I go back, I don’t want to work or struggle. I wasted my first two wishes on things based on this world, but that is no longer where my future is. I want enough money to travel in comfort, so much money that I can support any obnoxious business venture that I wish to pursue! I also want connections and charm! I don't want to build a business up again; I want someone to give me an already successful company…I want soo many things…including to sleep all day.

 {Error}

Shit, come on, work!! Bypass the error! I don’t want to change that wish because if I were to give it any specification, many things would be ignored. After all, it will be more than one wish.

 {Error, an unspecified wish cannot be granted by the System}

Please, for me??!

Hmm, if the system refuses, I guess I will have to wish for money-

 {The system has considered the wish}

 {The host’s third wish is revoked}

 {The system will issue the third wish at RANDOM}

-HUH?-

-Did…did it just say…RANDOM!!?!-

 “GIVE ME BACK MY WISH, YOU STUPID SYSTEM!!” I yelled just as the gods lowered their magical field.

 {Due to the host's insensitive insult to the system-}

“Wait, wait…no!! I'm sorry!” I yelled to prevent the system from finishing its prompt.

 {‘Silent treatment’ has been put into effect}

The space dinged loudly, and the rose coloured screen vanished from sight.

No…way...

-You are not serious right now…-

-System?-

-System? Mommy is sorry!-

-SYSTEEMMM!!-

My mind flashed back to the word ‘RANDOM’, and a lump filled my throat.

-What the f**k!-

Is this my fault? Was I too greedy?

No..no, no, impossible, I am a capitalist, there is no way I am greedy.

A sense of dread filled my belly at the realisation that the system was not coming back online.

No way; does this mean that I only get one viable reward…and it's at freaking RANDOM!??!

My hand flew to my chest.

“I think, I think I am going to die. I…I can't breathe.”

But come to think of it, this has never happened before. The system has never appeared in the sacred space.

“WAIT!” A masculine voice yelled in a loud and booming manner. “WE DO NOT ACCEPT YOUR WISHES!!”

“Huh?”

“Call back your system and cancel all your wishes. Let us negotiate from scratch.” A firm feminine voice spoke. “We are willing to consider things from your perspective.”

The voice felt as though it was used to being in authority, as its owner did not yell, despite attempting to command me. It behaved as though it was owed the world, and by that logic, the world and everything in it were theirs. So, when a chuckle involuntarily spilt from my lips, a tense silence filled the room.

“Pfft….” I couldn't help it, this is the first time I have the upper hand in a meeting with the gods, and they expected me to what? Behave like the 'poor little me' they want to keep me as?

The unbearable...hubris.

Even though I may have f****d up my wishes, I cannot pass this opportunity up.

“Now that you are done with your gossip session,” I smiled, “I-,”

“DO NOT! BASILICA!” A voice pleaded loudly as though it wished to drown my own, “Let us discuss the rewards calmly and reasonably, we promise that we shall-,”

“I ACCEPT THE ROLE,” as soon as I uttered the magic words, the sound of pages turning filled the space.

-Hah! Up yours!-

In a matter of mere seconds, I was back in the abandoned temple; only it was shaking furiously, threatening to collapse at any moment.

The head of the statue that I had admired earlier slipped from its position and fell by the altar violently, causing stray pieces of rock to crash against my body.

“Hah! Basilica out!” I said, then tore the other parchment and disappeared from the trembling temple and back to my room.

 *

     *

            *

The Sacred Gardens of the Gods

“This is serious,” Atropos, one of the goddesses of fate, spoke, over the sound of water falling, “if we lose Basilica, the strings we have in the world will be cut.”

Although the gods were at different places physically, they altered the distance in their dimensional plane, making it appear as though they were seated next to each other on a long white table. However, despite this, they had different backgrounds around them.

Atropos, who had white squirming snakes as hair and a blue gem hanging above her cleavage, was outdoors while her sisters, Lachesis and Clotho, were seated under a large tree behind her.

Atropos, however, was the only one in the seat at the table as their representative.

The gods spoke into devices that resembled floating gems, and each time they did, the gems would glow.

“You are the one who suggested we use her 'freedom' as bait for the role!” Elea, the goddess of compassion, dressed in white surrounded by the dull stone furnishings often in arenas, pointed accusatory to Dolos, the god of trickery, whose room was surrounded by murky smoke.

“Calm down, you are the one who went with it, oh merciful one, because you understood that if we freed Allios’s lineage, we had to free her.” Dolos chuckled, “I really did not expect that from the system. Still, what does it matter? She took the role.”

He said but, more than the frustrations the other gods felt, Dolos felt amusement. As though he was witnessing the birth of a new ascender.

“Dolos is right, nothing changes!” Themis, the god of divine law, frowned, then pounded the table so harshly that her blood-red hair swayed, “We must find a way to keep her bound to the curse, and now to also minimise her system's interference.”

“If she fails?” Dolos asked.

“She can’t fail...” Themis frowned, “This is a very influential role, if she fails this and the temple wins, then  favour falls on the temple and whichever objects of worship they choose, we could very well lose our-,”

Dolos erupted in laughter once more, then examined the rings in his hands. The lava behind Themis was beginning to sour his mood, but he had other ways to prick her mind.

“Oh, god of righteousness,” Dolos yelled, then laughed even louder.

Themis sneered at Dolo’s childishness but did not pursue him; instead, she turned to Anubis, whose nose was buried in a book.

His background, as always, was a pile of books from the ancient library.

“Anubis?”

Golden eyes that contrasted beautifully with the dark blue of his curly shoulder-length hair poked his head from the large blue book.

“Find out what deal she made with her system.”

The child c****d his head to the side, then shook it.

“Impossible, a system is private. You know this.”

Despite looking like a twelve-year-old, he was still the god of knowledge, the most passive god with the largest following, especially in the kingdom of Chrysalis situated in another continent.

“Are you saying that you will not look into it or that you cannot?”

“What difference does it make? I will not be performing the task either way. Are you looking for a way to harm your own pride?”

Themis’s expression was cool and controlled, but the volcano behind her trembled.

“Chirasu?” Themis turned to the shinobi dressed in a long silk red dress that hugged her curves.

She had long black hair and a red pipe in her mouth. The woman inhaled noisily then exhaled the smoke from her mouth.

“I see. I will look into it. However, you should find a way for that girl to lose her abilities. Not all of them, just those that allow her to talk down to us.”

“I agree,” Atropos said, then stood. “I have work to do.”

“How is the repair of the law coming about?” Themis asked Atropos.

“It is as Anubis said, there is no regression. Therefore we are still forced to operate in this chaos, and with Basilica as our only ray. However, Clotho is developing a new theory. I shall share when more data has been collected.”

“Understood.”

As everyone dispersed the table, Dolos was left by himself, but even then, the smile he wore had not faded.

“Kekekeke…truly amusing.” Dolos whispered into the smoke, “Now then Mikael...what is your next move?”