Robert's house was a modest affair, located just outside of the crowded market. It was a simple, single-story building with a small garden and a rusty gate. The front door was painted a bright, cheerful yellow, and there was a warm, welcoming vibe that seemed to emanate from within.
As they entered his home, the group was greeted by a cozy, comforting atmosphere. The floors were made of polished sand, and the walls were lined with colorful paintings and tapestries. There was a fire crackling merrily in the fireplace, providing the already hot room with a pleasant warmth.
Leading the group to the dining room, where a sumptuous feast awaited them as the table was laden with roasted meat, freshly baked bread, and delicate, sweet pastries. As they sat down to eat, Robert poured them all a glass of wine.
"Enjoy, my friends," he said. "For today, you all earned a good rest," the owner of his home announced in a cheerful tone as he raised his glass in a toast to them. Saomi did the same, returning the favor, while Schrodinger and Janus just awkwardly sat in their seats without saying a word.
Little disappointment that the only person who enjoyed his company was a single person. "Come now, don't you two have any manners? We should celebrate!" Robert cheerfully remarked towards the pair while both of them silently replied to their own thoughts about this situation.
Janus saw this as nothing more than a waste of time. He doesn't need to eat or rest, probably the latter, as he does sometimes get a headache if the situation annoys him greatly. But he still sees this as nothing more than a distraction from what they must do.
On the other hand, Schrodinger was delighted to finally eat something for once. The nearly lack of hunger of having to walk through long distances was torturous, and the sight of fresh food before him made the feline lick his lips. Although he must admit that there is really no point in wasting their own time making friends with unimportant strangers,.
"I apologize if I sound rude, but I don't see any point in being friends," Janus uttered in response to Robert's attempts at befriending them. "We have already talked about this," focusing on the other direction while Schrodinger kept eating. He then spoke again, "We simply cannot afford any distractions at this critical time."
Knowingly accepting it as true, Robert nodded his head. "Ah, that's shame." A sigh of disappointment escaped from his mouth as he slumped a little. "I must confess that trying to step foot in the airship without authorization from the council or their captain is rather a very dangerous proposition," adding another remark, "you and your companions here are certainly unaware of what you're getting yourselves into."
Saomi and Schrodinger looked confused by what he meant, not knowing what he was referring to. However, Janus understood what he was talking about since they had already spoken about saving their allies from danger.
"Excuse me, sir," she then interrupted the conversation to ask him about the possible problem they could face, "but what do you mean by that?" Saomi understood why they came to this city in the first place, but she and the cat lacked further details of the reason why.
Frowning, Robert scratched the back of his own head, trying his best to recall the important details: "In order to get into that airship, the three of you must have authorization from the captain or the council of this city," repeating his own words, "you can't just walk in and demand they let you board."
But Janus already had an idea, and it was something that this generous man continued to beg to differ: "I can force my way in," reminding him of his powers and abilities that he could use against them if needed; "after all, they are powerless compared to my strength," pridefully proclaiming if it wasn't much of a big deal.
"We have already talked about this!" Robert slammed his fists onto the table, catching Saomi and Schrodinger off guard from the sudden action. "You are risking the reputation of tourists and merchants that live and travel through this city!" He gave an angry look towards Janus, who still appeared unfazed by his emotional outburst.
It's true what the man said, but still, it's all about himself and getting the job done. "Then what do you want me to do about it?" He inquired, not caring in the slightest of what might happen—that he may ruin other people's lives if he chose this option.
Calming down, the owner of this humble abode took a deep breath before responding with his own inquiry, "The alternative is taking carriage to the outskirts of the city without getting any legal trouble," hoping to convince him otherwise that would allow them to continue with their plans without interference from the authorities.
Schrodinger quickly spoke on his companion's behalf, "I almost forgot about something," bringing everyone's attention before continuing, "Baharnans have immense respect for my kind; some worship us as living gods," causing the three to slowly comprehend his idea, "Why not let me talk to them?" This immediately made all of them realize the easy solution to this problem.
Feeling stupid, Robert nodded his head once again, calmed and content with what he heard: "That's actually a great idea!" Exclaiming with relief while scratching the back of his head, he chuckled in disbelief, "All of us wouldn't be sitting here having a discussion if it weren't for your furry friend here!" He laughed at his own embarrassment.
Saomi smiled a little, not wanting to say anything except that this is good enough to convince Janus of what is best to do and not raise any unnecessary tension that could ruin their chances of leaving the city in peace without causing any problems to themselves or other innocent people.
"Seems like we have a better alternative," Vesta sighed with relief in her voice. "Don't you think, Janus?" She questioned him with a hint of patience, but also wanted him to respond with a clear and concise answer, as they had no time for any unneeded conflict or misunderstanding.
Janus responded in his usual calm, monotone voice, "I guess so," shrugging his shoulders without the care of the world, "as long as it gets the job done, I'm fine with that," closing his eyes while leaning back on his chair with his spear placed beside the seat.
"Did you say something?" Robert asked in a friendly tone of voice, "I didn't quite catch what you said; can you repeat it louder and clearer?" He asked for confirmation, as he wasn't really paying attention to the young man's comments about the choice of action they would soon undertake.
Chuckling softly, Schrodinger and his stupendous grin then said, "Oh, don't mind him," smiling cockily from ear to ear, "his talking with the voices of imaginary people in his head," snickering with a snide and sly tone of voice, causing the others to be shocked.
"Imaginary friends?" She questioned with concern in her voice, "Are you...alright?" Saomi looked at the man he had befriended ever since they fought side by side in the cave filled with those deranged cultists, expressing worry about what sort of things Janus must have endured after coming to this realm.
Robert became horrified, a little weirded out, and also worried about his well-being. "Do you get this a lot?" Asked in sincere concern of him, trying his best to be polite as possible, "I am not an expert of these things, but it could be a severe issue if not treated," suggesting Janus seek professional help, having nearly forgotten of the fact that this is a god they are dealing with.
His cheeks became red once more. "I'm not crazy," he answered in matter of fact, "have any of you remembered that I'm not human to begin with?" This immediately made the pair understand their own mistake, feeling embarrassed by the fact that they had completely overlooked this obvious answer.
Having enough of this, Janus then stood up, turned around, and picked up Genitalis before saying, "I'll be outside if you need me." He began walking towards the door to the exit until he felt a hand over his left shoulder and asked, "What?"
"You don't have to always be alone, you know?" Saomi kindly, yet sternly replied in disapproval of the other's insistence on having to deal with their own problems, "Let's talk about this," she offered out of the pure sympathy she holds towards this person, who, in all honesty, is both mysterious and confusing at the same time.
"Tsk," he clicked his tongue in annoyance. "I don't need anyone." As he said this, Janus immediately vanished, leaving everyone in silence as Schrodinger also shared the same expression of concern. After a few seconds of awkward quietness, Saomi angrily turned to face the white feline.
"How could you?!" She crossed her arms together in disgust, saying, "Bringing people's insecurities like that is uncalled for and inappropriate! You have no shame, do you?" Unable to contain her boiling temper, she tried her hardest not to explode at the white cat, despite the urge to do so.
Schrodinger also felt the same, having thought that it was a joke or fun activity, but it turns out the jokester had gotten ahead of himself to realize what he said could offend and hurt someone's feelings. For all his manners, he is not a heartless monster at all, or so he believed.
He didn't realize the consequences of his own words, or rather, actions, and what effect they had on himself. Having taken it too far, Schrodinger knew what he had done was wrong, and he did admit it openly to prevent further embarrassment.
"Yeah..." The cat responded in a remorseful and regrettable voice, "You're right, I messed up here," accepting her criticism without arguing back in a foolish attempt to defend himself. Even the thought of apologizing again is becoming tedious, but he didn't want to let his own mistake linger.
Shaking her head, she angrily said, "Don't apologize to me; it is your friend who you should be asking for forgiveness instead!" She raised her finger and pointed at the feline, whose ears drooped, scolding the cat as if he were a troublesome child.
At one point in his life, Schrodinger didn't care about the things he said. But now he can't help but feel genuinely considerate of people's feelings other than his own. Especially those he considered to be friends with.
Actually, is Janus his friend? He doesn't even know for sure. Yet, it is unclear if God also feels the same. It's uncertain where their relationship is headed or if the god even thinks the cat is worthy enough to be in the same room as him.
Then again, what he did was perhaps a mistake and was overly illogical in his own mind. At the same time, Schrodinger can't help but feel somewhat remorseful and ashamed of himself. As the cat realized his beginning to go further down in the rabbit hole,.
"I'm going to see him," she said coldly, turning around to where the door was located. "Reflect on your actions, Schrodinger, because every action have consequences." With her final statement, the cat then saw the girl walk out of the area, leaving him in the company of the human as another awkward silence followed.
Robert wasn't sure what to say other than having witnessed this dramatic scene that played before him. Although he himself isn't sure what to make of all of this, considering the only reason he brought them was out of his own curiosity about seeing a living god in the flesh,.
However, it didn't stop him from continuing a conversion with one of the god's supposed allies. "So..." desperately trying to break the ice, he didn't want to make things much worse for the both of them. "How do you guys met?" Saying with forced a smile while he sat still on the chair like frozen statue.
