Another: Memory of Another World

Ch. 18 Dreams and Hope.

"You want to know the secret?"

"Of course!" Percival and Hiiro shouted at the same time.

"We added some fresh herbs that live around here like celery and leeks...." Then the guard explains all types of materials used, the manufacturing process, to the presentation and so on. While Percival, Hiiro, Thalia, and Athia were listening carefully, as if attending class.

"So? How did you meet the God of Dreams?" Arthur asked Saga who was enjoying his potato soup in silence.

(Gulps.) "Hm, it started when I was sold to a merchant by my parents. As the youngest child in the family, I was considered a burden in the family that was quite reduced. At first we were a harmonious family, with all the simplicity we enjoyed. Every day we only eat flavorless potato soup and hard bread made from wheat bran. However, everything suddenly changed after father did not return from the war. ..." Saga was almost emotionless, as if she was telling about someone else. "The harsh conditions of village life made the mother eventually fall ill. The strong old man knocked on our house not long after. The two chatted at length inside the house while me and my brothers waited outside. After that, I was taken by the big man. Ah, I was 7 years old."

The classic story happens all too often in poor families, until Arthur no longer feels sympathy for those people. Saga's story that goes straight to the point without the slightest drama spice makes it even more unattractive. However, Arthur knew how much pain he had suffered when he finally found out about the truth.

"After that, they put my collar on me, bathed me, and then displayed me in the basement hall naked. It was more like a big event that happened once every year, which was attended by fat people wearing masks. Their gazes were like terrifying snakes, while their smiles were like disgusting things licking my body. Of course, there were many children of all ages and genders there."

"Short of a story, I was bought by a nice-dressed man who was a bit thin. He took me to a large mansion on the edge of the forest. Then, I received normal treatment for a slave. Well, during the day I will be fitted with a certain magic tool while at night he will do it directly. Then a month passed by, she began to lose interest in me and bring a new child. I was thrown into his basement, which was filled with blood and children who had given up on living. Every day someone will come to do whatever they want, from games, gifts, punishments, or just torture me. Then, when my last sanity began to disappear, he came. I didn't see him, but I knew he was a kid. 'Do you still want to live?' ask the boy to me. At that time I could only shake my head weakly. 'Are you willing to be my servant?' ask the boy again. I thought they wanted to play a new game. With all the trauma that had been ingrained in my physical and mental state, I could only nod slowly. Ren grinned, I didn't see his face, but I knew he was grinning. 'Then, from now on you are mine' he kind of declared that to the world. After that, this mark was engraved on my neck..." Saga paused for a moment, then added, "Ah, she also went to the other children in the room and expressed almost similar questions. Of all of them agreed without knowing that we had just made a contract with a transcendental existence."

"So, he didn't come until you were on the verge of collapse? Isn't that a little too cruel?" Arthur is not out of thought with the thought of the existence called the God of Dreams. "Wait a minute, did you just call her name?"

"Huhu? 'Now say as I say, Night Watcher' he said in a soft yet childish voice. When we said it, a fierce power suddenly flowed in the veins through this sign. We, helpless children who are one step away from death suddenly have great strength. We were very surprised, not knowing what was really going on, then we looked up. It was at that moment when I first saw her, her beautiful face like pearls and bright red eyes like the stars of the night. When he smiled, I felt that all the light in the world had disappeared from envy. 'I am your new owner, just call me Ren' that's what he said. From then on we used to call him Ren."

"Is that so? It's kind of hard to believe." Arthur made a light comment.

"No, he didn't even say his Name of Honor! Is that possible? When he met Goddess Liira, he was more towards, 'Thalia my daughter, don't you recognize me?' that kind of."

"Right, why was the first thing he said, 'Do you still want to live?' Doesn't he sound more like you know, a demon who seduces humans?" Athia added, while Samantha nodded strongly behind him.

"And at the introduction, why did he say, 'I am your new owner, my name is Ren?' not like 'i'm a god of dreams and secrecy' or something?" Percival tilted his head slightly.

"All I know is that Ren is very strong and he's the Dream World's only. He never said anything to me and just acted toxic around us. That's all."

"That doesn't help at all, Thalia, Samantha, you know something?"

"We have a lot of cases related to Night Watcher. While there are no reliable documents about the god. He had no temple, no priest to spread his teachings, and no specific event to commemorate him. It was as if the God of Dreams and Collars itself did not exist at all. We don't even know when he became a god." Thalia shook her head.

"In the underworld, a Night Watcher is often equated with the god of Death itself. No matter how big the promised reward was, no one would dare to take it if the target was confirmed as the Night Watcher. As Thalia said, there are at least 102 Night Watchers known to be alive today plus mas Saga and Antares. The number could be more than that, but it is not known for sure. Some of them have personal objectives, while the rest just live like normal humans. There is no cult activity either real or secret, nothing at all. It's like they don't know each other."

"Freak, usually the gods will try to gather as many followers as possible. But the God of Dreams and Marriages didn't do it, as if he only came when someone caught his attention. Moreover, he had even come to ordinary slaves who did not possess any strength, treasures, and power that was quite influential in the real world. It doesn't make sense." Arthur shook his head.

Everyone including the residents listening to the conversation also fell silent. They are like listening to something surreal, and difficult to understand. The words they listen to enter the left ear and exit the right ear. Then forget after a few minutes.

"Did he ever order you to do anything evil?" Steve asked Saga with a sharp look.

"It depends on each person's perspective, but in fact, he never forced anything on other than being forbidden to drink alcohol, waste time, look for the ugliness of others and small things like that."

"What about fighting the enemy and so on?"

(Connected.).

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Why is Ren considered a god? If he was a god, then his honorary name should be Eternal Darkness, End of Everything, Singularity of All