Page 2447

~~((The July 4th Special -- page 12 of 12))~~
'Pretty much, yeah,' said Chergoa.

'But what if Gohvis doesn't even get involved in the war?'

The reaper allowed a beat to pass. 'Well. Yeah. I mean, that would be a bit of a problem for us.'

Emiliana was somehow not surprised by that response.

'But on the bright side,' the reaper went on, 'that would probably be even better for our allies, since it would mean that the Monster of the East isn't one of their opponents.'

Well, that was true, Emiliana supposed. Above all, that was the thing the she wanted to avoid most: her father trying to confront Gohvis. After all that he had been through? She couldn't imagine that would result in anything good.

Truthfully, though, a part of her felt as if that meeting was inevitable. She doubted her father would ever give up looking for her. And he was immortal. It might take him many years to find her all the way out here on the dead continent of Exoltha, but she had a terrifying degree of confidence that he would do it eventually.

And when that day came, she wondered if there would be anything she could do save her father's life. Perhaps, she thought, Gohvis might spare him in order to avoid making her hate him. Was that possible?

It was hard to tell anything when it came to what Gohvis was thinking. And it seemed the peak of hubris to assume that he would place that much value upon her feelings.

Unless she tried to win his affection before then.

Which was a similarly terrifying notion. Gohvis did seem to have a certain sense of humanity behind that colossally intimidating exterior, but she was still far from convinced that he wasn't still just as monstrous deep down as his reputation implied. Sure, he was more academically minded than she might have expected, having taken up the charge as the Keeper of the Library, but that didn't mean he was genuinely benevolent.