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But it was getting him thinking, nonetheless. About what had truly created this gulf in the first place.

It wasn’t just one thing, obviously. There were multiple causes. Clearly, the kid had a talent for both fighting and meditation. And he was definitely smarter than he ever seemed to give himself credit for. And meeting two “gods” had played a role. Three, if we were counting Caster, now. Good fortune was certainly part of it.

But there was something else, wasn’t there? Something key.

That secret ingredient.

The boy had guts like Roman had never seen.

That had to be the so-called Supreme Will that he’d been hearing about, right? Was that some superhuman quality, too?

Because it didn’t necessarily seem like it. From what he’d heard--mostly thanks to Voreese’s endless chattering with other reapers--Supreme Will was something that anyone could achieve. Even non-servants.

That didn’t sound very superhuman, now did it?

Moreover, it seemed to him that... perhaps Supreme Will was the most important factor. Perhaps it was the thing that led into much of the rest.

Perhaps it was what was creating all of these abnormal conditions and opportunities for Hector to grow. To achieve emergence. To shit talk a god and receive a blessing. To exert his influence over the world around him.

But even if that wasn’t the ultimate cause, then it was still, without a doubt, a major factor in how he managed to capitalize on all those opportunities. It had to be.

And it seemed to Roman that this was yet another example. That freaky little demonspawn or whatever it was--that thing had simply submitted to Hector’s will, had it not? Without even a fight.

Yeah.

The more he thought about it, the more convinced he was becoming. The power of Supreme Will. If it was truly something that anyone could acquire, then he needed to do so. And sooner rather than later.

Was there some secret to it? Or might it actually be as simple as it sounded? A strengthening of mental fortitude? An adjustment of one’s worldview? And of one’s self?

An unbreakable determination.

That was what it sounded like. Hell, that was what it looked like, too. But was there more? Some kind of hidden aspect?

He’d heard about the Hun’Sho Seyos. The man had apparently been trying to achieve Supreme Will, too. And he’d been thousands of years old, to boot.

Didn't bode well. If the guy couldn’t pull it off after all that time, then what the fuck did that mean for Roman? Suddenly, it wasn’t sounding like it was achievable by everyone, after all. What was the truth?