Shade did not hide his thoughts. He asked his question, and the god finally looked at him:
"Why tell him? He never asked. The bargain he made was simply that, years later, after Sarah Miles closed her eyes, he would smile and welcome her, take Sarah Miles's hand, and walk into death with her. That is romantic in mortal stories, is it not?"
Meeting the god's gaze, Shade endured for less than three seconds before feeling intense discomfort, but he still forced himself to bear it.
The god had done nothing wrong. He had given the knight a chance to achieve a miracle, allowing him not only to become a hero who saved everything, but even granting him the chance to see his lover again once his duty was over.
Seen that way, it explained why Mrs. Miles and the Witch Emperor had never been able to discover the knight's whereabouts, and why not even relics could summon his soul. The effects brought by the rift in the demon-summoning flames, opened by the Witches' battle all those years ago, were likely even more serious than Shade had just imagined.
The god of wealth and trade seemed merely to have appeared in the most suitable place at the most suitable time, making a bargain with a dying soul. He could even be judged as compassionate toward mortals. But there was no point discussing such things now. The past could not be changed; the present was what mattered most.
"God, since You have now appeared, where is That Gentleman's soul?"
"The bargain has not ended. His responsibility can only be fulfilled after Sarah Miles dies. For now, he remains in the fire."
The god raised His right hand. The sleeve of His robe slid down, leaving a rift as tall as a