A delicious meal spread across the table before them. They ate delicious soup and roasted meat that tasted exquisite. Wine glasses clinked together as cheers rang throughout and laughter filled the air along with joyous spirits. The food was scrumptious, as expected from upper-class folks like the Calvin family, who ate fine cuisine every day, while common folk are stuck eating bread, fruits, or vegetables grown in local gardens.
As they feasted merrily, Calvin and his parents marveled at Seth's stories regarding his adventures while traveling the land with his companions. They couldn't believe how much he went through while also having compassion for everyone he encountered along the way; it seemed that the chosen one wasn't just a myth after all.
The dining room was elegantly furnished with expensive paintings and artwork hanging on every wall, each depicting scenes of beautiful landscapes or people in various positions of meditation or prayer. The floors were made of marble, and the walls were painted in warm colors, giving the room a cozy and inviting vibe.
A chandelier hung from the ceiling and provided plenty of light, allowing them to clearly see the delicious meal in front of them. The centerpiece of the table was a roast, which had been cooked to perfection and smelled delicious.
There were also bowls filled with salad, bread rolls, and roasted potatoes. Wine glasses sat beside each plate, along with silverware, napkins, and other utensils. Everyone ate heartily as they conversed in happy voices while enjoying their dinner together, as if nothing bad had happened before.
In the background, a fire crackled in a fireplace, which gave the room a nice ambiance as flames flickered and cast shadows over furniture and walls alike. The windows were covered with thick curtains, and candles glowed atop candelabras placed here and there, giving everything a soft glow that reminded them of candlelight.
"You four have been through a lot!" Thomas commented on the man's story, his face expressing curiosity in regards to the places they traveled through or visited before coming to this country: "To tell you the truth, I can't believe how the Empire wanted you dead or alive," sighing in disbelief while scratching his head in confusion.
Solomon huffed at the response, "They are nothing more than savage animals," expressing anger and distaste over their current situation, which is only getting worse by the day. "In their eyes, anyone who's not like them is either lower than them." Everyone agreed on this except the holy man, who stared at him with sad eyes.
Calvin, on the other hand, moved uncomfortably in his seat at the mention of the Empire: "I don't like how things are going here at all." The young merchant murmured out of concern, thinking about their own future: "The growing tax rates are beginning to be a problem." He glanced towards his father, who frowned.
His mother reassured them, "Our family will be fine; the tax payers don't target wealthy noble families." She smiled gently while patting his shoulder gently in an attempt to comfort him from worries. "The queen only targets poor or lower-class citizens who aren't as fortunate as us."
Hearing this greatly troubled Seth; he didn't expect such terrible news at all considering how corrupted the Empire had become. "Does the queen plan to do anything about it?" I am questioning the nobles, wanting to know their views in regards to this.
Thomas shrugged. "Bah! Why bother when we are safe in our homes? These commoners are not our problem," the response didn't sit well with everyone, especially Solomon, who had a deep grudge against anyone who supports or sides with the Empire anyway.
"Your no better than them," Solomon glared darkly at them, causing the family to become tense of the teen's hostility. "All of you eat lavish meals and drinks every day while these people are barely surviving on scraps left outside their doors," sneering in disgust.
Bruno silently nodded in understanding, knowing full well that this is the truth, as he had seen many things during his travels within the Empire itself that he couldn't bear witnessing the people being treated like trash just because they weren't wealthy.
Genno chimed in the conversation, "It's unfortunate, but none of that will matter anymore when we visit the capital," causing the entire Calvin's family to turn their eyes onto him in confusion, not understanding the reason for them to go there when they're in the middle, nowhere miles away from anything else.
"What for?" Thomas Wife asked, "Is there any reason for the group of you to go into a city full of corruption and crime?" She added on to her previous inquiry, "You four can live with us instead! We have a lot of things to spare for a group like yourselves!" Her tone was happy and cheerful when saying this, making it difficult to say no.
Her husband laughed, "My dear wife is correct! Having folks like yourselves is a treat in itself! After everything you have done, it is rude to His sentence came to an end when the holy man raised his hand, signaling everyone to stop whatever they were doing.
"Our intention is to confront the queen herself." Seth's answer silenced everyone in the room; they looked shocked by his plan of action towards their monarch. "That is the reason why I am going there," he stated plainly to them without hesitation whatsoever.
The Calvin family was beyond shocked to hear this: "Confront...the queen?" Thomas spoke slowly in disbelief, "Have you lost your mind?! That is insane to say the least!" He exclaimed while shaking his head repeatedly, "You don't know what that woman is capable of!"
"We know exactly what she's capable of; she's an evil, cruel, and selfish person who doesn't care for anyone or anything other than herself," she replied in a stern tone of voice, "but I believe my presence alone will remind her that she is not above anyone else and that her actions have consequences." Seth argued in a calm manner while leaning back on the chair with folded arms across her chest.
Cinder is misguided and lost in her wicked ways of ruling people around her, but Seth knows she is not completely evil or an incarnation of tyranny, as many might believe. No, she is still a child in the Lord's eyes who needs to be reminded of who the true king is.
He promised that he would find a way to get her back on the right path, no matter the cost. For the Son of Man is the only one in this entire will who can absolve her sins from this world. He has faith in his father's words that no child is truly evil; she is not incapable of redemption or being saved from her wickedness.
It is grace alone that gives those who don't deserve it a chance to be forgiven if they willingly accept it from the Lord. He must be the one to guide her from the darkness that has already consumed her heart; that is why he was sent to this world to begin with—to show others that grace is given to everyone equally regardless of social class or gender identity and deeds alone.
Seth took a sip from the water before holding it up, turning the contents into wine by will alone. "I will redeem her." Everyone present in this dinner room was in disbelief of this. The idea of a forgiving genocidal tyrant who caused so many murders, rapes, and tortures across the land sounded like complete madness to anyone, including Solomon.
"How can you possibly redeem such a vile creature?" Genno frowned at this. "Her crimes are unforgivable in anyone's eyes," he shook his head disapprovingly. "To show mercy to her is a crime itself against the victims whose lives were ruined because of her kingdom." His words were harsh, but it is the truth nonetheless.
"But by the grace of God, I am what I am. His grace which was given to me was not futile, but I worked more than all of them; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me."
Seth explained in understanding, "There is nothing worthless in redeeming or saving others," he added softly after drinking from the wine glass once more, "it is true that man believes karma more than grace alone, a reasonable and logical belief," setting down an empty cup, "but it does not change the fact that I was sent here not by will but by the hand of my Father, who wishes to not only desire saving everyone but also bring the teachings to his beloved children."
Solomon angrily slammed his fist onto the table. "You can't be this stupid?! Have you felt the pain we endured?! The suffering, agony, and torture I saw across villages while traveling through the land?!" His voice trembled in rage. "Your way is foolishness if you believe in such lame excuses!"
The monk agreed with the boy, "Karma is what goes around and comes back around. So it is best to remove evil than forgive it entirely," stating his thoughts regarding the matter at hand without judgment towards the holy man, "it's unfortunate, but this is how the world works, and no amount of wishful thinking will change it."
And yet, the Son of Man refused to back down: "If there were more grace, there would be less evil. If there were more grace, there would be less anger. If there were more grace, there would be less violence. And if there were more grace, there would be less suffering," he finished, earning another round of silence from everyone listening in earnest to his argument.
Calvin thought deeply about this: "Forgiving someone who never deserves it sounds like something that only a strong willed person can do; it is nearly impossible for anyone to do." He agreed with others before continuing, "If it's you who will be the one to do it, then perhaps it's worth believing after all." unsure of what to say or do anymore, "If anyone can pull something like that off, it'll definitely be you, Seth."
A smile grew on the holy man's lips, a sign that he appreciated someone agreeing with him, among others who strongly disagreed with the topic itself. Regardless, Seth felt determination to carry through his goal of rescuing her from her darkness.
Silence fell upon the room; nobody dared say anything since no one could argue against such logic as Seth's. After a few seconds of awkwardness, Thomas immediately stood up from his seat and stared directly at the young man with a serious look on his own face.
"Behold, Lord, half of my goods I give to the poor. If I have wrongfully exacted anything of anyone, I restore four times as much," the father of his wife and child was astonished by this change of behavior. "And to those who I physically and verbally abused, I shall beg forgiveness on my knees in behalf of the Lord and give them my treasures," the nobleman's voice echoed throughout the room as everyone in the room watched him with surprise.
And Seth slowly raised himself from his seat before spreading his arms wide with eyes closed, smiling happily at this proclamation: "Today, salvation has come to this house, because he is also a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost."
"H-husband?!" His wife was astonished by this sight. "What are you doing?" She can't believe the man she married was becoming a generous person, something that he never even thought of being in the first place, as Thomas took a deep breath before answering her inquiry.
"I abused my workers and shouted at you and our son. And even hit you sometimes!" He said in a sorrowful look, "I don't deserve mercy, but this man here..." pointing at Seth, who was nearly tearing up in this touching display of honesty on his part, "had showed more kindness than I have ever since from others, not even to my own family and friends who are rich."
"Thomas..." She stood up and hugged him without second thought. "I forgive you," her eyes watering lightly from the confession as if he released weight from his shoulders. "I'm so proud of you that your heart is opening up for the first time in years," she said, caressing his cheek while wiping away a single tear running down from the man's cheek.
Calvin walked over and joined in, embracing his father as well. "I forgive you to, dad." He too couldn't hold back emotions any longer after learning so much about this person he believed to be a person who only cared for himself for most of his life until today.
The holy man lowered his arms before placing his hand on his own beating heart, tearfully smiling widely at this scene in front of him that touched him so deeply within. "Love one another just as I loved you," he whispered in a soft voice while closing his eyes in bliss.
