The idea was grand, but reality was harsh. Leaving aside the question of how accurate Aiwass's claims were, the fact remained that Roy currently had no way to utilize this 'throne.'
For Roy at this stage, the 'ship's' ability to traverse worlds was far more useful than the 'throne's' power to manipulate universes.
The current Roy was like a growing child, and this 'throne' was akin to a nuclear weapon. A child could never comprehend the workings of a 'nuclear weapon,' and letting one control it would be incredibly dangerous.
Who knew if this 'nuclear weapon' could be launched with just the press of a button? If he wanted to avoid doing something he'd regret, Roy figured it was best to suppress any greed. There was no need to take reckless shortcuts when he could progress steadily—especially when those shortcuts were shrouded in mist, with no telling what monsters lurked beyond. That was far too perilous.
Seeing that Roy could restrain his curiosity even after learning the true power of this 'ship,' Aiwass nodded subtly in approval.
This was the mindset of a true strong individual—relying on oneself rather than others. Roy wasn't yet at the point of desperation where he needed this thing's overwhelming power to survive, so it was best not to recklessly engage with such a terrifying object.
If Roy ever did find himself in dire straits, Aiwass would undoubtedly advise him to study this 'throne' thoroughly and seek a way to preserve his life. At that point, with no other options left, it would be his only lifeline.
Setting aside thoughts of the 'throne,' Roy turned to Athena and asked with concern, "...Are you feeling any discomfort, Athena?"
Aiwass had crossed worlds by attaching herself to Roy as a 'spirit,' and since she hadn't been acknowledged by this 'throne' to wield one of its layers, her condition wasn't a reliable reference. Athena was the one Roy was more concerned about.
The Goddess of Wisdom stood in the void, pausing briefly before slowly shaking her head. "...I feel perfectly fine now. It's quite marvelous—standing here, I can almost perceive countless versions of myself across worlds, even forming 'bonds' with them."
"Countless versions of oneself? Countless Athenas who refused to submit?"
Roy's heart stirred, and he quickly voiced his question.
If Athena was sensing countless versions of herself who refused to submit, it meant that interference between parallel worlds was possible in this place as well.
Athena's expression turned peculiar. Her night-colored eyes glanced at Roy, flickering with both excitement and a thirst for knowledge and wisdom. She first nodded, then shook her head, saying, "...This one can sense many Athenas who refused to submit, but also entities named 'Athena' from other worlds."
"Not just parallel worlds?"
Roy frowned, pondering the implications.
At that moment, Aiwass suddenly spoke up, "...It's the 'Convergence of Existence'!"
As the term imprinted itself in the minds of Roy and Athena, both equally brilliant and symbolic of wisdom, they fell into deep thought.
The angel who imparted knowledge gradually raised her voice, her excitement unprecedented. After discovering that the so-called 'ship' also functioned as a 'throne,' an even broader world unfolded before Aiwass—one she could never have touched in the world of Toaru.
No wonder the Magic Gods sought to break through the World's Veil and cross the Sea of Worlds to reach different worlds. This was truly exhilarating. Unknown mysteries unfurled like scrolls before her eyes, countless incomprehensible things appearing one after another. What fortune, what joy! And she, a spiritual angel of higher dimensions, had been granted this chance to encounter the unknown.
Having sensed the resonance of the Book of the Law and detected the presence of the great demon Coronzon, Aiwass had appeared in London within the Toaru universe. There, she unexpectedly discovered the existence of Roy Crowley. Intrigued by his connection to her Book of the Law, Aiwass, as an 'Observer,' chose to attach herself to Roy, eager to witness what future awaited the father and son named Crowley.
That damned, lowly, utterly worthless great demon Coronzon—you lingered by his side for so many years, only to scheme against Aleister Crowley, yet you missed the most precious treasure in existence. What a fool, to share the same rank as me. It's downright embarrassing.
With human-like thoughts now, Aiwass mused maliciously, even gloating a little. Thankfully, when Roy was killed by Aleister, she had pulled some strings to save him. Only then did she witness such grand and unknown mysteries. Truly, it was her wisest decision.
Though her mind wandered through the past, Aiwass continued explaining to Roy and Athena, "...Parallel worlds exist. The Athenas you sensed, who refused to submit, are parallel versions of yourself—this is the convergence of time and space."
"...And since you, Athena, now know there are worlds beyond this one, it's highly likely that in other worlds, myths of the Greek goddess Athena also exist—perhaps even goddesses named 'Athena.' This is the convergence of existence."
Roy's heart stirred, and he blurted out, "...Athena, since you can now sense the existence of your counterparts from other dimensions, and Aiwass mentioned 'convergence,' can you manipulate those counterparts?"
Athena's expression grew increasingly peculiar as she murmured, "...This one can easily achieve the convergence of parallel versions of myself, bringing them all under my control, making me the 'only one.' As for other beings named 'Athena' across different worlds, it would be far more difficult—though not impossible—just challenging."
Hearing Athena's words, Roy and Aiwass exchanged glances, both understanding the implications.
This 'Throne,' this 'ship,' this 'Ark'—it was far more terrifying and powerful than Roy and Aiwass had imagined. It possessed the ability to converge counterparts from other worlds. In other words, if Athena one day succeeded in converging all versions of herself across the multiverse, she would become the sole Goddess Athena in existence.
Why did it have this function? Why emphasize 'uniqueness'? There were too many incomprehensible mysteries behind it.
Seeing Roy lost in thought, Aiwass felt a flicker of satisfaction. The Roy of the past would never have been able to extrapolate so much from just a few words. Now, however, his wisdom and knowledge had grown enough to piece together deeper insights from her and Athena's brief exchange.
Still, Aiwass cautioned him, "...Roy, do not dwell too deeply on this. The gap between you and the one who created this 'ship'—whether in knowledge or power—is far too vast. Do not attempt to speculate on the will and thoughts of such a supreme being. That would be what Buddhism calls the 'obstacle of perception,' leading only to madness."
Her words snapped Roy out of his contemplation. He took a deep breath and smiled at Aiwass. "...I understand, Aiwass. You're right. No matter how much I think, my reasoning is limited by my own perspective. There's no way I could arrive at the correct answer. Whatever this thing is, whatever power it holds—it's not something I should dwell on now."
"...For now, it serves me, and that's enough! Let's return to my world first. After some rest, we'll head to the new world. The Curse of Human Order must be resolved as soon as possible—we can't afford to delay!"
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