This meeting must be very important. He is also not meeting with a friend. They are not buddies and there is no reason for the first sage to like him. Anything he says can and may be used against him. It is best if he observes instead of participating in whatever this is. Those that listen and observe see more than those who talk. It will prevent him from falling into a trap.
"So you have decided to keep quiet. That is smart. To prove that I mean you no harm I'll tell you how I found out about your secrets. Your soul is powerful, very powerful. Anyone that can't see how powerful your soul is is simply blind. I am not blind. As such, I can tell that you're a king of law even though you haven't left your forge since you broke through."
"You will like to believe that no one will find out if they don't see you or if you don't interact with them but you're basing that premise on others being blind. Not everyone needs to meet you to know about you. Look at you for that matter. You don't need to meet people to know how they happened to come and visit you and what their purpose is. It is all because of your eyes. Do you think you're the only one that can see?"
Soverick felt embarrassed. He honestly felt himself to be unique and special but today's events have led him to know that it might not be so. What he thought was an ordinary meeting to convince him to attend a competition turned into fulfilling an appointment that he made in the future for a meeting in the past with a world god.
He made this appointment the moment he decided to write 6 notes to give to the 5 people that came to see him. Salvini gave him 6 notes in return and now he is here. One thing led to another. So he should not become too prideful or he will be burned.
The first sage continued. "It is not exactly your fault. That's the thing about people with ocular abilities. They always believe that they are the only ones that can see. They think others are blind. But that isn't true. Your sight only makes you see better than some since you can't see everything there is to see. Only a perfect eye can do that and you don't have that. In fact, a perfect eye doesn't exist."
Soverick considered the first sage's words and found them to be humbling. He doesn't have a perfect eye. He knew that but he never considered the ramifications. He has done some pretty remarkable things with his eyes but he didn't break any rules of the universe by doing them. That means his eyesight is not behind the limits of what's possible. It is dawning on him that his eye might not be unique. The void universe is a very large place after all.
"I appreciate the advice. It was 'eye-opening.' But I am sure you have better things to do than to orchestrate a meeting just to advise me. I don't think I am that worthy." He said to the eye.
The advice is good. It enlightened him but it also made him wary. They haven't even gotten to the purpose of the meeting and he is already spooked. He would very much like for this meeting to be over. So he wants them to get to the agenda of this meeting quickly. If it is bad, then he wants to rip off the metaphorical band-aid and get the painful experience over with.
The eye said to him, "I wanted to encourage you to attend the competition in case the daughter of my lineage failed at doing it but that isn't needed apparently. What convinced you to go? Was it the reward?"
Soverick began to feel regret that he decided to go. It was not a soft and shallow type of regret. He felt a deep and uneasy regret for making that decision. If he knew the matter is of such importance he would have refused to participate no matter what. He wouldn't have allowed himself to be tempted by the opportunity to make a request from a world god.
Apparently, he has been played again. Those 5 guests of his were not the true ones to convince him. They were just the bait, the smokescreen to obscure his vision and drag him here. He took the bait far too seriously and wasn't wary about the pitfalls that might be present in the odd sheets of paper. He can't really blame himself too much on that side. After all, who knows that they should be careful of sheets of paper? He certainly didn't know. Now he knows. Truly, experience is the best teacher.
He thought to himself, 'Note to self, seeing is believing. Suspect everything. Question Everything.'
He rubbed his forehead as he answered honestly, "It wasn't the reward."
The reward to ask the world god for something was appetizing but it isn't the reason why he decided to attend the competition. He will surely gain something else apart from the reward if he attends the competition. So if he didn't win the competition and get the reward then his trip will not be a waste. The reward is just a smokescreen to mask his genuine interest.
The First sage was extremely surprised. He asked, "Really? I thought she would fail but if she succeeds it will be because of the reward. Are you lying to me?"
The eye bored into him seeking to determine the veracity of his words. Maybe it is also seeking to sniff out more of his secrets. You can never know with a world god. It might as well be that all his secrets have been exposed already. He doesn't know. But one thing that he knew with uttermost certainty is that he doesn't want to be here.