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Immediately, Matheius shook his head. Unacceptable. He wanted to get rid of them, not consult them. “No Savants.” Frost raised his eyebrow at the immediate refusal, then shrugged. “Then perhaps the gods may be of assistance. I know not if you are devout, but many who have questions turn to the gods for answers.” A faint smile. “I know you aren’t even sure what your questions are, but perhaps you could ask them for that as well, if you have a close relationship.”
The gods of the Pantheon were many and varied. Save for Aralon, goddess of mercy, they rarely interfered directly with the mortal world, and even when they did, it was almost always through intermediaries. Although occasionally they would answer a prayer or bless a particularly devout follower, for the most part their influence was subtle and their intervention rare.
Matheius once again began to shake his head, but more slowly this time. Then, he paused, and nodded instead. Even if the chance was low, it might still be worth considering. After all, he had actually met the avatars of two gods before. Perhaps if he was lucky, he would merit special treatment again, although he only cared to re-meet one of those avatars. “That might be an idea. Your third?”
With regards to your second question, as to why Matheius dislikes magic-users, in great part, that's because of his upbringing (see chap. 9). As to whether or not magic-users are evil...well, please note that not once have I ever used the word 'evil' itself in describing them. Matheius' ENEMIES, yes, but evil? I intend for there to be a very moral 'gray' zone for both Matheius (who is no boy scout) as well as the Savants. This will become more and more apparent, hopefully, as the story goes on. See the appraisal of Arzon by Matheius as an example.