Chương 20: A World Sealed Away

The Palace of Concord. That was the name of the structure in whose plaza the candidates for godhood had gathered before the challenges began. It was not only one of the most imposing buildings in Empyrean Peaks. It was also where the future gods would gather to make the most important decisions in Eryndea. It was the seat of the mediators as well. The mediators held no real authority over divine policy. The rules had been laid down by the Divine Order at the dawn of time.

Even so, their work was extremely important, and consisted mainly of trying to prevent the world from being destroyed by conflicts among the gods. A goal they did not always achieve, especially when the conflict involved the most powerful among them. The High Arbiter, Cassian Veyr, bore that responsibility with great pride. He was the highest authority among the mediators in Eryndea, a position he had attained thanks to the influence of Clan Veyr, one of the most powerful immortal families in service to the gods.

But of course, it had also been thanks to his hard work, undeniable scholarly talent, and a staggering amount of luck. Cassian himself was a tall, slender man with impeccably groomed hair. He wore glasses, though they were actually an artifact that allowed him to tell truth from falsehood in mortals and immortals alike. With gods, however, they were not especially useful... In such cases, they were relegated to little more than a fashion accessory.

Many would say he was somewhat tense and sorely lacking in a sense of humor. But no one would deny that he was a capable leader. And it was precisely those leadership skills that would be put to the test from this day onward. That, essentially, was what the elderly god before him had just conveyed while stroking his long white beard in one of the palace's vast, luxurious chambers.

"At last, all the challenges have concluded," Cassian remarked, adjusting his glasses.

"As expected, the battle royale was the longest one."

"Even so, it ended far sooner than it should have," Zorovan replied.

"It seems you will have to take charge of a very difficult world, young Cassian."

"I can't promise I will succeed. The chances of a world failing to endure the conflict are high when many powerful gods are involved. But I can promise that I will shoulder my responsibilities with the utmost dedication, Most High One."

"I like your honesty, young Cassian, but a leader must know when to lie in order to project confidence and reassure others, hoho."

"Lying to you would be impossible..." Zorovan smiled, though the expression soon faded into a sigh as he turned away, lost in thought. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

"Now that the gods have been chosen, Eryndea will remain isolated, and only when a supreme god manages to rise above the others will it be reconnected to the rest of the worlds under the Divine Order..."

"Without an overgod for each world, every new one would descend into divine chaos the moment they were allowed to mingle," Cassian said.

"It is one of the Divine Order's most basic rules." Zorovan nodded.

"But I have faith in Lirien. If she cannot prevail over the others, then at the very least she will know how to carry herself in such a hostile environment."

"I know you descended to this world only because your esteemed granddaughter was here. But I am very glad you did. It was an honor to meet you in person." Zorovan turned to him with his usual composed smile.

"Hohoho, the pleasure was mine. Besides, I am glad I came. I'm truly interested in knowing what kind of future awaits Eryndea. Of course, also in what role my granddaughter is meant to play in it. But that, only time will tell... and perhaps, in this case, quite literally."

"With the goddess of luck's permission, I'll wish Lady Lirien the very best of fortunes amid the chaos to come. For my part, however, I must remain completely impartial."

"As expected of the High Arbiter," Zorovan said, placing his hands on Cassian's shoulders.

"I wish you luck with the Ceremony of Beginnings. After all, it will be one of my granddaughter's first opportunities to distinguish herself, hohoho!" After giving the High Arbiter a few pats on the shoulders, Zorovan walked on as golden light enveloped him. Within just a few steps, he had vanished. Cassian remained there a moment longer, gazing at the empty space the elderly god had left behind in silent respect and farewell.

"High Arbiteeeer!"!! But the solemn moment was abruptly shattered by the arrival of a disheveled girl. She wore the same white uniform trimmed with black embroidery as Cassian, though hers was less ornate and, instead of trousers, she wore a skirt.

"Dililei? What is all this commotion?"

"High Arbiter, I've already told you Dili is enough... No, wait! Please listen! We have a problem! His Exaltedness, the god of death, has escaped!"

"... What?"

"Are you sure we weren't supposed to stay and listen? The mediator said he'd be with us right away..." Cerys glanced back at the Palace of Concord, still visible in the distance.

"Ha! I already heard everything I needed to hear," Nerez replied, walking ahead of her with a broad smile.

"What, the fact that Yggdrasil fruit can actually be sold? The mediator practically went pale the moment you asked..."

"Well, that's understandable. I imagine that, for someone whose spiritual energy hovers around twenty thousand, a Yggdrasil fruit, which grants five thousand, would mean a twenty-five percent increase. Anyone would've eaten it on the spot."

"There are gods who would fight over a mere two hundred SPE..." Cerys muttered.

"They really call it SPE?"

"Tch, are you making fun of me?"

"Hahaha, no, not at all. I just didn't know whether to call them units of spiritual energy or simply say the number. It reminds me a lot of mana points in games, or of people asking how much mana they had... Really, all I remember from my time on Earth is stupid nonsense... Though I've heard similar terms in many worlds."

"Well, of course you have, that's what mortals use... But that 'mana' is an inferior form of spiritual energy. It isn't as pure as the energy we use, but it's easier for them to handle."

"You learn something new every day..."

"... How do you not know things this basic?!"

"If you have a problem with that, you can go your own way... I've told you before, I'm not forcing you to come with me."

"Do you think I'm ungrateful?"

"I could've sworn I heard quite clearly that you weren't going to thank me..."

"Nerez! Our souls are bound together!" Cerys shot back, blatantly ignoring what he had just said.

"If something happens to you while I'm not there, I'll disappear too! I am... I am your 'Reaper'!"

"You really did get attached to that word... but if you use it like that, I won't be able to sleep at night."

"Mm?"

"It's nothing... I suppose what matters is that you like it."

"Of course! I'm what matters!"

"..."

"What's your problem now?"

"Let's just go sell the fruit already..."

"I don't think anyone here could buy something that valuable... You'd have to sell it through the Godscript itself," Cerys said, tilting her head.

"I hope the Godscript isn't sentient, because I'm about to sell back something it just gave me. But now that I think about it... what currency do gods use?"

"Isn't it obvious? Faith, of course."