“Are you certain about this?” Mirion asked Tekla, his gray face turning pale.
“High Father showed me a vision,” Tekla murmured, glancing at Lucas, who nodded and walked toward the exit, leaving the temple.
“Where did he go?” Mirion asked.
“He has a role to fulfill,” Tekla said menacingly.
Mirion studied her expression, thinking she was in a bad mood. He found it unusual, but considering the circumstances, he assumed the sudden attack had angered her.
He was wrong.
After I showed Tekla the vision of an army preparing to march toward my forest and Eriavel, she had asked me to bless the Crimson Root, as she planned to send them for an ambush.
Not a direct blessing. More an approval of her plan.
So, I did.
Despite how this attack might have looked, I was not alarmed by it. But I was confused. A lot, actually.
After inspecting the surroundings of the forest and confirming the information through Dick, I was now convinced that the Night God had sent only this small army, numbered a few hundred. The rest of his forces, wherever they were, would not be participating.
What was even more confusing - I could not even detect a single high-ranking individual among them.
And I had tried.
“I’ll gather our army and decide how we should meet them,” Mirion said.
After receiving a nod from Tekla, he turned around and left the temple, muttering, “Now, of all times…”
Mirion no longer considered velmoryns weak, but he would have preferred if the attack had come when Aria, Avenor, Ninali… and most importantly, Amon and Karla were in Eriavel.
Exiting the temple, he took a deep breath, cracking his knuckles. His eyes landed on the towering oak tree that loomed over the settlement.
“Lord, cast Your watchful gaze over us,” he whispered, tracing my symbol on his chest. “War with humans… how do they even fight?”
The two moons were high in the sky, hanging opposite one another, their light mixing together as they painted the earth in a soft gold-green color. It made the giant, eerie forest look even wilder and more ominous.
As Mirion walked, he gave several velmoryns orders to wake Dariel, Lily, and Othrien. He would need their counsel while planning the strategy.
And while Eriavel quickly began to wake, I was also busy considering whether I should simply observe or take matters into my own hands.
The dam had not been built yet. However, even if it had been finished, I would not have used it now. I had no doubt that revealing most of my cards this early would only bite me later, when Noah’s true army arrived.
And yet, I was restless.
What if this small army was only the first move? Even if Noah could not yet use his powers, I was not too sure his inquisitors, or daughters as they called themselves, would be unable to use those damn portals to bring the rest of his army straight into my forest.
Yes, the barrier the goddess had created still stood, so no Platinum Rank or anything above it would be able to enter, but that did not mean they could not bring powerful artifacts or whatever technology humans had.
I was too slow. I wasted too much time on meaningless things…
I was angry at myself for not being more careful, and more than that, for not being more proactive.
But there was no point in regret. Not now, not ever.
“Aurelion,” I called to my angel, who had still been patiently observing Theia.
The moment my words left my mouth, a crimson shimmer split the space in front of me, and Aurelion appeared. He closed his giant crimson wings and knelt.
“My Liege,” he said.
After a very long time, I had finally summoned him, and the faint shiver of feathers along his wings betrayed his excitement.
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Normally, I would have been amused.
But not now.
Allowing my thoughts and memories to pass through his mind, I waited for his response. I did not have high expectations from Aurelion, a childlike angel who still struggled to control even his own emotions, but I wanted a fresh perspective. And other than Amon, Aurelion was the only one who could provide that.
I felt anger overwhelm him, his scarlet eyes turning fierce, but he forced himself to calm down before raising his head.
“If my King orders me, I will destroy those arrogant creatures before they ever manage to step into Your kingdom,” he said.
“But?”
Only after he carefully weighed his words did he answer.
“If my Liege eliminates everything that threatens His children, they will never become worthy of His grace.”
I nodded, ignoring the shadow that crossed his face. He was worried his counsel had been useless to me.
He was wrong.
I was glad Aurelion’s thoughts aligned with mine. However, just like the velmoryns, he also needed to face his fears and insecurities. He also needed to grow.
“You will guide them through this battle,” I said. “Remember, your role is that of a guide. Do not step onto the battlefield, nor show yourself to the enemy unless it becomes absolutely necessary.”
He considered my words, pushing away a wave of excitement.
“I shall help only if Tekla is in danger,” he said after a short pause.
Tekla? Not the priestess?! That’s new.
I allowed myself a faint smile as Aurelion’s figure disappeared from my realm after I moved him to Eriavel. My control over the Divine Kingdom had improved significantly as I grew better at wielding my divinity.
Then I flew toward the Window.
Despite my mind already being made up, I still wanted to speak with Amon and hear his thoughts. But first, I wanted to confirm what he was doing. He had spent too much of my divinity on those mercenaries, and I did not want to waste that investment. If he was speaking with them, I would rather wait until he was free.
But just as I reached the Window, a blue notification flared before my eyes.
[A Message]
Request for the almighty God of Velmoryn:
I, the humble avatar of the God of Merchants, V, seek permission to enter Your Divine Kingdom. Should this time prove inconvenient, I shall withdraw and return when it better suits Your Highness’s will.