"Do you think they told the truth?" the burly man asked from the young girl after they had gotten into the carriage.
"Even if they did lie, there's nothing we could do. What we should focus on now is reaching their main sanctuary. If they aren't there, then we can suspect they're avoiding us," the young girl replied.
"Should I inform the Head Priest about this?" the man inquired.
"No need. We can't be certain if they're actually avoiding us. Let's proceed to their main sanctuary," the young girl said, her gaze still fixed on the window.
"It's a shame; I was hoping to catch a glimpse of Gaya for a moment," she added slowly as she continued to peer outside.
The carriage they had arrived in departed at the same brisk pace it had arrived with, leaving behind the echoing sounds of its movement.
*****
"Phew! Finally, it's done," Khanel exclaimed while admiring a large, magnificent, and highly luxurious room.
Upon receiving the command from the Almighty Beings, he had worked tirelessly. First, he informed everyone in the sanctuary about the arrival of the Almighty Beings.
Then, he assigned people to prepare rooms for the Almighty Beings. For this task, he had gone the extra mile and managed to prepare seven extra-large, majestic rooms for the Almighty Ones.
With all his tasks completed, he hurried toward the location where the Almighty Beings were, hoping for some recognition or reward for his hard work.
Khanel approached the large open door of the room, but despite its openness, he hesitated to enter. He pondered on how to inform the Almighty Ones of his presence, but no suitable idea came to mind.
Just as he was searching for a solution, a commanding voice resounded from inside the hall.
"Come in, Khanel," the majestic and powerful voice of Incarus called out from within. With that, Khanel entered the room.
"Have you prepared everything?" In front of him stood the towering figure of Incarus, engaged in a calm conversation with the others.
While gazing at the other Almighty Beings, Khanel momentarily fixated on the wings of Tiamat, but he quickly snapped back to reality. Seeing Khanel's arrival, Incarus inquired.
"Indeed, my lord. I've prepared a giant, magnificent room for all of you, ensuring your comfort," Khanel replied while kneeling.
"Good, and have you informed the others about our arrival?" Incarus inquired.
At that moment, Khanel realized that he needed to notify the other sanctuarie about their departure.
"Forgive me, my lord, this old one's memory seems to be lacking. I'll inform them as soon as possible," he apologized to Incarus and the others.
"There's no hurry; take your time," Incarus instructed.
"And do something about these thrones too," Incarus added, pointing at their thrones, which had been damaged when they were ripped apart from their previous location during teleportation.
"Yes, Lord," Khanel replied.
"Well, if our rooms are ready, let's proceed," Incarus declared.
With that, Incarus rose from his throne, and the others followed suit. After getting up, Incarus walked toward the grand hall's enormous door.
"Lead the way," he instructed Khanel.
Khanel hurriedly moved toward them but deliberately avoided walking in front of them. He stood sideways to the Almighty Beings and proceeded to lead the way to the rooms prepared for them.
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As Incarus and the others exited the grand hall, they were greeted by a massive crowd of priests, nuns, and other sanctuary workers, all bowing to them with the utmost respect.
They had divided into two lines, creating a pathway leading to the rooms of the Almighty Beings.
The Absolute Beings proceeded to walk along this pathway.
In the forefront was Incarus, wearing a magnificent crown and showcasing a gigantic and powerfully built body, adorned with marks of a formidable individual.
Next to him was Tiamat, her entire dragon scale body covered by her imposing wings, which, despite their usually small appearance, added a unique charm to her presence. Two horns protruded from the sides of her forehead.
Following Incarus and Tiamat was Acedia, with his stone-like body and perpetually cold eyes. He had an additional pair of eyes on his forehead, all of them closed. Behind Acedia was Ishtar, who, as always, managed to captivate the hearts of all with her otherworldly beauty. She didn't possess any unusual physical attributes, but her charm set her apart.
Behind Ishtar came Leviathan, wearing a golden mask that concealed his face. The mask had two tiny vertical lines where his eyes would be, and these lines occasionally emitted a greenish glow. His strong physique mirrored that of Incarus.
Behind him was Fafnir, with a frail body so emaciated that one could see his bones. Despite his appearance, he seemed unfazed.
Lastly, there was Preta, who continued to rub his long-starved belly. Among them all, he had the most obese-looking body.
They were all attired in the same manner as when they first appeared.
Incarus wore a formidable-looking dark red armor, Tiamat's dragon scales were dark red with a subtle shine, Acedia had a silver-colored armor and grayish-silver skin, Ishtar wore clothes resembling those of the heavenly beings with pink hair and eyes that enhanced her allure.
Leviathan donned a deep black armor adorned with mysterious markings, while Fafnir wore an armor that covered his entire body except for his frail-looking stomach and hands, where the bones were visible.
They walked majestically along the path, emanating a profound aura that left a lasting impression on everyone around them.
Khanel guided them along a pathway that separated the entire building they had previously occupied.
Soon, they arrived at a whole new building that appeared even more luxurious than the previous one.
"In here, my lords, we have prepared all seven of your rooms. It's a shame to admit that previously, we used these halls as large gathering spaces."
"However, as you requested extra spacious accommodations, we decided to utilize these halls as residences and have prepared them accordingly. All of them have been set up the same way. My lords, please go ahead," Khanel informed Incarus and the others.
Without uttering a word, they stepped into the towering hall.
The hall was quite expansive, with the focal point being a grand staircase leading to the upper floors.
Below, there were three rooms, while the upper level housed four. After familiarizing themselves with the layout, Incarus instructed Khanel to leave.
And with Khanel left, Incarus turned to the others.
"So, how do we divide the rooms?" he inquired.
"I want an upper one," demanded Tiamat.
"I'm up for that too," Ishtar chimed in.
"First come, first serve," but at that moment, Fafnir bent down, leaped towards the upper floor, and landed in a room without using the staircase. He swiftly closed the giant door behind him.
Observing this, Leviathan rushed toward the staircase and began climbing it.
Simultaneously, Incarus also leaped to the upper floor, leaving Tiamat, Ishtar, and the other two behind.
Tiamat followed suit, jumping to the upper floor and leaving only the last three on the lower floor.
"Tch! That's not fair!" Ishtar exclaimed angrily.
"Huh, did you say something?" Acedia mumbled while still half-asleep.
"What else, idiot? We now have to live below them," Ishtar retorted, walking toward a room and softly closing the door.
"Whatever," after she left, Acedia went into a random room, but Preta grabbed him.
"This one's mine, Ace. I can't go upstairs because of my belly, and I think Incarus forgot about my hunger again. So, I'm in a bad mood now. Go find another room," Preta stated as he entered the room and closed its door.
"Whatever," seemingly unfazed, Acedia walked over to another room and closed its door.
After arriving on the upper floor, Leviathan walked to the only room that hadn't been marked as occupied by others.
He entered the grand room, which featured a large bed in the center and decorations throughout. Upon entering, he closed the door and walked over to the bed, taking a seat.
[So, this is my life now,] he thought as he began removing his armor, glancing around the room. There was another door leading to what seemed like a extra room, but it was currently empty.
[There's a lot to fill up,] he mused as he lay on the bed, like a leaf that fell from a tree.
["I don't have any clue about what's happening," ] he said while staring at the room's ceiling.
["But it seems there's no going back to my old life. Even if there is, I don't think I want to. Rather than living a life where people force you to work in a field you don't like, and you have to spend your whole time on it, it's good to be born in a place like this. I'm sure Incarus will come to me someday and ask about me, but, I'll leave future problems to future me."]
With that, Leviathan closed his eyes slowly, finally able to enjoy the long, comfortable sleep he had always hoped for.