An hour passed so quickly it seemed like only a few minutes. The explanation had passed through so many deeply complicated topics and mind bending thoughts. From the nature of the universe and the concept of a higher being, to the very existence of dimensions and universes beyond. As expected my human compatriots were mostly lost, though they did understand some of it on a basic level. The morning was now well matured however and the jousting even had begun.

The preliminary jousts were nothing special to me, just people riding on horses and knocking each other off in a low tech level version of chicken. Everyone watching certainly was into it though, as their lives lacked much in entertainment. Even books at the moment were not widely available which was something I was still working on correcting.

What can really be said about such an event though? There was a bracket of around thirty contestants from all around the kingdom, knights and nobles alike. Normally the prize they fought for would be land or the hand of some high status woman, but this time it was to become the champion of the goddess herself.

Initially I didn't know why anyone would want such a prize, though with further thought it was clear the prospect was extreme power. Being the right hand man to a goddess would come with incredible prestige and who knew what kind of magical gifts she would bestow upon them? This game me much to think about, as the moral framework of my champion would need to be resolute. I'd have to do my own testing on the winner.

As the morning went on and changed into midday the list of contestants grew shorter. While they were all given stock horses and equipment for their bouts the training of each man wasn't equal in the slightest. This was the sort of thing only the rich or extremely dedicated were able to excel at due to the cost of training for the sport. Not everyone could own a horse, fancy lance, and have the time to practice running at a target. If you were really rich you could even hire someone to be a moving opponent.

In the end the finals were between two particularly well off seeming men. Both were in the employ of the crown itself, serving as knights directly under the king. Neither of them owned any land as of yet, likely because that sort of thing was handed out at the end of one's tour of service so to speak.

First there was a man in his late thirties named Jagger Nalark. He had shoulder length yellow hair, fair skin, and deep green eyes. Well built and typically handsome, he was almost someone that every little girl wished to be her prince in shining armor. He'd probably have to be better looking to fit that stereotype completely.

The second man was only slightly older than the first. Dudly Horder: his long faded blue hair matching with his deep blue eyes. His skin was quite pale and his face was one that seemed slightly off in some way. While not particularly handsome he certainly fit the part of a strong knight figure.

The two man sat at opposite ends of the jousting lane, each proud atop their horses. Their jousting lances were held firmly in iron grips and their faces were obscured behind the helmets they wore. Surely their faces were grim and determined, after all they had made it to the finals and the grand prize was within their reach.

The announcer was introducing the finalists, their voice echoing out across the stadium.

"On the left we present Sir Nalark! A knight in the employ of the king himself! Women around the kingdom swoon when this stalwart man swoops in to save the day! His sense of justice stands stalwart against the wickedness of the world!"

There were cheers and clapping from the crowed as Jagger lifted his hand to wave.

"And on the right may we present Sir Horder! Such a powerful man has never been seen in the royal knights! His guile and mastery of the blade only compares to his elegance in the court! Surely the kingdom is lucky to have such a man on our side against the evils of both man and beast!"

Again the crowed erupted in cheers and applause as Dudly waved to them.

"Alright gentlemen" the announcer said. "Prepare yourselves!"

It truly was wonderful to see the people getting so excited for something. Even though I didn't particularly like big sporting events it was difficult not to get caught up in the emotion as the energy levels increased. Both of these men were here for their own reasons and neither wanted to go home with second place.

Both knight waited for the signal in sweaty anticipation. Time almost seemed to stand still while everyone waited for the starting gong to be rung. Then with suddenness that could almost give you a heart attack the crashing of the gong rang out across the field.

Their horses whinnied and started off in a fierce gallop, spurred on by their riders. Dust kicked up in a thick cloud behind them as the hooves thundered into the dirt. As the speed of the knights increased the lances were lowered down to be level with the ground.

Each lance had a large ball of padding and rope to prevent them from skewering their opponent but that didn't guarantee death would be avoided. When your traveling over twenty miles per hour and slamming into a solid object at high speed it doesn't matter how many safety precautions are taken, injury is unavoidable. Jousting like many professional sports is filled with broken bones, concussions, and even fatalities.

The riders were uncaring of the dangers as they closed the distance, the tips of their weapons aimed at the chest of their opponents. They knew they needed both skill and luck on their side to win this encounter and it would all be over in the blink of an eye.

Thus it did end as suddenly as it began. The lance of Sir Nalark found its mark and impacted into the armored chest of Sir Horder. Unable to take the impact the lance shattered into a million splinters as the padding exploded like confetti everywhere. Sir Horder was blasted off his mount and landed on his back in the dirt with a thud.

Now without its rider the newly freed horse galloped off to the other end of the area where handlers were present to collect it. Meanwhile the winner and his steed continued on to run a victory lap around the arena, coming to a stop before the seating stand of the nobility. Jagger then dismounted and lifted his arms in the air in celebration as the crowd went wild.

As was customary the king was the one to announce the winner. So Alphonse stood up and walked to the edge of the platform, raising his arms to settle down the crowed. He then shouted out hopefully loud enough for everyone to hear.

"We have our winner! Congratulations Sir Nalark! Through your display of skill you have earned the prize! Behold the new Champion of the Goddess Jenna!"

He didn't seem all to enthused to being saying all this, almost like me having something like this annoyed him. It didn't matter to me however as I had my own plan on how to handle this. While the crowd cheered again I stood up myself and walked to stand next to the king.

I spoke softly. "I'll take it from here kingo. Thanks."

Not willing to argue with me at the moment Alphonse simply stepped back and let me take center stage. Of course due to my height I had to summon up a stood up stand on to be easily seen over the railing.

With my hair sparkling in the sunlight I looked down at the man below and addressed him with a loud voice, my powers easily allowing me to enhance its volume.

"Congratulations Sir knight! I suppose you're quick proud of yourself?"

Jagger looked up at me and looked quite afraid. Surely my reputation proceeded me and he had never spoken to me before after all. He bowed and then called back up to me.

"I-I hope my performance did not displease you g-goddess!"

I smiled and shook my head.

"Oh no no. It's just the competition isn't over yet. Now I get to test you."

Everyone seemed surprised and confused at my announcement, but I silenced the murmuring with the raising of my hand. I then summoned vines near the knight below that made him jump in shock. The vines sped out and wrapped around the other knight Dudly, gently lifting him and carrying him to stand next to his opponent before vanishing into the ground again.

"W-What is the meaning of this?" Dudly asked in shock.

Alphonse then whined from behind me.

"Yes what is the meaning of this?"

I frowned and answered the king without turning around.

"Shut up." I then addressed the knights below again. "I want both of you to help me out with something."

Using magic I summoned two men in front of them, mere illusions of course but they looked real enough to them. They were on their knees, tied up with ropes, and gagged with blindfolds. Then I appeared two sharp spears in front of the knights and as they were released from my magic the men caught them. The two men looked in confusion at the scene before them.

I just smiled and crossed my arms.

"Kill them!"

A hush came over the crowed as no one could believe what they were seeing. Was the goddess really going to have these two knights kill two bound men in the middle of the stadium?

Dudly gripped his spear and looked over the men, hesitation in his eyes.

"Why? What have they done?"

Jagger pounded his spear into the ground and resolutely agreed, shouting up at me with emotion in his voice.

"Indeed! What manner of test is this? I can't kill a man without knowing his crimes!"

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With a shake of my head I clicked my tongue before replying.

"Because I said so. Is the command of a goddess not enough?"

In response Dudly lowered the spear and started advancing on his target. His face was grim but he was a soldier.

Meanwhile Jagger threw his spear to the ground in protest.

"I refuse! I will not kill a man without why they deserve it!"

As Dudly reached the bound man in front of him the tip of his spear snapped off and fell to the ground with a clunk. Then within a moment everything vanished into thin air, my magic dismissed and leaving both men in shock once again. The onlookers were in awe as well of course.

Then I uncrossed my arms and jumped over the railing of the stand, floating down to the ground using telekinesis to slow my fall. With great elegance I landed before the two men and lifted up my hands near my shoulders.

Floating above my hands appeared two small cakes. They were quite tasty looking and were clearly some kind of fruit tart, actually just jelly donuts to anyone from my world. With a simple hand motion I floated them over in front of the knights.

"Eat these."

Without hesitation Jagger grabbed his out of the air and began eating it. The taste was certainly quite overpowering for his taste buds but he obeyed me regardless. Dudly however was the one to refuse this time and stayed his hand.

Both of them then waited to see what kind of event would transpire from the eating of the food. Perhaps it was deadly poison? Maybe it would grant some magical power? After a short while of waiting nothing happened and the tense feeling in the air escalated.

I lowered my hands and the other donut vanished.

"So why did you both do what you did?" I asked.

Dudly was the first to answer and he somewhat timidly kept his gaze from meeting mine.

"Well goddess... It seemed you didn't want us to blindly obey you so I figured it'd be best not to eat the food."

Jagger then replied having finished wiping his face. He was a bit more confident in his answer.

"There's no need to doubt or fear food offered by you goddess so I ate it."

I nodded and closed my eyes. Clearly this Jagger guy had a code of ethics and seemed to be knightly, at least more than this Dudly man who seemed to just obey authority. One more test though for the rule of three.

"Alright one more test" I said opening my eyes. I then looked at each of them. "Are your lives worth more than obedience to me?" I lifted my left hand to my chin. "Would you fall on your sword for me? Surely knights have done the same for their kings, how much more for a goddess?"

Jagger once again seemed confident and resolute. He stood to attention and held his chin up high.

"Yes goddess! I would die for you if even you commanded it!"

Dudly on the other hand looked quite nervous and even appeared to be sweating a little. His heart was clearly not in his answer.

"Well erm... Y-Yes I would die for you goddess. Certainly I would!"

After they gave their answers I stood there looking them both over. Everyone looked on in hushed anticipation, their minds surely coming up with all sorts of explanations for what was going on. The two knights stood in silent nervousness as they awaited to see what I was thinking about. After a short time however I dropped my hands to my sides and smiled.

"I've decided my champion is you Jagger Nalark. Not because you won the joust, but because you're the kind of man I want in my service." I pointed at him and he jumped. "You have your own morality and follow your code of justice firmly, yet are not afraid to show undying loyalty to those you feel deserve it."

I then turned and pointed at Dudly.

"You on the other hand are only seeking to please those above you, doing whatever you think they want to see or say what you think they want to hear. You were more concerned with making me happy than being yourself. Probably out of self preservation which I can't blame you for, but I can judge you for."

Then I stepped forward towards Jagger.

"Kneel."

The man obeyed without question and kneeled down on the ground before me, lowering his head in respect.

With the twirl of my fingers I summoned a long fancy sword from the air and brought it forward. I then lowered it down to touch Jagger's right shoulder, then brought it up over his head to touch his right. After that was done the sword vanished.

"Congratulations Sir Nalark. You are my champion. The champion of a goddess! You may stand."

Now with my permission and blessing Jagger stood up, the look on his face of absolute ecstatic joy. It was obvious that great pride was swelling inside his chest and his face was almost shining. All around him the crowed was cheering and celebrating his christening. Next to him his opponent was filled with clear resentment and jealously, but that didn't bother me.

The crowed continued its cheering and the announcer officially introduced my new champion. As this was going on I reached out and grabbed him around the wrist and enhanced him with mana, gifting him resistance to physical and magical damage as well as a few simple spells like I had given Timothy.

Jagger felt the mana flowing into him and he looked down at me in surprise, even trying to pull away but of course being unable to do so. When I let go he jerked his arm back by reflex.

"W-What have you done to me?"

I just smiled and put my hands on my hips.

"I've given you some simple powers. You're a mage now Jagger, though all your power comes directly from me. You'll find yourself quite durable to both physical and magical attacks, not to mention another surprise I'll tell you about later."

He looked down at his hands in awe and flexed his hands into fists.

"I... I can feel the power flowing through me. Am I truly worthy of such a gift goddess?"

"Well I don't want my champion dying on me" I replied with a shrug. "By the way there's one final thing I need you for. Come ere."

Without warning I reached out and grabbed him by both hands and pulled him close to me. I then summoned a portal and transported us both far away.

There was currently a prayer from a man in a bar somewhere in a town far to the south. He had been defeated in a fistfight and was praying for judgment on his opponent, a man who had blasphemed my name. This was going to be an opportunity to show my new champion what kind of goddess I am.

In a burst of light the portal descended down into the ground, revealing both me and Jagger now standing in the middle of a messy tavern. There was a mess on the ground of spilled ale and broken furniture, the fight clearly having been quite an intense one.

There on the ground in the corner was the man who had prayed to me, his face bloodied and his clothing ripped. All of the onlookers who had previously had their attention on the fight now stumbled back in fear as the two people appeared out of thin air before them.

Behind and to the left of me was the man who had won the fight: a tall and muscular man who looked quite rough around the edges. His nose was dripping blood and his clothing was a bit ragged as well, clearly the fight hadn't been one sided.

"W-Who the hell are you?" the winner demanded.

Jagger was clearly overwhelmed and dazed by the sudden change of scenery and looked to me for guidance in his confusion.

"Just watch" I said smiling at him.

The man on the ground smiled and spat out some blood, speaking in a raspy voice.

"It's the goddess... She's come to punish you scumbag."

Still with a gentle smile on my face I walked through the debris and reached out to the fallen man. I pressed my hand on his chest and used my mana to heal his wounds.

"Now now... Is that any way to speak to your fellow man? I don't need to defending me do I?"

Even while his wounds were being healing the man was left bug eyed and slack jawed. He looked up at me crouching over him with a baffled expression.

"B-But goddess! He took your name in vain! He mocked you!"

I let out a small sigh and finished healing him. Then I reached down and lifted him up onto his feet, something I did easily despite being only as tall as his navel.

"I understand" I replied calmly. "I appreciate your devotion to me. You should defend your faith in me, but not to the extent you get in random fights with your countrymen. Let those who hate me speak their words, they will have their own consequences in the end. Do you understand?"

The man looked down at me as he was now standing upright. He seemed both embarrassed and relieved in my answer, as well as a little bit frightened due to his goddess standing before him. With a meek demeanor he rubbed his right hand on his left arm.

"Yes goddess... Of course goddess. I understand."

Seeing he understood I smiled kindly at him and then turned around to face the other man. Everyone in the room took several more steps back to clear plenty of space. Jagger did as well, clearly afraid of what might happen.

To his credit the blasphemer stood his ground, his anger bubbling up again and giving him unwise bravery in the face of a divine being.

I stayed calm as I crossed my arms across my stomach.

"Do you have a problem with me?"

The man was now hyped up again on adrenaline and pointed at me accusingly.

"You're a false goddess! A monster pretending to love us!" he ranted. "The goddesses vanished for a good reason! They were evil and have no place in this world! You should leave away to whence you came and leave us in peace! You harlot! You mock us with your innocent form and lead men to death!"

In response to his tirade I simply smirked up at him. The onlookers expected all kinds of terrible things from me but I would give them something no one thought of.

"You know what? You're not even worth the effort of cursing. Hate me if you want but I'm here to stay. There are too many relying on me now. Suffer in your hatred."

This response was certainly not expected and everyone stood in shocked silence. While they were otherwise disposed and before they could recover I turned to my champion and walked over to him. I grabbed him again and brought out another portal, teleporting us back to the capital somewhere outside the wall.

Once the magic circle was gone I released him and he stumbled backwards a couple steps. He looked down at me in confusion, clearly not entirely sure what to say. Eventually however he managed to get some words out.

"Wh-What was that? Y-You..."

In response to his fumbling for words I just sighed and leaned against the wall. I wasn't looking anywhere in particular at first but then looked up to meet his gaze directly. This intimidated him of course but I waited for that initial shock to pass before I spoke.

"I wanted you to see what kind of goddess I am Jagger. You see there are many different types of people in this world. Those were peasants, poor people who struggle in their lives. Who knows what those men were going through to lead them to fight? Sure one hated me but perhaps his frustrations were speaking for him. The man who fought to defend me, his devotion is clear but directed into violence. As a goddess I must show them both gentleness and direction, not judgment and displays of power."

As I spoke Jagger seemed to wholly absorb my words, clearly thinking seriously on them. He stood there in silence and dutifully listened to my explanation.

"There are times I need to respond with force sure" I continued. "But that wasn't one of those times. When serious danger or loss of life is imminent of course I'd leap into action, even dispatching the aggressor if need be. However in times like that where there's no immediate danger its important to step back and understand the situation. Do you know what love is Jagger?"

Shaken back into the present by my sudden question he stuttered a bit before responding.

"W-Well yes goddess. Love is something people show one another that's kindness. Right?"

He seemed a bit unsure but his response was close enough for me. I smiled warmly up at him.

"Almost. Love is many things Sir Jagger. Its kind, patient, strong, unyielding, merciful, thoughtful, and so many more things. When you love someone sometimes you have you to punish them, to set them down the correct path lest they walk to their own destruction. Love can be very jealous as well. I'm a greedy goddess you see. I want to protect everything I love and show them the warmth that comes with true love. Not the romantic kind of love, but the kind a mother shows her child."

After hearing this Jagger stood up tall once again and then kneeled before me. Hanging his head he put his right arm over his chest.

"I understand what kind of goddess you are Goddess Jenna. Thank you for allowing me to serve you, for allowing me the honor of being your champion. I swear on my life that I'll live and die to do your will."

I smiled again and walked over to where he knelt, reaching out and putting my hand on his head.

"Good. I'm glad to hear it. I want you to go out into the world and make it a better place however you can. I'll contact you if I ever have a special mission for you and you're free to pray to me whenever you need me. Thank you for being my loyal champion."

With his oath finalized he stood up once again, now proud and filled with joy once again. The fact he was looking down at me at the moment seemed to make him a bit embarrassed, though he knew just how big I could get.

"I'll serve you with all my heart and soul goddess."

"I know you will" I replied with a grin. "Now lets go back and celebrate your winning hm?"

This new relationship was going to be an interesting one for sure, something anyone could see as this grown man and tiny goddess traveled back to the festival grounds. Even though the way I got my champion wasn't exactly how I thought it might happen it still ended up working out in the end. Perhaps my father working things out in my favor. Regardless this would give me a huge advantage, for as my following grew it became more important to have people like priests and paladins. The future certainly was looking better for this little kingdom.