Chapter 2: New Beginnings 2

Elania marveled at the opulent estate Arlois had prepared for them. The expansive mansion boasted an extravagant outer architecture that looked every bit like it would suit some ostentatious nobleman.

As they stopped at the gate, Arlois turned to Yolani and Elania. Her eyes slid to Yolani as she spoke. “You are free to explore the city as you wish,” she said, her wings folded neatly behind her. “However, your other clergy must remain on the estate grounds.”

Yolani raised an eyebrow. “Why the exception?”

Arlois’ gaze shifted to the cultists who were busy examining the various decorations in the gardens and interior of the building. “Other divines can see each other’s connections,” she explained. “And it is clear that Yolani is your oracle.”

Elania and Yolani exchanged a confused glance. “What’s an oracle?” Elania asked.

Arlois rubbed her forehead, vexation crossing her features. “A demi-divine’s following is like a pyramid. The oracle sits at the top, receiving the most divine favor. Below them are the high priests or priestesses, then the archons, believers, and followers, or whatever you wish to call them.”

Arlois’ gaze drifted back to the cultists, who were still engrossed in exploring the estate. “It looks like you have cultivated more of a cult-like worship than a proper religion, though,” she remarked disapprovingly.

Elania shifted uncomfortably. She hadn’t ‘cultivated’ anything. The idea of being worshipped and having a structured following was very foreign…

“I don’t know much about any of this,” she admitted.

Arlois snapped her gaze to Elania. “That much is clear,” she retorted sharply.

Elania bit her lip. “I’m very close to my oracle. If… we display any signs of affection openly, will it cause problems?”

Arlois shook her head then examined their conduit again more closely. “No one will care. You aren’t the only demi-divine with those tastes. Society bends to the will of its protectors. From what I recall of Neftasu’s reputation, I’m sure you’ll find Contia’s freedom exhilarating.”

That… that was a major weight disappearing.

“Any other questions?” Arlois demanded.

Yolani stepped forward. “We appreciate your help, Arlois,” she said. “If you’re too busy to answer our questions, perhaps you could provide us with someone who can?”

Arlois’ demeanor shifted, shoulders relaxing slightly. “Of course,” she agreed. “I’ll send someone to assist you. For now, my time is limited.”

With that, she turned on her heel and strode down the street. No one got in her way.

Elania watched her go, annoyance flashing in her eyes. “What’s her problem?”

Yolani shook her head. “I don’t know. Maybe she’s just like that, or maybe she’s under a lot of pressure. We can’t be sure.”

They stepped into the estate’s garden, but Elania couldn’t help but sigh. “Either way, we need to find out more about this city, my demi-divine status, and this whole follower thing.”

Yolani nodded in agreement. “And we need to find out how much our stash is worth,” she added.

Elania raised an eyebrow. “Stash?”

Yolani smiled and pulled off her weight reduction pack.

Elania’s heart jumped as Yolani opened it, revealing a treasure trove of artifice junk and several bags. She opened one of cloth containers, exposing a glittering collection of mana shards. Two bags of shock crystals lay inside as well.

“We need to be careful,” Yolani whispered. “We have no idea how far these shards will go or how to replace them.”

Elania nodded. “If they use them as currency, there has to be a way for people to get more, or the economy would deflate.”

Yolani raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. “When did you become so smart?” she teased.

Elania poked her playfully, a grin spreading across her face. “I was always smart.”

Yolani laughed, her raven-black hair swaying as she shook her head. “You’re a numbskull, usually.”

Elania’s fingers danced across Yolani’s sides, tickling her mercilessly. “I’m a divine numbskull.”

Yolani squealed and started to escape when a cough interrupted their fun. They straightened up, their faces flushed with embarrassment as Darius approached.

Elania’s cheeks burned as she realized he’d likely seen everything.

The man’s posture was formal and he bowed deeply. “Dark Queen, I request an audience with you.”

The words instantly killed her embarrassment. He was the one who should be embarrassed. Dark fucking Queen…

A sigh escaped despite her best efforts. She glanced at Yolani, who simply shrugged.

“Your request is granted,” Elania said.

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Darius straightened up, his gaze meeting hers. “We have been informed about the strict rules imposed upon us. But we will do our best to support you as we can.”

Elania nodded.

“For now, we can act as the caretakers of the estate, serving as maids and butlers and ensuring that the chores are accomplished,” Darius continued.

“Thank you,” she said. “But why do you worship me?”

Darius breathed deeply, taking a moment to collect himself before he answered.

“While I was skeptical at first, you more than proved your powers and divinity in Neftasu,” he explained, his gaze unwavering. “I believe that while Relain summoned you for the wrong reasons, you can be a force of good in the world, especially for the people now relying on you to help them manage their displacement.”

Elania wasn’t sure what to think. She had never asked to be worshipped, never sought out the role of a divine being. But now, with so many people relying on her… Could she be the leader they needed?

She glanced at Yolani, who gave her a reassuring smile.

“I believe in you too, Elania,” Yolani said. Conviction blazed in her eyes. “You have the power to make a real difference.”

“We need to explore the powers you have from being a Priestess of Artifice, too,” Elania mused, her eyes distant. “When you made that gold bar, I noticed it might have used some [Power] up.”

She reached behind her back and pulled Eziel from his sheath, shaking the sword slightly. “And he went to sleep,” she complained.

Yolani’s eyes turned to the sword. “Maybe he used up a lot of power during our escape from Neftasu,” she suggested. “The battle was intense.”

Darius cleared his throat, drawing their attention. “I may be able to help,” he offered.

Elania and Yolani exchanged a glance.

“How so?” Elania asked.

“I’ve been a cultist for a while,” he began steadily, “and I’ve learned some things about serving a deity. Indirectly. However, I must admit, I was unsure, as it didn’t seem to be working as I had been told it would. That is until you began to save the city, Elania.”

Elania leaned forward. “And?”

“Demi-divines gain power from their believers,” he said. “All those connected to you, whether they worship you or simply hold a positive opinion and believe in your divinity, contribute to your strength. This passive accumulation does not harm them but aids you greatly.”

Yolani nodded, glancing at Elania. “It’s pretty clear from the glowing wings and your class that you’re divine, so it shouldn’t be hard to convince everyone.”

“Not everyone has the [Identify] skill, and there are winged races,” Darius said. “And for the connection to be valid, you must be the one they feel closest to. For some, that might be easy if they never knew any of the older traditional gods, but others might be harder to sway. Neftasu was full of the agnostic, which was why so many turned to you in their time of need.”

“The overworld is very different,” he continued. “Most rulers are demi-divine or related to them in some way. That, or they’re ruled by powerful immortal mages like the Magistry of Neftasu.”

Elania muttered under her breath, hoping that the rulers of the overworld would be more competent than the Magistry had been. Or, actually, maybe that wasn’t a good wish at all.

“This is one of the few places where multiple demi-divines are in charge,” Darius continued.

Elania frowned, wondering why that was the case. Then, a realization dawned on her.

“Demi-divines probably don’t get along if they are competing for followers,” she mused. “Arlois wasn’t thrilled to interact with us. Maybe that’s an example of how demi-divines struggle to coexist.”

“We still need to figure out what happens to your divine [Power] when I use my Priestess of Artifice abilities,” Yolani said.

Darius spread out his hands. “I can help teach you how to use religious skills,” he offered eagerly. “And I can transfer them to you directly if you formally recognize me as a priest of your following.”

Elania frowned, suspicion creeping into her mind. Granting Darius such a position might not be a good idea, yet she couldn’t find a reason to refuse.

The thought of not knowing how much divine power she had was incredibly frustrating, especially after being able to check her [Power] on her now-missing [HUD].

“Alright, Darius,” she said firmly. “You can be one of my priests, but you’re still below Yolani in rank.”

Darius bowed his head, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“Of course,” he said. “I never meant to suggest I would supplant Yolani as your oracle. I will continue to guide the Black Candle as their leader under your auspicious guidance.”

He knelt, then held up his hands to her. A status screen popped into existence, the words glowing with a soft light.

[Your Priest, Darius Gamont, wishes to offer you the following skills: Divine Insight, Divine Emanation, Divine Communion. Do you accept? Y/N?]

Elania stared at the screen. She glanced at Yolani, who gave her an encouraging nod. With a deep breath, Elania reached out and tapped the “Y” on the screen.

A surge of energy coursed through her body. Tingling sensations filled her fingertips, and a warm glow spread from her chest to the rest of her being.

[Skills acquired: Divine Insight (Rank E), Divine Emanation (Rank E), Divine Communion (Rank E)]

She focused and pulled on [System Analysis], hoping to gain more information about her newly acquired abilities.

Descriptions appeared in front of her on three separate [System] cards:

[Divine Insight (Rank E): Basic functionality. Allows a demi-divine to view their total number of followers and their current [Divine Power] level. Provides names and basic details and location of the top 5 high-ranking followers if requested.]

[Divine Emanation (Rank E): Emits a weak aura that slightly boosts the morale and physical well-being of followers within a small radius (e.g., within the same room).]

[Divine Communion (Rank E): Enables the demigod to send and receive simple, short messages with their top 5 high-ranking followers. Messages are limited to 10 words and can only be sent once per day.]

Elania blinked, processing the information.

While the skills seemed basic at their current rank, she saw the growth potential. Plus, being able to send a telepathic message would be invaluable in some situations.

She turned to Yolani and Darius with a soft smile. “Looks like I’ve got some new tools to work with.”

Darius bowed his head, a look of pride and determination on his face. “I will do my best to serve you, Dark Queen,” he promised. “Together, we will build a strong and loyal following, and your divine power will grow beyond measure.”

Elania nodded, appreciating the sentiment, but they really, really needed to work on that title.

Focusing, she called upon her newly acquired [Divine Insight] skill. A translucent status screen materialized before her, its soft glow illuminating her face.

[Divine Power: 3,582/5,000]

[Followers: 13,276]

[Previous Maximum Divine Power: 2,147,483,647]

Elania frowned as she processed the numbers. Were Celestial Engines limited to 32-bit or something? Did that mean [Divine Power] could overflow to be negative? She should have paid more attention to her high-school comp sci class. What the fuck.

She turned to Yolani. “My [Divine Power] is only in the thousands now,” she said, gesturing to the status screen. “And look at this—my previous maximum was in the billions.”

Yolani leaned in to scan the information. She shook her head. “I don’t know what standard numbers would look like,” she admitted. “But considering your current power is in the thousands, I suspect it has something to do with your interactions with the Celestial Engine.”

Darius nodded. “The [System] may be counting the remnants of the Celestial Engine’s power while you wielded them.”

Elania took a breath and looked at her two companions. “We need to be careful while navigating Contia,” she said firmly. “I doubt Arlois, or the other Towers will be any kinder than the Magistry.”