Tantalizing smells permeated the central square of the holy city. Fire pits had been set up and were currently roasting various animals. Within the past few years, the culinary scene had drastically evolved, following the inception of spices from the south and specific herbs from the north. Many of the meats being grilled today were in one way or another treated with marinades or other taste enhancers. Mundus's stomach growled when the smell of grilled boar hit his nostrils. He sat at the royal table, with Apernora sitting next to him. A beautiful cut of wild pork sat in front of her, garnished with vegetables and white bread. Mundus had the same dish, the only difference being that his cut was almost twice as large as Apernora's. Despite the festive atmosphere, Mundus felt a certain gloom.

Once everyone had their dishes in front of them, Minsol stood up and projected his voice across the square. "Let the feast celebrating the crowning of Queen Stella begin!" Cheers rang out, as the people began digging into their meals. It was quite rare for the average person to eat meat, let alone meat that had been treated with various spices and herbs. Mundus took out an obsidian knife and cut off a piece of meat. At the moment, eating utensils hadn't been invented yet, so people would eat with their hands. It was also customary to use their knife to cut their food into smaller pieces. Mundus took a bite of the meat, and a delectable taste spread throughout his mouth. However, not even the delicious taste could quell his restless heart. Apernora glanced at him from the side of her eye before letting out a sigh. "Stop looking so serious. You look like you wish to kill someone." Mundus narrowed his eyes and shot her a glance, before closing them and letting out a long sigh, letting all tension escape his body. Apernora gave a small nod. "That's better. We are in public, so we must act accordingly."

Mundus shook his head helplessly and took another bite of the delectable meat. The cut was juicy, and when he bit down on it, he could feel the liquid gush out of the meat, spreading all across his tongue. Mundus idly thought it would be nice if he could eat this every day before his thoughts shifted back to a much more sinister topic. He turned to his wife, who was currently regally enjoying her meal. "Doesn't it bother you in the slightest? Our city has been supporting the capital with food for the past few years, to the point that the booming population became reliant on our grain, to the point that they would starve during winter without it. The city in the north actively imports grain from the south, because their food production is so abysmal. And yet Father chose Stella as his successor." Mundus gripped and released his fists while recounting these facts, the tasty meal before him temporarily forgotten about. Apernora continued eating unperturbed and gestured for him to do the same. "We both knew that it would come to this. It doesn't matter that our city is bigger, houses more citizens, and has greater crop yield. Even the fact that you protected your citizens by removing all nearby threats where Stella failed to do the same doesn't matter. The only thing that matters to Minsol, is that Stella is faithful and you aren't. Don't act like you weren't aware years ago how this would play out." Mundus let out a snort while chewing on his food.

Finally after swallowing he spoke. "It is one thing to know how it's going to end, it's another thing, to experience it firsthand. I guess a small part of me still held out hope." Mundus let out another heavy sigh while chomping down on a piece of bread that he used to gather the leftover meat juice at the bottom of his wooden plate. Apernora let out a soft chuckle and patted him on the shoulder. "Don't start sulking now. If anything, this is a good moment to talk with your siblings. You haven't seen some of them in years, and haven't had a proper conversation in longer. You should go talk with them. Meanwhile, I'll go and do the same." The feasts held within the holy city to celebrate special events weren't rigid, and it was even a custom to stand up and walk around, to socialize with people outside of their direct neighbors. Flashing a meaningful smile, Apernora stood up and turned, leaving Mundus alone with the last few bites of his food.

He followed Apernora with his gaze and saw her approach Inpar who seemed to be talking with his assistant. The assistant and his wife flashed each other a meaningful glance before Apernora turned to Inpar and started speaking with him. Mundus was too far to hear what they were talking about, but it seemed like they were just having a normal conversation. Mundus decided to finish his meal before standing up and heeding his wife's advice. Cheerful music and singing resounded around the square and some people had even started to dance. Mundus looked around himself. His brothers were busy dancing with their wives, while Feidi and Stella were also enjoying the feast with their companions. Minsol seemed to have left at some point, and his mother and adoptive aunt were by the fireplace, enjoying its warmth.

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It had been a long time since Mundus had been to the capital, and he could feel the passage of time. The streets were more crowded, and the houses and buildings extended farther out into the wilderness. Many of the nearby forests were replaced now with farmland. Suddenly Mundus was torn out of his reminiscence when he heard his name being called. "Hey Mundus, long time no see." A familiar voice called out to him from behind him. He turned, seeing one of his sisters approaching him. Natusoror smiled at him while handing him a waterskin. He looked down at it, before giving her a puzzled look. "This is mead, a new invention made by allowing fruits to spoil. It gives you warmth and lifts the spirits. Try it." Mundus raised a single eyebrow and gave the opening of the waterskin a sniff. "Are you sure that it's safe to drink if the fruits are spoiled?" Natusoror let out a chuckle and reassured him by taking the waterskin from his hands and taking a big gulp.

She scrunched her face, before letting out a cough. "See? Nothing happened to me." Mundus kept a vigilant look but took the waterskin nonetheless. He hesitated briefly, before shutting his eyes and taking a swig of the liquid contained within. The taste was bitter and pungent. After swallowing he had to cough and scowled. "Are you trying to poison me?" His sister merely laughed at him and took the waterskin from his hands, taking another sip. Mundus shook his head and smiled helplessly. However, it seemed like his sister had spoken the truth as he could slowly feel warmth spread from his stomach to his limbs. He took the waterskin from her hands, using his powers, and took another big sip of the mead. Once more the pungant taste of the mead assaulted his taste buds, but he didn't need to cough this time.

"Hey, I thought you didn't like it. Stop stealing my mead." Saying so, Natusoror playfully punched Mundus while taking back the waterskin. Mundus let out a soft chuckle while letting out a soft breath. He suddenly felt melancholic and felt like time had truly passed. It had been five years since he had last seen her, and he could see how she had changed during that time. Her demeanor became more mature and stable, and the last hints of adolescence had left her, leaving her with a fully mature charm. Mundus could only lament the lost years, striving for a goal that was never achievable in the first place. Naturoror seemed to pick up on his change in mood and poked him with a finger. "Hey, why are you so down? The mead is supposed to lift your spirits, not dampen them." Mundus let out a small chuckle. "Don't worry, I was just lost in thought is all." Mundus didn't know if it was the mead or something else, but he suddenly felt the need to ask a question.

"Hey Natusoror, do you think Father made the right choice?" Hearing his question, she raised one eyebrow quizzically. "What do you mean? Which choice did father make?" Mundus clarified. "I mean choosing Stella to be the ruler of mankind. Do you agree with his choice?" Suddenly Natusoror's demeanor drastically shifted. She narrowed her eyes and furrowed her brows. "I believe that Father is God's firstborn. You were there when Father brought Stella up to the temple. God Himself supports Stella, what more do you need?" At the end of her sentence, her voice dipped low and was close to being a growl. The silence seemed to stretch as both parties gazed at each other without speaking. Mundus's eyes were narrowed, but finally he relaxed his faced and let out a laugh. "Of course. If even God supports her, then there is nothing I can say." Mundus clapped her on the shoulder and turned. "Thanks again for the mead." Saying so, he left without turning back. The smile he previously held dropped and his face bore a grim determination.

He marched towards Inpar and Apernora, who were still whispering to each other. It seemed like they were discussing something private, as Inpar had his eyes narrowed and periodically scanned his surroundings. The assistant was to the side, waiting for the two to finish. Apernora seemed to be in her element, acting sly and coy, similar to how she acted when she wanted something from Mundus. Just when he was halfway on his path to his wife, Stella appeared next to him. She wore a smile and radiated warmth. "Hey Mundus, I just wanted to come and congratulate you on the city you have established in the south. I know that we were competitors previously, but I hope we can work together for the good of humanity going forward." Mundus was caught off guard by her sudden warmth. There was no way she wasn't aware of the rumors, that the southern city was a safe haven for nonbelievers, and given that she knew not all of her siblings were faithful, she should have been able to put two and two together.

He smiled awkwardly at her and replied in kind. "Of course, I congratulate you on becoming Queen." Saying so, he bowed his head slightly. Stella seemed to nod in satisfaction before parting ways. "Well, I don't want to keep you from enjoying the feast. Have fun." Stella waved over her shoulder while walking past him. Unbeknownst to Mundus, as soon as her shoulder passed his, her smile dropped, mirroring the action of Mundus on the other side. Both wore grim and determined expressions while walking further from each other. The official competition might be over, but the final winner hadn't been decided yet.