Chapter 24: Before the First Dawn

“My servant, huh… honestly, I doubt it. I’m not exactly looking for servants of any kind right now… By the way, you can stand up already.”

“I already serve my lady Selene, so in that sense I serve you as well. But I do believe you should seek more servants, Lord Nereziel,” Belkar replied as he rose to his feet. “With only a mere lesser god at your side, people will look down on you.”

“What? Are you trying to sell me a fight? Because I’m buying.”

Once again, Cerys moved to extend her hand and summon her Eidolon, but remembering the earlier incident, she stopped and cast Nerez a sidelong glance.

“Don’t you dare,” he sighed from behind her. “I just got this manor. I’m not destroying it on the first day.”

“You needn’t worry either, Belkar,” Selene said. “While I also believe Nerez should increase his personal retinue sooner rather than later, for now there is no issue.”

“My lady, including me, you already have several gods under your command. It is the same with the five major gods,” Belkar insisted. “Even if Lord Nereziel is one of the three absolute gods, if he is taken by surprise with only a single lesser god at his side…”

As expected from the god of assassins, a situation like that is the first thing his mind goes to…

Nerez felt another chill run down his spine.

“Lesser god, lesser god, lesser god… Nerez, can I decapitate him? It’ll be over in a second, and I’ll clean the carpet if you want.”

“Of course not.”

“Tch.”

“Given how skilled you are at gathering information, you surely already know that the Crimson Calamity was infamous in her days as an immortal, and that she was the other candidate for the domain of death,” Selene explained. “But now she has not only ascended to godhood, she also benefits from serving the god of death. And I assume you’ve noticed the equipment she’s wearing.”

“Yes, of course, but I thought it was merely a gift from Lord Nereziel. I did not expect her to really know how to take advantage of it…”

Nerez had to grab Cerys by the scruff of the neck to stop her from lunging at the patron god of thieves and assassins.

“I hate to admit it, but our recent little clash made it clear that all of that really adds up. I believe she can hold her own against gods above her rank.”

The moon goddess’s unexpected words calmed the redhead down a little.

“If you say so, my lady, then I have no choice but to admit my mistake,” Belkar conceded with an apologetic bow. “Lord Nereziel, forgive me for doubting your servant.”

“Me…?”

Well, I only made her my servant so I wouldn’t be left with a bad taste in my mouth, but I’d better keep quiet…

“And what about apologizing to me?!”

Cerys’s eyes looked more spark-filled than usual, as though they were about to burst into flames.

“Cerys, at a more appropriate time, I would be more than happy to duel you.”

“That doesn’t sound like an apology… But it’s exactly what I wanted!”

Now that Selene mentions it… Cerys had said something similar when she came back to life. Benefits from being my Soulwarden? In her skills? In her stats? At some point, I’d have to check her information in the Godscript… but now is not the time. I’m not in the mood for surprises…

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

“Whether it’s duels or anything else, it won’t be happening right now,” Nerez cut in. “Selene, those were your two matters, weren’t they?”

“Don’t worry, for now I’ll let you rest. You did just come back from the battle royale, after all. It’s been a long day for you,” the goddess said. “But I’ll be visiting over the next few days, up until the ceremony.”

“Ugh…”

“Of course, nothing complicated, just so we can get to know each other better,” Selene added as she headed for the door, with Belkar following behind her. “After all, both of us have to set out and secure our domains.”

“Our domains?”

“Yours is the underworld and its river of death, as we discussed. Mine is the moon and the kingdom I must build upon it, expelling any unwanted guests who still remain there. The same applies to you, of course.”

“Unwanted guests…”

***

Aren, who had ascended as the god of war, had managed to find a place in one of the rows of seats closest to the center of the Genesis Vault, the colossal dome where the Ceremony of Beginnings was taking place.

The first row was reserved for the five major gods, those who would reign over the sun, the moon, the earth, the sea, and the sky.

“And the god of time?” Vilkie asked beside him.

“I heard he was invited by the mediators, but ignored them,” Aren replied with a shrug.

“Do you think we’ll be able to talk to Nerez after this?”

“I doubt it. He’s His Exaltedness, the god of death, now, after all. In fact, I think we should call him Lord Nereziel.”