The next three days were spent on deploying Hold people into the new world, which we decided to call First Mortal World for ease of communication. Ningguang began her plan to not only control the economy but also revolutionize it. Astraea began to prepare countries and governments for eventual takeovers by controlling some people and putting out there some ideas that would be beneficial when we appear.
Yae's work would be most challenging as she had to create a new religion that, in a mere five years, needed to contend with those beliefs that existed for thousands of years.
The problem with many religions is that they are opposed to other beliefs, declaring that only their god exists and others are false, or even worse, push the believers to actively fight other religions. The Hold is not a religious force, so we won't ban existing religions. As for whether their believers will continue to believe in presumed gods over the factual ones, this is another question.
Yesterday, I explained my secret to those from First Mortal World who weren't present last time, and they were also shocked by the truth. They didn't take it as well as those before, and some of them even started to doubt my intentions with them. Due to that, I distanced myself slightly from them, and whatever will happen later is out of my hands.
Everyone new was slowly getting used to Hold, and while everything was going smoothly, they also started to comprehend things like differences in power and status. The most impactful moment for them was when they saw some of the memories my family showed them, getting to know not only my chronological age but also the story of my life.
I, meanwhile, got back to my work, and now I was in a meeting room talking about my upcoming visit to the Shinto gods of Astraea's world. Present here were Astraea, Loki, Artemis, and Riveria, with Jingliu and Cellinia as my Guards. We talked about what to expect from the Shinto Pantheon.
~"So they most likely want our protection?"
-"Yes."-Loki pointed to something on the dossier on the Shinto gods.-"Their Pantheon was probably one that was hit the most during the Ancient War, especially by joint attack of Hindu and Buddist pantheons that killed more than half of their gods."
-"It was quite tragic even for those times."-Astraea sighed.-"The greatest tragedy of our Pantheon was the loss of Hades and his hell to the Egyptian Pantheon. Back then, we lost only tens of gods, not hundreds like Shinto."
-"This, would it be possible to learn more about this subject later, Lady Astraea? There are many holes in the known history of the Ancient Era."
-"Sadly, all gods have vowed not to disclose some of those stories to mortals. If you want to learn more, you have to ascend, Riveria."
~"If I have free time later, I'll use Divination to compile the history of that world. I hope you can help me then."
-"Sure."-Riveria smiled at me, thanking me silently.
~"I'll meet with Shinto Pantheon a week later. If they want an alliance against other Pantheons, I'll reject them directly. As for cooperation with more peaceful purposes, it'll depend on the situation and demands."
-"That is the best way, but be careful. Shinto is not internally united. I'm afraid that you will become pulled into their conflicts and forced to pick one of the sides."
~"Sigh, of course, it would be so easy. Can you give me an overview of their situation, Loki?"
-"Shinto is divided into two divine lands, Tsuchi and Takamagahara. Takamagahara is home to Amatsukami and is ruled by Amaterasu, while Tsuchi is home to Kunitsukami, commanded by Susanoo. They are also two farces that are conflicted."
~"Hmm... Let me guess. One side wishes for revenge, while the other for peace?"
-"You hit the nail on its head. Amatsukami wishes for peace and to establish a Shinto presence in Orario, while Kunitsukami are opposed to 'tarnishing divine' by descending to the mortal world and wish for revenge."
-"Tarnishing Divine..."
~"Sound similar to the idea of those in the elven kingdom that you come from."
-"Indeed, that's why you should have your guard up, Yue. Your status and Aeon is not known there, so most consider you a strong mortal."-Riveria warned me seriously.-"You will be looked down upon by those gods if not outright dismissed or attacked."
~"I'll be careful but on the subject of your kingdom. Do you want my help? I heard you are being called back by your father."
-"This..."
-"Speak up, Riveria."
-"Sigh. Yue, can you marry me?"
This sudden confession stupified me for a moment.
~"I will be honored, but I would know why you suddenly asked it. I believe that while there are some feelings between us, those are still not enough for you to take such a step."
-"You are right. While I appreciate you as a friend and colleague, I wouldn't call it love, just simple attraction. The reason is the connection to me being called back. My father wants to marry me to some noble house to produce an heir to the throne finally."
~"Politics, huh? But why do you want to marry? I think that there are ways to resolve it without sacrificing yourself."
-"Because I want you to take that throne, to take elves from that world to your Spirit Empire, to be exact."
~"Why?"
-"My kingdom isn't in a great state. The nobles oppress those of 'low birth', treating them almost as slaves, rather than merit and qualification, bloodline matters, not to even mention the destructive ideas popularized by forces in charge."
~"So you want to change that. Sure, I'll do what's in my power to help you. But before we marry, I hope we can build more feelings between us."
-"Thank you."-Riveria bowed deeply.-"But for my plan to work, you will have to give me a title in your Spirit Empire."
~"I will. You should contact Malfurion and Tyrande to explain everything so that they can cooperate with your plan."
-"I'll do so later."
-"Let's return to the main subject."-Astraea brought us back.-"Artemis, I'll leave Yue in your care for those few days. Be careful during your stay in Shinto lands."
-"I'll make sure nothing happens to him."
~"I can defend myself just fine."
-"We are speaking about different kinds of danger."-Astraea looked at me with strange eyes.-"Why would I worry about your safety when you can kill all gods with no big trouble?"
~"Right..."
-"Aside from that, have a great time."-Astraea smiled at Artemis.
-"Thank you, Astraea."
Having finished the discussion, I read all the information Loki prepared on the Shinto gods, and after that, Artemis and I traveled to Orario.
~"I haven't been here for some time."~I looked around while walking out of the Hold's Fortress.~"Surprisingly, many things have changed."
-"This street has become the artery of Orario, as Tyche calls it."
~"Tyche, goddess of fortune and prosperity? I never knew you were close."
-"We are not."-Artemis smiled slightly and shook her head.-"Aside from Hestia and Astraea, I'm not close to anyone. Most of my relations are purely business ones, to help my familia."
~"Being goddess of wilderness and purity must be hard."
-"It's not always pleasant, but thanks to those, I now have a strong connection to you, so I feel lucky."
~"Right, calling you the goddess of Spirits wouldn't be that wrong. The wilderness and nature are sources of many Spirits while purity and Souls go hand in hand."
-"Don't forget the moon. It is something that we share, after all."
~"Celestial is not same as god."
-"That's even better. To me, you are my moon."
~"That's quite a romantic declaration."
Artemis reddened slightly and turned her head away.
~"To think that Artemis, goddess of hating men, would one day say such words to a man."
-"Stop..."
~"Especially when I remember our first meeting..."
-"Stop teasing me."-Artemis' ears turned red.
~"I'll think about it."
-"Mou..."
~"So what do we plan to do?"
-"I think neither of us wants to stay in the city, so how about going on some quest?"
~"Without your familia?"
-"Yes, just the two of us."
~"Never before did I have an adventure date, so why not."
-"I received a mission from Guild to check some ruins not long ago, so let's go there."
~"Sure, I'll limit my avatar to a similar state as yours."
-"Are you sure?"
~"Even after the limiting, I'm still stronger than even 10 lvl adventurer, so don't worry. Also, I can revert this limit in no time."
-"Then that's OK."
We soon left the Orario, and after summoning two sabercats from Emerald Dream to act as our mounts, we started our journey toward the Elsos Ruins. Despite the distance, the speed of the sabercats made it so we would need only one day to arrive there.
As we weren't in a rush, we decided to split the journey into two days, camping in the night to let the sabercats rest. Before sunset, we arrived in a small city surrounded by mists.
We encountered guards at the entrance, but upon sensing Artemis's divinity, they escorted us to their leader. Entering a house in the middle of the town, we were greeted by the four people sitting in front of us.
-"Welcome to Beltane. I'm Bheara, a goddess caring for the people of this land."
-"Welcome, Bheara. I'm Artemis, the goddess of the moon. This is my companion, Yue."
-"Artemis? Oh, to think I would meet the famous Pure Goddess here! But I'm not aware of a god named Yue."
~"I do not possess divinity."
-"Strange, how come I can feel that you are not mortal then?"-Bheara looked at me with clear interest.
~"I'm a Spirit."
-"What?! A Spirit!"-An elf sitting next to the goddess was first to react, standing up in shock.
-"What a day."-Bheara smiled happily-"You two must be the most interesting people I met in a long time."
-"We plan to travel to the Elsos Ruins tomorrow, but we would like to rest for the night. I hope you don't mind giving us a place to stay a night."
-"Don't worry, we will give you a free room, but in exchange, I hope that you won't mind sharing some stories from outside. We rarely get to know what is happening outside the mists."
~"Stories or facts?"
-"More fun, the better."
Seeing that the goddess was interested in entertainment rather than having some hidden purpose, I agreed to tell some tales I knew of. Bheara invited us to the feast that would be organized shortly, but before that, she tasked a member of her familia and princes of this place, Talvi, to show us around. The elf and one more person also followed us, acting as guards to the princess.
-"Divine, Your Excellency."
-"Just call me Artemis."
~"Right, feel free to call me Yue."
-"Thank you, Lady Artemis, Sir Yue."-Talvi bowed to us.-"Please, this way. The city might not be great, but I guarantee that something will catch your interest."
Talvi soon warmed up to us and started to act cheerfully, introducing us to people who approached us with a smile.
This city was not that big, but almost every person we met along the way was polite and treated us respectfully. Talvi also told us some local stories. While most of them were renditions of myths known around the world, one attracted my attention.
~"A spring of life, interesting."
-"Is something wrong with it?"
~"No, I believe that this tale is true. That's why it's so interesting. Such a place shouldn't come to be naturally, but I also don't believe that it wasn't created by the divine."
-"You think Spirits created it?"
~"It's only my feeling, but I would like to check it before we leave this place."
-"Sure, let's make a detour tomorrow."
-"Sir Yue, going to spring of life might be impossible."
~"Why so, Talvi?"
-"Because it's polluted by Swamp King."-Talvi showed a melancholic look for the first time since we met.
-"Princess..."
-"Don't worry, Lidari."
Seeing that this was a somewhat delicate subject, I decided to leave it alone for now. Soon, our tour around the town ended, and we returned to the center square, where now everything was prepared for the feast.
Deciding to uphold the promise we made to Bheara, I took out my zither and began to play while telling some stories I heard before. I used illusions to illustrate my narrations, and my performance quickly attracted both young and old. Bheara was also happy, sitting next to Artemis while listening.
The night quickly passed, and when the morning arrived, we started preparing for our departure.
-"Can't you stay here, Sir Yue?"
~"It won't be possible, Talvi. I promise that we will stop when we go back to Orario, but staying here is not an option."
-"Sigh."-Talvi sighed sadly, but suddenly, she looked at me with a shine in her eyes.-"I know! How about you stay one more day to visit the spring of life? I can take you there."
~"We plan to see it, but after seeing it, we will continue our travel."
-"Then can I go with you as a guide?"
-"Princes, please think of your safety."
-"Yes, don't do anything risky."
-"Lidari, Uskari, I want to do it."
-"Hmm, that is not a bad idea."-Bheara spoke to us after thinking about something.-"Yue, I wanted to ask, can you cleanse the pollution of the spring of life? As a Spirit, this should be possible."
~"I can do it."
-"Then please, could you help us? I will reward you, of course."
~"There is no need for a reward. I want to see if the spring originates from Spirits, so I would cleanse it regardless."
-"I see. How about us four accompanying you to the spring?"
~"Artemis?"
-"I don't mind, but how will they travel there?"
~"Do any of you know how to ride a horse?"
-"Yes, two of us can ride."-The Princess guards spoke.
~"Artemis, you will take Bheara, and Talvi will ride with me."
-"Please allow us to take Princess and Goddess."-Spoke Lidari.
~"I would propose that if not for the fact that we won't be riding horses."~I summoned four sabercats this time.~"Don't worry, they are trained, but still, be careful."
The sudden appearance of four beasts surprised them, but seeing that they were friendly, everyone soon dropped their guard.
-"Wow, so cute!"-Talvi began petting one sabercat.
-"Fascinating animal. Never knew something like that existed."-Bheara walked around another sabercat, looking at it curiously.
~"Those are sabercats."
-"Do they have names?"
~"Not those three, but this one."~I pointed to the sabercat by my side.~"She is called Elun'dris."
Hearing her name, the Elun'dris made a noise as if in greeting. While the remaining three sabercats were black Darnassian Nightsabers, Elun'dris was a special sabercat created by Eluna as a gift for me. She was the first animal of Emerald Dream and a spiritual ancestor to all other sabercats.
Appearance whies she looked like a white Mystic Runesaber that emanated the power of pure moonlight. I rarely used her as a mount, as teleportation was my preferred method of travel, but I would play with her from time to time.
After helping two guards get used to the mounts, we set out toward the spring of life.