Chương 2: The Festival of the Gods

Nerez clasped his hands behind his back and took a few steps away from the half-open gates, as though trying to distance himself from the scene of the crime. But it was already too late. All eyes were on him.

"What happened here..." Nerez jolted as the voice of the long-bearded old man, who should still have been on the distant dais, came from right behind him. When he turned around, he found that the old man was now only a few meters away, examining the colossal double gate from top to bottom. But what nearly made him fall backward was that the girl who seemed to shine with a light of her own had also appeared beside the old man, as if out of nowhere.

She was looking directly at him, and her gaze seemed to pierce all the way into his soul.

"The gates of Eferion open only when the Festival of the Gods begins. This is a case without precedent..." After saying that, the old man turned around, and his bright emerald eyes also settled on him. Under both gazes, Nerez noticed that they shared the same eyes, which seemed to reflect spring itself. But while the old man's hair and beard were white, the girl's hair was the color of cherry blossoms.

Though the girl kept that serious gaze fixed on him, which was uncomfortable enough, the old man closed his eyes and shook his head to himself.

"Coincidence or not, no one may leave the Hall of Dawns until the explanation is over. Calm down already, Nereziel."

"Nereziel? How presumptuous..."

"He's not even a god. What insolence."

"I think he gave himself that name. It'll be funny when he fails..."

"When he fails? He's been causing trouble from the start. They should have failed him already." Nerez did not ask how the old man knew his name. [Zorovan] [God of Life] [Supreme God] [Overgod of Ferendil] [First Seat of the Primordial's Council] There was much more Nerez could see in his Godscript, but the titles that had appeared were already enough to make one thing clear: he could not afford to disrespect the being before him.

"Excuse me, Your... Excellency...?" Nerez began, somewhat hopeful after hearing the voices around him.

"With all the trouble I've caused, wouldn't it be better if you failed me? I would accept your decision and go my own way. Perhaps I'll become a simple farmer in some remote corner..."

"Fail you?" Zorovan replied, stroking his long beard.

"Only the Divine Order can decide who ascends as a god and who returns to where they came from. And there are only those two options." Nerez's blood ran cold. Return to where he came from... did that mean going back to the sea of souls? Had he not really escaped? He was sure he had crossed the barrier... or would he be condemned to wander the void stretching beyond it?

"In any case, it seems someone has very high hopes for you. You were not given that name without reason. I hope you do not disappoint."

"Huh...?" Many of those around them did not appreciate those words, but Zorovan merely smiled before vanishing with the girl and reappearing with her on the distant dais. The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"Very well, I hope by now you've all become at least somewhat familiar with the Godscript," Zorovan addressed the entire hall once more.

"As I just mentioned, it is the Divine Order that will decide the fate of the seats available in the newborn world of Eryndea, but that does not mean you need not prove your worth."

"Eryndea?" Nerez only half listened to the old man's words. He was still confused by what he had just heard about his name. But even more than that, he was terrified by the idea that the so-called Divine Order, or whatever it was, might send him back to the sea of souls... In other words, return him to the eternal cycle of dying and being born again without losing his memory: "the blessing of the Goddess of Fate."

Out of the corner of his eye, he looked at the half-open gate behind him, but for the moment he decided not to interact with it. He did not want to draw any more attention to himself.

"The Divine Order, through your Godscripts, will assign each of you your respective challenges. These will depend on the type of god you have the potential to become." Zorovan's gaze swept across the vast hall. Under it, many swallowed hard. For their part, the brown-haired young man and the golden-braided girl beside him nodded, and not far from them a girl with blood-red twintails merely covered a yawn with her hand.

In the distance, leaning against one of the gigantic columns, a tall man with fiery hair smiled confidently at a silver-eyed girl, who averted her gaze.

"Only once you prove that you are the ideal candidate for a given seat... or once the rest of the aspirants disappear, will the Divine Order invest you with your divine titles." Nerez disliked that pause immensely. He already knew what it meant. But more importantly, if he had understood correctly, they were going to compete for certain "positions" in a world called Eryndea.

"Maybe if I get some minor title, like god of the chair or something like that, I can stay under the radar and, at the same time, avoid going back to the cycle of reincarnation..." Nerez clenched his hand into a fist, full of resolve.

"I'll spend the entire challenge sitting down! That will prove there is no better candidate to become the god of the chair than me!"

"Pfft!" The young woman leaning against the pillar could not help letting out a small laugh, confusing the fiery-haired man beside her.

"However, there is one exception." Those who had begun whispering among themselves all turned toward Zorovan at once after those words. He gestured with his hand to the girl standing beside him. She, who had remained a few steps behind the old man, walked forward until she stood at the front.

"My name is Lirien. It is a pleasure to be here, and a true honor to have been chosen to carry out such an important mission in Eryndea." Lirien inclined her head in greeting to the crowd.

"She is my granddaughter, and she was the first to be chosen as a goddess of Eryndea by the Divine Order." [Goddess of Life] [Absolute Goddess] [Zorovan's Blood] [Eryndea's First Chosen] Just as in Zorovan's case, the Godscript showed Nerez a series of titles, along with plenty of other information that mattered very little to him at the moment.

"Smells like nepotism... not that it's really any of my business," Nerez whispered to himself with a shrug.

"Gods of life are always an exception, since without us it is very difficult for a new world to arise. The Divine Order chooses us purely by aptitude," Zorovan continued explaining.

"However, that kind of exception ends here," Lirien stated in turn.

"Once in Eryndea, each god chosen must stand on their own, and in that respect we are all equal."

"Though, speaking purely as a grandfather, I ask that you be kind to her," Zorovan added with a smile as he stroked his long beard. After some laughter and applause, mixed with anxious looks from those hoping to gain some favor and others filled with rivalry, Zorovan's granddaughter offered a slight bow in farewell and returned to her position behind her grandfather.

"Very well, that is all for today. Now it is time for you to rest from your long journey, or in the case of some, from your sudden appearance in this place." After saying that, a mischievous spark crossed the deity's wrinkled face.

"But while it is true that you may rest, and that your respective challenges will be decided tomorrow... the Festival of the Gods begins now!" As he said that, the gigantic gates of the hall began to open on their own with a crash that stirred commotion among those present.

"At this very moment, the gates of Eferion connect to Eryndea, the newborn world under the supervision of the Primordial's Council." All around Nerez, excitement began to rise. Some clasped their hands expectantly, while others smiled with quiet confidence. Almost no one noticed that Zorovan's granddaughter was nowhere to be seen.

"Just as the god of the sky generally rules over the god of wind, you are free to begin forming your own factions before the challenges. Who knows, perhaps the ascension of an ally, or of a leader, may help you yourselves attain godhood."

"Factions...?"

"That will be all for now, chosen souls. We shall meet again in Eryndea, before your respective challenges begin!" Nerez looked around. Many already had groups or pairs formed beforehand and were leaving the Hall of Dawns together, amid laughter and looks heavy with longing and excitement.

"Nah... the god of the chair doesn't need the god of the table to be chosen! Either way, I'll keep an eye out, just in case anyone would look good on four legs..."

"Tch, who gave you permission to stand out more than me?" Nerez heard a whisper in his ear, but when he turned around, all he managed to catch was a glimpse of two red twintails disappearing into the departing crowd.