The gods possessed the strength to turn the heavens and the earth upside down. Leylinâs divine ability, Warp Reality, made a joke of things such as innate talent or aptitude.
Even as the boy was stupefied, some changes manifested on Lonceâs body. Before the youth even had the time to express his gratitude, Leylinâs prophetic words ended and he fainted immediately.
The incident caused a stir all around them. The priests saw the imprint Leylin left behind on the boy, and knew what to do next.
âIâll most likely get another zealot once news of Ericâs end reaches his earsâŚâ Leylin stroked his chin.
Gods had a myriad of complex tasks to accomplish everyday, and from one point of view Leylinâs actions just now were a net loss. However, his worshippers needed a boost in morale from time to time. Since Eric and his family were being destroyed anyway, he chose to reveal his divine presence.
âLetâs use their demise to announce my arrival.â A freezing radiance was emitted from Leylinâs eyes.
Umberlee had put him in contact with the orc gods, and their greater god Gruumsh welcomed his arrival. Though, that being said, the orcs wouldnât reject anyone who wanted to team up with them to fight two greater gods.
However, things were different when Malar was brought up. Gruumsh had an ambiguous attitude at best, expressing helplessness in Leylinâs conflict with the God of the Hunt. The most he could do was remain neutral.
However, his reactions made Leylin feel like Malarâs relationship with the orc gods was closer than his.
However, that was quite easy to understand. The orc and beast gods were of the same faction, and there was an intrinsic foundation for their cooperation. Malar had been a longtime ally, and he would be more reliable than a stranger like Leylin. However, these gods had misunderstood Leylinâs thoughts. Malar didnât qualify to be Leylinâs enemy. He was mere prey, and not something he paid any mind to.
Leylinâs gaze instead pierced through space, entering New Silverymoon, âIgnorant plebeian, you dare eye my property!â
The body and soul of a saintess were the personal property of the deity they served, and this was true across all alignments and churches. Eric daring to harbour thoughts of defiling Barbara was blasphemy!
Leylin hadnât found a suitable opportunity to establish his presence and dignity before, but Eric had now come knocking on his door. Wasnât it akin to committing suicide? Even with all its legendaries and hidden branches, the dukedom was just a bunch of ants in the eyes of a god.
âWell, itâs about time to let my main body through, so Iâll need some test subjects as wellâŚâ Leylin smiled, as if seeing the fall of Ericâs house.
.
âŚâŚ
Earl Eric had no idea of this star of death shining brightly over his house, and his high spirits hadnât been dampened in the least. His malicious schemes and plans had led Rafiniya and the paladins under her to clamp down on the Neon Merchant Group, and theyâd obtained fantastic results. His rage had calmed down.
âI wonât have to wait much longer before Anya comes knocking on my door, do I?â Eric stroked his chin, anticipation in his eyes. Heâd been longing for the rose of the Bane Family for a while now.
âThat saintess wonât be long either⌠I havenât tasted a saintess yetâŚâ Suddenly, Ericâs body seemed to blaze with passion, and a small stream of heat flowed to his lower abdomen.
âMy lord!â a voice interrupted just as Eric was about to get some maids to vent his lust. It was his old butler.
âWhat is it?â he asked with impatience, âSpeak!â If the old butler had nothing of import, he would be taught an unforgettable lesson.
âThe master is back. Heâs waiting for you in the study.â However, the butler only took a sentence to calm Eric down immediately. It was like cold water was poured down on the boy.
Ericâs grandfather was a duke of the Silverymoon Alliance, a legendary wizard who managed the cityâs consulate. He was on the same level as Old Mage Elminster, the two having studied together in the past. Put bluntly, he was the pillar of support for the entire family.
Eric seemed very powerful as he flaunted his authority, but he was nothing before his grandfather. Just a word from the man would strip him of all authority.
âI⌠Iâm on my way!â Eric straightened out his clothes in a hurry; the duke never liked his descendants being tardy or messy. At the same time, the burning desire in his eyes was replaced by a fawning gaze.
It didnât take long for Eric to stand before his grandfather in the study. The duke had a goosefeather quill in hand, and was continuously scribbling away at a pile of documents.
âEricâŚâ It took over a dozen minutes for Eric to hear his grandfatherâs voice, his knees on the verge of buckling. It wasnât loud, but it carried a strange power that caused the young noble to straighten his back immediately.
âI hear youâve been quite happy recently, forging close ties with the paladins of the God of Justice. Especially Rafiniya, youâve allowed her to gain many contributions!â A hint of mockery appeared in the corner of the Dukeâs eyes.
âForgive me, Lord Grandfather. Iâm only doing this for the sake of workâŚâ Eric replied feebly.
âLet me make this clear first: the Lady of Hope holds power equivalent to mine, she isnât someone you can covet. Now moving on⌠Have you been clamping down on the Neon Merchant Group as of late?â
Ericâs body trembled as he tried to reply, his back being drenched in cold sweat, âYou know, Grandfather⌠Theyâre fugitives from New Silverymoon, Iâm only performing my dutyââ
âNo matter what it is, stop now!â the duke interjected.
âBut why?â Eric felt somewhat repressed. Although he had his own plans when dealing with the Neon Merchant Group, heâd also kept the expansion of the family in mind.
âThe Neon Merchant Family is backed by the Giant Serpent Church. One should always show respect when dealing with a god!â Had the old duke known of Ericâs lust for Barbara, his words would not have been this calm. Right now, he only felt extreme weariness. His work in the consulate took up too much of his time, and heâd remained stagnant without advancing.
âIâve expanded the family enough. We donât need to grow further, we should focus on stabilising ourselves.â The duke rubbed the bridge of his nose. âThink carefully about what I said⌠Do not try to provoke a faction that has the backing of a god! The results will not be prettyâŚâ
âYes, Lord Grandfather.â Eric bowed and retreated from the study roomâŚ
The youth only started howling after heâd returned to his own room. âWHY?â he roared like a beast, âWhen Iâm just about to succeedâŚâ
âMy Lord!â the maidservant Eric doted on the most ran in, her face filled with worry, âWhat happened?â
âWho let you in?â
It was then that the maid saw a pair of bestial eyes staring at her, icy and filled with murderous intent. An ear-piercing scream sounded out, but it quickly faded as everything returned to normalâŚ
A hidden passage opened up some time later, and the Shadow Hound Gloff walked out.
âMasterâŚâ The owner of the Blackmoon Merchant Group took off his black robes, revealing animal hide and a body laced with fat as he greeted Eric with respect. The corpse on the floor did not faze him at all.
âHurry and dispose of it, do not let it taint my room any furtherâŚâ Eric kicked the maidâs corpse away, her once soft and supple body already growing brittle.
âAs you wish, Master!â Gloff moved to obey. However, he stopped for a moment in hesitation, âAlso, Master, do we continue suppressing the Neon Merchant Group?â
âHmm?â Eric frowned, before throwing a flower vase at Gloffâs head. A loud shattering noise sounded, and blood spilled to the floor. âSo you got the news too. Well, arenât you quite loyal? Donât forget who it is that reared a dog like you!â
Fear entered Gloffâs expression as Eric bellowed in rage. However, the halfblood was instead feeling more misery than fear in his heart. No matter how powerful he seemed in the darkness, Gloff knew he was only a lackey that Eric could dispose of anytime. If Eric grew annoyed with him, heâd end up like the maid in a matter of seconds.
âOf course not, Master, how could I have the guts?! Youâre the greatest power in my eyes!â Gloff bowed his head and put on a fawning expression. He was almost licking Ericâs boots.
âListen upâŚâ Ericâs breathing resumed a regular pace. He viewed Gloff with a higher importance than the maidservant earlier.
âOur plans must go on⌠Only now, it should be kept secret from the others. Continue with our actions until the Neon Merchant Group yields. Is that understood?â There was no way Gloff did not understand Ericâs intentions. However, if he did not obey he would die. The Shadow Hound valued his own life over the dukeâs commands, so he immediately agreed.