Wepwawet reread the Miracle description for what must have been the third time in a row.

Underworld Escape

Rank 12 Ritual

Revive a dead Champion back to full health and vigor at a designated spot within your Influence. The Champion's old remains are destroyed in the process, and equipment does not come back with them.

This was it. A free resurrection with no catch or obvious downside besides the mana cost. True, it would only work on Champions, but that would fit his needs perfectly. It was simply one of the most powerful and straightforward Miracles Wepwawet had seen yet.

Which meant it had to come with some heavy strings attached.

"Are you sure you would part with something so useful?" Wepwawet asked Ishtar with heavy skepticism.

"I have another lower-ranked Miracle to raise my dead, but I don't think the cost will fit your tastes, Sweetpup," Ishtar replied with a dangerous smirk. Of course she would keep a back-up revival Miracle of some kind. "I'd be willing to part with this one for one of your Miracles… and a small favor between future friends."

Wepwawet clenched his jaw. Here came the difficult part. "Let me guess, you want me to flub the Alexandrite contest and let you take over Lavaland?"

"No, no, nothing so obvious," Ishtar replied, much to Wepwawet's surprise. "I actually intend to significantly downplay my own contribution at the contest specifically to lull participants into a false sense of safety. I'll shine, make no mistake about that, but nowhere near as brightly as I could."

So Wepwawet wasn't the only one who had noticed the danger of showing off in front of half their classmates. Ishtar was smart and deceptive enough to keep her cards close to her chest, though the fact that she was unwilling to gamble to gain control over a weakened civilization surprised Wepwawet. This didn't make much sense, unless…

"You want a secret military alliance," Wepwawet guessed. Deception was the mother of warfare.

"I do." Ishtar nodded sharply. "Most importantly, I want your sworn oath that you will let my troops pass through Lavaland and into the Republic of Valentine when the war begins. This will let my Zoramesh Empire take them by surprise from the north and bypass their western fortifications."

"The war?" Wepwawet choked. "Which war?"

"The one I'm going to start anytime soon." Ishtar glanced at her polished nails. "My civ and Epona's have been trapped in a cycle of conflicts for centuries, and they were in the process of setting the stage for another round when we arrived on Elphion. Since Pele can't maintain the peace between us anymore, I intend to strike first."

"But why?" Wepwawet asked. All these conflicts sounded so pointless to him. "Why begin a conflict when we still have Beelzebub to deal with and much more to gain from cooperating with each other!"

"What are you talking about?" she replied with a light chuckle. "I am cooperating with Axo, and I would like to cooperate with you."

"For the purpose of betraying your friend." Wepwawet had to admit he found Ishtar's ruthlessness appalling. "I've heard you and Epona didn't get along among your girl posse, but planning an attack on her civilization is beyond the pale."

"What are you talking about? I like Epona. It's nothing personal." Ishtar seemed almost bemused by his reaction. "See, you're wrong: I do not have much to gain from cooperating with Epona. My civilization faces hard geographic limitations alongside a dire need for raw material to begin its industrial revolution. Epona's civ has already begun to modernize its economy and will outpace mine unless I kick it down a notch."

"That doesn't change the fact that a war isn't even necessary," Wepwawet countered. He wasn't afraid to dirty his hands if he had to, but a true commander never lost sight of the bigger picture. "I could serve the same role of peacemaker Pele used to occupy if you're afraid of a conflict with Epona."

"And then what?" Ishtar shrugged. "Besides the fact your weakened military will be stretched thin maintaining order in both Verglane and Lavaland, we have no idea how long it will take for each Incursion to strike. What if the next one hits in a century? And even if we kick Beelzebub and his kind off the face of Elphion, then what do you think will happen once we run out of common foes to ally against?"

Wepwawet crossed his arms and mulled over her words. As much as he disliked it, she had a point. This remained a competition while Incursion battles remained very brief and occasional alliances against common foes. The whole Lavaland-Verglane feud had shown him that not all grievances could be forgotten so easily and that distrust endured.

"Moreover, trade can only reallocate so many resources," Ishtar pointed out. "It is inevitable that some countries monopolize key advantages and build them up over time. Valentine's geographic location and advantages will cause Epona's civilization to end up in a much better position than mine unless I do something right now."

"Even so, there should be other options than war," Wepwawet countered. Besides the danger it presented to their unified front against the Titans, many mortals would perish no matter the outcome. "Economic sabotage and pressure might prove just as effective."

Ishtar raised an eyebrow. "That's quite a surprising response from a god of soldiers."

"I wage wars when I must, and when I do I win them," Wepwawet countered. "I otherwise consider direct conflicts to be a waste of resources and a last resort."

"Interesting take, but my only loyalty is to my civilization, Sweetpup… and shouldn't that be the case for you?" Ishtar put a hand on her waist. "What does it matter what happens far beyond your borders if it allows you to revive your Champions? Shouldn't their wellbeing come first?"

Wepwawet kept his mouth shut. Verglane's interests would always come first in his mind, and he dearly wanted his mortal Champions to return, but a god could see farther than mortals. Short-lived advantages often carried prohibitive long-term costs.

"Anyway, Sweetpup, I gave you my offer. I would like us to be friends." Ishtar dared to lasciviously stroke his cheek. "Maybe even more than that one day…"

"I'll pass," Wepwawet replied as he slapped her hand away without hesitation. She was attractive, but he had heard the tales about Ishtar's long list of unfortunate lovers, mortal or otherwise.

"So icy… but suit yourself." The goddess pulled back. "Think this through carefully. I never ask twice."

Wepwawet kept his mouth shut as Hercules chose this moment to leave the showers and head to his locker. He whistled upon seeing Ishtar invading Wepwawet's personal space, which annoyed the latter and delighted the former.

"This discussion shall of course stay between us even if you intend to deny my offer," Ishtar whispered in his ear. "If you speak of my plans to anyone, Sweetpup, I'll know, and there will be consequences. Disagreements won't get in the way of a fruitful long-term relationship, but indiscretion will."

Wepwawet snorted as he watched her leave with absolute confidence and swaying hips. Those words weren't just for show. He could tell Ishtar believed without a shred of doubt that he would accept her offer.

Such baffling arrogance!

"I didn't take you for a heartbreaker, Wepy," Hercules commented upon opening his locker. "First your cousin, now that bombshell?"

"I swear she ambushed me!" Wepwawet protested. His friends would never let him live it down if they learned! "They both ambushed me!"

"Relax, I'm just teasing you," Hercules replied with a wink, though his smile quickly faded as he gave Wepwawet serious advice. "Fair warning, however. That gal reminds me of Medea for some reason, and that's a red flag in my book."

Wepwawet could have guessed that on his own. "How red?"

"Bloody," Herc replied bluntly. "Your life's biggest mistake would be to fuck her, and your second biggest would be to cross her. She's a dangerous woman."

Wepwawet couldn't exactly argue with that. Nonetheless, he couldn't deny Ishtar's proposal was indeed pretty appealing. Having a surefire way of reviving his dead Champions was a tempting advantage, and Ishtar all but dropping out of the Lavaland Miracle contest would significantly improve his odds of victory.

Moreover, having Ishtar as an ally could prove useful against Horus. His cousin seemed determined to oppose him over the heirship issue, with no peaceful settlement in sight yet. Wepwawet couldn't trust Ishtar—especially considering she was plotting to backstab Epona—but a formal alliance would at least reduce the chances that she would oppose him in the future and strengthen the power block he had already formed with Artemis and Ganesha. It might even benefit the former considering the Zoramesh Empire bordered Shadazar, whose changeling corsairs continued to bedevil her land. Ishtar's support could threaten Anansi into reeling in his civilization.

However, agreeing to Ishtar's proposal meant making an enemy of Epona and whatever allies she had already gathered, which would inevitably cause issues near Lavaland's borders should he end up taking over the region; not to mention the fact that it would foster a conflict between the class' emerging power blocks.

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"This is going to be another giant mess, isn't it?" Wepwawet complained out loud, with Herc giving him a pat on the head in sympathy.

True to their fiery nature, the magmorians' royal archives didn't contain any books.

It still remained the largest equivalent to a library Victoire had ever visited. Rows upon rows of shelves filled with stone and clay tablets took up a large part of the palace's eastern wing under the glow of braziers. A host of magmorian curators took care of cleaning them or carving copies of their ancient texts.

Interestingly, the library also doubled as a museum of some sort. Ancient magmorian artifacts—such as the first obsidian axe ever carved or pieces of armor belonging to long-dead soldiers—gathered dust in these halls; and one particular exhibition had caught Victoire and her squire's attention. Objects dated from over a thousand years back in the past were displayed on pedestals here, from shattered shields with closed eyes to sinister blackstone staves which Victoire immediately recognized.

"These artifacts feel familiar, milady," Filou pointed out.

"They are," Victoire replied upon glancing at her shield. The same closed eye symbol showed up on a few of these ancient relics. "These are the same lunarian-related devices we found in Verglane."

"We've reached the same conclusion, my dear Victoire," Renarde said as she joined them with Jasper. The both of them carried a wealth of stone tablets under their arms for future studies. "These objects all come from the same ancient civilization."

"These relics are older than magmorian recorded history," Jasper added. "It is said that Fire Sultan Onyx dug them up from beneath the earth during the last days of the Winter Age."

"The Winter Age?" Filou repeated. "Didn't Goreville mention something like that?"

"He did," Victoire confirmed. "The lunarian that Goreville fought in Promesse mistook him for Grand-Loup and wondered how he survived that period, whatever that means."

"Well, I am happy to say we finally found the answer," Renarde said with a smile. "Jasper, if you would?"

"As I've told Renarde, we magmorians don't reproduce like you folk do," Jasper explained. "Most of us spontaneously arise from the depths of Mount Sunfire's magma. The Fire Sultan knew how to craft unique members of our kind by molding stone, gems, and metal with his bare hands, then infusing the resulting child with the Sacred Flame's glow. They are the magmorian nobility, stronger, better, and fairer than all others."

"While the magmorians that arise spontaneously form the common class?" Victoire guessed. "Like you, Jasper?"

"Like me." Jasper let out a breath of smoke. "Once upon a time, a commoner marrying a noble princess would have been unheard of without significant achievements."

"According to Princess Topaz and Lord Wepwawet's information, the Sacred Flame is a chunk of blackstone five to six miles in diameter," Renarde said. "Considering blackstone's magical properties, it is fair to assume its sorcerous psychic radiations created the magmorian race."

"Fire Sultan Onyx was the first to arise from Mount Sunfire's womb over a thousand years ago," Jasper said. "When he tried to leave the mountain, he found that the world outside was frozen in ice and too cold even for him. Our lord was frustrated, but when he saw that Mount Sunfire's breath warmed up the sky and land, he knew the snow would one day melt. It took over a century, but flame eventually prevailed over ice."

Victoire stroked her chin. "So the Winter Age was a period where Elphion was covered in ice around a thousand years back during the early days of the magmorian civilization?"

"Here is what I gathered." Renarde put down the tablets and drew a scroll from beneath her robes. She unfolded it to reveal a handwritten chronological timeline stretching back centuries in the past. "Over a thousand years ago, an ancient and powerful civilization existed on the continent. Considering the presence of blackstone as far as Mortis or the lighthouse in the northern sea, we can assume two things. One, it covered all of Elphion; and two, it was ruled by the lunarians and built on the backs of slaves."

"Slaves that eventually rebelled," Victoire said. "My shield and other weapons from that time glowed when near lunarians. I could feel their creators' hatred for them when we fought in Promesse."

Jasper's eyes gleamed with suspicion. "If these weapons were found in both Verglane and Lavaland, then all of Elphion must have been up in arms."

"A time of turmoil engulfed the lunarian civilization, which culminated in a massive cataclysm that trapped Elphion in ice for over a century," Renarde said. "Based on the magmorians legends of the Sacred Flame having come from the stars, it's possible—though unverified—that it impacted Elphion and contributed to the disaster."

"I find it very suspicious that a series of natural disasters would strike right as the lunarians were facing a worldwide slave revolution," Victoire pointed out. "There's also the fact that the ice that trapped Grudu had to appear suddenly, and the lunarians kept a Terraformer hidden in Promesse."

Renarde folded her scroll. "You believe there is a correlation?"

"Or coordination," Jasper said grimly. All eyes turned in his direction. "These lunarians work with that Whiro monster that we fought during the Incursion, right?"

"Yes," Victoire confirmed. "The lunarian god Beelzebub works with the Titans, according to Lord Wepwawet."

"If the lunarians are anything like this Whiro, then they don't care about collateral damage so long as the enemy dies," Jasper said. "Maybe they were losing the war so badly they resorted to destroying the very land they were fighting over."

As much as Victoire disliked it, that possibility had merit. The lunarian in Promesse survived centuries in stasis and Bernard's autopsy of it showed that its brain continued to work even post-mortem. These creatures might have simply decided to outlive their foes when they couldn't best them in battle.

"Call it a gut feeling or a warrior's intuition, but I don't think this Winter Age cataclysm was natural either," Victoire said. "The lunarian in Promesse clearly designed the Sacred Source there as some sort of refuge, which implies a degree of preparation."

"It is fair to assume that both the lunarians and blackstone come from beyond this world based on the information we've gathered," Renarde said after pondering this information. "I suppose a powerful magical ritual could have called the Sacred Flame from the sky, but the sorcery required is beyond anything we've seen."

"They could have used a beacon," Filou suggested. "Like a lighthouse calling a ship home."

A terrible chill traveled down Victoire's spine. She exchanged a look with her fellow Verglanian Champions, who swiftly reached the same dreaded conclusion.

"What?" Jasper asked. "What's with all the faces?"

"We've found a lunarian lighthouse beacon whose purpose remains a mystery in our territory," Renarde replied.

Jasper immediately caught on. "You think it's related to the Winter Age cataclysm?"

"I don't know," Victoire said, "But I fear that if the lunarians indeed caused this Winter Age once, then they could do so again. Studying every ruin we find should be one of our top priorities."

Victoire would relay this information to Lord Wepwawet as soon as she could—if he hadn't heard it already. She had the feeling a dangerous calamity might befall them in the future.

A pity the Fire Sultan's death had deprived them of a direct witness to the Winter Age. Renarde intended to review his notes with Princess Topaz's permission in case he left any useful information behind to his heirs.

However, the lunarian issue remained a long term problem, and the Lavaland dispute still occupied most of her thoughts. Kale soon rejoined his fellow Champions in the library with his report.

"The priests and Champions agreed to a meeting tomorrow morning under Sultana Alexandrite's auspices," Kale said. "They only want one representative for each god to avoid any risk of violence. I obviously nominated you as our representative, Victoire."

"Wise call," Victoire replied. "What did you think of the delegations?"

"They're about what I expected," her friend replied. "The demon delegation was all polite courtesies and empty words. I don't trust them. Valentine's men nearly refused to see me when they learned I was a Glarmes, and though they eventually relented, they kept sending me suspicious glances during our entire audience."

It didn't surprise Victoire much. The Glarmes were the last remnant of Valentine's old monarchist party, and the old leadership always plotted to retake the country one day. The Republic's people would always give them a wide berth. She briefly wondered how they would react if they learned she descended from their last king, though she intended to keep that information to herself.

They had enough issues to deal with without reigniting another ancient feud.

"The giants tried to charge me for their time, while Kathay's nagas invited me and the andvari ambassadors to discuss trade between our nations over tea," Kale said. "The angels were surprisingly welcoming, too."

"Angels?" Renarde asked, being unfamiliar with the term. "Are those the winged humanoids that flew out of the pyramid?"

"They include harpies and birdkin among their numbers, but from what I gathered, angels make up the bulk of their population. Their homeland is located far to the east, so only the Megalorians had any regular interactions with them." Kale chuckled in embarrassment. "They… they also tried to convert me to their falcon of light–"

"What?!" Lord Wepwawet's indignant voice echoed in Victoire's head, startling her. From the way all of her fellow Verglanian Champions reacted, they had all heard the outburst. "That bird bastard is trying to poach my own followers?!"

"I-I politely refused, Your Godliness!" Kale reassured him. "I would never betray you after you saved Promesse!"

"Ugh… good." Lord Wepwawet sighed on his end of the telepathic line. Her god sounded both perplexed and greatly annoyed for some reason. "So much treachery in the air…"

"Is something on your mind?" Victoire asked.

"Somewhat. I've received some information on our political situation, but I lack the context to understand it." Lord Wepwawet marked a short pause before confiding in his Champions. "What can you tell me about the Zoramesh Empire and Valentine's dispute?"

Victoire's jaw clenched on its own. Although the Glarmes had left Valentine long ago, their order's main task had been to protect the royal family from all threats. Demons had always been a threat, and each soldier in Promesse had been drilled on how to fight them.

"That's a vast issue that stretches very far back in time, Your Godliness," Victoire said. "The Zoramesh Empire used to be part of Valentine until the first Archdemon arose four hundred years ago and managed to conquer a large chunk of land for his species. The two nations have alternated between raids, difficult truces, and open wars for centuries since."

"I feel so left out," Jasper muttered under his breath, being the only one not capable of hearing their god's voice yet.

"So this is all a matter of territorial dispute?" Wepwawet asked, ignoring Jasper.

"That and reproduction," Renarde mused. "Few humans enjoy watching their kin grow horns."

Lord Wepwawet seemed briefly taken aback. "Reproduction?"

It surprised Victoire that he so openly inquired about such things to her fellow Champions. Lord Wepwawet would have lied or feigned knowledge only a few months ago. She guessed her god had grown comfortable with admitting his own ignorance in their presence.

"While demons can mate between themselves, their pureblooded offspring are almost always feral creatures called devils," Victoire informed her god, her jaw clenching. "Hence, they must either breed with humanoid species… or convert them."

"Demon blood is an extraordinarily potent magical reagent, Your Godliness," Kale explained with a grim scowl. "Any humanoid exposed to sufficient transfusions transforms into a demon themselves. For example, changelings like Lady Wintresse used to be elves who exposed themselves to a modified strain of demon essence to rejuvenate their fading bloodlines."

"The demon transformation enhances one's strength and longevity at the cost of giving them violent and predatory instincts," Victoire added. "They are very much a plague upon the land."

Lord Wepwawet marked a short pause. "So, hypothetically, if the Zoramesh Empire were to assimilate part of the Valentine Republic, it would allow them to convert a large part of the population into more demons?"

"It would certainly give them a large advantage," Victoire confirmed.

"But there's no way the Republic of Valentine would lose to those monsters, Your Godliness," Kale said with confidence. "The border is the most fortified in the world. Demons would need to invade from another country altogether to stand a chance!"

Victoire found her god's silence deeply unsettling.

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