When having tea with a demon, one had better come with an antidote.

Victoire had followed that advice to the letter when agreeing to Duke Vidé's breakfast invitation. The red-headed demon ambassador had been a courteous host, even allowing her to bring in bodyguards into his quarters. Both knew normal guards wouldn't do well against a demon, but it was the thought that counted.

"The tea is not poisoned," Vidé told Victoire upon sipping his own cup. His voice was calm, serene, yet lacking a certain music inherent to sincerity.

Victoire hadn't touched her own, and had no intention of doing so. "Demons are immune to poison," she reminded him. "We could drink from the same cup, and I would still end up dead."

"True… but what would I gain from poisoning an ambassador and guest of our host, besides a summary execution?" The ambassador crossed his legs. "I understand my kind may not have the greatest reputation abroad, but surely no one said we were foolish."

"You also have a well-deserved reputation for maze-like intrigue and treachery," Victoire replied with a shrug. "I simply wonder why you asked to meet me specifically when other ambassadors would have sufficed."

"I understand. I assure you our intentions are entirely peaceful as far as Verglane is concerned." Which implied they had ill-intentions for other nations. "Do you know how we demons establish our hierarchy, Lady Victoire?"

"Through strength and seniority," Victoire replied. Her teachers had drilled her extensively in demon biology and societal dynamics. "Each demonic generation is weaker than the last based on how far they are from your original progenitor, which you can identify at a glance. Demons from younger generations naturally obey their older and more powerful kindred."

"You were taught well," Vidé nodded sharply. "I am of the Fourth Generation, one step below that of our current Archdemon, Emperor Malvolo. He has managed to fend off all challengers and would-be usurpers for twelve years–a great feat compared to his predecessors–and Lady Ishtar's blessings have only strengthened his hold on our nation and pacified its feuding factions. I would say that demonkind has never been more unified than under His Dark Majesty's leadership."

"Cut to the chase," Victoire said.

"As you wish." The ambassador took it in stride. "We demons can live for centuries, and our memory remains perfect across the years. In my youth, I was blessed with the chance to meet the last of Valentine's monarchs."

He looked straight into her eyes.

"Your blood smells of the late King Lefou."

Victoire kept her mouth shut and face stony, even as her Glarmes guards briefly exchanged confused glances. Her true parentage remained a secret from everyone outside of her god now that Lord Raymond had perished in the line of duty, and she would rather keep it that way.

Can he truly smell someone's parentage from the scent of blood alone, or is he merely testing the waters? Victoire wondered as she feigned confusion. "I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Of course," the demon replied with a smug smirk. He wasn't fooled in the slightest. "Both our elders and Valentine's leadership have long suspected the Glarmes Order to have kept a few heirs in their care. The Archdemon would be very interested in meeting one of them… as would the Three Sages of Valentine."

"For what purpose?" Victoire asked with a frown. She had the intuition that this was somehow connected to Melchior's attempt to identify her bloodline through sorcery. "Assuming such heirs exist."

"I will be blunt, the Zoramesh Empire and the Republic of Valentine are on a collision course towards another armed conflict," the demon said without a care in the world. "The Three Sages of Valentine have intensified their efforts to break into the royal vault beneath the old capital of Saguenay since their new goddess' arrival."

Victoire's hand tightened into a fist. "A vault which can only be opened by a scion of royal blood."

"According to our spies, the Three Sages believe that key information about demonkind's origins can be found buried inside this vault, alongside powerful magical weapons that could turn the tide against us," the ambassador explained. "I am sure the Three Sages would do anything to find and secure the key."

Was that a threat? "So would you, I assume?"

The demon smiled at her. "I merely offer a warning. Of course, Archdemon Malvolo would be most happy to support the return of Valentine's monarchy in exchange for access to this vault's secrets."

So that was his game. The demons wanted to use an heir of Valentine as a figurehead to coat their war with a veneer of legitimacy; if they could put a monarch indebted to them on the throne, on whom they could exert influence, so much the better.

Victoire suppressed a sneer of distaste. She had no interest in Valentine, her heart being entirely dedicated to Verglane and the fight against the Titans. Anyone doing a cursory investigation of her could tell that much, but the likes of Vidé or Melchior only saw her birthright.

Then again, all thieves think everybody else steals, Victoire thought. His kind only sees through the prism of power and ambition.

"We will keep that in mind," Victoire said upon rising from her seat. "Thank you for the tea, but we should go our separate ways. The wedding is about to start."

"Think on our proposal, Lady Victoire," the ambassador replied calmly. "And keep an eye on old wizards with too much mirth."

Victoire nodded sharply and left with her guards in tow. They didn't ask questions about her parentage, and she trusted them to keep the information they'd heard today to themselves. The Glarmes were nothing if not disciplined, even when diminished.

The encounter nonetheless left a bitter taste in her mouth. Victoire would rather sit out of politics and keep her origins as a Valentinian royal bastard a secret. She didn't want her parentage to interfere with her life… but it seemed a few powerful parties had already learned the truth and would seek to exploit it.

Lord Wepwawet informed us that Valentine's goddess offered us a portion of the royal vault's contents in exchange for his support, which fits Vidé's story, she thought, upon moving to the palace's courtyard, where dignitaries were gathering to witness Princess Topaz's and Jasper's wedding. Whatever the royal family stored in Saguenay must be quite precious to invite such greed.

The courtyard was crowded when she arrived, with dozens of ambassadors and magmorian nobles having gathered under the shadow of a great dome. A small ziggurat stood at the center of it all, with Fire Sultana Alexandrite burning a brazier at the top until it breathed out billowing streams of smoke into the dawning sky. Jasper awaited his fiancée at the base in the company of his soldiers.

Victoire's fellow Champions were already present, with Filou immediately bolting off to her side in concern. "Are you well, Milady?" he asked. "If that fiend dared to harm you–"

"I am fine, Filou," Victoire reassured him. "I have the feeling the demons are more preoccupied with Valentine than us. A conflict is brewing in the south."

"I suspect the same," Renarde said with a mock sigh. "I regret to inform you that I couldn't secure an audience with the ambassadors of Valentine, Shadazar, Timberan, and Mortis before the ceremony."

Victoire's eyes widened. "All four of them?"

"No, which of course aroused my suspicions." Renarde stroked her chin. "After further investigation, it turned out all four were unaccounted for as far as their staff was concerned."

"Which means they held a meeting in a secret place, probably to discuss something sensitive," Victoire guessed. "To discuss an alliance, perhaps?"

"I thought the elves couldn't stand the changelings?" Kale asked.

"Ah, but that was all in the past," Renarde said. "While I couldn't find the ambassadors, I serenaded enough of their servants to learn a few interesting morsels of information. Namely, while Timberan and Shadazar have been at each other's throats for a long time, the dark elves' new spider god has put an end to the constant raids on their light-skinned cousins."

"While perpetuating those targeting our allies in the Wyld," Victoire noted. She didn't like that in the slightest. "Perhaps the changelings want to free more of their navy to attack them…"

"Ambassador Solon of Megaloria and Rhine both informed me that both Shadazar and Mortis increased their weapon imports recently, but not Timberan," Kale said. "I found it odd, since the elves wouldn't ignore their neighbors arming up."

"Rhine?" Renarde smiled upon noticing the lack of honorifics. "Has the andvari ambassador fallen for your charms?"

"I would never…" Kale cleared his throat in embarrassment. "We simply bonded over cooking recipes… they have this potato vegetable that tastes so well with everything and–" he blushed upon noticing the gazes his fellow Champions sent him. "I'm digging my own grave, aren't I?"

"A bit," Victoire teased him. "I hope you talked about more than just cooking recipes, though."

"Yes, of course." Kale calmed down, his Glarmes discipline kicking in. "First of all, Rhi—Ambassador Rhine is indeed the sister of Stalheim's Lord-General Alberich. She helped design many of the golems we've been using in Verglane."

"Lord-General?" Renarde chuckled. "Dictator might have been a better title from what I heard."

"He has no choice other than to rule with a heavy hand," Kale said with a slight defensive edge. Victoire guessed the andvari ambassador must have had quite the impact on him. "King Mimir left no heir, so the clans splintered and warred for years until the Lord-General re-established a measure of control… and even so, the realm remains unstable. Harpy groups exploited the war to take over the surface, and the army has failed to effectively drive them off in spite of Lady Axomamma's support."

Victoire recalled that Alpine had to leave Stalheim due to harpy depredations a few years back, so this checked out. The andvari were in a tough fight to regain control over their mountains unless they learned how to fly.

"Hence why they would rather play nice with all their neighbors," Victoire guessed before turning to her squire. "What about you, Filou? Could you obtain information from Kathay's ambassador?"

"Yes, Milady," Filou said with a nod. "Ambassador Kuo told me that the nagas are only one of the many communities that share Kathay, alongside goblinoid clans and stone monkey sects. They used to constantly feud over access to water sources until their new god unified them by force, guile, and faith. Kathay has only recently begun to build a unified government based around the Fusang Magical Academy, where Lord Sun Wukong teaches them secret and ancient arts of spiritual cultivation."

Victoire suppressed a scoff. If their god was anything like their own, then she struggled to imagine him as a teacher of any kind. This Sun Wukong must have simply found a good way to spin his blessings to his followers.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"What did they have to say about the contest?" Victoire inquired as she spotted Duke Vidé and the remaining ambassadors walking into the courtyard. The ceremony would start soon.

"Ambassador Kuo said they had no interest in who inherits Lavaland so long as they are left alone," Filou replied. "Although… he did warn me the 'Fist of Heaven' would fall on anyone who tried to attack them, whatever that meant."

Victoire pondered this information. All in all, it seemed to her that while northern countries like Kathay, Stalheim, and Megaloria would rather focus on themselves or peaceful coexistence than causing problems abroad, Shadazar's and Mortis' quest for weaponry meant they had no intention of stopping their assaults on the Wyld. Valentine and the Zoramesh Empire's interest in the royal vault might cause Verglane some issues in the future, too.

Victoire had a bad feeling about all of this. It seemed the various southern nations had formed a power block of some sort, and half of them were already raiding their allies in the Wyld. If more of them joined in…

"What of the angels?" Victoire asked her allies. Their flying pyramid remained parked outside the city. "Lord Wepwawet sounded most concerned about them."

"Those wear their hearts on their sleeves," Renarde replied. "They have already begun giving gifts of balm, salt, and coins to the poor citizens of Salamandra as blessings of their 'Falcon of Light,' Lord Horus."

Victoire could sense Lord Wepwawet's distaste on his end of the telepathic line. She guessed that there was bad blood between those two.

"So they're proselytizing?" she asked.

"Quite aggressively," Renarde confirmed. "They offer free healing spells to the sick and invite settlers willing to start anew in their Sekhem Theocracy, where all citizens are taken care of without distinction."

"Our missionaries need to step up their game, or we'll be outdone by pigeons," Lord Wepwawet grumbled through his telepathy.

"Have you listened to everything, Lord Wepwawet?" Victoire asked him back mentally.

"I have," her god replied, his voice sounding strangely close for once. "Stay on your guard. A war will likely start anytime soon."

Victoire had hoped for another answer, but she had expected it nonetheless. "Couldn't you and your classmates agree to a peace treaty? Beelzebub and the Titans should remain our priorities."

"I know," he replied with a sigh of annoyance. "But ambitious fools are as common on Elphion as they are in the Heavens."

Victoire took a deep breath. She had feared as much since she heard of Peridot's issues with the now departed Pele. Alliances against common enemies were fragile at best.

A chorus interrupted her thoughts when the lady of the hour made her entrance. Princess Topaz walked into the courtyard under military escort led by General Peridot, her hands holding a bright ruby. She was positively glowing as she rejoined Jasper, the two of them swiftly ascending the steps of the ziggurat to join with the Fire Sultana.

"Which of us should bless the newlyweds on your behalf?" Victoire asked her god. Jasper and Princess Topaz were supposed to convert to Lord Wepwawet in order to solidify the reconciliation between their people, and since the Miracle contest was supposed to begin right after the ceremony, Victoire figured they ought to make a good impression.

"Don't bother," Wepwawet replied. "I'll do it myself."

His words took Victoire aback, until she noticed Filou's ears turning north and the slight vibrations in the guests' glasses of wine and other beverages. It didn't take her long to guess what was happening, with the palace guards' shouts confirming her hypothesis.

A colossal shadow obscured the sun, with the courtyard erupting into shouts and gasps of absolute surprise. Victoire herself simply allowed herself to smile as she looked up to find a colossal, stony wolfish head looking down on the palace like a child examining an anthill.

Her god had shown up in person.

Walking all the way from Verglane to Lavaland took way less time than expected.

Casting the Divine Avatar had been a risky move since it prevented him from using Miracles or recovering mana until he cancelled the effect—not to mention the maintenance cost. Moreover, while he simply had Wintresse raise an Altar in the now unoccupied spot in Narc, his Idol couldn't produce power by itself unless it found a spot to connect to Elphion's mana leylines. He would have to either walk his way back to Verglane or find a good spot in Lavaland by the time the Miracle contest ended, or risk exposing himself.

Thankfully, his Providence had let him find the easiest way to navigate Whiro's poisonous marsh and Lavaland on his way to the capital. A Divine Avatar didn't suffer from sleep or fatigue either, so he simply walked in a beeline towards his destination with each step covering a great amount of distance on its own. It must have been quite the surprise for Salamandra's people to see his immense incarnation step from behind their volcano and then peek over their palace.

He waved his hand at them in a sign of friendliness, but many of the courtyard guests cowered while his Champions knelt in the dust.

"Sultana Alexandrite," he said with a booming voice, "I, Wepwawet, god of Verglane, have answered your invitation!"

The Fire Sultana looked up to him with an expressionless mask and shifting mercury skin. Although mortals would be unable to understand her unique morphology, Wepwawet's Providence let him detect all the subtle shifts in her body language.

Fire Sultana Alexandrite was delighted.

"You have, Lord Wepwawet," she said with a polite nod; a gesture heavy with respect when coming from a newly appointed country's leader. "I am pleased to hear my sister's wedding will have a god as a witness."

"I shall do more than watch," Wepwawet replied. "I have come to bless your sister and husband as my Champions myself, as a show of peace between our nations."

"This would be a great honor, Lord Wepwawet," Topaz said with boundless joy. "I had hoped Lady Pele would honor us this way…"

"This is more than I deserve for taking arms against your nation," Jasper replied with more wisdom.

"You have fought on the right side when it mattered most," Wepwawet replied. What an excellent opportunity to display mercy in front of his mortals. "All is forgiven."

"Then let us proceed with the ceremony," the Fire Sultana said as she invited the couple to climb all the way up to her. The two Champions reached the brazier. "Topaz, Jasper, do your hearts burn with the flame of love?"

"They do," both replied at once.

"Jasper, will you take my sister, Princess Topaz, as your wife until your embers die out–"

Wepwawet both watched them exchange vows and checked on the witnesses. His Providence let him analyze the reactions of everyone present, to hear the whispers of the guests and guards. From their surprise, he guessed many of their gods hadn't done anything half as spectacular as summoning a Divine Avatar. He sensed a few Champions among the crowd frozen in a trance as they exchanged secret messages with their deities.

The die is cast, Wepwawet thought. Every god observing the wedding would recognize his avatar as a walking Idol and thus his linchpin to Elphion. His presence both presented a challenge and a unique opportunity to potentially take him out. This is a risky move.

But fortune favored the bold, and Wepwawet never chickened out. He was confident in his ability to fend off attacks and ferret out whoever sought his demise. Moreover, showing his Divine Avatar would put pressure on all of his fellow deities. Even hidden enemies might seek to better prepare before engaging him or change their minds upon seeing his Miracle.

All in all, Wepwawet would know who his friends and foes were by the day's end.

"Then place the Ruby of Harmony into the flame, so that it may burn until your embers go out," Fire Sultana Alexandrite declared. Both Jasper and Princess Topaz held the latter's gemstone together and placed it into the brazier, reddening its flames. "May your flames be joined!"

"May their flames be joined!" the magmorians and kobolds present all said at once. Princess Topaz immediately threw herself into Jasper's arms with a ferocity that surprised him. Both nearly tumbled down the ziggurat but managed to catch themselves, to Alexandrite's amusement and the acclaim of everyone present.

"A blessing upon you both," Wepwawet said as he bathed both Jasper and Princess Topaz in his light. "May your love shine as bright as my light."

The newlyweds accepted him, and he welcomed them into his flock.

Name

Topaz, Fire Princess

Type

Elemental

Rank

Commander 3+

Class

Magmorian 2 (Monster), Princess 1 (Rogue/Spellcaster)

Faction

Wepwawet

Movement

Walk/Swim

Strength

Agility

Vitality

Skill

17

8

17

21

Magic

Intelligence

Charisma

Luck

29

14

21

23

Accuracy

+22

Evasion

+15

Innate Perk: Legacy of Fire

Immune to Fire and resists Earth, but weak to Frost and Water. Can learn any Fire-based spell whose Rank is equal to or below your Champion Rank.

Ignition I

Princess Kiss I

Can imbue melee weapons with Fire at the cost of lifeforce for five minutes.

Your kiss can heal the wounds of others (the healing effect is equal to 10% per Character Rank) and break Curse effects.

Fire Shaping I

Spell: Fire Blessing

You can mentally control any flame within thirty meters, allowing you to reposition them; this includes Fire-aligned spells or techniques, letting you act as if you were the caster.

Rank II Thaumaturgy. Imbues the melee weapons of all allies within ten meters with the Fire Element for five minutes.

Name

Jasper, Shield of Topaz

Type

Elemental

Rank

4+

Class

Magmorian 1 (Monster), Vanguard 3 (Fighter)

Faction

Wepwawet

Movement

Walk/Swim

Strength

Agility

Vitality

Skill

32

15

27

21

Magic

Intelligence

Charisma

Luck

22

13

16

17

Accuracy

+19

Evasion

+16

Innate Perk: Fire Heart

Immune to Fire, but weak to Frost and Water.

Ignition I

Melee Master I

Can imbue melee weapons with Fire at the cost of lifeforce for five minutes.

All melee Weapon Artifacts equipped inflict +2 Damage.

Shieldbearer I

Bodyguard Maneuver I

Can equip any shield regardless of stat requirements; other restrictions may still apply.

Can protect an adjacent ally by taking the hit for them.

As Wepwawet expected, Jasper was very much a born fighter, and Topaz more of a supporter. They would make quite the pair on the field, and both could already Rank-Up, probably due to the experience they earned from surviving the first Incursion.

"Let our union bring peace to Lavaland and Verglane, and herald a new era of friendship between our people!" Princess Topaz announced to the crowd, who clapped in response.

"And what better way to honor my cherished sister's wedding than a grand spectacle of divine power!" Fire Sultana Alexandrite said. "Shall you open the contest, Lord Wepwawet?"

"With pleasure," the god replied. "Here shall be my contribution to your contest."

He glanced down at the crowd of guests and Champions, then raised a thumb at his chest.

"If your gods are so strong…" Wepwawet's eyes glowed with power. "Then let them come and try to topple me, if they can!"

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