Chapter 65: Lady of Dusk
The place was nowhere near finished, but it was already possible to see that, in time, it would become an imposing temple.
At the foot of what was still only the beginning of a gigantic statue meant to preside over the main hall, a small silhouette knelt in prayer.
"I hope this statue isn't what I think it is..."
!!
The voice came from the shadows of the temple.
That should have been impossible. Mireia had skeletal soldiers guarding the entire perimeter, since she allowed no one to disturb her prayers.
But the girl quickly realized it was a voice she had heard hundreds of times, a voice that always answered when she called him.
"Miri, why are you praying when you can talk to me directly?"
A mystical figure emerged from the shadows, the same young man who had once saved her from being stabbed by monsters.
"My god!" the little girl sprang to her feet, overjoyed, and ran toward Nerez. "Sometimes I like to pray to convey my feelings more than my words. It helps me clear my mind!"
"Well, if it makes you happy... Wait, you started with that too?! Where is this 'my god' thing even spreading from?! Just Nerez is fine!"
"My god is my god! That's why calling my god my god is fine!"
Ugh... I could still argue against that somehow, but seeing those bright eyes... I'll give up this time...
"But my god, how did you manage to appear here? Weren't you in the Inner Underworld the last time we spoke? It wasn't that long ago..."
"I'd say I have a new way to get around that doesn't require something to die... but apparently, I can appear in temples dedicated to me just by wishing it. Ah, and in cemeteries too..."
"Does that mean you'll be able to visit me from now on?!"
"I don't really like getting out of my cave. But I'll come as much as possible..."
"And your sacred Reaper, my god?"
"Sacred Reaper... Right, Cerys can talk to you now too... She'll be here soon. That one can also appear out of nowhere in my temples and was eager to try it. But first, I sent her to pick up something I asked for."
"Something you asked for, my god?"
"I bet you've forgotten what day today is. But first... I see this settlement has grown quite a bit. It's comparable to the visiare settlement now, at least in size."
Nerez turned his gaze toward one of the unfinished walls. Through an opening, makeshift structures and tents covered the land as far as the eye could see.
"That's right, my god! We took in more people, and they're helping with the construction of Duskhaven!"
"Dusk... Duskhaven?!"
"Yes, you told me Death's Capital was an ill-omened name..."
"I stand by that... But Duskhaven? Did I ever tell you about the Dusk Faction?"
"The Goddess of the Moon told me about it! She said you're allies! Practically lovers!"
Selene, you're actually capable of filling a child's head with lies for the sake of your ambition...
"Miri, first of all, take anything Selene tells you with a grain of salt. And second, how did she even know you existed?"
"She said that at night, she can see everything the moonlight touches, and after sensing that this temple was dedicated to you, she spoke to me through a... Ah! Now that I remember, she told me to tell you to look for a surface where the moon is reflected, so she can speak to you too."
"Ugh... Tell her there are no reflections of the moon in the Underworld. Tough luck."
"She said you would say that, but that you can do it when you come to the mortal world, because you would definitely come visit me from time to time... And she was right!"
Ugh... Fine, Selene. If that's what you want, I'll complain in person!
"Well, let's forget about that for a moment... I also wanted to talk about your situation."
"My situation?"
"Exactly. From what you've told me during our conversations from afar, I think you're taking on too many responsibilities for your age. To start with, who is in charge of this city? Who makes the decisions?"
"Mmm..." Miri tilted her head as she gathered her thoughts. "There is a council of adults that organizes everything. But they always come to ask for my opinion, and if something doesn't seem right to me, they always listen. Though I usually don't have any problems with what they do as long as everyone comes to pray at the temple."
Well, I expected as much after seeing that she could decide the city's name, but apparently, this really is turning into a kind of theocracy...
"Ever since we decided on the city's name, the council has started calling me the Lady of Dusk," Miri continued. "But they also call me the Hierophant-Queen..."
A hierophant? Well, I suppose the Godscript translated the title into the closest fitting term... And yes, definitely a theocracy. I'll ask the visiare to come help her from time to time. The existence of that race from the Underworld should also help cement her position and protect her... Something tells me she'll become very good friends with Thaelor.
"Nerez! Why did I have to bring this thing?!"
At that moment, Cerys emerged from the shadows, carrying a cake with candles in her hands.
"Because bringing it earns you the right to eat a slice. Trust me, you'll love it."
Fortunately, cakes were also a custom among the visiare, but it's impressive that they found creatures whose milk and eggs are safe to consume, not to mention that they already have an iluk cavalry... ilukry?
"Hmph! It'd better be good!"
"I've heard the visiare have excellent chefs (well, when a race can live for thousands of years, it's only natural for them to have experts in every field)."
"That weakling Sae made it herself with Ily's help," Cerys clarified. "Or with Ily getting in the way, according to that weakling Osvel."
"At this point, I'm curious why your cousin is the only one you don't call a weakling. Is it because she can drink as much as you? Or because you've slept with her?"
"How many times do I have to tell you she's not my cousin?! And we didn't sleep together, I only slept in her tent, which is different!"
"My god, sacred Reaper, what is that?" Miri asked, pointing at the cake in Cerys's hands.
"That's a birthday cake," Nerez answered with a smile.
"Birthday? Whose?"
"Remember how, in our conversations, we decided your birthday would be the day we met? Since you didn't know when you were born... Well, it's been a year already."
Miri looked at Nerez, then at Cerys, and finally at the cake.
"It's true!" she exclaimed, her eyes lighting up.
Nerez opened the Soul Ledger in the Book of Death and nodded.
"Actually, it's not far from your real birthday. Do you want to know the date?"
"No! I'm fine with the date you chose!"
"If it makes you happy... Though I will tell you this: apparently, we were right. You're turning twelve now."
"Twelve?! I'm already a full adult!"
"No, you still have a long way to go..."
"But, Lord Nereziel..."
"Yes?"
"What is a cake?"
...
"Then this will be the first time both you and Cerys have ever had cake..."
"It'd better be good!" the redhead repeated beside him.
"But first, you have to think of a wish before blowing out the candle."
"Blow it out?"
"Cerys."
At the signal, Cerys lit the candle on the cake with just a look.
"After you blow it out, I'll tell you about your present."
"A present?!" Miri asked, hopping in place.
"That's right," Nerez replied, looking at the Book of Death. "Though if it lasted forever, it would turn into a punishment, so it'll only be yours for as long as you want it."
"?"
***
Phoo!
With a single puff, Miri blew out the cake's only candle, and everyone around her applauded.
"When did the candles stop fitting on the cake, forcing us to switch to just one?" Thaelor asked. "I can't remember anymore."
"Are you going senile, old man?" Ily laughed. "The cake was already packed long before she reached one hundred."
"I could make it bigger, but a cake large enough to fit the number of candles she'd need now would be too much cake for us," Sae pointed out, tilting her head. "We'd have to call everyone else."
"That wouldn't be bad every once in a while," Osvel added. "Neither Lady Avelle nor Erebion likes leaving their territories, but at least little Olina would love to be here, not to mention everyone who has joined over the years."
"The outside world is too dangerous for Olina," Edrick countered. "It's all right. She's happy with the piece of cake I bring her every year."
"You're far too overprotective, Edrick... What's the worst that could happen to her? She dies again?" Drazira shook her head in disapproval. "Still, I also think there are enough of us here already. If we invited everyone who has joined over the years, we would barely fit inside the temple, even if it is the largest in the world."
"For a bunch of weaklings, you all talk too much!" Cerys exclaimed. "Miri is the one who gets to choose who comes to her birthday party! And even though she's a weakling too, she's Nerez's most useful servant after me, so she's earned that right."
Since when did you start calling yourself that? Before, the most you claimed was being the strongest Reaper. Now you've given yourself a promotion...
After Cerys's words, everyone turned their gaze toward the birthday girl: a beautiful woman with long black hair, whose ceremonial attire combined red and black with delicate gold and silver embroidery.
"All of my god's servants will always be welcome! Making the temple even bigger won't be a problem!"
"It would be a problem. It's already the largest temple in Eryndea... Please stop putting me further into the spotlight every year." Nerez let out a long sigh. But then he placed a hand on Mireia's shoulder and gave her a smile. "Happy one thousand three hundred and twelfth birthday, Miri."