Chapter 66: Duskhaven

Duskhaven had stood for thirteen hundred years, making it not only the oldest city in Eryndea, but also the capital of humanity's most powerful empire.

Its broad avenues, lush parks, imposing buildings, and gigantic walls were the envy of any foreign diplomat or merchant who visited it.

"But it really is impressive..." remarked one of those merchants as he unloaded goods from his cart. It was his first time in the city, and he could not take his eyes off the imperial palace. "Though it is hard to believe that, despite all its majesty, it is only the second largest structure in the city."

"Well, that is to be expected," replied the local merchant receiving the goods. "The temple of Nereziel is the largest, after all. Or rather, the main building within the temple complex is."

"Your temple of Nereziel already looks like a city inside a city. Doesn't that bother the Eternal Empress? I mean, the fact that her palace is smaller."

"Are you talking about our Lady of Dusk? Are you really that ignorant, young man?"

"Oh! I apologize! I did not mean to offend!" the foreign merchant apologized, lowering his head.

"I'm not offended, just surprised by your lack of general knowledge... How did you even make it all the way to the capital?"

"Haha, I managed to get a good map. The truth is, the merchant who represents our company in the empire was on leave, so I had to fill in for him at the last minute. And yes, I can memorize prices without any problem, but honestly, I'm quite ignorant when it comes to politics and religion..."

"If you are a merchant, you need to learn these sorts of things. I'm telling you this for your own good. Well, you are still young, so consider it something to work on."

"Of course, that is my intention!"

"Good. We strayed a little from the topic, but as for your previous question," the plump local merchant continued, toying with his long mustache. "Our Lady of Dusk is not only the empress, but also the apostle of the god of death. Most of her days are spent in the temple. People say that given the choice, she would even live there. Of course it would not bother her that the temple is larger than the imperial palace."

"Ah, that explains everything!" the foreign merchant exclaimed, clasping his hands together. "Now that you mention it, I feel like I had heard that before..."

"It would be strange if you had not. Otherwise, why did you think she was immortal?"

"To be honest, the Eternal Empress has been around forever, so I never really questioned it, hahaha."

"..."

***

"Nerez, about what those merchants were talking about..."

"Keep your voice down, and remember to keep your aura hidden, or the mortals might faint."

Two figures walking through the city's spacious central market drew quite a bit of attention. More than one passerby turned to get a better look at them.

One was a beautiful young woman with red hair tied in twintails, and the other was a handsome young man with silver hair who looked very much like many of the statues scattered throughout the city, all of them based on a painting by the empress herself.

"But no one knows you go by Nerez... Besides, there are lots of names derived from the gods. By now, there is probably more than one person named Nerez, especially in the empire."

"Better safe than sorry."

"Ha! If you want to keep your identity a secret, I can eliminate everyone who discovers it!"

"That is exactly what I don't want to be sorry about..." Nerez let out a sigh. "Anyway, what did you want to ask?"

"Ah, yes! Is Miri really immortal like those merchants were saying? She sure doesn't look like it."

"In the strict sense of the word, yes, she is immortal. But if what you mean is whether she became some kind of deity, then the answer is no. Miri is not a goddess."

"But in that case, what did you do to her?"

"After all these centuries, now you are curious? Also, that sounds wrong... The answer has to do with what I am not doing to her."

"And what is that?"

Nerez moved his hands as though opening an invisible book. "The Soul Ledger has quite a few uses, though it already had them even back when I hadn't maxed out its proficiency yet."

"So her immortality has something to do with the Soul Ledger?"

"Basically, the Soul Ledger lets me stop her vital energy from being spent. That expenditure is what causes aging, and vital energy itself is a type of spiritual energy. It is also the energy that creates the veiled trails we have used so many times."

Well, like I told her on her birthday many years ago, I waited until she had reached maturity. Being a child forever would certainly have been inconvenient.

"Well, thanks to that, she will not die of old age... but what happens if someone stabs her?" Cerys asked.

"Basically, I can make her soul remain in her body long enough for it to heal, even from wounds that would have meant instant death." Nerez crossed his arms and looked up at the blue sky over the capital. "Though I highly doubt anyone could hurt her. Not only am I allowing her to summon the ten thousand skeletons, I am now sharing many of the other skills I have learned over time."

"Why don't the other gods share that much power with their apostles?" Cerys asked, tilting her head. "According to Selene, it seems you're the only one doing it on that scale."

"First of all, the person in question has to develop as an apostle. In that regard, only the longer-lived races can compete with Miri. But besides that..."

"What else?" Cerys asked impatiently.

"I have already told you that I have quite a bit more spiritual energy than normal... Usually, sharing your skills costs far more than using them yourself, and it weakens you in the process. That is why the other gods are more careful with that sort of thing."

"And how much spiritual energy do you have, Nerez? Are you sure you are not sharing too much?"

"Do not worry. In my case, it is not a problem."

In truth, I do not even notice that spiritual energy cost, but I will keep that to myself...

"Mm... well, if you say so."

"Yes, I say so."

But looking at this city, it really is curious...

It had been hundreds of years since Nerez had bothered to walk through the mortal world, and what he saw around him caught his attention.

It seems Eryndea completely skipped over anything resembling Earth's antiquity. In thirteen hundred years, we are already in some sort of Middle Ages, but its buildings are clearly closer to fantasy than to anything historical. Many of them would have been impossible with ordinary methods. So this is what happens in a world with magic? I was born and lived in several magic worlds, but I never spent more than one life in any of them, so I had never seen one progress through its history...

"Nerez."

It was Cerys's voice that pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Yes?"

"By the way, where are we going? Usually, after visiting Miri, we go straight back to the Underworld."

"Now that I think about it, why did you insist so much on following me if you did not even know that...?"

"Because I was sure you were sneaking off to go drinking without me! Or to some mortal feast in your honor!"

"That would not be a bad idea... but no. It is something much more boring than that," Nerez answered, letting out another long sigh. "Selene wants to speak with me in person."

...

"Can I go back to the Underworld on my own first? Her stories about politics and drama have me bored out of my mind..."

"Be grateful I am not sending you in my place. Since you came with me this far, you are coming with me to the end."

"Ugh... reaper abuse..."