The celestial hall glowed with a light that came from neither flame, crystal, nor star.
Space itself seemed to emit it.
Beneath the feet of the four heralds stretched a circle of white marble, suspended over an infinite void. Golden runes covered its surface and converged at the center, where a sphere of light floated in silence.
It was a representation of the flow of faith coming from the mortal world.
Every few seconds, new luminous threads descended from above and merged with it.
Seraphon, herald of Light, watched the phenomenon with a satisfied expression.
"The collection continues to increase."
He extended a hand.
The sphere responded with a faint glow.
"Since the divine blessings began to be distributed, the amount of faith we receive has grown considerably."
Ignivar, herald of Fire, smiled.
Small flames danced around his shoulders.
"And the heroes are doing the rest."
"Exactly," Seraphon replied. "Every monster defeated, every city saved, and every life protected in the name of the gods strengthens the mortals' devotion."
Tharos, herald of Strength, crossed his arms.
"Humans always need something to believe in when they're afraid."
There was no mockery in his voice.
It was simply a statement of fact.
"And now they have plenty to fear."
Ignivar let out a low laugh.
"The world is being devoured by monsters. We give them blessings, heroes appear to save them, and our churches offer them refuge."
A small flame appeared in his palm.
"What did they expect to happen?"
Seraphon gazed at the sphere of faith.
"The situation is favorable."
A current of energy passed through the circle, and the sphere shone more brightly.
"The faith received in the mortal world is sent here. In the celestial realm, together with the other necessary elements, it can be transformed into celestial mana."
Voltaris, herald of Electricity, remained focused on the numbers and runes floating before him.
"And our reserves continue to increase."
Seraphon nodded.
"As they should."
His expression hardened.
"The gods have established their objectives. As long as we fulfill them, we will receive the celestial mana necessary to maintain our domains."
Tharos frowned.
"It's better to obey, or they'll replace us."
"Yes."
The silence that followed was brief.
They all knew the consequences.
The gods controlled the celestial mana.
They decided how much each herald received and how much they were allowed to use. A herald who failed to follow their orders could have his supply reduced without warning.
And without celestial mana, there was no power capable of sustaining them forever.
Sooner or later, they would die.
Even the gods themselves depended on that resource to maintain their existence. Demons could not survive without it either, and since they could not produce it themselves, they were forced to rely on the gods, carrying out their orders and performing favors in exchange for receiving a portion of it.
It was a system that had endured for thousands of years.
And at the center of it all was humanity.
Without knowing it, every prayer, every expression of devotion, and every life saved in the name of the gods fed that system.
Now, the apocalypse was causing that source to grow like never before.
The greater the mortals' fear, the greater their need to cling to something.
Their gods.
Their heroes.
Their churches.
Voltaris caused a series of figures to appear in the air.
"If the trend continues, we will surpass our initial estimates."
"How much?" Seraphon asked.
"Enough for the difference to be significant."
Ignivar smiled.
"Then the plans are going well."
Voltaris did not respond.
He moved a hand.
The sacred circle changed.
The continent appeared above it.
Dozens of regions glowed with varying levels of intensity. Some were tiny points of light; others shone like stars.
Seraphon studied the map.
"The expansion of the churches is proceeding at the expected rate."
"In most cities," Voltaris clarified. "The distribution of blessings has been particularly effective in regions affected by monsters."
Ignivar nodded.
"Makes sense. When someone saves your life, it's easier to start believing in whoever made it possible."
"It isn't only about faith," Seraphon said. "It's also about trust."
He pointed toward the illuminated regions.
"The heroes are saving lives. The churches offer refuge. The blessings provide protection. Little by little, the mortals are beginning to consider our institutions necessary."
Tharos looked at the map.
"And then?"
Seraphon remained silent for a few seconds.
"Then the rulers will have to listen to us."
Ignivar smiled.
"Ah. So we've gained more influence."
"In the affected regions," Voltaris corrected. "Faith is growing rapidly there."
He pointed toward the less illuminated regions.
"But where the population remains safe, we're barely getting any results."
Tharos studied the map.
"Then we concentrate resources where they need them most."
"And maintain a minimal presence everywhere else," Voltaris replied. "There's no point in wasting blessings where no one asks for them."
Seraphon nodded.
"For now."
Ignivar crossed his arms.
"When disaster reaches those places, they'll be ready to listen to us."
"Exactly."
Seraphon swept his gaze across the continent.
"First, we save them. Then they need us."
Tharos smiled.
"And when they need us, they'll come."
"Faith is only one part of our objective. As our churches become an indispensable presence, our influence will grow alongside them."
Voltaris nodded.
"And when the nobles realize that opposing the churches means going against their own subjects…"
"They will begin to yield," Seraphon finished.
Tharos gave a dry laugh.
"Finally, something interesting."
But then Voltaris stopped moving his hand.
One region remained almost completely dark.
In the middle of the illuminated continent, it looked like a stain.
Douglas.
Ignivar's smile disappeared.
"There it is."
Seraphon fixed his gaze on the territory.
"The only one."
"The only duchy where our influence remains practically nonexistent," Voltaris confirmed.
He enlarged the image.
"The churches have attempted to establish a presence in its cities and villages. The results have been minimal."
Tharos frowned.
"Why?"
"Most of its inhabitants possess an affinity for dark magic."
Ignivar snorted.
"We have no influence there."
"From what I've learned, they're an isolated clan. They don't interact much with the rest of the kingdom."
Voltaris pointed toward the territory.
"They also have traditions that have been passed down for generations. Their affinity for the magic of Darkness is deeply rooted in the region."
Seraphon studied the map.
"The Goddess of Darkness doesn't even have her main temple in this kingdom, and she hasn't sent any priests."
"It's in the Empire," Voltaris replied. "Too far away to exert direct influence over Douglas."
"We'll have to find a way to get in there."
"They say they aren't very friendly toward outsiders."
Voltaris made several points appear on the map.
"And, above all, they have a ruler they trust."
Seraphon's expression hardened slightly.
"Duke Douglas."
"Their loyalty to him is considerable."
Tharos stepped toward the map.
"Then we have a problem. No one can stand above the gods."
Voltaris looked at him.
"No?"
"Least of all a mere duke."
Seraphon said nothing.
Tharos pointed toward Douglas.
"As long as the people trust their lord more than they trust our churches, any influence we try to establish will have a limit."
Ignivar gave a small chuckle.
"Then we'll have to change that."
"How?" Voltaris asked.
"I don't know."
Ignivar shrugged.
"Send in the priests. Have them reach the most vulnerable."
"Yes."
Voltaris's response was immediate.
The other three looked at him.
"We need something more than that."
He pointed toward the illuminated regions.
"We aren't trying to make the people of these territories pray more. We want our institutions to have enough authority to influence their decisions."
Voltaris understood.
"Political influence."
"Yes."
Seraphon swept his gaze across the continent.
"As long as every noble retains absolute control over his territory, our influence will have a limit."
Ignivar smiled slowly.
"And when the churches begin deciding which rulers deserve the gods' support…"
"The nobles will begin to depend on them," Tharos concluded.
Seraphon nodded.
"That is the objective."
Tharos looked at Douglas again.
"Then the Douglases are an obstacle."
"For now."
"And what do we do about them?"
Seraphon shook his head.
"Nothing."
Tharos frowned.
"Nothing?"
"Not yet."
Seraphon pointed toward the illuminated regions.
"We are making progress. The churches are gaining influence, the heroes are accumulating prestige, and the mortals are beginning to depend on our blessings."
His gaze returned to Douglas.
"We don't need to rush."
Ignivar understood his intention.
"First, we let the rest of the kingdom change."
"Exactly."
"And when Douglas is surrounded…"
"It will be much easier to make them yield."
Tharos smiled.
"That sounds more fun."
Seraphon ignored the comment.
"But we must avoid one mistake."
His tone changed.
"We cannot present ourselves as conquerors."
Voltaris raised his gaze.
"We must appear necessary."
"Yes."
Seraphon slowly closed his hand.
"The mortals must believe that our presence is beneficial. That our churches protect their cities. That our heroes save them. That our priests are allies to their rulers."
A pause.
"And when the time comes to intervene in Douglas, the rest of the kingdom must consider it a necessary measure."
Ignivar smiled.
"An intervention accepted by the mortals themselves."
"Exactly."
For several seconds, no one spoke.
The plan was simple.
Not to conquer.
Not to impose.
To make the kingdom eventually ask for what the gods wanted to give it.
Voltaris broke the silence.
"There is another matter."
Seraphon turned toward him.
"The Oracle?"
Voltaris nodded.
"Her visions remain incomplete."
Ignivar sighed.
"Again."
"It isn't something we can ignore."
Voltaris caused several fragmented images to appear above the circle.
Cities.
Armies.
Monsters.
Heroes.
All of them vanished before revealing the outcome.
"There are events the Oracle should be able to observe, yet she cannot."
Tharos frowned.
"The demons?"
"No."
"Some kind of magical interference?"
"Possibly."
Voltaris closed his hand.
The images disappeared.
"We still don't know what is blocking the visions."
Seraphon remained silent for a few moments.
"Then find out."
Voltaris inclined his head.
"We will."
The meeting began to dissolve.
The four heralds prepared to leave the hall.
The sphere of faith continued to shine at the center of the circle.
Every new thread coming from the mortal world fed its radiance.
Every prayer.
Every expression of gratitude.
Every life saved in the name of the gods.
Everything ended there.
And the more humanity's faith grew, the stronger the celestial realm became.