Exile sighed as he cut off the connection with Ania. 'The situation in Korden has developed faster than I thought it would... At least levelling up restored my HP and DP to full. Saves me a trip to the Temple.' Exile frowned as he wondered why the others had not returned yet. According to his Quest, Harik and the others should be out of harm's way.
'They wouldn't put off returning unless something important has happened... Hopefully, I can deal with this before they get back.' Exile once again activated Avatar, choosing the Temple in Eraldsfen as his location to appear.
Ania nervously waited in front of the altar, with her hands clasped in front of her. She always felt as if butterflies were fluttering around in her stomach whenever she knew she was about to see Exile. Bjorn smiled by her side as he watched her fidget while trying to appear dignified.
'It shouldn't be long until she reaches the chapters about unions between the Gods and mortals. With the way she's acting now, it should not be hard to convince her to attempt to seduce Lord Exile! I can imagine it now... A demigod in Eraldsfen! What an honour that would be!' Bjorn chuckled to himself as he continued to make plans on how to further establish a deeper relationship with the Gods.
'The only problem is whether she meets Exile's standards or not...' Bjorn frowned as he tried recalling the stories in the book. However, there did not seem to be a general type for the Gods. Some preferred their men or women to be as beautiful as possible by mortal standards. Others preferred their partners to be skilled in combat or other areas.
'Maybe I should try broaching the subject with Exile himself. He might even just be happy to have offspring who will do his bidding down here for him.' Bjorn wondered how that conversation might go as a sudden pressure appeared in the Temple. A slight gasp escaped from both his and Ania's mouth as Exile took form in front of them.
Bjorn was utterly speechless. The golden veil that always hid Exile's true appearance from him had faded enough for him to see what Exile looked like. Although there was still a golden glow emanating from him. The sight moved Bjorn to tears as he suddenly averted his gaze to the floor.
It was one thing to look at the image of a God in his mind but an entirely different matter to be blessed to see their true appearance. Exile frowned at Bjorn's strange behaviour as his eyes met Ania's beaming smile. Her smile was so contagious that he felt compelled to return the gentle gesture.
"You have done fine work, Ania..." Exile paused as he glanced back to Bjorn before clearing his throat. "You as well, Bjorn."
Ania felt her heart beat wildly in her chest at the simple praise from Exile. Her face became flushed as she nervously glanced at the ground. "It is our honour Lord Exile to aid you in any way that we can."
"You should prepare for more Gods to join the Pantheon. I'll let you know later who to allow worship to." Exile frowned for a moment before fixing Ania with his gaze. "You should probably prepare to have a celebration."
"For the Gods?" Bjorn's eyes lit up as he found the courage to look upon Exile again.
"No... For Harik Eraldsen. Your father is returning home, Ania..." Exile smiled at the shocked expression on the pair as he gave them the good news.
They were so shocked by it they failed to register the breeze as Exile took off as fast as he could for Korden. His movement was so fast that their eyes only registered an afterimage left behind after he was already gone. 'Mother is going to be so happy!' Ania wiped the tears that had appeared on her face as she turned towards the open door of the temple. 'Thank you...'
With his Speed, Exile made the journey far faster than what the NPCs were capable of. It almost made him laugh to think how much had changed already. Especially when he thought about how long it had taken him to get anywhere when he first arrived in the game. 'I can't accept all of them right now... Not until we confirm how the other players did in the other territories...'
Exile frowned as he recalled the faces of the two players who had caused this problem in his territory in the first place. 'But seriously... Why did it have to be them that won this competition?' He almost felt as if a cruel joke was being played on him. But at least by splitting up the new recruits, he should have avoided any risk of an early rebellion.
'Eighteen spots left in the Pantheon... We can't afford to let the wrong ones in, but... If these guys are the best out of this batch, I can't afford to turn them away either...' He realised how easy he had it when he had been part of Camelot. There were members of staff who actively searched for team members and decided if they were suitable. 'Maybe I should do something similar. I don't want to get bogged down in the politics and having to make every decision.'
As the gateway into Korden appeared, Exile glimpsed five players waiting in front of it. Two standing several feet in front of the others. 'They're prepared and obviously seem confident.' Exile frowned at the smug look on WintersEmbrace's face. 'It's almost like she was never concerned at all.'
He let out a sigh as he realised that she still managed to get what she wanted, despite the challenge he had thrown at her. 'At least she's resourceful.' The players bowed as he came to a stop in front of them. Fixing them with a cold gaze. After several moments of silence had passed, he finally spoke to them.
"I come with good news..."