The first exam results were in.

Wepwawet could almost taste the tension in the air as he and his classmates shifted in their seats and Miss Athena forwarded them their score sheets through the System.

"These are the results given to you by the Board of Education based on the period preceding the First Titan Incursion," Miss Athena explained. "The totals will be averaged once all Incursions are complete to give you your final ranking."

Students were rated along two axis: their civilization and their own personal achievements as a deity, with the former counting for two-thirds of the final score. Deities could also earn bonus points for specific achievements. Wepwawet expected to gain a few of those, which would hopefully compensate for the issues he encountered in Verglane.

He held his breath as his results came in.

Wepwawet Pesedjet, God of Verglane

Civilization Stats:

Technology: 2/5 (tribal-medieval technology with no learning institution or R&D center)

Economy: 2/5 (tribal agrarian economy with strong development potential)

Military: 5/5 (high-performing military that has beaten the odds time and time again)

Demography: 1/5 (second most sparsely populated nation on Elphion, split between multiple communities)

Geography: 3/5 (vast country with plenty of natural resources hampered by harsh weather and lack of public infrastructure)

Culture: 3/5 (strong martial culture but internal divisions and lack of political organization limits patriotic spirit)

Diplomacy: 4/5 (at peace with all border nations, but underdeveloped trade relations)

Piety: 5/5 (highly dedicated and loyal worshiper base, keep at it!)

Total Civ Score: 25/40. Performed extremely well considering difficult starting conditions with a strong military record, but technology, economy, and demography remain crippling weak spots for the civilization's future development.

Deity Stats:

Champions: 5/5. Highly varied and effective cast of Champions; bold choice of recruiting a dragon is questionable but commendable.

Miracles: 3/5. Lack of synergy between Miracles and some Quests remain incomplete, but the student has shown exceptional skill at using available options.

Mana: 4/5. Student has shown great skill in mana management, though not all of his civilization's Altars have been claimed.

Worshippers: 3/5. The worshipper base is loyal and dedicated, but small; lack of large-scale missionary efforts limits the faith to their starting civilization's borders.

Total Deity Score: 15/20. Good, but the student can do better. We suggest broadening their worshiper base, collecting all of their starting civilization's Altars, and completing more Quests to improve deck synergy.

Bonus Points:

Incursion Victory: 5 (won a decisive victory in an Incursion without prior knowledge of the Titan's deck and strategies).

Outstanding Achievements: 5 (won two extra B&C battles, second fastest to accumulate 5 Altars).

Total Score: 50/60.

Commendation: Exceeded Expectations.

Now that was a strong score. Wepwawet sighed in relief and glanced at his friends. Ganesha didn't look too surprised by his results, but the noise of Artemis' forehead hitting her desk in frustration echoed across the room. Wepwawet guessed she had got poor results.

"Worry not if your scores do not match your expectations," Miss Athena said. "The Board understands that not all of you started with the best of hands and you will have many rounds of examination ahead of you. Running a civilization is a marathon, not a sprint. Identify your strengths and weaknesses, then focus on improving your score categories over time."

Wepwawet's attention turned over to Pele, who remained morose but dignified. She knew it would be her last and only score results session until she had to depart the class. No one ever wanted to be the first one to leave.

Horus appeared deeply unhappy with his results, too. Did he receive a demerit for his mother's actions or something?

"And now…" Miss Athena waved her hand and summoned runes upon the classboard. "This session's rankings."

The entire classroom tensed up, though none as much as Wepwawet and Horus. Names appeared one after another alongside their scores.

Ranking:

Wepwawet 50/60

Horus 49/60

Ishtar 47/60

Epona 45/60

Sun Wukong 40/60

Axomamma 38/60

Pele 35/60 (Eliminated)

Ganesha 30/60

Hel 29/60

Anansi 28/60

Watatsumi 26/60

Artemis 19/60

Wepwawet was first.

He was first, ahead of Horus by one point!

"You're first, Wepy!" Ganesha immediately congratulated him. The fact that his friend had ranked eighth didn't seem to bother him.

"And I'm dead last!" Artemis complained upon seeing her abysmal ranking. "Ugh, my brothers will never let me hear the end of this…"

Wepwawet would have rejoiced at his placement a few months back—especially since it would secure his father's approval—but somehow the placement didn't feel entirely earned. He glanced at his cousin, who simmered with rage. Had his mother not sabotaged Wepwawet, the latter wouldn't have earned more points from beating her in battle, and Horus would have been allowed to participate in the Incursion to distinguish himself.

Wait, Horus earned himself a forty-nine point score without bonus points and it pissed him off anyway? Was anything less than a perfect score enough for him?

Then again, his position as heir to the Egyptian Pantheon would come into question now that he had ended up in second place, to say nothing of his mother's recent actions. Wepwawet wondered if Horus' dad pressured him as much as his own.

I need to settle this mess before it interferes with my civilization, Wepwawet thought. They don't deserve to be dragged into it.

He was proud of what he and Verglane had achieved in spite of the Titans' sabotage, his aunt's behavior, and lunarian interference, but a quick glance showed he would have tied with Epona for fourth place without the extra B&C battles bonus.

I still have a long way to go until I can call Verglane prosperous. Forty-fifty wasn't good enough. My people deserve nothing but the best.

How odd, Wepwawet found himself caring more for his civilization's future than his placement in the gods' competition.

"Ouf," Ganesha said upon checking Artemis' scores. "That is… that is terrible…"

"I did my best with what I had!" Artemis complained. "It's not my fault if my civ started with flintstone as the apex of local technology!"

Wepwawet glanced at his friend's score results and winced almost immediately. Artemis' personal score as a deity wasn't half bad, but her civ…

Zero in economy, zero in technology, ones almost everywhere else. Only the Piety score had reached three, and Artemis only earned a point in Diplomacy because Karen had made contact with Wepwawet's own civilization on friendly terms. By contrast, Ganesha's civilization had a robust economy and demographics, but a disastrous zero in piety. Maybe Verglane wasn't so bad as a starting location after all…

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"Pele's posse did relatively well," Wepwawet noted. "I'm sure they focused on trade and diplomacy to improve their shared position."

"Agreed," Ganesha said with a nod. "We should focus on strengthening the bonds between our civilizations, arrange some technology transfers and investments."

"Yeah, no way I'm staying dead last!" Artemis agreed with enthusiasm. "I swear to you, I'll make my way to the top three by the next round!"

Her enthusiasm brought a smile to Wepwawet's face, though it only lasted until he spotted Horus glaring at him with all the weight of his frustration.

This wasn't over, not by a long shot.

Lord Rickart's group returned in time for the ceremony, alongside General Peridot.

Victoire was quite happy to see them alive and well, though she was surprised by how they returned to Narc. Instead of traveling through the marshes, they teleported in after Lord Rickart claimed the ruins of Citadel Sapphire as Lord Wepwawet's newest Altar. It seemed that Pele's absence had left the mana leylines ripe for the taking.

Oh, and they brought a dragon with them.

Victoire shuddered the moment she saw the red-scaled creature teleport into the city. She, Princess Topaz, and Jasper had come to greet the survivors, and she had half-expected the dragon to make a mess of himself the moment the princess showed up.

The beast had instead started focusing his attention upon her specifically.

"The way this human princess looks at Soumis, as if he were a copper coin unworthy of her hoard…" the dragon muttered before breathing like an ox in heat with his tongue sticking out of his mouth. "Ah… ah…"

Somebody kill me, Victoire thought before pestering Rickart about his guest. "As happy as I am to see you alive, did you really have to bring it with you?" Insupportable himself had to be frozen again so as not to abscond with Topaz the moment he recovered from his wounds. "One is already too much."

"I fear nothing, but we weren't exactly in shape to argue with a dragon," Lord Rickart replied. "T'was a miracle we managed to save as many souls as we did."

"Worry not, Lady Victoire," Princess Topaz reassured her. "Soumis has always been extremely kind and accommodating."

"Yes, Soumis loves princesses very much!" The dragon replied before lowering his head in what could pass for shame among their kind. "Soumis feels guilty about Princess Bloodstone. Soumis didn't think there existed a foul creature vile enough to slay such a pure being!"

"That…" Princess Topaz's glow dulled for a moment. "I understand Soumis. The evil we fought was unrelenting, and I am certain my sister would have shown you no ill will."

"Soumis will let no other princess die on his watch!" The dragon boasted while wagging his tail like a dog. "Especially when they mount him and dig their golden heels into his scales!"

Victoire suppressed a shudder, though the likes of Rickart and Jasper didn't hide their disgust. Only General Peridot didn't react much to the situation. The magmorian general hadn't uttered a word since he arrived, his armor splintered and cracked in many places, his fiery eyes looking down past his helmet. Only Princess Topaz's presence appeared to warrant his attention.

"Princess? Jasper?" the general straightened up. "You've survived?"

"It is a relief to see you alive as well, General," Jasper replied with genuine concern for his superior. "Are you wounded?"

"No…" General Peridot shook his head. "No, Jasper, I… I am unharmed."

"We found him safe inside a diamond cocoon," Lord Rickart explained. "The eruption barely managed to crack it."

"Lady Pele tried to save me… even after everything…" General Peridot muttered to himself. "Did I… make a mistake?"

Victoire recognized the anguish in his voice. She must have sounded exactly the same when she first learned the truth about her own god. Whatever happened at Citadel Sapphire had shaken the magmorian's faith.

"It appears Lady Pele has departed this world and left us bereft of her guidance," Princess Topaz said, and though Victoire was no expert at magmorian body language, she didn't miss the way General Peridot looked away. "With my father's passing, my elder sister will now assume the throne of Lavaland. My family will require your assistance during this transition, General."

"I… my loyalty to the royal family has never wavered, but…" General Peridot let out a sigh of smoke. "What use is a general without an army? I should have died with my men back there, and I failed even at that..."

"Enough self-pitying, General!" Jasper snapped, startling his superior. "Do you remember what you told me when I returned to you defeated?"

General Peridot marked a short pause before answering, "I do."

"I offered to die for my mistakes, but instead you ordered me to live because the dead do not learn. Now our beautiful princess—the fairest and brightest flame in the land—orders you to survive, and you would consider disobeying her?"

"Oh, Jasper…" Princess Topaz's flames reddened all of a sudden. "Vile flatterer…"

"I shall not hide the truth, Princess! In fact, I shall not stay quiet any longer!" Jasper turned to his lady, knelt, and then brazenly took her hand into his own. "Please, Princess Topaz, would you marry me?!"

The local temperature sharply increased all of a sudden, and Victoire had to cover her eyes to protect them from the sheer radiance coming off Princess Topaz. "J-Jasper, you… my sister will kill you if she hears of this…"

"I do not care anymore!" Jasper replied, standing his ground. It seemed that surviving the Incursion had bolstered his courage. "Having nearly perished two times already, I cannot stand the thought that I go into the cold shade without your flame ever warming me! My heart burns for you hotter than the sun!"

"Oh my, oh my!" Princess Topaz grew so bright that Jasper looked like a shadow on a wall in comparison. "Oh, Jasper, I thought you would never ask! I… I accept your proposal!"

"Y-you do?" Now it was Jasper's time to glow. "Oh my beautiful princess, I could melt down in your arms!"

"Soumis objects!" the red dragon complained, his foot stomping the ground. "A princess should not marry a knight unless she is ready to evolve into a queen! This is a violation of the natural–"

A coffin of ice immediately enveloped the dragon before he could finish his sentence, trapping him inside the same way Insupportable and Grudu had been. Lord Wepwawet materialized out of nowhere next to him.

"Victoire, we need to have a serious talk about the dragon issue. Now they're multiplying." Lord Wepwawet squinted at the glowing magmorians. "What's with the lightshow?"

"Burning love, I suppose," Victoire replied with some amusement. She was no romantic, but it was difficult for her not to be moved in such moments. Plus, a wedding ought to take dragons off this princess's back at least…

"Love that would not have seen the light of day without your wisdom and subtle guidance, Lord Wepwawet," Jasper said upon cooling down. "I finally understand the olive branch metaphor."

Lord Wepwawet raised an eyebrow. "You do?"

"It is a metaphor for peace!" Jasper said, clearly proud of having 'figured it out.' "The olive is a fruit that only exists in the mind, but one must ceaselessly search for it! Like peace between our nations and true love!"

A short silence followed for what seemed like forever, broken by the sound of Wepwawet's snapping fingers. "Yes, that's it, that's exactly it!" he said with a big, wide smile. "You've got it, Jasper!"

"To think Your Holiness would try to enlighten even his enemies!" Lord Rickart said while pumping his fist. "We must all strive to imitate such visionary leadership!"

Victoire struggled to keep a straight face, having grown to know her god enough to tell he was lying through his teeth. The way General Peridot looked at him told her she wasn't the only one seeing through the curtain.

Nonetheless, she also picked up on her god's uneasy expression.

Something bothered him.

The burial took place under moonlight.

The magmorians melted their dead, and the people of Verglane buried their own. Wepwawet had agreed to extend Grand-Loup's mausoleum into a 'Hall of Heroes' that would house warriors who perished in the line of duty. He had the feeling this place would become something of a pilgrimage site for werelings in time.

You have declared the 15th of June LCE (Local Calendar Equivalent) as your second Festival.

You can select up to three Festivals spread out across the year, each of them set in stone; during these celebrations, your daily mana yield and what you receive from sacrifices will be doubled for 24 hours.

That was done. Wepwawet only had one more date to select for the year, but that one would wait a bit.

He had so many issues to address. First he would need to rank-up his surviving Champions in a way that would benefit everyone, then clear the Dungeon in his backyard to secure all of Verglane's Altars—now that Citadel Sapphire was his—secure the border with Lavaland by stabilizing the country and signing a peace treaty, foster trade relationships with his neighbors, restore Narc, purge the land of Whiro's poison, and improve the weakest parts of his civilization.

And those were just the issues he would have to deal with on Elphion. He expected Horus and his father to cause him trouble in the near future, not to mention his other classmates.

I've survived a Titan Incursion, and the future looks somehow even more daunting, Wepwawet thought as he observed the party that followed the wake. All of Narc was now celebrating their victory after mourning their dead, with alcohol flowing from every cup and songs echoing across his capital city. At least everyone can forget their troubles tonight…

However, Wepwawet quickly noticed one soul wasn't partying with the other. He materialized his spirit atop a cliff where he found Victoire waiting for him alone.

"I see you've brought two cups," Wepwawet teased his first and most important Champion. She sat along the edge with an uncorked bottle nearby. "Don't tell me you have a date and didn't tell me?"

"It's yours," Victoire replied with a thin smile. "The bar is kind of crowded right now, and I figured you wouldn't want to hit the place with everyone there."

Wepwawet didn't need alcohol or drinks, but he appreciated the gesture. His spirit sat next to Victoire along the edge of the cliff, with the spot offering them an excellent view of Narc. The city looked pretty with all the bonfires and he spotted a few amusing scenes, like Karen the Kraken peering out from her pool with a keg in every tentacle or Renarde leading a group of minstrels in singing a rowdy song. Even the likes of Wintresse appeared to be relaxing a bit.

Somehow, this only reinforced Wepwawet's resolve to protect them all.

"Go on," Victoire said upon sipping from her own cup. "What's bothering you?"

"Besides everything?"

"I can tell something in particular is on your mind," Victoire replied. "Something about our last battle, isn't it?"

Victoire was far too shrewd for her own good… or perhaps she simply knew him too well.

"You understand I'm the one supposed to provide guidance and a listening ear to mortals, not the other way around, right?" Wepwawet sighed. "You've seen Peridot."

Victoire nodded sharply. "He knows."

"Yes, and he distrusted his goddess so much he blew up her Idol and contributed to expelling her from Elphion."

"Can't say I blame him," Victoire replied, the alcohol untying her tongue a bit. "That Pele sounded like an ass."

She had no idea…

"I can't either, but it still saddens me," Wepwawet admitted. "I don't want things to ever escalate that far between us… or any of my Champions for that matter."

Victoire looked at him, a small and sincere smile forming on her face.

"What?" Wepwawet asked. "Why do you look at me like I said something stupid?"

"This entire city saw that in our hour of need you climbed down from your throne to save us… which is more than we can say for most kings." Victoire chuckled. "After what you pulled yesterday, there's no one in this land who will ever doubt you again."

Wepwawet raised an eyebrow. "Even you?"

Victoire nodded with all of her sincerity. "Even me."

Wepwawet had asked that question in jest, so it took him a moment to process the response. Part of why he appreciated Victoire so much was that she didn't mince her words and meant what she said. In a way, she was more of a friend and confidant than a follower to him.

After so many doubts and ordeals, he had finally regained her faith.

"Thanks," Wepwawet replied from the bottom of his heart. "That means more than you think to me."

"Still not going to try that Paladin path of yours," Victoire warned him. "I like the Snowheart one I'm on, no offense."

"None taken." Wepwawet didn't want to force her into anything. "I'm actually curious where it'll take you. Hopefully far."

"Thank you." Victoire finished her cup. "Don't take any of us for granted… and the same will go for us."

Wepwawet nodded and watched the festival below. The two settled into a comfortable silence, the kind that only good friends could share.

"Victoire?"

"Yes?"

"Are you going to ride that dragon?"

Victoire threw her cup at her god, which made him laugh well into the night.

End of Book 1

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