Chapter 415 - Gods of Man

Vasariametz

The Braveheart Kingdom

"Ha!" Prydwen exclaimed, laughing loudly at the scene in the Scrying Pool, "Serves that pompous asshole right!"

Vasaria's Projection had arrived not that long ago and only caught the tail end of what seemed to be a duel of some kind. One involving a terribly conspicuous sword, and a human he'd not thought about in a while.

"I see there's no love lost between you and the Father of Light," Vasaria teased. He knew already the feelings Prydwen had for the Lightbringer, but it was good fun to rile up the Human God.

"Bah, the 'Father of Light'," Prydwen mocked, "He's a right cunt. You can just come out and say it. No one but him is so arrogant as to claim an entire natural element."

Lionheart laughed, refilling his drink full of mirth at his fellow god's distaste, "He's been sending priests to spread the 'grace of the Light' inside Prydwen's Frontier Kingdoms for the last few centuries. He's had to tamp them down every decade or so when they go too far."

"Cultists, more like..." Prydwen mumbled into his tankard.

Vasaria smirked at the exchange. It was little details like this that he missed while away. Small inter-Faction relationships that made things interesting, rather than just spending every day meditating.

"Cultists you threatened to go to war over," Lionheart added with a smile.

"And I would have, too, if you and the rest had stood with me!" Prydwen exclaimed.

"Prydwen, we are already at war with Xerathuun, Axiom, and the Grey Horde. We told you we can't go to war with the Faction of Light before you even asked. The Kingdoms of Man can't afford a fourth front, you know that." Elowen explained dryly, like this wasn't her first time doing so.

Vasaria winced, he'd known about the Grey Horde, but not Axiom and Xerathuun. Humans had always been at war with the Grey Horde. The two hated each other with an undying passion. The humans mainly out of spite, and the insects out of instinct. They'd been at war for longer than they hadn't.

"Axiom and the Xerathuun the Undying?" Vasaria commented with a raised eyebrow. "When did that happen?"

Prydwen scoffed unhappily, and Lionheart looked to his wife to explain. Elowen did so unhappily, "Right before the Integration. The machines are still unhappy with how Ferra was resolved, and the Lich just likes to be a nuisance." Her withering gaze settled on Prydwen when she explained about Ferra.

Prydwen shrugged his shoulders, "Hey! It wasn't my fault the Planet got destroyed. They shouldn't have started anything if they didn't like how it ended."

Ah, Prydwen, the blunt instrument he always is, Vasaria thought. His friend always felt more was better, even if it ended with a few Planets being permanently rearranged. It turned out that other Factions didn't appreciate that as much as he did. The fact that it usually happened to their planets had absolutely nothing to do with it.

"How are things faring? Well, I assume, if you three are here and not there." Vasaria asked. While his presence was a Projection, he could tell that the three Human Gods were there in person, rather than through clones or Projections.

Lionheart shrugged, "We're letting the younger gods and demi-gods handle it until things heat up. The integration kicking off has cooled things, but it shouldn't be long until things come to a head. The Automata and Undead Faction are a good first war for them. Much better than the Demons or Holy Pantheon."

"Speak for yourself," Elowen said, "I ascended during the First Race War, it was exactly the pressure needed to reach godhood."

All three turned their attention back to the Scrying Pool as the scene shifted away from the trinket of a Light sword and focused on an entirely different area on the planet. An armored warrior wielding a spear battled furiously against a horde of demons. Normally, facing so many on their lonesome would be the end of the human, but this wasn't just any human.

It was Prydwen's blessed, in his full glory.

His entire body glowed with power as the Bloodline of Heroes thrummed in his blood. Mana and Spirit both coalesced into phantom warriors who stood beside him in his battle against the infernal creatures. Their ancient armor matched what the man was wearing, and all wielded similar, rounded shields and spears.

The phantoms fought as one with the warrior in a fight that should have been overwhelmingly one-sided, but was instead a beatdown by an army of one.

"I see your blessed is doing well for himself," Vasaria commented. This wasn't his first time seeing the human, but it had been a while since. The man hadn't been as powerful then, and certainly hadn't had an Anchor at the time.

"Leo will make a fine Warrior one day, if he makes it that far." Prydwen couldn't keep a touch of pride from his tone, "It's rare for the Bloodline of Heroes to be seen outside of my Domain, and even rarer in a First Generationer. It makes me wonder what their world was like before his. Their History must be rich for the Bloodline to surface there."

"You and your Bloodline," Lionheart scoffed, "Not all of us can be so blessed to be given one at birth."

That subject was a common enough argument between the two that Vasaria had heard it many times before. Prydwen prided Human-exclusive Bloodlines above all else, while those not born with one had to seek power elsewhere. It wasn't to the point that Prydwen looked down on them because of it, but he definitely favored one over the other.

Changing the subject so the two didn't retread the same argument, Vasaria asked, "Are there any other Planets from this Integration you're interested in?"

The Planet they were watching had interesting things going on: three Factions in the beginning stages of infiltration, and Prydwen's blessed. It also had the Human with Ymir's technique, not that the three human gods knew that. Only he, Skadi, and she did.

"No," Prydwen said, "There's another Human Planet, but it's not that fun to watch. They had magic before, so their entire worldview wasn't turned upside down overnight. Not much changed in the way they run things, which doesn't make for much entertainment. I'd rather do border detail than observe the Demons, and the rest aren't all that interesting at the moment. Some are nearing the next Assessment, but it's still years off for most."

Vasaria perked up at the mention of the next Assessment. He'd been at the border fighting against the Blight when the first round of Assessments kicked off. He'd managed to catch the tail end, and the Planets who'd undergone their Assessment later, but he'd missed most of them.

Depending on the Planet's grade, this would be the second to last Assessment, and for some, it would be the last. Then they would be opened up to the Universe at large. Not many Factions would waste resources on a D-rank world, but some would for a C-rank if they should fail.

An entire D-rank Planet didn't contain the resources to make conquering it worthwhile. Teleportation was out of the question, and most forms of travel as well. The expense alone wouldn't be worth it. Only the closest Factions would even attempt it, and even then, it was rare.

C-rank worlds were trickier. They were worth more, but they were also better defended. It could be profitable to fight over it, but it could also be a nightmare of a resource drain. Grabbing one before the natives reached C-rank would make it more than worth the trouble.

B-rank worlds... those were precious. It wasn't often such a high-grade world didn't already belong to a Faction. It was rare for one to float by in the Void or appear in new Integrations. If one such world were to fail, losing its protections, there would be a great many Factions willing to fight over it.

Some, like the Lightbringer, were already trying to assert control over it, even with the protections in place. Others as well, through blessings or other means. If the natives of a world declared for a Faction, the battle was already won. They just had to fend off other Factions at that rate.

"How do you think this Planet will fare in their next Assessment?" Vasaria asked, indicating toward the Scrying Pool showing Prydwen's blessed. "I haven't seen much, but they seem prepared enough from what I've noticed."

"Nearly a hundred Barons, over a dozen Viscounts, seven Counts, and even an Earl?" Elowen detailed the list of Noble Ranks already presiding over the world. "Depending on the type of Assessment, I highly doubt they'll fail so early."

"They've been hardened better than other worlds," Lionheart said, "Not only have they fought each other, but they've fought off demons, angels, and mystical beasts. I first assumed it would be their lack of unity to do them in, but they've proved capable of working together when required."

There was a faint smile as he spoke, as he was most likely remembering the early days of Humanity's introduction to the wider Universe. It was terribly similar to how the Integration for that Planet was playing out.

"They remain unbowed," Prydwen said, taking the question seriously, "I expect them to continue to remain so. I'd be disappointed if they failed."

"If they failed, or if he failed?" Vasaria poked, waving at the pool.

"Both. Leo is still young, and so are the rest of them, but they show promise. They would make a fine addition to the Kingdoms of Men," He answered, "I say that not only because of my interest in Leo, but in others as well. The Admiral's leadership, Arthur's steadfast nature, Yi Ling's martial prowess, Chloe's 'bushwhacking'," Prydwen chuckled as he used the native term, "Ade, Obu, Sergei, Wilhelm, all of them show promise. Even if only one of them ascends, it would be worth it."

Elowen chuckled, "I notice you left a few out of that list. We just witnessed a battle involving four prominent leaders, and one where I'd say he showed more than just promise. Taking a Spirit injury like that and continuing is worthy of praise. "

"You know how he is," Lionheart cut in before Prydwen could defend himself, "He doesn't focus on anyone who has yet to be tested."

Vasaria knew the reason behind it, and it wasn't because Prydwen looked down on them. It was because he didn't like to see them fail. Building your power upon a Bloodline that could be stripped from you was crippling if it ever was. It was extremely rare to ever come back from such a wound and reach the heights you once had.

He considered it a waste of talent and was the main reason he favored Human Bloodlines. They couldn't be stripped from you. Prydwen lost a great many friends and even family during the First Race War. The Agreement did little to assuage his grief.

"The Frost Giants will be fair with him," Vasaria found himself saying, "and so will the Dragons with the Fire Mage; she embodies the Flame well, but the Astral Elementals are notoriously picky..."

"What of the Worldwalkers?" Lionheart asked, "I haven't seen one acquire their Bloodline in an age. It's not an easy one to get without the System Store. What will they do with the Gravity Brawler?"

"I'm not sure," Vasaria admitted. He hadn't spoken to a Worldwalker in... a long time. "It will depend on whether they take notice or not. I could see it going either way depending on which one of them administers the test."

"Ha!" Prydwen laughed, "The Great Vasariametz unsure!"

Vasaria smiled at the rib. Twice now, he'd been unsure of something thrown at him, and both times, the one responsible resided on the same planet.