Paladin of Shadows Chapter 22

With the agreement of the contract, I could feel Ereshkigal's divinity enter my body and settle within my soul. And from there Freya spoke with excitement as her eyes glowed slightly with purple light as she looked directly into my soul.

"Jake allow me to update your falna right quick... We are all very curious of what you gained from my fellow caretaker of the dead." 

I nodded and without any shame knowing the goddesses had seen plenty of the same scenes I pulled off my shirt with Freya's pricked finger landing on my back unlocking my falna and beginning the update.

"Ah, this is quite good... No, it's beyond good haha, it completely invalidates Jake's need to follow his contract haha!" Freya laughed joyfully as she brought a piece of paper she had tucked into her robe.

First Ereshkigal looked pissed at Freya's words but just as she was building up steam, Freya quickly handed over the paper containing my falna to the other goddess who looked upon it... Blinked and then she grinned wide with her shivering and her eyes snapped to me with.

A frankly fanatical light in them that I could only see when Freya gazed into my own soul.

Silently Freya took back the Falna paper and then she handed it to me and I quickly read it to see what all the fuss was about.

[Jake Barris Lvl 1]
[Stats]
[Strength- 355 F]
[Endurance- 256 G]
[Dexterity- 472 E]
[Agility- 463 E]
[Magic- 342 F]
[Development Abilities-0]
[Skills]
[Birth of Domains-] [Allows the user to make a contract with a god or goddess via a vow or contract to allow the user to gain a skill/spell that doesn't take a Falna spell slot in the domain in which he contracts with the god or goddess.]
[Valhǫll-] [Warriors including the user of this skill of the matching Familia of the user, passively recover mind, stamina, and from wounds with much greater efficiency.]
[Laris Prytaneum] [People whose Falna has been graced by the goddess Hestia while adventuring with the user will have increased Excellia gain. User has majorly increased fire resistance.]
[Napšum Sa kur Umuzzum] [The user's weapons and blows are blessed with Ereshkigal's essence. All slain foe's souls are sent directly to the world's afterlife to be judged. User's weapons and attacks are enhanced with Ereshkigal's essence which will dislodge the target's soul from its body.]
[Magic-]
[Valhalla's Rest] [Short Chant] [In the echoes of the ancient lore, Restore, renew, Forevermore, By the Vanir, by the Sacred Tree, Healing now.]
[Soul Burning Cage's of Kur] [Short Chant] [ Soul belonging to the throne of Kur's soul easing flames, Be caged.]

"Most... Most interesting Jake, your new spell is both a spell to control your opponent's while inside the cage, a form of Ereshkigal's flames of Kur will burn the targets to destroy their body to free their souls." Freya spoke with something almost close to frustration honestly.

As it was clear that Ereshkigal's blessing at least in Freya's mind was alot more... Widely applicable in combat at least. Whereas hers was entirely supporting by a healing skill and spell.

But with Ereshkigal here, I couldn't exactly give Freya a hug and say how her skill and spell were still super useful. But either way, I smiled at seeing my growth as doing very well with how I had been hitting the dungeon for only a week at this point.

"Well... Now what happens?" Ereshkigal asked curiously and even I blinked as I actually never really considered that.

But it seems Freya was on top of things as she said kindly. "Now? Anything that Jake kills will have their souls sent directly to Tenkai without you needing to bless their travels to smooth things over."

Ereshkigal blinked and looked between me and Alpha before raising her eyebrow and asking more bluntly. "I mean what is to happen between us now. Jake and myself? Is he my champion, an extended part of my familia?" 

The room went silent and I could all but feel Freya holding back a snap about how I was 'HER's' and no one elses. But after a moment. Freya's cool voice filled the room. "Jake can be considered your champion Ereshkigal, yes that is the case. However, my sigil lies on his falna."

And for a moment I saw something enter Ereshkigal's eyes before she slowly nodded and she smiled coldly and said. "I see... Yes, that is indeed very true Freya. Well, this has been a most wonderful meeting with you again. But I need to finish my paperwork before I go to bed, Freya."

Then those divine golden eyes that could see the value in soul's locked onto me... And she was silent for a long ten seconds before she stated. "I will see you again Jake Bariss. Whether it be tomorrow, or a hundred years from now. I will see you again on that day."

And I knew that without a single doubt, she meant that the day I died. She would be there to watch my soul go to Tenkai... Assuming my soul didn't get yoinked again by my sponsor.

I stood up from my chair and I smiled before I said with a wry smile. "Well Ereshkigal, I hope that day isn't too soon after all. And thank you for the blessing, but it seems we are both have other things to do." 

"That we both do." Ereshkigal stated in agreement before dipping her head back to her paperwork and then she waved a hand at us negligently as though telling us to just see ourselves out with Alpha giving my arm a gentle pull to get us moving.

Once we left Ereshkigal's funeral parlor however Freya sighed and said. "That silly girl... It's only that Jake is clearly still a fresh level 1 that stops her from attempting a Wargame. It was a bad choice to pick her when she can also see souls as I can even if her sight is different from my own."