—Are we not going back to the tower? — this green scenery was strange to Myrhael's eyes.
Back in the palace, Zaryne's eyes — once filled with hatred — turned greedy after hearing Aerisse's proposal.
That's right, it was a meaningful position, but Aerisse had to show her there was much more to it. And for that, well… she'd have to break her sacred law of never working unless the sky was literally falling.
After taking them through her celestial passage, they arrived at the central lands of the planet — the greenest place, with crystal-clear lake water and plenty of mana flowing in the air. Aerisse had been saving this place for her vacations, which is why it was still untouched and fully protected by her divine barrier.
Now, it would serve another purpose.
—Here, we're building the Central Kingdom, where Zaryne will make her debut — said Aerisse casually, as if mentioning something entirely trivial.
—Your Holiness, there must be some mistake. That portal must have taken us to the wrong place — Zaryne's voice was sharp as ever.
She did sound about right. That was her normal state.
— I make no mistakes, child.
— I see… — She looked around. — But there's no one here. Nothing. Do you expect me to rule over insects?
Aerisse was now laughing so hard she almost cried.
— Princess, you're — she said between laughter — … absolutely hilarious.
—Ahn… — The princess blinked, realizing this woman might actually be insane.
And she must have been stupid to have listened this far.
—Sister, look again.
It was Aerisse's divine power — no effort required. Around the lake, a great palace took shape, and around the palace, the kingdom began forming, guided by the divine design of the goddess— well, not really. She had simply pulled out a Divine Construction Manual.
—Now, my loyal disciple. I didn't want to do this, but to help your sister… are you willing to do a little work?
That wasn't part of the plan, but he wouldn't be happy either if they went back home only to find their celestial neighbors furious again.
—Anything. Just say the word, Your Holiness.
So serious.
—Good. I need you to travel the world, looking for people who want a change, alright? The ones who want to leave, start anew, whatever. If they can do business here, even better for the economy. — He nodded confidently, while his sister looked at them like it was an impossible mission. — And sister, you'll go with him. It'll make things more organized and… legal, I hope. You can use my name on the road if needed.
And then, Aerisse had the nerve to say:
—You have one week to populate this kingdom. I'll come back to check.
With that, she entered her new portal and vanished, returning to her glorious tower.
She hadn't abandoned them to their fate, of course — Myrhael had her portal-making craft, so they would manage.
Still, blood was already coming out of every pore in her body. Disgusting. She needed this week to treat her weak vessel.
In a week's time, she would return to help them.
Everything would be fine. Hopefully.