When Li got settled to sleep that night, he did so only after he made sure Old Thane himself was sleeping.

Tia had been asleep for quite a while already, and she continued to pass her time in somnolent bliss, snuggling into a compact ball by Li's side as he sat upright on his bed, his eyes closed not in slumber, but in meditation.

He had to get everything in order now. Soon, he would leave, and he did not want any loose threads remaining.

In his meditation, he reached out to his heart, and his consciousness emerged from his human figure, phasing through the inn and gliding across the worried city, past the hundreds of torchlights from guard patrols shimmering on the shaded streets below, past the towering walls of Riviera with its massive stone knights, and to the forest, to his heart.

Unlike the city so full of man and his fickle worries, the forest was peaceful. Even more peaceful than usual, actually, for the creatures of the Winterwoods could tell when man had left the soil.

Here, at his heart, surrounded by flora and fauna that thrived, he could hardly tell that there was a war imminent upon the horizon.

"Great One," said Iona as she materialized in front of the heart in a swirl of green sparks. She bowed her head, red locks shimmering in an alternating glow like the flickering light of a fire.

"Good to see you are doing well," said Li with a curt nod before he cut out the pleasantries and went to business. "Iona, I know you, the one most closely connected with my soul, knows this, but I will be leaving temporarily."

"I understand," said Iona. "I have glanced into your heart. I see it. Your intentions. Your vision of the future. Of the garden." Her face brightened up. "A wonderful vision. Where all life, no matter how strong or weak, how young or old, may thrive."

"It's all theoretics for now. I've no illusion I'll have to make some hard-thought compromises down the road," said Li. He was slightly surprised to see a hint of curious emotion on Iona's face, but as soon as it flickered, it fizzled out. She looked at him now with expectant but calm poise, ready to receive orders.

"But there is plenty to think about that is right in front of me. This demonic invasion is the single greatest way for me to spread my faith throughout this whole duchy. No, perhaps this entire world. Were I to shatter this world ending threat, then there will be none that will not flock to my garden."

"And as your faithful root, I shall tend to the garden in whatever way you wish," said Iona.

One thing that had improved vastly, however, was that Iona talked like her own being. Initially, she was like a hard coded program that only had pre-written responses for certain things Li needed, but now, she could speak with him about most anything.

Even give an opinion here or there. She was well on track to becoming who she once was as Li gained more and more control over his divinity.

"And that is why I am here. Iona, you will stay with the Justicars. In my absence, you will be protector of the Winterwoods, my people, and Riviera," said Li.

He held out an open hand towards her, bidding her to give hers, and she did. He held her hand there and focused. A spark of green energy traveled across Li's astral form, passing the bridge of interlocked hands and reaching Iona's being.

"That is a spell crafted by my own will. The [Roots of Order]. This shrine can already emanate the effects of that spell, but I want you to have access to it as well. Its cost is steep, and so to aid you, I will place a totem of mine on the fields by the city walls. That way, you may give both the farmers and the citizens of Riviera reprieve from any eldritch rot should it make its way here."

Iona took her hand and put it over her heart. "I will cherish this spell with all my life," she said, closing her eyes in gratefulness. "And your orders have been heard. In your stead, I will try my best to act as guardian."

"Good," said Li. He snapped his fingers, and a booming pulse of power cracked from his ghostly digits. "And now, you also have authority over the Justicars. Use them wisely. Goodbye, Iona. When I leave the city, I will make sure to give you a more proper farewell."

"I will be waiting most expectantly," said Iona, the faintest hints of a smile visible upon her.

============

The next morning, and the entire day, really, went by in a whirlwind of activity.

As soon as first light struck, Li determined that Old Thane probably had had enough sleep, and Tia, too, was stirring, her energy restored. Zagan did not sleep, but simply lay curled up by the fireplace, sensing Li's intentions and determining that he was not needed.

Li got ready as he usually did. He dressed in the formal attire of his guild but did not so much bother with any personal hygiene. A perk of being divine - he stayed in optimal condition.

As he put on his jacket, Tia yawned loudly, tracked her eyes on him, saw that he was awake and ready to move, and instantly leaped from the blankets to his shoulder, latching onto his back with newfound energy.

"New day, new adventure!" she said.

Li smiled. "Yes, Tia, new day, new adventure. Maybe the very first 'real' adventure I'll have in this world."

He nodded out a slight goodbye to the sleeping old man before he left the room.

================

Out in the city, Li made an immediate trip to the City Hall, scaling the awfully lengthy series of steps to the domed building at the city center. Immediately noticeable was just how many soldiers there were now buzzing about like bees by an agitated hive.

Knights and soldiers from quite literally every single corner of the duchy. Even beyond, too.

Rivieran knights in their white and blue armor. The occasional rare blood legionnaire in white and red towering over everyone else with their superhuman brawn.

The shorter, dwarf-related people of Montagne, their thick, plated iron armor clanging with their rough but quick movements. Lightly armored knights from Trieste, the city's signature weapon of rapiers scabbarded at their hips. The elite knights of the capitol city of Eclat were here as well, their golden armor shining resplendently under the morning sun.

There were foreign faces too.

Mercenaries from the vassal city state of Enna located in Duvin – the same type that had stood guard outside the Pearl. Heavily muscled beastmen and women from the few errant tribes that lived in the deep south of the duchy, specifically in Duvin which had yet to be developed fully by man on account of the ferocity of its monsters and environment.

These were not the northern beastmen that Li was familiar with for sure. Their animal bases were what he would describe as sturdier and more pronounced.

Rhinokin, Loxodons (part-elephant), Aarakocra that were like harpies but far more inhuman, their heads avian and their entire bodies covered in feathers that could stiffen into bristle-like blades instantly, and the like.

They were far more beast than man, towering over the human knights and exuding a feral presence that made sure that other than members of their own race, nobody approached them.

What caught Li's eye especially was a group of raucous humans that made their way down the stairs, passing him by and smelling strongly of unwashed sweat and alcohol. They were enormous by human standards, almost as tall as the blood legionnaires, and just as wide with muscle. They did not don armor, however, instead only wearing skins and bearing tribal tattoos across their bodies.

Northmen. Just like Old Thane. Though, unsurprisingly, far paler for they were unused to the strong sun of the south.

It occurred to Li how limited his experience had been so far in this world. He had only ever stayed in Riviera, at his farm, and though he was slowly expanding his interests, it was still a compelling sight to see that there was, indeed, a whole wide world filled with many different races and cultures outside.

"Wow," muttered Tia as she cocked her head this way and that, trying to gain a glimpse of every single new and strange face. "Many, many, many strange people! Big horn person, long nose man, even fish man!"

She pointed a clawed hand to a Merman that was scaling the steps nearby Li.

Or rather, half-merman, it seemed, because he had legs instead of the traditional piscine lower bodies of pure mermen. The merman scrunched his scaled brows, feeling uncomfortable at suddenly being pointed out.

"Stop that, Tia, the pointing might be rude to other people," said Li gently.

"Oh, sorry, papa," said Tia. She looked to the merman. "Sorry, fish man."

Li blinked, wondering if the half merman would take that in offense.

The half merman instead laughed. "Apology accepted, child."

His voice was far, far older than what his youthful physique might have suggested. It had a croaky undertone to it that felt like it belonged to a grey bearded, wilting old man, not a tall, muscle-bound and trident wielding warrior.

"Thank you for understanding," said Li with a nod. "Far from home, are we not?"

"Home is where the coin is," shrugged the merman. "And by the sea spirits, this job will make me wealthy beyond belief. If those grubby Triestan contractors are not planning to cheat me, that is."

"And if they do?"

The merman bared a grin filled with shark-like teeth. He held up his trident. "Then they will have to pay far more coin in hired muscle to fend me off. But you, Easterner, are you not the farthest from home?"

Li shrugged. "They say that home is where the heart is." He felt Tia's arms around his neck, her precious warmth, and smiled ever so slightly. "I suppose that's how it is for me."

"Heh, a romantic, eh?" The merman paused, and the gills on his neck flared. "And yet, you've the walk of a man ready for war. I am eager to see how you will do upon the battlefield. But for now, I have to deal with this blasted sun. I hope to see you on the march today. It is not often I see another that does not belong to this continent."

The merman reached to his hip and unclasped a sizable canteen from a belt. He unscrewed it and poured water over himself to keep his skin glistening with hydration.

Li left the merman behind with a shrug.

"Romantic?" asked Tia.

"He means," said Li rather quickly. "That I am very hopeful about things."

"Hope good," nodded Tia. "With papa, there is always hope."

"I'm glad you feel that way, Tia," said Li as he made his way up the final stretch of stairs. One thing the merman had said stuck in his head: the fact that the armies were going to be marching as early as today.