Hmm...the owner of this tower has good taste if anything.

Let's recap. Things have been so hectic after we returned from Iron Isle.

First, the whole "allied army" came and helped us off the island. Of course, we did not forget to take the stolen crafting facilities with us. And after we returned, someone from the Union brought us back to the HQ with style. Where we were forced to give a detailed report of what happened on that island. *Sigh*...

The next day, an invitation was brought to our rented mansion, asking for me to travel to the 7th Pillar of Velantas, aka the one tower that is surrounded by the other six that make up the city of Velantas. I figured that someone like the mayor of the city or whatever lived here. Why would they want to meet with me all of a sudden?

Excluding the entrance of the tower, the corridors are decorated with many different pieces of art. From statuses to paintings, even shelves filled with books that seem to be literary pieces of art take up half the hallway.

This might come off as sudden, but I think I overheard a rumor that might be related to this. In the past, before the great drought due to a certain idiot snake, Velantas was a city that housed tons of art-focused Guilds and Unions. The various islands near the city could provide different types of materials that artists could make use of. However, the disappearance of the lake caused those materials to become more scarce, forcing the artists to leave the country.

Only the adventurers and the original inhabitants stayed in the city when things went south and dry. The former could keep their earnings by solving the mystery behind the drought and fighting off the new, desert-themed monsters that had started to appear due to the biome change. And the latter half had no other choice than to stay.

Grr, now that I keep thinking about it, Glavras was one ****ing messed-up snake. Glad I killed him.

And while I was fuming, I reached a new location that was NOT another hallway! It seems like a hall made out of white marble, with artificial rivers and waterfalls along with flora that fits this aquatic space to create one incredible scenery. Stairs go down from the entrance, leading to a platform over a lake in the middle of the room, with 6 pillars around it, as if using the city of Velantas as a motif.

Hey, maybe this counts as a piece of art as well? An architectural one, that is. And for some reason...

"Bloom, are you also feeling a hint of deja vu?" - Garami

"So you noticed, Master?" - Bloom

"Noticed what?" - Garami

"This hall appears to be a shrine for a god." - Bloom

"Another one!? Like that gory place on top of Mount Iron Isle?!" - Garami

"Do not rename mountains just because you cannot remember their real names. But yes, just like that 'gory' place. However, it seems this god here has better taste than the one the Feral Goblins were worshipping." - Bloom

"WAY better! What kinda psycho would like that horror show of a temple?" - Garami

Speaking of "horror", I got this new trait from that place along with this so-called "Blessing". I never did get a chance to look into it before coming here...

Trait List:

Pale Beauty:

Alter hair, skin, and eye colors. Reduces physical abilities while exposed to sunlight. Increases damage from Glow-category attributes: multiplied [1.1] Continued exposure to sunlight can cause Sun-based [Burn] ailments. Positive correction to mental-type ailment inflicting abilities: [Normal]. Further positive correction to [Fear]-type abilities: [Small]. Further positive correction to [Charm]-type abilities: [Normal]. Positive correction for obtaining negative Karma Value: [Small].

GUH! Th-th-that felt like a solid right hook aimed at my gut...

[Pale Beauty] is a boatload! However all that talk about "altering hair, skin, and eye colors" is falling on deaf ears. I'm still the same as usual.

The real "upgrades" are a different story. The previous Light/Sun extra damage of [Albino] has now gone up to include ALL Glow-category attributes!

A good thing out of this is that the "reduced abilities while in sunlight"-part seems to have been reduced to only "physical abilities". But there's a risk of getting burns just from being out in the sun? Are you for real? At least it says I "can" get burns. I haven't gotten any since I obtained the Trait yesterday, so it's not an absolute rule. But let's invest in sunscreen too, just to be safe.

The next effects came as another surprise. They meant it for real when they called it "beauty". [Charm] and [Fear] getting a further bonus along with other mental-category ailments? Not bad at all, but I haven't invested so much in [Charm]. Maybe it could be useful? If I can prevent those perverts from jumping at me. Is there a way to command charmed targets?

As for the negative Karma gig...no comments. It would be weirder for something with these abilities to be a force of good. Not that it matters to me.

"Master, we have arrived." - Bloom

Hmm, that was fast. Time flies when you're busy with something.

The moment I put my foot on the marble floor, water started to climb up the walls and converge on a spot near the middle of the platform. Not a moment later, the water had "solidified" into a table and a set of chairs. What is that? The opposite of Glavras' ability?

The water didn't stop after creating the fancy furniture. The leftovers created a circle on the floor and with a flash of light, an old man was standing in the middle of the circle. A teleportation magic circle? Handy. The old man is dressed like a Renaissance painter. You could call it a "Leonardo da Vinci"-style if you want to.

"And who might you be?" - Garami

"Ah, am I late? Please excuse me, my lake's brave helper. I am Skvalv. It might be ambitious of me to call so myself, but I am considered the God of this country." - Skvalv

...And now the real deal's appeared. ..."Skvalv"? Where have I heard that name before...... AH!!

"You're that guy with that fancy office back at that limbo-like place!!" - Garami

"...'Limbo-like'??" - Skvalv & Bloom

---

A quick pair of self-introductions and summaries later:

"Hohoho~. So my away office was in your taste. It is always so pleasing to hear praises regarding my choice of interior." - Skvalv

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

"Mhm," I answered while stuffing my cheeks full of the deserts this God of good taste had brought forth.

In short, Skvalv is the boss of Velantas. As in, he's the god worshipped by the inhabitants of this lake. He claims to be a "Lesser God", but if this is a Lesser, I'm starting to fear a certain "Ultimate" now more than ever.

"*Gulp*, but why did you have an office in such a place? Not to mention having the task of designing all those weird monster requests." - Garami

Skvalv said he was a Lesser God governing the domains of Lakes and Poetry. The latter should make him count as a god of arts, but wouldn't there be someone else who'd be better for the task of making up the new generation of monstrosities on Terra Sol? Like a proper god of monsters?

"For your first question, the incident regarding Glavras turned out to be more stressful for these old bones than what one would believe. I obtained that workshop located in the boundaries between the worlds as a room of relief where I could work without my back giving up on me. Sadly...as you can guess, Glavras' actions turned out to be too difficult to solve while working away from this country." - Skvalv

Riiiight. I think Blot or someone else told me about that. The Water-Knot had some stealth barrier that would prevent people from finding the place unless they discovered it by accident. The Black Baron must have been the only guy who found it on his own. But that's less due to mythical powers and more that he used countless of those robots of his to find the entrance. And it seems he has some history with Glavras personally.

"As for your second question, the creation of the 'new generation of monstrosities', well put there, young lady, it is a task that is given to the lower-ranked gods through a lottery system." - Skvalv

"Lottery?" - Garami

"Yes. You would be surprised by the number of gods and goddesses who want to make their mark on Terra Sol's ecosystems. This time, the wheel of fate landed on my name." - Skvalv

"So...that huge pile of unfinished papers was due to a certain snake?" - Garami

"Yes. That blasted Glavras. These Disasters are too much for a single Lesser God to fix. Can't those fools understand that...?" - Skvalv

Hmm, I'm starting to feel a real affinity for this guy. We're both being bothered to hell by the gods...or goddesses, in my case.

"Gah, where are my manners? Miss Garami, thank you for your many contributions to Velantas' safety! Both regarding the Water-Knot, from before that even, and the recent events!" - Skvalv

Hey, hey. The god is lowering his head to me. Or, he tried. I summoned a Skeleton and had it stop the old man before he hit the table with his head.

"Don't do that. What if people noticed? A god bowing to a demon is just plain wrong." - Garami

"...Ahaha. You might have a point." - Skvalv

Seeing that the old man had calmed down, I ordered the Skeleton away. Sheesh, stop trying to make the room feel so weird, you crazy old geezer.

"While that might be said, not giving my repeated savior the reward she deserves, whether she might be a demon or not, would hurt my pride to the point of no return." - Skvalv

Rewards? Now that's something I can live by! Not that I haven't learned my lessons regarding the divine and their "gifts". Even if this old man is way better than a certain goddess who should not be named.

"If that would make you sleep better at night, be my guest. And unless it is too preposterous, do you mind answering a question of mine?" - Garami

"Why, of course! What knowledge do you seek, young savior?" - Skvalv

"First off, 'savior' is too much for my stomach. As for my question, on that island, the Iron Isle..." - Garami

I told my story of what happened after I defeated the Feral Goblin Leader to the old god, including the strange System Message and its effect on my current state.

"Hmm, that Altruine, she must be bullied again..." - Skvalv

"Excuse me?" - Garami

"Oh, nothing much. The goddess you talked about, Altruine, is one of the younger deities of this world. And she is infamous for not choosing an Apostle too often. Now, this is not a bad thing if you ask me. If too many people that are agreeable with her domains are granted Master-tier classes, the world would be a much more dreadful place to live in." - Skvalv

"...? Old man, you got to slow down. I'm not following." - Garami

"Ohoho~. Pardon me, young lady. An 'Apostle' refers to someone who has been granted the blessing, or should I say the 'authorization', to obtain a class fashioned after the gifting god's powers. That is the Master-tier classes. Only people who have an affinity for the god's work and elements, along with being able to catch said god's eye, can hope to become an Apostle. And you, my young lady, seem to have done exactly that. And with one of Terra Sol's most strong-willed goddesses, I might add." - Skvalv

Apostle... What I heard is that Master-tier classes have to be fashioned after your obtained attributes. To think you also need a god to say "okay" to your class promotion...

"Apostles might also be given new traits by their patron god, but this is a rare event. Altruine did not have many Apostles in the first place, so maybe she is feeling possessive over her newest follower?" - Skvalv

"Too bad I ain't feeling the love here." - Garami

"Hohoho~. As for this skill you mentioned, that is not a common thing to happen to Apostles." - Skvalv

"It isn't?" - Garami

"No. Apostles are only granted the Blessing that is required for the Master-tier classes. Maybe...this 'black cloak' goblin you talked about, could it be he was trying to clear a quest for Altruine?" - Skvalv

"...That could explain the Ferals' strange movements. If they were following the guidelines of a Quest..., oh." - Garami

That goblin, if he did was doing a quest to be qualified as this goddess' Apostle... The contents must have been among the lines of "ruin Velantas". And didn't I do something similar? I did trick the black cloak into exterminating the whole "goblin kingdom". Trickery and ruin. Maybe that act was impressive enough to get on the goddess' good side? So much that she added one of the quest's rewards, the [Cursed Nemesis Mantle] skill, as a bonus?

Hmm, that sounds legit. Those Warlock blasts the black cloak loved to throw around seemed fitting for the Curse attribute. That Mantle skill requires [Curse Element], or its evolved/devolved forms, for its usage. Meaning it is worthless for me, but for a Curse casting goblin, it's more than enough of a bribe to have a Feral work for a goddess.

"Okay, I think I have the truth of what happened at the temple down now. Thank you." - Garami

"Hohoho~. No, it's been a pleasure. It has been too long since I had a proper talk with someone this curious." - Skvalv

"...In that case, do you mind answering a few other questions?" - Garami

"Please, be my guest. Wait, you already are. Hohohoho~!" - Skvalv

"Erm..., yeah. Okay, do you know anything about the people who founded the city on the Tir na Nog island?" - Garami

If I'm lucky, I might get some info on the people who caused Revi to go through such a bad time all those long years...

"I am sorry. Tir na Nog is something I cannot help with." - Skvalv

And there goes my luck!! Dammit!!

"Listen, I'd be glad to help, but the events that occurred in Tir na Nog was before I arrived at Velantas 200 years ago." - Skvalv

"200 years ago?" - Garami

"Yes. I used to live in a different region before moving here... Wait. Now I remember!" - Skvalv

"What? Something about Tir na Nog?" - Garami

"No, not that specifically. But this Invidia continent is one of the relatively young continents to be populated by humanity. If you look away from the Loitan Kingdom which is governed by dragons, the only humanoid kingdoms on this continent were the Avalar Kingdom in the north and the Solomar Kingdom in the south. The people who built this city must have come from those two kingdoms. And that includes the people who built the city of Tir na Nog." - Skvalv

"That does restrict the number of culprits...somewhat..." - Garami

"It does more than that. Both city's pioneer projects were founded by the royal families of that time. And both of them have survived to this day!" - Skvalv

"Meaning there might be some skeletons in those royals' closest, or perhaps their libraries. Though..." - Garami

"Ah, yes. Looking through either of those might come as a trial on its own. If you want to look further into it, you should be aware of the dangers." - Skvalv

Avalar is rumored to be a human supremacist kingdom that has isolated itself from the rest of the continent. And Solomar is the home of that Demon King whom Filyn has a beef with. True, trying to investigate either of them will be troublesome. Continuing working with Filyn could give me some info on the Solomar group...but that might bring more risks than gains. Revi herself doesn't seem too interested in getting revenge or the truth anyway...

"Alright then. I'll be careful." - Garami

"Hohoho~. Yes, caution and bravery are both capabilities an adventurer requires, even how paradoxical it sounds." - Skvalv

"Hmmmm..." - Garami

Just when I was going to come up with a witty comeback, a clock rang out somewhere. Where did that sound come from?

"It seems like our time has run out." - Skvalv

"You're on a schedule?" - Garami

"I am always on a schedule. That much became even more true after Glavras appeared. But before you leave, I have some gifts for you." - Skvalv

Skvalv took out two items and left them on the table. The first one looks like a...grimoire. Not the type you can use as a piece of equipment, but the type that you can learn new magic spells from if you have the right Magic Skill. Kinda like a Skill Scroll for magic spells.

"This book is to allow Necromancers to enhance their creations with Daywalker-like properties. Make sure it doesn't fall in the wrong hands." - Skvalv

WOHOO!! Just what I was looking for! This old man, is he Santa Claus or something? ...Probably not. I'm definitely on that old geezer's naughty list.

The other item is..., some sort of document? Hey, isn't this...!

"And this is a deed for the ship your Guild has been borrowing from the Union, the Marauder. I also added a request note for the local warf to enhance the boat into a proper Floatship. That would help you and your Guild in traveling to other countries." - Skvalv

"For real!? Skvalv, you're a God of generosity!" - Garami

"No, I am one for lakes and poetry. Hohohoho~!" - Skvalv

And with that, I left the tower of the old God with my hands filled with spoils of war. Velantas... It is a nice country. I should return once or twice after finishing developing my Dungeon.

Which I have to start preparing ASAP! Time to plan for our campaign in the southeast region of the Invidia continent, the Sekarot Desert!! ...I wonder if Alf will survive the trip. With his current "predicament" and all...