Divine Chapter 4 (Patreon)

Beta's humanoid form of wrecked flesh was at least recognizable, and she did have some patches of silvery white hair atop her head, so I kneeled down beside her as she attempted to sit up but failed due to slabs of excess flesh getting caught on her knees.

"Hey... I am friends with your old friend. I am going to fix you up magically is that alright? I can make you normal again forever." I spoke softly as I approached while I went about treating her like a burn victim that was scarred horribly by the experience.

The misshapen head looked past me and looked to probably Alpha who was standing in front of the door and then like a cow? She sort of mooed somehow?

'Is that why she called Beta a cow?' I thought as I considered with how closed up the abominations throat was, maybe that's all her voice could make.

Either way I went about pulling out the corrupt mana within her allowing her flesh and form to return to her normal elfin form but this time as I changed her, she didn't actually fall unconscious like the other two did.

"Ugh... It wasn't a dream?" She whispered as she inspected her hands and as I took out a spare blanket to throw it around her, Alpha walked past me to kneel by her friend and also inspect her and I heard her tsk at something and as I looked over from my bag, I noticed she was looking at how Beta was much more developed than her.

"Nope no dreams here. Only miracles to have within your hands that you can feel." I said cheerfully as I threw the blanket over her nude form. "Alright... So, Alpha here didn't want her old name or life to continue at all. Are you the same in wanting a whole new life?" I asked with a soft smile as I sat across from the white-haired girl.

She bit her lip and looked to Alpha who nodded. "Uhm yes, I was also exiled from-" Before she could continue Alpha loudly coughed and I could feel a cold glare coming from the blond-haired elf and the white haired one just nervously chuckled at her look. "Yeah... I was exiled from home same as Alpha was, just much later on. I would like a new life to say the least." She said with a sad smile, and I nodded as I looked to Alpha.

"In that case you shall have the first name Beta. Your full name will be Beta Eve, as I hope the people, we save from the Demon Possession curse will remain a family that will help look after one another in this world that wants to do terrible things to you."

"What do you mean? Are their people going after the others with Demon Possession?" Beta asked with her eyebrows furrowing, and at the sight I remembered how she and Gamma were one of the smartest people in Shadow Garden typically if you didn't count Eta.

So then I spent like the next few minutes explaining the general information about Diabolos Cult and how the Demon Possession was actually a curse by the demon Diabolos on the three great heroes of the past age and thus all elves with the demon possession curse are descended from the Elf her Olivier.

"Wow, so we really are related Alpha." Beta said astounded and smiling at the news before the other information sunk in. "Uhm what about the Cult of Diabolos?" She asked and in turn I smiled as I hoisted her up into a princess carry.

"Thats the simplest thing. I am going to the drag their evil into the light of the world to be judged by the populace, with the gods overlooking my actions from within myself." I spoke as I carried Beta out of the bunker as she was still too weak to actually stand or really move much without shaking.

Unknown to me was Alpha scowling how at how Beta looked behind my arm that was carrying her and stuck out her tongue at the blond-haired elf at how indignant Alpha looked.

"Anyway, if anyone asks just say you are someone, we freed from some bandits moving to sell you on the other side of the kingdom or something." I said as honestly this section of the Midgar kingdom was a hot zone technically due to the thick monster infested forest acting as a natural border between the Beastkin nations to the East and the Elfish nation to the North.

So maybe that's how Cid ran into all these girls that fled their neighboring lands. As even Gamma who fled the nobility circle of Midgar came through this section of land while she tried the flee the mainly human nation.

"So, you mentioned you were an Apostle of several gods, Are they like in your head or something?" Beta began questioning and I likewise humored her as I told her about the three gods I was currently contracted to.

"Huh... Baldur is the god of... Kinda girly things." Beta remarked and I couldn't help but giggle as I felt the soul of Baldur within me do the equivalent of roll its eyes at her words.

"He doesn't like to hear that Beta." I said dryly and she paled as she saw my eyes flash a pure gold that proved my words, but I pushed Baldur back down in my soul as I felt him trying to commune with Beta like Alpha did with Hecate.

Right after being insulted by a silly mortal is literally the worst time for a god to speak with said mortal. And I had no idea how petty and cruel these gods were. As they came in all different temperaments depending how they were told in the myths or even what region their myths came from that depicted the god.

As for example Sparta and Athens had very different, opinions and myths about Ares for example.

"Uhm... Mr Baldur, I didn't mean to call you girly or anything, but Jake's light stuff is just so beautiful that I couldn't help it." Beta said embarrassedly and I could feel Baldur chewing on her words before retreating back into my soul no longer paying attention to the girl.

"Jake I was meaning to ask. How many gods are within you, and how much control do they have over you honestly?" Alpha asked as I gently loaded Beta into the back of the cart so we could turn back around and head back towards the church.

"I am not sure honestly... I know of these gods, and they have their moments." I said wryly before I continued. "As for control over myself. I believe I am in full control of my mental faculties though I won't deny that I am slightly overwhelmed having several foreign consciousness inside my soul that can send snippets of their emotions to me." I said shrugging as honestly it wasn't that bad.

Unless something actually got the gods attention, they seemed more than content to just remain in some kind of stasis within my soul. Though maybe that had something to do with how my body was not yet ready to host the gods fully within my body.

"Anyway, let's get Beta home to the church so she can recover for the rest of the day and you two can talk as I am sure you two have much to talk about." I spoke as I had the horse drawn cart start off at a decent trot back to the church and as we crested over a small hill, I could actually see the spires of it breaking through the tree line.

After getting the girls settled down inside the church I just relaxed in a nice wood and padded rocking chair I transmuted for my own enjoyment to relax on the large front platform that extended from the church's entrance.

Not even a half an hour later as Alpha was showing Beta how to wear more subdued versions of the holy clothes, I was wearing I saw a trio of carts being pulled by a group of horses and from the clothes the people were wearing. They seemed to all be peasants.

"Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the Gaia Pantheon church, how may I help you?" I asked standing up with a hidden groan as I wanted to just relax for a bit, but I ignored my feelings to put on a welcoming smile and begin the game as it were. With little motes of golden light escaping my sleeves and just emanating from my form as I walked closer to them.

"Sir.. Ah we have come under the Lady's request to ask for a blessing for my son who was accepted into the Midgar Academy as a... Sparing partner." He said with distaste, and I understood what he meant. Basically, a shitty untrained swordsman the noble children who actually had magic lessons could beat on for motivation.

"I see..." I said to the father before looking to the young man who met my eyes with some confusion and although he looked a bit skeptical at asking me for a blessing I merely smiled as I walked over to him.

"In the name of Herakles, I ask the god of Strength to bless this young man as he fights to make a better life for himself and his family. I ask that he gains strength beyond the yokes of status would put upon him and the resilience to stand above the people who punch him down from above." I spoke and I felt Herakles from within me rear up as his essence pushed through my body and unlike Alpha who got a major 'curse/blessing' This kid only got his physical talent increased a great deal and as proof the boys skin tanned a bit as he took on a darker Greek like tan.

"You have received the blessing of Herakles for the rest of your life child. When you feel your great strength allowing you to shatter all in your path and push aside all obstacles. Make sure to pray and give you thanks to Herakles for his gift to you as that's all he asks." I said strongly and the young man nodded before I grinned.

Actually, seeing as you are the first believer to join his patronage, I should give you especially a gift." I said before I went inside the church to grab the massive, spiked club that was leaning against the corner of the front door like the world's most dangerous home defense baseball bat.

"Herakles is the god of strength and although he was certainly renowned for his swordsmanship and especially his skills with the bow. But he earned his godhood with his mind-boggling strength and this weapon is perfect for someone who relies on strength." I said laying the club that weighed a solid ton on the ground.

"You men try to pick it up." I said to the father and the other fathers and boys that came to the church, while the mothers and the other couple girls stood aside to watch.

Yeah, like seven men and teenage boys were only able to simply roll the club over and lift it up from the handle to stand it up on its flat end. They couldn't actually lift it off the ground at all.

And then when the now blessed boy tried, he was able actually heft the heavy as hell club up into the air with a teeth gritting grunt of effort. "Child when you are able to heft that club and swing it about as light as a feather like I can, no spellknight will be able to match you as the club will shatter their fancy sword work as well as their swords should they dare to meet your club." I said truthfully as although Tungsten was apparently a shit conductor of pure mana according to Alpha, but it was so heavy and durable that what little mana was used to strengthen it would allow it to be used on the steel swords most students and even new knights used.

The boy nodded bowing to me in respect before laying the club down on the ground and praying to Herakles using the club as some kind of medium and I blinked as I felt Herakles divinity ever so slightly filling the club and I realized that in a couple years time so long as he kept up honest prayers to it. That the club would actually become something like a divine tool of lesser power probably like the artifacts this world used.

"Ah great Apostle. This is my daughter here." One of the mothers spoke bringing their honestly kind of plain looking daughter in front of me, but either way I smiled gently as I looked down at the shorter girl.

"And hello little lady, how can the Gaia Pantheon help you?" I asked and then the mother spoke and my smile froze died instantly.

"Great Apostle! I beg as a mother for you to restore my daughter's maidenhead so she may have a decent match after a nobleman's son passed through area and took fancy to my daughter." The mother begged and I wanted to facepalm as I had no such easy abilities... I mean sure Hecate had a tiny domain in womanhood in due to her witchcraft domain, but she made the equivalent of sending a stop sign into my soul making it clear she had no intention in doing anything.

But as I contemplated those feelings I merely put back on my smile as I laid my hands on the girl and after recalling how a woman's hymen was basically a thin little membrane or whatever I tried to transmute situation back into her body and the girl shook and whimpered as I basically restored her maidenhead.

"Lady Hecate, is not a goddess of maidens so her blessing to you unfortunately was a bit painful I apologize but next time don't entrust your heart and body to a noble that's merely passing through." I warned her and she blushed in shame as she hurried behind her mother who if anything looked happy seeing her daughter pay the consequences of her actions.

I then spent the next couple hours doing general blessings and talking to the towns people that started coming back and forth from the town as the boy who was blessed by Herakles had to actually run back home to town, as his horse refused to pull the cart when the club was it.

-

So apparently when the first blessed kid ran into town wielding a club that he could use to use to smash down a tree in a couple swings... Yeah word got around town in not even an hour that there was a church that was giving out literal divine blessings with the only caveat being that the priest is asking for them to give daily thanks if you receive a divine gift from the gods and not just a blessing for their troubles.

Sure, the priest said he couldn't actually bring back the dead but when the priest went inside the church for a couple minutes after a crying mother asked him something and came out with a mirror that would allow people to talk to the spirits of their dead love members... People didn't dare give him a hard time after that.

-

The biggest question I got when asked why I wasn't charging for 'divine favors' like the other church's did I only chuckled and would reach into a cup I literally set aside to turn a leaf into a solid gold leaf and then throw the golden leaves into a nearby other cup.

"A man who walks with divinity as I do, cares not for mortal gold and coinage. I see my gods daily and their gaze are worth more than any amount of gold this world can carry." I said as I transmuted all the gold, I previously made into nothing but air making more than a couple peasants' shudder at the sight. "Because gold is only a mortal coinage. It means nothing to me and thus your own coinage means nothing to me. Should anyone from the Gaia Pantheon or any religion ask for coins, then laugh them out for they are pretenders of true faith as their gods naturally provide them with methods to survive with ease." I announced grandly.

"What about the goddess Beatrix?" A voice shouted through the crowd I was blessing and preaching towards.

I shook my head as I stood straight. "The Goddess Beatrix has long since left this world as my patrons have found it bereft of any divine guidance and many of its natural systems falling apart!" I shouted before continuing as I took a breath. "The whole Demon Possession curse is merely a failing of the world as Beatrix has left the world without divine power and has thus begun to rot away! In fact, anyone who has any signs of the so-called Demon Possession is welcome to come here to be cured at no charge!"

"Remember it's not the afflicted's fault for they are not cursed! Their souls are merely tainted by the world's degradation and the demon lord who cursed the bloodline who slew it! And it can be fixed with no issues as it's been done on more than one occasion!" I finished shouting and the crowd of people cheered as divine golden light fell upon me primarily but also them to a lesser extent with the golden light taking away and lesser aches and pains they had.

Now why would I say it was actually the fault of the world itself? Well, I had no delusions of actually being ready to scream from the rooftops about Cult of Diabolos though that would change quickly as I felt the faith of the crowd of a couple hundred people going through a spiritual enlightenment in front of me.

"Today's miracles have taken some strength from me. So, I must bid you all adieu as I rest." I said loudly to get over the mutterings and then I turned around entered the church and bolted the large doors shut with a plank made out of solid steel across the large doors.

"Ugh that was hard." I grimaced and I saw Alpha push off from where she was leaning against a wall in the entryway.

"I learned how to do mana enhancement of the body and injecting it into items to enhance them." Alpha reported to me, making me blink and slouch as she had no words of encouragement or anything.

I just wore a wry smile as I spoke tiredly. "Alright go ahead and tell me Alpha, how did you even learn and this, and how do I go about matching that."

Alpha waited for me to get nice and settled in on a chair before she began telling me how she learned from Beta who used her almost eidetic memory that recalled how the terrible Diabolos spell knight tried to teach the other flunkies how to move and use their mana at all. And when Alpha learned the basics, she was able to use her Hecate given shitty sharingan to understand the process and with some common sense in her own words refine the process. It eventually matched the same level of mana manipulation students at Midgar academy probably had.

"Unfortunately, the information I received from Beta, is inherently flawed both from her memory being shotty as she was in the midst of Demon Possession, the actual skill of the knight and other factors like my own inexperience with magic." She explained softly.

In response I patted Alpha on the head and then out of a moment of curiosity I trailed my fingers across her elfish pointed ears making her "Eep!" In surprise.

Coughing as Alpha blushed and looked at me with blame I then tried to change the subject. "Thats still an accomplishment none the less Alpha congratulations. Anyway, please teach me what you can so maybe I can use it to interact with my magic circuits as for now all these are, are just powerful time bombs as I have zero clue on how to use the mage craft that is derived from using these. "I said with a frown as I activated the magic circuits within myself bringing them to life and making them spark with magical power.

"Ah!" I heard someone make a noise from one of the side rooms in the corner of the church and as I looked over, I saw Beta was leaning out of one of the rooms. "Can I learn too Alpha?" She asked embarrassedly and Alpha just took a deep breath before nodding.

"Yes, that's fine!" She said tersely with her eyebrow twitching as her fellow elf sat down beside me and looked at Alpha with an inquisitive eye clearly excited to learn some magic.

Then for a minute we just sat in an awkward silence as Alpha and Beta just stared at each other and I just willfully ignored the byplay before I coughed like nothing was wrong. "Alpha, have you collected your thoughts?" I asked shamelessly and she rolled her eyes but then began to teach the two of us the ins and outs of manipulating the internal magic that was within everyone in this world.

No wonder this worlds magic was so damned barebones and lazy with no grand magical spells or even standardized spells at all... The magic used in this world used the bodies internal mana and to say the least it was damn near impossibly difficult to shape the mana within yourself to do some kind of spell outside the body when you lose control over that internal mana. And that's why people only seemed to use it to strengthen their bodies and their weapons.

My eyes twitched at the bullshit she was spouting, and I could literally feel the disgust Hecate was outputting for the worlds magic as she howled, I guess at how stupid it was.

I mean even with my own meager magical skills with my magical circuits I was able to do the same thing by sorta ham fisting Reinforcement on my weapons, though granted it wasn't all that great as I only had the knowledge that I needed to fill out the issues in the materials to make it better than it should be naturally.

Gods know if and when I will ever be capable of doing something like summoning a heroic spirit or do something insane like using the stars themselves as glyphs to preform insane spells.

"Hmm I will try to get a hang of this Alpha thank you for the hardwork... Anyway, are you two planning on going out to find more people with Demon Possession?" I asked.

Beta sent Alpha a look who tiredly nodded as she took a drink to wet her throat after talking for a long while. "Yes, we did recover some documents in that little safe house, so we have some references we need to check for other Cult holdings." She explained but I was feeling pensive.

"I would honestly prefer if you and Beta trained with your magic for a couple more days honestly." I said softly and she smiled as she patted me on my knee.

"Thank you for the concern. But as the shadow of your church, I need to find out what threats are in the area and in turn remove the threats like the bandit clans filling the forest." She spoke with Beta yawning, and I realized she hasn't slept yet since coming out of her demon possession.

I chuckled before tilting my head towards Beta as I stood up stretching. "Well, I wish you best in that. But unfortunately, I am asking you not to leave for tonight at least as we never know if the Cult will retaliate for the destruction of their base tonight, if they had another outpost in the area. And frankly I have a slight fear the locals might firebomb the church once they get over the whole gods are among us now shock." I said to Alpha before looking to Beta.

"And you actually need to get some sleep after your Demon Possession got cleared out as even Alpha slept for like six hours after i fixed her. So march to bed young lady!" I joked making her smile and run off to her and Alpha's shared room.