A few more games and a few more losses before it was time for rest, Mora still struggling with using mortal biology left him rubbing his eyes shortly before falling asleep against Thera’s arm, letting Ben scoop him up and tuck him into bed before wishing Sonya and Abel a good night.

Thera pulled out some blankets for the summoned using their couch and made sure she was comfortable there before meeting Ben in bed, laying against him as she did.

“Mmh, that was nice,” She muttered as she closed her eyes, not quite tired enough to sleep yet but happy to get there. “And also nice that we don’t need to wake up so early for Mora now that he’s sleeping. Make sure you get more than just a couple hours, okay?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll get a full night,” He said, no matter how wide awake he felt. “But before that, you mind if I bother you about something?”

“Are you going to do something stupid to get yourself killed again?”

“No, not this time.”

“Okay, then let’s hear it.”

“You think it would be a good idea to get Delair to cover teaching Abel blacksmithing tomorrow? I think it would be a good experience for both of them. Delair getting the chance to teach and Abel having to sit down and take lessons from someone who’s significantly weaker than her.”

“Mmh, I think you’re just trying to force a friendship between your old daughter and your new one.”

“Excuse you, I feel compelled to point out that only one of us has ever genuinely adopted someone.”

“Yeah, but it was cute when I did it,” She said, smiling sweetly. “And I’m sure it will be fine. You already told Abel not to try taking any bites out of Delair?”

“I did.”

“Then what’s the problem? I’m not going to lie, she definitely doesn’t make the best first impressions but I think you’re right. She’s a good kid and your little student is a social butterfly and well, even if Abel’s a bit older, the maturity levels are about the same. I’m sure they’ll get along. Is getting Delair to get some teaching experience a priority though?”

“I mean, not to brag but she is at her fourth level already. Since the shop’s closed while your uncle is off being worked to death by the gods she’s not getting any direct sales experience but some teaching experience is always handy too. Plus, teaching someone else is a good way of looking at what you know in different ways. I’m sure it would be a good experience for her.”

“Gods above, Ben, you’re helping her level way too fast if she’s already at the fourth,” Thera said as she nestled in closer. “Just how high are you trying to get her?”

“Well, the original goal was fourth level before the next wave for crafting and enchanting but as things stand, I think sixth should be doable, right?”

“I think you’re going to give the girl a warped sense of what sort of progress is even possible.”

“Ha, I just want her to have the best foundation she can for continuing to grow in the future. She’s a hard worker and she’s talented enough, I’m just doing my best to make those talents bloom.”

“Like a faaaather,” She teased in his ear. “Between her, Abel, and Mora, I wonder who’s going to break and call you dad first.”

“Again, gonna point out that if Mora ends up calling anyone anything, chances are just as good he’s going to call you mom.”

“Well, if that happens… I’ll worry about it then.”

“I’m also even closer to Abel’s age than I am Delair’s.”

“Ha, fine then, mister mind reader. How’s Abel feeling about being here? You can’t tell me she’s not having fun.”

“She is having fun,” He sighed. “Way more than I was expecting. Even if she’s not unhappy with her life, the impressions she leaves with both her skills and her well-”

“Desire to eat people?”

“Take bites out of people,” He clarified. “Are leaving her a bit isolated in ways that honestly might be depressing me more than they’re depressing her. I don’t know, I can tell she’s way happier right now than usual but if she still feels pretty good normally then maybe I’m just overthinking. Or maybe I’m just comparing our situations and it’s making me care more than I should.”

“Mmh, I like that you care about this sort of stuff though,” Thera yawned. “It shows off your good traits.”

“I’m nothing but good traits.”

“Just a little reminder for me, you’re the what of sacrilege again?”

“Probably not important.”

“And those affinity skills you have?”

“I can’t begin to imagine what might be wrong with soul affinity for you to bring it up.”

“Ha, stop being cute.”

“Impossible, I’m downright adorable, through and through.”

“Well, despite however true that might be, it’s nice you’re worried but just do what you can. You’re already trying to help out in your own way and it seems like she’s enjoying it. You’re also offering up way too much blood so just make sure I’m around the next time you do.”

“Ha, sure.”

“Good,” Thera told him, quieting down for a moment, making Ben briefly think she’d gone to sleep before she said one last thing. “And if by some chance you do decide to adopt her, I’ll support it. Then we can be even.”

“Well, if that seems like it’s going to come up I’ll at least give you a heads up.”

----------------------------------------

“I got paid!” Ben yelled as he went to Myriad’s realm, leaving the two within it to jump. “Finally, sub-ten minutes to regenerate all of my mana. Thank you both, my wonderful friends.”

“Alright, but maybe take things down a notch as I tell you the small condition that came with it,” Myriad said, instantly raising his suspicions as he looked to the cube through narrowed eyes.

“What?”

“For you, it’ll be nothing hard. I’m pretty sure with your current insane brain you won’t even notice something so simple. To get everyone to agree, we did tell them you’d do something else as well.”

“Mmh, no need to say more, I already hate this. Maybe I could just take the attributes and run? Screw the crowd up here over for a change and finally give them a real reason to want to throw me into hell?”

“Okay, well first off, don’t. For you, it really won’t be much work. You know how you already constantly invade the privacy of every mortal unlucky enough to get in your range?”

“Yeah, everyone has hobbies, what about it?”

“Given you're already looking at every mind and soul you pass, just start giving them knowledge appropriate to their skills too. You won’t be being sent out beyond the present agreement for soul modifications but you travel enough that plenty would be able to benefit from your simple presence and you’ll be able to do a lot of good for it and given your current mental structure, we both know it’s not exactly a lot to ask.”

“Ugh, okay, significantly lamer but fine,” He gave in, not feeling the need to put up too much of a fight when Myriad was right about how little it would increase his workload. “I guess I’ll get Stonewall done easily enough and then it’s just having to worry about it whenever I leave which isn’t the biggest deal. I’ll make it work.”

“Thank you.”

“I do want to add that my payment instantly feels low for doing it this way though. Like, I’m helping multiple people per point, if I end up going through any big enough cities then we might even be talking thousands of people per point.”

“Well, think of it this way. As you like to say, it’s just one more way of improving the odds of this doomed world.”

“Ugh, I wonder what level of sacrilege I’ll need to get to before I can genuinely start forcing gods to actually sit down and give me some good deals?”

“Sounds like you want extortion instead of negotiation,” Helori chimed in as she worked, focusing mostly on information being sent her way through the realm while Ben just scoffed.

“I have literally been threatened by gods for wanting fair pay before and I refuse to ever be the bigger man. Maybe if a few up here get to experience being the weaker party at a negotiating table they’ll finally learn some empathy.”

“And maybe you should stop sounding like a violent sociopath,” Myriad added. “You've already sworn to stop accepting any collective work from the gods again once the war ends so what’s it matter?”

“Vocalizing my bits of spite feels good. You were once billions of mortals, you should be able to understand that.”

“Mmh, but with time comes maturity. A fact I hope you learn sometime once you rise to your own proper godhood.”

“Myriad, look at me. If I have to deal with people up here trying to rip me off for eternity then I am genuinely going to become an evil god in both name and action. The sweetheart you know and love will be gone, once and for all.”

“Sweetheart’s kind of a stretch.”

“Just out of curiosity, are there any other churches in the world tiled with rainbow mana crystal and passively earning their gods faith?”

“I take it back, you’re a charmer.”

“Hold on, what was that?” Helori asked, perking up and away from the work before her. “Explain that.”

“Huh, has Myriad not bought it up before?”

“It seemed like it would be a pain for you if word spread too much.”

“Hmm, you’re not wrong.”

“And I’m still looking for context,” Helori broke in. “I’ve seen the floors but what are you doing to them?”

“Filling them with souls and directing them to pray to Myriad,” He shrugged, seeing the goddess’s eyes bulge with the answer. “It’s a slow process since I have plenty of other things to do at the same time but when I’m done his, I wouldn’t mind doing the same for you.”

“Is that why you’ve had so much faith recently?” She asked the cube. “I thought it was because you apostle keeps plastering your name on every ridiculous thing he makes!”

“It’s mostly because of that,” Myriad said. “I’d say eighty percent is from brand recognition and believers, the rest is from soul tiles.”

“...Ben, you remember how you’re already titled as my student?”

“I just said I’d do yours after his are done.”

“Alright, but I had a different favour I was going to ask you about soon anyway and it was already going to put you at one of my churches and considering that it’s not going to be as multi-floored as the one you have for him in Stonewall or as ridiculous as the one in Allfaith, why not make a little exception and take a break to do it for me?”

“Alright, you actually need to ask whatever favour it could be first before I agree.”

“Nothing complex, you just happen to be the most powerful mortal I know and I’ll shortly need a bodyguard for a few hours is all to visit one of my churches and if you’d just so happen to have the energy to tile it while you’re there to help me with some faith, I wouldn’t say no.”

“Back up, who needs a bodyguard?”

“Me. I’ll be descending to try and give a small talk to reassure my believers but you’re well aware that leaves any god vulnerable to true death and as a smaller goddess of the world, I can’t deny it would leave me feeling weak. Having you there would be reassuring.”

“Um, okay, yeah, I can stand guard for a bit so that’s fine and all but as for the tiling, Myriad, I promised to get you done first so do you have any issues?”

“No, it’s fine.”

“Alright then, sure, give me the dimensions you’d need and I’ll get it done.”

“Thank you, Ben. I appreciate it.”

“No problem, can’t let any god in my good books get into trouble, can I?”