Slaanesh? Get out of my head!

Seabury, the open-air altar, inside a hidden chamber.

Aaron Salyan opened his eyes. The warm, soothing moonlight around him gradually faded, and the mural of the Silver Mother on the wall lost its glow.

The exhaustion and weakness that had clung to him since he had been knocked unconscious after the attempted murder finally left him. Every lingering injury healed, even the scar on his leg from a childhood fall, restored by the Silver Mother's blessing.

Aaron was back to full strength. He felt a maternal warmth envelop his entire body.

Heat rose from Aaron's heart and spread through his blood vessels to his face.

His face burned red.

Aaron could not put the feeling into words. Shame, inadequacy, and gratitude tangled together inside him. He slapped his cheeks hard, wishing he could crawl into a hole.

With his body and soul returned to the mortal world, every step of his plan had succeeded.

He had survived. He had secured the Church of the Silver Mother's help. He had persuaded Lady Silverstar to cast a Ninth-Circle Miracle for him. He had met the Silver Mother herself, received her favor, and had his injuries healed by her divine power.

Strengthened by that divine power, he finally had a body and soul capable of bearing a Deity's authority.

He had gotten what he wanted. Naturally, Aaron was prepared to pay the price. After emerging from the pool, he stood with his hands at his sides and waited for Selûne, the Lady of the Silver Moon, to name her terms.

To his surprise, Selûne, pale from expending so much divine power to remake him, asked nothing of him. She did not even give him a lecture. She merely smiled and told him he could leave.

Aaron, who had been ready to sign away his life, stared at her in disbelief.

As a noble, Aaron knew exactly what divine spells cost in the Kingdom. Even if a master cleric of a church devoted to a supremely just, lawful good god charged only the base cost for a Seventh-Circle Regeneration, it would run at least one thousand gold lions. That was already an exceptionally friendly price.

A lawful neutral or neutral good cleric would charge at least fifty percent more.

Clerics of other alignments were worse: they often charged double or more and imposed additional conditions. On the other hand, they tended to be easier to deal with. Most evil clerics, for instance, did not care who you were, what you intended to do, or why. Pay enough, and they would arrange the Divine Magic.

The Church of the Silver Mother had paid an enormous price to save Aaron, exhausting decades, perhaps a century, of accumulated resources. Selûne had likewise spent so much divine power on him that she could not hide how pale she was.

How much would all that cost? Aaron's scalp tingled at the thought.

In his previous life, he had been Chinese, and he still carried a typically pragmatic way of thinking. He understood that a Church needed considerable wealth to keep running. No one could live on love alone.

To gain something, you had to give something up. Rewards required sacrifice.

He was ready. And he firmly believed that, with the authority of four powerful gods, he could repay even this staggering debt.

Yet the Lady of the Silver Moon, who had plainly spent so much of her divine power, wanted nothing.

Her response left this soul from another world at a loss. At last, he asked, "Is there anything I can do for you, my lady?"

"I need nothing from you, last of the Salyans. Just be yourself."

"But... you've shown me such favor. I believe I have a duty to repay you and your followers for everything you've done for me," Aaron insisted.

"What do you think I could want from you, my child?" A faint smile touched the goddess's pale, gentle face. "I have already received it."

"The most wonderful treasure in the world is seeing you healthy and whole. That is the best thanks you could give me. My child, you think too much in terms of gain. Do you believe everything in this world has a price?"

"Love is priceless, my child. For you, and for me."

Aaron fell silent.

In both his previous life and this one, he had grown accustomed to trading equal value, each side getting what it needed.

He understood what the goddess meant.

How many children had grown up dreaming of selfless devotion, only to become the very people they once despised?

How many passionate young paladins had begun their careers crying, "Destroy evil!" only to reach middle age with weariness in their eyes?

"If you truly wish to thank me, don't let this weigh on you. Go save and help those who truly need it."

Now Aaron had returned to the mortal world, to the hidden chamber beneath the open-air altar.

He felt he had handled everything terribly.

From the start, he had talked frantically about money, contributions, and his Lineage's glorious history. Like a drowning man, he had grabbed for the rope at any cost, making promise after promise for fear of being refused. He had assumed his future held enough promise to make anything negotiable.

He could afford the price. He held the authority of four gods!

But what if she had never intended to take anything from him?

His face burned. The Lady of the Silver Moon's nobility against his narrow-mindedness, her selflessness against his selfishness—it all filled him with shame. He did not know how to face Lady Silverstar outside, who had cast the Miracle for him, or the goddess on the mural, who had healed him without asking anything in return.

Then an unspeakably vicious thought surfaced in his mind.

A twisted, perverse voice whispered: You can never repay that debt, so use your weapon on her, darling! If you can't repay her, why not give both of you the finest experience, the greatest pleasure?

Oh, I'm so excited~ So excited~

Startled by the filth and cruelty buried in his own soul, his expression shifted again and again.

At last, he calmed himself and slowly stood.

Slaanesh? Get out of my head!

As his expression returned to normal, the Viscount was enveloped by a strange aura. His sky-blue eyes seemed as vast and open as the distant heavens, with a deadly allure.

They shone.

Extraordinary Charisma!

When Aaron emerged from the hidden chamber, the change in him immediately caught the attention of Lady Silverstar, the young cleric, and the rough, muscle-bound barbarian woman, who had finished her work and was waiting outside.

Lady Silverstar had watched Aaron grow up. She cared about him and regretted what had happened to his parents, so she had always looked at him with an elder's affection for a younger man.

Yet when Aaron appeared, she found herself drawn to him for the first time.

How had he suddenly become so captivating? Those sky-blue eyes especially—they were like the deep sky above the Sea of Fallen Stars. One glance, and she could almost lose herself in them!

Silver Mother above. Extraordinary Charisma!

The young cleric standing nearby was just as shaken. Her veil concealed her expression, but not her surprise.

"Hey, hey, hey. How did this kid suddenly get so charming?" Asha, the barbarian woman, took in Aaron's six-foot frame, his lean, streamlined figure, and his familiar yet strangely altered face. She could not help blurting out, "Did the Queen of Succubi kiss him in there?"

"Shut up, Asha!" The young cleric's tone sharpened. "Are you questioning our lady's judgment?"

"No! I just... uh, he didn't look like much before, but he looks a lot better now." The muscular woman punched the cuff of her sleeve and waved a fist. "If only he had a bit more muscle."

Aaron heard her but did not respond. He approached Lady Silverstar, knelt on one knee, and said solemnly, "Words aren't enough to thank you, Lady Silverstar. If you ever need my help, please ask."

Lady Silverstar nodded.

She was weak now. The Miracle had taken a tremendous toll on her, and she would need a long rest to recover.

A Church could not run on love alone. Aaron's position was unusual; perhaps one day he really could help.

Aaron then knelt before the Silver Mother's statue. He said nothing.

The Lady of the Silver Moon might not need his repayment, but Aaron had made up his mind. He would repay the goddess for what she had done.

If a drop of kindness deserved a spring in return, what did he owe a goddess who had practically given him a new life?

"Aaron, you're planning to return to Suzail, aren't you?" Lady Silverstar asked softly, exhaustion heavy in her voice.

"Yes. I need to report what happened with the warlock Mepham as soon as possible. I also need to bring Hicks's remains back to Suzail for burial." Aaron looked toward a box on the table. It held the remains the paladins had recovered—less than a third of Hicks's body. The rest had been so thoroughly destroyed that neither a Third-Circle Raise Dead nor even a Seventh-Circle Resurrection could bring him back.

Mepham, is it? Cyric, is it?

Just wait. Sooner or later, I'll make you pay in blood.

Aaron silently clenched his fists.

"That works out well. Eleanor needs to visit Suzail too. Why don't you travel together? You'll have company on the road."

"?" The young cleric immediately turned to Lady Silverstar.

"Eleanor, come with me. There's something I need to tell you." The young cleric followed the high priestess inside, and Aaron took the opportunity to sort through his belongings.

His chainmail was mostly intact, though his surcoat was badly damaged. The Purple Dragon emblem on it was still fairly clear. His helmet and standard-issue longsword were both lost; he would have to report those losses when he returned.

Under his chainmail, he wore a complete set of nobleman's leather clothes and trousers. He also had a travel pack. The rations and waterskin inside had all been discarded, but twenty-five gold lions, some ink bottles, quills, blank paper, and other odds and ends remained. There was also a rolled-up document.

"By the authority of Obarskyr, I hereby confer upon Aaron Salyan the title of Viscount of the Kingdom of Cormyr."

—Alusair Obarskyr

At the sight of that name, Aaron pictured a tall, commanding beauty with blond hair and red eyes.

The document was proof of his noble status. With it, Aaron could at least travel freely through the Kingdom and avoid trouble in many parts of the central continent and the Sword Coast.

After putting the document away, Aaron looked at the gold ring on his index finger.

It was the Salyan Lineage's heirloom, Red Conrad's Ring, now passed down to him.

The ring was a magic item. By sacrificing a certain amount of blood, its wearer could instantly convert that blood into magical energy. The energy lasted about a minute before fading if unused, and Red Conrad's Ring could be activated only twice a day.

For the old Aaron, the ring had been almost useless. He was not a spellcaster.

But things were different now.

Slaanesh's authority had successfully awakened under the power of the Lady of the Silver Moon, Selûne. The power of Chaos now flowed in his blood.

"Esteemed Lady Asha, I'll be setting off on a long journey soon. Could you do me a favor?" Aaron asked the barbarian woman, who was peering around nearby, after packing his things.

"What is it?" Asha instinctively wanted to refuse. She had always looked down on nobles who ordered others around instead of doing things themselves. But for some reason, when she met Aaron's faraway sky-blue eyes, she could not get the word out.

The kid had been through hell and was lucky to be alive. He was one of the Touched Ones, too. Wouldn't it be a little harsh to refuse without even hearing him out?

"Here are twenty gold lions. I lost my weapon, and I need another one—a sword, hammer, or blade will do. You know this place. Could you find me something? I'll need it right away," Aaron asked earnestly.

"Is that all? You came to the right person. Wait here. I'll get you a sword." The barbarian woman took the money and strode off confidently.

The charm worked! Aaron smiled, satisfied.

A First-Circle spell: Charm Person.

Ordinarily, it was an awkward spell. If the caster lacked charisma, the target could easily resist it. Even when it worked, the effect lasted only a short while. During that time, the target regarded the caster as a familiar friend, but any request that seriously harmed the target's interests or put them in danger would snap them out of it.

Worse still, once the effect ended, the target would realize they had been charmed. Even a thoroughly decent, lawful good person would be left with a bad impression. Someone evil would either come at the caster with a blade or start plotting revenge.

But as a holder of Slaanesh's authority, Aaron could cast Charm Person without limit or cost. Most importantly, his targets would not realize afterward that they had been charmed.

And this was only the first, earliest manifestation of Slaanesh's authority.

He would have to uncover and explore its other powers himself.

Aaron knew he had to hurry. The authority of the Four Chaos Gods was both a gift and a curse. Selûne's power had allowed him to suppress the curse for now, but that did not mean he could relax.

The Four Chaos Gods might come for him at any time. It might be a thousand years from now.

Or it might be tomorrow.

Aaron did not know when they would appear. All he could do was grow stronger as quickly as possible. He was far too weak. After spending eighteen years drifting along, he was still only at the first-tier apprentice rank. In plenty of web novels he had read in his previous life, the protagonists had made names for themselves at twelve or thirteen and reached legendary rank by eighteen.

This incident had also confirmed a suspicion Aaron had long harbored.

Mortals could not wield the Four Gods' authority. Only a Deity's intervention could suppress it, and suppression was all it could achieve. The power ultimately belonged to someone else.

If Aaron wanted to make the authority of the Four Chaos Gods truly his own, he had one choice, and one choice only.

Become a god!

And he had to ascend with a Chaos domain.

Updated—please follow!

This was only Slaanesh's initial authority. More powers would gradually unlock later.

Yes~ yes~ You hairless thing, die, die!

(The end of this chapter)