Oracle Raphael continued speaking to Haden, the Speaker of Sorn City. "For example, right now, only by growing stronger can Sorn City draw more attention from the Lord of Evil Desires."
He smiled. "Of course, there is something you must understand. The Lord of Evil Desires looking this way does not mean he is paying attention to you. Rather, something else here has drawn the attention of many gods, and the Lord of Evil Desires is the most special among them.
"Your battle with Bidis City was merely a way for the gods to test one another.
"So you must always make yourselves useful if you want the god to bestow more blessings."
The senior figures of Sorn City gathered around him immediately understood. Their past battles with Bidis had all been moves in a contest between gods.
They felt no anger at being treated as pawns. Instead, they were rather relieved that they still qualified to be pawns.
Speaker Haden offered his sincere thanks, then presented a Grade 2 Sealed Artifact with fairly good abilities and relatively mild negative effects.
Raphael waved it away. "Interpreting a god's intentions for his believers is an Oracle's duty."
He knew perfectly well when to accept benefits and when to put on an impressive front.
Haden did not dare offer it again. For a while, everyone around them showered Raphael with thanks, their faith in the Lord of Evil Desires seemingly growing more devout. Somewhere in the Forsaken Land of the Gods.
A huge cross stood atop a mountain. It seemed to blend into the surrounding darkness, and only careful scrutiny revealed its presence.
An angel with beautiful looks and gentle features suddenly appeared at the foot of the mountain. He wore a simple, plain linen robe, with layer upon layer of radiant