Chapter 727: 727

She could have overlooked the situation. She had the authority to bury it beneath discretion, to declare the matter closed and spare her kin the scrutiny of mortals.

But Xerosis did not rule over godlings alone. Her worshippers were human as well.

And she would not favor one over the other.

When humans claimed their right to justice, when they invoked her name and her laws. It was a calling, one she was bound to answer, no matter what comes after.

To turn away now would not preserve peace. It would only prove that divinity stood above accountability.

And that was something Xerosis could never allow.

She understood this and so did the other gods. Yet understanding did little to soften the sting of reality.

They were offended.

Not by the call for justice itself, but by what it represented. By the fact that, because of their divinity, they were now expected to bend to answer mortal voices, to weigh mortal pain, to move in rhythm with mortal demands. To beings who should be above such concerns, it felt like being made to dance to a tune they had not chosen.

At the same time, an the unspoken question lingered in the air.

If Xerosis were to ignore humanity’s plea for justice, if she were to turn away now, what would that say to the humans about the Ascended Gods?

That their suffering was secondary? That divinity was merely another word for immunity for the godlings?

Such a message would not fade. It would take root, hardening hearts and reshaping faith into resentment.

And in a world where belief itself carried power, that was a consequence no god could afford.

The fourteen godlings and those who had journeyed to the Southern Continent alongside them were drowning in the consequences of their actions. Shame settled deep within them, heavier than any formal reprimand.

In that moment, the godlings truly grasped how different the Ascended Gods were from the Origin Gods who mortals opinion never swayed.

Even though the Ascended had once been kin, beings who walked the same paths, shared the same struggles with them, that bond no longer carried the same weight. The moment they took their place as gods, something fundamental had shifted. Kinship had been replaced by obligation.

Humanity was part of the world now, inseparable from it.

The gaze of the Ascended Gods could no longer fall solely upon godlings. It had to encompass humanity as well, with all its fragility, anger, and demand for fairness. Where Origin Gods ruled by simply being, the Ascended were bound by perception and responsibility.

The godlings had always known this. But knowing and experiencing it were not the same.

Now it struck home with unforgiving clarity: every action they took would be observed, interpreted, and judged. Not just by the gods above them, but by mortals below, mortals who were watching closely, waiting for any reason to confirm their worst fears. Any misstep, any excess, any show of unchecked authority could be twisted into proof that godlings and gods alike were enemies of humanity.

Restraint was now a necessity for them.

Zephyr and the other leaders, who had been fully prepared to relay the punishments already decided upon, found themselves unable to do so.

From the looks of things, it was no longer necessary.

Their people already understood the gravity of what had been done. Shame, regret, and unease had settled in naturally, without the need for public condemnation. Any additional action taken now, any formal display of authority would not reinforce discipline. It would only appear petty, even vindictive, and risk creating an unnecessary divide within their ranks.

In an unexpected way, this realization was a good thing.

It showed that they were, in fact, qualified to hold the leadership positions they now occupied. Authority was not only proven by how harshly one could punish, but by knowing when restraint carried greater strength.

Their words now held more weight among their people. The godlings understood that while their leaders were still new to their roles, their duty was clear: to safeguard their , only from external threats, but from reckless decisions that could endanger them all.

Still, the tension lingered.

In an attempt to ease the atmosphere before the trial, Zephyr and the other godling leaders took a different approach. Across various regions of the world, they hosted gatherings part celebration, part distraction. The offenders of each godling race were given a specific task: to help entertain their people, to redirect restless energy into something communal.

Music, contests, feasts, filled the homeland of the godlings. Those who journeyed to the southern continent were finally given space to boast and speak about their journey, which brough laughter to the soured mood of teh godlings.

The day of the trial arrived.

With the exception of the Harpy godlings, whose homelands lay on the Western Continent, the other godlings made use of the gates, stepping through shimmering thresholds that allowed for swift passage across vast distances. What might have taken weeks was reduced to moments, though the weight of the journey remained unchanged.

The number of godlings attending the trial was small.

Those who came were primarily the offenders themselves, accompanied by their families and a handful of close friends. This was not due to a lack of solidarity. Many others had wished to attend, to stand in silent support. But after careful consideration, they chose otherwise.

To sit among humans under such circumstances would not be a neutral act.

They knew too well how the human gaze would linger on them, watchful, suspicious, waiting for any sign of arrogance or misplaced emotion. Every movement, every expression would be scrutinized, not as individuals, but as representatives of their entire kind. One wrong reaction would be enough to confirm every accusation already whispered about them.

The godlings felt no desire to grant humanity that satisfaction.

They would not allow themselves to be paraded as spectacles of disgrace, nor would they risk turning a solemn proceeding into a stage for resentment. This was a trial meant to address specific actions, committed by specific individuals, not an opportunity for collective humiliation.

And so, they stayed away.

The open court raised by the human nobles was a structure unlike any ever built before.

It spanned an area larger than a football field, an immense expanse of stone and white-veined marble laid bare beneath the open sky. There were no walls to shield those within from public view, no ceilings to soften the weight of judgment.

At the heart of it all stood the statue of Xerosis, Goddess of Justice.

She was carved in towering proportion, the Veiled Arbiter, her form rising so high it seemed to pierce the heavens themselves. Her face was hidden beneath layers of sculpted cloth, smooth and unyielding, denying all who looked upon her the comfort of reading mercy or wrath. One hand was raised in still command, the other lowered as though weighing an unseen scale.

From the base of the statue radiated an invisible field.

It could not be seen, yet it was felt the instant one crossed its boundary. Power, divine, arcane, or otherwise fell silent. Magic refused to answer. Divine authority lay dormant. Within the court grounds, no being stood above another. Gods, godlings, and mortals alike were bound by the same enforced stillness, locked equally beneath Xerosis’s law.

As proceedings drew near, the servants of the goddess made their appearance.

Priests, judges, and lawyers bearing Xerosis’s mark stepped onto the court in measured lines, some human, others godling, all equal in bearing. None wore extravagant regalia. Their garments were restrained, formal, and heavy with symbolism rather than ornamentation.

Yet none of them arrived alone.

Each was accompanied by two corporeal entities.

The first was a veiled woman, her form pale and ethereal, like a banshee given flesh. Her movements were slow and soundless, yet her presence carried a sharp, chilling weight. From her outstretched hand dragged lengths of spectral chains, their metallic clanging echoing across the stone despite no visible force pulling them.

Those chains extended forward, piercing into the body of the second entity.

He was a massive, burly figure clad in ancient, battle-scarred armor, broad as a fortress gate. His stance was immovable, his posture rigid, as though he bore the weight of countless verdicts upon his shoulders. The chains embedded in his form did not wound him, yet they bound him utterly, tethering restraint to strength.

Judgment and enforcement.

Every priest, every judge, every lawyer sworn under Xerosis was accompanied by the same pair. This was a living reminder that justice under Xerosis was not a matter of intent or emotion, but of balance, restraint, and inevitability.

As they took their places around the open court, silence fell.

The court had fallen into an almost sacred silence when the human lawyers stepped forward. They were flanked by the veiled and armored entities, their chains clinking faintly with every measured step. Each word they spoke echoed across the open court.