I patted both of them and pulled up their status screens.
Ember Lv. 57/60
HP: 100%
MP: 92/92
Rank: Bet [2]
Master: Maximillian Anderson
Species: Infernal Bakeneko Kit
Status: Normal
Strength: 52 | Dexterity: 99 | Stamina: 55
Mind: 62 | Magic Power: 104 | Luck: 52
Skill(s): [Ember Claw Lv.3], [Ember Flicker Lv.4], [Infernal Purr Lv.3], [Minor Shapeshift Lv.2], [Night Mirage Lv.2]
Solana Lv. 55/60
HP: 100%
MP: 93/93
Rank: Bet [2]
Master: Maximillian Anderson
Species: Cherub Lamb Hatchling
Status: Normal
Strength: 47| Dexterity: 74 | Stamina: 70
Mind: 52 | Magic Power: 105 | Luck: 60
Skill(s): [Blessing Coo Lv.4], [Cherub’s Calm Lv.2], [Holy Wing Shield Lv.3], [Radiant Spark Lv.2], [Soothing Halo Lv.4]
“Oh? They’re both very close to reaching their current level cap.” What surprised me even more was that their Luck stat had increased as they leveled up—something that was almost unheard of. Truly, they were worthy of being called divine beasts.
Speaking of which, neither Ember nor Solana personally killed many enemies back in the Great Wilderness. Most of their experience came from how much they contributed to defeating monsters that I, their master, had slain. Importantly, this didn’t reduce the total experience I received at all. In essence, I hadn’t lost a single experience point from any kill. Their share came from indirect contributions, and even then, it was relatively small—roughly 10 to 20 percent.
Under normal circumstances, you couldn’t get strong in Divine Will by simply mooching off others. Of course, this could be circumvented by arranging for them to land the final blows, with the others weakening the monster just enough beforehand. However, doing so required the full willingness and cooperation of the entire party. To make such an arrangement work, the divine warrior securing the last kill would usually have to offer something in return.
That said, there was one known way to avoid this problem altogether. A certain skill called “Party Creation” could form a game-like party in which experience points could be set to be shared evenly among all members. The party size was limited to five divine warriors, but the benefits were immense. Unfortunately, this skill was extremely rare and could not be obtained through ordinary means. Anyone who possessed Party Creation would hold a significant advantage over other divine warriors, especially since shared experience was far from its only function.
In any case, I didn’t think I could obtain that skill without expending an enormous amount of resources, given that it was a signature skill. Besides, its functionality wouldn’t be particularly useful for someone like me, who was already on the verge of becoming a Daleth-rank divine warrior. It was better suited to those at lower levels who preferred to operate within a party.
As I was thinking about that, a ripple of golden light shimmered in the corner of the room. Not long after, a tiny, chibi angel emerged, along with white feathers falling down. She was none other than Raphael herself.
“Raphael? Quite rare for you to come to me of your own initiative.”
“Hmph. I wouldn’t have come if I hadn’t detected a convergence of faith gathering in your room, which I know was your doing,” she said, narrowing her eyes at me as if she’d caught me red-handed.
At that moment, Raphael’s gaze turned, and she froze. Her eyes locked onto Ember before sliding toward Solana with an increasing amount of shock. “Wait!” she exclaimed sharply. “How in the world can a mortal like you have both a divine and a demonic beast as your familiars? And one of them is a cherub, no less!”
Solana tilted her head innocently and let out a soft coo, while Ember flicked his tail with unmistakable smugness in response to her shock.
“It’s a long story,” I replied with a shrug.
Raphael stared at Solana for a long moment, her wings twitching slightly. “…That shouldn’t be possible. Cherubim aren’t supposed to form contracts with mortals. You aren’t even a divine hero yet…”
“Well,” I said calmly, gesturing between the two beasts, “as you can see, it’s not an impossibility.”
She clicked her tongue, clearly unhappy, but eventually shook her head. “You’re a walking irregularity. Fine. I’ll deal with that later.” Then she floated closer, her expression turning serious. “So, care to explain the sudden convergence of faith gathering in your room?”
“Let’s just say it’s a new skill I obtained from Divine Will,” I lied through my teeth and tried to divert the topic. “Instead, why don’t we talk about the Battle of Divine Will, my partner in crime? I have something important to tell you, now that you’re here.”
“Hmph. Who are you calling your partner in crime?” she huffed, crossing her arms.
I ignored her antics and continued, “What I’m about to say is even more important than selecting a commander for the Battle of Divine Will.”
“Stop beating around the bush and just speak your mind already,” she snapped.
I nodded and said it plainly. “For the upcoming Battle of Divine Will, Aleph-rank divine warriors shouldn’t be included.”
Raphael blinked. “What? Why is that?”
“Simple,” I replied without hesitation. “Because they’re too weak. Putting them on the battlefield would be nothing more than sending them to their deaths. Rather than wasting the future pillars of our forces as cannon fodder, it’s far wiser not to deploy them at all.”
Even Daleth-rank divine warriors would amount to little more than ants once the Battle of Divine Will reached its higher stages. Of course, since this was Istellia’s first Battle of Divine Will, it wouldn’t escalate that far this time. Still, if she truly wanted to rise as a stronger god, then she needed to think beyond the present and plan for the future.
Raphael’s expression turned thoughtful as she listened.
“If we bring everyone,” I went on, “we might have numbers, but they’ll be meaningless. Worse, they’ll become liabilities. Instead, we should field fewer participants. With reduced numbers, every one of them will be an elite, disciplined, and capable divine warrior who could hold their ground.”
To begin with, most Aleph-rank divine warriors were either those who had only just arrived in Fantasia or those who had survived through other means—whether by switching to production-based classes or scraping by as beggars, like the ones I encountered in District F shortly after my arrival. Ever since the compulsory weekly scenario challenges were implemented, many of the weak had already been weeded out, either forced to grow stronger or killed outright in scenarios. After all, Divine Will did not need those who were useless or unproductive.
“We’ll look weaker on paper,” I admitted. “But when the real fighting starts, our forces will be stronger and far easier to manage, while the others bleed their ranks dry.”
Raphael, still folding her arms, seemed to go into deep thought. “You’re suggesting quality over quantity.”
“That’s right, though I’ll admit this is also for my own survival,” I said frankly.
More often than not, the side that stood out the most was the first to be hammered into the ground. If we didn’t present ourselves as an immediate threat, our enemies would ignore us and turn on each other instead. It was one of the most basic principles of warfare. After all, I was more than certain this first Battle of Divine Will would involve more than just two sides.
Truthfully, I wasn’t relying on others to win the Battle of Divine Will. Despite everything I had done, I was well aware that Istellia’s divine warriors were still below average in overall quality. At best, they could serve as distractions—forces that tied down enemy attention while I struck from the rear.
“You might be right,” she muttered at last. “I’ll bring this up to Lady Istellia.”
“Great. I knew I could rely on you, Raphael,” I said, smiling in satisfaction.
“Hmph. Who do you think I am?” Raphael closed her eyes and smiled proudly, then cast one last glance at Solana.
“Well then, I’ll be bringing this to Istellia now if there isn’t anything else,” she said. “The tournament begins tomorrow morning. Have you prepared for it?”
“Oh, I don’t have any interest in becoming the commander,” I replied with a shrug, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“What?” Raphael narrowed her eyes at me, hands planted firmly on her hips. “Even though you were the one who suggested Fantasia hold a tournament?”
“Exactly because of that.”
She frowned. “Then what was the point?”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ve already handled things. I’m entrusting that role to Boris.”
Raphael blinked. “…Boris? The bald one with the overwhelming physical presence?”
“The one and only,” I confirmed. “He’s steady, decisive, and more importantly, he inspires confidence. For something as public as a tournament meant to select a commander, perception matters as much as strength.”
Boris would be perfect as a front-line commander. Not only did he possess extensive military experience, but he was also rational, and his unwavering confidence naturally drew others to follow him. He would do a much better job than I ever could in that part.
“Besides, I have my own role to play,” I added, “and a plan in mind—one that requires me to stay out of the spotlight. It’s better if I’m not bound by formal authority.”
Raphael studied me closely. “You’re planning to act independently.”
“More or less.”
She clicked her tongue. “Whatever. As long as you bring victory to Lady Istellia, that’s all that matters.”
I smiled. That was about as close to full approval as Raphael ever gave. A moment later, she transformed into a streak of golden light and vanished completely.
Now that it was taken care of, it was time to meet Boris and Michelle downstairs. It was already past the time I usually showed up, so they were probably starting to worry. With that in mind, I told Ember and Solana to return to their seals before heading down to the dining room to have breakfast.
***
After breakfast, I spoke with Boris and Michelle about their plans for the day. They told me that they—and the others—would be focusing on their class advancements, which was exactly what I had suggested to them prior.
“Maxim, you won’t be joining us at the Hall of Classes?” Michelle asked, tilting her head.
“Nope. My class is a bit special, and I don’t need to go there to advance,” I replied. “Though it’ll take me a while to accomplish.”
“I see.” She nodded, not pressing the matter further.
Since I hadn’t fulfilled all the prerequisites yet, I couldn’t proceed with my class advancement anyway, which meant I’d be doing something completely different today. It just so happened that I already had a plan in mind. First things first, there was a certain promise I needed to keep.