Demon King's Gardener

As he’d planned, Jurao went to the library after breakfast, sending a runner to inform Alae.

“Good morning, your highness,” Lady Carvve greeted him, seated behind the front desk, “Is there anything I can help you with?”

“No, thank you,” Jurao replied, “I had a matter to bring to Nosu, if fos has time to spare.”

“For you, I imagine fos will,” Carvve smiled gently, “Is it a serious matter?”

Jurao hummed, “Human lifespans are very short compared to ours.”

“Ah,” the Head Librarian nodded, “Yes, they are. I know of no method to change that, your highness, but I am not a deity. I wish you luck.”

“Thank you,” the King nodded, making his way back – pausing as he noticed Denos working at one of the tables in the space. He approached the preistis with, “Good morning.”

E looked up in surprise, “Good morning, your highness.”

Jurao looked over eir workspace curiously, careful to leave the spread-out papers as they were, “Senior Priest Milve said you were translating Braelin’s notes.”

“Yes, your highness,” Denos bowed eir head a moment, “They are very comprehensive – Lady Carvve’s knowledge transference spell is most helpful in my endeavors.”

“I didn’t know he drew so well,” Jurao smiled, tracing part of a realistic diagram of a spear fruit – one of the food plants found in the Kitchen Gardens.

“The diagrams will have to wait for Sculos,” Denos sighed, “He’s a fairer carver than I, and I would not want to lose the information they provide.”

“Carver,” Jurao asked with a frown.

Denos did not seem to know how to reply.

“He’s asking you what you mean by carver – I think,” Meir’ril chuckled, setting books down on the next table over.

“Yes,” Jurao agreed.

“Oh,” Denos blinked, then cleared eir throat, “For the printing press, your highness – while I’d like to create traditional illustrated scrolls for the temple collections, book copies for regular use will be distributed that way. Sculos is better at carving the clay blocks, but I have plenty of translation to contend with before that.”

“Yes, I see,” Jurao nodded – siren printing presses certainly were useful in that way. He hummed, “You could apply for one of the clay artisans to assist – sending copies to the other cities would also be beneficial, and the carving will take time.”

“Then I will do so, your highness,” Denos said, bowing eir head again.

Jurao nodded and turned his attention to Meir’ril, “How have your language lessons been progressing.”

“Well, I’d say,” the elf-human man replied, “At least, Lady Carvve says so.”

“If she does, then it must be true,” Gnene sniffed, taking a seat across from Meir’ril, “Now that we’ve been acquainted, Lord Meir’ril, I hope you do not mind if I oversee your lessons from time to time – when Lady Carvve has other matters to attend to.”

“Oh!” Meir’ril shook his head, “Not at all, uh… Lordis Gnene?”

Gnene nodded, then turned, “Good morning, your highness.”

“Good morning,” Jurao returned, “I’ll let you all return to your work.”

When he entered Nosu’s temple, Jurao knew the deity was not lying in wait this time – the divine hum of fos energy was missing. So when he stopped before the throne, he called out, “If you’ve time, wise Nosu, I would seek your council.”

After a few moments of silence, Jurao sensed the celestial hum just before his patron materialized on fos throne.

“Oh?” Nosu smiled, “You come to me so soon after speaking with Maenscul? I’m quite honored, Jurao.”

“I had not considered this matter before my audience with them,” Jurao replied, taking a seat on one of the stone benches.

“I see,” fos chuckled, “But – do tell me, what wisdom do you seek?”

“I wished to know if there was a way to extend a human lifespan,” the King replied.

Nosu hummed, “Yes, I see why you would seek that knowledge – and the answer is, itself, a wish.”

“A wish,” Jurao asked.

“Yes,” his patron replied, “A Wish.”

“Ah,” the King realized, “A Hundred Years Ball Wish.”

“Exactly,” Nosu chuckled, “How fortunate you met your partner so soon before the next one – do you remember the rules of a Hundred Years Ball Wish?”

“All invited rulers are allowed to make one Wish of the divines that could not be granted by any one deity,” Jurao recalled, “And it must affect at least one realm in its entirety or be a feat beyond the ability of a single deity, without harming any other realm directly or indirectly.”

Nosu nodded, “If you were asking to extend a mortal life into immortality, it would be impossible – but extending a life to a more finite point is more reasonable. I’ll leave figuring out how to make that wish apply to your entire realm to you – but if it is more difficult than I suspect, come back, and I’ll give you my wisdom more specifically.”

“Thank you, Nosu,” Jurao bowed his head, “I had not anticipated such a simple solution – I apologize for not having more to ask.”

“I do not mind,” Nosu replied, “Often, simple solutions escape us because of their simplicity – and it is not often that a ruler actually has a Wish that can be granted. But if you’re concerned for my time, perhaps our audience has a question I could answer.”

Jurao turned in his seat, the door to the temple closing as he laid eyes on it. Likely, it had only been open fractionally, but the King knew he had not left it open.

Nosu chuckled, projecting fos voice, “If I did not want the door opened, it would have remained shut – personally, I dislike closed doors.”

After a few moments, Meir’ril, Gnene, and Denos all shuffled bashfully through the door.

Meir’ril scratched at his cheek, “Um, sorry – I’ve never seen a deity before, so I was just… well, curious.”

“Since his highness had already told Lady Carvve what he intended to seek wisdom for,” Gnene said, readjusting their glasses, “I knew it was not a private matter.”

Denos said nothing.

Nosu chuckled again, “Curiosity is my favorite mortal trait – the desire for knowledge and wisdom for its own sake. Please, do not be ashamed to be curious.”

Meir’ril looked up in surprise, then hesitated before looking to Jurao, “You… really want to make it so humans live longer in the Demon Realm?”

“Oh,” Jurao hummed, “That would do, would it not.”

Nosu laughed, “So quickly! Yes, though perhaps not just humans, hm?”

“Yes,” Jurao agreed, “I could Wish that all those living in the Demon Realm had their lifespans match ours – so it would cover any other species.”

“You could Wish that any mortal living in a realm where the average lifespan exceeds their own would have it extended, your highness,” Gnene added, “So humans that move to the Elven Realm, for example, could live an elven lifespan.”

“That’s… that’s a thing you can just… wish for?” Meir’ril asked, stunned, “And it’ll happen?”

“As Demon King, yes,” Jurao nodded, “I can make such a Wish at the Hundred Years Ball, where it will be granted.”

“And you?” Nosu asked, waving a hand at Denos, “Have you a question, or just curiosity?”

“I… do not think it a matter of wisdom,” Denos sighed, “I just do not believe it was fair for… Priest Milve to be dismissed in the manner that he was.”

“Iescula is aware of the situation, and agrees,” Nosu smiled, “She’s still considering how to handle it.”

“But if my Lady agrees, then… what is there to consider?” Denos demanded – then bowed eir head, “Forgive me, I did not mean to be so disrespectful.”

“She is considering what Milve has gained since his dismissal,” Nosu replied gently, “Do you think it would be easy for him to return to your temple now, even if he deserves to remain head of it?”

“I… do not know,” Denos sighed.

“Iescula is considering how to handle the situation in a way that is best for Milve as an individual and not just as a High Priest in her service,” Nosu went on, “Perhaps it would help if you considered things from that view as well.”

“I will try,” Denos bowed, “Thank you, Lordis Nosu.”

“… you don’t have a separate address for deities?” Meir’ril asked.

“We never asked for them,” Nosu chuckled, “Nor do most of us care either way – I appreciate the show of respect, but a title is far from the only way to give it. Do you have a unique address for your deities?”

“I… suppose not, actually,” Meir’ril chuckled, “I never thought of it that way before...”

Nosu hummed, “Who is your deity of wisdom, child? The one you follow? Orvine? Ynshaut? I’m sure such an avid mind is known to their deity.”

Meir’ril blushed, and replied, “Udhai.”

“Ah, Goddess of Magic, yes, her domains also span wisdom,” Nosu chuckled, “Though there is little of magicka to be found in this realm – what is your affinity?”

“Oh, um, I don’t have one,” Meir’ril replied, “At least, one hasn’t manifested…”

“You’ve only cast pure magicka?” Nosu asked, clearly intrigued, “A rare opportunity.”

“Affinity,” Jurao asked.

“Most magic users have an affinity for one specific type of magic,” Gnene supplied, looking at Meir’ril curiously, “Some are lucky to have two, and very few are blessed with three – I don’t believe I’ve ever heard of someone having none.”

“It’s rare,” Nosu agreed, “Even in the Arcane Triad, where magic is plentiful – while you will never master the most powerful spells of any kind, no magic is outside your grasp. Any type you desire to learn is open to you – to one so full of curiosity, I imagine that may be the more appealing option.”

“Yes,” Meir’ril agreed, eyes shining with awe, “I thought… I thought maybe it was just because no one was there to teach me when I started being able to manifest magicka.”

“An affinity need not be taught,” Nosu replied kindly, “Your manifestations would have reflected it from the outset. Ah.”

Fos turned fos head, holding out a hand as a silver bone mantle with a large moonstone formed over it, hovering in place. Nosu waved gently, and it floated over to Meir’ril – the elf-human young man holding out both hands for it to drop into due to the size of the stone.

“A gift from Udhai,” Nosu explained.

“An arcanum,” Meir’ril breathed, elven runes of light floating out of the stone as his eyes glowed white.

“The disaffinited are her favorites,” Nosu chuckled, “And with that, I shall depart – feel free to seek my wisdom whenever you wish, though I may not always be able to answer.”

“Thank you, Nosu,” Jurao said as the deity dissipated. He rose and approached the trio, “What is an arcanum.”

“It’s like a spell book,” Meir’ril replied, carefully putting the mantle around his neck, offering Gnene a smile when they helped with the clasp, “But… like an empty one? At least, this one is empty, mostly – I’ll be able to store any spells I learn inside, but not just the knowledge of them, the spells themselves! In a lower level arcanum, using a stored spell would wipe out its entry – but this one is… oh, wow, a divine arcanum…”

“You should ask Lady Carvve to teach you some of her magic,” Gnene suggested, “She only refrained because she assumed your affinities wouldn’t match.”

“Her affinity is blood magic, isn’t it?” Meir’ril asked, bouncing on his heels, “That’s why she has to use hers to transfer her knowledge to others, right?”

Gnene chuckled, “You are correct – she can also gain the knowledge of those willing to share some of their blood with her, among other things.”

“It’s such a rare affinity, I wouldn’t think to teach it, either!” Meir’ril said, dashing out the door.

“I’m sure Lady Carvve will be happy to have more knowledge to share,” Jurao remarked.

“I agree, she loves to do so,” Gnene chuckled again – then cleared their throat, “I do apologize for intruding, your highness – we only meant to… well, have a quick look at Nosu in person.”

“I understand the desire,” Jurao nodded, “And as you said, my question for fos was not a secret.”

“It was still rude of us,” Denos sighed, “So I also apologize, your highness.”

Jurao hummed, “Well, no harm done, so I accept your apologies.”