SON OF THE HERO KING

Interlude 17: Nefertiti's Cult

[Southern Pride]

In the past, the great forest of the elves would always be relatively silent. Thanks to the longevity of the elves, they tended to go about with their lives at a slow pace. After all, why be in a hurry when you have all the time in the world?

They were unlike humans, who had extremely limited lifespans.

Nowadays, the notion of silence is considered a thing of the past. As dawn approached and the morning sun illuminated the forest with its radiant rays, a woman with a mix of reddish-brown and golden hair was standing in front of an assembly. She was clad in a skin-tight nigh-transparent white robe while holding a thick book in her hand.

The book had two different covers. The front cover depicted a large tree with thousands of branches. Each branch was covered in eyes of all shapes and forms, opened wide as if they were observing the entirety of creation. They gave off the feeling that absolutely nothing could be hidden from them.

Meanwhile, the cover on the back depicted a large sun, an eye splitting the orb in the middle, opened wide and observing. Below the sun was the image of a snake biting its own tail.

No matter which angle one observed the cover, the symbol could only be considered bold, blasphemous even. After all, the insignia of the snake was generally representative of Asmodeus. The Demigod under the direct order of Luxuria. But in the mortal world, it was more a representation of the witches of Ouroboros. The daughters of Asmodeus.

“The Lord once told me. Love is a powerful force. A force that helped him fight through all the adversities that tried to block his way.”

As she opened the book, a soothing voice spread in the square, erupting the listening elves with murmurs and cheers. Men, women, old, or young. At that moment, no notion mattered. No discrimination could take root.

They were simply believers listening to the words of the Lord. Some were doubtful, some were simply curious, and others were most likely spies sent by the leaders of the different tribes and even the queen herself.

But Nefertiti did not care. As long as they were listening to the words of her lord, then they were welcome in his embrace.

“Would the Dragon Emperor really love all of us? He is not a god after all.” A feminine voice echoed but Nefertiti’s smile never wavered. The rude interruption did not affect her in the slightest.

She knew the voice belonged to just one enemy among many and this was not the first time this happened either.

“My lord’s love is both boundless and selfish. If you believe in him and follow him, you will receive his love. My lord may be all-powerful but he does not seek the salvation of the world. Only his own.”

Nefertiti knew she could have easily ensnared more people by changing her words. Yet she refused the very thought itself. Her lord would soon become a full-fledged demigod. What he needed now was pure faith gathered in his name and existence. Not one that would taint and sully him.

“But what miracles can he do?”

“What miracle have you witnessed from the other Dragon Lords?” Nefertiti asked with a smile, causing the elf to wince.

Elves were in general all fervent believers of the Dragons. They saw them as superior beings and only considered such a proud race worthy of their allegiance. But all elves did not believe in all the dragons. They were separated in their beliefs.

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Yet one truth held firm for all of them. Insulting the dragons’ prestige was not permitted.

“I apologize. My words were disrespectful.” The elf immediately apologized for her mistake. She could already feel many hostile gazes zero in on her.

“There is no need for any apology. My lord is not so petty that he would be angry for being doubted.”

Nefertiti eyed the elf as she spoke. To distinguish the tribe of an elf, the color of their skin, their tribal tattoos, or the clothes they wore was the best indication.

Slightly gray skin and the mark of a coiling dragon on her thigh.

Silver elves generally believed in the Water Dragon King— Kiyohime. The coiling dragon mark was the ultimate proof of their allegiance.

Moon elves followed Fafnir. Sun Elves followed Welsh. Silver elves followed Kiyohime and Dark elves followed Hydra.

“You might not know, but my Lord's love does not stop only at mortals like us.” A strange expression flashed in everyone's eyes when a Phoenix called herself a mortal. But Nefertiti simply ignored them.

“The Lord's love spread even to the mighty dragons, and the Water Dragon is his mate.” Of course, this was a different kind of love. But she knew that her lord certainly had no lack for such a form of love. One could even say he was overflowing with it.

The elf who had started the small fight opened her eyes wide in utter shock. She had heard some of those rumors recently. Those rumors were born because of a book that had been spreading in the forest.

[The Sulfurous Adventures of the Prince of Lust]

The book itself was scandalous, to say the least. A very entertaining book and one that did make her feel a little hot and bothered. But if the events depicted in the book weren’t just the imagination of a delusional lunatic… Her face reddened slightly at the image of the Queen she revered being held down under the body of the new Dragon King. No, the Dragon Emperor.

Nefertiti hid the smile of victory that hung on her lips. The nature of elves made it oh-so-easy for her to manipulate them. In the first place, most did not have any deep hostility against Sol himself.

They might follow orders but the respect they had deep down for dragons was paramount.

Nefertiti wondered if those feelings were natural or if Tiamat had used her power of Pride to engrave this feeling of subordination deep in the heart of the elves. But she did not care much about it.

After that small episode, Nefertiti was able to continue uninterrupted. Her words flowed without end or pause. She was fully immersed in sharing the light and the power of her Lord. But she did not forget to share his desires and his faults.

Gods did not need to be perfect to be worshiped. But they definitely needed to be powerful.

In a world where everyone could potentially become a demigod, faith was a hard thing to gather. But the elves were the perfect test subjects for Sol.

After the elves, her next target would be the humans.

“Very well. Let’s end with a litany in the name of our Lord.” She closed the book of faith and opened her arm wide. The atmosphere immediately shifted as many of the already converted elves closed their eyes and lowered their heads. Those who did not yet believe in Sol were forced to do the same to not stand out.

“O’ All-Seeing Radiant Lord, Whose gaze pierces the veil of time, We stand in Your eternal light.” Nefertiti started.

““May Your vision guide our path; may Your brilliance cleanse our souls.”” The crowd answered.

“In every shadow, You are the light that cannot be hidden, The sun that never sets, the flame that never fades.” Her voice flowed all around.

““O’ Radiant One, we bask in Your endless glow, illuminate our hearts, and drive away the darkness within.”” The fervor in the crowd reached a crescendo.

“With a thousand eyes, You watch all that is and all that will be, Nothing is hidden from Your radiant vision.”

““O’ Watcher of all things, see into our hearts, purify us with the brilliance of Your light.””

“From the highest heavens to the deepest abyss, there is no secret that escapes Your sight, no heart unread by Your divine eye.” Her voice seemed to reach the deepest depths of their hearts.

““O’ All-Knowing Lord, see into our souls, judge us not by our fears, but by the light we seek.”” They prayed alongside her.

“You are the beacon for the lost, the dawn after every long night, The torch that leads us through the wilderness of doubt.”

““O’ Radiant Flame, warm us with Your divine presence, let no shadow linger where Your light shines.””

“With eyes of stars and voice of sunfire, You have cast Your gaze upon all creation.” She placed her hands together. Her heart was filled with love and devotion. She could not hear his voice but she could certainly feel his grace. She knew without a shadow of a doubt that her words were reaching him.

““May we forever be worthy of Your sight, and may Your radiance never turn away.””

And so, the prayer ended as the devoted believers of the Dragon Emperor chanted in unison.

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