《The Young Magic God》


 Chapter 1

    Ardonis Clearweave looked out at the grassy courtyard below from the window in his room. Then up, past the estate wall and to the grand golden city splayed out like an intricate spiderweb. Heaven, the main central city of Celestial, the realm of the gods. Lit up like an aurora borealis, the city was alive with life as gods of all sorts went about their day. Whether it be watching over planets, solar systems, galaxies, chosen champions, or doing something as mundane as paperwork for a Supreme god.


    Or, like Ardonis had for the last century, going to school to learn and master their powers. Every god had their own inborn power that would bloom. Whether it be a god of love, life, animal, creation¡­ so on and so forth. Ardonis himself was a young God of Magic, or rather, a prospective God of Magic. As there were others with the same power, however, there was a hierarchy to it. The more powerful the god, the closer they were to being the true god of whatever their inborn power was. The potential to essentially be one of the ruling gods.


    A true God of Magic, for example, would be the ruler, boss, and god of all the other magic gods. A god of gods if you will, the rest under that are considered the lesser gods. And even further below them, those born in the mortal realm, are considered minor gods.


    A prospective god, or godling, is one with the potential to become a true god but must realize that potential first. Among his peers, there were two other prospective gods of magic. Recently they had all graduated from their school, mastering the initial phase of their innate powers. Which was also the point where a god was considered an adult. Though their bodies reached maturity much, much sooner. Having the same bodily process as the mortal species. The difference was, the body of a god stopped aging once it reached maturity.


    Which was also around the time the initial powers of a god needed to be controlled, trained, and mastered. Which typically took more or less about a hundred years. As not every power was equal or worked by the same principles, there was a slight deviation in the time it took to master. Ardonis had spent the last century mastering his magic. And not only that, each god was born with a unique power that most of the time, had nothing to do with whatever type of gods their parents were. Most of the time.


    The reason it took a century in general for a god, when it typically took a mortal a few years, was the magnitude of power. A mortal had only a fraction of what a god had, therefore it didn¡¯t take nearly as long to learn. But something Ardonis learned was that even mortals spend their life span mastering their gift to try and match the gods. Or they did once upon a time, those days are nothing more than fairy tales and legends he grew up with.


    He turned around with a soft sigh, shaking himself from those thoughts. And looked at himself in the large mirror that was on the wall. His purplish-blue hair was relatively short, barely hanging below his eyebrows and currently slicked back. His eyes were a deep galaxy blue with many little light dots as if actual galaxies were contained within. Though gods were ageless, not all were born pretty or handsome, fortunately for him, he was. Then again, the gods who weren¡¯t were in the minority.


    His skin, though naturally fairly pale, was lightly tanned from all of the time spent outside. Most mortals wouldn¡¯t believe it, but even gods benefit from such things in little ways like that. He wasn¡¯t exactly the tallest though, standing at five and a half feet. Not that such a thing bothered him regardless, but his specialty was magic after all. Creating illusions that were real in all but name was a cinch for him.


    His physique was lean and tone, which came more from his parents¡¯ insistence rather than his own initiative. He didn¡¯t care much about his physique, he¡¯d rather study and read magic tombs instead if he could help it. In fact, he just so happened to perfect a way to do exactly that even while going through his parents¡¯ ridiculous workouts.


    He loved them dearly, but at times they could be a bit¡­ much. His mother being a rather high-ranking Goddess of Health didn¡¯t help much in that regard. Everything from fitness and diet to healing, naturally she was a major health and fitness nut. And his father¡­ was a fitness nut in a different way. Being a God of War and Fighting, he was naturally headstrong about being in good health and fighting shape. Ardonis shivered at the memories of being forced to learn how to wield swords, spears, war axes and hammers, bows, knives, throwing knives, and even the weapons of more modern mortal worlds.


    His mother didn¡¯t care too much for his father¡¯s war side, but she ended up falling for him anyway for his honorable ways. Ardonis sighed again and eyed the outfit he was wearing, a nobleman¡¯s outfit. He did like to look proper, he was still a god and noble. Not even gods escaped certain orders and hierarchies of society. Although for them, there were no commoners, only high-tier nobles, mid-tier, and low-tier. A god couldn¡¯t be a commoner after all. He was a mid-tier noble.


    A knock on his door and it swung open a moment later, ¡°There you are sir, your parents have been looking for you. Your teacher is here as well, I hope you are packed.¡±


    ¡°Thank you Luin,¡± Ardonis said the man who entered. An angel with wings as white as snow and a halo above his head. Well, one wing, he had lost the other in a war over five thousand years ago. He was not only the head butler, but also Ardonis¡¯s bodyguard and personal trainer since childhood.


    Angels were the servants and soldiers of the gods, though they weren¡¯t the only ones, powerful spirits of mortals who found their way to Celestial were as well. They were a rarity though and Ardonis had only met a small handful in his entire one hundred and twenty years of life. ¡°Of course sir,¡± Luin said. ¡°You¡¯ve turned into a fine young man and godling Ardonis, you¡¯ve made me proud. And I¡¯m sure your parents are even more so. I do wish you luck on your journey.¡±This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Ardonis couldn¡¯t help but smile and pat the veteran angel on the shoulder as he passed by. Luin always was like a grandfather to him. Gaining the old hardass¡¯s approval made him feel warm inside. ¡°I promise I¡¯ll return even better than when I left. With more knowledge and abilities to rule as a noble and true God of Magic.¡±


    ¡°I have no doubts that you will,¡± Luin said with a final bow as Ardonis left to go meet with his parents and teacher. When he reached the office, they were all waiting for him as he had been told. ¡°There¡¯s my baby,¡± his mother said with excitement before he suddenly found himself in her tight embrace.


    His father chuckled at his expression of asking for help, ¡°You will never change when it comes to our son will you Milina?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s our baby, it doesn¡¯t matter how old or powerful he gets,¡± she said, squeezing him tighter.


    ¡°Hi Mother, I love you too, now can you please let go of me before you crush me to death?¡± he asked as he struggled to breathe.


    ¡°Oh all right,¡± She said as she reluctantly let go of him with a pout and he sucked in a few gasping breaths. His mother was a woman who was slightly taller than him, with golden long hair, eyes, and an athletic figure. His father had short crimson-red hair and a scar on his forehead, a bit more muscle on him, but he also had more of an athletic build. His eyes were a deep emerald and he had a commanding presence about him. Even if it was currently masked by the love for his family.


    The third person in the room, a short black-haired man, cleared his throat, gaining everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°I hope you are prepared for your journey Ardonis, it will be long and arduous, but once you return, it will have been worth it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir, it has been a great pleasure learning from you all of these decades in magic. I know this journey will take a few thousand years at the least, but I won¡¯t let that hinder me.¡±


    ¡°Good, this multiverse is vast, and you will experience a great many things on your journey. This is the last leg every god goes through to find who they really are and what their potential is. Your goal is to return as a true God of Magic, a goal that your peers also strive for. Especially the other two prospects, only one of you will return as the true God of Magic. For this multiverse dictates balance, and will not allow more.¡±


    Ardonis nodded, ¡°I won¡¯t back down from the challenge, if there is anything I have in common with my father, it is my tenacity and honor.¡±


    ¡°This also means you can¡¯t go easy on Lucy just because you have a crush on her godling,¡± his teacher teased.


    Ardonis felt his cheeks warm, ¡°You don¡¯t have to bring that up here.¡±


    ¡°Ardonis, you have a crush?¡± Milina asked with excitement and stars in her eyes.


    ¡°Come on kid, whatever happened to that ¡®I¡¯m gonna make her mine¡¯ attitude? I know that¡¯s how you¡¯ve been acting, so don¡¯t try to deny it. And you aren¡¯t ever this embarrassed when I bring it up with you.¡±


    Milina gasped, ¡°Is my baby finally grown up now?¡± she ran up and grabbed Ardonis by the shoulders, ¡°I want at least ten grandbabies by the time you return.¡±


    ¡°Mother please calm down, I have no such plans or intentions to do that. Besides, what Master Tin said is right, I can¡¯t go easy on her just because of a little crush. Besides, I don¡¯t even know if she feels the same,¡± he said as he somehow broke free from her grasp.


    ¡°Maybe so son, but not going easy does not mean you can¡¯t pursue her. It just means you¡¯ll have to do a bit of juggling, that¡¯s all. Just follow your heart my boy, and she¡¯ll have the same feelings, mother¡¯s intuition.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were a Goddess of Love now too,¡± his father teased with a laugh.


    ¡°When you have one as a sister-wife it certainly makes such predictions easier. Besides, some things are just known by women and mothers, Jake.¡±


    Jake sighed, ¡°If you say so,¡± he looked Ardonis in the eye, ¡°Your mother is right about one thing though, follow your heart. Don¡¯t worry about your destiny or anything else.¡±


    ¡°But what if my heart is torn two ways between my goal and someone I love?¡± Ardonis asked, the secret, or supposed to be secret, was out, no point in trying to hide it now.


    ¡°Then choose the one that will make you happiest,¡± a new and feminine voice said from the doorway. ¡°Or, if you have the grit and willpower, choose both. A harder path to be sure, but we are gods, ¡°have your cake and eat it¡±, as I¡¯ve heard mortals say. It will prove your resolve further and make all involved stronger.¡±


    ¡°Mother Anny,¡± Ardonis said with affection as his second mother gave him a quick hug before sitting down on the other side of Jake. Harems were of course common among gods, some chose not to have them, others chose not to have anyone at all. But harems were not strange to be seen. It was a sign of integrity and strength to a god to have or be in one. His father having one with three women.


    Mother Anny was more mature in nature than his birth mother, she was also a Goddess of Love. Not a true goddess, but she certainly wasn¡¯t weak by any means. She had slightly glowing long silver hair and two pools of blue eyes, her figure could only be described as supermodel, even by the standards of gods. Who were all typically handsome, beautiful, and ageless. ¡°Just think on it and take my words to heart. Whatever path you decide to take, we will always support you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mother Anny,¡± Ardonis said with a light bow, he turned back to his teacher. ¡°I¡¯ll set off tomorrow as promised sir. I have some more thinking to do and some last-minute preparations to make. Like doing a few things in the city.¡±


    ¡°As long as you are ready for the journey ahead you could take an extra month if needed. It is merely advised to get an early start for your own sake. Fall too far behind your peers and you¡¯ll find it tough to catch up.¡±


    With a final bow, and squeezing hug from Milina, Ardonis left the room and headed for the manor entrance.

 Chapter 2

    Once outside, he lightly hopped into the air and floated above the manor. Flight was a simple matter for a magic guru like him or any god who bothered really. However, he was certainly better at it than most, using little to no mana even at fast speeds. And because he was a magic god, he didn¡¯t need to say a chant or anything to use his magic.


    Of course, there were mortal mages on some planets that could achieve that as well. But that was if they had a natural affinity for magic. Even gods who weren¡¯t specifically magic gods needed to chant to cast spells. Well, except for the Supreme gods, they could practically do whatever they wanted, they were simply that powerful.


    As Ardonis was now, he could destroy a planet using half of his power, but those were beings that could erase entire portions of universes. Thousands of galaxies gone in an instant with only using half of their own power. Supreme gods were the true gods of gods, and like every god, it was an innate power that one must be born with. Or rather, the potential of it.


    Ardonis wasn¡¯t sure if he was one, as the only way to know was to try, a hidden potential that couldn¡¯t be detected by any being. Beyond being a true God of Magic, his true goal and aim was to find out whether or not he was a Supreme. Big dreams even for a god, but he would do whatever it took to reach that level.


    He shook himself out of his reverie as he looked down at the city from his flight and teleported in front of a certain shop. It sold books and magic artifacts that one couldn¡¯t pass up. From books of fiction and myth to ancient gods and history of the multiverse. They even had some books on cooking.


    This was one of his favorite shops to get supplies and other things. Gods didn¡¯t need to eat, drink, or sleep, however, some still did. Either as old habits from living in the mortal realm, or just because. With food, it was because it tasted good, the same thing with certain drinks. And sleep¡­ well, that was because many enjoyed the feeling of waking up next to their loved ones.


    ¡°Still get lost in your thoughts that quickly huh?¡± a teasing voice asked as he felt arms wrap around him. He didn¡¯t get a chance to respond as he found his lips pressed against familiar softness.


    ¡°Lucy,¡± he said after pulling back slightly from the kiss, wrapping his own arms around her. A woman who was nearly a head shorter than him looked up at him lovingly. Her eyes were a purplish twilight, her long hair a slightly glowing and shimmering purple, and her skin a fair tan completed the look of the prospective true magic goddess. ¡°I hope I didn¡¯t make you wait too long.¡±


    She giggled, ¡°Of course not. I came here early because I actually wanted to browse a few things here. This shop is one of your favorites after all. And there are certainly some interesting selections, to say the least. Did the talk with your parents go as expected?¡±


    He chuckled, ¡°It did, even your prediction of that damn teacher bringing up my ¡®crush¡¯ on you. Somehow I managed to pull off a convincing innocent act and got some advice from Mother Anny. Though it was advice that I¡¯m already following.¡±


    ¡°You sure she of all doesn¡¯t know? She is a Goddess of Love after all, I¡¯m not so sure you can hide something like that from her.¡±


    He shrugged, ¡°If she does know, she hasn¡¯t given a hint or said anything about it. Which I will gladly take her silence over the rest of them finding out.¡±


    She quirked an eyebrow at him, ¡°Is it really that bad if they find out the two of us are going out? I mean, we¡¯ve already been together for twelve years now.¡±


    ¡°Unless you want to get married on the spot, because trust me, they will find a way to make that happen, I don¡¯t recommend it.¡±


    ¡°Being married doesn¡¯t sound too bad, don¡¯t you want to be with me forever?¡± she teased.


    He rolled his eyes, ¡°If memory serves, it was you who rejected my proposal a few years ago, I was honestly scared you were going to break up with me until you explained your reasoning.¡±


    ¡°A man and god like you deserves a harem, and I won¡¯t have any marriage until you have at least three other girlfriends. That it is true now as it was then and I won¡¯t budge on it, even if my heart already considers you a husband and vice versa.¡±


    Ardonis simply shook his head with a small smirk, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s stop giving other customers a show and get some things we came for. We will be leaving tomorrow after all.¡±


    She let go of him and they held hands as they went through the medium-sized shop. The layout of it, though far older than some modern planets, was the same as them. Apparently, billions of years ago, a Supreme god peeked into the future of mortals and took the idea.


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    After grabbing some supplies and a few books, they headed out of the shop to continue their date. ¡°You really enjoy cooking huh?¡± Lucy asked as Ardonis skimmed through a cookbook, one of the purchases made at the shop. Though it wasn¡¯t just any ordinary cookbook, the recipes in them used magic, and some pretty advanced methods as well.


    ¡°Of course, cooking is fun, and I enjoy seeing others enjoy what I make. Besides, not just anyone can cook these high-level recipes. I¡¯ve long since decided to conquer all things magic, if there are magic recipes, I will master them. Besides, when you have a mother who is a Goddess of Cooking¡­ that¡¯s going to have a bit of influence.¡±


    She giggled, ¡°I didn¡¯t say I didn¡¯t like it. I actually love this side of you, it reminds me that you are a scholar through and through. Despite having the physique of a war god. You know me though, I¡¯ve never really been good at studying.¡±


    ¡°Despite your magic needing more study than even mine? Arcana is very volatile, and even I can barely get a grasp on it,¡± Ardonis said as he closed the book and teleported it to his room.


    ¡°That¡¯s just it though,¡± Lucy said more quietly, a complex magic circle appearing in her hand. ¡°I¡¯m intuitive when it comes to arcana, able to do what is considered hard and complex with the wave of a hand. It¡¯s just how my innate power is, I may be a Goddess of Magic, but more specifically I¡¯m a Goddess of Arcana.¡±


    Ardonis grabbed her hand, ¡°And that is part of what makes you so special, it¡¯s what captivated me the first time I saw you all those decades ago. Honestly, I want to see how far you can go, despite our goal of becoming the true god of magic being the same.¡±


    She smiled brightly, ¡°That¡¯s my line, I already promised years ago that I would support you. I won¡¯t make it easy of course, but if it truly came down to it, I would let you become the true god over me. I just don¡¯t want that bastard to take it instead.¡±


    ¡°No love lost between the two of you huh?¡± he asked rhetorically.


    ¡°He may be the other prospective true God of Magic, but that doesn¡¯t mean I have to care for him.¡±


    Ardonis raised a brow, ¡°I suppose it¡¯s good for me that you hate your ex so much, but could you at least be truthful about hating him for that? Rather than the pretense that you don¡¯t have to like him?¡±


    She pouted, which made Ardonis smile, ¡°He doesn¡¯t even care about love, he just wants to be a playboy and screw women. I want to be part of a harem, something with genuine love. I amount his being a playboy to being a cheater. I¡¯m just glad I realized and left him before giving him my maidenhood. I¡¯m much happier with you having taken it instead. You really helped me through a dark time back then, I knew you were always a good and upstanding man. And unlike him, you didn¡¯t help me with any ulterior motive. You simply did it because you are just that kind of person.¡±


    He chuckled slightly nervously, ¡°Well it wasn¡¯t an ulterior motive per se, but by that point, I already did have a crush on you. So that most likely motivated me to help you out more than others. And I can¡¯t lie, the small hope of us getting together was there.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s just it, you didn¡¯t do it to try and get in my pants. Serving as motivation is different from having an ulterior motive. Well, the kind that I¡¯m thinking about anyway.¡±


    ¡°Well, in any case, I¡¯m just glad that we are here today with our current relationship. I know your parents know about us¡­ maybe I should tell mine.¡±


    She giggled, ¡°Don¡¯t forget the difference between our parents. Even though mine want me to marry you, especially Mother, they aren¡¯t pushing it that hard. Well, my Father is just doing a great job of holding her back.¡±


    Ardonis laughed, ¡°It¡¯s because of the food, isn¡¯t it? Whenever I come over, I always end up either cooking something or helping your father cook something.¡±


    ¡°If Mother wasn¡¯t so in love with Father, I¡¯d accuse her of trying to steal you from me. A complete foodie who loves all things food, then again, she is a Goddess of Food, so it makes sense. Though she can¡¯t cook to save her life,¡± she said.


    ¡°The price to pay to have a bottomless pit for a stomach, which I am a bit jealous of,¡± he said as they continued slowly walking through the park, hand in hand.


    Lucy raised a dubious brow at him, ¡°Can¡¯t you just magic away the food, or have your body burn all of it away? I¡¯m fairly sure I¡¯ve seen you do that before to eat something you really enjoyed a few times over.¡±


    ¡°Sure, but it isn¡¯t the same as having a bottomless stomach. It is merely an imitation Lucy, an imitation I tell you,¡± he said, exaggerating it with finger-pointing, making her burst into laughter.


    She wrapped her arms around him in a hug, ¡°I seriously do love you Ardonis. I know that it hurt, and slightly still stings that I rejected your proposal. Feelings differ from logic after all, but I want you to know that it did make me extremely happy. If I didn¡¯t keep myself in check I would have jumped in your arms saying yes. A man like you deserves a harem, and I don¡¯t want to be more than just your girlfriend until that happens.¡±


    He was a bit surprised by her sudden change in tone, but he wrapped his own arms around her, ¡°I love you too Lucy, no matter what happens, we will be together.¡±


    This time, he was the one who kissed her, ¡°Let¡¯s make a deal then, as long as it isn¡¯t Eradis, it could be either of us that becomes the true God of Magic. Whichever of us doesn¡¯t matter, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be happy either way, no matter the outcome.¡±


    She beamed at him, ¡°That is a brilliant idea. Now come on, I¡¯m in the mood after all of this and I¡¯d like you to myself for the night before we leave.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s what the lady wishes, the lady shall get,¡± he said playfully. She giggled and they made their way to her home. Normally, one would think that is a bad idea for what they had in mind. However, a soundproof room was a simple task even for mortals to make with magic.

 Chapter 3

    The next morning, Ardonis stretched as he woke up next to his still-sleeping girlfriend. Even if they didn¡¯t need to, sleep was still quite refreshing, and he couldn¡¯t deny the joy of waking up next to Lucy. Their clothes were still scattered all over the room, but a simple wave of the hand dealt with the mess. Of course, even gods had their limits and mana reserves, however, such a small thing couldn¡¯t even make a scratch in his ocean.


    He looked over at Lucy peacefully sleeping with the blanket just barely showing the top of her shoulder. He couldn¡¯t stop himself from smiling at the picturesque image before him. His gaze moved to the rest of the room, her bed-chamber wasn¡¯t quite as large as his. As their manor was a bit smaller than his, however, he liked it just as much. There were a few posters on the walls, a dresser, a large mirror, and a window that, similar to his, overlooked the city.


    On the desk to the right, however, there were two pictures on either side. One of him making a pose, and one of the two of them together. In between them, on a slightly raised shelf, was a small dark blue and purple box. The one he chose out and held the ring he proposed to her with. The fact that she kept it, and so close to the other things, warmed his heart.


    He was perfectly content with just the two of them, but his lady wanted to be part of a harem. He wasn¡¯t sure if he could pull it off, but if he fell for another as hard as her, he¡¯d certainly do his best. Where and when that would be, he didn¡¯t have a clue. But that was a small detail, for now, a bridge that would be crossed once they got there.


    For now, he woke Lucy with a kiss, having made his decision to tell his parents about them before they left. ¡°Lucy, there are things I need to grab from home, mind coming with me?¡±


    Her eyes widened, ¡°Are you-¡± she smiled, ¡°Of course, nothing would make me happier.¡±


    They ate breakfast first, though not much by choice, Lucy¡¯s mother wouldn¡¯t let them leave until Ardonis cooked some up. She was a woman slightly more on the plump side, but she still had a figure befit of a goddess. Even his own mother had complimented her in the past. The two had known each other for a good deal of time. However, unlike his mother, Lucy¡¯s was far better at keeping secrets.


    However, his relationship wasn¡¯t going to stay so much longer. After they ate, they headed for his house, he could have very easily simply teleported them. Either of them could have, however they decided a nice morning walk would be more romantic. He also wanted to spend as much time as possible with Lucy before talking to his parents about her. It took them an additional hour to get back to his place, but neither of them complained about that.


    Though the closer they got, the more nervous Lucy got, which he couldn¡¯t keep himself from smiling at. ¡°Not so great when the shoe is on the other foot huh?¡± he teased. He had been even more nervous than her when meeting her parents for the first time as her boyfriend. There was no need to worry, as he had known her parents beforehand, and it was the same case here with her. However, that didn¡¯t stop emotions from making each of them nervous when the time came.


    After all, introducing yourself, or being introduced as the significant other in front of your loved one¡¯s parents was quite nerve-wracking. Whether one knew the parents before or not. ¡°This is payback for when I teased you about this, isn¡¯t it? Listen, I¡¯m sorry okay? Can we maybe turn back now?¡± she pleaded, her eyes glistening as she looked up at him.


    He just smirked, ¡°Nope, too late now, no getting cold feet, we¡¯ve delayed this long enough as it is. Besides, no matter how embarrassing or nerve-wracking it is. You and I both know we¡¯ll feel better after they know and we get their blessings.¡±


    She puffed her cheeks up into a cute pout, but all he did was poke one, forcing her to let the air out. as it deflated. ¡°Come on, you know I¡¯m right. Isn¡¯t this the exact speech you gave me when the situation was reversed?¡±


    She sighed, then giggled, ¡°I suppose so, still, this is more nerve-wracking than I thought it would be. I really am sorry for making light of your own nervousness back then.¡±


    She gripped his hand tighter and he chuckled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Everything worked out, just like it will work out this time. Now come on, let¡¯s get inside and get this over with, we do have somewhere else to be before we leave the city and Celestial.¡±


    She nodded and they entered the manor gate together, going into his home and stopping the first servant who happened past. ¡°Gwent, please inform my parents that I have returned and that I have someone to introduce them to. Or if you know where they are, escort us there. I would like it if Mother Anny and Mother Theresa were there as well.¡±


    ¡°You are in luck young master,¡± the man said, ¡°your family just so happens to have gathered in the dining hall to eat breakfast. Would you still like me to escort you there?¡±


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    ¡°If they are all simply in the dining room, then no, I think your other duties take precedence over that. I know being essentially a janitor is not the best job in terms of what you have to do. But I certainly appreciate everything that it is you do, without you and people like you working the hard jobs, to say we¡¯d live in filth is an understatement. I know this isn¡¯t said enough, and we gods often overlook it, but thank you for your services Gwent.¡±


    Gwent smiled, ¡°You always were such a good boy Young Master Ardonis. I am so glad to see you turn into such a fine young man as well. You do your family, and your household proud sir.¡±


    With that he gave a deep bow and continued on with his duties, Lucy giggled, ¡°This is what I love about you Ardonis, you aren¡¯t a stuck-up prick like most gods or our peers. I am just as proud to call myself your girlfriend and would even shout it for all of Celestial to hear.¡±


    He squeezed her hand, ¡°Let¡¯s worry about that after my parents all know about our relationship. Even I¡¯m a bit nervous at this point, I¡¯ve kept our relationship from them for so long¡­ I just don¡¯t want them to react badly because of that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it will be fine, now come on, as nervous as I am, nothing will happen if we don¡¯t move forward. I would like to have your family¡¯s blessing too you know.¡±


    Ardonis took the lead and brought them to the dining room, just as Gwent had said, all of his parents were there. Including Mother Theresa, his third mom, who had short blue hair and sun-like warming yellow eyes. She was slightly shorter than Tharanos and was slightly more plump than the other two, though really not by much. If they stood side by side you¡¯d hardly be able to tell upon first glance.


    Ardonis cleared his throat, gaining their attention, their eyes immediately going to Lucy and where their hands were locked together. ¡°Father, mothers, I have someone I want to introduce you to,¡± he said, starting rather formal. Though his eyes were serious. ¡°This is Lucy Nep, my girlfriend.¡±


    She took a slight step forward and bowed, ¡°It is nice to meet you.¡±


    To say his parents were stunned would be an understatement, they were outright shocked. That was until Anny burst into cackling laughter, ¡°Well, I can¡¯t say I expected it to happen so suddenly, but it was about damn time you admitted it to us.¡±


    ¡°You- you knew?¡± Ardonis asked.


    She quirked a brow, ¡°Kid, I¡¯m a Goddess of Love, I would be quite bad at being such if I didn¡¯t know when my own child was dating. And you know that we don¡¯t keep secrets from each other. Besides, I, as well as your father and other mothers, have spotted the two of you in the city on multiple occasions.¡±


    ¡°We just let you have your privacy for a bit,¡± his father said. ¡°We knew there was most likely a reason why you weren¡¯t telling us. And I think we all know that reason.¡±


    Milina pouted, ¡°You still could have told us though.¡±


    Theresa giggled, ¡°That reason is you Mil, it took all we had to keep you from setting up a wedding. Let alone the effort it went into keeping you quiet about knowing the truth between these two.¡±


    Jake sighed, ¡°It was far too much effort if you ask me, I almost just gave up and let her. But our son deserves his privacy, we knew you would tell us eventually, it was just a matter of when. Though I have to be honest, if you really did leave without saying anything, I would have been a bit disappointed in you for avoiding responsibility.¡±


    ¡°To be honest,¡± Ardonis said, ¡°I almost did. But after our date yesterday and last night, I decided it would be for the best in the end. I don¡¯t want to leave without making sure my family knows, Lucy deserves better than that. Besides, it isn¡¯t her I¡¯m embarrassed about introducing.¡±


    Once again, Milina pouted, but she didn¡¯t say anything, knowing her own personality. A moment later, however, the two found themselves in her embrace. ¡°I¡¯m happy for the both of you. The path you have chosen won¡¯t be easy, but I know you can handle it. Please, stay safe out there you two. We may be gods, but even someone from the mortal realm can surprise us if we aren¡¯t careful.¡±


    ¡°I thought mortals couldn¡¯t kill us because of their weapons and power not being enough to do so,¡± Lucy said.


    Milina nodded, stepping back a couple of feet, ¡°Yes, that may be so, but death is not the only thing that can happen. There are fates worse than it should you be caught off guard. Besides, mortals aren¡¯t the only ones in the mortal realm. There are other gods, some of which won¡¯t be kind and will attack you on sight for entering their territory. Not to mention some former mortals who gained enough power to reach your level of power.¡±


    ¡°In other words, it won¡¯t be as easy as dealing with a few foolish mortals or even avoiding capture,¡± Ardonis said.


    She nodded again, ¡°That is correct my son. I know it may sound a bit crazy to you, but that is the truth. So please, both of you, be careful on this journey. Reality is stranger than fiction and anything can happen. I¡¯d rather not lose my only son and future daughter-in-law, also, don¡¯t shy away from having little ones on this long journey. I would love to be a grandmother by the time you return in a few thousand years.¡±


    ¡°Mother,¡± Ardonis said, feeling a bit of warmth in his cheeks.


    Lucy giggled, ¡°Perhaps, a few thousand years is a long time after all. We may just have a family by then, and it certainly wouldn¡¯t just be me with his children.¡±


    Milina smiled widely, ¡°An ambitious one for a harem hmm? That idea makes me giddy with happiness.¡±


    I sighed, ¡°Okay Mother, but we really should be going now, we just dropped by to grab my stuff and do introductions. We do have a final meeting with our teacher in class before we venture out. I would rather not be late for that, and don¡¯t worry Mother Theresa, we already ate breakfast at Lucy¡¯s.¡±


    Theresa giggled, ¡°A meal prepared by you no doubt, that woman couldn¡¯t cook to save her life. I gave up trying to teach that one long ago. Although she always did love what I made, at one point even offering to be my official taste tester for new things.¡±

 Cchapter 4

    ¡°Before you go,¡± Jake said, tossing a golden bracelet to Ardonis, ¡°Take this bracelet. It has a decent inventory space of five hundred square feet. It had quite the price tag on it, consider it your graduation gift from us to you. That thing will certainly last you a long time, possibly even until you come back and longer.¡±


    Ardonis¡¯s eyes widened to saucers as he looked at the bracelet. He had always wanted one of these but could obviously never afford one. Even a small one without much space was incredibly expensive. Even Lucy only had one that was large enough for her luggage and a few other things. The magic that radiated from the thing was also far more complex and powerful than any item he had ever seen before.


    He put the bracelet on and closed his eyes, already knowing how to access these from the number of times he accessed Lucy¡¯s in the past. It had cost her fifteen years of saving to get it too. There were two ways of using it, the first was for the person to simply think of what they were putting inside and what they were taking out. The second was to take a look inside of the space oneself.


    Ardonis was going for option two as he currently had nothing to put inside. A pocket dimension created by a very powerful Supreme God of Magic, that was the reason all of them were so damned expensive as well. Looking within, he saw a very large void-like space, though the edges could be seen in the distance in all directions. It was really like one massive box, and the space was as big as the mansion¡¯s main room and ballroom combined.


    He gasped with giddiness as he opened his eyes and was mentally brought back to the real world. ¡°This is seriously the greatest gift I have gotten.¡± He bowed, ¡°Thank you, Father, Mothers, I will be sure to never lose this.¡±


    Jake smirked, ¡°Funny you should mention that, cut your finger and drop some blood on it. It will become bound to you and only you. Not only will that activate the hidden property that it will always return to your wrist, but it means you are the only one who has access to it.¡±


    Ardonis eagerly did so with a magic knife made of mana that he conjured. Making a light slice in his finger and allowing the blood to drop on the bracelet. The three or four droplets seemed to just be absorbed by the thing and a couple moments later, Ardonis felt as if the bracelet truly belonged to him now. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this,¡± he said with a massive grin. ¡°How much did it cost?¡±


    ¡°Well, since it was a thing we were planning since you were born¡­¡± Mother Anny trailed off. ¡°It cost about one million god coins. Luckily we were able to save that much up, but don¡¯t be too concerned. I can promise you, this was technically spent with your allowance. Now you know why you never got an official one from us.¡±


    ¡°It was once again something they had to lock away from me so that I couldn¡¯t spoil my child like I should have been able too,¡± Milina huffed.


    Mother Theresa rolled her eyes, ¡°We¡¯ve been over this for that exact reason. You can¡¯t be trusted with money when all you want to do is spoil him rotten.


    She pouted and turned her head in another huff, but didn¡¯t retort. ¡°Anyway, we should probably go now,¡± Ardonis said, readying the magic to teleport him and Lucy to his room.


    ¡°Have a nice good and long vacation in the mortal realm,¡± Jake replied with mirth. Already knowing what to expect thanks to his parents, Ardonis didn¡¯t make a comment. He knew there were some very dangerous people in the mortal realm.


    He released the magic and a moment later the two were in his room. ¡°So this is what your room looks like,¡± Lucy commented as she gazed around the room with wonder. Despite how long they had been dating, she had not seen his room before. She looked over at the bed, ¡°Too bad we don¡¯t have time to fool around, I would like to mark your room with our scents.¡±


    Ardonis chuckled as he rummaged around his desk, ¡°What are you an animal or something now?¡±


    She wandered around the room, looking at all kinds of things, ¡°No, it just seems unfair is all. My bedding and blankets are permanently stained in areas and with our mixed smells. Not that I¡¯m complaining, I love it, I just wish you had to deal with the same problem.¡±


    He shrugged as he turned to look at her inspecting his bed, ¡°It isn¡¯t my fault you get so horny, who is it that begs for more again? I¡¯ve tried being considerate, you¡¯re just a horny sex deviant when in the mood.¡±


    She pouted, ¡°It is not nice to point out such things to a lady. You are supposed to keep those things to yourself, no matter how true they are.¡±


    He chuckled and rolled his eyes as he looked at the time on his clock. ¡°I suppose there is time for a quick round or two, but after that, we really do need to go. We¡¯ll be cutting it close enough as is.¡±


    Her face brightened at the news and they spent the next half hour in bliss. After cleaning themselves up with a quick shower, and clean clothes, courtesy of Ardonis magically cleaning them with the snap of a finger. He teleported them to their proper destination, and where they should have been for the last five minutes.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°You two are late,¡± their teacher said with some annoyance in his voice. They just looked at him with sheepish smiles plastered on their faces as he glared at them. Eventually, he sighed, ¡°Just take a seat so we can get this over with.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± the two said simultaneously, taking their seats in the first they could find, still holding hands. The only other person in there besides them scoffed. However, they ignored it and he didn¡¯t say anything more. The last thing he wanted was the teacher¡¯s wrath on him.


    ¡°As the three of you know, you are the prospective true Gods of Magic. Your journey will be a bit different and more difficult than the rest of your peers, the ones that also aren¡¯t prospective gods anyway. This is just an official final formal send-off from teacher to student. Your first destination, however, has also already been set. The three of you will shadow a goddess for a period of two months as she rules over her planet. Get a sense of who she is and what she does, and before any of you get any funny ideas,¡± he glared at both Eradis and Lucy. ¡°Specifically the two of you. One of you is a womanizer and the other wants to try for a harem. Ardonis, I trust you¡¯ll keep your girlfriend in line at least.¡±


    Ardonis nodded, ¡°Of course sir, on that note, did you really have to bring that up yesterday? That wasn¡¯t exactly fair.¡±


    He laughed, ¡°Hahaha, you reap what you sow kid, you lost a bet and I cashed in on it. Though I have to say, your spur-of-the-moment acting was quite something. I would have fallen for it if I didn¡¯t know any better. Anyway,¡± he cleared his throat, ¡°After this period you will be on your own to journey through the multiverse. Stay out of trouble and don¡¯t die, this multiverse is rather unforgiving. And I don¡¯t care how much you hate each other, don¡¯t try anything shady. Celestial will know and send forces after you. In the paper on your desk, you¡¯ll find that activating it will teleport you to the goddess. Now class dismissed.¡±


    Once the teacher left the room, it was only the three of them remaining. Eradis approached Ardonis and Lucy with the paper in hand. ¡°I see you two are still together, Lucy, are you sure you don¡¯t want to dump this bore of a man?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take him over a womanizing louse like you any day,¡± Lucy retorted instantly. He barely got to finish before she threw the line at him.


    ¡°I-I see, well it is your loss then. I could have offered you anything you wanted. All you had to do was be a good woman and stay by my side. We could have had so much fun together. A harem isn¡¯t that different from what I have with other women you know.¡±


    She shook her head, a look of pure disgust on her face as she scoffed, ¡°A harem involves real love from all parties, not having sex with the first woman you see you damn leching cockroach.¡±


    ¡°Pfft,¡± Ardonis tried hard not to laugh at that one, the smile Lucy gave him didn¡¯t help either.


    ¡°Now if you don¡¯t mind, my future husband and I will be leaving to meet the goddess first.¡±


    Eradis¡¯s face flashed with indignation but the two had already activated the teleportation symbol on the paper as he shot a fireball at them. It instead hit a desk as they disappeared and exploded.


    Ardonis and Lucy looked around the chamber in awe, it was massive, as large as a throne room. Yet an incredibly large bed could be seen in the back, many dressers, desks, mirrors, and mannequins with dresses and other fancy clothing were all over the place. There were paintings on the walls and even some statues depicting the goddess strewn about. Though a couple of those were a bit more provocative than the rest.


    ¡°Ah, I see two of the three have finally made it,¡± a musical voice reached them. It belonged to the woman standing in front of the massive bed. She had long beach sand-colored hair, blue eyes, a heart-shaped face, and a lithe figure. Though she was two feet, possibly a little more, taller than the two of them, ¡°It is a pleasure to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Goddess Milsa, thank you for the opportunity of shadowing you for two months,¡± Ardonis said with a light bow.


    She smiled, ¡°And you have your manners in order, good. It is no trouble, this is part of my job after all. Or rather, something I agreed to do once every century with promising batches of students. This time around it was you two and the third prospect for magic that caught my eye.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of him, fair warning, the two of us aren¡¯t exactly on the best terms with him.¡±


    ¡°Oh, a love rival, how exciting,¡± the goddess said with amusement in her eyes. ¡°I see you two are surprised and confused. But it is fairly obvious to me, you two are holding hands and standing quite close to each other. The third is a man who I have heard from my research looking into you three that he is a womanizer.¡±


    Lucy cleared her throat, ¡°If I may, your explanation was truthful, but that disgusting creep is certainly no love rival of my future husband.¡±


    ¡°And when I say not on the best terms, I mean he may very well attack us,¡± Ardonis chimed in.


    ¡°Well, as long as you don¡¯t disrupt my job, disturb me, or destroy my home, there won¡¯t be any issues. I trust you will deal with things before they escalate to that point. I am kind, but that does not mean I won¡¯t put you in your places if you push me.¡±


    ¡°Of course ma¡¯am,¡± he said. ¡°I am merely giving you a heads up of what to expect from that cretin. I will do my best to subdue or incapacitate him before things get out of hand.¡±


    Less than a minute later, Eradis appeared, he blinked and looked around confused for a moment. ¡°Hello and welcome, you are the third and final of the students who will be shadowing me,¡± Milsa said.


    Eradis gasped when he saw her, making Ardonis and Lucy roll their eyes. ¡°Your beauty is truly something to behold milady, it is an honor to shadow you. I will do so faithfully in the hopes of gaining your approval.¡±


    Lucy opened her mouth to say something, but Ardonis squeezed her hand and shook his head at her. ¡°Save it, boy, flattery won¡¯t get you anywhere with me. Not only am I far too old for you, but you are far from the first graduate to try and woo me. Now that all of you are here, allow me to show you to your rooms.¡±


    She looked over at Ardonis and Lucy, giggling, ¡°Yes I prepared a single room for the two lovers.¡±