NOVEL NEXT 35 – Planning
I could have just listened to their conversation on the internet and let them talk while I messaged Jaina, but that wouldn't have been good.
People in this world simply don't have the same notion of internet privacy as people in my previous world.
In my previous life, everyone knew they were being spied on by their cell phones. It was common sense. Over 90% of people didn't even worry about it.
In the early years of the internet, it was scary knowing someone was watching you. Over time, though, it became normal.
People in this world still had no idea they were being watched, let alone would accept it so naturally. I still had to pretend I didn't know what they had just talked about.
I got into my marble body in the church and told Robert I was going to Arcantor Magic School.
Upon hearing my destination, he didn't ask any more questions, realizing it was something important. I started walking around Arcantor for the first time.
I knew where the internet links were around the city, so I knew which was the way to Arcantor Magic School.
From a mortal perspective, the city was undeniably beautiful.
The city was cleaner than an ordinary medieval city run by nobles because it was run by mages.
I was determined that this city would not be as dirty as King's Landing, the city I read about that smelled of shit everywhere you went.
If it was like that, I'd have to start thinking about how to improve the quality of life for the people of the kingdom. I'd also have to consider the reforms I'd suggest or how I'd propose them to the city's rulers.
I have read messages on the internet that confirm what I have long suspected: cities as dirty as those described in books really did exist in this world. The reason is simple: selfish kings who did not care about the population.
"You're saving a few silver coins every month by not cleaning the city. "Then don't clean it up and collect more money." This is the thinking of many kings around the world.
Other gods wouldn't be bothered by this. They don't come down to the world with physical bodies as often as I do, and they don't care about the lives of mortals in these worlds.
For someone like me, who cares about mortals and modern ideas of equality, having Arcantor as my kingdom was a great stroke of luck.
A few minutes into my walk, I saw people using the internet in the streets.
Some were playing CardMasters, others were sending messages to acquaintances, and others were reading books. Everyone had a different use for the internet, and it made me smile.
The only thing that bothered me was that I was wearing modern clothes—a long-sleeved white shirt and black sweatpants. In my world, these clothes were basic, but in this world, the quality of the stitching seemed very noble, attracting the attention of almost everyone who passed me.
My clothes made it clear that I wasn't to be approached, so I arrived at the Arcantor Magic School building in no time.
=== 3rd POV ===
At the door of the school, a wizard was already standing, looking around in confusion.
Archmage Jaina Proudstone had sent him to wait for the envoy of the God of the Internet at the school gate. She gave him one clear description: the envoy had black hair and blue eyes, and he might be dressed in a very unique way.
He went to the school gate to wait for the god's envoy, despite his doubts, and ready to do as the Archmage had ordered.
But the more he looked around, the more he was certain he would not be able to recognize the god's envoy.
Fortunately, after just a few minutes, he saw a person who left no doubt in his mind that this was the person he was waiting for.
This wizard was almost certain that this was the person he had been waiting for. He had straight, ear-length hair, almost sparkling blue eyes, and a very handsome face.
The wizard was even more certain when he looked at his clothes, which were unlike anything he had ever seen.
The fabric was simple, without the layers of clothing nobles typically wear. But the cotton was clearly of high quality, and the wizard could imagine how comfortable it must be to wear.
"Lord Athenos?" The wizard inquired as to the time, a little unsure, when he saw Athenos walking towards the Arcantor Magic School.
Athenos looked at the wizard and smiled. "Yes, lead the way to the meeting room."
"Yes, sir. Follow me." The wizard led the way, sighing in relief.
Athenos surveyed the interior of the school with astonishment at its beauty.
The campus was enormous, spanning several square kilometers and comprising numerous buildings and a bustling student population.
The various towers scattered around the campus were the most striking feature, with three towers being the largest.
Each Sage Mage is entitled to one tower in the school. The three largest ones belong to the three Archmages. The mage explained, his expression proud and assured, after seeing Athenos' surprised expression.
After a few minutes of walking, they arrived at the meeting room, located at the top of one of the three large towers.
Athenos strode into the room, his gaze meeting the curious looks of the two Archmages he didn't know personally, and the dozens of Sage Mages with an air of confidence.
He knew the combined strength of the people in this room was enough to destroy a large part of a country's capital. However, for a God, that power wasn't threatening since he wasn't here with his main body.
"Good afternoon, Lord Athenos. I apologize for the sudden invitation, but we have very important news involving other gods." Jaina stated firmly.
Athenos nodded his head, showing no displeasure, and sat down in a chair that was clearly reserved for him, next to the three Archmages beside Jaina.
Jaina gave him a summary of everything they had discussed, and he feigned ignorance of their conversation.
When she finished, everyone looked at Athenos with attention and concern.
"Given everything that's been said, we need to know what you and the God of the Internet think we should do next." "Jaina asked.
Athenos nodded seriously and projected a holographic screen for all the mages in the room.
They quickly realized that the holographic screen was very similar to the internet, although it didn't look like a book. Most surprising of all, it was a map.
This was the world map, clearly showing the location of each kingdom.
Arcantor was in purple, and "Internet" was written below the kingdom's name.
Next to Arcantor was Eldoria, painted green with the word "Fear" written boldly below.
The other kingdoms were gray, and a question mark was displayed below each name.
Adrian got this map at school before coming to the mortal world. Each student had one. Adrian made a virtual representation of it on the internet to help the mages visualize what he wanted to represent.
"Currently, we only have information from one of the other kingdoms. You should know that each of the other kingdoms probably has a god. These gods include a god of thunder, a goddess of waves, a god of fear, a god of perception, and a goddess of agility. He then proceeded to list the divinity of several students he knew from the school, although he was aware that there were others he was not familiar with. "I don't know the specific deity of some of them, and we don't know where each of these gods is."
The mages were astonished to hear about the vast number of gods.
Even the Archmages were taken aback by this, unsure of how to respond to the influx of gods into their world.
"Tell me, are there any gods we should be wary of in particular?" Harry spoke in a serious voice.
"Frankly, we can't say with certainty what strategy each god will employ. However, we can identify two gods with significant potential. The god of thunder, who has a strong enmity with the God of the Internet, and the goddess of waves, who may be open to negotiation, although nothing is guaranteed." Athenos said, maintaining the appearance of being just an envoy of the God of the Internet. The three Archmages were undoubtedly aware that he was, in fact, the God of the Internet himself.
Athenos proceeded to deliver some concerning information. "In the next 45 days, the gods will force the kingdoms they control to invade other kingdoms in order to conquer as much territory and people as possible. We must ensure Arcantor's borders are secure and that no one can invade us easily."
The mages were startled but nodded in agreement.
However, one thing concerned them, prompting a Sage Mage to raise his hand and ask a question.
Athenos nodded at him and listened intently to what he had to say.
"Lord Athenos, I want to know if the God of the Internet is going to ask us to go to war and invade other countries too." The wizard demanded to know.
Hearing his question, the other magicians also tensed up, but Athenos simply smiled.
"The gods are currently engaged in a battle where invading and conquering other kingdoms yields benefits for them. It would be very advantageous for the God of the Internet if Arcantor invaded neighboring kingdoms and conquered people and territory..." His words only served to heighten the wizards' concern. "The God of the Internet knows that while Arcantor's defense is the best in the world, the attack is very complex. He doesn't intend to ask you to invade other kingdoms through war personally."
With that explanation, they relaxed.
But Charles caught something in Athenos' words.
"If the God of the Internet doesn't want us to help invade other kingdoms through war in person, what is the way he wants us to help?" Charles asked, his voice firm and his eyes locked on Athenos.
At Charles' question, everyone looked at Athenos, and he gave a harmless smile before explaining the "God of the Internet's" idea for how to invade and conquer other kingdoms.
////NunuNote////
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