Learning

It was a fairly simple affair to make his way home. The coordinates for his celestial estate were given to him at the same time as the location for his domain. 

Veron decided not to visit his estate at first because he came to learn that his mortal companion, to whom he had been sealed during their mortal life, was unfaithful in her covenants and was therefore denied exaltation with him. He now had the opportunity to chose a new bride from among those women who expressed their desire to be with him, but he declined to do so immediately due to the pain of losing his beloved.

It was not in Veron's nature to brag but there was an extensive list of women who desired to be wed to him. Not only was he an exalted man, and was therefore able to continue to progress throughout eternity, but he was also one of the few who chose to build a new domain. All things considered it was no surprise that so many desired to be united with him, it was just something he didn't want to deal with at the moment for obvious reasons.

'I'll take a look later, for now I need to visit a library and try to learn about what's to come.' These musings, along with the disbelief about his former wife's infidelity, rattled around inside his mind as he made his way home. He focused his mind on the destination and gathered his divine energy, expressing his will to be at the destination the energy complied with his demand. 

It felt as though the space around him suddenly shifted as he found himself without the gates of a massive estate. He had simply desired to be here, and now here he was. 

He hesitated for only a moment before approaching the gate which opened automatically at his approach. As he walked along the paved road he stood in amazement at the majesty surrounding him. Perfectly manicured hedges, flower gardens, and tree groves gave the grounds of the estate a natural yet orderly feel. He noticed that his anxiety diminished with each passing moment spent walking among the many pathways snaking their way throughout the grounds. 

In total the estate probably covered more than 5 acres, and every single inch of it was perfectly maintained to bring out its natural beauty. A smile couldn't help but manifest itself upon his face as he understood that this place had been built specifically for him. It checked every single box he had ever had with regards to his dream home, and now here it was even better than he imagined it.

He made his way to the actual living quarters which was centered on the property, and once he was able to gaze upon it he had to take a few moments just to come to terms with what he was seeing.

During his mortal life Veron had been fascinated by medieval castles and feudalism in general. And appearing before him now was a perfect replica of the Warwick castle as it must have appeared when it was newly built. 

Words simply could not express how much he loved this castle, it was his favorite during his mortal life and now that he got to live in it well...enough said.

As he approached the front doors they were opened by a man dressed as a butler. The man bowed graciously as he introduced himself while gesturing for Veron to enter.

"Welcome home my lord, my name is Richard and I am responsible for looking after the state of your home while you are away. If there is anything you need please feel free to ask, I am at your service."

Veron wasn't really surprised to see him there, it was obvious that those who became angels would need some kind of occupation during the rest of their eternities. The thing that surprised him is that there was a total of twelve other individuals all bowing politely in the entry way. 7 Men and 5 women were present all of them in the same boat as Richard, having failed to achieve celestial glory they were bound to serve a god of their choice. These 13 individuals had just so happened to choose him.

"Thank you Richard, I will be most grateful for your assistance. You all have done a wonderful job in maintaining my home before I arrived. I look forward to whatever the future may bring to us all."

The gathered servants smiled at the kind gesture, truth be told this place had only just finished being constructed slightly before Veron's ascension. There hadn't been much time since then so nothing had the opportunity to fall out of place.

After Veron was done Richard began to speak once more. His tone was that of a perfect gentlemen, neither hurried nor slow but deliberate and concise.

"Would my lord like a tour of the grounds to familiarize yourself with them?"

"Perhaps later Richard," Came the quick reply. Veron had a goal in mind and he wouldn't waste another minute putting it off. "If you would be so kind please direct me to the library. There are some topics of import that I must see to."

"Follow me sir, Jenny please prepare some refreshments for the lord and bring them to the library."

A petite blond on the left hand side of the entry way curtsied before briskly absconding to the kitchen. Veron didn't know what she would prepare but he was fairly easy to please when it came to food.

It took only a few minutes for Richard to bring Veron to the castle library. The walls were stacked floor to ceiling with books of all shapes and sizes. Tall ladders were placed in different locations to allow efficient browsing, and a comfortable chair was placed before a large fireplace for reading. Tall glass windows allowed large amounts of natural light to flood the room, making it so that no matter where you stood you could read with ease. 

Richard led Veron to the chair where gestured for Veron to sit while he waited. Once he was settled comfortably in the chair Richard spoke once more.

"Which topic is of interest to you my lord? We have books that cover every topic under heaven, and even some above it too."

"Please bring me all the relevant books that cover domain invasions, specifically new domains."

Nodding once Richard began to practically fly around the room. He moved so quickly he was nearly a blur, and yet his face showed no sign of exertion on his part. It was as though he was floating through the air as he set about his task.

Three minutes after he began Richard returned with 21 different tomes all covering newly established domain invasions. After placing them on a side table he proceeded to hand the first one to Veron.

"This is the rather indelicately called 'Domain invasions for dummies' and is the first book in the recommended reading for newly exalted gods."

Veron couldn't help himself, he began to laugh out loud after Richard spoke. It wasn't just the absurd name of the book, it was the absolute seriousness with which it was delivered. The contrast struck him as truly funny and he laughed as a result.

Richard of course took no offense, he was fully aware as to why his lord was laughing. But it was his duty to assist him so he maintained a professional attitude until his lord was done.

"Thank you Richard." Veron breathed deeply to calm himself down. "I needed that, with the news I received just recently I wasn't feeling very well. So thank you for lifting my spirits."

Richard limited himself to nod while still extending the book towards his lord. He was aware of what Veron was talking about, but as his lord had other priorities at the moment he refrained from making any comments on the matter.

Taking the book in hand Veron turned to the first chapter to begin his study. It was entitled 'So your exalted, what now?' He began to devour the book as he absorbed the knowledge he needed to give himself a leg up.

Richard stood quietly to the side, the only indication that he was still actively engaged in the process was the quick switching of the books in Veron's hands. As soon as he would finish one book Richard would have another one in his hand. One after the other the 21 volumes were devoured in less than a day, the speed with which Veron could read and understand information was insane. But it should be remembered that he is an exalted man at this point, it stands to reason he can do things that others can't.

Veron sat for several minutes codifying the information within his mind. Everything was bookmarked and labeled within an internal database for quick recovery. Veron could recall at will anything and everything thereby eliminating the need to reread something. It was only after he was done absorbing all the new information that Veron finally spoke to Richard once more.

"So much to do Richard...so little time."