Chapter 51: The Cheque and the Golden Finger

"What's the matter? Are you not satisfied with this reward?" Waughkin observed Peni's perplexed expression, her demeanor somewhat wry. "If you present this check at my temple, I assure you, my priests would scrounge up fifty thousand gold coins for you, even if it meant dismantling the temple and selling it off."

"No, that's not what I meant." Peni swallowed hard, fifty thousand gold coins was a substantial sum, enough to purchase a medium-sized village as his fiefdom. Yet, for his current circumstances, it was of little use. He inwardly lamented.

"Of little use?" Waughkin's smile faded, her expression becoming inscrutable. "But my divine office dictates that my followers only seek such things from me."

This statement seemed oddly poignant to Peni, who furrowed his brow, sensing a hint of resignation and self-deprecation in her words. It felt as though she wasn't addressing him directly, but rather engaging in introspection aloud.

Waughkin paused briefly, continuing in a tone tinged with nostalgia or perhaps reflection. "As a deity, there aren't many in Phaeron's pantheon younger than me."

Peni couldn't fathom the significance behind Waughkin's reminiscing about bygone years. He could only play the role of a receptive listener, as the goddess rambled on. "For in the Toril universe, commerce, such as it is, has only recently emerged with the evolution of civilization, and its transition into divine office has been even more fleeting."

Peni nodded in agreement. Indeed, compared to the divine offices formed by primitive concepts of worship, the emergence of the concept of commerce requires a certain degree of civilization, and its history is relatively short. Therefore, Waughkin is considered a relatively young deity among the pantheon — in terms of divine office.

"However, due to the prevalence of trade, my followers are quite numerous. You see, even the devotees of other deities would pray to me before engaging in business," Waughkin remarked, a smirk of mockery evident on her face. "But when it comes to seeking protection, few would remember me."

"Your Grace, are you suggesting that your followers lack..." Peni furrowed his brow, seemingly grasping what Waughkin was implying.

"Loyalty," Waughkin interjected, raising a finger to halt Peni's interjection, continuing unabated. "During the tumultuous years, there were other unfortunate deities besides me, such as Bane. He had it worse than me — he was taken down by Torm. Yet, when he was resurrected fourteen years later, all his followers returned to his church, and his divine power remained strong!"

Peni distinctly sensed the goddess's anger. "I cannot believe that the loss of so many followers during my absence is considered normal!"

Peni remained silent, evidently aware of the goddess's dissatisfaction with her followers. It's worth noting that during those fourteen years, Bane truly perished, and his divine office — characterized by tyranny, despotism, and oppression — continued under the guise of the deities inheriting his name. Meanwhile, with Lila's assistance, Waughkin's divine office continued to bestow blessings under its original name. However, the phenomenon of losing a large number of followers and diminishing divine stature did not occur with Bane, highlighting the faith of the followers of the Goddess of Commerce is indeed worth questioning.

"In truth, Your Grace, I find this to be a rather ordinary phenomenon," Peni remarked as he awaited the goddess to close her eyes and massage her temples in frustration.

"Ordinary? Hmm, I understand your meaning, and I am well aware of the reasons behind my followers' lack of devoutness," Waughkin replied without anger, perhaps having exhausted her indignation. "Most people are willing to dedicate their lives to tyranny and authority — like Bane — rather than to wealth — except for a few misers, isn't that so?"

"Your Grace is wise," Peni nodded slightly, offering a subtle form of flattery. "It is indeed a matter dictated by your divine office."

"Indeed, indeed, my dear follower, you are quite astute," Waughkin sighed, somewhat resigned. "Had it not been for the trials of the turbulent years, I might still be prideful of my large number of followers to this day."

As Peni was silently lamenting about dealing with demons, knowing full well they don't adhere to conventions, he caught sight of the goddess's playful gaze. Quickly suppressing his thoughts, he reminded himself that deities possess telepathic abilities — daring to harbor such blasphemous sentiments in their presence?

"Foolishness, you say?" Unexpectedly, Waughkin didn't express anger, but instead calmly accepted Peni's remark before delivering a statement that left him dumbfounded. "Your observation is quite accurate. I indeed acted foolishly at that time."

Seeing Peni still bewildered, Waughkin continued to shatter Peni's preconceptions about the gods. "You mustn't assume that immortality and superior physical and mental faculties grant gods equal wisdom. Let me tell you the truth: this is a common misconception held by most mortals. Ironically, the more powerful, crucial, and populous a god is, the more foolish they tend to be!"

"How is this possible?!" Peni exclaimed, shocked by the incredible theory. According to common sense, one would expect that the longer one lives and the stronger one becomes, the greater their inherent wisdom. It seemed illogical for one to become increasingly foolish; clearly, it defied logic.

"Of course, it is so. I am a deity, would I deceive you, a mere mortal?" Waughkin admired Peni's astonished expression, leisurely remarking, "All you need to know is that this is a fact — if mighty gods were all so wise, what of Seric?"

Peni fell silent. Indeed, Seric was a prime example of the absurdity of higher divine intellect.

During the turbulent years, he ascended from mortal to Toril's mightiest deity through epic adventures, acquiring the divine offices of Myrkul, Bhaal, and Bane. He gained recognition from the Overgod Ao himself, standing unrivaled in his glory.

With the help of the trickster god Mask, he disposed of the Lady of Shadows, Leira. His successive victories and the gods' apprehension inflated his ego. Like a certain queen of the Abyss, he deemed it unreasonable for someone of his talent to be restricted by Ao's authority. Hence, he sought to make all living beings believe in him, thus attaining unparalleled divine power and status.

His arrogance was evident in the name of his divine realm — the Supreme Throne.

To achieve his goal, he spent a decade writing a groundbreaking masterpiece — the renowned Book of Seric. This scripture possessed miraculous power, capable of convincing its readers that Seric was the sole true god of the multiverse, leading them to devoutly worship him. Such power could even influence other deities.

Then he himself read this book and became a lunatic, paying an extremely heavy price to regain sanity...

"The reasons behind this involve the rules of faith and divine essence, too complex to simplify. Essentially, the thought processes of deities are determined by their divine offices and the beliefs of their followers," Waughkin shrugged. "Different gods contemplate an issue based on the cognitive frameworks and perspectives dictated by their divine offices. For example, Tyr acts on justice, Bane on authority, Mystra on the propagation of magic, and so forth... Thus, rather than calling them foolish, it's more accurate to say they are simplistic, with significant blind spots in their thinking."

Peni's mouth fell agape; indeed, this theory was eye-opening.

"When I negotiated with Graz't, it was purely with the intention of conducting business, only to receive a profound lesson. Under the dominance of strong authority, there is no room for negotiation, only plunder!" The goddess's countenance darkened as she spoke. "Principles and dogmas form the foundation for deities, but to enhance power, loyal followers and formidable authority are paramount!"

"But my divine office cannot provide me with these things," Waughkin sighed again. "The nature of my divine office depends on the beliefs of my followers. Without worshippers seeking such things from the Goddess of Commerce, the character of the church will not change. I can assign followers to establish a commercial system in the multiverse and organize a somewhat efficient commercial intelligence network... But to expect them to shed blood for me, to defend the authority of the church, is probably impossible... because they have not prayed to me for such things, nor do they believe it necessary for me to provide them with such protection. My divine office also lacks a mechanism to respond to such requests..."

Peni nodded in understanding. In a universe teeming with formidable beings like Toril, violence was indeed the paramount factor driving the world's course. Money and commerce were unlikely to establish a robust order as they might in another plane, and consequently, they would not engender strong faith. Therefore, despite Waughkin once having a vast number of followers across the multiverse before the tumultuous years, her status remained relatively ordinary.

The individuals who contributed their faith to her were mostly opportunistic, some not even pure believers in her alone—more were using her as a supplementary deity. Doing business emphasized that harmony breeds wealth. To make Waughkin's church formidable and authoritative, establishing a powerful organization akin to the church of Tyr, one must first inquire whether her profit-seeking followers were willing to stake their lives...

The goddess's divine office also dictated that she could not issue such decrees to her followers through divine power because it contradicted the nature of her divine office, and there was a possibility of conflict with the divine offices of other deities.

Waughkin, too, seemed quite helpless about this reality. "If it weren't for you triggering my insignia in the Abyss, I would probably have found it difficult to respond to your incessant harassment over the past fifteen years."

"So, my prayers for the past fifteen years have been in vain?" Peni felt disheartened at once.

"At least they made me remember you," Waughkin said with a gentle smile, pointing a finger at Peni's drooping hands. The mage then noticed his injured arm, which he had overlooked in his conversation with the goddess. A beam of light emanated from Waughkin's fingertip and fell upon Peni's arms. He felt a numbing sensation enveloping him, and then the pain at the broken bones disappeared.

"You are among the rare few who seek things beyond wealth from me, or rather, you may not even be counted as a devotee. However, setting aside the divine aspects, I am willing to accept your faith in my own name," Waughkin smiled. "To put it another way, I am willing to continue this transaction cloaked in the guise of faith. If you understand what I said earlier, you should know what I desire. If you are willing to strive for it, as part of the deal, I will also grant you what you desire, such as... power. Of course, I can offer you a down payment."

Two magnificent gemstone rings flew off the goddess's fingers and transformed into a puddle of metallic shimmering liquid in the air, gradually seeping into Peni's right hand. "You possess some knowledge of ancient empires in your mind, but lack a certain golden touch. Most of those things are mere decorations."

Peni flexed his right index finger, feeling that the bones in this hand seemed somewhat unusual, especially from the forearm bone to the tip of the finger. There was a distinct sense of unfamiliarity, and the fingernail reflected a metallic hue. "Is this... an artificer's enchanted hand?"

"Though the principles may differ, the effects are the same," Waughkin nodded.

Peni's heart skipped a beat. As he moved his right hand, the knowledge of ancient empires flooded his mind, telling him what he could accomplish with this hand.

In the arcane development process of the Imaska Empire, some fervent individuals, in pursuit of greater power, embarked on the path of self-body modification. Among the most sophisticated techniques was the transformation of one's hands through metallization, granting a range of quasi-magical abilities suitable for artificers, including enchantment, shaping, mana manipulation, and material transmutation. Although these enhancements were considered optional for high-ranking artificers, they provided significant advantages during the early stages of research.

As time progressed, most advanced artificers had to undergo this procedure, despite its high failure rate. Many of the technologies developed in the later stages of the Empire were closely linked to these enhancements. It became a hallmark of artificers' lineage, with the procedure classified as a state secret by the Imaska Empire. Even among high-ranking artificers, few were aware of it, including the one hiding in the shadow plane.

It was like a key unlocking the flood of knowledge poured into Peni's mind by Pascal, encompassing golem construction, artifact shaping, enchantment, and much more. Without these enhancements, Peni would have been relegated to being a mere scholar of ancient magic or an assistant.

He attempted to touch a small stone with his fingers, activating his shaping ability, causing the stone to gradually morph into rings, sheets...

"Is it amusing?" Waughkin watched Peni's actions with keen interest.

"Um... pardon my rudeness," Peni awkwardly ceased the experiment, stood up, and scratched his head.

"You shall have ample time to delve into it later. As my manifestation wanes, I possess scarce divine energy. After my dispersion, you may return to Cael through this portal," the goddess spoke with a gradually solemn expression, her form beginning to fade along with the ornate throne beneath her.

"Wait." Seeing Waughkin about to vanish, Peni hastily gestured toward the unconscious holy warrior behind him. "Could you send her back to her companions?"

"The adherent of Tyr?" The Lady of Wealth furrowed her brow. "That one-eyed old zealot persistently sends his adherents to slander my faithful servants in the court... Nevertheless, it shan't require much energy. Since it is your request..."

Waughkin paused, pointing towards the warrior on the ground. "Consider it an act of benevolence."

A divine light enveloped the body of the holy warrior, vanishing into the air. Peni breathed a sigh of relief; if this holy warrior of Tyr appeared in Cael, it would surely stir things up. However, contemplating the likelihood of future encounters, a sense of nostalgia washed over the mage. Amidst the chaotic adventures in the northern lands, this female warrior was one of the few bright spots.

As the goddess gradually faded, her voice lingered in the air. "Though I do not deem it necessary to compel you into the trade I proposed, remember, I am the deity of interdimensional commerce. All transactions are under my protection, and only I can determine whether they are reasonable or unreasonable."

"As my most esteemed disciple, should you grant me what I desire, I shall not hesitate to reserve for you the most illustrious position in my divine realm."

"To foster a dominant ruling institution for a congenitally feeble church?" Peni, seeing the disappearance of Waughkin's manifestation, breathed a sigh of relief and, at the same time, harbored thoughts akin to "What a jest." After all, he was but a nameless foot soldier, ostensibly a follower of Waughkin, yet having no connection whatsoever to the Goddess of Wealth's church. The tasks assigned by Waughkin were of epic proportions for him.

However, the thought of clutching a hefty sum of money along with the gleaming new finger made Peni entertain the idea of taking advantage of others: "If it falls within my capabilities to do something for her, why not?"

He did not believe that the Goddess Waughkin's excessive favor bestowed upon him truly signified any great expectations she held for him—no deity would harbor such thoughts. More likely, it was a low-cost investment in a potential asset—unconventional followers like Peni were rare, and success would be a pleasant surprise while failure would entail no significant loss.

Overall, it seemed advantageous and harmless for Peni at present.

He rested for a while, feeling the unfamiliar sensation of the magical metal embedded in his right arm gradually fading—his body was beginning to acclimate to those foreign objects.

"Squeak, squeak..." Belen emerged from some corner, his beady eyes fixed on the area where the deity vanished, still filled with vigilance.

"Are you not fond of deities?" Peni crouched down, curious, gazing into the eyes of the mouse.

The mouse flicked its tail with an air of disdain. Peni brushed off the dust raised by the mouse's tail and waved his hand. "Let's forget about that matter. Are you not planning to return to the material realm with me?"

After waiting for half a day without hearing a response from the mouse, Peni shrugged helplessly. "Very well, I wish you success in your endeavors in the abyss."

Belen opened his mouth wide, letting out a massive yawn.

Feeling even more helpless, Peni decided it wise to maintain some distance from this dangerous creature. He could no longer control the situation; let nature take its course. With a deep breath, he turned around and plunged into the shimmering portal.

As the mage departed, Belen opened his eyes, shaking his mouse head. With rabbit-like long ears swaying above his head, he slowly crawled out of the basement.

Upstairs, a group of enchanted beasts still trembled in fear. The cunning demon Addie, upon seeing the mouse emerge, jumped up and exclaimed, "Oh?! Blast it, my dear master, you haven't been vanquished by the fearsome deity?"

A glint of malice flashed in the mouse's eyes.