The evolution light spheres hadn't faded yet when Haru turned his attention to the spoils. He'd already mentally processed why he'd chosen the three he had.
Celestia was at her ceiling, the GM had confirmed it clearly enough. Lysandra was not only one of his companions, she also held the position of the Imperial Army's General. She was also the leader of the traditional Angel Faction.
Eveline, the sixteen-winged Fallen Angel, led the Fallen Angel Faction. With an Eighteen-Winged Fallen Angel at its head, the legion would become even more prominent.
The roughly 180,000 Angels under his command were split between these two factions and when both of them needed Supreme God Tier leaders.
As for Nova, that was the simplest calculation of all. When she became a Supreme Goddess, she would be able to build the God Level Angel Reincarnation Pool. Every God Tier Angel born from that point forward would be a direct consequence of using this one evolution slot.
Mary had been an alternative. She was one of his companions too, and a Sixteen-Winged Angel like the others, but an Eighteen-Winged Mary, while meaningful, didn't unlock anything structural the way Nova, Lysandra or Eveline did. The choice wasn't close.
He called Celestia over and said, "Collect the spoils from Arboriel, collect everything, and make a full count. Keep the evolution and architectural blueprints. Distribute and build them accordingly, then give the rest to me."
"As you command, My Lord."
He then handed her Miltonic's Godhead.
"Use this and get to the peak."
She took it with both hands and bowed, a deep one, holding it a moment longer than formality required. Since arriving on the Endless Continent she'd been working toward reclaiming her peak state and not only that, even the path further was finally visible now.
"Remember, don't be shy and use the other Demonic Gods' Godheads if necessary." Haru said, "Spend whatever it takes."
"Thank you for the generosity, Lord Almighty."
He mentioned Lysandra's evolution slot as she turned to leave, and she received the news without a flicker of concern, a different reaction than she might have had not long ago. Haru had already assured her that her status was secure, and it can't be threatened by another Angel's rise. Another Eighteen-Winged Angel rising through the ranks wasn't a threat. It was simply good for the Empire.
He waved and the Angels withdrew.
…
"Your Majesty." Aria appeared from the direction of the palace's subsidiary castle, wearing an expression that was trying very hard to be casual, "I've ascended to Godhood. When will you fulfill your promise?"
She was only one step away from the Intermediate God Tier now. The campaign had been good to her, and her Golden Lion Army had contributed significantly to that. Many of her Golden Lions have ascended to Godhood as well.
"One of the strongest Goddesses recognized by the entire Castle Faction…" Haru said, looking at her, "Being so desperate to become my woman?"
"Your Majesty." She gave him a look that he'd rarely seen from anyone, "Every Castle Lord and Ranger already considers me your woman. Even my friends at the Sisterhood Collective think the same. Nobody believes when I tell them that we aren't 'official' yet. Moreover, who else would dare pursue me at this point?"
"Fair point." He glanced west. The sun was nearly down, the sky going amber and deep blue over the Imperial Capital's rooftops.
"The moonlight should be beautiful tonight." He said.
Aria's eyes lit up. The smile that followed was the unguarded kind.
…
Before she left entirely, she asked about the timeline for the upcoming war against the Light Empire.
"Wait for a few more days." Haru said, "The Evil Pantheon has a deadline coming. Within three or four days at most, Micteya would show up along with Malakar and Skarion. We handle them first."
Aria absorbed this. The Light Empire was their target, but with three Evil Supreme Gods and their millions of subordinates potentially interfering from the flank, fighting both at once would be unnecessarily complicated.
They should focus on clearing the Evil Pantheon first, then march towards the Light Empire without anything threatening their base. The sequence was obvious once stated.
"That soon?" She asked.
"You're not worried?" Haru observed.
She wasn't. She'd watched too many enemies try to deal with him and fail. Three more Supreme Gods wasn't a reason for concern. It was a way for the Empire to get stronger, which it was already doing on its own schedule. She left with the same bright expression she'd arrived with.
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