He frowned. "Ashborns?"
Camilla's eyes lit up. "Yes, my lord. We are those who follow and worship your greatness . When you killed all those beasts and rescued us, we took it as a sign. A divine act."
Her voice trembled, not from fear, but devotion. "You didn't just save us. You showed us that power can be just. That a higher being walks among mortals. We want to worship and follow such a fair god."
Asher looked at her, unsure how to respond. He really did not care about this useless stuff.
"I'm not a god. You're wasting your faith."
Camilla didn't flinch. "We disagree. Power like yours doesn't co without reason. We've seen the miracles Whether you accept it or not, to us, you're the one worthy of following."
Before Asher could reply, a familiar voice broke through.
"Alright, that's enough."
Skyler walked forward, arms crossed. She stepped between them, planting herself like a wall.
She already got the gist of it from Baik and the others.
It seed that this Camillia woman took advantage of the situation to expand her made-up religion.
In tis of uncertainty, people often clung to anything that could ease their hearts.
Right now, there was no better figurehead for that than Asher.
Skyler didn't mind it much, but it was obvious he wanted nothing to do with it.
At the sa ti, it would be harder to bring order to the sanctuary later if the people ended up divided.
"He's not here to play ssiah. He doesn't have ti to entertain fanatics."
Camilla's calm expression cracked.
"Fanatic?" she repeated coldly. "Do you even understand what he ans to us?"
"Yeah, I do. That's the problem," Skyler snapped back. "He doesn't care about such things."
Camilla's jaw tightened. "Then you should know better. He doesn't need to claim divinity. It clings to him."
"He didn't ask for that," Skyler responded.
Camilla exhaled through her nose, eyes burning. "Even if he didn't ask for it, doesn't make it false. The people chooses its icons. Not the other way around."
Skyler crossed her arms. "And sotis people like you twist things to your benefits. You want to believe in sothing bigger, so you grab onto the strongest thing you can find and build your faith around it. That's not truth. That's desperation."
The air between them grew thick.
Then Camillia said quietly, "You just want to control us and the sanctuary once he leaves!"
Skyler scoffed. "Control you? You think I want that ss on my shoulders?"
"You might not want it, but what about the others?"
Camillia turned to face the gathered crowd.
"Once Lord Asher leaves, everyone will be at the rcy of the S-Rank Awakeners. They'll beco the new leaders, and who can guarantee they won't abuse that power?"
The crowd shifted uneasily at her words.
So people looked worried, while others exchanged nervous glances.
A few seed skeptical, crossing their arms, but most were very uncomfortable.
The whispers grew louder as everyone looked toward the S-Rank Awakeners, unsure whether they could trust them.
"Think about it," she continued. "While Lord Asher had everything he needed, the S-Rank Awakeners were different. They still desired power, and without soone to keep them in check, who knew what they might do?"
One of the Awakeners clenched his fists He opened his mouth as if to speak, but no words ca out, perhaps unsure of how to respond to the growing suspicion.
Asher, on the other hand, remained quiet.
He was impressed by how Camillia, despite having little to no combat power, had managed to corner the Awakeners with nothing but her words.
Her skill in spinning propaganda was on another level, and it was clear she knew how to play people like pawns.
As for her so-called devotion to him, that was just an act. Soone that smart wouldn't be foolish enough to worship anyone.
"Lord Asher, please guide us," Camillia turned to him,
"How do you think we can resolve this situation? How can we be sure that weak people like us won't be taken advantage of? That they won't use force to make us submit?"
Asher almost smiled at her strategy. She was pushing to speed up the decision-making.
If they went to the sanctuary first, her chances would drop because of many variables.
The survivors would be able to relax, without the constant fear of freezing to death hanging over them.
And once people felt safe, they'd start thinking for themselves—sothing she clearly wanted to avoid.
'She's manipulative, but also smart. And it's not like her concern was completely baseless'
Chances of high-ranking Awakeners abusing their power were high if left alone. Deuz had managed to stop this before by building its own governnt—one based on data, order, and clear rules, not emotions or personal gain.
"You're right. That's why I plan to appoint a human leader," he responded.
Camillia, Skyler, and the others were stunned. They had all assud he would stay out of it.
Even Camillia was caught off guard. She hoped he would suggest a democratic approach, letting people vote for a leader based on popularity or trust—not just strength.
She quickly regained her composure and stepped forward.
"Lord Asher, please give the right to speak," she said, making sure to sound respectful.
"Go on," he replied, his tone calm and attentive. He wondered how she would deal with this setback.
"Thank you," she added, pausing for a mont to make sure she had his full attention.
"Appointing a leader might solve the problem short-term...but what happens later?"
"What if people don't trust the one you choose? Or worse—what if that leader changes over ti? Power without accountability can turn anyone dangerous."
Another logical rebuttal ca from her, and he nodded, pretending to contemplate her words.
"Then what do you suggest?"
"A democratic system would give power to the people, allowing them to choose their leader based on trust and fairness, not just strength. When the people have the right to vote, they feel heard, and that connection creates a stronger bond between the leader and those they govern."
"It ensures that the leader has the support of the people, not out of fear or obligation, but because they believe in the leadership."
She paused, looking around at the gathered crowd. "In the end, it's not about one person holding all the power—it's about building a system where everyone has a voice. That's how true stability is built."
CLAP!
CLAP!
CLAP!
The Ashborns continued clapping, and soon, even those who weren't part of their group joined in, showing their support for her suggestion.
"So be it," Asher said firmly. "But we'll handle the voting after we move to the sanctuary and get settled first. Right now, survival cos first."
His voice left no room for argunt, and the crowd fell quiet, understanding the weight behind his words.
He raised his hand, and a portal began to open.
"Quickly, go inside," he ordered, motioning toward the swirling gateway.
Slowly, they lined up, one by one, cautiously stepping forward.
Standing at the back, Camillia watched the crowd disappear into the portal.
Her mind was already working, building new strategies to win people over.
***
***
***
On the other side, the humans sighed in relief the minute they stepped into the sanctuary.
The air was fresh, and the ground beneath their feet felt stable.
Lush plants surrounded them, and harmless animals moved calmly through the greenery.
The temperature was also warm enough to feel safe.
They wasted no ti and began setting up their tents, working in small groups.
Asher helped by summoning stacks of lumber, dropping them near the clusters of settlers. He reshaped the land to make it easier to build on and even used his magic to create stone structures from the ground up.
His actions saved ti and energy. The settlers, seeing his effort, worked even harder.
With materials in hand, they moved quickly cutting, building, doing whatever they could to build a small town.
In just a few days, wooden houses began rising across the area, thanks to Asher's help and the humans' enhanced strength and abilities.
The progress was astounding. At this rate, it wouldn't take even a year to build a fully functioning town, with hos, pathways, and all the essentials in place.
'I'm glad that I picked a large area,' Asher mused inwardly as he observed everything below from the air .
The sanctuary was large enough to accommodate not just the current settlers, but even if the population reached over 500,000, there would still be plenty of space for everyone.
As for food and resources, he noticed so humans had begun cultivating the land, while others were herding animals for at.
Thanks to this, even when the supplies from their last city run ran out, they wouldn't be left starving—proof of how resourceful humans could be when pushed to the edge.
Regarding Camilla's request for a vote, he chose to postpone it for now.
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