In Menelyn's Own words, Her initial doubling time of about 15 years, achieved by pushing constantly at all waking hours, had been "completely and unacceptably psychotic." A pace of doubling every 75 years or so, as She had maintained after achieving resurrection, required dedication but was consistent with sanity.

Izenakee was sane and dedicated. So, after 210 years of immortality, Izenakee now had about seven times the mana pool that She had originally. The Sisters had said that She was now stronger than any red mage of the ancient world, in the top ten overall, and about halfway to their father Azenum, the strongest. Within the next century, Izenakee The Listener would be the strongest mage They had ever met, aside from Themselves. To be fair, no other mage in history had the literal Goddess of Salvation providing a continuous flood of white mana while subjecting Herself to the expansion process. It was definitely cheating.

She had enough mana and skill to make regalia of Her Own, now. Small rubies dotted the outer edges of both ears.

"I don't know why You bother joining," Izenakee had questioned one day. "If infinity is doubled, does it really get larger?"

Izena snorted. "She has a complex about being not literally infinite. For example, what if the populations of cities grow in the future, and someday a rogue mage as strong as I was tries to vaporize everyone? She will need to be strong enough to make twenty million impenetrable shields out to a larger area, not just the few hundred thousand to a million She could make when She Returned, depending on range. That kind of thing."

The mage population still hadn't recovered to what it was, but at least larger cities had functional enchantments in them nowadays. It was possible for the wealthy to travel between cities in enchanted cars like in the old days.

Izenakee was still the only known red mage.

She used Her increased power and the range it provided to pursue a role that had earned Her a new title, in addition to The Listener. She would monitor the emotional states of every citizen in Her current city, looking for anyone who desperately needed someone to talk to. Today They were in Esto, at the Temple of the Renewal.

<Hello, My name is Izenakee. Are you alright? Would you like Me to Listen?>

It was a mundane thing, a family squabble, but small things make big things. A population of people who follow The Creed was made from people who do not feel ostracized from their families and communities. Izenakee and the Sisters knew well what isolation felt like.

Finally, Her target responded.

<...Are You The Listener? I...>

There was mostly awe, but also hesitation and shame. Izenakee sent peace and reassurance through the link.

<Do not worry. This is not an interrogation. I listen to those who need someone to listen. It is My sacred purpose. It is why I exist.>

<...Are You in the Temple? Would I need to go there?>

<I am in the Temple. You can come if you wish, to speak with Me in person. I would like that. But if you prefer, I can hear you fine from where you are. For now, it would make Me happy if you sat on that bench to your left. It looks comfy and clean.>

The girl had transitioned from weeping to sobbing now. She climbed down and sat on the bench.

The man Izenakee was Listening to at the same time decided to come to the Temple in person. Maintaining multiple conversations was not really any different from casting multiple spells, which She had mastered in Her first century. She never needed to say much anyway.

Izenakee moved to the main chamber, to meet him by the Pool. It was critical to be there first, to avoid giving the impression that She had been pulled from more important things.

Guards accompanied Her discreetly, but Menelyn's thoroughly excessive shield made that humorously unnecessary.

When She entered the main chamber, it hushed immediately, with a few awed whispers of "it's The Listener" and "the Empathy Goddess." Izenakee heard all the ones that weren't audible, too.

Hmm. The girl was also coming, now. Empathy let Salvation know, in case Izenakee was still occupied when she arrived. Actually, it seemed like the girl would get here first. It didn't matter. She'd never met a single soul who minded this particular bait-and-switch.

She hummed one of Menelyn's greatest masterpieces while She waited, toying with Izena's braids, and idly checked the statuses of the statues scattered throughout the mainland.

----

When Crezza reached the Temple doors, she hesitated. Now that she was a little calmer, it had struck her how ridiculous this situation was. What was she thinking?

Was she really going to take time out of a literal Goddess' day to talk about failing an exam? And how disappointed her parents had been? The literal Red Goddess! Didn't She need to monitor the entire world for actual problems constantly? Ones that mattered! And Crezza was going to talk to Her about her exam?! How could--

<Yes, you are. I am the Goddess of Empathy. You have always followed Our Creed--believe Me, I know--and that is what matters. You are entitled to My time. Speaking to you is the purpose of My existence. Come to Me now. I am by the Pool of Salvation, and She is here, too, just through the door. Open it.>

It was strange. Crezza was sobbing again, but at the same time suddenly felt an overwhelming font of courage that she didn't know she had.

----

Empathy monitored the approaching girl. She was sobbing, anyone could see that, but Izenakee was checking for something deeper. Would it humiliate her or help her if the Goddesses hugged her when she reached Them?

It would Help.

<She needs a hug, a group hug would be even better, and she doesn't mind if it's here in public. Her name is Crezza. She would also appreciate a cleaning: she is ashamed that she's covered in snot and tears and so on while meeting Us for the first time. And, she doesn't realize it yet, but would really appreciate it if You fixed her makeup.>

Menelyn nodded.

----

They were so...They were just so...was there a word that captured what They were? What kind of radiant untouchable immortal Goddesses hug a random snot-covered schoolgirl unprompted, then clean her better than any spa ever could, then have an idle chat with her as if a Pool of Their Divine Essence was communal bathing water at that spa? The Black Goddess had asked permission to braid her hair!

Crezza tugged at it while blushing furiously. It was too bad that she would need to undo it eventually.

Then she remembered. This was Benevolence, with a capital B. And it was right in Their Creed: "Help those who need help, with no expectation of reward." That's the kind of Goddesses that this world had.

Crezza had never felt so certain that the world was going to be fine. The Goddesses followed Their Own Creed better than anyone else.

The ancient world had had malevolent enemies of humanity, like Them but evil? Enemies powerful enough to harm Them, to kill one of Them for a thousand years? Crezza was so, so glad that she had been born during Their Renewal.

She nodded to herself, then shimmied in the Pool to give the Red Goddess a return hug, and was delighted when She smiled warmly and hugged her back. She would have hugged the Others, too, but They were talking to someone else now.

The Red Goddess' little ruby earrings really suited Her, she thought. Who else ever saw them from this close?

Crezza would follow Their example.