Chapter 214: Chapter 214 - A Czy Blanket and a Not So Cozy Blanket
"This meat really brings back memories..."
This taste... it’s true that childhood food always has associated nostalgia. Even though grilled monster meat with not much seasoning is objectively worse than food I’m used to eating since I went to Wesgoth.
"Do you think that we’ll be able to recover this place? To make it fertile again?"
Yaci probably didn’t even register my comment about memories, as she seems to be troubled by other stuff in her mind.
"We definitely will. I just don’t know how long it will take. But there’s no doubt about being able to recover it and make life burst forth. I can sense the mana in the region already starting to normalize..."
"To think that all of this was the product of the actions of one single creature..."
We’re close to the water, in the shadow of a palm tree. A monster leather rug covers the ground so we can stay in it comfortably. Besides the meat from a monster Yaci just hunted, we have some dried fruits and nuts, beastkin-style.
"Do you miss living here, Yaci?"
"I don’t know if missing it is the right expression... There is nostalgia, yes. But I like the life I live today. I’ve never imagined before that living among humans could be so nice."
"Are the people of the city treating you well?"
"Yes. All the recruits of the city guard are very nice, and I included some beastkin among them as well. I also have two people from the hidden army to help me manage the group, a human and a beastkin, so nobody can say that I’m playing favorites."
Heh. Where there is racism, there will always be the ones accusing the victims of being the racists. I could imagine chauvinist humans saying that they are being oppressed if the two were beastkin.
Oppressors playing the victim. A scene as old as time, that is the same no matter the world you live in. In summary, it was a wise move that she made.
"Yaci, what do you think about building a city here when the land is recovered? I bet that this oasis will become the center of a nice fertile valley."
"A city in Yawarete? Sounds beautiful. Do you think that the lake will have grown?"
"I bet it will. This basin where the oasis is located has possibly been a big lake before. If that’s true, then when the rains come again, this place where we’re sitting will be underwater."
"Is that so...? That’s sad. I was planning on building a shrine here."
"A shrine? For what?"
"Did you notice something about the place where I set up the tent?"
"Yes. It’s where our tent used to be when we first lived here... oh..."
Yaci’s smile is soooo cuuuuute.
"Yeah... that’s the place of the shrine. But if it will become underwater..."
"I don’t mind it. We’ll have the first underwater shrine, just for the two of us."
I pull her to kiss me. Gods, it sure is nice to have vacations every once in a while.
:::
PoV: Lillian
"Please, sit down. You don’t need to stand in ceremony."
In a white and golden palace somewhere in the divine realms, a goddess is receiving a group of beings.
The space is not pompous nor over the top in luxury. Instead, it has simple yet practical furniture that is pleasant to the eyes. Including a round table with a dozen chairs around it and no hierarchical distinction between the chairs.
The guests look at each other, a bit unsure of which seat to take, so the goddess takes the seat that is closer to her.
"There’s no need for formalities here. Well, as you probably guessed already, I am Saint Lily, the master of this temple. I’m pleased to make your acquaintance..."
The first being, a humanoid with cat ears and a tail, sits down.
"I am Mubaraka, the Loa of the cat tribe."
The other Loa, all of whom look like beastkin, also take their seats around the table.
"So you are the spirit contractors who once became the deities of the beastkin... You are always welcome here."
Lillian’s tone was warm and welcoming, though her facial expression was emotionless. The Loa aren’t bothered by that, used as they are to dealing with all kinds of spirits and other disembodied beings.
"Thank you, Saint Lily. Though I have to correct you on a little detail. Though we are seen by the beastkin as deities, we are more on the level of High Spirits. Still a fair shot from the level of a proper god."
Mubaraka answered with a friendly yet matter-of-fact tone.
"Hmm... That explains why I didn’t see your statues in that place. But why is that the case? I thought that being worshipped was enough."
"Oh. All spiritual beings are molded and affected by the beliefs of the living people, and that includes our power levels. Most are even created, like a river that people love and can engender a new local spirit."
Lily was following very attentively, as this was new information that could help her understand how and why she became a goddess in the first place. Even her facial expression gained some gleam.
"The two main variables are how strong the belief is and how many people hold that belief. Well, beastkin living in the Barrens aren’t very numerous to begin with."
"Oh, I see... so the mana you receive is not enough to push you up the hierarchy."
"Exactly. And then there’s the second problem, which is the being who was draining the mana of the environment. It also affected how much mana ended up in our magic bodies."
"I see... but that threat has been cared for by my daughter."
"Exactly, and the beastkin are expanding out of the Barrens and into your lands. Which brings us to the reason for this here visit."
Mubaraka’s expression looked a bit troubled. He came prepared for a confrontation and was surprised by Lily’s friendliness. He didn’t know how to approach the issue in this context.
"I see. You are afraid that I might scoop up your followers. You don’t have to worry about that from my part. I don’t intend on doing anything to curb the beastkin’s faith."
All the Loa gathered on the table widened their eyes in shock at those words. It was the best-case scenario, something so good that they didn’t even dare to dream about.
"Do you really mean it?"
A fox man called Ganga Zumba butted into the talk.
"Yes, I do. The acceptance of beastkin within my realm is not intended as assimilation or conquest, but as peaceful cohabitation and collaboration. In other words, an alliance."
The Loa were too shocked to say any word, so the Saint continued.
"We will supply resources for the beastkin to build shrines and temples for the Loa, and humans will be taught about you as well as about me. When we recover the Barrens, we won’t press claims on the land. You have my word for it."
"You truly are the goddess of compassion, Saint Lily. Now I understand how you gained such a fanatic following so quickly, to the point of ascending to godhood without even trying."
Mubaraka lowered his head, which was followed suit by the others.
"No, it’s okay. We are in the middle of a war against that goddess. So it wouldn’t be the wisest of decisions to create new enemies in a moment like this, right? Also... one of my daughters-in-law is a beastkin. So you’re family to me."
’Family.’ That word rings strongly in most societies. But in a society structured around the unit of the clan, its weight was unmeasurable.
"We promise that we’ll help as we can in that war as well. After all, our people have suffered for too long under her rule."
"Yes. We’ll kick her ass out of this planet."
The other Loa voiced their agreement with Mubaraka and Ganga Zumba’s words. But one word stood out for Lillian.
"Ganga Zumba... you said that word ’planet.’ Do you mean that this world is really a planet? My daughter explained the concept to me, but I always thought that the world ended at the desert on the north, the dragon mountains on the west, and the sea on the east and south..."
Ganga Zumba and Mubaraka exchanged glances, and Mubaraka nodded and began to explain.
"Yes, it is a planet indeed. We never explored further because of the war against the dragons set the limits of our reach... and then Juno came."
"Juno? What does she have to do with it?"
"Well, do you know what the energy the Leerkan was draining from the Barrens was being used for?"
"Well, it was to power the Adventuring System, right? Wait, do you mean...?"
Mubaraka’s smile at this moment was dry and weak.
"Yeah. The Barrens alone wouldn’t have enough mana to sustain the System. Except for the lands where humans live, the dragon mountains, and a couple other pockets of dragonkin population, the whole planet is blanketed with those Leerkan."