Volume 2 – 2. The Twelve Gods
“Seriously, the air here feels awful.”
Kira complained as they walked through the Merchant Quarter. He still wore the same sleeveless clothes that left his upper arms exposed, though fresh bandages now wrapped parts of his torso and one cheek after he'd finally had a chance to bathe. Sylphie's healing had taken care of the worst of his injuries, but she'd only had enough Divine Energy to treat the most serious wounds, and her healing was localized to begin with. The rest—bruises, scrapes, and shallow cuts left by the Hollow Knight—remained plainly visible beneath the wrappings.
Lucien glanced at him, puzzled.
“Really? This is probably the cleanest district in all of Vel'Sharim. I don't smell anything strange.”
“Not for me.” Kira wrinkled his own and flicked an ear irritably. “Wolfkin can sense emotions through scent and atmosphere, see. Back in Tergaron Valley, the air felt clear.” His expression softened a little. “Though... after the Eclipse, maybe it isn't like that anymore.” A quiet sigh escaped him. “Talking about it makes me miss my birth pack.”
“Well…”
Lucien wasn't sure how to respond.
Wolves living in packs was practically universal, and as someone who had always preferred handling things alone, he couldn't truly understand that kind of longing. Still, the sadness in Kira's voice was hard to miss.
Walking beside them, Sylphie looked up at him, concern softening her delicate features.
“Are you uncomfortable being with us?”
The question sounded genuinely worried. Dressed in dark clothing that contrasted sharply with her pale skin and silver hair, she drew more than a few curious glances from the passing crowds, yet her attention remained entirely on Kira.
“Not at all.” He shook his head quickly, his tail giving a reassuring swish. “Honestly, packmates don't have to be Wolfkin. I feel pretty comfortable with all of you.”
“Don't have to be Wolfkin, huh?” Lucien tilted his head slightly, a thoughtful look crossing his face. “Come to think of it, I've always wondered how all these different races can even have children together.”
Hearing that, Sylphie answered immediately, her voice carrying the practiced cadence of someone repeating a lesson learned long ago.
“According to the scriptures, after Zoḗgennis created life, Metamorphóō ensured it would never remain unchanged. The world was meant to be shaped by change, adaptation, and evolution. The scriptures teach that all races share a common human origin. Over countless generations, those who adapted to different lands gradually became the elves, dwarves, drakonids, nephilim, and every other race known today.”
That sounds close to the science from my old world.
Rubbing his chin, Lucien let the thought turn over in his mind before another question occurred to him.
“If that's the case... then are beastkin the result of humans breeding with beasts?”
Sylphie froze.
“Th-That's...” A faint blush crept onto her cheeks as she struggled to find an answer, clearly caught off guard by the question.
Kira, on the other hand, nearly choked.
“Of course not!” he blurted, his ears snapping straight up. The outburst drew more than a few curious glances from nearby merchants, making him hastily lower his voice as embarrassment spread across his face. Pointing an accusatory finger at his own chest, he continued, “If you form a deep enough bond with a companion beast and it reaches a sufficiently high rank, you gradually inherit some of its traits. Those traits can then be passed down to your descendants!” He stared at Lucien as though questioning his sanity. “Why would you even think something like that?”
Lucien failed to keep a grin from spreading across his face.
“Heh. I just wanted to tease you.”
“You...” Kira stared at him for a moment, completely at a loss for words, while Sylphie could only manage a dry laugh.
To be fair, Lucien had never seriously believed beastkin came into existence that way. He had only wanted to tease Kira a little—and, at the same time, hear the explanation from an actual beastkin.
So that's how it works, huh...
Prior to the Eclipse, he'd kept a few animals over the years, though they had been nothing more exotic than mice and crows. It was disappointing to know that the process required forming a profound bond over time. Even if he wanted to try it himself, gathering the resources to tame and care for companion beasts after the Eclipse would be far from easy.
His gaze drifted toward Sylphie.
Considering the original Lucien was an atheist, he probably knew next to nothing about religion...
If religious knowledge ever became important later, it would be better to learn the basics now rather than scramble for answers when he actually needed them.
With that thought in mind, he spoke up.
“By the way, what are these scriptures you mentioned?”
“Hm?” Sylphie's silver eyes brightened immediately. “Are you interested in joining the faith?”
There was an enthusiasm in her voice that hadn't been there a moment ago.
Lucien let out an awkward laugh.
“Well... I don't know if I could.”
Absolutely not.
The answer in his head was immediate.
I'm not about to spend my life following a list of commandments.
“I see.” The disappointment on Sylphie's face lasted only an instant before she gave a small nod. “The scriptures are the original accounts describing how the Twelve Pillars created the world. They're the human version of those events, at least. As far as I know, the other races have their own versions of the story.”
“Could you tell me about them?”
“Of course.” Sylphie smiled gently. “I can give you the short version.”
She gathered her thoughts for a moment before beginning, her voice taking on another calm, measured cadence of someone recounting a story she had heard since childhood.
“In the beginning, there was only the Eternal Now, where every moment existed simultaneously. Then Chronáthys divided eternity into the past, present, and future, allowing time to flow.
“Next came Geómandres, who separated space and gave every place its own boundaries, while Morphḗ became matter itself, shaping the first worlds from the emptiness. After that, Ergónis brought motion to creation, setting the stars ablaze and the worlds in motion.
“When the first light illuminated existence, Aléthris allowed creation to perceive itself. Skóthos answered with darkness, teaching that mystery and rest were just as necessary as truth and light.
“From the harmony of matter and energy came Zoḗgennis, who breathed life into the universe. Metamorphóō ensured that life would never remain unchanged, filling it with adaptation, change, and evolution.
“As living beings grew wiser, Syneídēsis awakened consciousness, while Syndésmos united minds through language, trust, and every bond shared between souls. Sýnthesis then came and established the law that every action carries consequences and every debt must one day be repaid.
“Finally, when endless life threatened to overwhelm creation, Nekrómantis bestowed the first death, allowing every ending to become the beginning of something new.” A faint smile lingered on her lips as she finished. “Those are the Twelve who laid the foundations upon which all existence still stands.”
That's...
As Sylphie finished, Lucien found himself frowning without realizing it.
For a creation myth, it was remarkably structured.
More than anything, it reminded him of the way people on Earth described the birth of the universe in broad stages. First came time, then space, then matter and motion. Only after the universe itself had taken shape did life appear, followed by consciousness, civilization, and, eventually, death as a natural part of existence.
Most of the creation myths he could vaguely remember from Earth involved gods shaping the world directly or creating humanity almost immediately afterward. This one felt different. It unfolded more like a gradual process, as though the universe had first been given its fundamental laws before everything else naturally emerged from them.
He wasn't a scientist by any stretch of the imagination. At most, he was an ordinary guy who occasionally enjoyed reading a science article or watching a documentary whenever something piqued his interest.
Even so, the resemblance was difficult to ignore.
“Huh. That's the first time I've heard the human version,” Kira remarked, scratching one cheek thoughtfully. “It sounds... orderly.”
Lucien glanced at him, mildly surprised.
He thought the same thing?
“Yes.” Sylphie nodded with a small smile. “As far as I know, the human scriptures are the most orderly of them all.”
Lucien fell silent for a moment before another question came to mind.
“Do you know how those scriptures first came into existence?”
Sylphie gave an apologetic shake of her head.
“Unfortunately, no.”
“I see.” Lucien nodded. “Thanks for telling me.”
Her smile brightened almost immediately.
“I can tell you more if you'd like.”
“Uh... maybe later.”
“I understand.”
Although she accepted the answer with a gentle nod, the slight disappointment in her voice was hard to miss.
She's really passionate about her faith, huh…?
Lucien tucked that observation away for later.
I should ask Gregorius about this when I get the chance today.