Short History Lesson
Back at the wagon, Rayla asks me, “How did it go?”
“She wanted me to drive her carriage but I said no. Also you guys were right, she really is a bad person.”
“Did she try to do anything bad to you?” Scarlet asks.
“No, nothing like that. But when I asked her to explain what she thinks about gay people and non-Humans she said gay people are evil and Demihumans are the same as cows to her.”
Giving me a look of exasperation and disgust Rayla answers, “Yeah…That is what the teachings of the northern pantheon are…At least she didn’t try to sugarcoat it.”
“I don’t get it though, why do they think that? Did non-Humans do something to Humans in the past? Or gay people?”
“I have no idea, but there is a saying, ‘When in doubt about the past, ask an Elf’. Sher Aka?”
“Yes?”
“You’re the oldest one here, do you know of any reason why the northern pantheon has a problem with non-Humans and gay people?”
“Well, to be honest I wasn’t very interested in the north growing up but I do have some ideas. Gay people I have no idea why, as for non-Humans it’s probably because they used to rule the north.”
“We did?” Rayla asks.
“Yes. It wasn’t one giant empire like Xin Jin Huang but there were many tribes of Beastfolk that ruled the lands while the shores were ruled by Losta. That, together with the expansion of the Frigant empire, caused Humans and Dwarfs to band together. It is said that during that time, parts of the Human and Dwarven pantheon combined into the northern pantheon, which is why despite Dwarfs not being Human they are seen as a Human variant by the church.”
“Huh…How long ago was that?”
“Hmm…Let’s see…It would have been around two to three era’s ago, so about five to six thousand years.”
“Oh wow…That’s a long time.”
“Yeah, it’s about two lifetimes ago for us High Elves. There may only be a handful of Spirit Elves alive that witnessed those times.”
“The fact that anyone is alive for that long is incomprehensible to me, Sher Aka.”
“Well, get used to it. Unless you intend to die an early death you might experience it.”
“I guess...I should probably get a hobby then. Let’s not die anytime soon, oko. We have a long life ahead of us.”
“I wasn’t planning on it.”
“Good, then we should quit while we’re ahead. How about this, oko. Once we reach A-Rank let’s quit, find some nice land to settle down in and invest our money somewhere. We’ll be strong enough to defend ourselves at that point and have enough money and fame that we can live off of it comfortably for the rest of eternity.”
“Hmm…That does sound nice but we won’t be able to help people anymore when we do that.”
“There are more ways to help people than just beating monsters. We could use the money from our investments for the poor or volunteer our time.”
“That does sound good…”
“OR,” Scarlet interrupts, “You could just do all that in an already existing country where you’re the princess of Rose. Because what you were talking about is basically just nation building…”
“But aren’t you the crown princess, manya? Isn’t my job to just be married off somewhere and look pretty?”
“What!? Of course not! Is that what you thought being a princess was!?”
“Well…Yeah. Isn’t that how things are?”
“Maybe in some of the human kingdoms but not in Blaze! You can marry whoever you want and you can follow whatever you want to do as long as it makes you happy and doesn’t put your life at risk! Our people would be ecstatic to know that their princess cares about them and wants to better their lives!”
“Really?”
“Really, really!”
“Hmm…I guess it would be nice…But that’s only if your parents actually like me an-”
“They will. They absolutely will.”
“Even if they do, that doesn’t mean other people will. The maids might bully me and pinch me with needles if they think I don’t belong there.”
“Pinch you with needles? Why would they do that? And why is that something you’re afraid of? I never heard of anything like that. A maid that bullies the princess will of course be fired or worse. To even accidentally harm you would cause a lot of trouble for them.”
“That’s only if people find out. We won’t see each other much if I start living in the castle after all.”
“What? Why would we not see each other anymore?”
“Because they’ll separate us of course. A bastard child won’t be living at the same place as the legitimate heir.”
“No. First of all you’re not a bastard. Second, you’re going to live with us even if you were a bastard.”
“What do you mean with ‘us’? Are you allowed to stay in the same place as the King and Queen?”
“Of course, we’re a family after all.”
“So you can see the King and Queen without an audience?”
“An audience? Why would I need an audience to see my parents? Rose, these things are way too specific and weird for you to have made them up. Did you read about a case like this before? Where did you hear about this?”
“Hear about what?”
“What? About the pinching with needles, the audience with my parents, your worries, everything we just talked about!”
“Weren’t we talking about the Saintess and the northern pantheon?”
Scarlet suddenly has a shocked expression on her face, hugs me and puts her hands over my ears.
—------------------------------------------
“Rayla, if she doesn’t remember talking about it, it means she experienced it right?”
“Or at least it’s something she saw or heard about before she got cursed, yes.”
“I thought it was just that damn Rhaast but…It looks like she was abused even before that. No wonder she has no faith in anyone treating her well…I…I don’t know how to make her get better.”
“Just keep treating her with love and it should help. We’re not her parents, we can’t do everything, but we can try to open her heart up a little step by step…”
“Yes…”
—--------------------------------------------------
Taking her hands off my ears, Scarlet says “I love you, Rose.”
“I love you too, manya. But let’s not be too loud, we’re on the job, people could overhear.”
“I’ll just whisper that I love you from now on then~”
“Okay…”