2-14 Haven't Slept
Good morning.
No time limit or anything, so I'd been lounging around, eating whenever, and just chilling in my room. Yeah, this feels like the real me.
"You're not heading out today?"
"I can restock the day before we leave, and I'm not in the mood to swing a sword around. Got any ideas for stuff I could do in a situation like this?"
"You mean things to do when you've got time on your hands? Let me think for a bit."
Pok, pok, pok, ching... ...pok, pok...
"I just remembered something."
"Wha—! No, I wasn't sleeping. My mind just wandered for a sec."
"...I just remembered, didn't you say a while back that you wanted to check out the church sometime?"
"...Oh, right."
Church stuff, huh. I'd meant to swing by once, but the risk of them pulling up my status kept me away.
"Going straight to the church feels like a bit much right now. Maybe I'll brush up on the mythology for starters."
"Don't you already know it?"
"I looked into it a little, but I barely remember anything."
It's mythology I'm not familiar with... I remember there being a bunch of gods, and some of them created the worlds.
"Well, just to be safe, I'll start from the beginning then."
Sarsa launched into the world's mythology. She stumbled here and there, got vague on some points—it was all part of her charm.
According to her, the gods created seven worlds and declared:
"Do as you will, and the world shall be as you have done."
One world declined into laziness, another crumbled from greed-fueled wars.
But the final world prospered, its people helping each other and working hard.
Jealous denizens of the greedy world sent monsters as vanguards to seize it.
That greedy world is what they call the demon realm, an otherworld—and the subhumans are the degraded remnants of its people.
The gods, seeing the demon realm's invasion, pitied the people of the last world and granted them special power to fight monsters.
That power is the status system.
That's the core doctrine. Various gods' tales branch off from it to form the full mythology. Yeah, I get why people in this world have no qualms killing subhumans. They're treated like enemies of the gods.
Tales of the other gods vary by sect—some contradict each other, so there's plenty of debate on what's canon.
I asked about each god as far as Sarsa knew. There's a creator god often equated with the status god.
That's basically the chief deity.
Seems different from religions back home. Anyway, the creator god gets special treatment and has no name. Like it doesn't need one.
Other major ones: God of Light, God of Fire, God of Water, God of the Sea, God of Wind, God of Earth, God of War, God of Magic. And that's just the majors. That's a lot. And yeah, there's a God of Magic. Demon God. Sounds like a final boss.
...Or so you'd think, right?
But nope—this world's Demon God is apparently a total good guy. Cleaning up after the laissez-faire creator god and the other rowdy deities, acting as mediator... reeks of a beleaguered workhorse. Makes you wanna slip 'em a coffee on the sly.
"The God of Magic, Lord Pepetoroika, is popular among mages, so I don't know much."
"Yeah, yeah. Even from those few stories, the poor-guy vibes are off the charts."
"I-is that so?"
Sarsa couldn't figure why I latched onto the Demon God's tales, but do folks here just not care? About his struggles.
Incidentally, the mythology doesn't mention it, but people generally call the demon realm overlord sending the monsters the "Demon King". No way... it actually exists!?
"Who knows? It's just a story."
Sarsa said that, but with real monsters around here... and the god-granted status system actually working... This feels way more credible than Earth's myths. Bet plenty buy into the Demon King too.
"You don't believe it, Sarsa? The stuff in the myths."
"Hard to say. They became myths, so maybe they're true? But it doesn't feel real to me. Lots of people do believe it happened for real, though. Not a few think the Demon King's out there too, but since it's not in the myths, some call it a made-up tale."
"Hmm. Demon King, huh... Hope not."
I'll ask the white-haired kid in the next report.
I send the monthly report on schedule—it's turning into a travel diary, but whatever. I tuck it in that other space, and it vanishes, so he's getting them. I've added questions at the end sometimes, but no replies yet. Worth a shot. Demon King or not, won't change my plans.
"By the way, Sarsa, you follow any particular god?"
"Hmm... Not really any one in particular. Oh, but as a kid, I prayed to the God of Light a lot."
"God of Light class, right? God of Light, eh. They don't run a theocracy that persecutes non-humans as heretics or anything, do they?"
"What's that supposed to mean? Never heard of sects like that. My parents prayed to the God of Light, so I did too, but I wasn't around devout followers much. Is there a region with sects like that?"
"Nah, just a cliché setup or whatever... Good if there isn't."
Sounds like endless hassle if there was.
"Discriminating against specific races is practically taboo, isn't it? I have heard that out on the frontiers, feuds with certain tribes breed prejudice..."
"It's taboo?"
"Yes. Not sure where, but it's in the myths somewhere, I think. Devout believers wouldn't discriminate, or so I've heard."
"Huh. Nice religion then."
Not to judge solely on that. Maybe us Japanese just stereotype religions as exclusionary.
Even religions causing discrimination or wars often say the opposite in their scriptures—it's down to how people interpret or exploit them.
"Like how the world that warred over desires fell to ruin—races warring would ruin the world too, so taboo?"
"Makes sense. Probably."
Eh, nitpicking isekai religion doctrines is pretty irrelevant.
Just need the basics that pass as common knowledge here.
"So Light God was your main one, Sarsa—but does it vary by region or race?"
"Yeah, pretty regional. God of Light's big in the northern kingdom. Near the eastern seas, Water or Sea God. By race? Roots vary, so no surprise if sects differ."
"Hmm. Roots meaning?"
"Like me—praying to parents' god, carrying on family rituals. Or local nobles fighting monsters might honor War God, tied to ancestors' history."
"I see."
Core faith's the same, but polytheistic—personal emphasis varies. No fantasy cliché of "this country Light God, that one Fire God" rivalries. Chief creator god's supreme across the board, per Sarsa. Could differ in practice, though.
Time to move on.
"So, what's the deal with churches and organizations? What you know."
"Organizations? Temples and churches everywhere, with priests... That's about it."
"Temple vs. church?"
"Uh... Temples dedicated to specific gods for prayer. Churches spread teachings, handle daily rites. Churches are everywhere."
"Priests in both?"
"Priest's the general term for church folk. Temple ones are sometimes called clerics, but not a strict divide."
"Churches handle status changes—priests have special jobs?"
"Yeah. Like Acolyte, Priest, Bishop. No close church ties, so not super detailed. The one who blessed me at church was an Acolyte, I think."
"Hmm."
Local churches have Acolytes for daily rites and status tweaks. Holier sites have temples with higher-up Priests or Bishops in charge?
"Who's the top dog religiously?"
"Who knows? Kingdom's High Bishop in the capital's a big deal, but other countries have churches too—who's higher?"
Hm? Capital has a church, not temple. Not church < temple hierarchy. High Bishop's high up.
"No ultimate holy site? Like where gods descended?"
"Dunno. Saints' sites exist, but no ranking."
"Guess that's it. Mistake to think Earth-style."
Creator-god centered, polytheistic, flexible—deep pockets, you could say. Aimed to avoid schisms? Maybe that ancient empire that unified the continent worked hard for it.
"So at church, an Acolyte priest... Complicated. They display/manipulate status? How much shows?"
"From what I recall, name, race, jobs standard. Status mods or skills need extra donation."
"Job changes?"
"Display status via priest, then use magic tool. Not all jobs show—pick from 3-4."
"What? How do they select?"
"Current job plus suitable ones, they said. Mine: Archer, Citizen, Scholar."
"Ah, went with Citizen."
"Yes. Helping parents unlocked Merchant later—fourth option."
"Like that. Kinda inconvenient."
"Is it?"
"Yeah, I can pick any I've got. Not sure if conditions apply."
"That's amazing. Heard only top priests let you pick all. High-level Priest or advanced job unlocks it."
"Got it. Explains why Acolytes don't show all. Higher priests one-shot it."
"Yes, that's it."
"Other services? Job aptitude tests, job EXP numbers?"
"Haven't heard. Temples or top priests maybe."
"Right. Benefits seem slim then."
Status display limits mean low job leak risk at church, but unconfirmed. Slim upsides? Skip it.
"Church can wait."
"Okay."
Sarsa said it coolly, no disappointment. Just listing idle-time options—not pushing church. So, what now?
Practice magic while lounging, grilling Sarsa on stuff?
Wonder what to ask next?