The Human Era (Part 2)
After the gods vanished, humanity took over the surface world... Hmm, though maybe it's time to rethink the term "human." What even is a human? What is a person? What's the difference between them, elves, dwarves, and beastkin? Can't we just lump them all under "human"? Does it only apply to those without long ears, short stature, or animal traits? Hmm. I'll ponder that later.
The ideal would be to call all intelligent beings "human" and give the original humans a different name—like elves, dwarves, and beastkin have. We need a clear term for them. Hmm... "Human" or Homo sapiens is too narrow for other races, and "mankind" covers all humanity, including elves and dwarves. So, "human" it is. I'll spread the word gradually.
Anyway, humanity's population boom stemmed from a mix of factors. Diverse faiths. Numerous gods. Conflicts from those faith differences. Wars big and small dubbed "holy wars." The first reason: most of those gods disappeared or lost their divinity and faded.
The second: increased food production. Specifically, rice cultivation. The rice I gifted to the rat beastkin Rankin and Mabel yielded far more per acre than barley or wheat, and unlike those staples, it thrived in subtropical climates. In rainy or warm areas where wheat and barley struggled, they grew potatoes or veggies—but now rice offered another option.
Plus, rice's massive yields fed plenty and left surplus to sell for trade. Merchants who learned its value bought seedlings, spread it elsewhere, and in hot, humid subtropics unfit for wheat or barley, rice farming became the main food source.
Thus, wheat and barley, rice and potatoes, plus corn from the lizardmen—all sorts of crops suited to various environments. More food meant feeding more people. Those who once starved could now survive... so population growth was inevitable.
That swelling populace boosted overall productivity. They cleared untamed lands, hunted threatening monsters, moved more goods as merchants expanded, or became priests of the rising Life Church—formerly the Life Temple, devoted to me. More people meant more hands at work.
And among those works... war was included. Predictable, really. Even with surplus food and rising production, plundering through war remained viable. With bigger populations, armies grew, and attacking other city-states felt natural.
Thus, kings prayed to one surviving god, the war deity Mars, and sparked countless conflicts.
"Do humans only know war?"
Asherat grumbled. I understood her sentiment, but what could we do? Conflict is inseparable from humans. Between individuals, groups, nations—with will and agency, clashes are inevitable.
"Still, doesn't it accelerate progress?"
"True, but it's a shame—life's numbers finally swell, only for war to thin them."
That... well, unavoidable, perhaps. At least massacres were rare, a silver lining. National and ethnic identities were still vague. Common folk weren't bound to states. Some crossed borders to survive; captives converted.
In an era where every soul fueled national power, winning with minimal losses and absorbing maximum prisoners was the path to strength. Refuse conversion? Slavery. This was the age of slaves, after all. Better than death!
My teachings valuing life had spread widely too. In a world where the Life Church held sway, mass slaughter would bring dire consequences. Occasionally, a foolish king massacred prisoners in rage... only to face swift rebellion and downfall.
Maybe modern humans saw violating the unspoken "no prisoner slaughter" rule as disqualifying a king.
"It's stabilizing, though."
"Sure, but among so many kings, the standout is..."
Amid nations warring, one shone brightest. A boy king claiming descent from Arcadia, servant of the Life Goddess and war god. From a tiny city-state, he won endless wars, expanding relentlessly. Wielding not spear or sword but a banner, he commanded with widespread support.
"The tiger-like boy king, Lucius. Among them all, he's the frontrunner."
Unclear bloodline, but likely Arcadian royalty. Astonishingly, he had the banner and military treatise I'd given King Makai. From hundreds of troops, he'd seized countless city-states. Now hailed as Makai II's reincarnation.
I doubted total unification—mountains, seas, swamps blocked paths. But reclaiming old Arcadian lands? That could forge a vast realm, perhaps an empire.
"We should pray he ends all wars."
"With that banner and treatise enabling real-time command and proper tactics over brute force? He could win even if he tried to lose."
Once he claimed enough territory and held the coronation at Sirius's temple—proving lawful heir via Arcadia's crown... hmm. I'll bless him. Can't go myself, but send an angel with fitting graces. Yes.
"Humans aside... how's the underworld?"
"Underworld? Same old—buried in work."
Even prisoner-sparing wars kill. Spears and arrows fly; deaths happen. So the underworld's workload swelled inevitably.
Notable change: slightly relaxed judgment criteria. Now, occasionally, souls reach paradise post-trial. The three judges found entry too strict, so they eased it—live harmlessly with decent good deeds.
A year yields one or two paradise-goers. Other oddity: Talos on vacation. After shining in the gods' war, he requested time off from me—to roam the vast surface, tired of guarding souls underground.
I'd thought him a soulless statue, but learning his true self made confinement feel cruel... so occasional leaves. He exits the northern underworld gate, wanders, gathers tales as the "Traveling Giant." Minor stuff, though.
Otherwise... Pantheon gods quiet, my children well-behaved. Fewer godly antics meant a calmer world. Time to watch humans a while.
