Law's Slow Embrace and Lizardmen Champions
After delivering the code of laws to humans through Shamash, crimes among them decreased a little. Well, just a little.
It was only natural. You can't expect every human to have the laws etched into their brains just because you hand down stone tablets. And spreading it to humans scattered across the world would take plenty of time anyway.
Still, providing a clear standard seemed to make them follow it reasonably well, showing just how chaotic things were before the code. Anyway, the contents of the law code I gave to the human king were copied onto clay tablets by countless hands and dispersed across the world, reaching every corner touched by humanity.
Of course, it was only natural that it spread to other non-human races too. To the Lizardmen territories, to the elves and dwarves. The northern giants... well, they couldn't read properly, so they heard it from people's mouths. As for the beastkin, since they lived mixed in with humans, the dissemination happened almost simultaneously—a minor detail.
Thanks to humans spreading out and building roads, delivering it just to them ensured it reached every nook and cranny of the world. From the rulers' perspective, managing their groups without arbitrary judgments and punishments must have been convenient. It reduced excessive penalties and executions.
In this era, where every human laborer counts, that was nothing but good. Judging and executing without fixed laws was tedious work too.
Thus, humanity's first legal code slowly but surely seeped into human society. Though for some non-humans, it didn't resonate much!
Lizardmen, elves, and dwarves prioritized the gods they served over laws. The code from the god of law felt like rules only for human lands.
Makes sense. When your trusted god stands right there, what's the use of some stone tablet from the god of law? Gods are near; laws are distant.
Still, thanks to a word from me to Yggdrasil and Sagarmatha, the message to follow human laws in human territories reached the elves and dwarves.
Lizardmen? Well... Lizardmen...
"The Genesis Dragon grew greatly angry at the sight of the god of light arbitrarily deciding guilt without clear standards, but the god of light did not even pretend to listen."
"The Genesis Dragon strove to persuade the god of light, but she refused to heed even a little and repeated the same mistakes."
"Thus, to punish the erring god of light, the Genesis Dragon wielded her power, and for a time, the world lost its light. Thus, an eclipse came upon the world."
They'd taken a few words from me and blown them way out of proportion.
"But the Genesis Dragon forgave such a god of light and commanded that guilt be weighed by clear rules."
"Thus, the god of light created rules to weigh guilt and bestowed them upon humanity—this was the first law."
It didn't take long for stone tablets like that to appear. Really... such unnecessarily enthusiastic guys...
Time keeps flowing.
During the Lizardmen's festival, a great warrior was chosen, and with my blessing, he transcended into a dragonkin—not a big deal.
Shining brilliant light on the final winner of the martial tournament, infusing immense power to reconstruct his body into a being surpassing Lizardmen... I did it, but it turned out pretty convincingly.
The champion's reborn body was tougher, more agile, and larger. His scales became so resilient that even obsidian blades couldn't cut them, his claws hard enough to tear anything, and his tail strong enough to snap thick trees.
A fitting "transcender of Lizardmen." Oh, no wings, by the way. Horns sprouted on his head, but wings would be tricky. Suddenly gaining non-existent organs would confuse him.
I also blessed the winner's weapon, of course. Thought about making it unbreakable... but I'd already done that for the Lizardmen great chieftain's spear. Creating multiple items with the same power seemed off, right?
So, during the body reconstruction, I asked what blessing he wanted for his weapon and reflected his wishes.
Incidentally, it's a one-year term, so at next year's festival, the blessings lift, and body and weapon revert. Obviously. Can't compete with blessings intact—cheating! Unfair! No way!
It's practically a penalty! After a year of supercharged body, reverting causes withdrawal. Winning again despite that? Impressive.
Anyway, the great warrior, reborn as dragonkin, praised the Genesis Dragon's name, and Lizardmen grew even more emotional knowing she hadn't abandoned them.
Then, another bonus: the birth of a great shaman who could hear the Genesis Dragon's voice.
I picked a Lizardman exceptional at communing with spirits, a total people-person with them... ahem, spirit-friendly personality. Lizardmen stirred again.
No blessings for the great shaman, though. Just a slight nudge for smoother spirit interactions. The talent was purely hers.
After that, I just relayed my voice through her...
The birth of a chosen great shaman who hears the Genesis Dragon's voice!
Her term? Lifetime, unless a more talented Lizardman appears or she quits. Quitting's free! The merciful Genesis Dragon guarantees personal freedom!
No marriage restrictions either! But punishment if shady stuff in her name.
Thus, through great chieftain, great warrior, and great shaman, Lizardmen recovered their fading faith in the Genesis Dragon, ushering in their prosperity.
With Lizardmen matters wrapped up, I gazed at the names on my GodTalk list.
World Tree Yggdrasil. Guardian god of elves.
Forehead of the World Sagarmatha. Sacred mountain worshipped by dwarves.
God of Light Shamash. God of light, law, and justice.
The rest: empty.
Hmm... This list needs more names. Specifically three.
Yggdrasil's revered as a god by elves, Sagarmatha as a holy mountain by dwarves, Shamash as god of light and justice by humans... Pity Sylphid, Ifrit, and Thetis aren't worshipped as gods.
Yeah. I know why, roughly.
Those kids were never in an environment to be deified by humans.
First, Thetis. Bad location. A massive whirlpool in the ocean far from human lands. Humans' sailing tech is too primitive—even simple rafts only hug the coast!
Until navigation advances... they won't even spot her.
Next, Ifrit. Um... Harsh surroundings. Eternal flame body, scorching hot—no life nearby... well, some adapted, but not intelligent like humans.
Plants mostly withered or burned. Only heat-adapted critters survive. Result: desert around her.
Lucky the desert's not huge yet... But hot desert even at night? Weird. Nights should be cold, right?
Ahem. Anyway, tough environment means no human settlements, no worshippers. Maybe when someone settles the scorching sands. Not in this post-Stone Age era.
Finally, Sylphid. How do you worship invisible, roaming wind? She has power but doesn't flaunt it. Worship needs a trigger.
Sylphid hasn't had hers yet. Someday, if people fear or admire the wind, she'll rise as wind goddess.
Who knows when... but not too far off, I think.