“Oh, you’re back, Shaula? And… you’ve got a lot of stuff, huh…”

“Yeah, Jelli, how’d everything go here?”

“Nobody made any kind of move or anything. A nice and quiet night. I checked in on the girls every so often. You can check them now, they’re all fine.”

“No need, I can hear them.”

“Hear them? Oh, yeah, your weirdly powerful senses. I’d love to hear the story behind that sometime, you know?”

Shaula is currently in Jelli’s room at the inn. Shaula returned to the inn from Ilna’s home and as soon as she entered Jelli’s room, she placed down a large cloth sack made of a tied-up large blanket on the floor of Jelli’s room.

There’s more stuff from Ilna’s place that she placed down in her own room but for now this stuff is most important.

On Shaula’s back is a bundle of three longswords tied up properly. Jelli notices the weapons. Not too bad.

Jelli is still awake even with how late it is at night and sitting upright against the headboard of her bed. She was still awake obviously because of the request given to her by Ajax and Shaula. Protect the women until they return. No sleep until their work is done for tonight.

“Really though, thanks for taking care of them, Jelli. Sorry for making things so difficult for you tonight.”

A new voice is heard by Jelli, the familiar voice of a young man. Ajax walks through the door to Jelli’s room carrying another large, beige, cloth sack and a second bundle of long swords on his own back.

“I am very happy to be given your praise, Ajax. Your gratitude is appreciated!”

Jelli smiles brightly towards Ajax. She was slightly wary of him at first but after learning about what he had done for the girls, she took a closer look at his heart and found something warm and kind.

“So, what have you got there, Ajax?”

“Well, we found some pretty interesting stuff. We got some books, some weapons and… well, a nice solution to our problem from earlier.”

“Well, that’s quite vague indeed, but I’m sure you have something quite special there. Let me see!”

Jelli gets up from the bed and starts by first examining the materials that Ajax and Shaula brought from Ilna’s home. A number of interesting weapons.

She sprawls them out on her bed to take a closer look at them.

All of them are longswords of different material compositions and with different engravings on them. They’re actually all magic swords and some of them look very professionally enchanted.

These would be quite useful in combat or could fetch quite the high price if sold at a black market.

Jelli doesn’t however know where exactly these two got the weapons. She looks at them with narrow eyes. Ajax looks away quickly like a guilty man while Shaula pays his discerning gaze no mind.

Angelidis had been placed in charge of safeguarding the girls while the two of them left to deal with an issue they had. But, neither Ajax nor Shaula were very clear about what the issue was exactly.

It wasn’t them dealing with Brai and his men, of course, since they would have simply said so before they left.

The stuff they have here just appears to be a nice find, she can leave it at that… for now.

Angelidis sees Ajax hold a brown cloth sack with care from the beige bag. This sack is filled with… coins from the look of it. Coins?

“A-Ajax, what is… is that wh-what I think it is!?”

“What? Oh, this? You’ve noticed it already, huh? Shaula, you want to explain this to her?”

Ajax smiles with quite a smug expression. Something quite interesting is in the medium-sized cloth sack. He places it on a work table to the left side of Jelli’s room and moves towards the bed. He wants a comfortable seat to witness Jelli’s shock and awe at their find.

Shaula sighs trying to stifle a smile. She also wants to see Jelli’s face at this.

“Well… You can open it and take a look.”

“Oh? Well then--”

Angelidis’ jaw drops.

Angelidis steps away from the bag in delirium as she notices what exactly it contains. The bag itself holds a cache of coins. Some of them are bronze, a few are silver but… the majority of the coins are--

“Where did you get all that gold!? Oh my… I don’t even know what to… how!?”

“Well, that’s actually--”

Jelli’s tail wags back and forth quicker and quicker and accidentally hits Ajax in the face who was sitting behind her on the bed. He’s pushed to his left on the bed and falls off it.

“Oh my! Are you alright, Ajax!? I’m so sorry! I-I was just--”

“Hahaha! It’s all good, Jelli. Something like that isn’t going to hurt him. Pfft… shit, that was hilarious!”

“...Ok, yes, it didn’t hurt, Shaula but you don’t have to laugh.”

Ajax landed face first on the ground a bit like a rag doll… after which a sword fell from the bed onto his back. Shaula couldn’t help laughing at its slapstick effect. Ajax dusts himself off and starts his recollection.

“Well, Jelli, it all started when we were exploring a certain scumbag’s house.”

~

Ajax and Shaula explore the hidden basement in Ilna’s home. Shaula illuminates the small room and finds quite some interesting items. A few magically enchanted swords, some miscellaneous books as well as… 

“Shaula, down here! I can smell the copper below the ground for some reason…”

“Dig it up then. Copper’s used for bronze coins here, maybe there’s buried money.”

“Hm, I see. By the way, how much would a bronze coin be in our currency back home?”

“Oh? Well… it is a bit difficult to figure it out but… from my estimate, a copper coin is probably between five to fifteen dollars maybe? It’s really difficult to make a one to one comparison because of the different food and housing prices too. Even when I heard what the women charge for an hour, I can’t even tell if it's dirt cheap, just normally cheap or reasonable.”

“Well, five to fifteen does sound about right anyways… Oh, I found something!”

Ajax had been digging with one of the magic swords in his hand through the bottom of the ground for…

“It’s a safe. Oh, yeah, the copper smell is really strong in this. This must have something valuable, right? A cache of copper coins maybe?”

Through the ground, there is a metal safe past a slightly hollow space below the solid floor of the basement. A small safe, perhaps equivalent to a hotel lockbox back on earth.

Its lock can only be opened by a key and the density of the safe door is… difficult to simply smash through with pure physical strength.

“It’s probably magically fortified as well, Shaula. Don’t melt it, we don’t want whatever’s inside to get destroyed or ruined… There. I’ve frozen it now so we can probably just cut through the lid. Help me out?”

“Alright. But in the worst case, I’ll just melt this fucker.”

Ajax and Shaula use the swords in the basement to try to cut through the steel-coloured safe. It does in fact appear to be magically enchanted. Shaula tries sword after sword. Perhaps one of the enchanted swords here can break through the enchanted safe, is her hypothesis…

After a few tries, success!

“Whew… this better be worth it. Hey, give me some more energy.”

“Oh, yeah, alright.”

Ajax and Shaula felt their energy drain as they attempted to break through that tough safe. Ajax chills the room by absorbing its heat, restoring a portion of his own energy; then, he holds out his hand towards her to allow her to siphon energy through him.

“Your hand? No no…”

Shaula pushes aside Ajax’s arm and places her right hand holding his neck and her left hand holding his back. Then, ever so elegantly, Shaula dances and dips his body as if they were performing a waltz and she was leading.

“Sh-Shaula?”

“Ah, calm down, you prick. It’s just a little…”

Peck on the cheek and forehead. Shaula alternates between kissing Ajax’s forehead, left and right cheeks while continuing to hold him in a dip. Every time she kisses him lightly, a little bit more energy is siphoned into her, restoring her strength.

She plants one final fraternal kiss on his lips. Fraternal?

“Ah, there. That’s much better…”

“You know, you really gotta warn me before you do things like that. You’re gonna give me weird ideas…”

“No, your shocked face is what makes it interesting!”

Shaula grins at Ajax’s embarrassed expression as he turns his expression back to the contents of the now broken apart safe.

Weird ideas though…

Shaula’s cheeks turn ever so slightly red. It is true that she’s gotten more comfortable with him around and… more willing to see him as more than just her dearest friend… No, it’s still too early. But--

“Ok, so this is probably the treasure.”

Ajax notices a brown cloth sack inside the safe. A sack which clearly looks as if it holds many coins of unknown denominations.

~

“So… Jelli, you counted them, right? How many?”

“Shaula… things like this are really dangerous, you know?”

“Don’t worry, it’s not like we robbed a criminal organization. This is most likely the retirement plan for one man. And the good thing is… he’s not going to need it.”

“I… see. Well, there’re about a hundred and fifteen gold coins, twenty two silver coins and… forty five bronze coins.”

“Wow… Well, it’s not like I wasn’t expecting something like that amount but… the guy was definitely loaded, huh…”

“What guy exactly are you talking about, Ajax? Who’d you grab this from?”

“Uh, do you… do you really want to know? Don’t you think it’s better if--”

Jelli’s face pales ever so slightly. Blood rushes to her brain as she contemplates whether she truly wants to know such information.

“N-No, you’re right. Let’s not reach past our limits. Well, either way… this amount should be able to keep you two extremely well off for… well, indefinitely at least.”

“Oh, that’s not for us, we don’t really need it. Actually, maybe four of the gold coins and silver coins, for emergencies, right, Shaula?”

“Yeah, and the rest will go to you and the girls.”

“...What?”

Angelidis is speechless. She doesn’t know what to say. The girls and her will be given… How could… What!?

“Wait, no! I-I couldn’t possibly accept this! I mean, all I did was look after them for a while!!”

“Just for your silence and the trouble you’ve had, Jelli.”

“Shaula…”

“Don’t worry about it all, Jelli, we’ll talk about it later when the girls get up… First, help us sort through the rest of this stuff and then you can get your sleep.”

“Honestly, how am I supposed to sleep like this…”

Ajax and Shaula look at Jelli’s nervous expression with happy faces. Ajax personally never thought he would see such a face from her, who he believed from minute one to be quite strong and capable.

Well, he has heard her hesitate quite a lot witnessing everything they’ve done so far so maybe it’s not that surprising to see her learn new anxieties.

Cute...

Well anyways, for now, the girls’ money problems are solved. They won’t have to return to prostitution if they don’t want to… 

And… after Ajax and Shaula deal with their next enemy, these girls can live happily ever after. And they can get to their real business in Linis.

~

Jelli looks over at the books that Ajax and Shaula start rummaging through. She can read bits and pieces of the language of Sapiora but… she isn’t exposed to books very often.

They’re not as expensive or that rare but… without people with the ability to read, their price is still quite high compared to on earth.

But… Jelli does notice an interesting and somewhat dangerous find. A very particularly patterned book, something she has recognized.

“Ajax… Shaula… where did you find this book here?”

“This is… oh yeah, Shaula, isn’t this one of the basement books?”

“Yeah, it seemed interesting, and potentially useful to fill some of my knowledge gaps. ‘Azazelin’s Holy Gospel’ was the title, right? I haven’t read through it but--”

“Be careful with this, Shaula.”

Angelidis narrows her eyes as she gives Shaula a warning about the book she has brought back with her.

“This book. It’s… it’s the sacred scriptures of the children of Azazelin.”

“Scriptures? Like a bible?”

“I don’t know what you mean by ‘bible’ but if that means ‘holy word of God’, then yes, yes it is.”

Shaula used the English word ‘bible’ rather than its translated analogue, prompting Jelli’s confusion. But… Shaula notices Jelli’s wariness around the book she was holding.

“So… what’s wrong with it?”

“Well, I don’t know where you came from Shaula but… it should be obvious that this book is illegal.”

“Wait, really?”

Ajax lifts his eyes as he examines a special looking longsword. Illegal. A book? Well, obviously there have been times even in his world where certain books were illegal, certain knowledge or ideas forbidden or taboo or obscene. So, this book is one of those.

“What’s it about then?”

“Well, I haven’t ever read it, but apparently it's supposed to be an alternate history written by the demons about the origin of the universe.”

“The origin of the universe…”

“Yeah. You know the history that the church tells, right?”

“Uh… a-actually no, Shaula and I haven’t been to church in a while and our parents never taught us. I don’t think they knew, they w-weren’t very wealthy…”

Jelli looks at Ajax with caution. To her knowledge, the knowledge of the Federation is spread far and wide to even the poorest settlements of humans and demihumans. The church would never allow insurrectionary ideology to foment in areas where they weren’t as visible.

In fact, in any area where the Federation’s message is spread that thin, there would be… an inquisition. Inquisitions… a source of terrible memories for Angelidis. Shaula notices Jelli’s eyes tremble from Ajax’s words.

Her heart starts beating rapidly and her breathing becomes more… audible.

It’s plain as day that Angelidis is worried but Shaula cannot pinpoint exactly what Ajax had just said that could have set her off like that.

For an instant, Jelli’s pupils turn into thin slits before returning to their original circular shape. Angelidis closes her eyes finally, in exasperation at Ajax’s ignorance.

She’s decided to overlook their obviously fabricated past for now. It wouldn’t really help her learn more about them by asking too much too soon.

“Sigh. Well… really though, who are you two? How do you not know the history of this world? Even the demons know what humanity tells themselves about how the universe was born…”

“Sorry, Jelli, it’s just something we never learned, that’s all. It was probably just our parents' issue. Maybe they didn’t want to teach it to us for whatever reason. They weren’t very trusting of the Holy Sapioran Federation’s leadership.”

Shaula makes up a more realistic explanation for why she and Ajax never learned the history of the world. She looks at Jelli for recognition. Jelli’s heart rate calms down as she merely accepts this new paradigm.

Ajax and Shaula lie along the foot of the bed, Ajax placing his arm around Shaula’s shoulders. They lie almost spooning as if they were a couple and look towards Jelli intently, who’s sitting cross-legged.

In the two months since they’ve been isolated from human society their interpersonal dynamics have shifted to something more intimate than friends but just ever so slightly less intimate than a romantic couple. They’ve been naked in front of each other a few times as well.

Ajax was careful not to display his arousal though and eventually just got used to their closeness.

Jelli sits against the headboard as she starts explaining the history of the world.

~

At the beginning of the universe, there was nothing. A state of existence before time began and before the world was filled with life.

Then, a single entity was born. A thing of such power and magnificence that blessed the universe with light and life. This being still exists to this day as a core of endless overflowing raw power.

The core of the world, the endless wellspring of mana that permeates the universe with its heart and soul. This mana core remains at the centre of this world of Omicron, unable to be destroyed. For if it is destroyed, then the universe would end.

“Huh? The universe would end? That’s what this country teaches? So… if this planet, Omicron, dies, then the universe ends?”

“Yes, Ajax, everyone knows that the mana core is at the centre of not only this round world Omicron but also the entire universe… This is just common sense, Ajax. It’s the whole reason why our world can use magic but other worlds cannot, even the world where heroes are summoned from. We’re the closest to the wellspring of all magic after all.”

“But… Jelli, that doesn’t make any sense. Everyone believes that Omicron is the centre of the universe?”

“Well, then what do you believe is the centre of all existence, Shaula?”

Shaula pauses. She knows from just basic learning online, let alone in class, that the universe is so vast that the centre cannot be seen or even found.

But, it’s possible that this world doesn’t have access to the kind of scientific instruments like radio telescopes to also assume as such.

Perhaps, just like medieval earth, the humans of Omicron believe that the sun revolves around their world as well as everything else in the universe…

Shaula decides not to tell Jelli anything that would point to her having greater knowledge than she should have. She doesn’t have any way to explain such knowledge just yet. Shaula apologizes,

“N-No, Jelli, I guess I don’t really know after all. Sorry for interrupting.”

“Yeah, sorry, Jelli, we’re just learning a lot of new stuff here.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Then let me continue.”

Ajax and Shaula keep listening.

All living beings of Omicron refer to the mana core as the Jiltre Vastiga (a phrase in Omicron that can be translated to “demiurge” or “prime mover” in English).

From the Jiltre Vastiga came the holy world of Omicron as well as the sun, the red moon and the many stars of the night sky, including worlds without magic on their surfaces.

After a great deal of time had passed on the surface of the world of Omicron, the omnipotent deities of the universe were born, a few thousand years ago. One of those beings was the holy God Sapiora. There was also the demon God Azazelin and three other gods.

Most people in the Holy Sapioran Federation aren’t aware of the names of these deities but their names haven't been forgotten by the draconids since long ago. The names of the three forgotten gods are Panaphon, Acquae and Savitarius.

When these deities were born, the surface of the world was barren without any life on it. The first god to create their own creature was the god Savitarius. He was a powerful god beloved by all of the gods.

Savitarius created a race of creatures known as the dragons. These creatures were beings far more powerful than any other. They were also as intelligent as humans. They ruled the world for a long time as the supreme intelligent creature.

They were large creatures with wings and similar to land dragons in appearance and colour for the most part but unlike land dragons or any other race, they are immortal creatures unable to die.

“...Dragons. Dragons are real? Of course they’re real…”

“And… they’re immortal. Sigh…”

Ajax’s mind has been overloaded by the information that Jelli has provided and Shaula sighs. Of course, it isn’t so crazy that dragons exist in a land with magic after all, isn’t that just common sense? But… still, it seems too fantastical. An unbelievable world.

Shaula has also noticed something. Humanity truly values itself quite highly. Omicron is apparently the centre of the universe where all things revolve around and its deities are the greatest deities over all others.

She knows of one other deity, Ahura Mazda, but she can’t really tell how powerful He is compared to the gods that Jelli has mentioned.

Jelli continues her story about the history of Omicron, while Shaula decides to take her story with a grain of salt, treating the more unbelievable elements as allegories revealing humanity’s mind rather than presuming Jelli’s ingrained knowledge to be the accurate historical record.

Other creatures were created later but nothing as intelligent as the dragons. Panaphon was the one who created the beast races of the world including, for example, the land dragon, the Miella, the Orda and many many others.

She and Acquae together also created the forests and plant life of Omicron. Azazelin isn’t a creator however. It isn’t clear what she did but it wasn’t very substantial. Until, of course, Sapiora created a new intelligent race.

This race was humanity. He created two humans and these humans became the progenitors of humanity both on this world as well as on all others. His handiwork was magnificent and all of the other gods praised him.

Panaphon, Savitarius and Azazelin all wished to emulate him and he gave them permission to copy his forms. As a result, there were three demihuman races eventually created: The beastkin race, the draconid race and the demon race.

Panaphon and Savitarius pledged for their races to be subservient races of humanity, the master race. Sapiora accepted their wish.

“This is only what the Federation believes to be the case; there are a number of beastkin and draconid-run churches that preach differently.”

“So… this country teaches that the beastkin race and the draconid race are like… slave races basically.”

“Seriously… and what do you believe, Jelli?”

“Well, Ajax… I think that Savitarius and Panaphon created our races to be equal to each other and equal to humanity. But… I don’t know if Sapiora actually believed this.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m talking about the hundreds of years of slavery for the beastkin and draconids. Sapiora was in charge of the church during all of that time and throughout it all, he led the church by incarnating himself as the supreme pope, generation after generation. If he wanted to, he could have ended the practice of demihuman slavery. But… since he didn’t, then I can only refuse to worship him… ”

“I see.”

“Don’t reveal my thoughts to others, alright? This city is rife with people who would turn you over to an inquisition for the slightest belief that you’re not on the side of humanity.”

“What’s that?”

Shaula asks this question as she looks over at Jelli’s face. Jelli’s face twitches slightly and,

“I’m sorry, Shaula but I’ll explain that some other time. I’ll continue with the story for now.”

“Wait… are you sure you were right to believe in us? What if we just snitched on you? You haven’t known us very long, you know?”

Ajax asks this question in curiosity. Did they really do anything for Jelli to earn her trust like this?

“That’s because of Claris and Hila. Gren really trusts the two of them, and those two trust the two of you, especially you, Ajax.”

“Oh, really…”

Ajax nervously laughs. They’re certainly putting their faith in him.

“I just can’t imagine you behaving the way you have if it wasn’t your real selves. People that treat beastkin as equals. You’ve treated them well and safeguarded their lives. What could you have to gain for that except the respect and admiration of beastkin (and draconid) prostitutes?”

Shaula smiles at Jelli’s sincere words. A person who oozes sincerity, that is who Jelli is to the two of them.

Jelli continues.

Acquae, the sea god, didn’t create a race of her own and rather helped Azazelin with the rearing of her demon race. The demon race became violent and destructive on the surface of the world due in part to both of their divine influences.

The two of them started to covet the power of the mana core which was shared equally by all five gods as well as the world of Omicron itself.

Sapiora noticed the deviant society created by Azazelin. Her demonic society was more ugly and vile than the humanity that Sapiora had created. She allowed the belief to spring forth from the beastkin and draconid races that their races were equal to humanity’s.

She encouraged sexual debauchery, deviancy, nontraditional family arrangements and while the Supreme Azazelin Empire was ruled by Azazelin herself, their society was run not around her as a god but around demonkind for its own sake…

An effectively godless race who viewed Azazelin as mother rather than creator and object of worship. Such a view is vile to humanity who rely on Sapiora to lead their path and enlighten them.

Eventually, Azazelin and Acquae betrayed Sapiora, Panaphon and Savitarius for the sake of power. Acquae tried to kill Sapiora. Sapiora didn’t wish to kill her but he did and her dying body fell into the sea. As her body rotted, unholy creatures were born into the seas of Omicron.

To this day, these unholy creatures hate humanity and attack any human who sets foot into the seas of Omicron. They destroy any boat weaker than a military class vessel and kill and eat all humans who fall overboard. Furthermore, they can be tamed by the demons.

“Sea creatures… So, that’s probably one of the reasons why salt is so expensive maybe? People don’t like living near a sea where everything in it wants to murder then, right?”

“Yes, Ajax, that’s probably the main reason along with just simple man power issues during war times.”

“Jelli, what kind of creatures are they?”

Shaula asks this question in curiosity; are there any analogues on earth that could give her an idea of what they look like?

“Well, I’m not exactly sure… In all honesty, I haven’t been to the sea ever. This town isn’t very close to the sea, after all.”

“Well, it’s fine, Jelli. Also, when you say that Azazelin encouraged sexual debauchery or deviancy and all that, what does that mean exactly?”

Ajax asks this question in curiosity. What do humans believe to be deviant?

“Well… this is actually another disagreement I have with the teachings of the federation. They view homosexuality, anti-gender conformity and multiple male, single female polyamory to be immoral. I don’t personally have any qualms with that myself, but apparently the demon empire was more liberal about things like that. To be honest, most people on the human side think like that including the beastkin and other draconids.”

“Whoa… so this is that kind of country then?”

Ajax whispers this to Shaula in astonishment. Humanity on Omicron is far more socially regressive than demonkind. Or rather, perhaps Sapiora is far more socially regressive than Azazelin.

“Do they still believe all of that, Jelli? The demons I mean?”

“Yeah, these rules haven’t changed at all over the past thousand years while Azazelin has ruled over them. Deities rarely change their minds, after all.”

Jelli continues.

When Acquae died, Azazelin went insane and killed Panaphon, the god of the beastkin. Then, she consumed Savitarius. By consuming his flesh, Azazelin gained the power to control dragonkind.

She defeated Sapiora in that battle. After she defeated him, humanity fell. The old Federation and all of their clergy were brutally murdered by Azazelin. Then, she sent her armies into the territories of humanity to weed out any Sapiora worshippers.

There was a hundred year dark age. But, Sapiora wasn’t truly killed. He was merely biding his time to free humanity from their bondage at the hands of the demon race.

His believers had to worship in secret but the fires of rebellion continued to spread so long as Azazelin committed her atrocities. Eventually, Sapiora was able to finally perfect and perform the divine hero summoning ritual.

“Wait… How long ago was this?”

Ajax asks this question now that the topic has reached something he’s interested in. The heroes.

“How long ago… you mean when Azazelin defeated Sapiora? That was about nine hundred years ago.”

“So, then… eight hundred years ago was the first time that heroes were summoned to Omicron.”

“Oh, yes, the heroes. Through the valiant efforts of the first heroes summoned eight hundred years ago, Azazelin was pushed back to the domain of her empire and could proceed no further. After that point, there was a golden age that lasted basically from eight hundred years ago to just a few decades ago… after which, the demons finally launched their war of extermination…”

“Huh… What exactly is the cause of the war? Like, why are the demons fighting to kill everyone exactly?”

Shaula asks this question. She hadn’t really considered it because of how far the war is from this city but… why exactly did they launch their campaign against humanity? Was it just a centuries-long race war?

“I only heard one reason from a deacon of the church some time ago. At the time everyone celebrated it even. Azazelin had tried to launch one last ditch effort against Sapiora and tried to destroy him and humanity all at once. But Sapiora rained judgment upon her for her centuries of evil and ‘perversion’ and imprisoned her for all eternity. In the midst of this battle, the entire dragon race went extinct and many humans and demons died.”

“This was what started the demon’s charge basically, right?”

“Yes, Shaula. Their goddess was taken from them. So they vowed not to rest until humanity went extinct from the face of this world.”