The Gods and Their Stories

“Huh, these books can actually be openly displayed?” Ziyao closed the book in front of her, covering her face. She was truly too naive.

She had initially believed that while these books were riddled with fabricated information, they would at least contain a kernel of truth. Instead, they were nothing more than a stack of worthless paper!

Why would they even include erotic fanfiction about the God of Fire and the God of Wind? How did anyone even know such things? Were they not terrified of divine retribution for such blasphemy? Thanks to these particular books, the gods in Ziyao’s mind had now transformed into beings whose hearts were solely preoccupied with their lovers.

“And doesn’t the Church manage these things at all?”

“Because everyone knows these things are made up, the Church doesn’t want to expend energy managing them.” A familiar voice drifted from behind Ziyao.

Turning her head, she saw the green-haired girl from earlier, holding a thick book, standing right behind her.

“But wouldn’t this affect people’s faith in the gods?”

“No, it won’t. The gods don’t need people’s faith. All things in the world are Their creations. As creators, how could They be influenced by Their creations?” the green-haired girl replied with a smile.

She settled into the empty seat beside Ziyao, then handed her the book she had brought. “If you want a more credible read, this mythology compiled by the Church is quite good.”

Accepting the massive tome, nearly twenty centimeters thick, Ziyao’s mouth twitched slightly. “This thick?”

“The gods created the world over ten millennia ago. This book only records some of the more significant events.”

Ten thousand years was an incredibly long time. Such a thick book indeed covered only a fraction of it.

“But how does the Church know what happened before the gods created humans?”

They couldn’t just be guessing, could they?

Hearing this question, Sophia chuckled softly. “Of course not. Some things were learned by questioning long-lived races like the elves and dragons. As for even more ancient events, the gods themselves spoke of them.”

The gods themselves spoke of them?

Ziyao’s hand, poised to turn a page, froze in mid-air. What did that mean? Hadn’t it been said that the gods had not appeared in the world for a very long time?

“The gods have merely not openly appeared for a long time. Legend has it that the God of Wind often transforms into people from all walks of life and walks among the world.”

Unexpectedly, these gods possessed such refined tastes. Ziyao turned a page, which introduced the six creator gods.

“Light and Justice, Darkness and Destruction, Water and Peace, Fire and War, Wind and Wisdom, Earth and Fairness—these are the six gods who created all things in the world.”

Sophia’s voice held a trace of emotion. “Alas, two gods have already fallen from Their divine thrones.”

“Was it the God of Water and the God of Darkness?” Ziyao remembered the story she had just read. Although the plot was melodramatic, the outcome should be correct.

“Precisely. The God of Darkness assassinated the God of Water under circumstances no other god had foreseen.” Sophia clenched her fist. “On that day, peace vanished, and mountains and rivers inverted. The God of Light was furious beyond measure. They raised Their radiant sword, and the God of Darkness spread Their arms. ‘Kill me,’ They said.”

“No one knew why the God of Darkness did such a thing, even though They, like the God of Light, were an admirer of the God of Water.”

Listening to Sophia’s explanation, Ziyao’s impression of these gods grew even stranger. Sometimes, humans truly could not comprehend divine beings.

“But in the end, the God of Light did not kill the God of Darkness. Why was that?” Ziyao had transformed into a curious child. Sophia, beside her, spoke as if she had personally experienced these events. Indeed, what would have been a dry historical account became as captivating as a drama in Sophia’s telling, making one unable to stop listening.

“That was the God of Water’s dying wish.”

“Eh?” Hadn’t the God of Water been killed by the God of Darkness?

“Who knows? In any case, the God of Water’s dying wish was not to kill the God of Darkness.” Sophia shrugged. She, too, didn’t understand why the God of Water would leave such a wish. “Finally, the God of Darkness shattered Their own divinity and departed the continent with Their people.”

The outcome was similar, though there was no grand battle between Light and Darkness as described in that other book.

“And after that, the gods no longer walked among the world. With the demise of the God of Peace, conflicts arose across the continent. Now, every inch of land is steeped in blood, and no one knows when this endless war will cease.”

“Peace… it truly feels distant,” Ziyao sighed. The Roland Empire was doing well, but the remaining nations were all suffering immensely. As the Roland Empire grew stronger, the other nations’ sense of crisis intensified. They expanded their armies and prepared for war—every country was doing the same. No one wished to be a loser.

“As long as life exists, peace will remain perpetually far away,” Ziyao remarked. “I truly admire that God of Water for being able to keep the continent peaceful for so long.”

“Ah, she was such that all who met her would abandon their conflicts; she was the very symbol of peace.” Sophia gazed into the distance, her words tinged with a hint of nostalgia.

“Truly worthy of a god. If I could, I’d also like to meet this deity.” Ziyao turned the book to the volume dedicated to the God of Water, which chronicled various events concerning her.

In this volume, the God of Water seemed to be the embodiment of all beauty in the world. Wherever she walked, conflicts dissipated, and all things coexisted in harmony. Even the incredibly volatile God of War would temper Their frenzied nature in her presence. If she were such a god, it was no wonder those two would fall in love with her.

“The God of Light was a blockhead, and the God of Darkness was a quiet one. The God of Water knew their feelings, but she also knew that as the God of Peace, she could not accept either of their affections.”

Sophia continued her explanation. For some reason, her tone carried a hint of lament and regret.

An orange ray of sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating Sophia’s face. She smiled faintly. “It seems someone thinks I’ve spoken too much. Since someone has expressed displeasure, I shall take my leave, Miss Ziyao.”

Standing up, Sophia’s face held a mischievous, successful grin.

“Oh, thank you very much for explaining these things to me.” Ziyao closed the book, intending to return it to Sophia.

“No need. This book is already yours. Consider it my welcome gift.” Sophia pushed the book back towards Ziyao. “Farewell.”

“Farewell.”

With a smile, Sophia gracefully departed from Sector G13.

“Sophia, you’ve overstepped…”

The voice of an old friend reached her ears. Sophia’s lips curved upwards. It seemed her old friend was growing impatient.

“Ceres, you’re too eager. She doesn’t know anything yet.”

“That’s not your concern. The winds in the North have gone awry. Aren’t you going to check on them?”

“Oh? Since when have you started caring about the flow of the wind?”

“Seeing you so idle, I thought I’d find something for you to do.”