Something had been on my mind for days now. I kept recalling what happened to the servant and the strangeness of it all. It wouldn't even be strange if I'd have nightmares of it, but my sleep had been suspiciously peaceful the entire time.
As if something was coaxing me to not think about it too deeply...like the hand that wrapped this eye mask on me. I've had a sort of inkling as to it might be, though I had no plans for confrontation.
Though I probably already did, considering I was here.
Do these so-called Saints know of that incident too? Come to think of it, one of them is accompanying me even now.
So, I phrased my words carefully and asked, "Are the servants here not human?"
"Why, little one. Humans cannot thrive in this realm. Exposure to potent divinity will make them mad." He replied immediately. I noticed he'd slowly switched to informal speech, but I didn't point it out.
'Exposure to divinity...so that's why.'
She came in contact with my blood.
"Then what exactly are they?"
"Nameless souls." He didn't elaborate further.
His footsteps resounded louder than mine. In this empty spire's corridors, even the smallest sound echoes. His pace quickened, walking ahead of me. I let him.
Come to think of it, they referred this realm—Abyss—as the Land of the Nameless.
I had a lot of questions still, and this was an opportunity. The trip back to the manor will take time, anyway. This Spire is vast. It wouldn't hurt to spend the trip back asking questions.
"Then, Saint of Souls. Are you a deity?"
He hummed, as if pondering whether he should tell me or not.
"I am not, Your Divine Highness."
"How about this, allow me to educate you a little."
"The world has a very clear racial system: those who are children of dust and those of stars."
"The children of dust reside where Yggdrasil has taken root, and the children of stars reside in their respective divine realms. The gap between these two is like night and day. The only way for a child of dust to reach closer to a child of stars is if the latter bestows them divinity."
"This process is what they would call a Bestowal. I am one such bestowed."
Vontravis paused for a few moments to gauge my reaction. He blinked a few times when I seemed to have none, and cleared his throat.
"Are you following? I said it in fancy terms but basically, there exist mortals just as there are gods. And they have one fundamental difference: it's what their bodies are made of. Mortals are made of flesh and bone, that is why they are called the children of dust. Sorenians—deities, are made entirely of Soren. Do you know what Soren is?"
He continued walking unhurriedly looking back from time to time to make sure I was following close.
"Hm...Am I rambling too much? Is it too overwhelming for a child to take? But to make it brief, Soren is Divinity."
I would be lying if I said the information he was feeding me wasn't fascinating. After all, I suddenly found myself living in one such divine realm.
"Please continue."
"Again, drop the please."
"...Continue."
"Yes. Sorenians cannot really be called a species, though they are indeed divided into different...races. Though Her Divine Majesty's 'lineage' belongs to the Fae. This is why 'Her' appearance resembles humans a little more than most Sorenians—it's also one of the Fae's characteristics."
"Not considered a species...is it because they deem themselves too lofty to be reduced to such a term?" I deduced.
"Partly. But since ancient times, the primary denotation for something to be considered a species is their ability to reproduce with their similar kind." He said in a-matter-fact tone.
"But Sorenians cannot breed. Instead, they create."
"They weave their divinity and a chunk of their psyches together to 'create' children. It's more accurate to say from a scientific standpoint that they are entirely mythical creatures. That is why they are deities."
"I do not understand...you clearly said I am the Sovereign's son. Why is that?"
"And you are also made of flesh and bones. Why do you think that is?"
Why do I think that is...he had answered my question indirectly by mentioning that bestowals bring mortals closer to deities. That could mean...that I have been bestowed, and am one of her many blessed believers.
Thus her child.
But then again, this man before me had most likely been bestowed by the Sovereign 'Herself', along with the six other Saints in the throne room. Why then, are they not called her children as well?
"I don't know. It seems unlikely that I went through the same process as you did. Bestowal, as you call it." I said simply.
He halted his steps and blinked at me a few times, displaying a small smile.
"You are very bright. Bestowal can indeed grant you divinity, but it does not permanently alter your physique to take on the unique, inhuman features of the One who bestowed you."
He stretched his arms and took a few steps away from me.
"Take me for example. I look very much human, don't you think?"
Indeed, he does...excluding the fact that he appears as nothing more than scribbled lines to me. He behaves like one as well.
"When I polymorph, I take the form of a raven. That is because it's the form that best corresponds to the form of my soul. What deities bestow us is their blood, which, in other terms, is pure soren. Our souls are the ones who accommodate it and manifest this said divinity into some form of symbolism, which naturally varies per individual."
"Your wing-like ears, your horns, your crystalline tail, even the bright pearlescent sheen on your skin or how your hair sparkles like it's sprinkled in stardust like some pixie. All of that is proof that 'She' has sired you, and you've inherited the mystical features of 'Her' lineage. Hence, you are nothing short of a miracle, Kaisellin."
"You weren't created from some catalyst. You were conceived."
All that and I am still made of flesh and bones.
...sparkly like little pixies, but that is basically it. But I couldn't help but ask, "...what's a pixie?"
"Cute tiny creatures from fairytales with insectile wings. They sparkle like you." He wiggled his hands at my face and grinned. "Bling bling."
My expression turned strange. I'm getting a feeling that wasn't a compliment.
But from the way he told me, there was only one likely deduction.
"...then does that mean my father is a mortal?"
He did not answer me and simply displayed his usual playful smile. He had not denied it with his silence.
But it gave me a gist of my situation at least.
A Sorenian had brought home a half-mortal child with divine features and kept him hidden away in 'Her' Spire. This Sorenian is a ruler of an entire realm, no less. Moreover, 'Her' loyal Saints treat this child with reverence, even if they do not show it outright.
It couldn't just have been because their respect for her was boundless, it must be because I myself am an anomaly. If I take it into account, my life order is still higher than theirs. Now it makes sense why everything about me had to be veiled in absolute secrecy, even to myself.
I cringed at the thought. Why are they implying like I'm some kind of secret messiah? I can't even get my shit together.
"Her Divine Majesty has allowed you access to the Library, so take your time to digest things and read the history in your pastime."
The Library...
While I don't recall that happening, it definitely is a boon. Even if I search far and wide in the human realm, I will probably never come across books of this many variety and depth.
But then I halted. Vontravis seemed to notice my hesitance and asked with a concerned tone in his voice.
"Is something wrong?"
"it's...how do I read it?"
Right, I can't see now. It just dawned me. Forget reading, how am I supposed to write, too? Am to remain illiterate like this?
My inattention to details was almost baffling.
"What do you—oh." He seemed to realize belatedly what I was talking about, and shook his head.
"Don't worry, most of the books are written in runic language. Just tinker it a bit with soren and you can read it. As for those that aren't, I can read them for you."
So I can write in runic language, as well. That solves it, then.
I nodded, then waved my hand. "You're too close. 5 steps back."
"...right, right. 5 steps."
"I'm counting your footsteps."
"Of course, of course."