51 – Literature.

Yolin sighed and hugged my neck, “I don't think it's that interesting, but okay.”

I put her down and we all sat in the living room to listen to her tale.

“I arrived in Lumin Kingdom in 1960,” she began her narration, “I joined a lot of parties and we dived almost all dungeons in the nearby cities and settlements. After a few years I reached Paarjo and found out about the arena here. They run tournaments where fighters can... well, obviously fight each other. I decided to go in and see if any fun could be found... I ended up becoming the champion and people began calling me the Six Fists of the North. The End.”

Well, that's a cheapskate summary if I ever heard one, I smiled.

“I see,” Lapia nodded. “Was it fun?”

The Oni smiled, “It was lots of fun.”

“That's it?” Pokora interjected, dull silver eyes shining with excitement. “Did you have a nemesis or something? We need more details!”

I chuckled at her reaction.

Yolin sighed, “Yes, I met Perella at the arena. She was an audience favorite. At first we hated each other's guts,” a sad smile formed on her face, “then we just overcame our differences and... became partners.”

Yikes, I bit my lips. Sounds like a touchy subject.

“That's pretty romantic,” Alyssa added with a broad smile. “Fighters with opposing goals finding common ground after hard battles.”

“In a way,” Yolin nodded.

Pokora turned to me and smirked.

What? I raised an eyebrow at her.

“Anyway,” Yolin stretched and stood up. “What's planned for today?”

I stood up as well and ran a hand through my hair, “I want to go to the Church nearby and find something to read.”

The Oni gave me a look that didn't seem to excited about that plan.

“I'll join you,” Pokora quickly stood up and walked next to me. “I want to see if I can find something that could be useful for my... goals.”

Bonte squinted at the Elf, “You're being mysterious.”

Bromisnar snorted and rolled his pink goat-like eyes, “Says the one who 'wants to gather money for a project'.”

The Tigea turned to the Satyr with a smug grin, “Well, mystery is good sometimes.”

I laughed at that.

“Well, have fun.” Alyssa gave me a smile. “I'll take a nap. Nobody is to disturb me.”

Everyone nodded.

“How about,” Lapia gave Alyssa a smirk, “we go find a place that sells pastries?”

The Luzo stood up and walked to the door, “What are we waiting for? We're not getting any younger.”

I bit my lips and held back the laughter that wanted to burst up my throat.

Yolin tried doing the same, covering her face with a hand, “I'll join you,” she managed to say.

I turned to the two men.

Bonte shrugged, “I'll show Bromi around.”

And so, we set out.

Pokora and I went north. Alyssa, Lapia, and Yolin went east. Bromisnar and Bonte went west.

After a few minutes of walking through the city's tall buildings, Pokora made some conversation.

“Cool, right?” she asked and turned to me. “Floating city, flying creatures, cat people, and so much more.”

“It is,” I nodded, looking at the multitude of people around us.

Some turned my way and waved.

I smiled and waved back.

“Is it exhausting?” she gestured to the people around. “Being a Halve must be pretty tough.”

I looked at the woman.

Her dull silver irises we looking right into mine. A wide smile on her face betrayed the excitement of the situation. Perhaps the idea of me being from Earth did make her happy or highly relieved. There was something in her eyes. A shine to them usually belonging to people who had found hope after years of despair. Similar to the liberation people experience after years of dealing with something they can't carry by themselves and meeting someone they can share the burden with.

Something I had seen many times. Though I invited her to join the party due to her set of skills, I had the creeping feeling she accepted as a means to cope with whatever plagued her.

“Not really,” I smiled back, tapping my temple with an armored finger. “We're built different.”

She laughed, squinting her eyes and broadening her smile if that was even possible. She placed a hand on my armored arm and let whatever she found so funny run its course.

“Your accent makes it even funnier!” she clapped a few times and then fanned her face with her hands.

I looked forward, enjoying the view of all sorts of people. Most were Tigea by a large margin.

We kept talking and sharing memes along the way. I noticed she took a few seconds to remember some and sometimes retrieved the same book I saw in Lakeview to mention some jokes.

We quickly arrived to the Church... which was massive. Even bigger than Riverfield's. It was the size of the entire block as far as I could see and as tall as the buildings around it.

“Sometimes it doesn't feel that fantasy-like,” I whispered, staring at the copy of An*r L*ndo.

“Nonsense,” she shook her head, walking towards the building.

I sighed and followed.

A Shishi Tigea wearing a white robe approached us and we asked him for directions to the library. He guided us to an open set of large double doors and then left. The library was pretty big, around eighty square meters full to the brim with books. Huge chandeliers hung from the ceiling, illuminating the space.

Pokora went ahead on her own and disappeared between the bookshelves.

I smiled and began my own search of knowledge, walking and reading the many labels on top of the pieces of furniture.

One of them caught my attention, it had “Halves” written on it.

This must be interesting, I thought, more than happy to learn more about my species.

I picked a book at shoulder height up and gave the cover a read. The title read 'Illusion of Independence, The Halven Fallacy. A study of the 'Protectors' and their impact in Civilized Society.'

Oh, I rubbed my forehead. Yeah, makes sense. Well, at least I see there is no censorship of literature, I looked at the positive side.

I held onto it to read later, then checked others.

'Understanding Galeia: Halves and Dungeons. Theory on the Duality of Nature', 'Halven Ban on War: A Study of Progress after Prohibition', 'Protectors, the Worship of the Eternal', 'Registry of Known Halves. 5th Age of E'er Edition'.

I moved on as the others I checked were records of the deeds of my species. I was more interested in the ideas and image the people had rather than what Anna Morgh or Filke Triux did hundreds of thousands of years ago. For the moment, at least.

I kept walking while holding the books and came across the 'Classes' section. I felt my hopes rise a little.

I picked a random book and checked the title.

'The Golden Chain: A Socioeconomic Study of the Merchant Class'.

People! Chill! I whined in my mind, adding the book to the pile. Well, these are interesting after all, I nodded at the pile of books. Back in Riverfield I had no clue how... important... being a Halve is. Politically speaking, at least.

Then I made my way to one of the many tables next to a wall at the back of the library, where I sat down and placed the pile of books in front of me.

Letting out a sigh, I opened the first book I picked.

'(...)Taking the previous statements of basic self sufficiency into into account, consider the following:

Are we truly independent from Halves? Can we start our own governments without their influence? How are we to make our own choices and mistakes if the rules are so rigid that failure means public execution?

During the Third Age of E'er alone we have seen thirty six cases of regicide by the hand of Halves, more than eighty percent of the total.(...) Ten of which were arbitrarily labeled as tyrants without consulting the populace(...). Four were Monarchs changing the economic systems within the country and while lives were lost: What is progress without sacrifice? We see this price all around us in nature.(...) The natural path is for the bottom to die off so the stronger members of the group see to success.

(...)Does this aberrant and nauseating fact not reveal the political scene around the world as mere puppetry controlled by those we blindly see as protectors? This supposed 'inability' to rule that many believe them to have is naught but a facade cloaked behind poorly acted goodwill. They hold the true power: extreme violence for those who fail their obtuse and arbitrary standards, and apathy to those who succeed.

(...)El'kuu Lao publicly declared our struggle for true freedom to be no more than a child's tantrum at the beginning of the Third Age of E'er. We're seeing the results of allowing them to walk among us.

(…)It should not come as a surprise, then, that someday the last expression of freedom we have to grow through conflict – War – will be taken from us as well. That will be the day the countries of the world shall become the puppets through and through, nothing more than servants that seek to appease an unfathomable and unjust force of nature enabled by the Gods.

(...)Halves revel in violence. When – and not if – Halves turn their figurative sword of mediocre peace to the people of the world instead of upholding their duties to keep us safe: Will Galeia side with them? Will the Gods side with Halves – the True Tyrants?'

-Illusion of Independence, The Halven Fallacy. A study of the 'Protectors' and their impact in Civilized Society, Parr'Okh Usulis Pelino, Historian. 5623, Admak's Era, Third Age of E'er.

“...” I leaned back and stared at the ceiling, processing the contents.

The narrative was similar to what Elena had said a few days ago while under mind control.

It took me forty minutes to read that one. A few words were new, but context does wonders. I put the radicalizing piece of literature to the side and opened the second book I picked. It was quite shorter.

'In this volume of Understanding Galeia we'll see to two natural phenomena: Dungeons and Halves.

Before we 'dive' into it, let's define them.

(1) Dungeons:

Deep crevices in the land may birth a Dungeon if E'er reaches a 90% of concentration pet square meter in a one hundred kilometer wide sphere. Land itself will bend and form wide ecosystems in a variable number of chambers holding increasingly denser E'er the deeper it goes.

This event has been recorder ever since the first report of Dungeon Appearance.

(…) Monsters will migrate inside, lured by the density of E'er. There, they form their own ecosystems and the Dungeon will respond by producing the required habitat for them to thrive after years of being inside. This event, however, does not happen when the sentient species take residence in a Dungeon, which has led to the wrong assumption that we are no longer part of nature itself.

In this volume, Dungeos will take the role of Chaos in Nature.

(…).

(2) Halves:

In the ancient language of the Divines – meaning Celestial – 'Halve' means Protector. They are a sentient species in our world that exists since before our ancestors, dating back to the beginnings of time. While the Gods themselves have not given an answer to which came first, we can cheekily deduce Halves did.

Their physiology is mostly unknown, unfortunately. Their body pigmentation is perhaps the most unique to be found: being either a beautiful silver with a natural metallic shine, or an astonishingly shining gold resembling the suns. (…) Their births are one of the many mysteries of the world, almost as if Galeia wants to keep this fascinating little secret to herself.

(…) While the purpose of this series of volumes is to unravel the mysteries of the world, their minds are perhaps the biggest mystery of them all. (…) Supposedly bound by an instinct some deem omniscient, their sensibilities to threat range from local monster migration to the actions of a despot ruler on the other side of the globe. (…) Since birth they boast the greatest might as well, never seen below level one thousand total. (…) Their psyche is as complex, if not more complex, than the rest of the specie in the world. (…) They are similar to rain in a way: inevitable and bringing either death or life depending on the circumstances. (…) One thing is clear, however. They're made of E'er, meaning their bodies, minds, and might are created. Unlike the rest of us who need reproduction to exist, Halves skip this essential rule of life.

In this volume, they will take the role of Order in Nature.

(…).'

-Understanding Galeia: Dungeons and Halves. Theory on the Duality of Nature, Adina Rioclaro, Naturalist Scholar. 299, Yiama's Era, Fifth Age of E'er. 211th revision of the original publication by Roston Kalamar, 55.712, Danuva's Era, Second Age of E'er.

“...” I scowled at the book.

The contents didn't tell me anything new. Not even about dungeons. The fact people have been studying the world with this degree of interest since forever was incredibly interesting, however. I put it aside and opened the next one.

'(…) The Fourth Age of E'er came to an end with the ban on war Her Excellency Filestra Palaz enforced on the world. Backed by the rest of the Halves and the Gods themselves – along a deathly reminder based on absolute and uncompromising violence – she sought to end conflict between the people of the world and by extension, or perhaps fully intentionally, putting an end to millennia of unnecessary bloodshed.

Politics were no longer a tool to avoid conflict. The armies of the world were no longer there to deter invasions from our neighbors. National borders were there as nothing more than a token of what once was.

Yes, indeed. No more did we aim our knives at the throats of our siblings, friends, neighbors. We were given a new freedom. One we did not understand at first, unfortunately. Discontent plagued the land... the urge for war had become a habit(...).

Rulers no longer were required to be Warriors, Archers, or Scouts. The Rule of the Merchant had arrived and civilization saw an explosion of progress so steep and so violent in terms of population and production growth most were dumbfounded(...).'

-Halven Ban on War: A Study of Progress after Prohibition, Tatiana Uspaxov, Sociologist. 15, Yvanna's Era, Fifth Age of E'er.

“Well, that's nice,” I nodded, putting the book down.

'Protectors, the Worship of the Eternal' was an absolute cringefest of a circus and I vehemently refuse to spread such narratives.

'Registry of Known Halves. 5th Age of E'er Edition' was... pretty fucking long. Longer than I expected. A total of twenty million Halves were in the registry. The descriptions were incredibly bland, nothing more than [Name – Middle Name (If any) – Last Name – Base Class]. I didn't find any Halve with a non-combat class as far as I saw. Archer, Cleric, Scout, Warrior, and Wizard were the norm.

Well, it is a registry, not a biography... I concluded.

I looked at the next book and steeled myself.

This is important to understand the world, Natasha, I convinced myself.

'(...)Economic deviation affects the Merchant Class family the most. Taxes, rates, market values, prices and more are liable to become a skill – something we cannot change once we integrate it. It is the undeniable and inescapable responsibility of Royalty, Nobility, and the many governing bodies around the world to ensure stability in their countries so the loss of what make this Class of ours work in the first place is absolutely avoided.

(...)If a single Oloya costs 10 copper with a 10% tax if sold inside a city with a population under a million, it should remain that way even if the population increases (…).

This is not a matter of currency, wealth, or such superfluous and admittedly primitive concepts but the stability of what validates us Merchants as a Class carrying His Divinity Admak's legacy(…).

(…) It could be said, with all due disrespect, that the integration of currency was a mistake in the first place. Why do we deal with silver and gold? Does nobody see the arbitrary value of these materials as inherent discrimination against Halves? Are we not unconsciously stating, then, that Halves of the Silver variant have less perceived value than those of the Golden variant?

Maybe it's time to abolish the rotted and decayed system of contemporary currency in its complete decrepit form and instead adopt a system based on a single unit: no decimals, no arbitrary denominations. Basing the currencies of the world on Star Tears is flawed and perhaps the most 'unsentient' concept we as a civilization have come up with.(...)'

-The Golden Chain: A Socioeconomic Study of the Merchant Class, Angharad Glynn, Royal Banker. 2371, Photem's Third Era, Fifth Age of E'er.

I smacked my lips and rubbed my temples. A slight headache was forming after reading the walls of text explaining at least twenty possible currency systems while simultaneously avoiding being racist against my species.

“Haaah...” I let out a loud sigh.

Across the table, Pokora looked up from a thick encyclopedia, “What got you so worked up?”

I showed the Elf the covers of what I had read.

“Oh, this one,” she took the radical narrative one and smiled. “Haven't seen a copy since I graduated school.”

No words could leave my mouth for a few seconds. I recovered nonetheless and leaned forward, “They make you read this shit in school?” I couldn't believe my ears.

She nodded with a soft smirk, then moved pitch black locks behind her left ear, “Critical thinking, Natasha. By presenting every side of a subject since childhood, people form their own opinions instead of perpetuating the same narrative. It's even more important to do so since we live so long.”

“And everyone knows this? How come nobody mentions it?” I questioned, more than a little surprised.

She shrugged, then looked down at the encyclopedia, “Not everything needs to be political. People have more important shit to worry about.”

I raised my arms in defeat, “Like?”

She glanced up at me, “Maybe a Giganto Cyclops that will show up and slaughter an entire caravan? Immediate threats are kind of a little more important than ideologies without solid evidence, yeah?”

I leaned back on the chair and let out a long sigh. Then checked the time and almost choked at seeing it was 9 o' clock.

Maybe I can make it in time to check the market, I thought with hope.