The Nebula’s Civilization

Yotan clicked and extended their claw, a gesture Astacideas used for emphasis.

"The phrase 'flesh and blood' refers to mortal bodies. That means, as of now, the gods are in an extremely vulnerable state."

"So, the gods are... Ah, wait a moment…yes, I have just been advised by the priest organization that what I was about to say may be blasphemous. However, yes…however, our citizens with their sharp intellectuals will understand what I'm trying to say. You understand too, right, Reporter Yotan?"

Suddenly, there was a disturbance at Maloko's desk. Maloko calmly looked toward the commotion, pursing their lips tightly.

Then they slightly shook their head and said, "No, this isn't blasphemy. I'm not asking this question to disrespect the divinity of the Pantheon, but rather to share a common understanding of a more important issue. Reporter Yotan, please answer. Have the gods become...mortals?"

Yotan answered concisely, "Yes, they have. They can now die."

The disturbance at the desk grew louder, and a figure in priestly robes approached before getting promptly pulled away by other staff members who ran in front of the camera.

Maloko took a moment to wipe their sweat with a handkerchief and took a sip of water.

"...Yes, sorry for the interruption. There was a small disturbance at the desk. We at Orazen’s Public Broadcasting apologize to the citizens of the Empire and will pay more attention to smooth broadcasting… Reporter Yotan?"

"Please continue. The gods have become mortals... Is this true?"

Yotan said, "We can infer this from the fact that priests, the chosen ones, and the knights are currently unable to use the miracles derived from their faith."

"What does that mean?"

"It's not just that the gods have become mortal beings, but the power of the Pantheon, the divinity we knew...is gone."

"Gone?"

Yotan nodded. It was a difficult gesture for an Astacidea, but living among other species, Yotan seemed to have picked it up as a habit. This Astacidea surely had many friends from different species.

Reporter Yotan said, "We call this the Fall."

"The Fall. Right, the Fall. It sounds like an archaic word, doesn't it?"

"It's actually borrowed from ancient texts found in ruins. Priests and archaeologists started referring to the phenomenon by this term, and it quickly spread through Sky Net."

Maloko nodded. "Understood. Reporter Yotan, please stay at your location and wait until we receive an official announcement from the Imperial Palace."

"Yes. This was Yotan at the front yard of the Imperial Palace."

As Yotan disappeared from the screen, Maloko continued the broadcast.

"At our desk currently, we have the captain of the southern continent’s Kalonba Exploration Team, Aronolang Rubel, to explain the Fall to us. Hello, Captain Rubel."

"Yes, I am Aronolang Rubel."

Aronolang was a Minotaur, which was a rare sight. Due to their large size, the camera had to be pulled back, making Maloko, who was already of considerable size, appear relatively small.

Maloko adjusted their glasses and looked at Aronolang. "Why did a phenomenon like the Fall happen? Many netizens are discussing this on Sky Net. Not just on Sky Net, but in restaurants, tea shops, and now in bars, and many people in their living rooms with their families are talking about the Fall. Some even say that the gods have abandoned us once again."

Aronolang lightly rubbed their nose. "First, I disagree with what you said. It's not right to say that the gods abandoned the people, the Empire, or Avartin due to the Fall."

"Is that so?"

"In ancient literature, the Fall is used only in a passive, not active, sense."

"Ah, could you explain it more simply for our viewers, Captain?"

"There's no case of self-induced Falling. It's always something that happens to them."

"And who is responsible for that?"

Aronolang didn't answer immediately, but looked down at the water bottle in front of them. However, it didn't seem like they were actually looking at the bottle.

"In respect to deteriorating knowledge... From a considerable number of ancient texts, we find records of the deeds of the old gods and cases of the Fall. The Fall was a kind of punishment. It turned a god into a non-god.

“Higher gods could do this to lower gods, to those of a lower divine rank, and those who lost their divinity, yes, without exception, faced a miserable death. What can die does die."

Maloko adjusted their glasses, more as a gesture to catch attention and adjust pace than because they were actually tilted. "But what can be higher-ranking than the gods of the Pantheon?"

Aronolang replied, "The old gods. The old gods have returned."

The news then discussed who old gods were and the lengthy ancient history of Avartin, which was so vast that its accuracy was often questioned. Much of it was filled with archaeologists' speculations and hypotheses that were more imaginations than anything.

Yet it covered the relatively recent history of the evil gods' emergence, the old war caused by them, and the 40,000 years of abandonment that followed the war. The sequence formed a context, allowing viewers to grasp the overall picture.

"...We thank the southern continent’s Kalonba Exploration Team for providing the information. Captain Aronolang, you're saying the old gods subjected the new gods to the Fall...and thus, the gods of the Pantheon have descended to earth."

"Yes."

"Captain, all of this happened right after the moon-facing plan. It hasn't even been 24 hours since the execution of Operation: Second Moon, known as the final strategy. Are these two events related?"

"Yes, they are certainly related. The gods of the Pantheon and our Empire succeeded in Operation: Second Moon. I've heard that although the announcement from the Starkeepers' High Committee hasn't been made yet, the second moon disappeared, and the evil gods were repelled."

"Yes, that's all true.”

Aronolang said, "I see it this way: there is now no enemy of the Pantheon or the Empire in the world. We have truly achieved peace. Of course, there are forces that disrupt the unity of the Empire, but that's natural. The Empire is heading toward a path we haven’t yet gone down on… At least, as long as nothing had happened."

"You're saying that it was when the old gods appeared?"

"Yes."

"What are they aiming for?"

"That's not precisely known. The old gods haven't shown themselves yet. However, based on the Fall, there is a clear fact."

"What is that?"

Aronolang quietly looked down at their water bottle.

"The fact that the old gods have inflicted the Fall on the gods of the Pantheon implies that the relationship between these two sets of gods is not equal, and there is discord."

Maloko nodded. "Captain, thank you for your thoughtful explanations about the Fall. Just one final question, if I may?"

"Go ahead."

"It might be a bit personal. Is that okay?"

"Yes, that's fine."

Maloko and Aronolang locked eyes.

Maloko asked, "Captain, if you had to choose between following the old gods or the Pantheon, whom would you follow?"

Aronolang answered, "Obviously, I would follow the Pantheon. We have believed and followed them, and they have endlessly revealed the path to us. I am a follower of the god of the north. I cannot give up this faith now."

"Even though the gods have lost their divinity? If what you say about the Fall is true, the gods of the Pantheon will no longer be able to bestow any miracles upon us."

Aronolang slightly shook their head. "Excuse me for a moment. You see, there's nothing on this desk. But if someone does this..."

Suddenly, Aronolang reached for the water bottle and spilled a bit of water. Then, they placed their finger on the small puddle and drew a line with their index finger.

"We can follow a line if it's drawn for us, and even if that line disappears..."

As Aronolang's finger moved beyond the spilled water, the water no longer followed due to friction, and the line of transparent droplets broke off from their fingertip.

"Even if it disappears, we can look back at the line that was drawn in the past. This will be our guide for the future… A long time ago, someone drew a line in our hearts. It doesn't matter if they can no longer lead us. I will continue to follow that line."

Maloko stayed silent for a moment—for one second, two seconds, three seconds. It almost seemed like a broadcasting accident. Shadows moved behind the camera.

Soon, Maloko skillfully took out a handkerchief to wipe off the water Aronolang had spilled on the desk, continuing the broadcast. "Thank you. That was Aronolang Rubel, the captain of the southern continent’s Kalonba Exploration Team."

"Thank you."

The screen then focused solely on Maloko.

Maloko said, "Moving on to our next piece of news. Currently, the whereabouts of the Fallen gods are largely uncertain, and due to security risks, we cannot disclose this information.

“Amidst this, one of the Pantheon gods is showing a rather...lively course of action. We assure you that the upcoming footage has been reviewed for security by the Imperial Palace, Central Temple, and Imperial Army… We'll connect now with Narin Eose, who is on the site... Narin?"

The screen switched to Narin.

"Yes! I'm Narin Eose at the Central Museum of Fabirang in the southern continent."

Narin Eose belonged to the Renard species. Despite being relatively short, their overflowing energy made them seem bigger than they were. In fact, their body rhythmically moved with every syllable they enunciated with emphasis.

"The Central Museum of Fabirang is famous for its exhibition of historic inventions related to the…Doodooba Rubber Trees. Why are you there?"

"Right! I'm here at the Central Museum of Fabirang because the famous Pantheon god, Folded Wing Golden Bird, has come here! Golden Bird woke up at the Fabirang Sanctuary and, under the protection provided by the Fabirang Imperial Territory, is visiting major landmarks of Fabirang!"

Footage then appeared on the screen. There stood a confident figure known to the Pantheon’s players as RD, worshiped by devotees as the Folded Wing Golden Bird, and simply referred to as a rubber duck toy by Sung-Woon.

RD was surrounded by Fabirang's pride, the Platy Special Task Force. Despite their complete armament, the Platy Special Task Force looked somewhat cute, but their combat capabilities were highly regarded, leading to speculations that even their appearance is part of a strategy. In fact, in modern warfare, their small stature was advantageous with compact firearms.

RD shamelessly walked down the main roads of Fabirang, admiring numerous architectural marvels, expressing awe, and tasting famous local dishes. Naturally, RD's arms didn't reach their mouth, so high priests had to attend to them, all wearing broad smiles out of their delight to be serving a god directly.

"...We've seen the footage. But, Reporter Narin, it looks to me like..."

"Yes!"

"The activities the Golden Bird is engaging in seems..."

"Yes!"

"Like tourism..."

Narin clearly responded, "Yes! It is tourism."