Myth: The Ruler of Spirituality

Mortal Realm.

Heliopolis, Solar Golden Temple.

"..."

"... The turbulent Nile River, fertile black land."

"Her waters irrigate the black soil, her milk nourishes Egypt."

"Praise the black land, praise the Nile River."

"Long live, source of myriad waters!"

"You come to this land, arrive in peace, bringing life to Egypt."

"Hidden Deity, you have guided night into day, we celebrate your guidance, praise your authority."

"You planted the gardens tilled by the Sun, giving life to all who walk."

"You ceaselessly water the land, along your descent from Heaven."

"Keeper of food, giver of grain, you bring light to every family!"

"..."

Above Heliopolis, the clouds had scattered, and devout believers were singing hymns.

In recent days, more and more believers had been gathering near the Holy City. Some brought their families; others came alone on pilgrimage.

Hundreds of thousands converged here, their sacred songs in praise of the gods resounding day and night.

Whether it was ballads recounting the deeds of the gods or texts from some volume of the Undead Book, carrying the chapters that glorify the Nile.

The pious anthems reached the clouds, rendering the city all the more divine and extraordinary.

...

Tap tap—

In a corner of the Holy City, as the organizer of everything, Kasim appeared gentle and distant.

His fingers gently tapped on the wall, as if to accompany the hymns. Believers from afar cast admiring glances, considering him the most perfect servant of God in the Mortal Realm, the Priest who always remained in the Home of the Gods.

"... Aibu."

"Teacher, do you need anything?"

"You have been busy settling these pilgrims who came from afar. So, Aibu, do you know why they are so devout?"

After a while, the sun dipped low in the west.

Kasim seemed tired, his eyes closing gently.

By his side, Aibu stepped forward to support his father and teacher: "That is because God exists."

"Since He exists, faith naturally follows."

This was Aibu's belief, as well as that of the vast majority.

Why wouldn't people believe in something that objectively exists?

"Is that so, think again," Kasim continued to ask with a gentle smile:

"If one must believe because God exists, then there are many gods that exist in this world."

"Egypt has Egyptian gods, those Sin People have their gods. Tell me, why should we believe in the gods of Egypt and not theirs?"

"... That is because Sun will protect us, guiding us forward. Foreign gods will only protect their own believers, so our faith is given only to Sun."

Aibu offered his answer according to logic after a moment of silence, but it was so candid.

People were willing to believe because the gods brought benefits, not because of their might and greatness.

"Hehe, Aibu, many a qualified Priests knows this. If they didn't at first, they would gradually understand it in the process of spreading faith," Kasim remarked.

"But this only answers why people believe in God; it does not address the current issue. Look—"

While the melodious songs continued to echo, Kasim, who was the nominal leader of the Holy City at the moment, was discussing the origin of faith.

"In the past, God has brought favorable winds and rain to the Egyptians, warding off disasters more than once, but such a grand pilgrimage has never occurred before."

"Now, hundreds of thousands have gathered here, and even more are coming from all over Egypt. Tell me, why is this?"

"..."

"... Because, they have encountered disasters."

Taking a deep breath, Aibu seemed to understand what his father really wanted to teach him.

"I understand... For a god, the kindness bestowed upon believers should only be temporary."

"When people first encounter divine grace, they rejoice; when they receive it a second time, they thank the deity for the gift. But as they keep receiving it, they will take it for granted."

"Therefore, the gifts of a deity should never be quantified, nor become customary rules. If that happens, God would lose His mystery and the believers their awe."

"Let reality instill fear in them, and let God be the hope to avoid fear, yet that hope is ethereal and vague. Thus, the law's rewards and punishments must not be fully known, for then its might cannot be measured."
Enjoy new stories from My Virtual Library Empire

"Of course, all this presupposes that the deity truly possesses supreme might."

The more he spoke, the more Aibu felt his own faith in God waver.

This was a way to help gods develop their followers, but knowing this, he couldn't become a devout believer himself... Thinking this, Aibu felt both admiration for his father's experience and wisdom and a sense of irony.

"Thus it is with all things in this world, Aibu."

"The most capable officials of the dynasty are the ones who don't believe in the law, believed in by the common people; the most devoted servants of the gods are not devout believers themselves, the devout are the believers."

"Of course, there are exceptions, but they are too rare. Aibu, I wanted you to think about these things to understand the logic behind them. That way, you can become the most important servant to any deity."

Kasim's voice was calm; he never hid his own age and weakness.

He had told Aibu a long time ago that his life wouldn't last many more years.

"Alright, now that the official business is done, it's your turn."

"Speak, what did you come to me wanting to say?"