Inside the Bone Church.
Past Slaier sat silently.
He had fallen into mories.
It truly was...a long day, and since then, he had stepped into an irreversible whirlpool, controlled by the Six Gods, unable to escape their grasp for hundreds of years, sinking deeper the more he struggled.
During that ti, Slaier was tornted, experiencing nothing but pain.
However, that long day didn’t only leave behind anguish.
At the very least, it taught this Divine being a lesson.
And that was...
A banquet should not have too many untily topics of conversation.
............
............
"Welco, Slaier, this banquet wouldn’t be complete without you."
The Divine being raised a goblet and said,
"I have prepared for you the ’Seventy-Two Cups of Wine’ cherished by Wine God Sibos."
Slaier knew that the Seventy-Two Cups of Wine were Wine God Sibos’ proudest creation in his life, and were also the most widely known legend of that Divine being in the Mortal World.
The Seventy-Two Cups of Wine, as the na implies, were not of the sa kind; they covered seventy-two categories of present-day beverages, including the most ancient and widespread ale, the most noble golden grape wines, and the most complex Stiland Bitter Wine, among many others. Sibos had poetically nad each one.
Elf-like Longevity, Lover’s Comfort, Bitter Kiss, Union of Souls... each type of wine originated from His Divine Artifact, Desire’s Cup, possessing a variety of magical effects.
A mortal once had the fortune of tasting "Lover’s Comfort," and it was said that he saw the wine mist transform into Sibos’ maidservant, with whom he spent day after day in delight. When he ca to his senses, he found himself with white hair, already an old man, while the Death God had long been waiting.
"Thank you for allowing the honor of tasting such exquisite wines."
Slaier said with a smile.
The banquet began just like that. Including Slaier, there were eight Divine beings present. The hostess was a woman in a black robe and dress, her attire starkly simple against the bright and rich garb of the other Divines that made the courtyard shine with splendor.
Slaier felt that the quiet and reticent woman was the type he was least interested in.
The topic of the banquet began with "love."
The first Divine being to speak was imposing and valiant. He spoke at length about the mortals’ misconceptions of "love." In mortal eyes, love was hierarchical, with spiritual love being the most esteed at the top, and lewd carnal desires sitting at the bottom, particularly among so True Believers who advocate asceticism—the latter is often discarded, while the forr is highly praised.
That Divine being said, love is personal and equal, even if it is an immoral and unethical banquet, it is as equal as the most devout spiritual love.
Slaier sowhat forgot how he had spoken, but he distinctly rembered that all the Divines present agreed with these words.
At the ti, the god of lies and deception only considered it an interesting topic, but now, these words seed to have a deeper aning.
Their so-called spiritual love, perhaps, referred to the Father of Gods, and the immoral, unethical banquet... implied the rebellion of the Six Gods.
Slaier was tipsy at that ti, Divinities kept pouring wine for Him, one glass after another, while beauty continuously swept past His eyes, numbing His mind. Just as He was about to sink into it, the formal subject began.
The hostess of the banquet stepped out, and the assembled Gods sipped on fine wine, their gazes converging on the woman. Slaier sowhat forgot exactly what she had said, but certain fragnts left a deep impression.
"Honorable Divinities, in your Temples, there always exist those who dissent, often branded as heretics. Don’t you sotis feel that the ideas of these heretics are closer to your thoughts, closer to the truth, than those rigid Priests?"
"Yet, the thoughts of Divinities are not unchanging. Perhaps, the rigid Priests will once again approach the truth, while the truth in the heretics’ mouths may be fleeting.
Look, Gods, how easy it is to create truth, it all hinges on your thoughts."
Following that, the Divinities began discussing mythology, seeing it from different perspectives. What was once a true mythology now had so many faces, so many interpretations, and without much care, heretical views would arise.
Under the guidance of the hostess, the Divinities engaged in cheerful conversation. At that mont, Slaier actually sensed sothing, but it wasn’t appropriate to leave amidst the banquet.
Slaier still rembered, there was a reticent Divine being, almost imperceptibly present, like being hidden away, who suddenly said during the banquet,
"In the mythology of our Father, what is our place?"
This sentence left a profound impression on Slaier.
In the Scriptures of the True Religion, the Gods were not without their traces, yet...
At the banquet, the Divinities beca excited, discussing various Scriptures of the True Religion, searching for the traces of the Gods. Every Scripture was chewed over and over, until taphors symbolizing the Gods were teased out. They were practically heretics, but at the sa ti, the immortal Divinities were witnesses to the myths.
"Why is there not a scripture interpreting the Father’s writings from the perspective of the Gods?"
Slaier couldn’t rember who said this, but He rembered that not long after, the Primordial Church was born.
The thoughts of Divinities are not unchanging.
The Six Gods at that banquet exchanged wines, longing for their Father’s thoughts to change, favorable to their transformation.
"How free we were in the old order."
A Fifth Rank Divine being spoke out,
"The Law seems to bind Divinity and Mortal equally, yet how can the constraints on the Divine be the sa as those on Mortals? Our sacrifices are far greater than mortals, our shackles far heavier."
Slaier knew that nurous Divinities longed for the old order.
To be honest, He longed for it too.
Then, He could deceive at will, do as He pleased. He reveled in the pride of a swindler and was adept at following every rule.
But Slaier was even clearer that everything could not go back to the way it was. The Law was so unbearable for the Divinities, but without the Law, it was the Mortals who would find it unbearable.
"I believe, my guests, that you all understand—as long as your Father lives, there will only be more and more Scripture written."
The hostess spoke up at just the right mont,
"I can tell you, in not too distant a future, you will have your place as long as you, create your own myths. And as for spreading the word, you can leave that to the Mortals."
The eyes of the present Divinities gathered on the hostess. Before this mont, Slaier didn’t know her origin.
She spoke slowly,
"I believe you are all aware, I co from suffering, and this is what my God has bid pass on to you."
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