338. Herptian’s Deception

A Vacant Room, New Lord’s Castle (Partially Completed). Kim City, Kim island, Kim Dukedom, Ancorna EmpireFaldeus continued his deep prayer in the center of the room while Marie sat nearby in a chair. With a soft sigh, she muttered to herself, “It’s already been a few weeks since Grandpa Faldeus started praying… and there is still no response from the deity.”

She looked around the room, a slight smile returning to her face as she reassured herself. “At least I was able to confirm another one of my blessings. 'Slow Time Vision' from God Glinto, just as we suspected it would be.” This time, there was no shock or surprise at manifesting a blessing from a different god.

“Now, ten more blessings are left…”

Just as Marie finished her train of thought, Faldeus concluded his prayer and opened his eyes, looking over at her. “It’s about time for lunch, isn't it? Let’s go get something to eat.”

“Of course! Let’s eat out. It gets so boring being stuck inside this room all day,” Marie replied eagerly.

Faldeus smiled warmly at her enthusiasm. “Sure, I would love to go on an outing with my granddaughter.”

As they walked along the main streets of Kim City, the vibrant hustle of the citizens and the modern steam trams passing by was a remarkable sight for Faldeus. Eventually, they reached Miss Fillian’s Dine, one of the main attractions of the city.

“This is the place where Mast—Mother and I visited before, back when the very first play in the city was held! It’s a really fun place where you can enjoy great food and watch a performance at the same time!” Marie explained, catching herself before she accidentally said 'Master.'

“I... I see,” Faldeus commented. His eyes naturally drifted toward the colorful posters outside the establishment that openly advertised 'indulgence artisans are available.' He chose to ignore it, keeping in mind that this was the Kim Dukedom, the absolute stronghold of the Herptian religion on the Eastern Continent. He could clearly see how open and unbothered the local people were regarding their promiscuous culture, causing him to mutter under his breath, “It’s just like the Holy Empire of Giniva back in the Western Continent… The Herptian faith’s culture is just as widespread here.”

“Of course it would be!” Marie replied proudly as she gently dragged him through the entrance. “Mother is a Herptian Apostle, and the Church of Herptian has been helping the people here since back when the city was nothing but a starving, desolate desert!”

As they were guided to their seats, Marie looked toward the front of the establishment. “Ah... a play is starting soon,” she noted, eyeing the stage.

Faldeus nodded, ordering a few dishes from the menu as they got ready for the curtain to rise.

The heavy velvet curtains parted as the ambient mana-lamps in the dining hall dimmed to a soft, intimate glow. Plates of steaming, rich food were set before Faldeus and Marie just as the music began to swell—a sultry, rhythmic melody played on stringed instruments that vibrated deep in the chest.

On stage, the actors emerged, and Faldeus immediately understood what Marie meant by the local culture. The costumes were daringly minimalist, designed to accentuate every curve and muscle. The actress playing Goddess Solious wore translucent gold silk that clung to her skin, while the actress representing Goddess Herptian was clad in low-cut, revealing crimson veils that left very little to the imagination. The actor playing Emperor Aurelius stood between them, bare-chested and draped in royal furs.

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“This play takes place during the Age of Divine,” a narrator’s voice echoed through the hall, amplified by a magic tool. “An era when the gods walked freely among mortals, and the Absolute Being had not yet sought to erase the consciousness of the world.”

The story began with the founding of the Ancorna Empire. Goddess Solious, radiant and proud, had chosen the mortal Aurelius as her husband, binding herself to a strict, monogamous marriage, a concept entirely foreign to the other deities.

On stage, Herptian swirled around the golden couple, her movements provocative and mocking. She openly questioned Solious, her voice dripping with skepticism. “Is a single mortal truly worth your divinity, sister? To bind your infinite nature to the fragile, fleeting heart of one man?”

Solious stepped forward, her chest swelling with divine pride as she proclaimed her absolute faith in her husband. “Aurelius’s love for me is pure! It is a bond so sacred and unyielding that he would never look at another woman, mortal or divine. His eyes see only me.”

Herptian smirked, a wicked glint in her eyes as the stage lights shifted to a deep, nocturnal violet. She refused to believe such a pure bond could exist in the world.

The scene shifted to simulate a secluded island near the borders of the empire. To execute the transition, a thin, translucent white curtain dropped at the front of the stage, completely veiling the actors. The main stage lights went dark, and a powerful, singular spotlight flared to life from directly behind the curtain.

The dining hall fell into a breathless hush as the clever staging took effect. The audience could no longer see the actors' faces, but the bright backlighting projected crisp, explicit silhouettes onto the front sheet. The actress playing Herptian used her shifting magic to take the form of Solious, luring the unsuspecting Emperor into a passionate embrace.

“Goddess Herptian disguised as her sister invited Emperor Aurelius to her bed, The unsuspecting Mortel fell into her embrace believing it to be his wife” the narrator’s voice echoed through the hall

What followed was a highly erotic display of shadows. The silhouettes of the two figures melded together, moving in a synchronized, rhythmic dance of temptation. The acoustics of the stage amplified every sound, the heavy, hurried breaths, the soft moans, and the rustle of discarded silk echoing clearly through the diner. The audience of Kim City watched casually, completely unfazed by the provocative nature of the performance, some even cheering softly at the flawless execution of the shadow-play.

Marie shifted slightly in her seat, focusing entirely on her food to hide a faint blush, while Faldeus observed the stage with a deeply analytical expression.

The backlighting abruptly snapped off, and the front curtain rose once more to reveal the morning light hitting the stage. The actress playing Solious stood at the edge of the bed, her golden robes trembling with righteous fury as she discovered the betrayal.

“After indulging in a betrayal of passionate night, a furious morning sun arrived” The narrator’s voice called out using the sentence sun’s arrival as a double entendrum for both Solious and the Sun given she is the sun goddess.

Herptian dropped her disguise, letting out a cruel, melodic laugh that echoed through the hall. She stood proudly over the bewildered naked Emperor, mocking her sister's naivety. “Look at your pure bond, Solious! Your precious Emperor couldn't even tell the difference between your divine touch and my embrace. Pure love is nothing but a mortal illusion!”

Furious and heartbroken, Solious raised her hands to the heavens. The stage effects simulated a blinding flash of golden solar fire as she pointed downward, her voice booming with a terrible wrath.

“Let the soil bear witness to this ultimate deception! I curse this wretched land, no green shall ever break through its earth, no crops shall ever feed its people, and no life shall naturally flourish where this betrayal occurred!”

As the curtains closed to a thunderous round of applause from the diners, Faldeus lowered his fork, his eyes wide as the pieces of historical geography finally clicked together in his mind.

He leaned across the table, whispering to Marie, “The island where the betrayal occurred... the land cursed by Solious to never grow a single plant...”

Marie nodded, wiping her mouth with a napkin. “Yes, Grandpa. The play is about this very place. Before Mother arrived and transformed it... Kim Island was the desolate, barren place known as Jola.”