The OP Lich is a Returnee, Chapter 121

Chapter 121 – Religion

To say that getting possessed by a Goddess was taxing on a person is like saying a typhoon in the Pacific is a ‘little bit wet’. A mortal frame, even an undead one like mine, is simply not equipped for such a thing. Such a body is incapable of holding the full weight of divinity.

Of course, it wasn’t just the body that was taxed by the presence of a Goddess. A mortal soul is not meant for close proximity to a transcendent being. The others were not affected so greatly, because She was filtered through my body, but my soul received the full brunt of Her presence, and just that brief spell was enough to force me into unconsciousness when she left, causing an undead creature who did not need sleep to slumber until dawn.

That was one thing that was similar between Deities and Primordials. Their power could not be contained within three dimensions moving in the fourth. On Onerth, there was some philosophical debate on whether they so powerful because they transcended those dimensions, or if transcending dimensions gave them their power. Personally, I believed that both were true, to some degree. Some creatures were ‘born’ transcended, and others fought to gain transcendence.

Fortunately, I was the one in charge of this expedition, so the only person I needed to consult with on the itinerary when I awoke in the pavilion back by the landing site was myself. Three days spent in search of the Seal, two days spent wresting it from the Guardian. I made the executive decision that we would spend another day here so that I could rest and recover.

However, I was not idle. The first thing I did, after declaring that we would rest until the next morning, was to call Lilah Morgan, my attorney from Wolfram & Hart. I had a task from my Patron, after all, and that was not something I could do on a whim.

“Akagawa-sama! What a pleasure to hear from you. I take it that this means you finished with the Seal you were going for?”

I smiled at the easy way Lilah talked to me. She was one of the few who spoke like that in my presence, outside of family and old friends. Which is why she did it, no doubt, to put me at ease.

“Hello, Lilah. Yes, we completed undoing the Seal easily enough, but there were some complications afterwards. The volunteers were fused together, becoming a single entity. The only way to safely separate them was to call upon a higher power than myself.”

“Hm, do you mind if I pass this along to Holly after we’re done? Her PR team would like to know about this. At the very least, they need to get a heads up so they don’t get blind-sided.”

“Of course, and that will help with what I have to do next. I was forced to call upon Murena, the Goddess of Death and the Hunt, who is my Patron as a warlock. Her mastery of souls eclipses mine, obviously, and so she was able to separate the two souls. But asking a favor from one’s Patron is never without a price.”

“Murena… that’s one of the deities from Onerth, where you were summoned, right? So, she has a presence here, as well?”

“A warlock’s Patron has a presence everywhere that one they’ve made a pact with travels. Since I am here, she has a bit of a presence in this world. However, the price for asking her aid directly was that I need to cement her presence here.”

“So, do I need to round up human sacrifices?”

I laughed at the thought. “Oh, no. Despite being the Goddess of Death, Murena is not one for the sacrifice of sapient creatures. She is neutral, in the whole ‘good and evil’ thing. It is those who occupy the further ends that indulge in human sacrifice.”

“Really, even the ‘good’ gods?”

“What do you think ‘purifying’ the heretics in holy fire is, if not a different means of human sacrifice? At least the followers of the dark gods are honest about it when they kill someone for power, or the favor of their god. The righteous types always have to justify it somehow, instead of just admitting what they did.”

“Well, that’s good to know. So, what do you need from me, then?”

“Murena bade me to build a temple in her honor, in the land where the Seal of Death resides. In other words, Egypt. So, I will need land. At least one acre, preferably two. It doesn’t need to be right by the Pyramids, but generally in that area would be preferred.”

I heard sounds of typing. Lilah was taking notes, obviously, and not simply trusting to memory. “All right. Anything right next to the Pyramids is going to be impossible, but within a few kilometers should be easy enough to pull off. Will you need construction equipment or workers?”

“No, I have my people, and they will be able to take care of the construction. Actually, I will be rebuilding the Temple of Murena from Arela, the capital of Athelia-That-Was. I had it disassembled, stone by stone, and saved when I was planning my exit from Onerth. The Goddess had helped me, and while I did not worship her, it would have been rude to allow her temple to be destroyed in the explosion my leaving that world would cause.”

“Right, I can work with that. I’m assuming the workers will be undead, yes? What about the priests? Drafting from the locals will be much more difficult.”

“I will station a Priest of Murena there, along with some guards to ensure that no one causes trouble. They’ll be undead, naturally, but I’ll try to ensure that they aren’t the more problematic sort.”

“Our firm has a branch office in Cairo, so I’ll get with them on the specifics. They’ll know better than I do about any relevant laws to creating a new temple, or for sapient undead in the country. What kind of time frame are you looking at?”

“Well, I need to have it done before I unleash the Seal of Death, but I’m going to stop by Fire and Earth before that. So, that gives me two or three weeks to get it finished? I’ll want to start with the construction before then, of course. So, as soon as possible. Thankfully, I’ve been to Cairo before, when we were doing that world tour of talk shows, just after I returned from Onerth, so I can teleport there without trouble, even while I go about dealing with the other seals.”

“Hmm. That’s a bit quicker than I’d like, but I’m sure our firm can manage. Can I call you back when I have news?”

“Of course. Thank you, Lilah. Have a good day.”

“Always a pleasure, Akagawa-sama.”

As I hung up the phone, I heard footsteps coming up behind me. I didn’t need to turn to see who it was. My ability to sense Life and Mana was not limited to what was before me, after all.

“Yes, Koyama-san? I take it there is something you’d like to ask of me, on behalf of your masters back in Japan?”

The man shrugged as I turned to face him. “Yes, and no. We already knew, from your testimony, that gods in other worlds were real, even though we haven’t seen any tangible proof of them in this world. Until now.”

“Ah, I figured it would be something like that. I do hope you understand that, as a Warlock, the Goddess Murena may use me as her eyes and ears, and sometimes her hands, but it is not the direct connection like someone channeling the Holy or Unholy elements would have, yes? And I certainly cannot be said to speak on Her behalf, or intercede with her on behalf of the mortal realm.”

“Of course. The difference between the two roles, both with how they gain their power, and how they interact with the higher power responsible for their growth, is plain to see. However, since evidently this Goddess has a more tangible presence in the world, now, there were people who asked if there was some way that we might ‘get in on the ground floor’, as some might call it.”

“As Goddess of the Hunt, I can tell you that Murena is not fond of state-mandated religions, where worshippers are basically a captive audience. It is the same as with the slave collars. She despised them, not just because they tampered with the soul, with some of them even going so far as to alter or suppress the victim’s memories until they remembered nothing but servitude, but because they bound the wearer’s will, and they could no longer freely choose their fate.”

“Ah, before you go on, how would that desire for freedom relate to the courts, and the prison system?”

I smiled at that. “Well, I hadn’t expected that to be your first question. Already decided that the collars weren’t something worth trying?”

Koyama sighed. “I would be lying if I said that nowhere, anywhere in the government had ever considered the possible uses of such devices. As a Queen, you know better than most that not everything a nation does can be wholly in the light. But, as far as I know, the people looking into that have hit a dead end.”

He was right, of course. I wasn’t so naïve as to believe that the government of Japan would never stoop to such levels. The entire reason for any country building or maintaining weapons that would be considered war crimes if they were actually used is to ensure that there was more than just a piece of paper preventing their rivals from using those same weapons on them. “Really?”

“Yes, though I admit it isn’t for purely moralistic reasons. Beyond the simple fact that no one with any sense wishes to see what you would do if someone made those things in this world, there is also the practical concern that no one other than you and perhaps those in your circle knows enough Enchanting to create the devices in the first place. Your own testimony has been extremely curtailed on the mechanics of the collars, and for obvious reason. For equally obvious reasons, anyone who considered asking you about them in detail has been quickly shouted down, or, in one case, quietly removed, when they would not see reason.”

I smiled for real, this time. “Well, I’m glad that pragmatism and ethics coincide this day. Anyway, when talking about the courts, and prisons, Murena does not take issue with such things, so long as the courts are fair. One should face the consequences of one’s actions, after all. If those choices lead to a loss of freedom, or death, then that is on their head. Naturally, that does not mean she would approve of abuses within the prison system. Getting sent to prison is a consequence of their actions. A guard attempting to coerce inmates for ‘favors’ is not.”

I took a breath to clear my head. “As far as slavery as an institution? Murena is actually neutral on the concept, so long as abominations like the collars are not employed. She’s less favorable towards chattel slavery, but contract slavery, debt slavery, indentured servitude? These are all choices made, and the consequences thereof.

“One need only look at my armies for proof of this. Every last soldier of Risen Athelia is bound to me, in one way or another. Some follow willingly, but many are slaves to my will, as the necromancer who raised them into undeath. Those slaves fought against me, making their service in undeath my right by conquest. A few, a special few, were given to me by Murena herself, for they were the ones who drew my class to that world, and she judged this outcome the proper consequences of their actions.”

“Fascinating. But that does lead me to the real question I wished to ask. Seeing as how the Goddess favors those who embrace her cause, and, at least, does not work against those who do not put themselves at odds with her, there is interest in constructing a shrine to her in the country. With so many kami already enshrined, having another would not raise any concerns, especially as she has shown herself in the world through you.”

I chuckled. “Clever. Ignore any of the potential pitfalls with other religions by framing the argument as another kami. I take it, then, your masters hoped I would give you advice on how to properly enshrine her, while keeping with the overall aesthetic of existing shrines?”

“Precisely.”

“Very well. Our next overall destination is Mururoa Atoll, in Pacific. I was planning to stop by Australia on our way, to check in on the Troll Patriarch, and ensure there are no further complications from his transformation. During that time, I will also pop over to my home in Japan, and arrange an introduction to a priest of Murena, who can help with designing a shrine.

“As for a proper place, I can tell you that someplace associated with Death would be preferable. Historical battlefields, for instance. Okinawa, Iwo Jima, and Hiroshima would all be perfect sites. But really, anywhere with a connection to Death, or a connection to Hunting would be a good site for the shrine.”

“I will pass that along, so that the analysts can start looking for an appropriate place.”