**Kuro**
The Heroic Age. For the classical Greeks, the Heroic Age was the fourth in Hesiod's attempt to explain the history of mankind. To them, it was an era where demi-gods, descendants of their deities, and larger-than-life men walked the earth, and performed heroic deeds, hence the name. If I remembered it right, this was the time of Jason and his Argonauts, and tragic warrior, Achilles. Modern scholarly studies on literature, however, posited that the Greek stories and epics that defined the heroic age might be true, but less spectacular than the ones found in scrolls and books. They blame oral traditions, and the bards, for the subsequent embellishment of the 'otherwise mundane' version of events.
I think they have a point. After all, it's no different from Hollywood's excuse for the blatant historical disrespect: the creative liberties.
Any case, I couldn't avoid to draw some parallels to that literature and my situation…
"A pleasant day to you, Your Heavenly Majesty! Would you like us to bring your breakfast here?"
My train of thoughts was interrupted by a group of dwarf servants who let themselves into my room. I was still in Equa—I mean, Cherhom, and I was given a place to stay in the city of Montserrant, which became the new 'center' of religious worship in all the land of the dwarves after the infamous incident in Hemelin. The miners' queen, Paula Cole, offered her palace for me, as she believed that a 'humble house' wouldn't fit a 'god,' but I begged to differ. If I could choose between a palace and a small house, I'd always choose to the latter. Small houses were 'homelier' than the grand and gilded mansions of the rich. Nevertheless, at the prodding of the dwarf saint, they got me a group of maids to attend to my 'needs' even though I told them I could take care of myself.
"Ah, no worries, I'll pick it up later," I offered, but the maid insisted.
"That's impossible, milord," she answered, with her fellow servants joining in their protest. "Our queen gave us strict orders to serve you."
"Well, I'm doing nothing," I replied, showing them the empty table before me. "And I can still move my limbs. Let me get my own food."
The servants were adamant; they shook their heads while forcing me down on my seat. "It is unthinkable, milord, for an esteemed god such as you to have an army of servants and yet he doesn't rely on them! We, your faithful, won't dare to idle while you work!"
"It's not even hard to grab a tray, and my food, and bring it here myself!"
"Milord, please…" the dwarf servants' faces were serious, and I found myself unable to say nothing to that. I guess that sealed it. While I had no ability to read their minds, I could tell from their pleas that I shouldn't interfere in their work. Dwarves were like the Japanese in my world; they take pride in their duties and responsibilities, and any more refusal to them—even if I do it out of consideration—would mean great disrespect. Although, it seemed that these dwarves had no idea of how gods should conduct themselves…or is it just me and my 'earthly' perspective of things?
Well, just to be sure, I asked them, "Look, even as I'm someone you look up to, I don't want to cause any hardships to anyone of you. Answer me honestly, are you forced to do this by your queen?"
"Far from that thought, milord!" the leading servant said. "It is an honor for us to serve a considerate and kind god like you, Your Heavenly Majesty."
"And the Lady Lily is giving us important lessons on housekeeping, too!" Another one added.
Obviously, I had no counter to that. While I don't agree to keeping an army of servants just to attend to my personal needs, there was also the part where I had to consider their jobs, especially their perception towards it. Seriously, though…this is one of those times I sincerely wish I have the ability to read minds like the saints.
'You can't just yet,' I heard Gaius' voice. 'Officially, you're still a mortal…a human, with god-powers. It's only after your investiture that you gain a place among the heavenly deities, and inherit their abilities.'
Well, of course, there was that requirement. And really, my reluctance to permanently become Chersea's god had me thinking of finishing my 'businesses' with the Seductress, and then pass the god-powers to someone else.
'Impossible; at least, not in your current self. You're not even a saint!' the former god argued. 'If you wish to pass that to someone else, become a god first, then step down just like what I did.'
Fair enough.
'But know this; I'll vehemently oppose your abdication. I'm sure I communicated my sentiments well to the High King of the Gods, and he agreed with me. So, don't abdicate.'
Y-You demon…
An image of Gaius sticking his tongue up to me flashed through my mind. But then, I guess I had no other choice for now…
I'll try my best to stay.
----------
And so, my days as Chersea's 'demi-god' began. As usual for me, once our main issue in Cherhom was resolved, I didn't immediately return to Chersea. I mean, for all its years in power, the Church of the Golden Hammer fell within the span of just a week. Seirna's actions in Hemelin annihilated the entire high leadership of the dwarf religion in a blink of an eye, and the abruptness caused a cascading set of problems for Cherhom's dwarves. For one, the resulting power vacuum caused the mid-ranking church officials—the bishops—to turn unto each other. Of course, with no one higher than them, the opportunity to seize the 'throne' at the Grand Temple, and command the legions of the faithful was wide open. Problem was, all the bishop had the same idea that they were the only one fit for that role. So, from a concerted effort to prosecute the Crusade directed against Montserrant, they shifted their energies to fighting against one another.
Second, and the direct consequence of the first problem, was that the bishops excommunicated each other. This caused their authority over the remnants of the Golden Hammer's religion to question their mandates. In turn, their disillusioned followers either gave up religion at all, or some banded together to establish their own faiths.
For me, the chaos that followed presented a chance, and with the help of the miner queen, the city of Montserrant launched 'evangelical missions' aimed at converting the discouraged populace. While I didn't like the idea of sending people to 'promote' my cause, the situation called for further strengthening my control over the god-power of the dwarf saint, and it could be helpful to my plans in the future.
There's also that promise I made to the elves about fixing the desertification of their land.
"…"
To be clear, I did give strict directives for the 'missionaries' to respect the choice of the population, and avoid using violence to force their beliefs. I guess that would be enough.
Aside from religious issues, I had to deal with the economy of the dwarves. See, while the issue that plagued them seemed to stem from the dysfunctional religion they had here, the Church enacted a governmental oversight on every aspect of the dwarven society. As such, I was worried about their economic plight. Look, the dwarves—under the guidance of the Lord Louis—developed industries, akin to, or even better than, the factories created by the goblins. However, my concern was about that same efficiency could break the dwarves' economy.
I have samples. See, in the 1920s, major capitalist economies on Earth suffered what was called the 'Great Depression.' This was because of the advent of machinery, and mass production techniques. It made possible for the companies and factories to produce more goods in a brief span of time, for less wage because the automation laid-off some workers. As they continued to produce, the burgeoning surplus made it necessary for production lines to cut down the operations, further increasing unemployment. Jobless rates rose, and the people had no money to buy the goods. Yet, the companies continued production. Soon, they were producing more than what was bought, and demand went down. With the fall of demand came the prices, and with lower prices, the value of companies crashed, causing panic to investors and prodding them to withdraw what was left of their fortunes…which lost its multi-million value overnight.
Dwarf-made products were famed for its quality and exquisite craftsmanship. And those wares were exported to other worlds, like in Chersea (I think they only held back on their modern-tech goods). However, it was only recently that the answer to my question, 'how they managed such production schedule without hitting a Great Depression-like event' revealed itself. Below the crypts and hidden in the undercrofts beneath the Grand Temple were mountains of broken dwarven wares, some of which were deliberately destroyed.
The few surviving church officials (low-ranked) told me that those goods were from the 'temple tax' collected by them, and were offered to the Golden Hammer as sacrifices. For me, however, that reason was just an 'alibi' of the Lord Louis to prop up the dwarf economy. The dwarves were lovers of industry; they kept on producing even as Montserrant and Hemelin were engaged in exchanging blows. I find it hard to imagine that it wasn't the first time; these folks were manufacturing their goods from when the time the first factories in Cherhom were constructed. The Lord Louis was aware of the Great Depression, and sought to delay its 'arrival' by forcing the dwarves to give part of their goods as 'tax' then destroy it secretly to jack up the demands. This, of course, was in concert with the exports.
Basically, the Golden Hammer kept the gears of Cherhom's economy going by taxes, and destruction, so he could keep the surpluses at the minimum.
However, this economic model isn't good in the long run.
While the Lord Louis knew the lessons of the Great Depression and it guided his policies, he failed to understand the mind of the dwarves. These people were industrious, but were also extremely greedy. And to take their goods from them without proper explanation other than to 'appease' him via sacrifices would always be seen as abuse of mandate. Sure, you may fool a few early generations by your rules, but there would be individuals who would come to question your sensibilities. This was the reason the Cole Miners readily 'dropped' their faith when there was an alternative.
"…"
Well, I'd keep some of the Lord Louis' policies, especially the exports. But I'd like to see reforms done on the 'temple tax.' Sure, the word 'tax' wasn't good to any taxpayer's ears; however, it was a 'necessary evil' everyone of us had to embrace. So, my plan was not to enforce 'religious taxes' and rebrand it as 'offering.' And since I have the god-power of the dwarf saint, I could give blessing to the guilds and cities that would offer part of their goods, encouraging their 'giving' instead of meting punishments to those who refuse to part with their 'wealth.'
Heh, I can really put our trainings on 'positive discipline' here!
----------
Nevertheless, it was not my only solution. One time, I summoned a council for all the guild and city leaders of Cherhom…
"This is unprecedented, milord!" a dwarf guild leader couldn't help but air his disagreement to my plans, even as his fellows tried to restrain him. "We dwarves take pride in every ware we produce! Why are Your Heavenly Majesty requesting us to lower the quality of our goods?"
"Please understand, noble children of stone," I began, reminding them that they could always say their thoughts, no matter how negative it was. "Even I, as human, didn't like a low-quality item. However, I'm looking through the eyes of a consumer, see? Do hear me out first."
"Speak your wisdom, milord."
"If you dwarves continue to manufacture goods that aren't wearing down for a long period of time, there'd come a time when no one will buy because they still have their old wares working," I pointed out.
"But isn't that proper? We make sturdy wares that even other lands crave for and envy!"
"Sure, it is good to your reputation," I countered. "But we have to be realistic here. Reputation won't give you food on the table, only good will. And good will may not translate to your needs when you need it. Continue down this path, and your economy will never hold." Then, I explained to them the circumstances that led to the Great Depression.
"The Golden Hammer kept our economy going even without lowering the quality of our wares!" one dwarf quipped.
"Well…" I gestured for a servant to bring into the council a few of the broken wares we found underneath the Grand Temple at Hemelin. I could hear the chagrined moans and disgusted gasps as the dwarf leaders realized what those were. "Aside from your exports, the Golden Hammer propped your economy by doing this. This is where your religious taxes ended, and what the church before mine failed to export. Like everything else, this exquisite piece of dwarven ware was unceremoniously destroyed under the guise of 'sacrifice.' A great affront to the hard-working and passionate dwarves who lovingly crafted this beautiful chest."
What followed was silence; one could hear a pin drop. The dwarves, especially those who still harbored unspoken loyalties to the Golden Hammer, said nothing and averted their eyes from the travesty. Honestly, I didn't like what I was doing, but ideals aside, this was economics. With poor economy, religion was the last thing on everyone's minds as they would fight for their survival…a scenario I wished to avoid. In dealing with matters concerning money and investment, it should be approached with brutal practicality and realism.
After all, no one can eat ideals when food was nowhere to be found…
Seizing on their shocked reactions, I proposed, "You have two choices, noble children of stone! A punishing temple tax, or you lower your wares' quality. It's not like you'll make a completely shabby item; you'll just lower its durability so the flow of money and good won't be disrupted by surpluses. I believe the answer is obvious, right?"
----------
On the other side of things, becoming a god—or a demi-god—surely made a lot of things easier for me. I could always force a solution to a problem that monarchs and presidents couldn't do. People would always make sure that my wishes were seen through a desirable conclusion that favored my views. And the best of all, I could go past security checks as soldiers won't dare question me being a threat.
So, using this newfound 'clout' that I had, I sought to lift the situation of the poor dwarves we encountered in the underground caverns during our days escaping Hemelin. Rediscovering the ancient tunnels and road networks used by the ancient dwarves and giants, the dwarf leaders sought to turn those into tourist attractions, as well as low-cost means of transport for cargoes and passengers. The dwarf streets and avenues that connected the mountain peaks demanded high insurance rates, for the wind up there was so powerful it could blow vehicles over. And, because the dwarf cities developed in the mountain peaks, the foot of the mountains were the 'rural' regions of Cherhom. This was where the poor dwarves living in those areas would come in.
Cooperating with the guild leaders and city officials, we had 'parcels' of land distributed to eligible dwarf families, complete with items and equipment that would help them develop the land and uplift their lives. In return, they agreed to serve the church Montserrant established through a 5% tax we rebranded as 'tributes.'
But just in case their ventures failed, the church would waive any liabilities from these folks, so they could always restart their lives again. I had it written as a 'heavenly rule' so dwarves would be safeguarded against the abuses that marked the Golden Hammer's rule.
Profit with a heart, as I always believed. Be ruthless in business, but never leave your understanding and common sense when developing your society. This would be the guiding principle of my 'religion,' based on the customs and traditions of the dwarves.
"So much for being a 'reluctant' god-candidate," the Lady Helgath said to me once, when she saw me still up in my room, way into the long sleep hours. I was drafting the laws I intend to propose to the dwarves.
"Well, I'd like to give the god-powers to someone else if I can," I replied, never looking away from the paper I was writing upon. "However, as long as the responsibilities are on me, I'll do my best to fully use it."
"But why? You're technically a god now, so you can just tell the mortals 'this is what I want you to do!' and be done with it."
"I lead by example," I explained to her. "Besides, experiencing those rules I made myself is the best way to know if those actually worked."
"You really are strange," she chuckled. "I mean, there are legions of people who'd wish they are in your shoes, and would just take it easy once they get it. However, you are making sure everything is smoothened out, even when you look at your responsibilities as 'temporary.'"
"Of course. I want to give a future to my loved ones; this is why accepted the god-powers in the first place!"
"Hey, Kuro…"
"What?"
"Would you take me as your lover, like the girls back there in Chersea?"
I froze in my spot when I heard that. I was so surprised by the randomness of the question that I didn't even hear my pen drop. I also never noticed that my eyes inadvertently stared at the giantess.
"H-Hey," her face blushed terribly. "You…you know it's embarrassing when you just look at me like that and said nothing!"
"Sorry, I was just surprised by your words."
"We-Well, I…I like you. I've come to like you," the Lady Helgath told me unabashedly. "And I'm not like the other girls out there who will wait for the person they love to make the first move. I don't want this fluffy feeling in my chest to linger for much longer if there's no hope for the budding romance in my heart."
"Uh…it surely is brave, but you made your point," I admitted. "Still, aren't you mistaking the feelings of lose and longing for the Lord Louis after he died for love and admiration for me?"
"Maybe," Her Huge Holiness shrugged. "Even so, I've been looking through your thoughts this entire time, Kuro. And because of what I've seen in you, that I wanted to know you more."
If the Lady Helgath would put it that way, then I got no further questions left, really. I just wanted to make sure she knew what she was talking about by raising counter-points. Nevertheless, I'd still keep an open mind; though she might not admit it, it could be that she was feeling lonely, hence the 'feelings' for me. As long as Her Huge Holiness wasn't sure of her emotions, I've no qualms staying with her.
"!!!" I was shocked when I realized she gently wrapped her hands around my body, lifting me up. Then, she brought me close to her chest; I guess it was her way of 'embracing' us smaller people?
"Thank you for your understanding, Kuro," the giantess followed it with a kiss to my forehead.
Hmm…I just let her be. If I could be of help to her in dealing with her loss and grief, I'd be willing to be her 'lover' for the meantime. Besides, being hugged by a giant was nice in its own way…
----------
***Later on…***
"Hey lad, you put on too much oil on the steam machines. You consumed two bottles of lubricant for a single crate! Our standard is around two bottles for three crates!"
The dwarf apprentice mechanic threw a confused stare on his guild leader. Stung by the rebuke, he reasoned, "But won't that make the gears of the steam machines blunt faster?"
"Just enough is fine, lad," the guild leader asked him to hand back the oil bottle the apprentice was holding. "I don't where you got the idea of increasing the amount of lubricants on the machines would increase our sales, but this is how we do things since the time of my great grandfather." He showed the young mechanic the optimal use of the oil lubricants, as he explained, "He was present at the First Dwarf Economic Assembly. I think I remember my father telling me that making our machines too good will be bad for our economy and business, and that came from his grandfather, which is my great grandfather. The dwarf guilds of the First Dwarf Economic Assembly agreed to lower the quality of everything we create, though not too much to render it useless."
"Oh?" the dwarf mechanic couldn't believe what he had heard. "I didn't know about it, Your Majesty. My teacher always emphasized on doing work on the highest quality."
"Ideally, it's good," the older dwarf admitted. "But, you see, dwarf goods and machines are famous for its quality that barely diminishes over time, right? So, the guild leaders of the First Dwarf Economic Assembly were concerned that the goods they produce couldn't be bought from the market, while they couldn't stop production, or it'd be the end of the dwarf society. So, to balance things out, they agreed to make their products a bit 'weaker,' so once broken, the stocks they made would be sold."
"This is about the supply and demand, right?"
The dwarf guild leader nodded.
"But isn't that an offense to our dignity as dwarves?" the young mechanic pointed out.
"It is," the guild leader chuckled. "And to be fair, my great grandfather was one of those who vehemently disagreed to that proposal. However, as the majority saw reason behind that suggestion, he eventually relented. On a hindsight, that policy is beneficial, though at first, seemed unscrupulous. The after-sales service—a direct consequence of that—was born, and many dwarves were employed to help customers about the goods they bought. And another thing is, we can make even more products for the same amount of materials, compared to when we're too focused on quality. That's what my great grandfather's wisdom passed to his son, who is my grandfather, then to his son, who is my father. And finally, to me."
The mechanic nodded, "Economics, huh? Even when I tried focusing on learning its ropes, that stuff is too complicated for me."
"Ah, true…even when I was still young like you, I hated that subject!" the guild leader laughed. "Only my father's strictness saved me from flunking that; though, it is only now that I've come to appreciate its importance to the guilds of Cherhom."
"I see…that's some deep reflection, Your Majesty."
"Consider the end result."
"Huh? That's the motto of our guild, right?"
"Consider the end result, yes…" the guild leader reiterated. "It came from great grandfather, too, you know? He said that it came from a human called Machiavelli. It's all about using everything and every method available to achieve one's goals…even if it seemed ridiculous and evil at first. What's important is that many would benefit from it, in exchange to a few who would be inconvenienced."
"Interesting…the humans really have a grasp of how everything works!"
"Indeed," the guild leader returned the oil bottle to his apprentice. "Any case, mind your lubricant's amount. We have to send these cargoes to the automotive plant by the hour of the long sleep."
"Yes, Your Majesty," the dwarf mechanic gave his final respects to his lord, and went back to work.