The Next Day
"Luci, in the legends, they say you can split yourself. Is that true?"
In the game from my previous life, my Luci and other players' Lucis shared the same mind—well, she was an 'AI' back then.
But now that everything has become real, who knows if she can actually split herself, considering there are no other 'players' here.
"Hmm, you know, we spirits don't really split or anything. It's more like they're me but with different personalities. Though I can control and move them, they're also spirits like me..."
"So... can they control you as well, or is it just a one-way thing from you?"
"It's not like that. You see, spirits have their own levels. The higher the level, the greater their control over others."
"Could it be that spirits also have their own kingdom?"
"Not quite. But spirits do have ranks similar to nobility."
"Okay, so aren't you a queen or some noblewoman?"
"No, I'm not a queen. I'm an emperor."
"Doesn't that mean you have many subordinates?"
"No, they're part of me. If I'm in a weakened state, they can merge with me... umm... like a slime!"
"Oh, I get it. But doesn't that mean you can split yourself?"
"No, you idiot! Hmph! Spirits are created from magical condensation and a bit of the planet's consciousness. That's why elves are favored by spirits. Because they are the closest to nature. When a spirit is born, it is just a 'gentle being' but over time it becomes stronger by absorbing more mana and other natural energies.
Even though we don't have primordial force, we have almost unlimited mana because nature itself gives us a lot of 'control.' The stronger a spirit is, the more 'visible' it becomes—not blurry like a young spirit. Or at least that's how it is. As a spirit becomes stronger, it becomes more tied to nature. Each of us will continue to try to protect nature and strengthen it. So spirits are more like foster children of this planet's mother rather than 'living beings.'
Now, the reason there are many spirits is because, just like me, who is already very strong with considerable authority, I won't be able to control it alone. That's why we usually form contracts with living beings. Also, spirits won't be able to take all the mana and 'control of nature' as much as gods, which is why spirits are many. Just like a king who won't be able to rule his country alone."
"Hmm, I see... Wait, did you say gods? Are they real?"
In the game in my past life, 'gods' were figures that were never seen except for their churches, like the Church of Starlight 'Stellaria,' the Church of the God of War 'Arthasis,' and the Church of the Sea God 'Mare.'
Even in the game, if we chose the cleric class, the player was asked to use healing spells to heal, which were basically simple mage spells.
Because of how useless those classes were, players abandoned them. As far as I remember, the plus points were just simple buffs.
Those who chose Stellaria got a +10% healing buff.
Arthasis gave a +5% damage buff.
And Mare gave a +10% mana recovery buff at sea.
Those were just the churches often used by players; there were many other churches that might not have been discovered because players were not interested in those buffs. There were many other classes that could give buffs to the full squad, like 'bard' and 'enchanter.'
"Of course they are real. Even thousands of years ago, gods and goddesses existed. Although their names have changed over time, they are there. It's just that they are rarely seen by humans."
"Why do they change their names?"
"I don't know. One thing I know is they change their names every 7,000 years or so. Whether intentionally or not, sometimes it's not just their names that change but their 'forms' as well. The water goddess Mare now looks like a mermaid, but she used to look more like a middle-aged human about 9,000 years ago. I also remember that her name wasn't Mare back then, but... uh, what was it... I forgot... Even my other 'selves' forgot. Oh well, whatever."
"Hmm..."
After that, I got up and went to call Cedric.
"Cedric, have you found the people from the coastal villages/cities yet?"
"My lord, I have called several village chiefs and the lord of Lamare city, Count Antavien de Rascall. They will arrive in the capital in 2-3 days."
"Alright."
"Excuse me, my lord, I will continue my work."
Tap... tap...
"Cedric, it seems there is something else I need to ask."
As he walked towards the door, I called out to him.
"Of course, my lord."
"You know, we have a school in the capital, but it seems very expensive. Many of our citizens can't afford to learn because of the lack of money, which leads to our people becoming ignorant."
"That is true, my lord. The academy is too costly for the common folk. Should we reduce the fees, my lord?"
"Reduce the fees? No, Cedric... make it free. We are not lacking in money right now. We can take it from the other kingdoms. I want you to summon the teachers and scholars in the capital, and if possible, throughout the entire kingdom, to meet with me next week. Cover their travel expenses using the funds stored in the royal treasury. If that's not enough, sell those useless decorative items!"
"Yes, my lord!"
"Also, summon the Minister of Construction or whoever is usually in charge of building in the kingdom. If there is no such person, call some loyal craftsmen who can read to meet with me tomorrow. We will build other facilities and expand the capital's academy."
"I will carry out these tasks diligently, my lord. Trust me."
"Yes, I know. Also, if you need more help, feel free to hire some assistants. Their salaries will be covered by the kingdom."
"Thank you, my lord. I'll do my best with the tasks"