As Azazel finishes his synopsis, he smiles and nods to himself, pleased with the explanation. I lean back in my chair to absorb the life-changing amount of information he has just dropped in my lap.
"Aha! You seemed to take all that well, Mizuki. Thanks for listening to my long-winded explanation. I really enjoyed getting to share this with someone, since most of the other gods don't seem to have an interest in it. With that out of the way, are there any other questions you'd like me to answer?" (Azazel)
Poor guy, it sounds like he has a hard time making friends among the other deities. Personally, I was very grateful for his explanation. However, he tends to overload his responses with information out of excitement, and I can see how that might grow tiring if you have no interest in the subject. In my case, though, I need lots of questions answered, so it's great that he's more forthcoming than Dio.
"It sounds like humans were already a long-standing part of Azura's history, so I was a little curious why you agreed to take me in. Do you mind telling me?" (Mizuki)
"Oh, great question! You see, I'm also very interested in the cultures and ideas that new people bring to Azura. In addition, some species can develop quite differently depending on the environment of their home planet. So, just because someone is the same species as other beings already on Azura, doesn't mean they have nothing to offer!" (Azazel)
He pauses as though checking if I have questions, but I nod for him to continue.
"I was particularly intrigued by Earth's lack of magic. I've accepted human transfers from planets with less magic than Azura before, but Earth is an unprecedented outlier in that category!" (Azazel)
Well, that's good to know. Azazel seems like a dude that really values the little guys. I appreciate that sentiment. It's also great to hear humans have come from multiple different planets to Azura without noteworthy issues.
"Okay, next question. Just what kinds of other species exist in Azura?" (Mizuki)
"Let's see…from what I understand, most of the species spoken of in Earth's fables and mythologies derive from Azura. Some of the intelligent species of Azura include humans, elves, demons, dwarves, Elder Dragons and dragonkin, mermaids, fey, Greater Spirits, and a variety of demi-humans. Unintelligent or minimal intelligence species include most of those from Earth, in addition to orcs, minor dragons, minor spirits, goblins, ogres, giants, basilisks, griffins, yetis, and pegasi." (Azazel)
He once again pauses in case I have questions, but I wave dismissively.
"You'll notice that some species have intelligent and unintelligent sub-races. For example, there are four Elder Dragons of unrivaled power in this world, and they are intelligent. They weren't killed on their home planet, they were just curious about Azura, so I agreed to bring them here. By contrast, minor dragons are powerful beasts created by the Elder Dragons with the approximate intelligence of a wolf." (Azazel)
That's…a lot to process. My main takeaway is – don't screw with Elder Dragons.
"Third question – how does magic work, and will I be able to use it?" (Mizuki)
This is easily the question I'm most excited to hear the answer to, so I lean in expectantly.
"Ohhh, yes…the truth is that I don't really know. You should be able to find out on Azura – they've developed methods to assess your magic abilities. What I can tell you is that almost every human on Azura can use magic to some degree, and every human I've brought from another planet before has been able to use magic. I've noticed in my research that humans from planets with less magic than Azura become more powerful here. I'm not sure of the reason." (Azazel)
Nice! I like the sound of that.
"However, Earth is unique. All those other planets the humans transferred from still had magic, just less of it, and the humans were able to utilize magic to a practical degree even on their home planets. Earth has no magic or magicians. Honestly, on Azura you could be completely incapable of wielding magic, or you might become the strongest being on the planet. I don't know which, but I'm excited to find out!" (Azazel)
Hmm…I get that he can't be sure it will apply to me, but I can't help but be optimistic!