Chapter 143: Age of Gods (1) |
"The sky is the highest, isn't it? It's the greatest, being above everything! But why won't you praise me?!"
The sky-colored brat whining and flailing.
Baal.
Seeing that little brat, I let out a sigh.
"I have a lot I want to say, but first, let me ask you one thing. How did you find this place?"
"Auntie Shamash told me."
A-Auntie...
Calling that Shamash "auntie"... This kid is no ordinary one.
"Don't call her auntie, call her sister."
"No, even though she's older..."
In that case, would I also be called an auntie?
I've gotten used to being called "Mom," but "auntie" is a bit uncomfortable for me.
"So just praise me! Grandma!"
"G-Grandma..."
That was an unexpected attack.
I should probably praise my own patience for not spewing flames from within me at that moment.
"Don't call me grandma..."
"But if we just go by age, you're practically an ancestor!"
"Well, that's true, but..."
Attacking with age, how underhanded... This kid is no ordinary one.
"Phew, deep breaths... Phew..."
It's just the words of an ignorant little brat. A puppy that doesn't know to fear a tiger.
If I get angry over this, It would mean I'm a narrow-minded god who gets angry at the words of an ignorant little brat.
So, for now, I'll just let it go.
"It's not about your age. Wouldn't you get angry if someone called you a little brat?"
"But it's the truth, isn't it? an auntie, and a grandma."
"It's fine to say that in front of Shamash or me, but be careful about saying that in front of other children."
Shamash seems to have let it slide, thinking it's not right to get angry over that, but other children might not be so forgiving and properly get angry.
Anyway.
"Did you come here just to get a single praise?"
"Yep!"
Even though I hold the position of the highest, other newly born gods usually cower and hide just at the sight of me, but this one managed to find me.
Is it because he has no fear? Or is it courage?
"If you want praise, you should first do something praiseworthy. I can't just praise you for being born with certain traits."
Well, I could praise his natural appearance, like how handsome or beautiful he is, but fundamentally, praise should be given for accomplishments, not just for being born the god of the sky.
"Hmm... Something praiseworthy, huh."
The sky-colored brat pondered my words, then opened his mouth with an expression of having a good idea.
"I'll become great! So, in other words... I'll become the King! The King of the gods! Then Grandma will praise me, right?"
"I said to stop with the 'Grandma' already..."
"But if I don't call you Grandma, what else should I call you?"
"I do have a name, you know. But I have no intention of telling you."
At my words, Baal puffed up his cheeks, seemingly annoyed, and opened his mouth.
"Why won't you tell me your name?"
The reason for not telling my name.
There's no particular reason, but... Hmm. Let's embellish it a bit here and tease this little brat.
"The truth is, my name is sealed."
"Sealed?!"
"Yes. The power contained in that name is so great that even mere gods would go mad and die just from hearing it."
"Go mad and die...?"
"It's the same for the gods. If they were to speak or hear my name, their divinity would be shattered, and they would lose their divine status. That's why I've sealed my own name."
Of course, this is all a lie.
I've never even told my name to anyone in the first place, and my name doesn't have any such power.
Since I've never been called by my name, how could they know about that?
"So, do you want to know my name?"
I asked Baal with a sly smile, and he started trembling, his face turning pale.
He must be imagining what would happen to him if he were to learn such a terrifying name.
Hmm. I only meant to scare him a little, but this reaction is quite entertaining.
"Well then! I can just call you by another name!"
"Hmm?"
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Another name?
"Like how auntie Shamash calls you Mom, or how you're called the Mother of Life, that's fine, right?"
"But those aren't names."
"That's why! I can call you by something other than your name! Since that terrifying name isn't necessary, I can just call you by another title, right?"
At Baal's words, I nodded slightly.
It wasn't a terrifying name to begin with.
"So, I'll give you another name as Grandma!"
"I told you... to stop with the Grandma..."
Apparently not hearing my words, Baal shouted with a pale face.
"Gaia!"
"Hmm?"
"I'll call you Gaia as another name! That'll solve it, right?"
"Solve it, you say..."
More than that, Gaia? I wonder where he learned that name.
It's clearly from another world, but strangely, names from that other world often come up, even excluding the ones I gave.
"I'll call you Gaia! I can't call you Grandma! I can't call you by name either! And I don't want to call you the Mother of Life! Gaia! I'll call you Gaia!!"
The sky-colored brat whining and flailing. Seeing that, I let out a small sigh.
"Do as you please. Whatever."
Anyway, Gaia... Wasn't that the goddess of the earth in Greek and Roman mythology?
Let me look it up on Wikipedia.
[In Greek and Roman mythology, the goddess of the earth. The earth itself. The world itself.
She is the goddess of creation and the mother of the world.]
Hmm... Ah... Huh?
What's this? It matches my deeds quite well.
Setting aside the goddess of the earth part. The goddess of creation and the mother of the world...
[She is the source of life and is said to have existed since the birth of the world, being the world itself and the origin of matter, as well as the very laws of the world. She possesses the power to create new beings and the power to create the world. She is called the goddess of creation, and life, and is said to preside over oracles, prophecies, and oaths.]
Hmm... What's this? It's me.
No, that can't be, right? I'm just a silver dragon who makes this and that, not a goddess of the earth!
But... Why do so many points overlap? Why? It's clearly a deity from another world, isn't it?
While pondering this, a small voice came from beside me.
"The name Gaia. Do you not like it?"
Baal, with an anxious and timid expression. Hmm... To think a small and young brat like this would make such an expression... I don't like it.
Well, the affairs of that other world don't really matter. That's there, this is here.
It's a different world, so let's draw a line.
"The name Gaia. I like it."
"Really? Really?"
"Yes."
At my one word, Baal changes from despair to joy. He really is just a child.
Hmm. Yes. If I raise this child well... I might be able to reduce his faith in me a little, won't I?
As the god of the sky, as one called the king of the gods, he would be a suitable being.
He has a slightly arrogant side to his selfishness, but that can be corrected through education.
If I continue to exist as the supreme god, I might actually become the goddess of life itself.
Alright. Let's raise this brat.
Let's raise him as the god of the sky, and have him take on the duties he should perform.
That way... My workload will decrease a little. Yes, let's do that.
For the sake of my peaceful life. Aim for the life of a retired person!!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Gaia. The Mother of All Earth.
The appearance of that name was during the era when countless gods were born into the world.
It was the moment the age of the gods began.
While the ancient gods, including the Mother of Life, had existed even before then, the parts they were in charge of were only a portion of natural phenomena.
In the gaps they did not occupy, a new generation of gods was born.
Gaia was one of those new gods.
There are various theories about the background of her birth, but the currently most plausible one is the theory of the four primal attributes.
According to the theory of the four primal attributes, the ancient gods of fire, water, wind, and earth were maintaining the balance of the world.
Originally, the sacred mountain of the dwarves, Sagarmatha, was part of the earth attribute, but due to the opinion that the god of a merely gigantic mountain could not become the god of the entire earth - and it is said that there was even discord with the dwarves, leading to the demotion of Sagarmatha's divine status - a new god of the earth was needed, and that is when Gaia was born.
...
However, the faith in Gaia was eventually absorbed into the faith in the goddess of life.
Ultimately, the name Gaia became one of the alternate titles of the goddess of life, rather than the goddess of the earth.
- From "The Age of the Gods", author unknown.
It is said that the book contained many claims that were later refuted or had uncertain veracity, and most of it was eventually recalled and disposed of.