“Hey! Mr. Evans, that’s quite the joke~.”
Maria playfully pats my back, but there’s no strength behind it—barely a sound.
“That wasn’t a joke though.”
“Hahahaha! How would you even know about those times, Mr. Evans? You’re just making this up to tease me, right?”
“It’s not made up… but if you want to believe that, go ahead. I’ll respect whatever decision Maria makes.”
Looks like this story is too unrealistic for young Maria. Or maybe I just haven’t earned her trust enough yet. It kinda stings.
If nighttime Maria were here, she’d probably believe me. Guess I need to build that level of trust with daytime Maria sooner rather than later.
“Ha ha… seriously, my stomach hurts from laughing at you, Mr. Evans. Ugh…”
Thinking I’m only joking, Maria grabs her belly and bends over in mock pain. I gently pat her back.
I was trying to share some precious info that shouldn’t be tossed around lightly, but who’d have thought she’d reject it?
As I softly rub down Maria’s back, she finally deigns to say:
“Alright, fine. I’m curious what kind of story Mr. Evans can come up with.”
“It’s not made-up…”
“Just tell the story already! If we keep dragging this out, the library will close!”
“Fine, fine. Don’t rush me…”
At least she’s giving me a chance to speak. Clearing my throat like a legendary bard about to recount an epic tale, I begin.
“Long, long ago—in fact, so far back it feels unreachable—there was a time when continents didn’t even exist. What did the world look like back then?”
“The universe, the vast, endless darkness. Occasionally, light emitted from stars would illuminate parts of it, but overall, the universe was dark.”
“But one day, after an unimaginable amount of time, this universe birthed a being. The first lifeform—a radiant figure glowing brilliantly from head to toe. We now call this being the Supreme God.”
“It seems this guy didn’t like all the chaos and disorder filling the universe. He wanted to hear songs of happiness and laughter. But the universe was vast, and he was alone. No one else was there. A being capable of deep empathy began to feel loneliness.”
“So, the Supreme God decided—he would create other lifeforms, a world, something new.”
Here, I pause briefly to catch my breath.
Maria is fully absorbed in my tale, looking absolutely adorable.
“The first thing the Supreme God did was forge a sword. He needed to fight the universe itself—the existing system, the world, the ‘Chaos’ that dominated everything. He had to defeat it.”
“They clashed fiercely. For how long? Until one side gave up. These two unique beings—or concepts—engaged in a battle on a cosmic scale, fighting over the structure of the entire universe.”
“And the result? You can guess by looking at the world we live in today.”
“The setting sun couldn’t outlast the rising sun. Chaos fell, disorder disappeared, and a new world of order emerged. The Supreme God, affected by the aftermath of this fierce battle, started shaping the universe into the dream world he envisioned.”
“There are two absolute laws in the universe: Cause and Effect, and Equivalent Exchange. Even the omnipotent Supreme God couldn’t defy these rules, so he began dividing Chaos.”
“You might be confused by ‘dividing,’ but it’s literal. Chaos was filled with all kinds of energies—light and darkness, fire and water, elements upon elements. The Supreme God separated them.”
“You’ve heard of the Five Realms, right? The Celestial Realm, Divine Realm, Demon Realm, Continent, Spirit World—these five.”
“The right arm of Chaos became the Divine Realm where gods reside—a bright, white, shining place. Originally, it was where the Supreme God himself lived, but later it became home to gods born from human faith. Apparently, the Supreme God handed it over to better nurture intelligent life.”
“The left arm of Chaos turned into the Demon Realm—a dark, sinister, heavy place. Here lives the Demon God, created by the Supreme God to embody evil within his principles. Nowadays, demons, the creations of the Demon God, live there.”
“The right leg of Chaos became the Celestial Realm, similar to the Divine Realm but inhabited by angels instead of gods. Archangels like Michael, Raphael, Gabriel—they dwell here. I wonder if Uriel is around too?”
“The left leg of Chaos became the Spirit World—a chaotic dimension even the Supreme God struggles to control. It’s like the essence left behind by the dead Chaos. Nothing lives there; occasionally, it’s used as a prison.”
“Finally, the head of Chaos—a mix of cold and hot, bright and dark, murky and pure, long and short, soft and hard energies. After separating them, the Supreme God pondered deeply. What kind of world should he create?”
“Fair enough. Making it like the Demon Realm would be too bright. Turning it into the Divine Realm would be too heavy. Shaping it like the Celestial Realm would be too dark. It’s completely different from the Spirit World’s essence.”
“In the end, after much deliberation, the Supreme God decided to leave the energies as they were—no subtraction or addition. With slight adjustments, he shaped them.”
“Light and clear energies went up, while heavy and murky ones sank down. Thus, the heavens and earth were formed, and clouds, rivers, seas, and mountains appeared. The most diverse forms of life emerged—animals, insects, monsters, humans, and more.”
“Get it? The head of Chaos is none other than the Continent—the very ground we stand on right now.”
With that, I tapped my foot twice against the wooden floor of the library, producing a dull thud.
“There’s more to it, of course, but that’s the gist of the creation story—not the half-baked novel-like versions people usually hear, but the real deal. Any questions?”
Clap! I smacked my hands together.
How will Maria react? This is the unadulterated truth, free from any lies. Expectantly, I lift my head.
Maria’s mouth is wide open. So, my story was vivid enough to captivate her? Feeling pleased, I raise two fingers under my nose, ready to—
“Woah, you’re amazing! To come up with such an exciting story in such a short time!”
“Huh?”
“I was completely lost in it! From what I see, Mr. Evans has a natural talent for storytelling!”
“Eh… Maria? This is literally history as it happened…”
“Or maybe, does Mr. Evans have a hobby of writing? You could totally become a novelist!”
“…Alright, let’s just call it a short story.”
Sigh. If telling the truth isn’t believed, this must be how Cassandra from Olympus felt—cursed by Apollo to never have her prophecies trusted despite possessing divine foresight.
When I meet Cassandra in the afterlife, I’ll buy her a drink. Of course, assuming places like the afterlife actually exist.
“Hmm? Already this late… I should head out soon.”
“Right. If you want to hear another story anytime, just ask. I’ll work hard to make one up.”
“Hehe, though I don’t want to trouble you because of me, I’ll definitely look forward to it!”
“Trouble? Watching Maria is my joy in life.”
Before I knew it, our chat carried us through the hours. I stepped out of the library.
Though the time traveler ‘Evans’ is intriguing, there’s nothing I can learn about him right now. I’ll think about it when I find more information.
After leaving the library, Maria and I wandered between buildings, searching for someone.
Ah, there she is. I called out loudly.
“Aru! What are you doing over there!”
“Huh?”
The girl with wolf ears atop her head looked up at me. Aru was lying on a park bench, her tail wagging as she slept.
“Did you sleep too? I did.”
“Mm… sleepy… class…”
“Haha, sounds like your classes are putting you to sleep naturally. Hey, Aru. Want to join our crew?”
“Huh? Crew? Sure!”
Thank goodness. I knew Maria would agree, but she didn’t even hesitate.
Now our crew has two members. Including me, that’s three.
Wasn’t the minimum crew size three? We only need one more.
Considering Aru’s position, I could probably grab someone random and strong-arm them into joining, but that’s not what I’m aiming for. Who should I recruit to get a good reputation?
I rest my hand on my brow and scan the area, carefully observing the students passing by.
Then, a blonde girl catches my eye. She’s walking slowly, clutching her stomach.
“Oof… my stomach… ow ow ow…”
“Yo! Hero!”
“E, e, excuse me, that voice…?”
Her head turns sharply, like something out of a horror movie. I cheerfully shout.
“Hey! There’s one spot open in our crew. Interested? Though, rejection is perfectly fine.”
I grin mischievously.
“Sure! She’s tough!” Aru chirps enthusiastically.
“Wow! Will the hero join us too? Let’s have fun together!”
Maria beams, clenching her fists like she’s cheering us on.
“…”
The hero’s face starts turning green.