The Nebula’s Civilization

In Zarin, due to its high latitude, the days were becoming cooler faster than in other regions of the Empire. However, for May Gonta, an Elf who had lived in Zarin all her life, it wasn't yet cold enough to be worth mentioning. The day had been clear and bright without clouds, and the view from the building's window was beautiful, which made May feel less drowsy.

After work, May stopped by a large grocery store, habitually checked the instant food aisle, and then moved to the fresh food section.

'I can't just heat up instant food for grandma.'

May's grandmother, who lived in the same city, often came to May's house for meals on weekends. As Elves generally lived longer than other species, they were particularly respectful toward their elders, but regardless, May liked her grandmother. She was always bright and cheerful, enjoying conversations with people.

'I don't know how she remains so spirited after living through that great war.'

The scars from the war fought between the Union Kingdom and the Empire were still present. While May's generation was not affected, many of the older generation, including May's grandmother, grew up in orphanages. It was a dreadful time.

Therefore, May, wanting to provide comfort food for her grandmother, lingered at the fresh food section, but there was a problem. May didn't particularly enjoy cooking, so she knew almost no recipes. Though she could try some of the recipes on Sky Net, her grandmother would end up cooking, and May would get to enjoy delicious traditional Elf dishes, but that would defeat the purpose of cooking for her grandmother.

'...Should I just order something?'

It would delay dinner time a bit, but ordering seemed like a better option to May. She tried calling her grandmother to ask what she wanted to eat, but there was no response. May understood since her grandmother was not familiar with mobile phones, so feeling hungry, May hurried home.

"Grandma, I'm home. I was about to order dinner, what do you want to... Huh?"

After opening the front door, May noticed unfamiliar shoes. They weren't her grandmother's usual shoes. They were traditional Elf-style silk shoes, not entirely unfamiliar. Elves usually kept a couple sets of traditional clothes and shoes for festivals. May also had some with similar designs in her wardrobe and shoe rack. Moreover, traditionalists often wore them as regular clothing.

However, what May found strange was the presence of someone else's shoes.

"Ah, you've arrived?"

Fortunately, the owner of the shoes soon appeared.

May couldn't help but feel a peculiar emotion upon seeing them. Naturally, she was worried about her grandmother being with a stranger in the house, and she thought she would panic or get angry upon seeing the person, but the moment their eyes met, May could only stand there, mouth slightly open, shocked. The person was incredibly beautiful.

"You’re May Gonta, right? Your grandmother said she would come soon."

"Are you…grandma's...friend...?"

May regretted her words as soon as she spoke them. She had thought this Elf could be an acquaintance because they were of the same species, but the visitor seemed too young to be a friend. This Elf appeared a couple of years younger than May Gonta herself, but guessing an Elf's age was tricky even for another Elf, so May thought that there was a chance that wouldn’t be the case.

"Friend? Oh, yes. A friend indeed. I've known her for a long time."

"Really?"

"I taught your grandmother how to make flower crowns."

"Oh, you're a teacher from the cultural center," May nodded while saying so.

May’s grandmother regularly attended various classes at the local cultural center. Though May hadn't heard specifically, May assumed her grandmother would have taken flower arranging classes.

The unfamiliar Elf smiled broadly and nodded. "Yes. Something like that."

"Then what brings you to our house today..."

May stepped inside, feeling reassured that the visitor was harmless. As soon as she entered, a comforting smell of food being cooked wafted from the kitchen. Something was simmering gently, and the sound of something sizzling in oil could be heard. The aroma was more savory and welcoming than smoky. The Elf even wore an apron May had bought with a promise to cook properly someday but had rarely used.

"Please, don't be too surprised."

"Pardon?"

"Your grandmother slipped on the stairs and fell."

"What?"

"So, I quickly took her to the hospital, got her medicine, and helped her back. She wanted to come to your house since she was on her way here. Luckily, the hospital said it was just a muscle spasm, and the swelling should go down by tomorrow. She's taken her medicine and is sleeping now."

May went to the room to check on her grandmother.

"...Grandma, are you okay?"

It was just as the unfamiliar Elf had said. May lifted the blanket to check the injured area, but it was hard to tell where the swelling was. May was about to turn on the light to take a better look when her grandmother woke up.

"May, is that you?"

"Grandma, you fell down the stairs? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. It was just a slight sprain from the shock."

"Shocked?"

"Did they leave?"

"Who? Your friend?"

"They called me a friend?"

"Huh? They’re not?"

"No no, they are. They’re a friend of mine. May, dear."

"Yeah."

"Be nice to my friend."

"Huh? Oh, okay."

"I'm sleepy from the medicine. Wake me up when it's time to eat, will you?"

"Okay."

"You must wake me up. Understand?"

"I understand."

In the dark room, May saw her grandmother's face illuminated only by the light from the living room. It wasn't just a face of fatigue. It was a face of complete contentment.

'Is the Elf not just a cultural center teacher? Is it because they’re pretty?'

May thought that could be the case as soon as she saw her grandmother's friend again. Her grandmother had always fallen quickly in love with beautiful people since her youth, often reminiscing about her doomed romances in front of May.

'But Grandma...this age difference won’t be easy to overcome.'

May lingered around the kitchen area until her grandmother's friend suggested she quickly take a shower and change clothes, as dinner was not ready yet. It made May feel a bit more comfortable. May hurried a bit, feeling slightly uneasy with a stranger in the house, but soon regretted it.

After showering and returning to the living room, she found herself in the awkward situation of being alone with her grandmother's friend. Her grandmother's friend seemed unbothered, focusing on cooking, while May, somewhat lacking in social skills, struggled to figure out how to handle the situation. The Elf eventually broke the ice.

"Would you mind turning on the news?"

"Ah, yes, for sure. It's been quite hectic today."

May didn't just use the word 'hectic' as a manner of speaking. To her, it indeed seemed like a significant event had occurred. Despite how busy everyone was, the atmosphere at work had been unsettled all day due to one ongoing topic. It was that the gods had descended.

In this context, both 'gods' and 'descended' were left to interpretations. People had their own opinions about what the event meant and discussed how the situation would unfold. This was especially the case since the event followed the unprecedented moon-facing plan, so it was natural for all eyes in the Empire to be drawn to it.

May operated the remote to turn on the receiver.

"Ah, just in time."

On the screen, a well-dressed Orc was seated. The Orc adjusted their glasses slightly and bowed.

"Good evening, citizens of the Empire. This is Maloko Yanafdel, news anchor for Orazen’s Public Broadcasting, Empire 24/7. I know the emergency news arrangement must have surprised you. Some of you may have already confirmed the facts through Sky Net or breaking news, and some are aware of the announcements made by regional grand temples.

“However, many are still unaware of what's happening in the Empire right now. Our special news segment, Since the Gods Have Descended, will continue for 24 hours until the situation settles down. Regular programs are available on the Orazen’s Public Broadcasting website via Sky Net… Now, let's connect to Yotan, our reporter at the Imperial Palace… Yotan, can you hear me?"

On the large monitor behind announcer Maloko, an Astacidea reporter appeared. Yotan, small for an Astacidea and born with a low-probability disability, stood out with their vibrant claws that were a mix of green and blue.

"Yes! I'm Yotan, reporting from the front yard of the Imperial Palace."

"Reporter Yotan, what exactly is happening to us?"

Prompted by announcer Maloko's provocative question, Yotan waved their large claws.

"Here, the palace grounds are bustling with journalists and citizens of Orazen waiting for an official statement from the Imperial Palace. The city administration of Orazen said that there would be no official announcement, but the Central Temple of Orazen stated that there would be an official statement from the palace. What is happening, first and foremost, we are waiting for an answer to that."

"What's the mood like?"

"Fanatical groups, as well as regular congregations of the Central Temple, secular and environmentalist groups, are all here, creating a sea of people holding banners and slogans. However, despite the presence of these diverse groups, they all share one question: What is happening? More specifically, why have the gods descended here?"

Maloko nodded. "There's no official announcement yet, but we have gathered some information through the Imperial Army and the Central Temple, right?"

"Yes."

Yotan appeared to be a skilled reporter. They began explaining without even glancing at the notes they were finishing off.

"According to the meteorological satellite data, starting from around 05:37 this morning, light began to emerge from the depths of the Rasdasil Ruins. Shortly after, many events unfolded. Specifically, the gods of the Pantheon manifested in physical form."

"The way they 'manifested in physical form' sounds different from the Divine Control or Hierophany we're familiar with from records or observations, or even the Incarnation we saw during that dreadful war, doesn't it?"

"Yes, that's correct. 'Manifested in physical form' is a phrase borrowed from an internal source of the Central Temple's priest."

"How is it different?"

"Unlike Divine Control, where only the soul descends using another being's body, or Hierophany, which is considered the true form of a god, or Incarnation, the true nature of which is still under research, the gods have appeared in physical bodies of flesh and blood, not draped in divinity, but in their raw, unadorned form."

"Flesh and blood?"

"Yes."

"That means..."

"Yes, yes, exactly that. That's what we're all concerned about."