Crownless Reincarnation: New World? Nah I'd win-Chapter 65: World Reserve Bank [2]

Her voice echoed in the air.

"But before all this there was only one religion....

....The oldest religion."

Akamir tilted his head in confusion. "Oldest religion?"

"Yes." Nayomi nodded her head in response.

"See, the world has a history of uncountable years but only six thousand years’ history is recorded...that too was mostly destroyed."

"I have read about it before." Akamir replied, looking at her. "It was mostly because people didn’t want to talk about the oldest religion."

Akamir looked into her eyes calmly. "And you know about that because?"

Nayomi let out a sigh.

"Six hundred years ago, when Solomon empire summoned us, they let us use their library which has major events in history recorded in them."

Akamir’s brow furrowed slightly, his eyes narrowing as he leaned against the stone partition.

"So, this oldest religion, what was this about?"

"Oh, they say this world is ruled by a powerful elder God being called the golden Sun."

Nayomi replied, floating just a little higher as she stared into the sky.

"And they had only one goal....to erase the concept of dead from this world."

Akamir blinked. "...Erase the concept of death?"

Nayomi gave a slow nod, her voice now hushed in the air.

"Not death as in dying—but the concept itself. No endings, no decay, no rot. They believed that existence was meant to be unbroken, forever basking in the golden Sun’s warmth."

Akamir was silent, processing what she meant.

"That sounds like... a utopia. Or a prison."

She looked down at him, her eyes solemn. "Both. To those who worshipped the golden Sun, it was paradise. To those who rebelled... it was madness."

Akamir looked at the flowing river in silence.

Isn’t he one of those who had escaped the concept of Death?

Doesn’t that mean he was like them?

He sighed, throwing that thought away.

"Why do you tell me that?" He asked, looking at her. "Is it related to runes?"

Nayomi gave him a look for being so impatient.

"The golden Sun needed to expand his religion." She said.

"So, he made three things and sent it to the mortal world....They were an...eight finger hand, a tree and an elf."

’Now, that’s interesting.’

Akamir thought as he began to walk and Nayomi floated just beside him.

"The enormous eight-fingered hand," Nayomi began, her voice barely above a whisper,

"was a living being. Each finger etched with a divine rune...the last form of runes."

’A rune that even Velyrian wasn’t aware of, huh?’

Akamir rubbed his chin as he looked at her. "What did that hand even do?"

"Wherever it touched, it branded minds with the will of the golden Sun."

Akamir narrowed his eyes. "A living rune... that writes its belief into others?"

"Exactly," Nayomi said. "It didn’t kill anyone. It just converted and reshaped the soul."

They walked in silence for a moment, the river murmuring beside them.

"And the tree?" he asked at last.

"It was worshipped as a holy relic in the Age of the Cradle." Nayomi whispered. "A world tree that bore golden leaves and blood-red fruit. Anyone who ate from it stopped aging."

Akamir glanced at her sharply. "Is that tree still there?"

"Yes and no." She replied simply. "It was broken into two—one is in a different continent and one with the elves."

Akamir’s pace slowed. "An elf created by the golden Sun?"

"The first elf of divine blood." Nayomi said, floating further. "She was a saintess who, along with her husband, fought wars with dragons and giants."

Akamir quickly matched her pace. "So, it was dragons and giants who ruled the world before her?"

"Yes." She confirmed. "But after countless wars with the followers of golden Sun, they were forced to live in isolation on an island."

Nayomi paused mid-air, her gaze drifting toward the horizon where the sun dipped just below the clouds.

"She was more than just the first elf. They called her Iriel of the Dawn. She was the closest being to the golden Sun’s image—flawless, eternal, beloved by many... and cursed by just as many."

Akamir raised an eyebrow. "Cursed?"

"She defied her god," Nayomi murmured. "She gave the knowledge of runes to every elf of her time."

"Let me guess," Akamir muttered. "The Church has its own version of her."

"They call her a betrayer. A fallen saint. They teach that she tried to hoard the Sun’s gifts and was struck down for her greed."

Akamir frowned, his thoughts spiraling. "So... what happened to the oldest religion?"

"After the saintess’ fall, the others followed behind her." She replied, looking back at him. "...In the end, they were also forgotten with time."

Akamir nodded in understanding. "And the elves immigrated to live in this continent?"

"Half of them." Nayomi corrected him. "The other half are still fighting with their eternal rivals."

Akamir raised his brow. "Rivals?"

"The family of moon...House El Lunari." She replied, her voice soft.

"They are one of the ancient factions that lived long before. They are also the ones who are in charge of the World Reserve Bank."

The last words caught Akamir’s attention.

’So it wasn’t a group of factions who managed the entire bank, huh?’

The more Akamir thought about it, the more he felt like it wasn’t a good thing.

A united group instead of factions of many is far more dangerous than anything.

"Don’t worry." She replied, glancing at him. "They are always in civil wars to care about the humans."

’Did she just read my mind?’

He wondered, narrowing his eyes at her.

Despite her telling that she could easily read him....this still doesn’t sit him right.

He frowned as he thought of something. "Why does it feel like the house of moon are Vampires."

"They are Vampires." She replied, looking at him. "And they are far stronger than normal humans."

Akamir just nodded in response, not arguing with her.

He looked ahead, his eyes tracing the path that curved with the river.

"How do you know so much?" he asked after a long pause.

Nayomi tilted her head, then gave him a tired smile. "Because I am one of the few who remembers."

"You’re not that old," he scoffed.

"I’m not," she agreed. "But I’m bonded to something ancient. I’m not supposed to exist anymore."

"...The spirit world, huh?" Akamir mumbled in response.

She didn’t deny or confirm his words, she just remained silent.

"Anyway, is that weird finger thingy." Akamir said, looking at her. "Is it still alive?"

"Yes." She confirmed his doubts. "As far as I know, it is sealed by the El Lunari and is in their custody."

"I see." Akamir nodded. "And what about the saintess, how strong was she?"

"Exalted Empyrean."

"The fuck is that?"

Nayomi snorted. "A rank above demigod and a rank you will never reach."

"Haha, very funny."

Akamir looked thoughtful. "So... three divine relics. One of them’s sealed. One is split. The third...?"

"The elf?" Nayomi said, smiling faintly. "There is nothing known about her but she is most probably alive."

That made Akamir stop mid-step.

"Wait, wait." He said, looking at her. "Then the elves being genderless—."

"Elves weren’t always genderless, yes." She said, looking at him. "They were cursed to live that way."

"Hah. I knew it." Akamir said, rubbing his chin. "So, it was the elves who gave away the runes?"

"More or less." She replied, looking at him.

"And you don’t know why I feel that when I use them?"

"I am...not sure." She mumbled, looking away. "I do have some theories but I will keep them to myself for now."

Akamir shrugged. "Sure, why not."

Akamir grumbled as he reached the end of a street to the wall of a huge building.

He looked around the place, finding nobody except him.

Taking in a deep breath, he raised his hand and willed to move back to his room.

A crown formed over his hand and a portal in front of him.

’I should just fall asleep after reaching home.’

The instant he entered it, Akamir vanished.

---

"Argh!"

The loud crashing sound made Akamir groggily wake up from his sleep.

He looked around the place until he found Zia close to him.

His head fell down on the bed once again. "Why are you here?"

Zia awkwardly looked at him. "Young master—."

"We will talk later." He grumbled, hiding his face with the pillow. "Get out for now."

"...."

Zia remained silent as she stood there.

"Did you not hear—."

"Should I also go away?"

A voice interrupted him.

Akamir looked on the other side of the bed.

’Fuck.’

Only to find Duke Darvin sitting on a chair.