Chapter 51: Myths of Another World in Comics (3)
Several months had already passed since the Academy Martial Arts Tournament, which had set the academy ablaze with excitement, came to an end.
The broadcast of the tournament had already spread to every corner of the kingdom, finishing its task of delivering dopamine to the masses.
And just as it was beginning to reach the end of its lifespan as a topic of conversation.
A single work descended suddenly, as if dancing down from the heavens.
-Let’s Learn Mythology the Easy Way!
[Myth Stories in Comics], depicting various tales from myth in comic form, is now on sale!
Purchase it at your nearest bookstore or church!-
This was not empty rhetoric; myths that had truly been stories above the heavens had descended to earth through the medium of comics.
“Huh? A new comic came out? Not serialized in the newspaper, but as an actual book?
That’s pretty bold.”
“Let’s see. It says they’ve drawn mythology in comic form so it’s easy to understand?
Hmm, mythology gets pretty difficult if you really dig into it. I wonder how it turned out…”
The reactions of those who heard the news of [Myth Stories in Comics]’ release were largely divided into two categories.
First, some people admired the boldness of releasing it officially right away without any newspaper serialization.
Or found it fascinating that mythology—content that could be boring and difficult, depending on how you looked at it—had been made into a comic.
After all, full-fledged mythology, not the summarized tales sung by bards, had an image closer to an academic text.
It was a kind of strange admiration, the thought that even this could be turned into a comic.
“Well, even so, could this possibly be fun?
It’ll obviously just drone on and on about the Church’s confusing doctrines. If we were capable of understanding that, we’d have become priests long ago.”
“This was made by the Church, right?
I really don’t trust the Church much these days.
To put it bluntly, couldn’t this be something that defends the saintess who betrayed the hero?”
And most people responded lukewarmly.
After all, seriously delving into mythology was difficult, and the Church’s image had not been good lately.
They were supposed to read something that, at a glance, seemed hard to understand, while also putting up with that unpleasant feeling?
Why bother? Why should they?
Unlike Wade’s previous life, this was not a world where someone could step forward as a scout and check it out for them.
Thus, [Myth Stories in Comics] seemed as though it would be buried and disappear amid people’s indifference.
-[Myth Stories in Comics], produced under the supervision of the Church. Author Wei, who has brought countless works to success, also cooperated in its production!-
-Author Wei guarantees the appeal of [Myth Stories in Comics], saying that “even children will be able to learn mythology in an enjoyable way”!-
Until, that is, a new piece of news soon arrived.
The news that Author Wei, praised even as an apostle of culture, had participated in its production and guaranteed both its entertainment value and simplicity flipped the thoughts of those who had been negative like Udyr.
“Author Wei participated? Really?
Then does that mean it wasn’t just thrown together for the sake of preaching doctrine?”
“If it’s Author Wei, I can trust it and buy it.
He’s never said anything empty before.
Everything he’s ever put into words has become reality.”
“The very person who wrote Betrayal Hero collaborated with the Church. That must mean he views the current Church fairly favorably, right?
Hmmm, then should I trust it and give it a read?”
Those who had avoided it, saying it would be hard to understand, and those who had avoided it due to doubts or aversion toward the Church.
Trusting Author Wei’s guarantee, they began purchasing the comic.
It was exactly the effect the Church and Wade had been aiming for.
And the Church did not stop there, but went one step further.
“For those who are members of the Church, or those who have attended worship three or more times, we are selling [Myth Stories in Comics] at a discounted price!”
Taking advantage of the fact that this work was being sold not only at bookstores but also in churches.
They offered a special discount to believers and those who attended worship, attempting to increase worship attendance while improving awareness and the image of the Church.
“What? Are you saying the Church is going to use sacred worship as a commercial tactic just to sell comic books?!”
“Is it really all right for the Church to discount it however it pleases?
It seems to me that this ignores the rights of Author Wei, who participated in its production.”
“We have already received permission from both the Saintess and Author Wei.
Please don’t worry and enjoy it at the discounted price!”
“Ah, then that changes things. Give me one copy.”
“Does it matter if I start attending worship from now?
Ah, you stamp it each time I attend? Then please stamp here for now.”
Unlike the Church’s usual image, it was boldly employing a discount strategy.
Some complaints did arise.
Was it acceptable for the Church to be so business-minded?
Wasn’t it ignoring Author Wei’s rights?
And so on.
“It’s all right. It’s not as though we are selling indulgences, like during that period when the Church briefly committed wrongdoings.
If we can accurately teach proper doctrine at a low price, wouldn’t that be the right thing to do as clergy?
I believe the Goddess will likely look kindly upon it as well.”
“As always, there is a more important purpose than money this time too.
The discount rate isn’t that high either, so it’s fine. Proceed.”
But upon hearing that the Saintess representing the Church and Author Wei, who held the rights, had already granted permission, they had no choice but to quietly shut their mouths.
In any case, thanks to that strategy.
Rather than paying full price at bookstores, people began visiting churches to purchase it at a discount.
And, just as Wade had planned, even before they read the book, it planted the seeds for familiarity and friendliness toward the Church, improving the image they had once avoided.
And those people, who opened [Myth Stories in Comics] with hearts that had softened toward the Church without their realizing it.
“Oh my! What is this?! Why is everyone dressed like that?”
“Goodness, it’s a good thing I didn’t read this outside.”
“Ahem, ahem. Seeing it as a comic rather than a mural really gives it quite the impact…”
They found themselves encountering a shock in a direction entirely different from what they had expected.
***
“I finally got it. To think I’d end up reading it a whole week after release because I was filling up the required number of worship attendances.”
Eric, an instructor of basic magic at the academy, muttered as he placed the book he had barely managed to obtain, [Myth Stories in Comics], on his desk.
Not only had he ended up reading [Myth Stories in Comics] a whole week late because he had been filling the worship attendance requirement.
He had also suffered this past week trying to avoid the contents of the book spread by those who had read it first.
As Eric held doubts about the Church, he could not help regretting whether he had pointlessly attended worship.
Of course, Eric was not an unbeliever who did not believe in the Goddess.
“The only irreverent bastards who don’t believe in the Goddess, whose existence is clearly proven, are evil scum like black mages. Yes.”
However, as had been revealed through Betrayal Hero, the Church had a history of corruption, so he could not help but harbor doubts.
Most people were probably similar to him, weren’t they?
Believing in the Church and believing in the Goddess were separate matters.
“But if Author Wei is involved, that’s a different story.”
The very fact that Author Wei, the person who had exposed the saintess’s betrayal and the Church’s corruption in the past, was cooperating with the Church was practically the same as asserting the Church’s vindication.
That was why he had deliberately attended worship this time.
It was not as though he would read it a whole week late simply to receive a discount.
“It’s not like an academy professor’s salary is that low.”
The reason Eric had deliberately attended worship was something like preliminary reconnaissance.
He wanted to compare just how much, and in what ways, the contents he heard during worship differed from the comic.
And, just as expected, having felt a subtle impression from the difficult, confusing contents of the worship service—wondering whether this could really be explained well—Eric opened the book.
-Good grief. Is my class that boring?
Then I’ll let you rest for a moment and tell you an interesting story, so everyone listen and wake yourselves up.-
-Professor, what kind of interesting story is it?-
-A story from the Age of Gods, when the gods themselves truly walked the world and acted within it.
In other words, I’ll tell you a myth.-
-Huh? Mythology is hard and not fun, though.-
-Don’t worry. It will be such an interesting story that your sleepy eyes will snap wide open and you’ll want to listen.-
The contents of [Myth Stories in Comics] proceeded with the concept of a professor telling stories to his students as a break.
“Oh-ho. This would certainly make it feel less awkward to take time here and there to explain doctrine in detail.
As expected of Author Wei. He paid attention even to the finer details.”
For Eric, an academy professor, it was a method that felt both familiar and friendly.
So, with his heart slightly more at ease, he moved into the main contents.
“Uwaaaah?! W-what is with these clothes?
Did I buy the wrong book?”
He was startled by an unexpected shock.
The story told by the professor within the work naturally began with the creation myth, as it was the first story.
The problem was that the figure of the Goddess of Chaos, the first god born from nothingness when there had been nothing at all, was drawn in an extremely provocative way.
Since it was a book officially released by the Church, and to prevent irreverence toward the gods, she was not completely naked and had been drawn wearing clothing.
“But can this really be called wearing something?
No, she is wearing something, but somehow the ratio of skin color seems a bit high…”
The fabric covered so little and was so thin that it was difficult to know where to look.
“This feels completely different from seeing it in the Church’s paintings or statues.”
The Goddess had been wearing similar clothes in the paintings hung in the Church as well, so it was not as though the historical accuracy was wrong.
But unlike the existing paintings and statues, which had tried to express holiness, this comic focused more on expressing beauty.
As a result, he could not help feeling a much stronger eros from it.
“Ugh. Goddess, forgive me.
No, wait. Since it is only natural for the Goddess to possess perfect beauty, wouldn’t it be more irreverent for me to deny Her beauty?”
Thanks to that, Eric fell into confusion over whether he should apologize to the Goddess for irreverence, or whether denying it would instead be the more sinful act.
In the end, with his face half flushed, he had no choice but to continue reading while sneaking glances at the page.
Still, if he were to be honest about one thing.
It was an undeniable fact that the Goddess’s beautiful figure had multiplied his concentration severalfold.
At this rate, he could even accept the interpretations of difficult doctrines within mythology!
“Kraaaagh! The male gods are just as half-naked too!”
Well, after he saw that the muscular male gods who appeared afterward were also in a state of semi-undress, he immediately screamed and cooled down.