“What the hell do they think they are doing?!” I shouted at the people below who couldn’t hear me.

I tried to slow my breathing, but a red haze overlapped my vision and my form shuddered as fury permeated my entire being.

“Sir, please calm down!” Auto pleaded.

I took a few more deep breaths. Since I didn’t have a real body, it was more of an impulse that had no real physiological effect but it started to work.

Before the Unification War hit the middle stages and the entire world got involved, I was a relatively normal person. I was your everyday American student doing my generals at a normal university while trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life.

My hobbies included anything fantasy and my favorite types of stories were the ones called ‘isekai’, especially the self-insert type. Wasn’t it every man’s dream to meet real elves and animal girls?

Yet my first animal girl encounter was from the other side of a barred cage. Having heard that the humans of this world originally came from Earth, I kind of assumed that they would be like the people on Earth.

Actually, I might have had hope before the Unification War, but I saw the true face of humanity. If you make a human a little bit special, they will trample everyone else around them. Humans were just that kind of creature.

I shook myself out of my thoughts and searched for Ray. While I was brooding, my Tether entered the town with the help of some warrior dude. I could see a powerful aura surrounding him, one that dwarfed everyone else nearby.

“What is that?” I asked, pointing at the aura.

“That,” Auto replied, “is a High Templar. You can see the strength of the holy power bestowed upon him by an Overseer. He must be highly favored. However, there is something strange about him…”

As we were watching, the man stuck a piece of paper to her hand and then stepped backward, his body fading away until he disappeared without a trace.

Wow.

I scanned our surroundings, but I couldn’t figure out where he had gone. I wasn’t even sure if he teleported or just went invisible, or if there was some other mechanism involved.

The ‘fortress town’ was very much like I imagined a semi-medieval fantasy fortress would look like. It seemed like most of the merchants operated stalls just beyond the main entrance while the center of town contained some key buildings and more permanent stores. The sight of the various humanoid slaves was rather bothersome, but I was more or less expecting it now that I knew they had slaves here.

However, there were some unexpected elements that drew my attention. Some of the adventurers had rifles slung across their backs, and when I looked a little closer, I found that a few of the warriors had handguns hidden in holsters on their belts. The modern weapons were nowhere near as plentiful as daggers or bows, but there were enough that I would say they were common.

I remembered Jocelyn saying that these humans were descendants of Earthlings. At the time, I didn’t really think about it too much, but it seemed they came from an era not too far removed from my own. That was a bit odd because I never heard of a large group of people disappearing, but with magic involved, there were probably several explanations for that.

With the existence of guns, I couldn’t help but wonder why there were so many more bows… perhaps because of the price?

Most of the people were wearing clothing that I would associate with the early twenty-first century. Though I had no idea how long it had been since humans came here, they seemed to have managed to replicate some things pretty well, though I couldn’t see anything like bicycles, cars, or cell phones anywhere.

Eventually, my Tether passed the cathedral and ascended up the stairs to the floating temple in the sky. I stared in awe at the majestic sight, absorbing all the splendor of the awesome building.

Something about the temple resonated with the core of my being. Reaching out, I touched the wall of the temple and felt the boundless power confined within the structure. I wasn’t sure how, but I knew without a speck of doubt that divinity rested here.

My Tether reached the top of the stairs and I returned my full attention to her as she started a conversation with a priestess.

***

They walked side-by-side across the courtyard. Few people even spared the duo a second glance despite Ray’s dark cloak standing out amongst the white and gold. They reached the stairs through the central archway and began to ascend.

“I’m Ray, by the way. I never introduced myself.”

“Kelsey Vale.”

“Is it alright if I ask some questions?”

“Sure, I guess.”

“I saw some words that I wasn’t familiar with engraved below the murals on the cathedral. What’s a Tether?”

Kelsey stopped walking and stared at Ray with a sharp gaze. Ray stopped as well; her eyebrows raised as she took in the other girl’s guarded expression.

“A Tether is the representative of an Overseer. They convey the words of the gods to us mortals.”

“Overseer?”

“... Who are you?” Kelsey demanded. “Everybody knows the answers to these questions.”

Ray shrugged.

“You could say I’ve been living in a roc for most of my life.”

Kelsey stared at her for a moment longer. She abruptly turned and started walking forward again while correcting her.

“You mean ‘under a rock.”

Ray giggled as she followed the priestess once again.

“No, I think my expression was more accurate.”

Kelsey shook her head, giving up.

“Overseers are the guardians of humanity. Each Overseer has jurisdiction over different areas and accordingly grants different perks. The ‘respawn’ you experienced before is one of the universal perks granted to all followers regardless of which Overseer they worship.”

Respawn? She’d heard them use that word a few times.

“What kinds of perks are there?”

“The lady I worship, Jocelyn the Lovely One, has a rather abstract perk that doubles the charisma of her followers. Dallin the Strong One is said to have a similar perk for physical strength, though nobody has managed to prove it.”

“Jocelyn and Dallin… are there any other Overseers?”

“Loki the Hidden One and Mumblegrumble the Strange One. Those two are a little more mysterious and their followers keep to themselves, usually.”

“What are their perks?”

Kelsey shrugged.

“I’ve read a lot of scholarly essays on the topic, but nobody really knows. Some people think Loki grants increased agility or dexterity, but that has never been claimed by the god or his Tether, and nobody has any guesses about what perks Mumblegrumble gives.”

“If nobody can prove it, how do you know you have these perks in the first place?”

Kelsey waved her question away.

“Obviously, they exist. The gods said they do, so they do.”

Ray narrowed her eyes at the unsatisfactory response but decided not to comment any further.

After several seconds of silence, they arrived outside an ornate, white door. The edges were ringed with silver and the handles were shiny and transparent. Kelsey raised a hand and knocked.

A moment later, a gruff man slid the door open.

“Whaddya want?” he grumbled.

“I’ve brought a guest of Lord Maxwell. She has his magic signature,” Kelsey replied while holding out the note.

Magic signature? Was there something else there?

Ray stared intently at the piece of paper, but she couldn’t see anything.

The man took the note and examined it. After a short pause, he nodded as he handed it back.

“One moment.”

The door closed and Ray heard footsteps moving away from the door.

“Was there something special on that paper?” Ray asked.

“You could say it's proof of your claim.”

“My claim?”

Kelsey grimaced.

“I swear, we get another person with random and bizarre claims coming in here every other week. Last week, an infamous bandit broke in and claimed to be a unicorn. He was shouting some nonsense about a ritual that would bring doom on us all. The crazy people never seem to consider that they need to prove their claim.”

Ray felt a bead of sweat run down her neck.

A ritual? Was that related to the ritual that changed her? Or a different one?

“What happened to him?”

Kelsey leveled her piercing gaze on Ray.

“I’m sure you have nothing to worry about. You had the magic signature, after all. If we find out that you lied… well, you won’t need to worry about it for too long. Impersonating high-level personnel in the clergy is one of the more offensive mistakes a person could make. The only thing worse than that would be falsely claiming to be a Tether or a unicorn.”

Ray examined the priestess with renewed eyes.

What was with this girl? She looked nice and pretty on the outside, but the things she said were comfortably hostile. It was an extremely favorable impression.

She noticed the sound of footprints approaching on the other side of the door again.

With an inward sigh, Ray braced herself, preparing to move forward. She was already this far. She had to continue.

The door opened to reveal a tall, graceful woman standing on the other side. Her very presence seemed to radiate light that accentuated her beautiful features and long, black hair.

The High Priestess smiled warmly as she looked down at Ray.

“Are you the one?” she asked.

Ray stared at the radiant woman, dazed.

“Come in, come in! We… Oh, my! Your eyes are most peculiar. I am most curious about your story.”

“I don’t really know very much.”

“Hmm,” the High Priestess said, looking down at Ray appraisingly. Her attention shifted and she paused for a moment, looking at something only she could see. Her smile widened.

“Interesting. Come on in then. I think we have much to discuss,” she said, stepping back into the room in a smooth, graceful motion.

Ray moved through the doorway, hesitating only when she noticed that Kelsey didn’t follow. The door closed behind her.

She squared her shoulders, fighting down her nerves and the nagging impulse to flee as she walked forward, alone in the Temple of Cairel with the High Priestess. She noticed that Max was nowhere in sight.

Wasn’t she supposed to be meeting with him? Was this really a good idea?

Well, it was probably too late to back out.

A soothing voice called for her attention.

“Let’s get down to business, shall we?”

Ray turned and met the eyes of the High Priestess.

“I must admit that I was genuinely surprised to see the name ‘Evelyn Raymond’ appear on the register. Imagine my surprise when you, a young woman who claims the name of the Monarch of Ages, respawned in our temple. You also bear a remarkable resemblance to her. I must ask, what is your connection between the two of you?”

Evelyn Raymond.

That name sounded so far beyond familiar that it resonated with her soul. Ray stared at the High Priestess, bewildered. Her thoughts raced as she tried to latch onto the sense of familiarity, though her memories remained as blank as ever.

This woman knew who she was. She could finally find some answers!

“Though I guess my first question should be what are you? You respawned while carrying over vampiric traits, which goes against providence. Your presence is reminiscent of a higher being, but your magic aura is entirely nonexistent…”

“Nice to meet you,” Ray interrupted as she approached the vibrant woman and reached out a hand carefully, just as she’d seen Jonathan do before.

The High Priestess looked down at the hand in amusement for a moment before reaching out and softly accepting the offer. She shook Ray’s hand firmly and showed a soft, gentle smile.

“Well, well, aren’t you the polite one... I suppose I was a bit overeager… I should at least introduce myself first,” she mused. “My name is Eileen Vanis, High Priestess of the Temple of Cairel. You may call me Sister Eileen.”

Ray released Eileen’s hand, taking a step back.

“Sister Eileen, I wish I could answer your questions about me, but I don’t know the answers. Could you tell me more about this ‘Evelyn Raymond’?”

“Oh?” Eileen tilted her head quizzically. “If you aren’t connected then it's best not to talk about her. You know what they say, speak of the Queen and she comes. It may be a bit superstitious, but I would rather this country persist for a bit longer.”

“I think that name, Evelyn Raymond, is especially important. It sounded awfully familiar to me,” Ray supplied. “I recently woke up on a nearby mountain with very few memories, so I don’t really know who or what I am.”

Eileen observed Ray quietly for several long seconds.

Ray fidgeted uncomfortably under the piercing gaze and started to observe the room they were in. There were two soft couches situated on opposite sides of a low table carved from some sort of white stone. The only other decoration in the room was a desk against the corner with a small, strange box-shaped object on it. In front of the box was a thin, rectangular platform with strange symbols carved into it.

“Alright, little one, I have an idea.” Eileen finally spoke.

Ray returned her attention to the older woman.

“Since we don’t have a Tether here, we can’t run an appraisal on you. However, there are tests that privileged people can undergo to discover their talents and aptitudes. I will sponsor you to take these tests.”

“Aptitudes? Talents?”

“Every person is born with certain talents and abilities inherent to them. When it comes to magic, most people are also born with an aptitude or two for specific types of magic. The majority of the population has to discover these things through trial and error, but a Tether could simply observe you and tell you. Unfortunately, there are only four Tethers in the world, so most people don’t have the option to do such a thing. We developed certain ‘tests’ to help us uncover the talents and aptitudes of promising individuals to better foster their growth and development.”

“And you want me to take these ‘tests’,” Ray concluded.

Eileen nodded.

“Normally it would be impossible for you to take them, but, with my letter of recommendation, the instructors are guaranteed to run the basic test. Anything beyond that is between you and them.”

Ray pondered on the suggestion. It seemed like a rather good idea. At the very least, it wouldn’t hurt to know what kinds of skills and magic she could use so she was all for it.

There were a few questions that she wanted to ask first, though.

“My first question. Outside the town, I was attacked by four humans when they discovered that I have a red eye. Why is that?”

“When the Overseers first appeared almost one thousand five hundred years ago, they decreed humans to be the superior race and that all other intelligent species were inferior ‘monsters’ like the wild monsters that roam the world. They ordered humans to exterminate the ‘monsters’ and cleanse the world.”

Ray felt a chill run down her spine. Remembering the sight of the various nonhumans in chains, she felt like she knew exactly where this was going.

“It was an impossible task, of course. The four immortal races by themselves were far too strong for humans to stand against. The mortal intelligent races had their own nations and tribes scattered throughout the continent and even now, hundreds of years after humans won, humans still have no presence or influence on half of the continent.”

But that also meant humans had power over half the continent.

“However, not every human in this world was a follower of the Overseers. Some of them objected to the cruel treatment of the other sentient races. After several political conflicts and a civil war, it became an acceptable practice to spare the lives of children. Those poor individuals become slaves almost without exception.”

“I see…” Ray muttered.

“It is a monstrous practice but a practical one. Orcs and trolls are, on average, much stronger than humans and can perform good physical labor. Beastkin with highly developed animal traits often have better senses than humans. Depending on the animal traits, they can be faster or stronger than humans as well, so adventurers often use them as bait to lure monsters.”

“What about vampires?” Ray asked, curious.

“Vampires… are a bit more complicated. Rather than calling them a ‘race’, it would be more accurate to call vampirism a ‘curse’. Human vampires cannot be enslaved, they are instead cleansed through execution. Vampires of other races are treated the same as any other nonhuman. They have superb physical strength and speed, but they are not exceedingly popular as slaves because they are undead. The only way to make them feel pain is holy magic, so they usually aren’t very obedient. Still, there are ways. A collector might enjoy putting a vampire on display as a stuffed doll.”

There were people who taxidermied slaves? If they were still alive, Ray could see some appeal in it, but she couldn’t see any point in displaying dead bodies.

“My second question then. Why are you helping me?”

Eileen giggled softly.

“An excellent question, though I hope you forgive me if I only give you a partial answer. A lady has to have some secrets, after all.”

Ray grimaced but nodded anyway.

“I have four reasons, but I’ll only tell you two of them for now.”

She paused, leaning forward while motioning for Ray to do the same.

“Fourth, I want to change this rotten world,” Eileen whispered. “And second, I want to meet the people who saved my life.”

Ray leaned back, curious about the first and third reasons, as well as the story behind the second reason but she decided to respect Eileen’s wish to keep it secret for now. Rather, she was grateful that Eileen had revealed as much as she already had.

“My final question then. Despite the fact that I am not a human, why are Max and Kelsey and the others treating me well? The people in this temple should be the close followers of Overseers, right?”

Eileen shook her head.

“That is actually the reason most of the people here are accepting you. As close followers of Overseers, they know that no Overseer would allow a monster to respawn. Kelsey saw you respawn and only humans have access to the respawn system. There is no doubt in her mind, or in the minds of anybody else who has heard about the strange ‘red-eyed crazy lady’, that you are a human.”

Ray recalled her conversation with Kelsey. ‘The gods said they do, so they do’, was it? It seemed like most people thought that way.

She wanted to ask why an Overseer had allowed her, a ‘monster’, to ‘respawn’ then but decided to leave it for now. This conversation thus far had been all take and no give, so she decided that she would place some trust in this High Priestess.

“Alright, then I would be happy to accept your assistance,” Ray replied. “Please introduce me to the instructors so that I can take the talent and aptitude tests.”

Eileen looked over Ray one last time before smirking.

“Before that, why don’t we have you take a bath and get you some clothes?”

She walked over to the door and rang a bell. The same man who had answered the door when Kelsey knocked before appeared inside the room. He didn’t enter through a door or window, he just appeared.

“Sullivan, please ask the priestesses to help this young lady get cleaned up and outfitted. She will be undergoing the aptitude tests in the morning and needs to be properly dressed.”

“It will be done, Sister,” Sullivan replied with a low bow.

He motioned for Ray to move through the door, and she started to walk when Eileen called out after her.

“Since you don’t use the recorded name, what should I call you?”

“Ray,” she replied without hesitation. “My name is Ray.”