Chapter 54: Moral Foundations
Kenja450:
you want to borrow my voice changer? do you want to be an uwu femboy?
(30 minutes later.)
UTOPICWorldBuilder:
Fucking hell, man. No, I need to borrow it for a project.
Kenja450:
took you a while to respond lol. maybe I hit the nail on the head? what kind of project needs an ai powered voice modification software?
UTOPICWorldBuilder:
Long story. I can buy it from you if you set a price.
Kenja450:
need it that badly huh? nah dont pay, but if your going for a character concept, tweak some of the settings. default might be too cutesy for you.
>moemoekyun.gif
UTOPICWorldBuilder:
Thanks, man. I’ll be sure to repay the favor one day.
>salarymandogeza.png
Kenja450:
nah its fine dude. btw, you down for ranked UR later?
UTOPICWorldBuilder:
I’m not home right now, so I can’t. It’ll take a while, but I’ll tell you when I get back. We can queue up then.
Kenja450:
cool, cool. i need people to help me up to divine rank before the end of the season. ill invite meaty and corv too.
UTOPICWorldBuilder:
Alright.
Kenja450:
almost forgot. give me a minute. ill send you a link to the files for the software. its a mobile app. you can use it with a wireless mic. get one that can clip on your clothes.
UTOPICWorldBuilder:
Wireless mics for phones are a thing? That sounds… redundant.
Kenja450:
some vloggers like to record their voices on their phone while on camera. cheaper that way, is more audio-quality consistent and looks better than keeping your phone stuck to your face.
UTOPICWorldBuilder:
Huh. You learn something new every day.
Kenja450:
>themoreyouknow.gif
I couldn’t help but let out a sigh filled with wonder.
“So? Did he respond?”
Ori came up to my side, likely hearing me sigh. I put down my phone and turned toward her before responding.
“Yeah. He’ll send the link to the software in a minute. Conveniently, it’s a mobile app, so there’s no need to bring a laptop to run it.”
“He’s a mobile app developer, so that’s no surprise. I think I recall him saying that he made his own facial tracking software based on some old abandonware for his VTubing gig, too.”
“He was THAT high spec? I thought he just played video games on stream all day.”
“You’re one to talk. Don’t a lot of losers with free time have something they’re weirdly good at?”
Ori gave me a stinging look as she said that. Oi, what’s that look supposed to mean?
“Anyway, we should give it a test after prettying you up.”
“... Do I REALLY have to be the one to do it?”
“There’s no one else who can do the job, is there? It’s not like that sun goddess can just spawn some high charisma spirit out of nowhere. We already gave that a try.”
“Please don’t remind me of that…”
Relying on the already conceived perception of Esphera being capable of producing spirits on her own, we attempted to create one that could serve as an apostle. The spirit needed to take on as close to the human form as possible, even closer than that of the efreets. And yet…
(… Are we sure this spirit is supposed to be an apostle? Because right now it just looks like a fiery succubus with an hourglass figure that never finished loading—no face, no hands, no feet.)
(It’s the fire resistance potion meme all over again…)
(What?)
On top of being unable to assume a form that could even pass for human, the spirits Esphera produced still lacked the intelligence to do the job properly. At best, with her current divine power, she could raise them to a basic, almost naïve level of intelligence—and that was the limit.
(She started playing with Sylvie and her rubber chicken... Esphera, she’s not going to burn her on contact, is she?)
(Ah, of course not, Lord Yvell. Spirits can control the intensity of their flames. So long as she does not lose control of her emotions, it should be fine.)
(Goo.)
(Well, at least Sylvie’s got a playmate now. It’s nice to have someone keep her occupied while we’re busy working.)
(Fsssshhhh…)
This was the current limit of Esphera’s powers. Maybe she’ll need more faith to create a more complex spirit? I still don’t fully understand the mechanics myself.
In theory, she should be recognized as the mother of the Holy Spirit—a being of great intelligence. But perhaps that aspect wasn’t remembered over the generations. Most people know her for her destructive abilities, after all.
At least that didn’t turn out badly. A little friendly company is always good for a baby’s development—not that I’d know, since I’m no parent and likely never will be.
That aside, I ended up being the best option for the apostle role. So, I reluctantly allowed myself to be dressed up for the job, sacrificing my masculinity for the greater good.
“... This fucking sucks.”
“Oh, quit your whining. You look great.”
“That’s the problem.”
“Growing an ego now, are we? Liking the new look?”
“Fuck you.”
Looking at myself in the mirror practically gave me an identity crisis. Just as Ori had said, I didn’t look bad in crossplay. Dare I say I even look good… Fuck, I can feel my stomach churning at those words forming in my head.
Esphera and Graille seemed to be enjoying the view, both of them blushing as they took in my… regrettably feminine look.
“Lord Yvell, you look beautiful…”
“Sir Yvell, how about you dress like this all the time? I think it suits you quite well!”
“No. Absolutely NOT.”
This is a one-time thing—one time ONLY. There’s no way I’m letting anyone put me in crossplay ever again.
“Why the beauty mark, by the way?”
“Why not? Doesn’t it make you look sexier?”
“What the fuck? Why in the world would I want THAT?”
“Men tend to listen more when the woman’s hot, don’t they?”
“I… well, I can’t deny that.”
Kick.
“OW! What was that for?”
“Fucking men…”
“Huh?”
Do you want me to agree with you or disagree with you? Pick a side, damn it. And why does she have to be so violent all the time?
“Lord Yvell…”
“Yes, Esphera?”
“I would like to understand why another apostle must make their entrance at this point in history.”
“Ah, that is an easy question to answer. And there are two reasons for that.”
The first reason is more of a meta one. As I’ve already mentioned, the role of apostle would be ultimately better suited to someone other than me, Yvell.
It’s a special divine role that has, until now, served as an intermediary between the Goddess Esphera and the humans of Elynthys. Esphera herself cannot fulfill this role—not because she is incapable, but because she lacks the perspective needed to understand both sides of this faith.
This can only mean that someone else must take on this role. And it has to be someone from this world. Esphera can’t rely on me every time she needs a middleman.
For people to see the apostle role as a gift given to the chosen, it has to be shown early in the religion’s history that this can actually happen. And now’s the perfect time to make that clear to the world.
The second reason explains why now is the right time for the first: humanity has reached a point where, to keep prospering, they’ll have to make a lot more compromises. That means a lot more decisions that may ignore morality entirely in favor of cold pragmatism.
This is something I realized upon meeting with Nova’k for the second time.
While pragmatic decisions ultimately achieve better results, such decisions ignore the irrational human heart. Splintering societies as Nova’k had originally done by conspiring to push the gnomes over to Gnomewood erodes social values necessary to maintain humane societies.
It was a necessary compromise, perhaps. But without some moral guidelines to help prevent acting in this manner in excess, then we’d be left with a society that continually cuts out the few for the whole.
Ultimately, I think the best answers in these situations usually lie somewhere in the middle—finding a balance between moral judgment and cold pragmatism. Perhaps, if Nova’k had gently coaxed the gnomes out of Starfell, helping them start their own settlement elsewhere, that would’ve been the wiser choice.
Then again… maybe that’s just me being naive.
In the end, I don’t know what it’s like to stand in a position like Nova’k’s, where the lives of an entire town rest on his shoulders. But I do know that Esphera doesn’t want the gnomes to suffer, so I’ll have to act in the best interest of both sides: humans and gnomes.
“That is why we will introduce some moral guidelines to humanity through an apostle.”
“A femboy apostle at that.”
“Shut.”
“Hehe~”
Ori pulled down her face mask to stick her tongue out playfully. This woman…
“Anyway…”
There are many classic examples of moral guidelines set by religions. The Ten Commandments might as well be the biggest and most well-known, but there are also cases like Buddhism’s Five Precepts and the Yamas in Hinduism.
We could pull some inspiration from religions and mythology on Earth and apply them here, in Elynthys. What’s important is that we apply them in a manner that best fits Esphera’s own ideals for her humans.
“Consider this an assignment, Esphera.”
“A-An assignment?”
“Indeed. In this matter, I will only be serving as your mouthpiece. I cannot solve everything for you. After all, where would that leave you—their Goddess—if you had another constellation doing everything on your behalf?”
Esphera has done a lot of studying in her free time, trying to get a better hold of her position as the Ringed Star Mother. This should make for a rather excellent opportunity to put that learned knowledge to use.
“I know you have been working hard behind the scenes, studying diligently. Now I want you to put all that knowledge to use so you can truly understand it through experience.”
“But what do you want me to do, exactly? I do not think I understand.”
“Guide your people on the right path so that they may not stray.”
The ultimate goal of these moral frameworks in religions is to guide people toward an ideal character and way of living. They draw lines between what is considered good and virtuous, and what is considered harmful or destructive.
If Esphera is to achieve the utopia she envisions, she must first establish a foundation of morals for her people to follow. After all, moral frameworks are what help maintain social cohesion and prevent discord from taking root.
This is what many troubled societies are missing these days: a shared moral framework. Without it, society gradually decays as conflicting beliefs clash and grind against one another. This is one reason why building a unified organization from a group of people with varied backgrounds can be so difficult.
What is most ideal to present now is a foundation for a moral framework that preaches universally acceptable beliefs.
People often assume that beliefs can never be universal because cultures differ so widely. Yet some principles can be recognized almost anywhere—such as the importance of respecting others, the sanctity of life, and the fear of death.
Even in religions where human sacrifice was considered necessary for some grand miracle, people still valued their own lives enough to run like hell when it was their turn.
Sometimes these beliefs are distorted in ways we don’t expect, but their core essence remains largely the same despite such variations.
For Esphera, this will be the first step in ensuring her utopia is achievable. At this stage of human civilization—while humanity is still taking its first steps in spreading across the land—it is especially important that they carry the same, or at least similar, beliefs with them.
That way, even if their beliefs evolve over time, they will still share the same core values wherever they go. This will make uniting them under a single utopia much easier in the future.
“I see… This seems like a rather difficult assignment.”
“Difficult, but necessary. It is just as we have discussed long ago. I cannot hold your hand all the time, now, can I?”
“That is correct. I understand.”
“Good.”
Esphera visibly steeled herself for the task. She looks pretty cute when she furrows her brows like that.
“There seems to be quite a lot to learn to become an excellent constellation such as yourself, Sir Yvell… Your depth of wisdom knows no bounds.”
I’m really just talking out of my ass, Graille. After all, I’m only pretending to be a constellation. Though… I can’t exactly say that out loud.
I should be taking notes from experienced constellations. That could help with my larping down the line. Maybe once this is all over, I should hit up someone in the Constellation Community Server for some advice.
Ding.
“Oh?”
“What is it? Is something wrong?”
“No, it is nothing to be concerned about. It seems that Kenja has sent the link to the file.”
“File?”
“The voice changer.”
“Quick, Vell, download it already! I want you to test it right away!”
This woman… She’s really gotten a taste for teasing me ever since I took up this role, hasn’t she? I’ll need to think up of some way to get my revenge on her later.
“What are you waiting for? Download it already!”
“Give me a second. We’re dealing with interdimensional WcDonnie’s Wi-Fi here, so it’s not like it’ll finish downloading the moment I hit start.”
“That’s exactly why you need to hit download ASAP! Come on!”
“Alright, jeez.”
I hit download as soon as the link finished loading. After a few long minutes of WcDonnie’s notoriously slow Wi-Fi struggling to finish the download, the app finally completed. At Ori’s insistence, I immediately dove into exploring it.
“So you speak into the app, and it outputs a modified voice. Pretty simple. You can even connect it to a speaker via Redtooth—or any device that can accept audio output. So that’s how Kenja pulls off his VTubing setup.”
“How about trying a sexy, mysterious female voice?”
“I’ll stick with cool and mysterious, thank you very much.”
Not long after, we got a chance to do a quick practice run when Esphera, in her sun form, spotted Snide making his way toward the lake from above.
