Greed, bullying the weak, cruelty, indifference... humanity's original sins had existed since the beginning.
The people favored by the gods had only settled in the Holy City for a short time before wealth divided them into classes. The elderly, weak, sick, and disabled who could not create value were assigned to live in the eastern district.
The priest served the gods in the temple year-round, yet he also worried for the commoners outside it. One day, after returning from the eastern district, he reported its poverty and sorrow to the god.
He had witnessed those miserable sights, but alone and powerless, he could only pray to the merciful god. "Great Holy Lord, could You save those impoverished people and allow them to find the happiness of a new life as well?"
The weary god opened His eyes, snapped off a golden branch from the vines of the World Tree hanging at His side, and said to the priest, "Turn my authority into food, and bestow it upon them."
The priest took the golden branch granted by the god to the eastern district. In accordance with the god's will, he plucked golden leaves one by one and bestowed them upon those tormented by hunger and illness.
Men and women, young and old, bathed in the Holy Lord's radiance and swallowed the leaves. God's authority flowed through every person's bones and blood. Their souls no longer grieved, and their bodies were freed from death.
From then on, they became the people most like gods.
Asakura Yuko and the mixed-blood youth named "Vede Hais" headed toward the eastern district one after the other. At first, neither of them spoke.
Only after the temple's shadow had completely vanished behind them did Vede suddenly say, "Asakura Yuko, let's form an alliance. I'm an unaffiliated