Vol had originally come from a small merchant family, more or less one of society's common folk. He studied martial arts in his youth, but when he was seventeen or eighteen, his family suffered a misfortune. Not only did they lose everything, they also fell deeply into debt. Left with no choice, he ventured out into the world and became an adventurer. It took nearly ten years, with countless brushes with death, before he finally paid off that debt.
After clearing his debts, his desire for adventure faded, and he settled down to build a family and career. He had intended to live out his life in peace and stability, but disaster struck instead. That was what gave rise to the legendary tale of Black Blade leaving its sheath to kill a noble—and to the peerless hero who, for more than a century afterward, made the world's aristocrats tremble in fear.
All of that lay in the past, but Vol had never forgotten it. Even after becoming a god, he remained rather unfriendly toward merchants and nobles, while being notably kind to adventurers—a disposition quite at odds with his "knowledge" divine portfolio.
In recent years, however, on one hand he had gained insights through cultivating his character and nature, and on the other, he had been influenced by the power of faith. He gradually changed, no longer viewing merchants and nobles with such hostility. On the contrary, he was willing to look favorably upon merchants and nobles who wished to learn or were willing to help spread culture. Thus, his faith gradually spread among the middle and upper classes.
No matter what, knowledge had always been an immensely important force. To command knowledge was to command enormous resources, greatly useful whether in conflict or governance. Great nobles and great merchants