Gravis just looked at the Empress nervously. Now it was official. He was to be her mate. Yet, Gravis still didn't want to have any children, and he really wasn't sure how he should tell that fact to the Empress.
"Gravis," the Empress said, making Gravis' nervousness rise more. "Did you come from a lower world?" she asked.
Gravis was surprised when he heard that. How did she know? Yet, he quickly calmed down as he realized something. Of course, she would know about the lower worlds. After all, the beasts in many lower worlds would end up in this middle world.
"I came from a different world, yes," Gravis said.
The Empress sighed. "That's what I've thought. Usually, when you become a Spirit Beast, you get scouted by the Tribe, Kingdom, or Empire where you currently reside in. Then, they will teach you all the relevant information."
"Yet," the Empress said as she looked at Gravis more closely. "Even ascenders would be taught the basics. As you surely know, the ascenders appear randomly anywhere in our world, which means that they all get easily found by the Tribes. After all, the sudden appearance of a Lord inside one's territory will get noticed very quickly."
"For some reason," the Empress continued, "You haven't gone through any of that. I wonder, where have you materialized?" she asked.
Gravis wasn't sure how he should answer the question. Land beasts obviously had some enmity with sea beasts, and if he told her that he materialized in the ocean, she might think he was a sea beast. Would she kill him then?
Gravis sighed. 'Well, might as well ask, right?' Gravis thought.
"Before I tell you, could you please tell me why there is this enmity between sea beasts and land beasts going on? Also, could you please tell me what makes a land beast a land beast and a sea beast a sea beast?" Gravis asked.
After that question, the Empress quickly realized that Gravis counted himself as a sea beast. Yet, she didn't seem to mind much. "The generally accepted reason is that the sea beasts are different from us. They want to transform the land into sea, while we want to transform the sea into land. That's the official reason why we war with each other."
"Of course," the Empress continued, "the environment doesn't really affect us at all. As you know, Lords don't care where they live. Water and land make no difference. Therefore, this generally accepted reason for war doesn't really hold under scrutiny."
"The real reason is just that we all need enemies," the Empress explained. "A genuine war where everyone tries to kill the other side with every possible way is great tempering. That's why everyone wants to have enemies."
The Empress looked at the horizon. "I don't know how everything started, but at some point, the sea beasts and land beasts started encroaching on the other's territory. Everyone acted like this was an affront to them, but in reality, they were excited about the war. Then, everything just became bigger and bigger until the two halves of the world were in constant war with each other."
Gravis nodded. "So, there isn't really some deep enmity. The beasts simply established two about equally powerful parties so that they can kill each other for tempering."
"Yes, that's all there is to it," the Empress said. "As for your second question, that's a bit harder to answer. There is no real definition for sea beasts and land beasts starting at the Lord Realm. Both can live wherever they want, and they also change their bodies to become more powerful."
"Due to that, sea beasts start growing arms and legs to further their Battle-Strength. At that point, they also become nearly indistinguishable from land beasts. In reality, there are no real criteria that decide if you're a land beast or sea beast."
"In the end," the Empress said, "it all comes down to your personal choice. Simply join one of the two camps. As soon as you join, you will be part of that side. So, right now, you count as a land beast, even if you have been a sea beast in the past."
Gravis listened intently. Yet, as he listened to more of the secrets of the world, he realized that everything was way more straightforward than he had expected. So, in the end, it was all about tempering again.
This situation could be compared to the relationships of the Sects in the lower world, but there was still one crucial factor that was different. In the lower world, the war between the Sects hadn't actually been a real one. Yet, the war in this middle world was a genuine one. Both camps tried to eradicate the other side with everything they had.
This difference was important. In the lower world, no one had to fear their Sect getting eradicated. Yet, in this world, this danger was real. At first glance, this didn't seem much different. After all, the individuals would die either way in a fight.
Yet, the difference became important when one looked at the reasons for cultivation of the individual. Not everyone was ready to sacrifice themselves for supreme power, but many were ready to sacrifice themselves for their home. Silva was a good example of that.
If Silva were a human in the lower world, he could've lived out his time in peace without fighting. Yet, here, this wasn't so easy. The sea beasts would want to attack his Tribe no matter what. Because of this whole dynamic, even someone as relatively peaceful as Silva would be forced to risk his life in battle.
The important distinction here was that the individuals in the lower world had a choice. They could decide if they wanted to become powerful or not. Yet, this choice didn't exist in this world. Either you die, or you become powerful.
Of course, Gravis also understood another thing, which had bothered him for quite a while.
"And if someone creates a Tribe made out of both sea beasts and land beasts, it would undermine the whole feeling of enmity between both parties, right?" Gravis asked.
The Empress nodded. "Every powerful beast knows that it's possible to live together with the other party without any issue. Yet, we want to keep the war going. Such a huge war is perfect tempering. So, when a Tribe with a mixture of both sides appears, both sides see them as an enemy."
The Empress leaned back on her throne. "Also, making such a Tribe is pointless," she said.
A couple of minutes ago, Gravis would have disagreed, but now he understood more about the world. "Because if the Tribe manages to conquer the world, no more enemies will be left. Yet, since we all need enemies, the beasts would just search for the next best reason to go to war, which would be the difference between sea beasts and land beasts again."
The Empress nodded. "Exactly. No matter what happens, everything will default back to this war. Why is that? That's because this war is the most effective method of tempering, at least, for the greater collective."
"A mixed Tribe could have a better tempering experience since everyone is their enemy. However, it's also very dangerous," she said, "the chances of death are way too high."
Gravis nodded. Now, he knew more about the world and finally realized why everyone didn't want a mixed Tribe to appear. It wasn't because of some deep enmity or belief. It was just that such a Tribe encroached on the tempering of both sides. The warring parties didn't mind if beasts joined the opposite side, but they minded it very much if beasts kept themselves neutral.
Some seconds of silence passed.
The Empress had no more questions regarding Gravis' past, but Gravis had a question regarding something she had said previously.
"So," he started, "why do you say that I would still have no chance against a level one King?" he asked.
The Empress remembered that this was the original topic. "The reason for that is the gift that every King receives when they become a King."
Gravis was a bit taken aback. "Gift? What kind of gift?" he asked.
"As soon as you become a King, the world will grant you a gift. This gift is the same for every beast, but also different for every beast," the Empress explained.
'The same but also different?' Gravis thought in confusion. Yet, he didn't need to ask since the Empress just continued talking.
"Every new King receives enlightenment on a Law, which is most compatible with the King," the Empress explained.
Gravis' eyes widened in shock.
'I'm pretty sure humans don't have that!'
