“Justice. The righteous path.”
Indeed, what is the righteous path? Even I, who have tended to lifeforms for an unimaginable span of time since ceasing to be human, could not grasp this concept.
What is ‘right’? What is justice? All of it was vague and unclear.
But could this simple-minded, overly confident, and troublesome child really take responsibility for such an unfathomable concept?
I think it’s too much to ask.
“Anyway, I’m totally awesome now! Mom can praise me all she wants! When frail humans fear the dark, they call my name!”
Well, I can understand why the title ‘God of Light’ fits… I’ve long known that this child embodies light itself.
What worries me is the part about being the God of Justice and Law.
“What do you think justice is?”
“Justice? Hmm… Whatever I deem right, of course!”
See? No real thought there.
“And what do you consider right?”
“Why, obviously that I am beautiful!”
Is this kid really fit to be the God of Law and Justice?
“Anyway! Since I’ve become so great, I’ll rule the world in your place, Mom!”
Hm?
“Shamash. What does that mean?”
“Mom has been nurturing the world even before we came into existence, right? For how long, I don’t know, but it must’ve been a very long time! But that can’t go on! Mom needs rest too, you know!”
“Rest…?”
Do I really need such a thing…?
The world is vast, life abundant. Creating an environment where countless lives can thrive without major issues isn’t easy.
But I believed I was doing it sufficiently well.
And now, rest…?
You’re joking, aren’t you?
“No matter how amazing Mom might be, running nonstop is tough. So let Mom rest while I rule the world!”
Hmm… Thinking of me like this shows you’re not just some naive blank slate after all.
But it can’t be allowed.
“If you were to rule the world, how would you govern?”
“How? Hmm… Just sprinkle warm light around or something.”
“And then?”
“And then? Uh… Hmm… Set some basic rules and execute anyone who breaks them?”
“Anything else?”
“Anything else… Grrr… They’ll probably figure it out themselves, right?”
At Shamash’s words, I let out a small sigh.
“That won’t work.”
“Huh? Why?! If everyone figures it out on their own, there’d be no problems, right? Sure, there might be some quarrels, but I’ll scold the ones who mess up! Isn’t that enough?”
“If governing were that simple, it would be wonderful.”
If breaking heads and doling out punishment could solve everything, life would be so much easier, wouldn’t it?
“Let me give you a riddle. Two women are arguing over a single child, each claiming it as her own. How would you judge?”
The famous Solomon’s judgment. A wise verdict utilizing the mother’s maternal instinct. Not a difficult problem, but how will Shamash answer?
“Huh? Two women fighting over one child? Uh… Hmm… Are both moms? Two moms would be nice, right?”
Two moms, huh…
“That’s not the case. One woman is the true mother, the other a thief coveting the child. You don’t know which is which. How would you judge?”
“Hmm… Only one is the real mom… Hmm…”
Shamash pondered for a long while before hesitantly speaking.
“I’d order both women’s heads cut off for calling upon a god for such trivial matters.”
“Truly…?”
“Not finished yet. Once I declare the sentence, the baby-thief, fearing for her life, will surely confess to being the thief!”
Eh… Hmm… Why does that feel convincing?
“From the moment they called upon me, the God of Law and Justice, this is bound to be a serious trial. Anyway, lock up the baby-thief and let the real mom take the child. That should work, right?”
“What if the real mom claims to be the thief?”
“In that case, she doesn’t deserve to be a mom, does she? She’d be abandoning her child to save her own life.”
“And if neither gives up?”
At my question, Shamash thought for a moment before slowly replying.
“That’s really tough. Hmm… There’s nothing to be done. Since we can’t tell who’s the mom and who’s the thief, we’ll have to cut both their heads. The baby will go to an orphanage, but it’s a necessary sacrifice.”
Whoa… Psychopath… No, I thought I gave sufficient emotional education during childhood. How did this kid turn out so merciless?
“Well, there are countless humans, so one more death won’t even be noticeable. Honestly, by calling upon me, the God of Law and Justice, for such minor issues, they should be prepared to stake their lives.”
Hmm… Is this the difference in perspective between a human king and a divine God of Law and Justice? The gap between humans and gods is immense. Different perspectives… Hmm…
I don’t know. Shamash’s words seem partly correct, but also feel wrong somehow.
“If not, we could only threaten to split the baby in half. But if neither gives up in that situation, only the innocent baby, who knows nothing, will die. And if someone says ‘the mom can just have another baby,’ I might lose it.”
Uh… Hmm… Is that how it works?
Thinking about it, Solomon’s judgment assumes the baby’s mom cherishes the child. Without that maternal love, it’s terrifying to imagine.
“To kill an innocent baby or the baby’s mom and the thief—aren’t those the only options? Moreover, if threatening to split the baby doesn’t reveal the mom, only the poor baby will die…”
“Does it have to be that way?”
“Yes. Rather than not knowing who the mom is, it’s better to definitely kill the thief. Even if we mistakenly kill an innocent person, we can’t let a criminal go free.”
No, that last statement is dangerous. What happened to the presumption of innocence?
Uh… Hmm… Does the divine perspective see humans as insignificant as ants? Is that why losing one doesn’t matter?
This needs correction. If unchecked, it might lead to horrific situations where 100 innocents die to punish one criminal.
Good! I must correct Shamash, even if it means beating some sense into him/her. Presumption of guilt is unacceptable. Even in an era without human rights, the God of Law and Justice shouldn’t act this way!
Ah, maybe the lack of human rights led to this mindset…
The concept of human rights won’t emerge for a long time.
Perhaps it’s understandable that Shamash thinks this way. Still…
It must be corrected. Can’t allow innocent deaths.
“For such ambiguous cases, wouldn’t it be easier to create a method to distinguish truth from lies, Mom? Can I make a request?”
“Hmm? A request?”
“Yes. During trials, many criminals try to deceive me with lies. It’d be great to read their minds and detect falsehoods.”
Reading minds to detect lies… Hmm…
Shouldn’t be too difficult if it involves thought-reading.
Still, as the God of Law and Justice, providing a means for smoother judgments would be beneficial.
That said, this doesn’t excuse the need for correction!
“Certainly, such a method would make judging easier.”
“Exactly! Please! Mom! With this, I can handle human trials on my own! The world won’t bother you anymore! Right and wrong can be clearly determined!”
“Alright. I’ll find a way to make it happen somehow.”
A mind-reading magic to verify thoughts should suffice. Since I’ve already created spells linking bodies and spirits, modifying it for one-way temporary reading should work.
By the way.
“Even with that method, I cannot condone punishing sinners at the cost of innocent lives.”
“But… There are so many people in this world. They keep calling me for trials. Handling each case individually to weed out the innocent takes too long. It’s faster to execute the certain ones, interrogate the uncertain, and execute upon confession. Killing a few more won’t significantly affect the human population.”
“That’s precisely why it’s wrong. Rather, thoroughly differentiate the severity of crimes. Let humans handle minor offenses, and reserve capital punishment for serious crimes involving life. That way, your workload will decrease.”
“But… Then I’ll have fewer trials to watch! Watching trials is so entertaining!”
W-a-t-c-h-i-n-g…?
[Shamash. Appear before me.]
With a low, forceful voice, I summoned Shamash.
A dazzling orb of light began to form in front of me. Grasping it in one hand, I shaped its avatar.
Before me appeared a golden-haired smiling girl—the human-form of Shamash.
“Eh? Mom?!”
Startled by suddenly gaining a physical form, Shamash looked confused. I aimed a powerful punch straight at the top of her head.
KLANG!
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Thus, to punish the transgression of the God of Light, the Creator Dragon God wielded its power.
For a brief moment, the world lost its light.
And thus, an eclipse occurred in the world.
– An ancient stone tablet engraved by Lizardman.
