Hearne had thought of tasking Orlaith with searching for clues. Still, he wasn't confident giving her this mission as this was very unfamiliar territory for the bird so he relied on his hunting skills, skills that he had developed ever since he was old enough to walk and had been used to find food for the Joestars when he masqueraded as a regular human. Still, it was not so easy to find clues as this terrain was unfamiliar to the young god. He briefly considered calling out to Setanta for help, but the mere thought of asking him for assistance attacked his pride. Still, he was a stranger in a strange land and so he would need all the help that he could get, so he put his pride aside and reached into the depths of his mind and an outline of a man appeared in front of him.

"It is good to know that I am of service once more, master." Setanta said with a hint of humor as he bowed before him.

"I brought you out for a reason, so do your damn job." Hearne said through gritted teeth, still angry that he needed Setanta's help at all, but he was careful not to be too mean to him, otherwise, he might lie to him just to be petty.

And so the tour commenced and Hearne found himself feeling a sense of familiarity as Setanta showed him around. The Smithy, the Tailor's Shop, and The Apothecary's Shop were not entirely new to him, and he quickly grasped the significance of each place. At the Smithy, skilled artisans had forged essential weapons, which held different levels of importance based on the deity worshipped by the people. Similarly, the Tailor's Shop was where meticulously crafted clothing was made, its value also varying based on the worshipped gods. Lastly, the Apothecary's Shop served as a space for those learning the healing arts, a revered skill regarded highly regardless of the deity people worshipped.

He found himself in a perplexing situation as he gazed at the Bank and after walking for a while he soon looked at the School, and so he pondered their purpose. His curiosity drove him to ask Setanta about the origins and intent behind the construction of these enigmatic establishments.

"A Bank is a grand building where prosperous merchant families, who have established trade routes far and wide, gather to exchange a specific amount of currency for a piece of paper certifying their ownership of that amount of currency," Setana explained. Initially, the young god found this concept absurd, as the entire operation seemed to hinge on a mere piece of paper. However, after a moment of reflection, he began to see the logic behind it.

"And what about the School?" Hearne asked his wayward father, who provided him with a quick answer.

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

"A school serves as an educational institution where the offspring of affluent families are provided with opportunities to delve deeper into their religious convictions, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to become educators and ambassadors of their faith eventually." Setanta said with a matter-of-fact tone that showed neither love nor hatred for the concept, but Hearne was utterly confused, if people wanted to learn the ways of their gods could they not just talk to them? Or even better, could their parents not teach them the ways of their god or gods?

"I believe that its main goal is to remove any obstacles to the firstborn's authority by training second and third children for other things, paving the way for the firstborn to take charge of the family business or noble title."

"And how do you know that?" Hearne asked, interested in learning more about his father's past, but to him at least they were not close enough for him to ask him about it directly, so this would most likely be the only time he would hear about it at least until they knew each other better.

"I encountered several men and women who went to these schools on my travels. Many of them did not like me but I made many friends among the ones that did." Setanta said as memories of his friends flooded through his mind. Still, they had no impact on his life now as most of them were probably dead and even if they had told their descendants about him, they were most likely living their lives. They would certainly not care about a family friend they had no relationship with and only heard about through stories.

"Let us continue our mission" As they pressed forward on their mission, Setanta silently concurred, and together they pressed on. One striking commonality among these distinctive buildings was the presence of symbols. Though their meanings remained a mystery to Hearne, he was open to the idea that these symbols might represent various gods. The notion of followers of different deities coming together in one place and choosing to coexist puzzled him, leaving him eager to uncover the reasons behind this unique phenomenon.

But then suddenly Hearne heard a loud scream and that could only mean one thing, that Erina was finally giving birth, now he would be the first to admit that he did not know what to do during this situation but that did not mean that he would not be able to help in some fashion, So he ran to the barn where he had left them but by the time that he got there Jonathan was next to Erina as he held her hand as knelt while praying to any god that could help his wife. Hearne could do little but comfort Erina as she tried her best to bring her child into the world.

Jonathan's prayers were finally answered when, not long after he had been praying with deep earnestness, a woman he didn't recognize entered the barn unexpectedly. The dress she wore was a simple white dress, and in the middle, there was a red cross that had been sewn onto it.

"Avert your gaze, for the birth of new life is bloody work." she declared, her entire focus devoted to assisting Erina through the birthing process. Meanwhile, Hearne escorted Jonathan out of the barn, casting one final glance back at the scene, reassured that she was in capable hands.