High above, Ethan watched the argument unfold through the interface, one hand resting against his chin.
He had been pleased by the sketches on the wall. They were exactly the kind of habit he hoped a settlement might develop, and a new notification had appeared in the corner of his screen to say so.
[Settlement Development: Record-Keeping Practice Begun]
[Effect: Pending. Requires a writing system understood across the community.]
[Faith Points: 171 → 173]
He read the second line twice, then opened the description of his only active blessing.
[Divine Translation (Tier 1): Spoken language only. Written symbols are not translated.]
Ethan sat very still.
For weeks he had treated the blessing as though it covered every barrier between the races, because from where he sat it worked so well.
