"So, you're going to stay in town after all?" I asked Kii as her ride pulled up to the front of the house, a hint of anticipation in my voice.

"I will," she stated firmly, her eyes narrowing when she saw the driver was a human. But when his partner, a male usagimmi, exited the passenger side, she relaxed -- albeit marginally. "It's only because this is where Papi lives and to protect the woods from further environmental pollution."

I nodded affirmatively, unfolding my arms and standing up straight. "I'll make sure to remind Papi to come visit you. She can be a bit absent-minded at times."

A faint smile graced Kii's lips. "That she can," she whispered, her expression serious again. "Human, I still don't trust your kind, and until your species stops wreaking havoc on the planet, I will remain wary of your intentions-"

"Yeah, I understand," I said, my voice weary. I stuck my hands into my pockets and made my way to the entrance, where the representatives from the Exchange were waiting. "Papi! Suu! Kii's ride is here!"

"I wasn't finished!" she insisted indignantly, following me."That said, I've realized that you and your host are pretty decent people, as Papi and Suu have attested. Therefore, I have decided to reduce my loathing of you, albeit slightly."

"Thanks, I guess," I said, confused as to why she was even saying that in the first place. "Oh, by the way. There's a mandragora also in town. His name is Mandroot. I can get you guys to meet up at some point. I just figured you might appreciate at least seeing another dryad around."

"Maybe," Kii said hesitantly, "If what you say is true, then I should be able to locate him on my own. I must admit I hadn't anticipated encountering another of Pan's children in this place...."

By now, Papi and Suu had arrived, and without wasting any time, Papi hurriedly ran to answer the doorbell, leaving me to ponder Kii's words.

"Pan?" I echoed, "Like the Greek god?"

"To a certain extent," Kii corrected, her expression indicating she was not satisfied with my choice of words. "But I'd rather not delve into the specifics with a human. And I must be going now."

"I guess so," I said with a sigh of disappointment. I was eager to gain any further knowledge about liminals and their origins, and this piece of information about dryads being "children of Pan" was certainly intriguing. I thought that if I asked Mandroot about it or tagged along with Papi and Suu when they visited Kii, I could learn more. This was also the first time I had heard any mention of gods in this world. "Well then, I guess I'll see you when I see you," I said.

"Until then, human."

After exchanging heartfelt goodbyes with Papi and Suu, I reminded them to return home after dropping off Kii. With a reflective wave, I watched their ride drive away as I pondered over Kii's words, my mind now overflowing with possibilities.

If my recollection of Greek mythology is accurate, Pan was the god of nature, and I couldn't recall any stories of him creating entities such as dryads or nymphs. However, this is based on mythological tales, so the "reality" of this world could be significantly different. If Pan had created dryads, could the other liminal species have been created by other gods or powerful entities?

Intrigued, I carefully retrieved my laptop from my room and set it up in the living room. Normally, I wouldn't do this since my other roommates had a habit of being quite clumsy, but since it was just me and Rachnera, I felt secure enough to take the risk. I powered on my laptop and started researching the origins of various liminal species or, at least, the conceptions of what their names represented. However, as I went deeper into the research, I was only left with more questions than answers.

Even though I encountered liminals daily, I still found it difficult to believe that the species of lamias and Arachnes were derived from the cursed women in Greek mythology. What kind of environment or other conditions could give rise to a human transforming into a cold-blooded creature with the characteristics of a snake, or vice versa? Could these myths be just that myths, or is there some truth to them? Such questions remain unanswered yet, at the same time, intriguing.

Maybe it was all just an illusion, and I would never be able to comprehend it, especially when it came to creatures as supernatural as Doppel. Ugh.

"Counselor-san," Rachnera said with a sly smirk, "Your expression tells me that you look like you need to use the restroom. Allow me to remind you that the couch is not a substitute for a toilet."

"Har, har," I replied with a groan, pressing my fingers against the bridge of my nose. "I'm just trying to unravel the mysteries of the universe, but it feels like I'm banging my head against the wall."

"My, my, a white knight one day and a philosopher of wisdom the next," Rachnera smirked, "You never cease to amaze me."

"What can I say? I'm an enigma wrapped in a riddle," I snorted, allowing her comment to pass. However, she wasn't entirely wrong about that. "However, I was wondering if I could get your help with something?"

"It pains me to admit, but I have no secrets to the universe to share with you," Rachnera said with a shrug. "Even if I had any, I highly doubt I'd be alive to tell them to you."

"No, that's not it," I assured her, "I was curious if there were any creation stories about the arachnes in existence?"

"That's certainly an intriguing query," Rachnera remarked after a moment, folding her arms as she perched herself upon the couch opposite me. She rarely had the chance to sit on them, given her size and the fact that other house occupants usually took it, so she was undoubtedly making the most of the situation. "What leads you to ask such a question?"

"Curious to know more about where liminals came from," I replied, scratching my head, "Kii had mentioned something about dryads being 'Pan's children,' which planted the seed of curiosity in my mind. I want to understand the origins of liminals better, that's all."

"Mm," Rachnera hummed, rubbing her chin as she regarded me. "Just curious, you say?"

"Yup."

"You have a unique way of unwinding, Counselor-san," she eventually said before sighing. "Have you ever heard of Arachne, the woman?"

"Indeed," I nodded, "Arachne boasted that her weaving skills were superior to those of the gods. Depending on who is recounting the story, either she won the contest and was cursed by Athena to become a spider, or she lost and was similarly cursed."

Greek gods were bastards like that.

"Those are the human versions, but at least you know something of her," Rachnera said, "To my people, she's almost like a deity and is held in high regard by the other liminal kind. Respect is what they say, but it's more like fear." She shrugged. "Who knows why."

"Interesting," I said, "Do all liminals share a common pantheon or something like that, which is why they recognize her?"

"Hardly," Rachnera said, her expression turning pensive for the first time. "There are dozens of religions for nearly every species, albeit with a few overlaps. Arachne's place among a handful of those is...complicated, even among my people."

"Like conflicting views on who or what she is?" I hazarded.

She nodded affirmatively. "Indeed. What truly sets her apart from the various warring religions is that we owe our very existence to her. Not a single arachne can dispute this."

"Really?" That seemed... odd. Maybe I was only using Rachnera as an example, but I'd thought her species would generally be more cautious and curious about something so absolute. "What makes you so sure?"

"It's not something that can be easily understood by someone who isn't an arachne," Rachnera replied, her forelegs twitching slightly. "It's not simply me being difficult. We are born of Arachne, and thus, we are arachne. It frustrates me endlessly that I have to use such flowery language, but it's all I can say. I suppose that's the power of the divine beasts on their offspring."

I was curious about these so-called "divine beasts," something I had never heard of before. I wanted to ask more questions, but Rachnera seemed to have said all she could. I will have to do more digging to learn more about them.

"That's certainly intriguing," I replied thoughtfully, stroking my chin. "I'm grateful for you sharing this with me. It's appreciated."

"Please, it's common knowledge that we hide," Rachnera said dismissively with a wave, "Any liminal knows these things; all you have to do is inquire. I'm astonished that your Cultural Exchange program doesn't already have this information."

"I had no idea the Cultural Exchange would fail so spectacularly," I sighed, "Now I'm having to work twice as hard to make up for it."

She tittered, prompting a questioning look from me.

"Ha, it was just how abruptly you switched tones, Counselor-san," Rachnera explained, still chuckling, "One moment, you're so relaxed, and the next, you're all serious. It feels like a flip of a switch!"

"Really? Maybe the Cultural Exchange is just one of my triggers," I said with a cheeky grin as I began to put away my laptop and stretch. "Anyway, the others should be here soon. Thanks again for informing me of Arachne's existence."

"Think nothing of it," Rachnera said, her six red eyes following me as I left. "After all, it's of little significance to humans."

I respectfully disagreed, but then again, I wasn't the arachne here.

To be continued!