"Blame the Romans, probably," he hums dryly. "War-mongering conquerors of ancient history. Though numerology's been a thing since the Egyptians first invented a proper numerical system, or something to that effect - they're even older, allegedly one of the oldest civilisations on Earth."

He idly tosses his stick into the water. "Numerology's a crock of shit on Earth, of course. It's invariant all the way down- the premise of calendric mechanics exist, mostly as- as a sort of joke, a more philosophical, nonsense series of beliefs. A-at least to humans, though, but the idea of masses devoted to a single idea is how beings like the King in Yellow amass power."