Chapter 1
Chapter 1
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: East Road: The Quest
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(1) Wingless Angel
Once upon a time, a boy woke up from sleep. The boy didn't know how long he had been sleeping before waking. Nor did he care.
What the boy was curious about was something else.
"Who am I?"
The boy wandered around asking people.
People answered his question. Just a little kid, a lost boy, a poor orphan....
Then people started cursing him. Idiot, beggar, motherless bastard, moron who doesn't even know who he is!
The boy didn't know why they were cursing him. Because he had never bullied anyone. He hadn't hit them, stolen their food, or cursed first. On the other hand, he realized that people who hit others, stole food, and threatened with knives weren't cursed but respected instead.
The boy reached a conclusion.
"People curse those weaker than themselves! Not the strong cursing the weak, but the weak cursing those even weaker. So I just need to show that I'm not weak."
To show he wasn't weak, the boy started beating up those who had cursed him.
After beating one, that one called two more; after beating two, they called twenty; after beating twenty, two hundred appeared; after beating two hundred, two thousand showed up.
The old man who appeared leading two thousand was called the king by the people. The boy explained to the king.
"I only did it because I hated being cursed at."
"Yes. People won't tease you anymore. But now they're afraid of you instead."
The king asked the boy a favor.
"So now, leave my kingdom. If you want money, I'll give you money; if you want land, I'll give you a fiefdom."
The boy refused.
"I don't need that. I just want to know who I am."
"If you're that curious, how about seeking out the sage who knows all the wisdom in the world?"
"Would that person know who I am?"
"Of course. But I don't know where he is. Only that he's somewhere."
"Thanks. Then I'll be off."
As the boy left, the king sighed in relief and sneered.
"How does he plan to find a sage whose home and name he doesn't even know? I've never seen such a fool in my life. He'll never find him, even in a hundred years!"
The boy crossed seas and mountains, searching everywhere from eternal snow-covered plains to the belly of a whale.
A hundred years passed like that.
The boy found the sage.
The boy asked the sage.
"Who am I?"
"That's a difficult question."
Instead of answering, the sage gave the boy a book.
"But the wisdom of the world is in books. I don't know well, but if you read books, you'll figure out who you are."
The boy read all the books the sage had.
"I've read all the books, but I still don't know who I am. I need to read more books."
"But these are all the books I have."
"Then tell me where in this country they have the most books."
"Sorry, but I have the most books in this country."
"Then where in the world has the most books?"
"It's very far. If you ride a horse for half a year from here, you'll reach the city of Roxandria. The library there has every book in the world. But the road is really long and perilous."
"Doesn't matter. As long as there are lots of books, even a hundred years is fine."
The boy crossed mountains, valleys, rivers, and seas for half a year to reach Roxandria.
The Roxandria library truly had no book missing.
The boy read and read books, and after decades of only reading, he finished all the books in Roxandria. After closing the last book, the boy learned who he was.
"I am an angel."
Roxandria's philosophers didn't believe him.
"You're not an angel."
The philosophers used a hundred proofs to demonstrate the boy wasn't an angel. Even after reading all of Roxandria's books, the boy didn't know how to refute the philosophers' proofs.
"This is strange. I've gained all the world's knowledge, yet I can't find a way to prove I'm an angel. But I feel like I am an angel. Isn't there another proof?"
One philosopher said.
"If you can't trust our words, why not ask an angel directly? Angels know if you're an angel or not."
"Good idea. So where can I meet an angel? I've read every book in the world, but none say where angels are."
"If you're an angel, you can find that place not written anywhere."
"You're right. Then I must go find the angels."
The boy set off to find the angels. The philosophers sneered.
"He read so many books and ended up going mad. Poor kid. He won't find the angels' realm even in a hundred years."
The boy wandered another hundred years.
He crossed mountain ranges like screens blocking the sky, climbed above the clouds, and swam deep into seas where fish glowing from their eyes swam.
Finally, the boy found the angels' realm. But at the entrance to the angels' realm, an angel stood guard, blocking the boy.
The boy asked the angel.
"Am I an angel? Right?"
The angel answered just like Roxandria's philosophers had proven.
"There are no wingless angels. You have no wings. So you're not an angel."
The boy got angry.
"There must be wingless angels."
"We call wingless angels fallen angels. And fallen angels are demons."
"I'm not a demon. Because I've never done evil."
"Angels are very strong. But you're very weak. So you're not an angel."
"I'm very strong. Probably stronger than you."
The boy acted tough, and the angel sneered.
"Fine. Then fight me to show how strong you are."
The boy fought the angel. But he couldn't pierce the angel's spear of fire and shield of fire. The angel taunted him.
"See? You can't even beat the weakest among angels. So you're not an angel."
The boy was furious.
"No. If I had your spear of fire and shield of fire, I could beat you."
"These are weapons given to me from birth. Angels have them naturally, but you don't? So you're not an angel."
The boy got defiant.
"Then I'll get weapons like that and come back. You'll fight me again."
As the boy left the angels' realm, he vowed revenge.
To get weapons that could beat the angel's spear and shield of fire, the boy sought the world's greatest blacksmith. But the boy snapped the blacksmith's finest weapon with his finger.
"Don't you have something tougher?"
When the boy demanded, the blacksmith said.
"The weapons I make are for killing humans. No human blacksmith can make weapons to kill angels."
"Then who can?"
"Legend says dwarf blacksmiths can make swords that cut anything in the world. How about going to the dwarf realm?"
"How do I get there?"
"I heard there's an elf who heard a rumor about an old man who might know the entrance deep underground."
"Then I need to meet that elf who knows the rumor."
The boy believed the blacksmith and set off.
The blacksmith sneered.
"To believe such lies so easily, what a fool. That kid's crazy for sure. But seeing him break my sword, he's a scary madman. Hope he never shows up here again."
After ten years of wandering, the boy found the elf who knew the rumor.
The elf told the rumor.
So he found the old man.
The old man told him three possible entrances to the dwarf world.
The first cave was a raccoon's home.
The second cave was a bear's home.
The third cave was the entrance to the underground world.
The boy finally entered the dwarves' realm.
The boy went to the dwarves' greatest blacksmith and requested.
"Make me a weapon to fight angels."
The dwarf blacksmith refused.
"No. Dwarves can't fight angels."
"I'm not asking you to fight."
"Even if you wield the weapon I make, the angels will take revenge on us. Angels' retribution is merciless."
"I'm merciless too!"
"You're not."
"Fine. If you don't make it, I'll collapse this underground world. As proof, watch me smash that pillar over there."
The boy smashed the pillar.
"My god. This mysterious brat means to kill us all!"
The terrified blacksmith reported to the dwarf king.
The dwarf king came and proposed to the boy.
"To make a weapon to fight angels, we need matching materials. But we don't have them."
"Then if I get the materials, you'll make it?"
"Yes."
"Where are they? Just tell me. I'll fetch them."
"In the center of the angels' realm, there's a big round stone called Umpaluton. Bring just one, and we can make your weapon."
"Got it. I'll bring it."
The boy returned to the angels' realm. The dwarf king sneered.
"Foolish, pitiful kid. He doesn't even know how precious Umpaluton is to angels. He'll die trying to steal that stone. Then our worry's gone."
The boy went back to the angels' realm. Having been there once, it was easy to find again.
The boy found the guard from before.
"I've come for the stone called Umpaluton."
The angel asked.
"That's very precious to us. What for?"
"To make a weapon. And fight you with it. We promised, right?"
"This stone is so hard and heavy no blacksmith can melt it. You can't make a weapon from it."
"I can."
"You can't."
"I can."
After arguing and fighting until tired, the angel guard proposed.
"Fine, let's do this. If you take this stone, make a weapon, and bring it back, I'll pretend I don't know. But if you can't make a weapon, you'll carry this stone on your back forever as punishment. Deal?"
"Deal."
The boy shouldered the Umpaluton and left the angels' realm.
The guard sneered.
"What an idiot. Only dwarves can make weapons from Umpaluton, and dwarves never make weapons to fight angels. Poor kid, now he'll get big punishment."
The boy carried the stone to the dwarves' world.
"Here, now make the weapon with this."
The dwarf king, not expecting the boy to really bring Umpaluton, panicked. After deliberation, he said.
"We have three master craftsmen, each able to make the finest weapons. They'll make three weapons now, and you pick one. But once picked, no changing."
"Fine. One's enough."
"Promise?"
"Promise!"
The king had the blacksmiths make weapons from Umpaluton.
The first dwarf craftsman's weapon was a returning hammer. No matter how far the enemy, it would hit their head perfectly and return to the thrower without loss. The craftsman only showed the hammer, not letting the boy touch it.
The second was a sword that cut anything on touch. Human, animal, angel, demon, iron, water, air. The craftsman showed only the blade, not the hilt.
The last was an unbreakable staff. No matter clashing with the hardest weapons or shields, it took no damage. It could even change size freely for easy carrying. But like the others, the craftsman only showed it, not letting the boy touch.
The boy pondered. From the descriptions, any could punish that angel.
He wanted to try each, but the promise prevented it.
Actually, the dwarf king had tricked him. The returning hammer did return, but stronger, smashing the owner's head too. The boy's head would shatter.
The all-cutting sword's hilt was also blade. Grasping it would sever the boy's fingers.
The unbreakable staff was impossibly heavy; no one could lift it. The dwarf king was ready to watch the kid struggle, and if unlucky, get crushed under it. He sneered.
"Now the boy gets no weapon, loses the bet, and carries Umpaluton forever."
Finally, the boy chose the unbreakable staff as his weapon.
The boy picked up the staff.
And swung it effortlessly.
The dwarf king was shocked.
The boy left the underground world, leaving humiliating words to the dwarves.
"Thanks. I'll use it well."
The boy returned to the angels' realm.
And fought the angel he lost to before again.
Soon after the fight started, the angel's spear and shield of fire shattered. The boy said triumphantly.
"See, now I'm an angel. So give me an angel's position."
The defeated angel said dejectedly.
"Only the four archangels and one angel lord can grant such positions."
"Then I need to meet the angel lord."
The boy found the angel lord and demanded.
"Give me an angel's position."
The angel lord pondered.
"If I refuse, you'll fight me too, right?"
"Yeah."
"If you fight me with that weapon, this place collapses."
"Probably. I don't care."
"I do. I'm the angel lord. If that happens while the four archangels are away, I'll be embarrassed."
"So what if you're embarrassed?"
"Angels can't be embarrassed. Because we're angels."
"Angels can't be embarrassed. I don't want to be either! So what will you do with me?"
After pondering, the angel lord said.
"Let's do this. We have a sky garden with a vine that bears one grape every hundred years. Losing even one is disastrous. The heavy responsibility of guarding it, the sky garden guard captain position, is vacant. Will you take it?"
"Sure. With me guarding, no one will dare steal grapes!"
The boy was happy guarding the vine for a while. But after over ten years, not one thief came, not even a bee nibbling grapes.
"Weird? I thought it'd be really hard."
One day, the boy overheard two angels talking.
"That kid's still guarding the vineyard?"
"Yeah. Proudly calling himself captain while guarding a vineyard unrobbed in ten thousand years. Pathetic."
The boy got angry.
"You tricked me! I got embarrassed. Angels can't be embarrassed!"
The boy ran to the vineyard and ate all the ripe grapes ready for harvest. Still angry, he drank all the heavenly wine aged a thousand years from those grapes. Drunk, he burst into the angels' party hall, slurring loudly.
"You tricked me. I thought at least angels wouldn't. No point being here. I don't need to be an angel anymore."
The boy smashed the feast with the unbreakable staff and left the angels' realm.
To punish the boy who destroyed the sky garden grapes and ruined the party, angels mobilized fully. But the boy, having roamed every corner of the human world, hid without getting caught.
"If he's hiding in that mountain, just burn it."
A fire angel burned the mountain, innocently torching a mountain village.
"If he's on that coast, drown him."
A water angel caused a tsunami, innocently flooding a coastal village.
Even when occasionally spotted, the boy fought with the unbreakable staff, repelling angels and fleeing.
The boy sneered.
"Haha, stupid angels. Living only in heaven, you know nothing of the ground? I'll never get caught. Suffer the embarrassment."
The angel lord, pondering, sought an angel hermit in the human world for advice on catching the boy hiding there. But the hermit scolded the angel lord instead.
"You tricked a child, angel lord."
"Yes. My fault. I admit it. But we can't just leave him. What should we do?"
"Coincidentally, someone consulted me on a similar issue. The dwarf king. He complained about his underground world being mocked and weapons stolen. In short, he wants revenge. Cooperate, and we can resolve both."
"What do you need?"
"I hear there's more Umpaluton. Give one. And withdraw the angel army. Leave the rest to me."
The angel lord, uneasy, gave another Umpaluton and withdrew the army.
The hermit took the Umpaluton to the dwarf king.
"I'll give you another Umpaluton. Make indestructible chains from it and shackles to bind limbs."
The dwarves made as requested.
The hermit, turned into a dwarf, lured the troublesome boy to the red desert with unbreakable Umpaluton chains and shackles. The boy feared only the angel lord; he appeared unsuspectingly to the small dwarf's call.
"I heard you recently bet Everick the dwarf drunkard on drinking lots and won. So I want to bet with you."
The boy, loving bets, accepted quickly.
"What bet? Say it."
"Bet who crosses this red desert faster. If you win, I'll give you dwarf-made armor."
"I don't need armor; I'm tough enough."
"But this armor's made of Umpaluton like your staff."
"Really? Then I could beat angels I couldn't before."
"But if you lose, wear these shackles on wrists and ankles. That's the bet."
The boy sneered inwardly.
"He's up to something. But Umpaluton armor's too tempting. If I'm losing, just run!"
The race started; they ran together. But right away, the short-legged dwarf overtook the boy. So fast, by the time the boy reached halfway across the red desert, he'd finished.
The boy panicked.
"This race is weird. Let's do another."
"Fine. But wear the shackles as promised for the next race."
No choice, the boy put shackles on wrists and ankles.
"You proposed the first; I pick the next."
The boy insisted.
The hermit accepted.
"Fine."
"Eating contest."
"Good. But if you lose this, attach these chains to your shackles."
"And if I win, the armor's mine."
"Of course."
The boy sneered inwardly.
"No way I lose to this tiny guy."
A huge table held food enough for a hundred. Dwarf and boy signaled and started eating from opposite ends. The boy devoured bread, meat, fruit at terrifying speed. But the dwarf ate not just food but table and plates too.
The boy's stomach filled, slowing him, but the dwarf sped up. The boy had to admit defeat.
"One more. Bets and matches are always best of three."
"True. I think so too. But attach the chains first as promised."
As soon as the boy attached the chains to shackles, he proposed.
"Last bet: fight me. If I win, unlock all chains and shackles, and give the armor."
"That'd be unfair for me. Dwarves aren't strong enough to fight angels. Instead, attach this shackle to your neck. It's heavy, making it fairer."
It looked more like a necklace than shackle, no threat to the boy's eyes.
"That's nothing to me. But if I win, I'll kill you. It's a fight, so natural."
The dwarf shot back.
"And if you lose, eternal binding to the chains as punishment."
"Try it if you can."
The boy attacked the dwarf with the unbreakable staff. The dwarf pulled out an identical staff and fought.
The two staffs clashed endlessly without breaking.
"My god, he had the same weapon. And same strength? How?"
They fought three days and nights without winner.
When the boy sat exhausted to rest, the dwarf sat too; when the boy mustered strength to stand, the dwarf did instantly. The boy lost will to fight and gave up.
"I lost."
"As promised, eternal chains."
"No."
The boy tried fleeing. But exhausted and chained, caught quickly by the dwarf.
"Why did I lose to you?"
The boy asked bitterly. Dragging him to an underground desert cave, the dwarf said.
"The first race wasn't me; it was my thought. No matter how fast you are, not faster than thought. Second, eating contest? Not me eating; fire. No matter how fast or much you eat, not faster or more than fire. Last, fighting you was yourself. No matter how strong, you can't beat yourself."
"Cheat! Lies!"
The boy screamed, straining against chains. But Umpaluton chains didn't budge.
Ignoring him, the dwarf explained.
"First two you might not know, but third you could have won. Until you realize how to beat yourself, you'll stay chained here..."
The boy cried.
"You tricked me too. Everyone tricks me."
"Yes. Everyone tricked you. Because you're too strong."
"Not my fault."
"True. You did no wrong. Things were going wrong. I can't let that happen."
The dwarf turned into an angel and spoke, then vanished.
The boy fell asleep, waiting for release from chains someday....
For the first hundred years, if anyone freed him, he'd repay the kindness.
Next hundred, if freed, apologize to angels and dwarves.
Next hundred, serve as lifelong servant to whoever freed him.
But no one came. The boy grew angry.
So next hundred, if freed, revenge on angels and dwarves.
Next hundred, kill the first to free him, destroy the world.
After five hundred years, finally a man freed the boy.
The boy decided to kill him as planned.
He knew the man's blood would corrupt him, but it didn't matter.