Chapter 398: The Story(1)
Chapter 398: The Story(1)
"Slaves?"
My eyes widened at Clark’s words. I wasn't the only one; my father also looked quite taken aback.
It was a story I had never even considered. To think my ancestor was actually a slave who yearned for freedom.
What exactly is a slave? They are the lowest of the low, a class where human rights simply do not exist.
While slavery has been abolished in the present day, illegal human trafficking still occurs under the leadership of Demon Worshippers.
Among those slaves, most men are used for manual labor like farming, while women are used in various ways depending on their appearance.
In short, a slave is alive, yet not truly a living being. To think such a being was my ancestor—it was shocking in many ways.
[Yes. Exactly the kind of slave you’re thinking of.]
At Clark’s confirmation, I was dazed for a moment before immediately thinking of my family, including my father.
If we were descendants of a general or a hero of a nation, it would make sense, but we seemed a million miles away from being slaves.
There was our grand physical stature passed down through generations, and the fact that most of us, like Nicole, were born with immense strength despite being women.
Add to that a mana cultivation method and martial arts that were second to none compared to other knightly families. We lacked for nothing.
In the distant past, humans couldn't even use mana, so physical prowess alone decided the outcome of a battle. And yet, we were slaves? There must be a complicated story behind it.
"...I still can't wrap my head around us being slaves. Did we commit some great crime in the distant past?"
My father seemed to share my thoughts, his expression one of disbelief. Anyone else would likely feel the same.
Assuming the ancestors of the Maishal family possessed the same martial prowess we do now, was there even a power in existence capable of enslaving them?
Clark nodded as if he understood that sentiment. He looked around at us and then made a request.
[This story might get a bit long. Can I ask for one favor?]
"What kind of favor?"
[Just one cigarette...]
"The child is right here, what do you mean, a cigarette? Just get on with the story."
True to his nature as a heavy smoker, he asked for a smoke, but he was shut down by my father’s scolding. With Ariel present, a cigarette was a bit over the line.
Clark clicked his tongue in disappointment for a moment, then organized his thoughts and began to speak in his characteristically gruff, heavy voice.
It felt mysterious—similar to, yet different from, a grandfather leisurely telling an old folktale.
[Where should I start... Right. How much do you know about how a person becomes strong?]
"Are you talking about martial prowess, or everything in general?"
[In our case, we should look at it as martial prowess.]
"If that's the case, it's limited. Cultivating mana, building muscle, or honing techniques, and so on. If we're strictly talking about martial power, wouldn't that be it?"
At my answer, Clark closed his eyes and nodded in agreement. The light inside his eye sockets moved like actual eyes.
[You’re right. However, those are methods that stay within the bounds of human reason. But what about methods that stray from that path?]
"Are you talking about human sacrifice?"
One of the ways Demon Worshippers gain power in a short period is through human sacrifice. It is a method of obtaining power by discarding all conscience and morality one should have as a human.
I wondered for a moment if our family had been enslaved because we practiced human sacrifice. If that were the case, being enslaved would be the least of our problems; we would be failures as human beings.
However, the words that came out of Clark’s mouth far exceeded my expectations.
[Correct. Human sacrifice. But we weren't the ones performing the sacrifices.]
"Then..."
[We were fighting dogs created artificially through human sacrifice. The blood of thousands stained our hair red, and in that process, we gained the brilliantly glowing eyes of a beast.]
The words were chilling just to hear. I reached back and grasped my long hair, looking at it.
To think this was a color obtained through the sacrifice of thousands. It wasn't mentioned even once in the books, so it was hard to believe.
Meanwhile, Clark continued to explain the history of the Maishal family in a calm voice.
[As time passed, it faded somewhat, and the color brightened as we received divine power. But the hair of those who carry our family's blood is mostly red.]
"Then Sister Nicole is the unusual one."
[Indeed. But even her hair has a faint reddish tint, doesn't it?]
It was as Clark said. Nicole’s hair was navy blue, but it had a reddish hue in places.
It seemed that having red in our hair was unavoidable for our family.
And this was after it had faded through generation after generation. In the old days, it must have been pure red.
Anyway, now that my doubts about the red hair—the symbol of the Maishal family—were somewhat resolved, what remained was the matter of slavery.
What madman had captured our ancestor as a slave to use as a test subject for human sacrifice, and how did these results come about?
As if he intended to talk about that, Clark spoke up.
[But really, can't I just have one cigarette?]
"No. Can you even smoke in that form?"
[I can. I found it quite fascinating myself. I can show you once, shall I?]
"Not now, later."
[Tsk.]
They say men are just big children, and Clark seemed to lose his maturity in the face of the tobacco he loved so much.
He then scratched his head—or rather, his smooth skull—and began to tell stories that naturally commanded attention.
Naturally, these were things never recorded in books, the kind of things that would make a history lover like me sparkle with interest.
[Do any of you happen to know about the Kingdom of Gerios?]
"I know it. It was once a superpower, but it was the first kingdom to fall during the Demon War."
During the Demon War, most records were lost, with the exception of those in Albenheim. However, the fact that certain kingdoms existed has survived in fragments.
Furthermore, through the records remaining in the Holy Land of Albenheim, I had a rough idea of what kind of country the Kingdom of Gerios was.
A kingdom that once boasted a high level of advancement in various fields, even surpassing the Ters Republic, but unfortunately met its end during the Demon War.
In fact, the Kingdom of Gerios was the very place where the demons first tore through the dimensions and appeared. They probably couldn't do anything but be slaughtered.
[You know it well. Our ancestor was a gladiator of Gerios. His skills were so great that the King himself called his name. Because of that, however, he became a test subject for human sacrifice.]
"I heard the last King of Gerios was a conquering monarch. Is he related to the human sacrifice?"
[Very much so. It's the same now, but back then, military power was determined by the presence of strong individuals. The King of Gerios would take talented individuals he had his eye on, strengthen them through human sacrifice, and gradually expand his territory.]
To put it simply, it was a state-sponsored Super Soldier Project. I organized the thoughts slowly in my head.
Under the leadership of the King of Gerios, gladiators he had scouted were assigned as test subjects for human sacrifice. As a result, they gained immense power.
The gods likely didn't interfere here. Gods do not intervene unless an atrocious crime is committed.
"Was our ancestor the only one who succeeded in that proj... no, that experiment?"
[That's right. It involves cramming the souls of thousands into a single body. It's a miracle he even survived. That's why the King of Gerios kept him by his side.]
"Doesn't that seem quite far from being a slave?"
[Hey now. Why are you in such a hurry? Listen slowly.]
Feeling a bit embarrassed by Clark’s scolding, I scratched my head. I think I got too excited because the story was so fascinating.
Whether Clark understood my feelings or just found his grandson cute, he let out a small chuckle.
[But the glory ended there. When the Demon War broke out and the Kingdom of Gerios fell first, he was demoted back to being a test subject. It seems those demon bastards were also curious about what kind of person our ancestor, who had become strong through human sacrifice, was.]
"I guess he didn't become a demon."
It was common knowledge that the origin of the Demon Clan was demons. And it was also common knowledge that they were the demons' test subjects.
So, naturally, I thought our ancestor would have become a demon, but it seemed that wasn't the case.
[I'm a bit puzzled by that point myself. Whether the body containing thousands of souls held out, or if there was some other reason. At any rate, even after the Demon War ended, our ancestor lived as a faithful fighting dog for the Demon Worshippers.]
"Did he not resist? Knowing our family's temperament, he would have resisted more than enough."
This time, it was my father, not me, who asked the question. Certainly, our family is usually mild-mannered, but we have a side that becomes violent in certain situations.
Not just in battle, but we have a tendency to snap if someone touches our pride. I am no different.
Because of that, Dave and Nicole had caused trouble a few times at the Academy. Fortunately, the damage wasn't serious.
[Resistance... I wonder if he even could.]
"What do you mean by that?"
[I'll ask you all one thing. Do you know the circumstances through which the Demon War broke out?]
"The circumstances..."
Not just me, but everyone else looked puzzled at Clark’s question. The Demon War is a history that is almost like a myth now.
Almost all records from before that war were lost, and while some remain in the Holy Land of Albenheim, they aren't clear.
In the first place, history is recorded subjectively despite being objective. The more records there are, the more objective it becomes, but the Holy Land has too few.
It was almost by chance that I found records concerning the Kingdom of Gerios. Furthermore, according to Arwen, back then, exchange wasn't as active as it is now, so they might not have even known such a country existed.
In fact, ancient Europeans thought the end of the world was India, so it's not entirely nonsensical.
"Weren't the demons beings that crossed over from another dimension to invade? That's what I know."
"Me too. It was also the decisive reason why the gods stepped forward into the mortal world."
"They are also the ancestors of the Demon Clan."
Each of us laid out facts about the Demon War. Looking at them one by one, they were all correct.
Records or literature related to the Demon War can be easily found anywhere. It's even taught at the Academy.
It was an unprecedented history where all races joined forces to resist, and after that, the gods began to look after humanity directly.
Until then, the gods only communicated with the elves. However, after experiencing the Demon War, they seemingly changed their minds and began communicating with other races as well.
The ones who benefited the most from this were undoubtedly humans. Humans, who had relied only on sorcery, grew powerful as they gained divine power.
Although magic was still only possible for the chosen few, divine power alone was enough for humanity to make great strides.
[No. I asked through what path the demons invaded this world. Not the impact that war had.]
But it seemed Clark didn't get the answer he wanted. As he shook his head and countered, we looked at each other.
To be precise, they only looked at me. I was the only history buff here.
Unfortunately, however, I also didn't know exactly what path the demons took to enter this world. There were only mentions of them tearing through dimensions.
"Uh... didn't they invade by tearing through dimensions? That's what I've heard."
[Dimensions... that's also true in a way. Then, who performed that act?]
"Wasn't it the Demon Worshippers?"
[No.]
Clark answered firmly and then revealed a shocking fact.
[The last King of Gerios, Morgan Yurk Via III, performed it himself. As it was a ritual led by the King himself, it was carried out on a national scale.]
"...What?"
This alone was surprising enough, but the words that followed were even worse.
[Above all, demons are not beings from another dimension.]
Because...
[They were the citizens of the Kingdom of Gerios.]
He had explained the reason for the Demon Clan's existence in a single stroke.