Chapter 535: Be With You(2)
Chapter 535: Be With You(2)
Although I told Luminous I would leave immediately, I didn't just pack my bags and rush out the door.
My destination was the Grey Desert—specifically, the ruins of the Kingdom of Gerios, which once ruled the entire western region.
Currently, a massive amount of manpower was being gathered to explore the ruins. If I just barged in blindly, I might only add to the confusion.
Therefore, it would be much better to go secretly rather than making an official visit. I did, however, send word to the Holy Theocracy through Kate.
I also didn't forget to tell Arwen. Since she had stationed Siris there, I had to keep her informed.
[You’re going to the Grey Desert?]
"Yes. Lord Luminous asked me to."
Finally, I had a meeting with Grandfather Clark at the mansion. He was a man who had crossed the Grey Desert by his own strength.
Since the expedition team had already cleared most of the area, there wasn't much danger, but it wasn't a bad idea to listen to the words of someone with experience.
Tack—
[Ah.]
"Haha."
I didn't forget to play a game of Baduk while we talked. Baduk is the perfect game for enjoying a conversation.
Clark scratched his head in frustration as I caught him off guard. He was a skeleton with no hair, but it seemed to be a lingering habit.
[Seeing as Lord Luminous said that, he must have told you to meet someone. Is that right?]
"Yes, that's right. He said they were someone with no manners."
[No manners, eh...? From Lord Luminous's perspective, that's understandable.]
"Have you met them before?"
Clark nodded and carefully placed a white stone.
For a moment, I wondered why he put it there, but his words reached my ears first.
[I have met them. It wasn't a good experience, nor was it a bad one. It was simply an experience, though a significant one.]
"You can't tell me who it is?"
[Unlike you, this old man doesn't have a way with words. It would be better for you to see for yourself.]
He used to pour out his travel stories so easily, yet now he was being coy. I chuckled inwardly.
It seemed he judged it much better for me to see the person with my own eyes.
[Grandson.]
"Yes?"
[You said that in your world, the existence of God is unclear, right?]
In the middle of our conversation, Grandfather Clark suddenly asked a question about my past life.
I was slightly puzzled by the question, but after seeing where he placed his white stone, I didn't think much of it.
"Yes. People believe in gods whose existence is unproven. It's just that we haven't confirmed their existence; the idea that God exists is a certainty for many."
If I hadn't been reincarnated here, I would have lived my whole life as an atheist. But now, I believed.
That didn't mean I had become a devout believer. It just meant I no longer denied their existence.
[Then why is it that you cannot use mana or magic?]
"Pardon?"
[Even if the existence of God is unclear, shouldn't mana and magic still be there?]
I made a puzzled face at Clark's next question. At first, I was confused about what he meant, but thinking about it, it was strange.
It was fine not to have Divine Power since the existence of God was unclear.
However, the absence of mana and magic was something worth considering.
‘The books said magic was originally the power of the gods... and mana was something that existed from the beginning.’
According to the myths, that was the case. Magic was one of the abilities originally used by the gods.
That power was passed down to the angels, and when the angels tore off their own wings to become elves, it was transmitted to them.
The situation was a bit different for the demons; they had achieved forced evolution through external factors, so it was unknown who they inherited it from.
The demons themselves said they could use it like a tool from the moment they were born, so finding an answer wasn't easy.
"Well, I'm not sure about that either."
[Are there really no records of anyone ever using mana or magic?]
"It's not that there are none at all. In mythology, there are records of humans performing magic as well as gods."
The characteristics of human mages in myths: they were usually crazy or mentally unstable.
To clarify, these were mages from actual mythology, not from movies or other media.
Usually, they met a grim end while lusting after forbidden knowledge.
"But in the era I lived in, magic was nothing more than sleight of hand. It wasn't some miraculous ability, but rather the use of clever tricks. Naturally, there was no mana either."
[Hmm. I don't understand. Of course, because there was no magic, science could develop to that extent. Still, it's strange that its very existence is uncertain.]
"How could we possibly know the intentions of God? I'll place my stone here."
[Oh, for heaven's sake.]
When I perfectly blocked the white stones' attack, Clark clutched his head and groaned.
No matter how serious the conversation was, I had no intention of losing.
He agonized over where to place his next stone for a while before finally sighing and tossing the stone aside.
A gesture of surrender. I smiled and slowly collected the black stones.
"Would you like to play another round? There's still plenty of time before I have to leave."
[No, that's enough. I've spent my whole life using my body, so I'm no match for my grandson's wits.]
Clark grumbled and put a cigar in his mouth that had been sitting on the table. Before long, a thick scent of peppermint filled the room.
When Ariel was around, he had to be mindful, but not anymore. He could smoke as much as he wanted.
I took in the sweet scent of the World Tree leaf cigar while tidying up the Baduk board.
[Whew... Grandson.]
"Yes, go ahead."
[Before you go, could you tell me what the God of your world is like? I've become a bit curious.]
"Hmm..."
Did he want to spend even one more day with his grandson? I thought deeply about Clark's question.
Unlike this world, the gods of Earth were so numerous that I could take my pick. From the start, diverse mythologies existed in every region.
Representative examples included Greco-Roman mythology, Norse mythology, and Egyptian mythology. Explaining just these three would take days.
Finally, Christianity and Buddhism currently divided the world. It was difficult to choose just one to explain.
"What kind do you want? Human-like gods like the ones in this world? Or an ambiguous God? Take your pick."
[Hmm? What do you mean by that? You speak as if there are more than ten gods.]
"There are more than three digits."
[... ...]
Clark blinked at my words. This meant the golden light inside his skeletal eye sockets was flickering.
Just looking at the gods of India, there were so many it felt absurd.
He let out a hollow laugh and exhaled smoke through his teeth, muttering in disbelief.
[What kind of world is that... Still, I suppose there wouldn't be any religious wars.]
"There were so many you could trip over them. There was even a place where they fought for a hundred years over a single holy site."
The Crusades—a war fought fiercely for control over Jerusalem.
Rather than one continuous, brutal war, it was more like a series of frequent large and small battles.
Through this war, the hypothesis was even raised that the God worshipped by Christianity and the Islamic world was the same.
[Why? When there are so many gods?]
"It's very complicated and long. Should I explain it to you?"
[No, forget it. Baduk is enough to give me a headache. Whew.]
Clark exhaled a cloud of smoke again, expressing his relief.
Indeed, explaining each mythology was a chore in itself, and there wasn't enough time to teach him the long history.
"Well, anyway, I'll be going now. Is there anything I should be careful of?"
[You've probably done all the research on the desert, so I'll skip that. I can only tell you to prepare for a shock. There are some truly shocking truths buried there.]
Aside from the puffing of his cigar, it was serious advice. For a skeleton, he certainly seemed to enjoy inhaling that smoke.
I became even more curious about what kind of truths were buried there to warrant such a warning.
"Yes. I'll keep that in mind."
[As I said before, don't trust the gods too blindly. Even now, it's impossible to know what intention they have in sending you there.]
"Even if the gods were the ones who destroyed the world, I could probably just accept it and move on."
[Cough! Cough!]
Whether the answer was far beyond his expectations, Clark was startled into a coughing fit.
Since he was already dead, it wasn't like he had choked on something; he was just genuinely shocked.
He seemed to compose himself for a moment before asking me in a slightly trembling voice.
[Wh-what do you mean by that? The world was destroyed, and you're indifferent?]
"Yes. Well, even if it's just mythology, gods destroying the world is a very common occurrence."
The gods of Earth were the type to cause a Great Flood and destroy the world whenever they felt like it.
In the case of Norse mythology, they worked themselves to the bone to prevent Ragnarok, only for it all to be in vain.
Clark looked dumbfounded by my words, then asked in a tiny voice.
[...Are they all just sociopaths?]
It was a remarkably accurate assessment.
"Lord Xenon will be visiting here soon."
Deimos, the leader of the Grey Desert expedition, delivered the news in a polite tone.
Upon hearing the news, King Morgan, the last king of Gerios, spoke bluntly without even looking at him.
[I see. Thanks for the good news. I thought he was dead.]
He was still sitting majestically on his throne, but currently, King Morgan was holding a copy of Blood and Iron in his hands.
He had finished reading the Xenon Biography long ago and was recently engrossed in Blood and Iron, which Deimos had provided.
It was a bit of an undignified sight, but Deimos said nothing. The King's power was something even he couldn't handle.
"Then I will bring Lord Xenon here shortly."
[I express my gratitude for your efforts. You may leave now.]
King Morgan waved his hand as if telling him to hurry up and go. He was openly expressing his annoyance.
Deimos, seemingly unfazed by King Morgan's behavior, bowed politely and left the Audience Chamber.
Soon after Deimos left, the large gates of the Audience Chamber closed firmly.
Thus, King Morgan was left alone in the Audience Chamber, quietly reading Blood and Iron.
[So...]
Left alone, King Morgan muttered softly and slowly lowered the book.
As the book that had hidden his face was lowered, his expression was revealed.
[May I ask what you're thinking?]
There was no one else in the Audience Chamber. That was certain.
However, King Morgan was speaking as if someone were there.
Flash!
Then, an anomaly occurred. A golden light pierced through the open ceiling into the center of the Audience Chamber.
Despite the brightness that seemed enough to blind anyone, King Morgan didn't flinch. Rather, his gaze was closer to a wary glare.
[I have only done as you wished.]
Surprisingly, a man's soft voice flowed from the light. It wasn't a particularly friendly tone.
King Morgan knew the owner of that voice well. He snorted and replied as if the idea was absurd.
[When was the last time the God of War granted my request? It might have been different when my body was intact, but now you're just suppressing me.]
[You should worry more about what you will say when you meet that child.]
The voice—no, Luminous—only delivered what he had to say, regardless of King Morgan's sarcasm. Neither showed a shred of goodwill toward the other.
At this, King Morgan chuckled. His face was full of confidence.
[You speak well for someone who has placed every possible restriction on my soul. Are you telling me to scream after sewing my mouth shut?]
[... ...]
[Well, I hear he's a prophet, but I'm not so sure. Instead, now that the truth is being spread far and wide, I feel like a weight has been lifted from my chest.]
King Morgan had a refreshed expression, as if he had scored a point.
Luminous said nothing to that for a moment, then spoke quietly.
[Let me give you one piece of advice.]
[Advice?]
King Morgan raised an eyebrow at the word 'advice.' No matter how much he disliked the being, it was still a god.
A god never gives advice in vain. Since he could read the future, it must be based on that.
Luminous then gave his 'advice' to the puzzled King Morgan.
[That child will far exceed your expectations. I can guarantee he will shatter everything you predict.]
It was an evaluation that sounded like an overestimation, yet wasn't. It was the kind of assessment that would have made Isaac wear his characteristic blank expression if he had heard it.
Regardless, King Morgan let out a huff of admiration and replied leisurely.
[I look forward to it, then.]