Chapter 540: Myth(4)
Chapter 540: Myth(4)
The more I listened to King Morgan, the more the secrets of mythology seemed to unravel.
The Great Flood brought about by Yahweh was originally a cataclysm intended to wipe out wicked humans and reset the world. In the process, he instructed Noah to build an ark and load it with every kind of animal. That is the Great Flood that appears in the Old Testament.
If that Great Flood served as a sort of generational reset, many things didn't quite add up. At least as far as I knew, the Great Flood was dated to around 2800 BC—a time when the Egyptian civilization was still going strong.
However, that was merely what had been scientifically proven. Seeing how diverse myths existed all over the world, it felt like the pieces were starting to fit together in their own way.
[You look confused. Let me give you a piece of advice. Do not try to understand transcendent beings through a mortal’s perspective. They are beings who exist not only in the present but also in the past and the future. Beings who transcend time and space to observe the world. That is what a 'God' is.]
King Morgan, having read my thoughts, offered something akin to advice. Thanks to him, the fog in my cluttered mind seemed to clear slightly.
As he said, there was no way a mere mortal like me could understand the mindset of the gods, let alone their way of life. Since the recorded myths were likely written by 'mortals' anyway, it was only natural that various interpretations would emerge.
The Great Flood recorded in the Old Testament might have occurred in 2800 BC, but it was highly probable that it had happened much earlier than that.
‘In mythology, the gods and their children defeated monsters and other great beasts. Is that why there are no monsters on Earth?’
The most famous example was Hercules. Every single beast that great hero defeated was a monster capable of driving an entire nation to ruin.
In Norse mythology, everyone perished together during Ragnarok, and in Egyptian and Indian myths, the gods mostly spent their time fighting each other. It was a fact that in the process, animals that could be called 'monsters' all went extinct. If not for their exploits, Earth would likely still be plagued by monsters.
‘Looking at it this way, the puzzle pieces really do seem to click into place...’
As someone who enjoyed history, I knew that the Roman era was the point when Zeus's religious authority shifted toward Christianity.
But as King Morgan just said, gods are beings who transcend time and space. They don't necessarily have to wage war in the 'present.' So, if they fought for their respective interests in the distant past—far enough back to be recorded as 'mythology'—and exerted their influence through that...
‘...My head hurts.’
I felt like I almost understood it, yet I didn't. I closed my eyes and pressed my fingers firmly against my temples, massaging them.
Regardless, it seemed to be a fact that the gods had waged war against each other on Earth. Mere mortals, unaware of the truth, would have recorded those events as legends and myths.
The problem here was that an Earth god had crossed over so suddenly and spread their ideology.
‘What is this, the Soviet Union? What were they thinking...’
They could have at least waited until after they’d slaughtered all the monsters and beasts before showing up. Before the ideology spread, Luminous and the other gods were probably living quite well in their own way.
Of course, no matter how much I grumbled, nothing would change. My priority was to grasp exactly what had happened in the past that constituted their mythology.
"I think I understand what you're saying for now. As Your Majesty is well aware, ideology is the most terrifying thing of all. If handled poorly, it can tear a nation apart."
[I heard that a revolution broke out because you spread an ideology to the land of the dwarves? And as a result, the world's economy was paralyzed.]
"......I'm managing to resolve that somehow."
I scratched my cheek, laughing awkwardly.
Whether it was me or the Earth god, the fact remained that we had both screwed this world over once. It was just a matter of scale.
King Morgan chuckled at my reaction, then raised his hand and spoke in a tone that suggested he was being generous.
[Since you have made me laugh, tell me what you wish to know. I shall answer as much as Luminous permits.]
"Before that, Your Majesty also doesn't know which gods Luminous annihilated, right?"
[Correct. It is difficult to tell because even the records were completely expunged.]
"Then, if I were to write a myth and create a god of my own, would that god come into existence?"
This was what I was most curious about. Whether I liked it or not, I was currently a writer who wielded immense influence over the world.
What would happen if I wrote a book related to mythology and the people who read it came to believe in that myth? Would it become the catalyst for the birth of a new god, or would nothing remain because it was a being that never existed in the first place?
King Morgan seemed to find the topic quite interesting, as he stroked his chin out of habit before speaking.
[That is an intriguing thought. Indeed, gods are beings who exist through the faith of their believers. I do not know about faith arising because a god exists, but the opposite... Has such a thing ever happened in your world?]
"There are similar cases, but it's not certain."
Though it was a bit vague, Jesus and Buddha were such examples. They were real people who were later reborn through religion. They possessed myths on par with gods, but they were Sages whose paths were entirely different.
‘The problem is that I don't know how they receive faith.’
Up until now, I had only referred to the 'God of Earth,' but I had no idea if that included Yahweh or other gods. It was all just speculation.
The same went for Jesus and Buddha. However, I had heard from Luminous that they, too, had ascended as transcendent beings.
It was a topic with much to consider and one that had to be handled with extreme caution. Throughout history, across all times and places, there have been countless conflicts caused by religion alone.
[Hmm. That would be quite troublesome then. Do you intend to write this story into a book later?]
"No?"
I already had a headache trying to clean up the aftermath of Blood and Iron; I had absolutely no intention of overhauling mythology as well.
At my firm answer, King Morgan looked uncharacteristically bewildered as he questioned me.
[Then why did you ask?]
"I was just curious."
[...Tsk. This is why I can't stand scholars.]
King Morgan, who had initially looked dumbfounded, clicked his tongue and grumbled. I'm sorry, but I've already left too many messes behind.
If I could have it my way, I’d love to write about Luminous’s past—which would put Kratos to shame—but I couldn't handle the consequences. Of course, if I got permission from Luminous, I might be able to see it through to the end somehow.
However, given the nature of this world where divine right was so strong, it was certain that such a thing would strike with immense shock.
‘Besides, I have to finish Blood and Iron first.’
To be honest, the ideas were just starting to simmer, but I was barely suppressing them. Even while writing Xenon's Biography, I had wanted to write Blood and Iron and had barely held back.
Above all, there were simply too few records. I would need to encounter and read a wide variety of records before I could even think about writing.
‘Which means I’d have to cross the sea...’
By then, I figured someone else might speak up even if I didn't. Though they’d be much more likely to be buried as a heretic.
"Could you tell me about the past of the other gods besides Luminous? Since Hirt is the Goddess of Nature and their mother, she must have been in a difficult position. I'm also curious about what Mora was like."
[Mora protected the living beings of the world as it spiraled toward ruin due to the War of the Gods. However, her power was meager compared to the God of War and the God of the Sea, so only a few races were saved. Humans, who are the origin of all races, and then the Beastkin and the Dwarves. Those three.]
Elves were a race that came into being when angels tore off their own wings and descended, and everyone knew that demons originated from devils.
I nodded as if I had expected it when he mentioned that humans were the origin of all races. In fact, I had suspected this for a while. While half-bloods existed between humans and other races, there were no half-bloods between different non-human races.
‘I used to think that if Mendel had come to this world, he would have torn up his genetics textbooks and his own balls in frustration.’
This wasn't something to be approached with scientific logic, but rather with mythological logic. Furthermore, it had been revealed that humans were the origin of all races, which raised another question.
"Does that mean there were once even more races based on humans than there are now?"
[Of course. There are too many to name individually, so feel free to look them up yourself sometime.]
"Then were there separate gods who created the Dwarves and the Beastkin?"
[Indeed. Humans were the first mankind, created in the image of the twin siblings Luminous and Mora, born between the God of the Sea and Hirt. And the Dwarves and Beastkin were...]
King Morgan trailed off for a moment and glanced upward. I followed his gaze.
Warm sunlight was filtering through the open ceiling. I surmised that he was checking for Luminous's reaction. Seeing no response, it seemed he had been given permission. King Morgan nodded and continued in a grave voice.
[The siblings born after the twins. In other words, the children of the God of the Sea.]
"......"
[I shall leave it at that. Even I wish to avoid provoking that fellow's temper at all costs.]
I could roughly guess how the war had played out. The twin sibling gods weren't the only children born between the imprisoned God of the Sea and Hirt.
The Beastkin and Dwarves do not worship Luminous or Mora; they follow Hirt. It was likely due to a rejection ingrained at a racial level.
‘Come to think of it, are there any Dwarves or Beastkin who use divine power?’
I’d seen them use sorcery, but never divine power. I had thought it was for cultural reasons, but there were deeper circumstances involved.
However, I never felt that Luminous or Mora discriminated against them. It was likely just a tragedy born of war, and furthermore, a culture ingrained in mortals.
"......I see. Then—"
[No. Now I shall ask. Or rather, it is a proposal.]
Just as I was about to move on to another question in the solemn atmosphere, King Morgan cut me off. I was puzzled by his mention of a proposal rather than a question, but my eyes widened at his next words.
[I think I know what you want and what kind of knowledge you seek. However, not only is it a vast amount, but it feels as though I am the only one losing out. Even if you are my descendant.]
"......Is there something you want?"
[Haha! Truly my descendant. The one who came before also told me not to speak at length.]
When I told him to cut the flowery language and get to the point, King Morgan let out a satisfied laugh. Then, he rose from his throne and began to slowly descend.
[Are you not curious? Why I, who have escaped the authority of the gods, am bound to this place?]
"......"
[The reason is simple. I, who became a slave, resisted the demons until the very end but was defeated. The demons became interested in me and performed all sorts of experiments. I became a plaything for those demon bastards.]
"Are you asking me to find your corpse? The one that is presumed to still be in use by demon worshippers?"
[Hmm? How did you know? Did the descendant who came before tell you?]
"Not exactly..."
I scratched my cheek and gave an awkward smile. Having read too many novels, I had naturally deduced it.
King Morgan stared intently at my awkward face for a moment, then chuckled as if it didn't matter and stepped down from the platform. Having reached me, he began to pace around me as he continued his explanation.
[I suppose that's possible since you said you came from another world. At any rate, I want only one thing. To burn my corpse, which is presumed to be held by those demon bastards. And to liberate me from this godforsaken place.]
"......"
[Of course, I must offer a fitting reward. What do you desire? The martial prowess that allowed me to rule the entire West? Or honor? Wealth? Speak your mind. I shall grant it all.]
Even though he was a ghost, King Morgan had the ability to back it up. Was he not evading the authority of the gods even now? Especially that martial prowess said to have ruled the entire West—it was highly likely to be the alpha and omega of rewards. In this era, martial prowess translated directly into honor and wealth. That was a value that would remain unchanged regardless of the passage of time.
I stared blankly at King Morgan, then a sudden curiosity struck me, and I asked him.
"What did Grandfather Clark choose?"
[He refused, saying the time was not yet right. He said that a stage must be set first, and he declared that he would set that stage himself.]
It was just as King Morgan said. The Maishal family had been murdered by demon worshippers at every opportunity until Grandfather Clark took action. There were even circumstances suggesting that my father's mother—my grandmother—had been killed by them.
But that was no longer the case. The demon worshippers no longer had the leisure to worry about the Maishal family, and their power had been significantly weakened. Even without King Morgan's proposal, it was more than just the right time to subjugate the demon worshippers; it was a golden opportunity.
[Now. Will you accept?]
King Morgan asked me again in a voice that was softly tempting.
At that, I scratched my head and answered without a hint of a lie.
"I'm not interested."