Chapter 122: Mother Earth is With Everyone
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 122: Mother Earth is With Everyone
The Order of Gaia, which serves Mother Earth, has no temples to speak of. They stand upon the body of their god, so to kneel and prostrate oneself is to commune, and to kiss the ground is to be baptized.
There is a great temple halfway up the highest mountain, and certain rock formations they claim are images of Mother Earth, but these are merely symbols.
For Mother Earth, there are only followers.
This is why the Order of Gaia flourished, and also why it declined.
Because anyone could become a follower, the faith spread far and wide like weeds. But because the unworthy could join, they ate away at its reputation like poison ivy.
However.
The Order has endured despite the follies of the unworthy because those who are worthy work many times harder.
A few followers of the Order of Gaia, who shunned praise, quietly carried out their duties even as the world pointed fingers at them, saving countless lives along the way.
Deeply moved, the people came to call these renowned followers of the Order of Gaia the Sages.
And in this generation, the most famous Sage of all was…
“The Earth Sage! It’s the Earth Sage!”
The moment I realized who she was, I immediately ran out to greet her.
“Am I really seeing you in person? The Earth Sage! It’s you, isn’t it!”
As if accustomed to such cheers, the Earth Sage responded with a confident smile.
“Undeservedly, some of the departed have called me by that name.”
“Wow! I can’t believe I’m seeing the Earth Sage in my lifetime! Uh, it would be an honor, but could I possibly shake your hand…?”
“I see no problem with that.”
The Earth Sage readily extended her hand, and I took it with a sense of awe.
It was a hand like a dormant, ancient tree, every finger filled with strength. I shook the firmly wrinkled hand, a hand that was like the growth rings of civil engineering history itself.
My friendly demeanor made Azzy tilt her head.
“Woof? You know her?”
“Of course I do, you mutt. Though it’s a bit one-sided!”
How could I not know of the legendary Sage of the Order of Gaia?
Twenty-five years ago, when the Military State overthrew the kingdom and seized power, many lost their lives, and ten times more deserved to.
Key figures of the old regime, merchants who had amassed wealth through vice, the knights and squires in league with them, and the corrupt officials who had taken bribes to look the other way.
The Military State, struggling after the war, had to make efficient use of them all.
On top of that, they had to create jobs for the lower classes who had groaned under their exploitation.
The Military State succeeded.
A massive civil engineering project, the likes of which history had never seen. This grand undertaking, which built the Military State from the ground up, solved a mountain of problems.
And it was there that the earthweavers shone.
The apostles of Mother Earth, masters of earth and sand, succeeded thanks to their tremendous effort and sacrifice.
The faith in Mother Earth, previously treated as a folk religion or even a cult, stepped into the light that day, and the citizens came to revere her apostles.
Among them, the most famous was…
“The Goddess of the Engineer Corps, the Guardian of Digging, the Reverse Undertaker, Terrastream, the Unyielding! The owner of all these titles. The one they call the Earth Sage!”
‘Wait. The Unyielding? Has that nickname spread to the public too?’
The Earth Sage’s eye twitched for a moment, but I paid it no mind and shouted on.
Azzy, caught up in the excitement, began to jump up and down.
“Woof! A friend!”
“Hey. You don’t even know what an Earth Sage is. Why are you so excited? Do you know the history of the Military State’s civil engineering?”
“Woof! Nice to meet you! Nice to meet you!”
Tsk. My mistake for asking a dog.
The Earth Sage walked with firm, sure steps until she reached the light. Tyr, having sensed an unusual presence, was waiting for her, seated atop her coffin.
Tyr spoke, not hiding her wariness.
“…Hu, is this an acquaintance of yours?”
Before I could make the introduction, the Earth Sage put her hands together and addressed Tyr first.
“Greetings, Progenitor. I have heard much about you, who has always been close to the earth. As a follower of Mother Earth, I offer my respects to the one who has been buried the longest.”
“An apostle of Mother Earth?”
That alone was enough to lessen Tyr’s guard.
Unlike the Sanctum, who would start a war instead of shaking hands upon eye contact, the inclusive Order of Gaia did not ostracize vampires.
They weren’t allies of vampires either, but for those surrounded by darkness, even gray seems bright.
“I have associated with several Taoists in my past. They were upright individuals who lived up to their name, always showing proper courtesy.”
Tyr lowered her voice and declared.
“I fought with some of them, but only because they attacked first. As long as you are not hostile to me, I will not attack you.”
“Then there shall be no conflict between us.”
The Earth Sage said with a bow, and Tyr smiled, satisfied.
“You are quite reasonable. It seems this visitor will not cause any trouble.”
Haha. Well, I wouldn’t be so sure about that.
As I swallowed that thought…
“Well, I’ll be! We have an honored guest!”
The Undying and Callis, who had just come down, also made a fuss upon seeing the Earth Sage. Callis’s reaction was particularly pronounced; she had changed into the officer’s uniform she hadn’t worn since taking it off.
Tugging her cap down, Callis quickly saluted.
“Reporting for duty! Lieutenant Colonel Callis Kritz…! Brigadier General, what brings you here!”
“Brigadier General?”
The Military State’s ranking system is intuitive. If the ranks go Major General, Lieutenant General, and General, then Brigadier General must be lower than all other general officers.
Recalling this, the Undying asked with genuine curiosity.
“Brigadier General? Does that mean the Earth Sage is of a lower rank than a Lieutenant General?”
“Be quiet, Rasch! Brigadier General is an honorary rank. It’s a gray star, not part of the standard chain of command, awarded only to those whose power and contributions have been recognized!”
Callis, forgetting she was supposed to be injured, quickly scolded the Undying. The chastised man scratched his head awkwardly.
“I know she’s an incredible person without you telling me. I was just curious. I was wondering if the Military State was so great that it had even managed to recruit the Earth Sage!”
The Earth Sage herself answered.
“How could those who follow the will of Mother Earth go about creating corpses? The only reason I wear such a title is to carry out my work more efficiently.”
“Haha! So, you’re a general who doesn’t fight! That’s even more amazing! A pleasure to meet you, honored one!”
The Undying, laughing heartily, balled his hand into a fist instead of extending it for a handshake. Then, with eyes full of anticipation, he proposed.
“Earth Sage! This meeting must be fate. Would you honor me with a fist bump?”
A fist bump wasn’t a light tap of knuckles.
It was a barbaric greeting, a test of mutual trust and strength where both parties swung their fists to collide at the same time. It was an old ritual that even followers of Mother Earth were reluctant to perform because of the physical strain.
Seemingly of the same mind, the Earth Sage showed her reluctance.
“Earthener. One who strives to be like Mother Earth. This meeting was guided by the great mother, but the ley lines of this land are severed. I have no wish to deplete your energy in such a manner.”
However, the Earth Sage’s reason for reluctance was different.
She didn’t want to harm him, even if he was an undying.
She spoke with overwhelming confidence in her own strength and an ingrained arrogance.
“Haha! A shame! It was a chance to witness your strength!”
The Undying, despite being treated as the weaker party, didn’t seem offended at all. The Earth Sage smiled at his easygoing acceptance and then turned to Callis.
“And you said you were a Lieutenant Colonel.”
“Lieutenant Colonel Callis Kritz. Yes, ma’am.”
“I received this title from the Military State, but I did not come here today as a Brigadier General. I am here solely as an apostle following the will of Mother Earth, so there is no need for military formalities.”
“Yes, I understand…!”
Still, the military discipline ingrained in her hadn’t faded, and Callis snapped into another sharp salute. The Earth Sage chuckled, then turned her head to find the person she had yet to greet.
And then.
“…”
Her eyes met the Regressor’s, and her gentle expression hardened. The Regressor, too, faced the Earth Sage with a complex hostility.
The two stood apart, like people who could never mix.
To call them oil and water would be too mild. Oil and water, after all, float together more peacefully than anyone, even if they don’t mix.
This was like two predators meeting in the same territory.
A situation where they couldn’t dare approach each other, knowing that one clash would mean a fight to the death.
The elder of the two, the Earth Sage, spoke first. She spoke politely, but her eyes never left the Regressor.
“…I have heard the stories. That there is a very… skilled swordswoman within the Abyss.”
“I’ve heard stories, too. That there is an agent of Mother Earth who is stronger than anyone.”
The formal exchange of words passed, and the atmosphere gradually grew heavy.
Just as one can feel the prelude to a storm even under a clear sky, everyone present sensed the unusual air and was about to tense up when…
“We’ve kept our guest standing for too long! Earth Sage! Please, come in! You must be tired from your long journey, let’s have a meal and talk!”
Tearing through the veil of silence, I inserted myself into the Earth Sage’s line of sight. With a beaming smile and a gaze full of respect, I angled my shoulder to guide her.
The Earth Sage soon averted her gaze and nodded.
“Thank you. The Abyss is not a pleasant land even for me, and I feel doubly tired.”
“Oh? That’s not good. I had so many questions about your great achievements, Earth Sage, but if you’re tired, what should I do… Should I let you rest?”
At my playful banter, the Earth Sage chuckled and replied.
“You flatter me. A conversation is no problem. These days, is boasting about myself not also considered work?”
“Wow! In that case! Let’s get you to work right away! I’ll warn you in advance, it’s going to take a long time to finish this job!”
“Woof? We’re going to eat? Fooood!”
“You, mutt. Learn to read the room! Your ability to butt in is sharp as a needle!”
The Earth Sage followed my lead toward the building. Azzy quickly darted ahead of me, and Tyr floated over on her coffin to my side. The Undying and Callis followed, looking up at the Earth Sage with reverence.
“Oh? By the way, Callis. Are you all healed? You look perfectly fine!”
Flinch.
“…I may have overdone it a little. With the Brigadier General’s arrival and all.”
“Haha! An honored guest like this is worth overdoing it for!”
The bustling Abyss felt more like an inn than a prison. I was leading the way into the prison building when it happened.
I glanced back and saw the Regressor, who had made no move to follow, simply watching Earth Sage’s back as she walked away.
“Mraow-.”
Nabi slinked over to the lonely Regressor’s side. Licking her front paw, the cat stood near the Regressor, her tail puffed up as she glared at where the people had disappeared.
After a moment, both of them vanished from my sight.