Chapter 480: A Far Away Tale, Shrine of the Divine
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 480: A Far Away Tale, Shrine of the Divine
Hilde crossed the duchy disguised as Hughes. Dressed as the King of Humans and the Progenitor’s consort, it wouldn't be strange for anyone to seek him out.
But she never dreamed that someone from the Military State would come looking.
Hilde knew that Hughes, Historia, and Lankart had all studied together in Hamelin. Although she only learned later that Hughes was the King of Humans, she had never treated the Hamelin incident lightly.
It was an event involving Lankart and Historia, two talents she was certain would become new stars. The Military State had investigated, suspecting the involvement of a neighboring country, but when it was revealed to be the work of a rogue warden, they concluded it was a failure in stress management and closed the case.
But… Hilde now recalled the questions she had forced herself to ignore back then.
Colonel Lankart. Major General Historia. The two of them were exceptionally talented, their growth unparalleled.
And then there was the one who lagged behind them… but who, for some reason, had earned both their trust.
She understood now. The King of Humans easily earns the favor of other humans, just like the kings of other beasts.
But was that all there was to it? Was simple favor enough to warrant Historia’s obsession, or for Lankart, who had even betrayed the Military State, to come seeking him out?
“Lankart. A Class-1 person of interest who betrayed the Military State and joined forces with dangerous individuals. How did you get here?”
“Danger is relative. No one but a left-hander can harm me, and I have no reason to fight a left-hander. More importantly,” Lankart asked, looking at Hilde askance.
“If you’re capable of disguising yourself as Huey to lure out trackers, you must be one of his subordinates. Why are you wary of me? Did he not tell you anything about me?”
“Not a thing. What is your relationship with him?”
“We’re friends.”
Lankart’s answer was so straightforward it made a mockery of Hilde’s attempts to subtly extract information.
“I’m also his disciple and his patron. And a comrade in the hunt for the Divine.”
The Divine. Hearing the unexpected word, Hilde recalled the information she had gathered on Lankart in the past.
Everyone in the Military State thought Lankart’s betrayal was a mere whim. But his betrayal had been part of a meticulous plan.
Tantalus, the Abyss. The place where Mother Earth was sealed. Saintess Yuel, turning her back on the Sanctum, had decided to make use of that place for the Military State. She sold that information to the Earth Sage and, in return, secured the full support of the followers of Mother Earth.
This was treated as a top secret, stored securely in the confidential archives of the Military State’s Intelligence Division. The fragmented information was inaccessible to anyone below the rank of a Signaller or an Camarilla.
However, some of this information had been disclosed to Lankart, the comet of the Military State, the youngest candidate for general, and the nation’s hope. For a mage, knowledge and imagination were tools to become stronger. And no one had ever imagined he would betray them.
‘But that was a misstep. After obtaining the information, Lankart brazenly betrayed the Military State. A later investigation revealed that much of the classified information he accessed was related to Mother Earth.’
Even his arrest and imprisonment in Tantalus had been part of his plan. The moment Hilde realized this and moved to have Lankart transferred, he escaped as if mocking her, taking all the other inmates with him.
‘So he wasn’t looking for Mother Earth. He was chasing the Divine. My father also entered the Abyss to find the Divine… Wait.’
If Lankart had been in constant contact with Hughes…
“If you’re searching for the Divine… then his entry into the Abyss after your escape—was that all planned between you?”
“Oh, you figured that out?”
Lankart, assuming Hilde was a comrade, readily shared the secret.
“That’s right. We planned it in advance. I was drawing the Military State’s attention, so I had to do some perfunctory searching and then get out at the right time.”
To fulfill his contract with the Earth Sage, he had to undo the seal on the Abyss, which required keeping humans in Tantalus. So, a common criminal who had just been arrested was hastily imprisoned there.
As fate would have it, that criminal was Hughes, the King of Humans, and that was how it all began…
“The plan was for me to use the prison break as a diversion and get all the inmates out. Then Huey, who was being held at the detention center, would be transferred over. Tch, if I’d had my way, I would’ve found the Divine myself before Huey even got there. But things are never that easy.”
Lankart muttered self-deprecatingly, but then his eyes began to sparkle. Unlike a moment ago, when he had dismissed everything with a mage’s arrogance, his eyes were now filled with admiration and awe.
“But Huey succeeded! The Abyss vanished, the sealed enlightenment was released, and Earthweave was granted to humanity! And on top of that, the Progenitor… I never even considered touching the Progenitor! That’s Huey for you! He’s always one step ahead of my expectations! I hate to admit it, but if there’s a single human in this world more brilliant than me, it’s Huey and no one else!”
Praising the absent King of Humans, Lankart seemed less like a friend and more like a devotee. Hilde was so flabbergasted she became curious instead.
Why was the King of Humans searching for the Divine?
And if he found all of them, what on earth would happen to humanity?
A great change would befall the human race. And that change would be irreversible. Hilde didn’t know what the King of Humans was planning or where he was going, but just the thought of it made her heart pound with a thrilling excitement.
“An interesting story, Lankart of the Shrine of the Divine.”
“Huh? What? You knew about me?”
“My father didn’t tell me. It was information I obtained on my own. Though I didn’t know you were still in contact with him.”
The title ‘Father’ was unfamiliar, but it was a minor issue. Guessing it referred to Hughes, Lankart asked with a hint of curiosity.
“An information broker? I don’t know where Huey picked up someone like you, but… where is he now?”
“I don’t know his exact location. He’s probably crossed the mountain range that borders the Fallen Dominion.”
“Makes sense. If you lured them all the way here, he’d be at the opposite border. Tch. I came to see him since his location was finally pinpointed.”
At the obvious deduction, Lankart scratched his head. Hilde watched him, then covered her face with her hands and shook her head. With each sharp turn of her head, the short hair, the color of Hughes’s, grew longer. Like air escaping a balloon, Hughes’s body gradually shrank, transforming back into Hilde’s.
“Are you a changeling or something? I’ve seen some strange abilities, but this is a new one.”
Even Lankart looked intrigued. Hilde ran a hand roughly through her long hair and spoke.
“I don’t have a good opinion of you for betraying the Military State… but given the circumstances, I suppose we could join hands.”
Lankart scowled theatrically in response.
“I don’t know what you are, but don’t think of me as your comrade, will you? There’s only one reason I’m giving you the time of day, and that’s because you’re Huey’s subordinate.”
“Likewise. If you weren’t a friend of my father, I wouldn’t have revealed my true form. The only thing you and I have in common is him.”
Hilde’s frosty reply surprisingly pleased Lankart. He seemed more gratified by her interest in Hughes than in himself.
“Hmm. I like that. I think we can get along. I needed information on Huey anyway…”
“It will cost you dearly. You’re not the only ones looking for my father right now.”
“Besides us? Who else?”
Hilde’s first thought was the Sanctum. As guardians of order, they would surely want to stop the King of Humans.
But she couldn’t be sure if Lankart knew Hughes’s true identity. If the information was that critical, she had to keep it hidden for now. She mentioned the most immediate threat.
“The Progenitor Tyrkanzyaka is also after him.”
“Ah. The Progenitor? That’s fine.”
“You can’t be so sure. Sending the Elders won’t be all she does. The Progenitor will likely try to find him herself.”
“It’s not a matter of being sure; it’s over. A Divine has already gone to her.”
Hilde froze at Lankart’s casual remark. There were few Divine in the world, and most of them were dead, leaving only traces behind. Yet a Divine had gone to the Progenitor.
“…A Divine, you say? Don’t tell me.”
For a single tree to grow, many elements are needed. Earth for its roots, fresh wind, water to moisten its leaves, and sunlight to rest upon them. When these common but precious things nurture a tiny seed, it grows into a verdant, giant tree.
In other words, nothing matters but the seed.
The earth is everywhere, the wind always blows, and unless one deliberately seeks out a place devoid of them, water and sunlight are harder to miss than to find. This means that the giant trees humans gaze upon in awe are composed mostly of common, worthless materials. Only the seed that first sprouted determines what it will become.
The seed. That one small, fragile point decides whether a giant tree or a common weed will grow.
And so, a human who has followed this line of thought will arrive at another question.
Where did this seed come from?
“A flowing stream can be held back for a moment, but it can never be reversed.”
A tree grew before the Progenitor. Growing at a visible speed, it spread its branches and sprouted leaves.
“Just as enlightenment will always find one who approaches knowledge, even if their eyes are covered. So, the seed of the Divine has finally sprouted.”
And from within the tree, a transcendent woman in flowing robes slowly stepped forth.
Horns like tree branches. A calm demeanor that was more plant than animal. Hair indistinguishable from leaves, and a smile as benevolent and firm as an old tree.
A living Divine, the Druid of the Origin, the Primordial Druid Nevida.
She welcomed the newly born Divine.
“So that is the created body. I see, so it is.”
Nevida’s voice was laced with wonder as she gazed at the Progenitor’s shadow.
The shadow stood still, its arms hanging limply, staring back at Nevida. It twitched as if about to leap forward, yet cowered as if terrified. The shadow was still, yet at the same time, it was moving restlessly. With every small gesture from Nevida, the shadow deconstructed and re-formed.
“So humans can now create even their own bodies. Without entrusting it to time, as I did…”
It was not human. It was the result of deconstructing and reassembling every component of a human. The muscles, the nerves, the blood—all were made incomparably stronger than a human’s.
At the same time, it was human. Its form, function, and movements all followed human logic. If someone were to wear that shell, they would feel no dissonance and could control it perfectly.
It was created by Tyrkanzyaka and was subservient to her, but setting that aside… the shadow was on its way to becoming a species superior to humans in every way.
“But, O Divine, the world is now bound by fate. Your power can never change the world, nor humanity.”
At the words that she could not change humanity, the Progenitor reacted faintly. It was as if she heard the word ‘King’ after the word ‘human.’ The Progenitor was reminded of him, the one who would never change, no matter how hard she tried.
“The detestable Saintess has bound the fate of humanity. The enlightenment that humans find and obtain belongs to all. That is the essence of the Divine. However, until it is revealed, the power of the Divine remains the property of a few. All because of the lie that humans are absolute and, above all else, dignified.”
Nevida extended a hand toward Tyrkanzyaka, and toward the shadow. The tree that had brought her also stretched out its branches, as if offering a handshake.
“O Divine. We who have attained enlightenment must bring liberation. To humanity, and to the King. You must bear a grudge against the Sanctum. I shall share my wisdom, so shall we not commit blasphemy against the gods together?”
The shadow took little time to grasp the branch and shake it.