Chapter 79
Chapter 79
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 79
Chapter Title: The Two Elatras
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Do-jae entered the temple.
It was the only familiar space in this world.
"The structure, the atmosphere... everything is similar to back then."
Do-jae slowly looked around, examining the temple's interior.
Tahul had disappeared somewhere as soon as they entered, so only Sari and Oson were by Do-jae's side.
"Do-jae, look at this. Isn't it beautiful?"
Sari marveled at the long rows of statues on either side.
They were statues of humans wearing falcon masks and holding long spears.
"Impressive..."
"Kheh-heh! This must be the work of a dwarf!"
Oson puffed out his chest and said to Sari.
"Oson, you think everything is made by dwarves. A gray elf could have made it! We have many skilled sculptors, you know."
"That's not what's important. Is this... expensive?"
When Do-jae asked cautiously, a flustered Sari and Oson shot back.
"W-wait! Do-jae, you're not actually thinking of taking this, are you?"
"Master! You'll be divinely punished. These are decorations in a temple, of all places. If you touch them, you're bound to incur the wrath of a god!"
Despite their warnings, Do-jae couldn't take his eyes off the statue.
He wouldn't say he had an eye for art, but he could tell the statue before him was the work of a master craftsman.
So, what if he took these pieces, returned to his original world, and put them up for auction?
He couldn't be sure, but he'd probably make a tidy sum.
"Alright, let's grab them on our way out."
"No, Do-jae! Even if Lady Elatra is a benevolent goddess, she won't forgive something like this!"
"That's right! If Lady Elatra ever descends upon the world again, she'll be furious at your actions, Master!"
"What's the big deal? I'll work things out with Elatra. Besides, she's done plenty of awful things to me, so it's fine. Sari, Oson. Elatra isn't the benevolent goddess you think she is. She's a complete psycho..."
What kind of woman was Elatra?
She was bloodthirsty, turning Do-jae into a madman who only desired slaughter, and as if that weren't enough, she constantly interfered and tormented him through the quest window.
Do-jae figured he might as well sell off the decorations and sculptures here and use the money to buy his brother, Do-young, something nice to eat.
"That's not true, Do-jae! Even you can't call Lady Elatra that! I've never seen her myself, but my grandmother told me! Lady Elatra loved and cherished all races."
"Is... is that so? That can't be right... Should we ask old man Tahul?"
Just then, Tahul appeared.
Sari scampered over to Tahul and asked.
"Grandpa! Have you ever seen Lady Elatra?"
"Hmm? Ah, yes, I saw her a few times when I was with my master."
"What was she like? My grandmother said Lady Elatra was a kind and merciful person. But Do-jae said she was... m-m... anyway! He said she was bad."
"Young Lady Sarieta is correct. Lady Elatra was a goddess with a very kind heart who embraced all races."
"See!"
Sari stuck out her tongue.
Do-jae couldn't comprehend Tahul's words.
How could anyone call such a woman a goddess?
To Do-jae, she was nothing more and nothing less than a mad witch.
"Lady Elatra never lost her smile and was a great being who guided all life down the right path. It seems you are mistaken."
"A smile..."
Suddenly, the face of a woman surfaced in Do-jae's memory.
In the Magic Kingdom, after absorbing the Traitor's Aura from the skeleton, he had seen a scene from a memory.
However, with the help of Sari, Oson, and Tahul, he had broken free from the Traitor's Aura created by the skeleton and escaped that memory.
At the time, he had completely forgotten what that scene was and what had happened in the memory.
But now, her face suddenly flashed vividly in his mind.
"Old man Tahul, was Elatra's face beautiful?"
"Hmm, does the young human know of Lady Elatra?"
"Yes, well. I guess I never told you. Anyway, what did her face look like?"
"Hmm. I do not know. How could an ordinary person like me look directly upon an Ascetic?"
"I see..."
Unfortunately, no one here knew what Elatra looked like.
Sari said that although she was born during the Hundred Years' War, she was very young and had been in hiding to escape the conflict, so she didn't know much about the Ascetics.
Oson was obviously too young to know, so it was only natural.
"Do-jae, have you seen Lady Elatra's face?"
"How could a young human know of events from 200 years ago?"
"No. But the face of a woman appears vividly in my mind. A very beautiful woman. A noble face that, just as you all said, looks like it could embrace all living things."
Do-jae was confused.
The image of Elatra he'd had until now was that of a venomous, wicked woman with sharp, glaring eyes.
But the face that appeared in his memory was the complete opposite—impossibly noble and elegant.
"Then that must be her. The form of a god is not something seen with the eyes, but felt with the heart."
"That makes even less sense..."
"That's right! The face Do-jae imagined must be the real Lady Elatra. The Elatra you knew until now might be a fake!"
"Hmm... I guess I'll find out someday. More importantly, old man Tahul, did you find any traces of your master?"
"I was just about to mention that. Would you come with me for a moment?"
***
Do-jae followed Tahul deeper into the temple.
In the back was another large space, where a magnificent altar stood, as tall as a two or three-story apartment building.
"Come up."
Stairs ran up the center of the altar. He followed Tahul to the top.
There, another, smaller altar appeared, reaching about waist-high.
"Look at this! Only a dwarf could produce such carving!"
"Oson, be quiet!"
"Why should I be quiet? It's just us here."
"Hmm... You're right."
Sari and Oson also followed them up onto the altar.
Ignoring their bickering, Tahul headed toward the smaller altar, and Do-jae followed, standing beside him.
"It seems my master was trying to protect this."
The top of the altar was densely covered with a magic circle.
And resting on it was a mask, a golden falcon mask.
"The circle drawn beneath the mask is a defensive magic my master favored. It's so powerful that dozens of mages working together couldn't break it."
"Was your master such a great mage?"
"Huhu, how could one who stood beside a great being not be a great mage... Even after all this time, this old man cannot tamper with this circle."
Tahul wore a strange expression.
He looked both sorrowful and overwhelmed with emotion.
"Then what do we do? Didn't you come here to find this?"
"No, I didn't even know a mask like this existed. I merely wanted to know what my master was trying to do, what he hoped for. So, why don't you try to take the mask?"
Tahul's slightly parted eyes glinted as he spoke.
"Wait a minute, if even you can't undo the magic, how am I supposed to break it?"
"My master's defensive magic unleashes a powerful backlash if touched by the unworthy. You could even call it offensive magic. But if you are the chosen one, you should be able to take the mask with ease."
"You're totally just using me as a test subject, aren't you?"
"Somehow, I feel like you'll be able to lift it. Just a hunch, of course. Khu-hu-hu."
Tahul said to Do-jae in a teasing tone.
Do-jae stared intently at the mask.
Just as Tahul said, he felt like he could take it.
After all, hadn't the golems guarding this place all knelt before him?
However, it would be a lie to say Tahul's talk of a backlash didn't scare him.
"Hoo, alright. I'll give it a try."
Do-jae took a deep breath and activated his Golem Armor.
He had to prepare for the backlash, just in case.
Then, he slowly reached for the mask.
He grasped it.
Fwoosh—!
The moment Do-jae's hand touched it, a fierce beam of light shot out from the mask, soaring toward the ceiling.
"Do-jae!"
"Master!"
Sari and Oson rushed over in shock.
Tahul, on the other hand, simply wore a sly smile.
"I'm fine. More importantly..."
The beam of light swirled around the ceiling before slowly gathering together.
And it began to form a shape.
A woman with flowing, voluminous hair, shorter than Do-jae but taller than Sari.
Her ethereal dress fluttering, she slowly descended toward the altar.
- I have been waiting for you for a long time.
Tahul, Sari, and Oson knelt before her, bowing their heads.
Do-jae, too, was speechless.
Her face was identical to that of the woman in his memory, Elatra.
- Huhu, perhaps you should close your mouth?
Do-jae snapped to his senses and shut his mouth.
Thankfully, he hadn't been drooling.
"Are you... Lady Elatra?"
Do-jae asked her.
His tone held a hint of disbelief.
Because her voice was the same as the mad Elatra he had been hearing until now.
- Yes, that is correct. I am Elatra. You ask because of the other Elatra, I presume?
Elatra replied with a fresh, bright smile.
Her face was unbelievably beautiful.
"Yes. Between you and the Elatra I know, who is the real one?"
Do-jae looked her straight in the eye as he spoke.
What if the being he had known as Elatra was someone else entirely?
If Altein was also mistaken, he needed to tell him.
- I am Elatra, and the being inside you is also Elatra. We were both once a single entity.
"A single entity?"
- That is right. We were originally one, but we were divided for the sake of the war. My other self exists solely for war, while I, here, was separated for the future after the war ends.
"That's an unbelievable story..."
- Huhu, this is a world where such things are possible. Though it has brought much pain to your world as a result.
"You seem much more reasonable to talk to. I have a lot of questions and things to say..."
- Yes, it must not have been easy to speak with the Ascetics inside you. However, I can exist here for the time allotted to you. If you have any questions, I will answer them.
"Hoo... Yes, then could you let these people relax first?"
Sari, Oson, and Tahul were still waiting with their heads bowed.
- Everyone, please rise. And shall we go outside? I'll entrust my mask to you. Huhu.
Elatra headed down the altar first.
Sari, Oson, and Tahul followed her, and Do-jae, after picking up the mask, also began to descend the altar.