The Fourteenth Research - The Last Lord (1)

Gods are beings who answer prayers. In the sense that they grant what humans petition them for, they are not so different from the Grade 9 civil servants back in my old neighborhood.

‘If that’s the case, then where does the difference between gods and Grade 9 civil servants originate? It depends on the types of petitions they can accept.’

No matter how fiercely you pressure a district office clerk, they will not resurrect the dead or summon your ideal type as a spouse. Yet when a desperate prayer is offered to a god, such miracles truly occur. At least, that is how it works on the planet Sinear where I live.

‘Therefore, just as civil servants have ranks, gods possess hierarchies as well. This is why Sinear’s religious scholars classify deities into four categories.’

Indigenous gods. Worshipped in local regions.

Domain gods. Worshipped by nations.

Major gods. Worshipped across the continent.

Supreme gods. Worshipped across the entire planet.

The higher the divinity, the more extensively and diversely it can answer prayers. For a supreme god, even the labor of destroying the world or recreating it is not impossible.

Yet even gods are bound by the laws of the universe and subjected to various restrictions. I will detail those restrictions later. For now, it is enough to understand that while gods may appear to be omnipotent, they are in truth beings subordinated to the faith of mortals.

‘Aeltanar’s case is the most dramatic example.’

During the zenith of Karamsan civilization, Aeltanar received universal worship from humans as a supreme god. But when the Mage Kings unleashed their catastrophe and Karamsan civilization was annihilated root and branch, she lost most of her authority and fell to the rank of demigod.

“Crunch! Crunch!”

The silver snake, starved for so long, devoured Balor’s heart with ravenous greed. Having absorbed the divinity of the God of Destruction, Aeltanar finally ascended from demigod to a complete indigenous god and regained the power to hear and answer human prayers.

“How refreshing!”

Having reclaimed her divine station, Aeltanar obtained an Authority. Unlike Holy Magic, this was a power permitted solely to gods.

“Now this deity can establish her own religious order!”

“Applying the doctrines you used before will require considerable revision.”

When the silver snake grew excited at the thought of restoring her cult, Tellorian pointed out the practical problems.

“It has already been five thousand years since Karamsan’s fall. Keep in mind that the way ancient humans thought and the way modern humans think are completely different.”

Just as he himself had once been horrified by the medieval mindset of the people of Midland, the people of Midland would be horrified by the mindset of the ancients. At the very least, human sacrifice and slavery were not viewed positively in Midland, so…

“Why is human sacrifice considered bad?”

“Because life is the most precious thing to a mortal.”

“Exactly! Therefore, offering the most precious thing to a god makes human sacrifice the most sacred act!”

…Trying to persuade an immortal was never a wise endeavor. All the more so when that immortal was an ancient god; there was no point in even discussing it. She would learn through painful experience.

“…This deity is old?”

Ancient god.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Old god.

“Your teachings are outdated.”

“...”

“And in an era overflowing with those who hunt dragons, why do you believe a basilisk would receive reverence?”

The domain ruled by a supreme god reveals the zeitgeist of its era. The domain Aeltanar once ruled was starlight, the night sky, and beasts.

“All things the people of Karamsan desired most desperately. They lived by astrology, so starlight was paramount, and because they suffered constant threats from monsters, they worshipped the mightiest beast they knew as a god.”

But.

The times had changed.

“Astrology has become a mere hobby, and monsters are now targets for extermination. The current zeitgeist is impartial justice and unconditional love. That is why the sun god ascended to the position of supreme deity.”

At the Grey Sage’s answer, the silver snake fell into deep thought. Certainly the humans who once worshipped her and the humans who worshipped the sun god today possessed different hearts. If she wished to establish herself as a god of the new era, careful consideration would be required.

“It was wise counsel, mage.”

“You flatter me.”

“By the way, what do you intend to do with the other equipment?”

“Do you wish to devour the Archdemon’s essence as well?”

“...”

“Wake from your dream. That is material I will use.”

The heart was material he would use later to craft the Godslayer. However, since the Godslayer was an artifact so dangerous that even conceiving it was perilous, he would not deliberately mention it aloud to draw the gods’ gaze, nor would he leave behind any separate blueprints.

Still.

He had killed a God of Destruction.

He merely needed to remember the principle.

‘It is time to return.’

Everything had gone smoothly. The Hell Monarch had completely lost the capacity to intervene on the surface, and the Queen of the Abyss had lost interest in it. With this, he would not need to worry about demons for roughly ten years.

‘I must devote myself fully to research for those ten years.’

Moreover, with the Three-Headed Dragon’s Descent erased from the world line, the continent would possess sufficient strength to confront the apocalypse even after the main scenario began.

“You’ve worked hard, Tellorian.”

“Are you leaving, Elenstra?”

“The Association has issued a recall order.”

“You may remain here.”

“Thank you. But I must decline.”

Elenstra shook her head with a resolute expression. She held feelings for him, yet she refused to stay at his side. They each had to lead independent lives.

“I’ll coordinate my testimony as we agreed.”

“You may speak the truth before the deans of the Magic University. In any case, they will sense something suspicious simply from the fact that Balor has fallen.”

The credit for defeating Balor had been given to the hero and Belkan. Fools might be deceived, but those possessing intellect would see through to the truth.

“Even a lie will buy us time.”

“I do not wish to cause you any inconvenience.”

“I want to do whatever I can for you.”

“...”

“When we meet next, be sure to have found yourself a wonderful girlfriend. Preferably someone you can discuss marriage with. I want to see you settle down.”

Elenstra departed, waving her hand cheerfully. From her retreating figure, he recalled the misty landscapes of the swamp where he had spent his youth with his fellow disciples, and the moments spent gathered around campfires reading grimoires under their master’s guidance.

“...”

He missed it.

But those were times that would never return.

‘At the beginning, everything truly was good.’

Yet as time passed, every relationship spiraled toward catastrophe. What had been the reason it had to end that way? His own excessively outstanding magical talent? The extreme insularity of the Malefica community? Their master’s mental fragility that had complicated the master-disciple bond?

He did not know the answer.

“Master! You’ve returned!”

“Do not cling to me, Belladia.”

But one thing was certain. He would never complicate his relationships with his disciples. He had no desire to reproduce the catastrophe that had torn apart the community in which he had grown up.

Having achieved victory in the war against the devils, Tellorian received an enormous bounty. This was because Rodrick had divided the spoils allocated to the kingdom army. Thanks to that, the Grey Tower underwent expansion and grew several times larger. The research facilities had become so vast that managing them alone was now beyond consideration.

‘Originally this would be Belladia’s responsibility to manage… but I cannot make Her Majesty the Queen a slave.’

Thus he scattered recruitment notices across the entire kingdom. Despite the condition that applicants entrust their right to life and death to another in exchange for learning, applicants flooded in by the hundreds.

“What is your strength?”

“I am a magical genius!”

And so.

First candidate.

A blond, beautiful boy.

“Judging by your mana capacity, you have elven blood?”

“My grandmother was a high elf.”

“Hmm…”

It was an obvious lie, but one worth overlooking. There was no reason a slave had to be perfectly honest with their master. Sometimes a little cunning was only natural.

Even so.

This one would not do.

“Rejected.”

“What? Why…!?”

“You grew up in a harmonious family. Next.”

Snap!

With a flick of his fingers, the second candidate was summoned.

“What is your strength?”

“No one would look for me even if I died!”

“An excellent strength. Any others?”

“I can do anything to survive!”

Second candidate.

A vicious beggar girl.

“From now on, you are my second disciple.”

“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”

Third candidate.

A frail, sickly boy.

“I can see ghosts.”

“You have an aptitude for necromancy. Any other strengths?”

“I was excommunicated from the Sun God Church.”

“For what reason?”

“While grave-robbing a cemetery with my father…”

“From now on, you are my third disciple.”

After that, he examined several hundred more, but all were rejected. None of them met the conditions he demanded.

“Are your conditions not too strict?”

“In any case, ordinary talents will be unable to follow my teachings. There is no reason to waste time.”

The silver snake nodded in understanding.

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“But you only accept orphans.”

“That way they will be loyal only to the Lodge.”

The Lodge referred to the closed community where unauthorized mages—who did not follow the Malefica or the Sun God Church—were raised. From childhood, Malefica were isolated from parents and society, educated to regard the members of the Lodge as their true family.

The Master who led the Lodge became their parent, and the peers who entered together became siblings.

“Moreover, they must possess no reverence toward the gods.”

“A mage is one who shatters the rules of the universe and redefines them. How could someone who relies on humanity’s irrational beliefs ever achieve greatness as a mage?”

…Aeltanar believed Tellorian’s attitude toward religion was twisted. It likely stemmed from his past. He was a sage who looked farther than the gods, yet he remained human.

“Then I shall ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠speak no more of it.”

And so.

While returning to the tower with his second and third disciples—

“Grey Sage!”

“?”

The candidate he had seen that morning blocked his path and knelt. The blond genius pretty boy who had grown up in a harmonious family. He had examined him roughly because he had never intended to accept him as a disciple in the first place.

“Please accept me as your apprentice!”

“Why should I accept you as my apprentice?”

“Because I possess both the talent to follow your teachings and the conscience to repay my master’s grace.”

His talent was unprecedented.

Because his species was what it was.

“Hmm.”

“If you accept me as your disciple—”

“You would become an obstacle in my path.”

“…Pardon?”

“The second and third possess magic talent at the third stage. In ordinary times it would be enough to aim for the greatest of the era, but it falls short of contending for the greatest of all ages.”

The second and third possessed third-stage magic talent. In a normal era it was a level that could aim for the pinnacle of the generation, yet insufficient to speak of the pinnacle of all history.

“Therefore the second and third will remain my faithful disciples for life. But you would fully comprehend my teachings and become independent within ten years.”

On the other hand, the boy possessed fourth-stage magic talent. Had he been born human, he would have been called a super-genius who appears once in a millennium.

“Wouldn’t that instead give you a tremendously friendly fellow mage?”

“If our directions aligned, independence would be something to celebrate. It would mean the little one I protected had been reborn as a true comrade.”

He placed the pipe between his lips.

The trophy he had taken after subduing his master.

“But as you yourself must have sensed, our directions differ. In that case a situation would arise in which the disciple I raised with care would interfere with me… so I cannot understand why I should teach you.”

He wanted his disciples to possess blind loyalty to the Lodge. Yet the boy before him was a being incapable of loyalty to any community. To be precise, he likely did not even understand the concept of belonging.

“...”

“Even if the entire world denounced me, Elenstra would stand by me, and I would stand by her even if she committed acts that would earn her eternal curses. Could you do the same for the second and third?”

…

“That silence just now is the reason you were rejected.”

“...”

“I am doubtful whether you even need a magic master, but if you truly require one, seek out a mage more moral than I. Your directions should align.”

As he departed with his disciples, the boy’s voice followed.

“Then how about a deal, O Sage?”

“A deal?”

“Take me under your wing, protect and teach me for ten years. In return, I swear that once I am restored as Dragon Lord I will grant you three wishes.”

The golden-haired boy’s pupils narrowed, his irises transforming into vertical slits. They were the snake eyes characteristic of the reptilian race.