Chapter 153
Chapter 153
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 153
Chapter Title: Fulfilling the Prophecy
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Basen Rak Oran headed to the neighboring village, where he confirmed that all the Pengolians who had been held captive there had also been liberated.
The returning Basen spoke to Tione Etimo.
"They were all pretty bewildered. All the Rakshasas dropped dead overnight."
"Did you not see Hilrov?"
"Some caught a glimpse, but it was the dead of night, and they only saw body parts, so their stories didn't quite match up. Anyway, I explained everything, so there shouldn't be any issues."
"What did you tell them?"
Basen replied.
"I told them that the Great Guardian of Yachen had come to your aid."
"Not sure if those folks bought the explanation..."
Basen and Tione looked up at Hilrov, who was sitting quietly atop the half-constructed small shrine.
Hilrov occasionally shifted his legs to adjust his position but otherwise showed no movement or speech.
Basen asked.
"By the way, have you checked the ship?"
"Yes."
"Can it be repaired?"
"It got us this far, so with some fixes, it should be seaworthy. The real issue is whether we can even make those fixes... Our ship, the Pirate's Shame, was built with sturdy northern timber. I'm not sure if wood from this warm region will hold up. And we don't have a master shipwright aboard. For now, I'm asking the Pengolians if they can rig something temporary."
Basen nodded.
"How long will repairs take?"
"A while. Don't get your hopes up. Even if the supply ship arrives, sailing home on it won't be easy."
"Either way, someone has to stay behind."
Tione pursed her lips.
"Probably."
Fortunately, the Pirate's Shame hadn't sunk, but she wasn't in any shape for independent sailing just yet.
Since the ship's purpose had been exploratory—to seek ancient ruins—some crew had prepared for extended stays.
But a quarter of the original crew had been lost to the waves, either missing or dead, and much of the cargo had been jettisoned to keep her afloat.
"As you might expect, we'll need a lot of help from the Pengolians here."
No sooner had he said that than Pengolian Mago appeared from behind.
"Egu-gu, just say the word. You've freed us—that's debt enough."
Basen said.
"We're not Rakshasas. Even back when our tech wasn't as advanced as theirs, we never acted like them. If we need something, we'll pay fair value or trade properly."
Basen assumed Mago would naturally agree.
But Mago said otherwise.
"No, no. Freeing us and saving Katuru is grace enough. You're honored guests besides. And... well... more than anything..."
"More than anything?"
Mago paused as if in thought, then spoke.
"There's something I want to show you. Follow me."
Basen and Tione followed Mago.
The place Mago led them to was beneath the small shrine the Pengolians had built.
"Didn't expect an underground chamber. Building this must've taken longer than just stacking stones for a temple."
"No."
"Then?"
"This underground space predates our settlement here."
"Ah, so..."
"An ancient ruin."
But it wasn't the grand ancient ruin Basen had hoped for—one that would thrill Yachen and the pantheon.
The descending stairs weren't long, and the chamber below wasn't vast.
"We didn't think much of this space, but the Rakshasas wanted it hidden. They built the small shrine above to seal it off."
"Why?"
"Egu-gu, we didn't understand at first either, but now I think I do."
The walls of the ancient underground ruin bore murals.
Mago illuminated them one by one with his torch as he explained.
"These depict past events and future ones. This seems to be the start: gods departing, mortals left behind on the land. The mortals decline and lose all their knowledge."
"Hm."
"The next part's key. Here we are, with Rakshasas and Asuradas lording over us—dominating us."
To Basen, the simplistic drawings didn't clearly resemble Pengolians or Rakshasas. The Asuradas were just big lizards. But he didn't point that out.
Ancient knowledge wouldn't survive intact anyway. People read into it what they will. If the ancients were truly wise, they might've intended it this way.
Mago continued.
"This is the important bit. You cross the sea from beyond, and a massive being—probably your Yachen—emerges. From its hand comes a white spider. This one's Hilrov."
"Huh, it really does look that way."
This time, even the inattentive Basen was startled. A white spider was clearly depicted on the wall. Simplistic, sure, but a round body with eight legs screamed spider to anyone who knew.
Afterward, the spider defeated the Rakshasas and Asuradas, saving the Pengolians.
When the tale ended, Basen said.
"So... we're the divine army foretold in the prophecy?"
"Yes."
"And Hilrov helping you was predestined?"
"Exactly...!"
Mago spoke with fervor.
"At first, we dismissed it as old tales. After the Rakshasas sealed the cave, we forgot it entirely. But seeing Hilrov, it clicked. You're the promised ones from the legends. You'll surely defeat the Rakshasas and Asuradas and save us all."
Basen was somewhat flustered.
Was this Yachen's arrangement too?
Basen wasn't the only one flustered.
Krampus said to Seong-un.
"You knew?"
Seong-un nodded.
"Eldar mentioned savior narratives are common."
Eldar explained.
"Yeah. Think about it—even on Earth, they're everyday. The Bible says the world ends, but Jesus returns. Buddhism has similar motifs. Anyone can reach nirvana like Shakyamuni, so a new one can come."
Krampus pointed at the white spider on the wall.
"That?"
Seong-un said.
"Simple trick. Mago found it before explaining to Basen, but I spotted it while scouting the shrine interior. Figured it was useful, so I sent Hilrov—the white spider—to match."
"What if you didn't have a white spider creation?"
"I'd make one. Or imprint the motif on an existing familiar and send it."
Krampus let out a gasp of realization.
But even Seong-un felt a twinge of doubt.
The crude drawings could be interpreted flexibly.
It wasn't a new tactic. Tales of new gods saving the oppressed cropped up across the third continent, even without white spiders.
Yet the fact that he'd likely have picked Hilrov—his most efficient exterminator—anyway nagged at him.
This fourth continent is new. So far, no major differences from the others. But like the evil gods, maybe there's some hidden factor?
He couldn't tell yet.
Seong-un decided to observe with the other players a bit longer.
Of course, the Pengolians' tale was too good not to exploit.
Basen learned that Pengolians were spread widely along the northeastern coast of the southern continent.
"Several more villages."
"And the other villages?"
"Egu, other races are enslaved there."
"Ruled by those Asurada and Rakshasa tribes?"
"Yes."
Basen fell into thought.
Tione said.
"What about the other villages?"
"I think staying put is risky. We've wiped out the local Rakshasas, sure. But per Mago, Pengolians don't care, but Rakshasas have regular and irregular communication nets. Plus, the neighboring village got a stealth raid from Hilrov, but some fled when we first fought here."
"Mm... yeah. No proper reporting chain, but they'll check procedure-wise."
"Exactly. Luckily, excluding the neighbor, the next village is over two days away. Even if escapees arrive without getting lost, they won't send an army rashly. Unknown weapons, super-fast rout—they won't know exactly what happened."
"So what's the plan?"
Basen said.
"Good news: this underground ruin tale is widespread among Pengolians. So we're the promised saviors to them."
"Aha."
"Pity about the other slaves limiting the spread, but Pengolians believing means they can rumor it to others."
Just as Basen said.
The Rakshasas sensed something had happened up north.
Escapees reported Lizardmen with thunder-stick weapons killing all Rakshasas.
Meanwhile, a secretive tale spread among northeastern Asurada Pengolians.
The legendary white spider had come to save them.
Just hearing it stirred Pengolian society, panicking overseers.
The tales were mere folklore, but paired with northeastern rumors, they bred unease.
Too far-fetched, so northern overseer Akulda reported up but sent scouts instead of an army.
Reason: overseers and soldiers fretted over restless Pengolians.
Just stories, but can't let slave control fracture. Even if something happened northeast, a Pengolian revolt at most. One or two villages? No big deal. One Rakshasa warrior handles ten Pengolians. Can't act rashly, whatever it is.
That was northern governor Akulda's miscalculation.
Basen swiftly trained Pengolians into an army while learning jungle info and terrain from them.
Four days later, a mere twenty-scout patrol appeared—they ambushed and annihilated it.
They're moving as I predicted.
Basen knew he had time now.
Waiting for scouts, realizing anomalies, mustering an army—they'd notice the excited Pengolians.
Basen led the expedition, Hilrov, and trained Pengolian troops to reclaim coastal villages one by one.
In five days, two villages liberated; they found shipwreck survivors hiding.
Unfortunately, few survivors, ship half-sunk with most cargo gone.
Still, a positive: met the expedition's fifth ship—the supply vessel—three days early.
Basen boarded the supply ship and returned to Mago's village.
He ordered all powder and guns offloaded, then rushed to Doltan Island for all sulfur and guns there.
Tione asked.
"Why sulfur, not powder?"
"Found a saltpeter deposit. We'll make powder here. Sulfur ships lighter, more cargo."
"And guns? We don't have many."
"We'll need more soon."
"Why?"
Basen said.
"Now the Pengolians can shoot them too."