Chapter 124
Chapter 124
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 124
Chapter Title: The Birth of the Elves
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I stroked my chin, lost in thought.
It had been a long time since I'd gotten this deeply immersed while reading a comic.
'Come to think of it, that old man Terenser mentioned something about "advancing beyond the stone" too. Though it all fizzled out when Dtamuk Thinking Army suddenly awakened as an evil god...'
It wasn't some small island—it was continent-sized.
Of course, compared to the Empire, it might not seem that massive. Based solely on the descriptions in the comic, the Old Continent under imperial unification felt just a bit larger than Australia.
Even if the New Continent was that size, it felt off that only a handful of Ierly villages existed there.
And something else was nagging at me.
From the context, it seemed Dtamuk Thinking Army had targeted only the Ierly...
Was there something I didn't know?
[MoneyPlease: Is there some kind of problem?]
[Igugwoden: Nah nah nah, no lol]
Either way, it wasn't something I needed to worry about right now.
If there were other异種族 out there, the author would time their appearance just right.
[Igugwoden: Anyway]
[Igugwoden: Let's start with the important stuff one by one]
[Igugwoden: I want to give the Ierly back their original name—how do I do that?]
[MoneyPlease: You've already used 15,000 won worth of Divine Power]
[MoneyPlease: Mixing the remaining power with 'God's Word' should be enough to restore their name...]
[MoneyPlease: Embarrassingly, scanning the world required more Divine Power than expected]
[Igugwoden: Haha, it's fine, I figured]
[Igugwoden: How much more do I need to give?]
[MoneyPlease: If you provide an additional 3,000 won worth of Divine Power, it should be plenty]
[MoneyPlease: Even for a first attempt, I deeply apologize for not using the Divine Power more efficientlyㅠ]
[Igugwoden: (Sponsorship / 5,000 won / No stingy vibes)]
[Igugwoden: I'm not the type to nickel-and-dime like Dtamuk Thinking Army over a few thousand won]
[Igugwoden: Keep the change]
[MoneyPlease: No... Lord Igugwoden]
[MoneyPlease: Even just 3,000 won more would already be more than enough...]
[MoneyPlease: Thank you so much]
[MoneyPlease: Then, shall we proceed with changing the Kanp race name to Ierly?]
'Hmm...'
...Hold on.
For some reason, I hesitated before even typing "yeah."
'In the end, Ierly just means "long-eared," right? Isn't that basically the same as calling them "pointy-ears"?'
Dtamuk Thinking Army, being a modern guy like me in the setting, probably slapped the elven slur "Kanp" on them without knowing what Ierly meant.
In subculture circles, long ears were practically synonymous with elves.
Lately, the punchy slur "Kanp" got more use—but calling elves "pointy-ears" had long been a dismissive term.
Even if other异種族 existed, using "long-eared" as a race name felt a bit much.
'Is there a better name out there?'
From Pibiola's conversations, she didn't remember the word "Ierly" at all.
In fact, before I spent the money, it had vanished entirely from this world.
So, giving them a nicer name shouldn't offend her or her kin, right?
Yeah.
Now that I was their new god.
Shouldn't I overturn the old order and bring them into my domain?
[Igugwoden: Hey, author]
[Igugwoden: Mind if I ask one thing?]
[MoneyPlease: Of course, Lord Igugwoden]
[MoneyPlease: You've sponsored so much Divine Power it's beyond generous]
[MoneyPlease: I'll answer to the best of my ability within limits. Ask away]
I'd only given 2,000 won extra, but was this too much buttering up?
Still, who doesn't like good words?
Words hold power. Even flattery, if positive, gives people strength.
These Ierly folks wouldn't be any different.
So I—
[Igugwoden: You know]
—wanted to deliver the "good words" they couldn't get from Dtamuk Thinking Army, no matter how much they prayed.
* * *
Quite some time had passed since the village's reconstruction.
Thanks to Miracle Fertilizer, the Kanp had more than enough food.
From now on, they'd farm with the downgraded "Improved Fertilizer"—
But compared to primitive methods, it was revolutionary, so calling their environment self-sustaining wasn't an overstatement.
At day's end, Cola was distributed as a luxury.
Cola caught on like wildfire among the Kanp.
The fizzy Plain Fact flavor, plus the warm divine care felt while drinking—
Any living thing that could breathe and taste would succumb to this brown liquid's supreme pleasure.
Unable to give Cola away forever, once they fully rebuilt, the church would secure a massive steady client.
Sharing was God's will, but it doubled as investment.
Humans, including Erin, helped the Kanp every step.
From Empress Eirene to the lowliest sailor, no one slacked.
Plus, teaching human language bit by bit based on Pibiola's dictionary—
"Thank... you."
"Me too, thank you! ××,×××!"
"×××... good."
—they could now manage basic communication.
Erin never brought up religion.
Not even when handing out Cola.
After they learned words, she even held back on "May Plain Fact be with you."
Maybe that's why.
"Um, Saintess. Is it really okay not to build a cathedral? Now that we can communicate a bit, maybe it's time for one?"
A high priestess who'd come by ship asked Erin cautiously.
Since this was technically missionary work—albeit not—they hadn't even done scripture lessons, which nagged her.
Erin nodded with a sunny smile.
"Yes. I won't build until they ask."
"But spreading Lord Igugwoden's word through a cathedral is important, right? I heard bringing the New Continent into His domain is 'God's will'..."
"Everything can wait until things settle. They've been hurt badly by a false god using divine power, so we must approach carefully. Pushing in suddenly isn't what Lord Igugwoden wants."
As Erin said, they'd been deeply scarred by a god.
Even knowing these were miracles, worshipping a new one right away would be tough.
"Every time they see the blue petals of the Ebsilon tree fluttering, they'll know Lord Igugwoden is always with them, whether they want to or not. So take it easy."
"You're right... Sorry. Even in my position, I just feel impatient..."
"It's fine. God won't forget your efforts coming all this way."
"Ah... Thank you, Saintess. May Plain Fact be with you..."
Was it Erin's heart they understood?
Or the sweet Ebsilon fruit scent tickling their noses daily?
The first to suggest a "religious structure" weren't Erin—they were the Kanp.
"You want... an altar to serve the god?"
"Yes."
Pibiola bowed apologetically.
"Not every Kanp is ready to serve Lord Igugwoden right now. But... from Cola onward, we know your kindness comes from your god. So shouldn't we at least repay Him? If it's okay with you, Saintess, could you lead a ritual...?"
"Of course! Great thinking! Someday, you'll meet Lord Igugwoden too—not that I'm forcing! ..."
"Honestly, forcing would be fine. Per your 'Holy Scripture,' we've received plenty of 'rewards.'"
"Pibiola... You've read the Holy Scripture?"
"Yes, a bit. It'd be good to translate it."
Pibiola scratched her flushed cheek shyly.
"And Eirene mentioned rewards before. Her expression was so memorable..."
"Huhu... I see! Let's build that altar now?"
The hastily built altar screamed "makeshift."
Construction materials were mostly used up on the village, with spares stockpiled for emergencies.
Erin judged wasting them now wasn't Lord Igugwoden's will, so following the Kanp's lead, it took a primitive form.
"..."
Pibiola gazed at it pensively, worry clouding her face.
Right. An altar... They'd had one before. Built under Dtamuk Thinking Army's threats.
And her mother Helena had—
'...Don't think about it.'
As Kanp representative, Pibiola placed precious Ebsilon fruits in the center.
Even rare fruits made for a simple offering—but it was their best.
She knelt quietly.
Erin bowed beside her in prayer.
Everyone thought the same.
The platinum-haired saintess, basking in sunlight, looked most beautiful with eyes closed, head bowed to her savior.
"Lord Igugwoden. As Your word said, we've shared Your love on this new continent. This prayer comes from one who doesn't believe in You yet... As You said to share Plain Fact even with unbelievers, please bestow it upon her too."
As Erin's prayer began, pure white light descended from the sky, enveloping her and the altar.
The Kanp watched breathlessly—this alien ritual so unlike theirs.
Soon, the light bathed the foreign leader beside her—the shaman who'd once served a false god, Pibiola.
'......!'
Pibiola sensed the signal and knelt fully.
She recalled her shaman days communing with gods.
To speak to one, she'd grab her ears, stick out her tongue, roll her eyes back.
But... now, no need.
The warm light tickled her heart.
"Lord Igugwoden."
Cautiously.
She whispered to her second god.
"Thank you for caring about us outsiders. For sharing love even with nonbelievers. If we reconsider 'gods' again, it won't be an overstatement to say it's all thanks to You."
Quietly, she continued her prepared words.
And—
"Our Kan■ will never forget this grace... and I, representing ■■ from now on...?"
—something felt off.
"...Huh?"
Our ■■...?
Realizing she couldn't recall their name, Pibiola felt vivid déjà vu.
Right.
It was like with Dtamuk Thinking Army.
Our ■■■ had naturally become ■■ before we knew it. Our old name never surfaced.
His given name branded us. Each time we said ■■, we imagined the vanished god looming over us, chills running down our spines.
That meant...
'Hold on.'
A new name for them crystallized in her mind.
Our name is...
"......!!!!"
—Thud.
Mid-prayer, Pibiola collapsed.
Then she wept. Like a newborn babe.
No surprise. This was their rebirth.
The false god's shadow lifted, true divine love birthing them anew.
"Sob... Hic."
"Euhic...!"
Her kin watching nearby teared up too.
They'd caught on from her reaction. Their name had changed.
Minutes passed like that.
"We are..."
Pibiola, voice nasally, tears streaming, looked skyward.
"We
Elves
...will never forget Lord Igugwoden's grace."
—Elves.
In their tongue, meaning "the beautiful ones."