Chapter 17
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: The Children of Ruobeidra
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Roberta touched her slightly parted lips, thinking about the master of the tower. Even excluding the dwarves and elves, there were too many candidates.
According to the scriptures, when Dieus, the Heavenly King, built a bridge between the heavens and the earth, Keme, the Mother of Earth, was the first to set foot on the ground. After her, all the gods, including Nenus, who contemplates the sea, descended and created their offspring.
The gods were few, but their power was magnificent, and under their great protection, countless lives were born. Among them were also the creations of the evil gods Kuncan, Takna, and Galpa.
Still, it was fine when the gods resided in the heavens. For even when the world teemed with life, and they mixed indiscriminately, the heavens orchestrated all things. The heavens even embraced the creations that sided with the evil gods.
But when the master of the heavens disappeared, the tribes of the earth made enemies of all things, and countless lives perished.
Roberta surmised that the master of the tower was one of those perished races. The race itself had vanished, which was why there wasn't even an oral tradition. How could one forget the past of an existing race?
Ulrich’s answer was different.
“They were human.”
Roberta blinked, wondering if she had misheard.
“You mean to say humans built this tower.”
“Humans from before history… you mean?”
“Yes.”
When humans discuss history, they mark its beginning with the rise of the first human empire. The era before our history, as they call it, encompasses the age of elves, dwarves, and gods.
Why is it so vaguely bundled together? Because there are almost no records left by humans from that era. They were a race so insignificant that even the dwarves and elves paid them little mind.
Occasionally, a few heroes or myths were passed down orally and recorded, but almost nothing was recorded as a civilization and passed down to the present day.
Roberta looked again at the inscriptions carved into the wall and ran her fingers over them. It was merely a fragment of an ancient civilization, and to her, it was nothing more than a bizarre pattern. It was the same when she carefully looked around the interior of the tower.
Having never studied archaeology, how could she tell whether humans or lizards had built it?
And yet, this tower was built by humans from before history?
“This was a place where humans lived, who sought to build a civilization of their own, around the time the age of dwarves was waning and the age of elves was dawning.”
She wondered how he knew such a thing. Of course, even if she asked, the answer would be obvious, and its truth impossible to discern. But, as always, she asked.
“Is this another story you witnessed yourself?”
A peculiar light flickered in Ulrich’s eyes.
It was for a fleeting moment, but Roberta saw it.
“…Did I say something wrong?”
“No, I just found it surprising.”
“Pardon?”
Ulrich stroked his chin with his left hand and said.
“I was wondering if you were asking because you believe me. If I were to answer yes to that question, how old do you think I would have to be?”
*He’d have to have lived for at least ten thousand years.*
Roberta stammered for a moment before closing her mouth. At her reaction, Ulrich let out a light laugh and shook his head.
“Unfortunately, their demise had nothing to do with me. I did not witness it. I heard the story much later, passed down from mouth to mouth by their descendants.”
The civilization Ulrich had heard of was one built by a group of humans who had sailed to an island and settled there. They had no king, and there was no hereditary succession of classes. Instead, they formed a public assembly in the city and elected two leaders each year.
It is said that though the members each had different talents and achievements, they respected and treated one another with special care. Ordinary people gathered their opinions to lead the nation, and the powerful respected their decisions.
Ever since the gods of the heavens had left, the tribes of the earth had each asserted the logic of power to become kings and lords, making such a society exceptional.
He found it strange and had asked the reason.
A descendant had answered,
“—When the great ones of the heavens created humans, who was the king, and who was the seed of a lord? Among us, only Hestio became a descendant of the heavens, but does he rule over us now?”
Ulrich gripped his teacup tightly and nodded.
“Truly remarkable, is it not?”
“Yes, well… it is quite remarkable.”
Roberta could only offer an awkward smile.
The story of a land with no king, where ordinary people elected their leaders, didn't quite resonate with her. She was a person of an age where it was natural to serve gods, emperors, and kings.
The idea that someone stronger or of nobler blood should follow the instructions of an ordinary person seemed unrealistic.
If she felt that way, how would Duke Bailen, a descendant of royalty, react? He seemed to be grimacing with a slight frown, but since the speaker was who he was, he held his tongue, just as she did.
“In truth, there were many other civilizations before our history. The humans of that age, though perhaps physically weaker than other races, were mentally mature. They chose to stand on their own rather than beg for their lives at the mercy of other races.”
It was praise, but it didn't feel like praise, Roberta thought.
Doesn't history speak for itself? There is no human history before the empire.
The civilization Ulrich was praising had perished a very long time ago, its name not even passed down. Today, the existence of pre-historic human civilizations is only a matter of speculation. Where they were, what they did, and how they fell—no one knew, and no one cared.
“But they failed. No matter how high their ideals, they were ultimately just a handful. Who would wait for specks of dust to gather into a mountain? Every civilization perished as soon as it was born.”
*That would make sense,* Roberta thought.
According to some texts, it was an age when the strength of one person could overturn mountains. Ulrich himself had said that elves had dragged an island to the mainland and joined it. In such an era, it couldn't have been easy for humans to survive.
The humans before history might have respected others and acted rationally, but the other races would not have. What reason was there to respect another race with whom they shared not a drop of blood, and who was weak on top of that?
Perhaps if it were an age of overflowing wealth and high value placed on life. But such an age has not yet arrived even today, so the strong take more. And the weak serve the strong.
“The scriptures praise Hestio as a gentle father who led his people until just before human history began. But to put it another way, doesn't the name Hestio mean that he failed to usher in that history?”
“That’s—”
Ulrich raised a hand, cutting Roberta off.
“This tower is the result. The final chapter of the civilization built by Hestio's descendants. The gentle father raised a family, but a family is too small a unit.”
“……”
“Only after a very long time since the gods left did they realize that. What that era needed was not harmony, but unification; not a gentle father, but a cold-hearted master.”
She knew what came next without having to hear it.
It was a story detailed in the scriptures. Humans grew up in Hestio’s care and spread throughout the world, but they each went their separate ways and met unjust ends.
Hestio was said to have grieved as so many of his descendants were killed, and the human race itself was threatened.
Thus, he gathered the humans in one place to form a great host, and when the age of elves waned, that host took one human as their master and built a civilization.
That was the first empire, the first emperor.
“I said it just a moment ago. History is what appears only after repeated failures finally lead to success. Because people change through failure. Otherwise, they are simply weeded out.”
Ulrich caressed the inscription as if stroking it.
“Such were the civilizations before history. They may seem worthless to you today, but these failures left the name Hestio in the pre-historic era and created an emperor.”
Silence fell within the tower as he finished speaking. As always, after hearing him speak, all she could do was wonder what to say. Roberta kept her mouth shut and quietly watched the campfire.
#
Roberta opened her eyes. Judging by the light seeping through the cracks in the tower, it was morning. She lay still, staring at the ceiling for a moment before shivering. She was wearing several layers of winter clothing with a blanket on top, yet the cold was still bone-chilling.
*Crackle, crackle.* The sound of burning firewood made her turn her head, and she saw Ulrich sitting before the campfire. He held a teacup in his right hand; as always, it would be pine flower tea.
*Really, an incomprehensible taste.*
Ulrich didn't seem to notice that Roberta was awake and watching him. He sipped his tea and added a dry log to the fire.
What was he thinking? She wondered what the old man with the youthful appearance was contemplating in the silence. Perhaps he was considering the next story he would tell.
After watching him for a while, she sat up.
“You’re awake.”
“Good morning… though that might not be the right sentiment, my lord?”
“Well, as long as you didn't have any nightmares, it's a good morning.”
Ulrich smiled gently and picked up another teacup from the fire, handing it to her. Thankfully, it wasn't pine flower tea. It was just plain water from melted ice.
She craved something a little sweet, but she didn't let it show as she quenched her thirst. The warmth traveled down her throat, and she felt the chill recede slightly.
“Should I wake the others?”
“Let them sleep a little longer. There’s no need to hurry now.”
Roberta sat beside him and sipped from her teacup.
“Are you saying we’re almost there?”
“Yes. We should arrive today, at the earliest.”
“That’s faster than I thought.”
*Today.* She recalled the mountain that was their destination. Wasn't it still quite far to arrive within a day? It seemed like a distance they couldn't cover even if they walked at a brisk pace all night.
Ulrich never spoke nonsense. There must be another way. Trusting him, she smiled silently. The thought that the end of their ordeal was in sight naturally put her at ease.
Of course, there was still the journey back, but she could think about that when the time came.
“Roberta, have you ever experienced a monster territory before?”
“Yes. Lord Alonso requested my company. But back then, I didn't think it was as dangerous as this place. No, it was dangerous, but how should I put it…”
“It wasn't horrifying.”
“…Yes. That’s right.”
Roberta waited for Ulrich to continue, but he remained silent. Only the sound of the crackling fire remained between them, and she fiddled with the teacup in her hands, feeling the awkwardness.
“My lord, may I ask a question?”
“Ask anytime. Don’t mind me.”
“How will this journey end?”
She asked in a cautious whisper, glancing around. Besides the two of them, the rest of the party was deep in sleep. They were so exhausted that even the cold couldn't wake them.
Ulrich added another log to the fire.
“My thoughts haven't changed.”
She looked down at her teacup.
“But there are times when you must go, even knowing the outcome.”
His words trailed off, and a long silence followed.
“……”
After a long while, Ulrich turned his head.
It wasn't toward her. He was looking outside the tower. Then, a sound followed. It was a heart-piercing scream, one that could not have come from a human mouth.
Roberta shot to her feet reflexively. The entire party was now awake. This was the ice peninsula, an untamed land that even Emperor Taiwin could not conquer. What reason could there be for such a loud noise in a place like this?
Following Ulrich, she armed herself and went outside. The light was blinding. A cold wind blew, and the chill remained, but the sunlight reflecting off the snow-covered plains stabbed at her eyes.
“Giants?”
In the distance, a group could be seen approaching. There were only four of them, but each one was so massive that they covered the ground with enormous strides.
They were giants, the race created by the evil god Takna when he resided in the heavens.
They wore what looked like monster hides stitched together, but they were so hairy it seemed they hardly needed them. If not for their posture, one might have mistaken them for bipedal apes.
Duke Bailen’s party, who had emerged late, stood beside Ulrich. They drew their swords, on guard, but Ulrich shook his head and motioned them back.
“Stay back. There’s no need to fight.”
He said as he walked forward alone.
“As you can see, giants give the impression of bipedal apes. Their intelligence is just as low, but they are still considered a sentient race. That's why they don't just indiscriminately devour people like monsters do—usually.”
No sooner had he finished speaking than one of the giants swung its arm wide. Ulrich leaned slightly to the side. A moment later, a spear plunged into the ground where he had been standing. It appeared to be made from a monster’s bone.
Roberta glanced back and forth between the spear and Ulrich. He was far ahead of her, his back turned, so she couldn't see his expression. But at some point, he had taken hold of his whip.
He let the whip hang long and said.
“Of course, there are some ignorant ones like this.”
The giant that had thrown the spear charged forward with a roar.
Despite the thick snow on the ground, the giant’s steps made a *thud, thud* sound, not a *crunch, crunch*. Indeed, they were giants befitting the creations of the evil god Takna, retaining their mythical appearance.
From a distance, she had only vaguely perceived their size, but now, standing before Ulrich, the giant was twice his height. The sight of it was overwhelming.
When the opponent entered his whip’s range, Ulrich extended his right arm to the side and swung it wide. The whip wrapped around the giant’s right ankle and pulled, causing it to fall helplessly.
The giant, now lying in the snow, didn’t get up. Its boiling fighting spirit vanished like a mirage, and a look of bewilderment crossed its bearded face. Then, as if remembering something, its mouth moved.
Ulrich cracked his whip against the ground with a sharp *snap*.
“Do you remember now?”
The giant cowered on the ground and stammered.
“Human king… hits me.”
“Bring Uar. Tell him I will wait here.”
When he cracked the whip again, the giant scrambled away in fear. Watching the display, so unfitting for its size, Roberta wore a look of disbelief.
“Aren’t you going to catch it?”
“He may be foolish, but he is not evil.”
Ulrich added as he coiled his whip.
“We’re here. They will guide us the rest of the way.”