The War of the Gods (1)
After poring over the elf tomes that Huang Dong-gyeong had brought, I uncovered several intriguing facts.
First and foremost, the hypothesis of a war among the gods proved true. Gods who shared the same cultural sphere had formed factions, only to clash for some unknown reason. This was confirmed in the records.
Olympus and the Ennead. These two powers, located so close to one another, had turned their weapons on each other—a detail absent from both human and dwarf histories. It seemed the elves alone remembered that era.
Why had the gods gone to war? Was it a scramble over limited faith? Or had tangled relationships among them escalated into conflict? No detailed records remained to answer that.
But one thing was certain: The war between Olympus and the Ennead grew ever more convoluted due to their intertwined interests and personal ties among the gods. It ballooned to the point where six out of ten gods in the Pantheon were dragged in.
The conflict dragged on for dozens, even hundreds of days without end. Countless gods withered away, unable to sustain their faith, or met utter destruction. The sacrifices were immense.
And the war's conclusion... Hm. Spoiling it now might take the wind out of my sails. Still, confirming the war's existence was a major haul in itself.
A substantial harvest, yes... but I needed more. Why had the gods fought? What was the war for? Why had they staked their faiths against one another?
Those reasons remained utterly unknown. And one more thing.
Back then, four great factions dominated among the gods. If Olympus and the Ennead had clashed... what of the other two? Where were the Aesir and Lokapala, and what were they doing? Why no mention of them?
And the Temple of the Life Goddess, now wielding influence under the name of the Life Church—what role had it played?
The gaps were too vast, too numerous.
It'd be ideal to ask the gods directly, but unearthing these truths would surely provoke them. They wouldn't sit idly by...
Wouldn't sit... idly...
Hm. Wait a second. Wasn't there a god free from the Pantheon's grasp? The dwarf god, Sagarmatha of the Sacred Mountain... She'd have little connection to the Pantheon...
But if word leaked from her to them... it wouldn't end well. Definitely not.
I let out a small sigh.
A dead end with no further leads. Quitting now wasn't an option. The impasse felt utterly suffocating.
The elf documents had helped considerably, but they offered almost nothing on Baal.
If someone had systematically erased every trace of Baal... the thoroughness was unimaginable.
What now? If even the dwarves, elves, and humans yielded nothing... should I turn to dragons for aid?
Lost in idle thoughts, I picked up the nearby parchment document—an elf history.
It seemed they'd added sheets over time, thickening it gradually; the later pages were thinner, finer quality.
Elves were famed for leatherworking—"If it's leather craft, elves are best"—but had it been this exquisite in ancient days?
Well, history isn't written overnight, nor does skill; it evolves, advances, reaches pinnacles. That made sense.
So thinking, I stroked the thick parchment—and felt something off.
This... wasn't just thick parchment.
A subtly slippery texture. Like not one sheet, but two joined...
Hold on.
I carefully checked the edge. It looked like one sheet, but faintly... doubled.
I drew a small dagger and slipped it into the seam, moving slowly.
Damaging the document, yes. But perhaps... just perhaps...
The dagger, moved with utmost care, peeled apart the seemingly single sheet. I peered inside.
"This is..."
Dating before the histories on later pages—before elf history itself. Records from the gods' era?
Highly summarized in places, but the earliest entry chronicled the gods' birth.
From the perspective of the elves' god, Yggdrasil: the age when gods were born, rampaging freely across the world.
In that era, the gods' king... Bael? Not Baal? No, likely altered intentionally. Recording a god's name exactly might've been blasphemy back then. A deliberate tweak.
Anyway, some record of the gods' king existed.
Ascended as king of gods, received a crown from the Life Goddess, ruled for centuries... then, as continents rose and the world crumbled, blocked it... suffered massive damage, shattered to pieces...
Afterward, Baal's fragments were claimed by the gods Baal himself created, who then proclaimed themselves sky gods...?
This... so...
I took a deep breath and read the rejoined page further.
Most gods claiming kingship after were Baal's fragments, his own creations. Post-shattering, they seized his pieces.
Shocking enough, but what followed stunned me more.
After Baal vanished, the Life Goddess, dismayed by the rampaging gods, resolved to end their era.
To appease her, they offered to return Baal's fragments... Hm...
But for the gods holding them, that meant death. All refused, sparking war among them...
So the Life Goddess seeking Baal's fragments back was the cause of the gods' war?
Somewhat shocking. She, deemed the gentlest among gods, had triggered the end of their age.
But if she'd closed the gods' era, why bury Baal's existence? Because their king was obsolete post-era? Or...
For some purpose, deliberately erased?
I didn't know the truth, but... let's summarize first.
Once sorted, discuss with Huang Dong-gyeong whether to announce it.
I closed the elf history.
"Hmmm. Not bad at all."
I noticed someone watching from the wall where I'd sorted my materials.
"I thought we'd erased nearly all traces, yet you've pieced this much together."
A silver-haired girl. With horns on her head.
No scholar of history would fail to recognize her.
"The Dragon Maiden...?"
"Hm. All on your own? Impressive for a human. I'll give you that much praise."
Her sly smile left me speechless.
The Dragon Maiden—proxy of the Life Goddess, her voice on earth.
I gripped then released the dagger in my bosom. No chance of winning. Nor should I fight her.
"Hm. Smart choice. Charging in recklessly wouldn't end well."
"How did you...?"
"Various movements caught my eye. Tracked you here. Be proud—you piqued my interest."
The Dragon Maiden spoke nonchalantly. I sighed.
Is this the end? Would my dream of etching my name in history fizzle out like this?
"So, come to dispose of me?"
"Dispose? Hmm..."
She grinned mischievously.
"Who knows? What should I do with you?"
"No regrets. I knew the risks of unearthing history buried by gods."
"Oh? Aware and still pursued it?"
"But... one last request?"
She tilted her head at my words.
"Last request?"
"Yes."
"Hmmm. A dying wish..."
She smiled brightly.
"Fine. What is it?"
"The truth... I want the truth."
"Truth?"
"Yes. Tell me the truth buried in history. As the Life Goddess's proxy, you must know it well."
Death was expected. From the moment I delved into this peril.
Just regrettable not knowing the truth: the gods' war, Baal's reality. Why erase the gods' king from history?
I yearned for facts long interred.
"Hm... The truth. Might not be as grand as you imagine. Still want it?"
"Of course."
She eyed my face, then nodded faintly.
"Very well. I'll tell you the truth."
And so the Dragon Maiden began her tale.
