Chapter 118: You Will Be That Way (4)
Grandmother laughed as if my astonishment was only natural.
“Heh heh. That’s the second reason why the Hero of Herduke drove the monsters here. Because long ago, a dragon that fought on the side of humans lived here. Now, its power has waned, and it can’t even move, so it only plays the role of teaching promising warriors. Kun and Ban learned from it. Its wisdom and knowledge have greatly helped the Guard survive in this land.”
“Are you saying that the dragon recognizes Hajifsia?”
“The prophecy itself was given by that dragon. Since it spoke of it, it will recognize it. Furthermore, that dragon will be able to answer most of your questions. For example, the question of why people died and came back to life.”
A sudden chill pierced through my chest.
A legendary creature that has come infinitely close to God, a dragon. Legends remain that it possessed transcendental wisdom and once ruled the world.
If it’s such a being…… we may be able to find out the reason for the reset, the true identity of Artshever, and his plot.
I bit my lip. I have to go to Mirgaram anyway to get the gray stone.
“I understand. I must go to Mirgaram. I’ll go and find out.”
“Good decision. Tomorrow happens to be an auspicious day for you. I’ll have Kun make preparations. Leave, and don’t come back.”
“I should do that.”
I understood Grandmother’s words immediately.
I have to consider the possibility that I might be Hajifsia. Presumably, if I am that person, the people here will never allow me to leave.
“I believe I’ll be able to meet my friends again at the right time.”
“Heh heh. It’s not that difficult to set a date like that. This is goodbye then.”
“Yes. It was a pleasure.”
“It was also pleasant for me after a long time. Perhaps the reason why this tough life stepped on this land again…… might be to meet you. I should thank the guy who killed me.”
Suddenly, I recalled the commonality among those who had reset, excluding myself. I don’t know about the idiot from Breedpo I met first, but the rest all have the common point of being killed.
Duke Ecoshian didn’t say, and Brother Lime was killed by someone I know well.
Then, what about Grandmother?
I swallowed my nervousness and asked the question.
“Grandmother, I’m sorry, but…… do you remember who killed you in your previous life?”
“Of course. To think I trusted that guy, I was the biggest fool in the world. Tsk. It’s a relief he hasn’t appeared in this life.”
“The name?”
Grandmother answered.
September 7, 375 Imperial Era.
The Guard are not uncivilized people. They simply have a strong tendency to revere spiritual aspects rather than material ones, unlike people from the outside world.
Legends, myths, prophecies, and fortune-telling are quite popular in the outside world, but there are also those who firmly deny them with cynical reactions.
However, here, they receive absolute support.
If I had known their history and way of life in detail, I could have written a thesis on the reasons, but all I could produce were annoyance and complaints.
“So, I’m saying I’m not Hajifsia or whatever.”
“People sometimes tend to have great misunderstandings about their own existence.”
“Ah, yes. Arrogance, self-deprecation, pride, delusion, prejudice, and so on. I’m well aware of those things. But even so, isn’t the idea that I’m the protagonist of the prophecy just because of my eye color a bit of a stretch? I’ve heard that prophecy too. If you analyze those words carefully, don’t you think that black eyes and blue eyes have a hidden meaning, different from what they appear to be?”
Kun tilted his head. He said firmly, with an expression that said the best warrior among the Mopum tribe of the Guard couldn’t possibly be wrong.
“That’s not true. Prophecies are always right.”
Why am I suddenly reminded of the finest inn in the Imperial Capital? The dignified appearance of those who always said the customer is always right overlaps.
Although it’s only been a few days, I once again felt that communication was impossible.
Who said that the only way to completely eliminate differences of opinion between people with different ideologies and cultures is war? Was it Magnolia Beming?
“Anyway, I’m not sure if I’m Hajifsia until I meet the dragon in that place called Mirgaram. So, would you mind stopping talking about the virtues a leader of the Guard should have every time we rest?”
“If it’s Hajifsia’s word, I’ll follow it.”
“Kwaaaak!”
With this, Kun had already turned my stomach upside down more than fifteen times. He seemed to have accepted the fact that I was Hajifsia as something close to the law of nature.
I looked up at the sky with a hollow feeling.
It’s been four days since we left Mopum and headed towards Mirgaram.
Kun said it would take about four more days to reach Mirgaram.
On the first day we arrived in Mopum, Grandmother told me to leave Mopum as soon as the day broke and never come back. I felt a little sad, but I decided to follow her words.
What should I say…… it’s a shortcut of a cheating level considering I’ve embarked on the path to becoming a big shot, as Duke Ecoshian said, but I decided not to be interested in anything beyond my control.
Becoming the leader of the Guard is something to consider, but it would definitely take a lifetime. I don’t have the capacity to take care of this place when I don’t know what Artshever is planning outside.
I only have one body.
Well, even if I am Hajifsia, I have my own thoughts, so I intend to leave the Gray Forest immediately after meeting the dragon.
“Let’s go. The road is long. We have no time to waste.”
“Yes, Hajif……”
“Stop. If you call me Hajifsia one more time, I won’t say a word to you from now on. Call me Arisein or simply Risel. Understand, Kun?”
“Yes, Risel.”
Unlike when we first met, Kun readily nodded at my words.
Is it perhaps because he thinks I’m the prophesied being? I’m really curious what kind of expression he’ll make when I’m not Hajifsia.
Let’s think of some appropriate words of comfort for that time. I’m not used to disappointing people.
For several days, Kun and I continued to cross mountains, cross valleys, and pass through forests towards Mirgaram.
The road to Mirgaram was by no means smooth. Monsters popping out from everywhere and Guard from other tribes pointing their weapons at us appeared randomly and without order.
In the latter case, it seemed Kun stepped forward and resolved things one way or another.
Primarily because of the threat I made, saying that I would leave the forest immediately if the word ‘Hajifsia’ came up, he seemed to make appropriate excuses about me. I’ve heard the word Mirgaram a lot.
In the former case, they were hostile beings who couldn’t communicate, so in the end, the only solution was the sword.
What’s worth noting is that because of that solution, I seem to have imprinted on Kun that I am Hajifsia.
It was a fact I didn’t know, but I was quite strong too.
Swish!
Yelp!
After beheading the wolf monster that was growling with its four legs cut off, I took out medicine from my waist pocket and applied it to my arms and neck.
Ouch, it stings. Damn you guys.
The monsters lying around were all ten in number, and the rest seemed to have run away, thinking it was hopeless.
Kun and I fought back-to-back, and while he dealt with four, I handled six. Neither of us were injured except for a few scratches.
“Risel, are you alright?”
“Just a few scratches. Nothing serious.”
The wounds were healing with a tingling sensation. Just in case, I took a sip and gave the rest to Kun. Kun carefully accepted it and drank it with a respectful attitude.
Potions made at the temple are somewhat precious even in the outside world. They’re expensive.
The Guard, who didn’t seem to serve any god, didn’t seem to have this kind of medicine. Kun seemed to revere it almost as a divine elixir.
He returned the empty bottle and asked with an awestruck expression,
“Do the Nokomen always drink this kind of thing?”
“No way. It’s quite expensive medicine. Hard to come by.”
‘Nokomen’ is what the Guard call outsiders. It also means ‘those who do not come’ in the ancient Eastern language.
Kun nodded at my words and said,
“I see. If there were a lot of these, the Nokomen would have entered here long ago.”
“I think so too. By the way, is that Mirgaram over there?”
I pointed to a blue canyon that stood out among the gray land and trees. It looked like a blue snake wriggling past.
“Yes. That is Mirgaram.”
Strangely, blue rocks were exposed inside the cracked ground. It was a deeper blue than the sky or the vast sea I had seen before.
The place where the dragon lives is indeed different.
“Kun, Summeor said you’ve met the dragon too.”
“Yes. Ten years ago, after I qualified as a warrior, I came here. And I received warrior training from the dragon for about a year. Ban was with me at that time.”
“I see. Ah, what does the dragon look like?”
“I apologize, but I can’t say. It’s taboo.”
Kun bowed his head apologetically. Well, it’s a being they revere, so it’s not strange that such a taboo exists.
“Then, is it also taboo to say how it felt?”
“Hmm, it’s not particularly taboo. However, it’s difficult to express the feeling I received when I met it in words. If I had to say, I would say ‘Artshever’.”
“What?”
I asked back with a bewildered expression. Did I just hear an absurd word?
Perhaps sensing that I didn’t understand his expression, Kun explained in detail.
“In the common language, it means ‘the one who has everything’. There are more meanings to it. The common language is a bit difficult. The one who has everything has nothing more to gain, so they have no goals, and all their living time is boring. So, they would just be immersed in boredom, waiting for the time to die. Nevertheless, because they have everything, they have a powerful and noble feeling…… Do you understand?”
“Hmm, I roughly understand the feeling.”
Is this a coincidence? The Guard’s common language was the same as the name of someone I know. I asked Kun just in case,
“Is there a word ‘Le Setrife’ here?”
“Hmm, not among the words we use. Summeor might know.”
Is it a coincidence after all? However, Grandmother said, with a flourish, that there are no coincidences in the world.
I scratched my head and nodded vaguely. I’ll have to think seriously about this issue later, or ask the person directly. Because I’m sure I’ll meet him someday.
“Let’s go down now. But how do we get down there?”
“Ah, there’s a way down over there. It’s called the dragon’s tail, and you go down there and head towards the dragon’s head. Let’s go.”
Kun walked ahead, and I slowly followed him.
From a distance, Mirgaram looked like a blue snake, but the closer I got, the bigger the snake became, and it emitted an oppressive aura.
It was the beginning of autumn, so the sounds of crickets chirping and birds singing gradually faded, and the sounds of monsters barking or howling were not heard at all.
A tremendous power overwhelms the surroundings. A being that makes all living things hold their breath just by its presence. An air like a giant rock pressing down on your shoulders.
I couldn’t say a word. Kun also kept quiet and just continued to guide me.
The few hours going down to Mirgaram were a time of patience and perseverance, overcoming the sense of rejection arising from that presence and instinct.
Don’t come.
Stop walking.
This is not the place for you to enter.
The one who is here is not someone you can dare approach.
An invisible force seemed to push my steps back, and an inaudible roar seemed to shake my soul.
Go back.
There is no reason for you to meet the being here.
Trust the instinct you’ve had since you were born.
I clenched my fists, bit my lip, and fought against the warning ringing in my head and the invisible force trying to push me back.
This level of rejection is nothing. I’ve tasted the moment of being completely isolated from this world. A mere canyon can’t push me back.
Retreat?
Who will lift Levidian’s curse?
Go back?
Are you saying I should turn back without achieving my goal?
Don’t talk nonsense.
The only thing that can turn my steps back is my own will.
The only one who can control me is me!
So don’t whisper. Don’t try to tempt me.
It won’t work on me!
“You endured well.”
Kun’s voice was heard when I stepped onto the path leading down from the dragon’s tail.
At some point, the force that tried to push me back, the heavy air that pressed down on my shoulders, all of it disappeared as if it had never been there.
I opened my hand. Sweat that had seeped out at some point was clinging to it damply. My forehead, neck, back, my whole body was covered in cold sweat that I hadn’t even noticed.
Kun said,
“Mirgaram tests the will of those who try to approach it. That’s why many people can’t take the last step, this path. You have a great will.”
“Did the dragon…… make it that way?”
“Yes. It doesn’t meet just anyone. Only by passing a test of this level can one gain the basic qualifications.”
“Basic qualifications? So there’s another test?”
“I don’t know if it’s a test or a rite of passage. However, it’s clear that only those who have stepped on the dragon’s entire body, from tail to head, can meet the dragon. I too went through many near-death experiences ten years ago.”
I made an annoyed expression.
That’s a very difficult guy to meet. Even if it’s a dragon, how dare it test people so carelessly. It’s unpleasant.
I wiped my forehead, and the cold sweat droplets dampened my hand.
Kun looked at me and smiled subtly.
“Risel, you will be able to meet it.”
“I’m planning to do just that. But why do you look strangely more confident than me?”
“Yes. No one has ever had the same expression as you. I’ve often come here as a guide for warriors. They all had expressions of fear for the remaining trials. You’re a unique person. You say you’re not, but Kun is certain that you are that person.”
Kun looked at me with absolute trust. I couldn’t bring myself to sneer at that expression.
Ah, yes. It’s your freedom to believe. But don’t blame me when your trust is betrayed, warrior of the Guard.
I wiped my hands roughly and said to the guide,
“That’s something we don’t know. Now, continue guiding me. I have to meet the dragon. Since things have come to this, I’ll see that guy with my own eyes.”
“You will be that way.”
Kun nodded and started to descend towards the blue shining canyon.
I followed him. It was a step towards meeting the dragon, but I couldn’t make a good expression.
Let’s see how great you are, dragon.
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