***
Roberta touched her slightly parted lips as she thought about the owner of the tower. Even excluding the two races of dwarves and elves, there were too many candidates.
According to the scriptures, when Dieus, the King of Heavens, laid a bridge between heaven and earth, Keme, the Mother of the Earth, was the first to step onto the ground. Following her, all the gods, including Nenus, who contemplated the sea, descended and created offspring.
The number of gods was not large, but their power was majestic, and under their great protection, countless lives were born. Among them were also the creations of the evil gods Kunkan, Takna, and Galpa.
Still, it was fine while the gods resided in the heavens. Even if the world was filled with life and mixed indiscriminately, the heavens mediated everything. The heavens even embraced the creatures that stood on the side of the evil gods.
However, once the masters of the heavens disappeared, the races of the earth turned everything into enemies, and many lives perished.
Roberta speculated that the owner of the tower was one of those extinct races. Since the species itself had vanished, there would be no oral traditions. How could one forget the past of a currently existing race?
Ulrih’s answer was different.
“They were humans.”
Roberta blinked, wondering if she had misheard.
“I am saying that humans built this tower.”
“You mean... humans from before recorded history?”
“Yes.”
When humans discussed history, they took the time when the first human empire was established as the starting point. When one said the era before our history, it encompassed the eras of elves, dwarves, and the gods.
The reason they were grouped so loosely was that there were almost no records left by humans in that era. Because they were a race so insignificant that even dwarves and elves paid them little attention.
Occasionally, some heroes or myths were passed down through oral tradition and recorded, but almost nothing was recorded as a civilization and passed down to the present day.
Roberta looked at the carved words on the wall again and swept them with her fingers. It was merely a fragment of an old civilization, and to her, it was just a strange pattern. It was the same even when she looked around the interior of the tower carefully.
Even if she, who had never learned archaeology, looked at it, how would she know if it was made by a human or a lizard?
Yet, he said that humans from before history built this tower?
“It was a place where humans lived who tried to build their own civilization solely at the end of the era of dwarves and the beginning of the era of elves.”
She wondered how he knew such facts again. Of course, even if she asked, the answer would be obvious, and she wouldn't be able to distinguish the truth. However, as she always did, she asked.
“That is also a story you witnessed personally, right?”
A strange light flickered in Ulrih’s eyes.
It was only for a moment, but Roberta saw it.
“...Did I say something wrong?”
“No, I just thought it was unexpected.”
“Pardon?”
Ulrih spoke while stroking his chin with his left hand.
“I wondered if you were asking because you believed my words. For me to answer ‘yes’ to that question just now, how old do you think I would have to be?”
He would have to live for at least ten thousand years.
Roberta made “Uh, um” sounds and then shut her mouth. At that sight, Ulrih let out a light laugh and shook his head.
“Unfortunately, their destruction has nothing to do with me. I did not witness it. I heard the story passed down from mouth to mouth by their descendants a long time later.”
The civilization Ulrih heard about was a civilization built by a group of humans who settled on an island by boat. It was said they had no king and no hereditary succession of rank. Also, they organized a popular assembly in the city and elected two leaders every year.
The members each had different talents and different achievements, but it was said they respected each other and treated each other specially. Ordinary people gathered opinions to lead the state affairs, and the strong respected their decisions.
Since the gods of the heavens departed, the races of the earth had each put forward the logic of power to become kings and feudal lords, so such an appearance was unique.
He had wondered about it and asked the reason.
Then, a descendant answered:
- When the great ones of the heavens created humans, who was a king and who was the seed of a feudal lord? Among us, only Hestio became a descendant of the heavens, but is he ruling us now?
Ulrih gripped his teacup tightly and nodded.
“Is it not truly great?”
“Yes, well... it is indeed great.”
Roberta merely gave an awkward smile.
The story of having no king and ordinary people electing a leader did not resonate much with her. She was a person of an era where serving a god, serving an emperor, and serving a king were natural.
The idea that an existence stronger than others or possessing a noble bloodline should follow the instructions of ordinary people felt unrealistic.
If she felt that way, how would Duke Bailen, a descendant of a royal family, react? Looking at him, he frowned as if a bit displeased, but because the person speaking was who he was, he seemed to swallow his words like her.
“In fact, there were many civilizations before our history besides this place. Although humans of that era might have been physically weak compared to other races, they were mentally mature. They tried to stand up on their own rather than begging for their lives under the mercy of other races.” New chapters come out on novelping . com first.
It was praise, but Roberta felt it didn't sound like praise.
Does history not tell us? There is no human history before the Empire.
The civilization Ulrih was praising had perished a very long time ago, and even its name was not passed down. Today, whether a human civilization before history existed or not was merely in the realm of speculation. No one knew where they were, what they did, or how they perished, and no one was even interested.
“But they failed. Even if they rose up harboring an ideal, they were eventually just a handful. Even if one gathers dust, who would wait for it to become a great mountain? All civilizations perished along with their birth.”
That would be so, Roberta thought.
According to some literature, it was an era where the power of one person could overturn a great mountain. Ulrih also said that an elf pulled an island and merged it with the mainland. In such an era, it couldn't have been easy for humans to survive.
Even if humans before history had treated others with respect and rationality, other races wouldn't have. Why would there be a reason to respect a different race that didn't share a drop of blood and was even weak?
Unless it were an era where wealth was overflowing and the value of life was high. Since such an era has not arrived even today, the strong possess more. And the weak serve the strong.
“The scriptures praise Hestio as a kind father, saying he led his kin until just before human history began. However, put differently, does it not mean that the name Hestio failed to open history?”
“That is—”
Ulrih raised his hand and cut off Roberta’s words.
“This tower is the result. It is the end of the civilization that Hestio’s descendants went out and built. The kind father built a family, but a family is too small a unit.”
“……”
“Only after a very long time passed since the gods left was that fact realized. That what that era required was not harmony but integration, and that a cold-hearted master was needed rather than a kind father.”
She knew without hearing the rest.
It was content being explained in detail in the scriptures. That humans grew in Hestio’s embrace and spread into the world, but met an unjust end while going their separate ways.
It was said that Hestio was saddened when too many of his descendants were killed and the species of humans itself was threatened.
At this, he called humans to one place to form a group, and as the era of elves waned, that group took one human as their master and built a civilization.
That was the First Empire, the first Emperor.
“I said a moment ago. That history appears only when one finally succeeds after repeating all sorts of failures. Because people change through failure. If they don't, they are merely weeded out.”
Ulrih swept the words as if caressing them.
“Civilizations before history are such things. Although they might feel worthless to you all today, these failures left the name Hestio to pre-history and created the Emperor.”
Once the words ended, silence hung within the tower. As always, after hearing his words, she could only worry about what she should say. Roberta shut her mouth and quietly watched the campfire.
<><><>
Roberta opened her eyes. Looking at the way light was seeping through the gaps throughout the tower, it was morning. While lying down and quietly looking at the ceiling, she trembled. To think there was such bone-chilling cold even after wearing several layers of winter clothes and even covering herself with a blanket on top.
*Crackle, crackle*. Turning her head at the sound of firewood burning, she saw Ulrih sitting in front of the campfire. He held a teacup in his right hand; as always, he must have steeped Songhwacha.
‘Really, it’s a taste I cannot understand.’
Ulrih seemed not to have noticed the fact that Roberta had woken up and was stealing a peek at him. While drinking his tea, he put dry firewood into the fire.
What was he thinking? she wondered what that old man with such a young appearance would be recalling in the silence. Perhaps he was contemplating the next story to tell.
After lying and watching him for a long time like that, she raised her upper body.
“Have you woken up?”
“Good morning... though it’s a bit much to call it that, Lord?”
“Well, if you didn't have a nightmare, it is a good morning.”
Ulrih smiled softly and picked up another teacup from the campfire, handing it to her. Fortunately, it was not Songhwacha. It was just plain water made by melting ice.
She craved something a bit sweet, but she moistened her throat without showing it. As the heat passed down her throat, she felt the cold subside a little.
“Should I wake the others too?”
“Let them sleep a bit more. There is no need to hurry now.”
Roberta sat beside him and tilted her teacup.
“You mean we have almost arrived?”
“Yes. We will arrive today at the earliest.”
“It is faster than I thought.”
Within today—she recalled the appearance of the mountain they had set as their destination. Had it not been quite far to arrive within a day? It felt like a distance they couldn't reach even if they walked at a fast pace all night.
Ulrih had never talked nonsense. There would probably be another way. Believing so, she gave a silent smile. Her heart naturally felt relieved at the thought that the end of the hardship was finally in sight.
Of course, the way back remained, but she could think about that when the time came.
“Yes. Lord Alonso requested me to accompany him. Still, at that time, I didn't really think it was as dangerous as this place. No, it was dangerous, but how should I put it?”
“It probably wasn't terrible.”
“...Yes. That’s right.”
Roberta waited for Ulrih to continue speaking, but he shut his mouth. At that, only the sound of the campfire burning remained between the two, and Roberta felt awkward, so she fidgeted with the hand holding the teacup.
“Lord, may I ask one question?”
“Do not mind me and ask anytime.”
“How will this journey end?”
She asked cautiously, as if whispering, and scanned the surroundings. Except for the two of them, the other companions were in a deep sleep. Fatigue had accumulated to the point that even the cold could not wake them.
Ulrih put another piece of firewood into the campfire.
“My thoughts have not changed.”
She looked down at her teacup.
“But there are times when one must go even while knowing the result.”
As the conversation was cut off like that, a long silence continued.
“……”
And after a long time passed, Ulrih turned his head.
It was not toward her. He was looking outside the tower. Subsequently, a sound was heard. It was a scream that pierced the lungs, and it was not a sound that could come from a human mouth.
Roberta reflexively stood up. All the companions woke up. This was the Ice Peninsula. It was a no-man’s-land that even Emperor Tywin could not conquer. What would be the reason for such a loud sound in such a place?
Following Ulrih, she equipped herself and came outside. It was blindingly bright. Although the cold remained because of the cold wind, the sunlight reflected off the snow covering the plain and pierced her vision.
“Giants?”
In the distance, the sight of a group approaching was visible. Although the group consisted of only four members, each individual's body was so large that they walked with very wide strides.
They were giants. A race created by the evil god Takna when he resided in the heavens.
They wore hides that appeared to be from magical beasts sewn together, yet they were so hairy that one wondered if they even needed to wear anything. If their waists had been bent, one would have mistaken them for monkeys walking on two legs.
Duke Bailen’s party, who came out late, stood beside Ulrih. As they drew their swords and stood on guard, Ulrih shook his head and pushed them back.
“Stay back. There is no need to fight.”
He spoke while walking forward alone.
“Giants, as you can see, give the feeling of monkeys walking on two legs. Their intelligence is low to that extent, but they are a race that belongs to intelligent beings for now. Therefore, they do not blindly eat people like magical beasts, normally.”
As soon as the words ended, one giant lunged his arm out grandly. Ulrih subtly tilted his body to the side. Immediately after, a spear was plunged into the ground where he had originally been standing. It was a spear that looked like it was made of the bones of a magical beast.
Roberta looked back and forth between the spear and Ulrih. He was quite far ahead and his back was turned, so she could not see his expression. However, at some point, he was holding a whip.
He let the whip trail long and spoke.
“Of course, there are ignorant races like this too.”
The giant who had thrown the spear ran toward them with a shriek.
Even though the snow was thick on the ground, as the giant stepped, it made thudding sounds rather than crunching ones. Indeed, it was a giant that maintained its appearance from myth, fitting for a creation of the evil god Takna.
When seen from a distance, she had only vaguely considered it large, but standing before Ulrih, the giant’s height reached twice his. Roberta felt a sense of pressure at that sight.
As the opponent entered the radius of the whip, Ulrih stretched out his right arm to the side and swung it grandly. As the whip wrapped around the giant’s right ankle and pulled, he fell powerlessly.
The giant lying on the snow did not stand up. The fighting spirit he had boiled up vanished like a mirage, and confusion appeared on his bearded face. Subsequently, he moved his mouth as if recalling something.
Ulrih whipped the ground with a loud *crack*.
“Do you remember now?”
The giant shrank back on the ground and spat out slurred words.
“Human, king, hits me.”
“Bring Uar. Tell him I am waiting here.”
As he struck the whip once more, the giant got scared and ran away. Seeing a sight unbecoming of his size, Roberta made an expression of it being absurd.
“Are you not going to catch him?”
“Though he is foolish, he is not evil.”
Ulrih added while winding the whip.
“We have almost arrived now. Since those fellows will guide us for the rest of the way.”