EP.282 Blessed Kingdom, Cursed Humans - 5
The blessed kingdom ruled by the Grandiomor royal family, a kingdom of kings and knights.
In this kingdom filled with a thousand years of glory, there was a being called Gunung.
He was a being akin to the hope of the masses. Despite being born a commoner, he achieved great military merits and was appointed as a free knight. With his handsome appearance and good personality, he formed close relationships with the elite, and after rejecting twenty suitors, he married a beautiful lady.
The masses were wildly enthusiastic about his path, which could only be described as a dragon rising from a stream, as if it were their own affair.
Lofty honor. Luxurious balls. Wealth and power. Everything that commoners couldn't even dream of was his. The thirsty commoners felt a thirst-filled vicarious satisfaction just by looking at him. Even if it was a bit twisted, they loved him.
And when Gunung rejected all that glory and decided to work for the lowly soldiers, he became everyone's idol. The commoners felt as if they had become one with him....
Just as the royal family planned.
Gunung was a figurehead created to alleviate the dissatisfaction of the masses. As the public outcry grew louder day by day, the royal family decided to create a representative to gather the people's attention.
For that miserable yet glorious position, Gunung, who was fairly strong and had a striking presence, was chosen.
Everything was given to Gunung as a price for following the orders of the royal family and the knight nobles. From lofty fame to the woman he loved and a comfortable mansion.
However, everything given to him was a burden. A sensation like wearing ill-fitting clothes bound him. No matter how much he washed, no matter how many clothes he changed into, no matter how much he waved his hand to the cheering citizens, he couldn't shake off the stifling feeling.
Because the one watching him was his past self from the poor and fierce days. He could not be comfortable anywhere.
Tormented by guilt, he decided to at least be faithful to his assigned duties.
On the stage where knights were the main characters of the battlefield, the role of soldiers was less than that of odd-jobbers.
They were porters, carpenters, and laborers. They were bait, or just a few words decorating an epic.
When a bored knight went out to hunt, the soldiers chased the beast, carrying pots and blankets. Even if the cornered beast tore them apart, they were not allowed to fight back. Because the glory of thrusting a spear into the beast's neck belonged solely to the knight.
Thus, when the knight pierced the beast with a spear, the dying soldiers only appeared in the songs honoring the knight's military achievements.
Taking pity on the soldiers placed in such a situation, Gunung did everything he could. He provided food for the starving soldiers, abolished bad practices, organized a formation, and supplied provisions.
Instead of following at the knights' heels, he repaired bases, built roads, and dug waterways. He also continuously provided civil support. To gain the support of the people.
He also trained them so that the existence of soldiers wouldn't become merely nominal. If they had minimal combat power, they wouldn't be easily consumed.
The knight nobles, having lost their all-purpose, unpaid servants who worked around the clock to the commoners, burst into complaints, but Gunung barely smoothed things over by mobilizing all his connections. In particular, the help of his close friend, the Absolute Spear Patracion, was immense. Gunung's martial prowess was outstanding but not the absolute strongest; had it not been for the Absolute Spear, he would have been challenged to duels.
Anyway, Gunung was faithful to those who believed in him. To the royal family, and to the soldiers. He was simply diligent.
Contrary to later generations' evaluations, he had no blind hatred toward the royal family. He only had a sense of responsibility.
One day, while living like that.
He was so faithful to the soldiers who followed him that he couldn't refuse their plot to rebel.
In the end, Gunung ended up destroying the royal family.
Everyone cheered in the royal castle reduced to ashes. The fallen knights who were injured and abandoned, the knights who followed Patracion, the oppressed crowds and soldiers. They rejoiced, painting a hopeful future.
Listening to their cheers, Gunung fell into dark thoughts.
He had brought about the situation in a rush, but Gunung lacked the ability to lead a nation.
In fact, there is no one in the world with the ability to lead a nation. The only point where Gunung was slightly better than the king was that he realized that fact himself.
Gunung quickly grasped his own limits and reached a conclusion. If he couldn't lead a nation, he would just borrow one for a while.
Fortunately, there were those in the world who reigned without much interest in secular power. If he asked them for help, a way would open up.
Having sorted out the minimal confusion, Gunung entrusted his subordinates with their duties and left.
A place that reigns but does not rule, leading everyone in the name of faith.
Toward Seonghwangcheong.
"...He is, coming to find us."
-And, the Holy Maiden of Foresight, Yuel, had 'watched' all those events.
The deepest part of Seonghwangcheong. A secret and sacred space where only the Holy Maiden could set foot. In a land where light seeped through the cracks of gray bricks and the statue honoring the First Holy Maiden blessed everyone.
The Holy Maiden of Foresight withdrew her gaze that had been watching him.
After the First Holy Maiden, a true prophetess, lost her life on the cross, Holy Maidens appeared in the Celestial God Church. They were Holy Maidens with different origins, ages, appearances, and abilities, but they had exactly two things in common.
One was that they were women.
The other was that their abilities were related to foresight.
"Reading the letter he is sending to Seonghwangcheong now, it seems he wants to reach out to Seonghwangcheong hoping for help."
Even among them, the Holy Maiden of Foresight, Yuel, possessed a simple yet powerful ability.
Clairvoyance.
The power to see everything in the world from where she sat. Eyes that see the future that has not yet reached this place.
A divine power enough to shake a nation and overturn heaven and earth if revealed to the secular world, resided in that small body. Even if she was still a young Holy Maiden.
Waiting for an answer, Yuel turned her gaze here in wonder as the silence continued. Instead of a thousand miles away, a beautiful garden caught her eye.
A place where water flowing from the statue graciously moistened the earth, and grass flowers and vines danced beautifully. A sacred, holy, and even devout wondrous scene.
And there, a girl with hair like ebony was dozing off while sitting on a rocking chair.
No painter in the world could capture this scenery. In the painting they drew, the sacredness that is hard to explain in human language would be missing.
It truly seems to prove God by its very existence. Even those who do not believe in the Celestial God would involuntarily kneel. A devoutness beyond beauty, a mysterious atmosphere created by her appearance, was elegant.
A scene where faith and belief were made manifest. Having stared at her appearance in a daze for a moment, Yuel belatedly came to her senses and called out to her.
"Heavenly Holy Maiden?"
When she asked again, the girl with closed eyes slowly opened her mouth.
"I refused, Yuel."
The Heavenly Holy Maiden, Meiel.
The One Who Became Thus.
The Sleeping Prophetess.
She, who stood at the very pinnacle even within Seonghwangcheong, answered with a benevolent voice.
"Did I make you watch harsh sights for too long, Yuel? I'm sorry for making you worry. Because it was a historically important moment, I borrowed Yuel's power. The situation is over, so now withdraw your interest from him. It is the season when the auroras are beautiful, so take a rest while gazing at the frozen sea of the North...."
Yuel, unable to follow those words, asked back.
"Yes? The N-North Sea? Rest?"
"Ah, isn't it the season when the auroras appear 'now'?"
A tone detached from reality as if dreaming. If someone with a common-sense way of thinking heard it, they would smile and think she hadn't fully woken up yet.
However, if the opponent was an out-of-common-sense being like the Heavenly Holy Maiden. The standard of judgment changes. I must doubt my common sense and blindly believe her.
Because what she saw was not a landscape in a dream... but a future that ordinary humans did not yet know.
"It's okay, Yuel. After a few months, Yuel has gotten used to my way of speaking too. You've gotten so used to it that you even scold me now, don't you? So just let it pass for now."
"Y-Yes..."
Still young, Yuel answered, still confused by Meiel's words.
"Then, what about him...?"
When Yuel hesitantly asked about Gunung, Meiel smiled softly. As if soothing Yuel, she conveyed her words in a gentle and soft voice.
"I have taken care of him. There is not a single thing to worry about. Everything is flowing just as the First Holy Maiden guided."
She was not speaking out of her own will, but merely conveying exactly what she had seen in the future. Therefore, there was no issue speaking in the past tense. From Meiel's perspective, it was already the past.
In other words, Gunung's request had already been 'refused'. Even though he would arrive in a week, Seonghwangcheong's answer was already set in stone.
"Understand, Yuel? Now purify your body and mind by watching the most beautiful scenery you can. I did it because it was necessary, but I regretted it a lot. I misjudged Yuel's age and made you watch the fall of the kingdom and the death of the king. It may have been too intense for Yuel, who is still young."
"Ah, Heavenly Holy Maiden..."
"A week? It takes disgustingly long to get here from there. To think he'd make me spend a whole week of my precious lifespan. Ugh, what a waste. So Yuel, you go to sleep too. Thank you for waking me up.... Ah, I'm just saying thanks in advance!"
Meiel offered a gentle smile and began to doze off again. It was a soft and amicable dismissal. Since the sleep of the Heavenly Holy Maiden must not be disturbed, Yuel bowed her head and withdrew.
Yuel passed through the garden and returned to her room. To her cozy, warm, and abundant room.
The room had a total of three spaces. The largest room was filled with all sorts of knick-knacks whose purpose was hard to guess. Trinkets whose very existence would normally be unimaginable, things Yuel had discovered with her clairvoyance. Driven by her vigorous curiosity, Yuel had nagged them to bring her those items, and Seonghwangcheong had faithfully fulfilled the Holy Maiden's requests.
The second room was a living room with a desk and a chair. Of course, that place was also filled with old vases, strangely shaped plants, and precious books from all over the world. Even these were only here because Yuel had carefully selected them due to the room's limited space; the rest were safely stored in the Rakion Grand Library.
The third room was the place where Yuel stayed the longest. The bedroom. A cozy room with a bed so massive it filled the space. Yuel lay on that bed as always.
That bed was a small world to Yuel. Lying on the bed, Yuel with her clairvoyance observed all creation. Using the power of her clairvoyance, Yuel turned her gaze elsewhere, far from here.
Yuel did not look at the North Sea.
What caught her eye were the people singing of hope in the ruined kingdom and... the figure of Gunung speeding his way here. Yuel smiled without realizing it.
'I refused.'
Suddenly, the words of the Heavenly Holy Maiden came to Yuel's mind, and the smile on her lips faded.
"Your Excellency?"
A knock sounded. It's Captain Abby's voice. I came to my senses with a sensation similar to waking from sleep.
"No matter how many times I called, there was no reply. Are you alright?"
"Ah. I must have dozed off. Have we arrived?"
"Affirmative. However, I was concerned because there was no response even after Your Excellency touched down. Was the impact of the landing severe?"
"It appears so."
"Was it enough to make you faint? Perhaps because this unit is heavy...?"
"Yes. So make sure to exercise properly as usual. Staying cooped up in your room just observing things will make you gain weight."
I gave her some solemn advice that would do absolutely nothing for her health management. Leaving the deflated Captain Abby behind, I surveyed my surroundings.
Can't see a thing. I need some light.
"Set, Ri. Lux."
A faint light emitted from my fingertips, illuminating the passage. At the end of the dark, narrow passage, a stone door came into view.
"Is that it?"
"...Affirmative. This unit recognized this scene from the memories of Signalman Yuel. This is undoubtedly the place."
"Hmm. Doesn't look like there are any traps."
Then again, if someone has raided the headquarters and searched this thoroughly, a half-hearted trap would be pointless. Setting a trap in an underground space like this would be more dangerous for them.
Either way, it's checkmate. In a place this deep, there's nowhere left to run. Not for me, nor for the Military Nation.
I tapped the stone door and spoke.
"Come on. I already know you're in there, so let's open up."
But there was no response. I could read his mind with telepathy, but his will wasn't here. He was focusing his attention on controlling the angel.
To use telepathy properly, I need to divert the opponent's attention to me. Leaving him be would put Historia in danger, so I figured I should just barge in and slap him at the very least.
"I'm forcing my way in. Captain Abby, step aside for a moment."
Underground, a stone door. Perfect conditions to use Earth Magic. I spread both hands and placed them near the corner, casting Earth Magic. A technique that could sink or raise anything that belonged to the earth. Because my magical power was weak, it was far too slow to use in combat, but there was nothing better for moving heavy objects.
*Rumble.* A heavy vibration reverberated, and the stone door slowly swung open.