Ch.15350. God is Watching Over Me! (2)

Though I felt we were delayed beyond my expectations, it must have seemed miraculous by local standards.

That feeling was likely just due to my own impatience.

…If we could have flown through the sky, wouldn’t we have been at least twice as fast?

The thought suddenly occurs to me.

If one could travel through the air rather than on land, wouldn’t mountains, seas, and their boundaries become completely irrelevant?

The great mages of ancient times were said to not only fly through the sky but also stay aloft for extended periods, even managing to eat and sleep while doing so.

Above all, the sky above the sky.

They were even able to venture into space, they say.

However, according to the memoirs of one great mage, the sky above the sky is so vast that even ascending hundreds of times higher than the journey from ground to sky would be meaningless. Therefore, they concluded that both travel and journey there were pointless.

To the mages of the current era, who can barely count those who can ascend to the sky, let alone the sky above the sky, even this must seem like a dream or an ideal.

To mages who cannot even reach the moon, wouldn’t it have felt like fiction or illusion?

“What’s so big about all this?”

In that sense, stories of giants and colossal beings that have always appeared in mythology cannot be entirely dismissed.

These days, we loosely group those with larger bodies and builds than humans as giant races or colossal races.

But the giants of mythology might have been beings with bodies larger than the continents we inhabit.

So whether metaphorical or real, their dismembered bodies or remains could have formed the world.

Beings who might have held the moon and sun in their hands from the ground.

But it’s all imagination.

Perhaps these are just strange and wondrous tales created by those who mistook fiction and illusion for truth.

Yet the traces spread below the hill before us were certainly too massive to have been enjoyed by humans like us.

Each step was easily several times the height of an adult.

Though not much of the buildings remained, their scale was truly extraordinary.

“It would take all day to walk there.”

Zora grumbles.

It might feel like looking down from a precipice or cliff.

Fortunately, it wasn’t as if we couldn’t reach there by jumping down.

Zora transformed into a giant bird, gripped my shoulders with both feet, and gladly flew through the air.

Below the ravine, below the hill.

But even that wasn’t the whole picture.

Massive traces that seemed to lead to the bottom of the underground, to a limitless depth as if one had to dig deep into the earth to reach it.

Traces that somehow formed and settled despite a depth that seemed to barely allow light to penetrate.

Truly vast in width, scale, and domain.

I became increasingly convinced that these ancient civilization remnants were of a scale not easily found in the regions where we originally lived.

For instance, if this were a country or city where giants lived in groups, gathered together.

I still can’t easily grasp how absurdly large the scale would be.

-What we see here is probably just a part of it.

The Demon Lord, also flying through the air while surveying the scene below, added this explanation.

-Naturally, traces of previous civilizations are like thorns in the eyes of the rulers and nations of new civilizations, their races.

Her words make me recall the historical and civilizational transitions I’ve read about in books.

Only we must be the greatest.

Therefore, it’s difficult to readily acknowledge that the defeated were greater than us.

While some victors might emulate them or plunder their relics and heritage as spoils,

There were surely others who maintained a solid attitude of inheriting and continuing their legacy, overwhelmed by it.

Either way, it would have been a rightful qualification and another option given to the rulers and conquerors of the time.

And their choice would also be a turning point in history.

A prime example is how the Great Empire of Vera persecuted and oppressed the Irenis faith, yet the believers endured to the end.

Meanwhile, the emperors who led this persecution fell ill or died.

When the next emperor officially recognized the Irenis faith, its status was elevated several times.

This was despite the fact that the emperor himself was a believer in the Sun God religion, which worshipped the God of War or the God of Light, followed by the military class at the time.

“Come to think of it, in various mythologies, weren’t giants always the main enemies of the gods?”

It’s not easy to speak while in the air.

Still, Zora understood well and answered.

“Well, whether giants were real or not, they were often used as symbolic expressions for main enemies or villains that needed to be defeated. Above all, for existing rulers and authorities, defining those who persecute or threaten us as evil gives them legitimacy to confront and defeat them. Isn’t that how they establish their governance justification? Like military discipline.”

According to Creek mythology, there was an ancient god who was evil, a giant, and also a god, called the first Sky God of the primordial era.

When he reigned as a tyrant, the Earth Mother Goddess mobilized her child to castrate him.

And the child who castrated him usurped his father’s position as Sky God, but received a curse-cum-prophecy from his father, the old Sky God:

You too will be dethroned by your child.

Fearing this, he claimed to be the God of Sky and Time, and displayed even greater majesty.

Eventually, he castrated and dethroned his parents, defeating them.

But once he became the ruler, led by the prophecy, he continued his tyranny either to avoid it or to realize his desires.

Then the Sky God, who devoured all his children who might harm him, was dethroned by his son, just as his father, the old Sky God, had prophesied.

“Fathers often become the greatest trials and barriers for their children. Perhaps mythology expresses this so well because it understands this? There are interpretations that the father symbolizes the era, reality, and trials to overcome. The outdated era. The end of an era. Another predetermined end.”

…Zora seemed surprisingly knowledgeable in this area.

And then.

The Sky God who ascended next.

The one who became the main god of that era changed the existing governance method of ruling and controlling everything from a uniquely dominant position.

Eventually, he took charge of the sky himself and delegated the governance of the sea and the underworld to his brothers.

From there, he further subdivided domains and authorities.

This is why he was called not a tyrant but an emperor and father.

He was truly the god of justice and goodness, fairness and righteousness, the epitome of such concepts.

That was their Sky God, Zefs.

In our terms, Father Jovis. Jovis Pater.

“There are also interpretations that giants never existed and were just historical embellishments to exaggerate enemies as evil that needed to be defeated, or rhetorical creative elements of literature and mythology using the easily understandable concept of giants. Ah, I’m talking about content spread in the middle realm. In your era, only theologians, magic scholars, or nobles with such hobbies could evaluate and comment on this, right? Of course, in an era where verification methods weren’t mature, it could be considered an error arising from trying to infer based on imagination, old records, and creative works according to their subjective views. Without clear verification, one can only interpret according to one’s own subjectivity, right? But the reality is that both giants and colossal races all existed as undeniable facts. Even without showing what’s spread below our eyes. But there might have been cases where exaggerated expressions were dismissed as false. Creating mountain ranges from a giant’s ribs, forming continents, imprisoning evil gods under mountain giants… these are not easy parts to verify, are they?”

I understand what she’s saying, but I find myself half-listening.

It’s not that the content is difficult, but somehow it’s not quite registering.

In any case, it took quite a while just to fly down, but it wasn’t boring because she kept talking and the sights before us were so fascinating.

Still, I thought we’d arrive quickly when looking from above, but was the perspective strange?

But according to what the Demon Lord added, that wasn’t the case.

-The space is reduced. Or should I say compressed?

In other words, even the space visible from outside was reduced.

Indeed, as we got closer, the structures and traces seemed several times larger than when viewed from above.

…If we haven’t gotten smaller, then it means those have gotten bigger.

“This structure makes it impossible for small beings like us to walk around, doesn’t it? Just one step is like a wall. A bit higher and it would be a castle wall. Even the proper paths have gaps here and there. And that’s just road decoration? The discrepancy is too severe.”

Zora expresses her disgust.

…Though the subject doesn’t concern her at all.

“So, what are we trying to do here? It doesn’t look easy to distinguish one place from another.”

I wanted to look around for a moment from atop the shoulder of a massive statue made of red earth.

The sun is still at the zenith, allowing structures and forms to be observed, but as soon as the sun tilts a bit, the interior will quickly be buried in darkness.

The statue we’ve just taken shelter on, apart from the sculpted cloth half-folded around its shoulders and waist, was practically nude.

It had no special ornaments or equipment, but its scale and size alone were enough to dominate the surroundings.

Usually, such symbols are made to look impressive, but seeing something this simple suggests that these beings had enough confidence and pride without needing decoration or external embellishments.

“If these guys reproduce, the earth and sky would shake.”

It was a crude yet somehow archaic-sounding expression.

“…Why would a race that doesn’t need reproduction show interest in such things?”

As Zora made this joke while stretching her neck to look down from the statue’s shoulder, I had to respond.

“We can do it, you know? It’s just not necessary, as you said. Oh, don’t you know? The pleasure you get from eating and reproduction, we vampires get entirely from blood-drinking. That’s why youngsters go crazy when they get addicted to blood.”

“……”

“Of course, it’s better to embrace tightly with both arms and suck hard than just drinking. Hugs are good, you know? The sensation differs depending on where your hands touch and where your arms press against. Body size difference is quite important too. That’s a matter of preference. More importantly, it’s about consuming warm, fresh blood. Yes. For those who prefer this, nothing else might matter. In my case, blood that has lost even a little vitality is just consumption for survival… not fun at all.”

“Fun, is it.”

“You humans put effort into eating too, don’t you? Even if you need to prepare preserved food for survival or cooking for abundant nutrients, you don’t really need cuisine, right? For us, it also encompasses the sexual desire you humans harbor. So if you lose control, you lose your reason too. There’s a reason why some go mad, you know? Severe cases even get addicted to magical power, and they go crazy looking for blood flowing with magic. And it’s so amazing that once you get a taste, you’ll only seek that even if you go mad.”

“Isn’t that a big problem? It’s clear from your tone that managing it isn’t easy.”

Zora curved the corner of her mouth as if there was no need to say more.

“That’s why the punishment is very harsh internally. Not only that, but all sorts of restrictions are placed. Otherwise, would we give up that supreme pleasure just because we’ve gone mad? The absence of life’s greatest joy and pleasure means a bland life, doesn’t it? This is quite harsh too. Unless you have a strong survival instinct and sense of purpose. Still, being close to immortality means there are areas you can challenge.”

The alias “Noble of the Night,” the expression seeking praise, in a way, might be another restriction to give themselves pride through constraints of dignity and class.

However.

“I see. Rather than risking persecution by getting on others’ bad side… that’s much better. If it’s for survival or achieving a specific purpose.”

“You’re right. If we’re not going to rule the world… we have to behave properly.”

In other words, it sounds like she would enjoy it freely if domination were possible.

Even if she doesn’t want it, someone would try to enjoy it as if it were their natural right.

That’s the essence of power and desire.

Some mistake such rights for freedom.

Whether human or non-human.

Or whoever it may be.

“Curiosity is good, but let’s stop the small talk here. So where do we go? I think we need at least a campsite or base. If we’re not just staying here briefly.”

Even looking from the statue, there are already several structures larger than the statue itself in all directions.

“With this scale, it would take a long time to look around. Should we set up campsites by zone?”

“…This is troublesome.”

By now, I’m inwardly breaking into a cold sweat.

If freedom sometimes feels heavy, it might be when situations like this arise.

On the other hand, a smile slipped out.

“And you know that some of the treasures found here are mine, right?”

“…Yes. You certainly deserve that.”

“Now I’m motivated. Treasure hunting is one of the few entertainments in the world, isn’t it?”

“Is it?”

Perhaps.

If it had been in the past, Kariel himself might have felt his heart race in such a situation.

Unfortunately, not now.

…Not now.

Yes.

I certainly thought so until just now.

I walk a bit on the wide shoulder, moving towards the neck area.

“Wouldn’t this be fine if we can come and go without problems?”

“Certainly… it might be. There would be a ceiling too.”

It’s quite funny that the statue’s head is the ceiling….

As for the wind blowing fiercely due to the height… I’ll just have to bear with it.

“……”

I might as well try.

No one can peek into the past from the present, but I can.

So, as if leaning against the wall, I raise my left arm and try to read the memories or traces contained here from the past.

“……”

Very naturally, the desolate, yellow and red-tinted world disappears.

The earth tinged with gold and numerous intact buildings.

Along with them, countless lives harmoniously intertwining, captured in my vision, albeit distantly.

Green foliage and another clear blue water flow through facilities raised like walls, flowing and cascading down like small waterfalls in various places, pouring into another waterway on the distant ground below, filling and flowing throughout the city. This scene, even to Kariel who lacks expertise in this area, comes across as extremely complex yet organic, making him realize it’s the pinnacle of civilizational technology.

“……”

A landscape so different from just a moment ago.

It was certainly a spectacle and another wonder.

During this, an unfamiliar presence was suddenly felt from behind.

“Finally.”

I instinctively turn my head at the sound from behind.

Then, someone leaning against the wall was welcoming me with a face that somehow looked both nostalgic and sad.

…This was clearly a speck created by the past.

Perhaps even more futile, it was clearly an afterimage or illusion.

Yet there she stood, staring straight at me with sand-colored eyes partially hidden in shadow.

The image of me reflected in those pupils.

It was somewhat absentminded, quite an unseemly appearance.