Ch.254The Road to Moros Gorge (2)

Artifacts from the Age of Darkness are difficult to find.

Not only are they extremely scarce, buried beneath relics from the Imperial Era that lasted 300,000 years, but also because material engineering was underdeveloped at that time, causing even well-preserved artifacts to naturally weather away, unable to withstand the passage of time.

Furthermore, the concept of preserving artifacts was rare back then. It’s said that apart from those housed in museums, many items created during the Age of Darkness were melted down or dismantled during the Imperial Era and repurposed for other uses.

The bones and appearances of monsters, along with depictions of daily life from that period, remained in relatively good numbers because the Nariaki Empire used them as propaganda, proclaiming “His Imperial Majesty defeated these terrifying creatures!” However, during the Age of Eclipse, everything built during the Imperial Era was completely flattened.

“The Age of Darkness…”

An era of perfect and absolute darkness, without sun or moon.

I wonder what emotions the people of that time felt when they first saw the rising sun and moon?

Awe. Ecstasy. And fear.

They must have felt awe because it saved them, ecstasy because it brought light to the world, and fear that once the sun set, it might never rise again.

Like children crying desperately when they can’t find their mother who went to the bathroom.

Fortunately, the sun will forever rise and set. As long as humanity exists.

“Were there artifacts from the Dark Age in Faerus Vale?”

I asked my wife, who was nestled in my arms. The Heart Cities had been maintained since ancient imperial times, so they relatively preserved more of these artifacts.

“Well… I’m not very interested in history…”

“Well, can’t be helped then.”

Just as it would be strange to ask a sailor to go mountain climbing, it would be foolish to question why someone isn’t interested in history.

People who are struggling to make ends meet can hardly afford the luxury of museum tours with curator explanations.

In that sense, Moros Gorge was practically a museum in itself. They say the geological layers there are made entirely of monster bones.

“I hope they don’t make nutritional supplements from monster bones or serve monster meat skewers there?”

“Ugh. Would that even taste good?”

“With alcohol?”

“Ah, then I’d have to chew it thoroughly.”

“Drink in moderation. Otherwise, I’ll really leave you behind.”

“Hmph. I’m not a child, you know? I can exercise that much self-control.”

“…”

Yeah, right…

*

-Bird flock detected ahead. Expected to approach in 20 seconds. Engines stopping.-

Whooosh…

As the flock of migratory birds appeared in front of the bridge, the engines stopped, and the Sky Warden continued forward by inertia.

Soon, birds began hitting the windows with thuds and falling to the ground, while those following behind, now aware of the glass barrier, scattered above and below, sweeping past the hull of the Sky Warden.

-Birds have passed. Restarting engines.-

Whirrrr…!

Once the birds had completely passed, the engines restarted, and the propellers began rotating vigorously.

“To think we’ve become so fearful of birds after one bird strike…”

“It can’t be helped… If the propulsion engines fail in these skies, we’d be helplessly caught in the wind…”

“Still, it’s embarrassing… The propulsion engines that withstood cannons and missiles were destroyed by a mere bird.”

“…”

Besides the main propulsion engine attached to the stern, there were several thrusters for attitude control, but they were merely ‘auxiliary.’ Combined, they boasted only half the output of the main propulsion engine.

Floating in the sky, while seemingly fantastic, was also terrifying.

Much like crossing the vast ocean on a ship.

“Three more days… I hope we won’t have to fight a delaying action with tanks and armored vehicles against suddenly revived dark monsters in Moros Gorge…?”

“Ugh… Please don’t say such unsettling things. When the Apostle of the Sun speaks like that, even jokes can become reality.”

“Haha. I apologize. I spoke out of turn.”

I joked with the staff on the bridge, then gazed at the endless sky.

Three more days until Moros Gorge. It was already September 3rd, 1202…

Literally half the year had passed.

If one were to ask what I had accomplished for time to pass so quickly, I could say quite a lot, but the undeniable fact remained that time was passing too swiftly.

“Already September… 1202 is passing quickly.”

“Ah… indeed. Why do these 36-hour days feel so short…”

I nodded.

I wish they were 48 hours instead of 36…

Some people complain that days are too long, but… for me, days have always been too short. Working, eating, sleeping, training, studying… there was always too much to do.

“What do you think it would be like if a day were 24 hours?”

“24 hours… Wouldn’t there barely be enough time just to eat and sleep? Then let me ask you this. What if a year were half as long? About 360 days?”

“Ha! Then we’d grow old and die before we could even build a house!”

“That’s right. This is just right. 36 hours in a day, 760 days in a year. There’s a reason the Sun rises as it does.”

As I said this, I tried to imagine a world where a day was only 24 hours and a year just 360 days.

My goodness… Could the world really turn that quickly?

Perhaps it’s because it can’t that a year is 760 days and a day is 36 hours.

-Announcement: All personnel except those on duty are to gather in the dining hall for meals.-

“Ah. Mealtime already? Then head to the dining hall. I’ll eat in the captain’s quarters.”

“Understood, my lord. Enjoy your meal.”

“You too.”

*

I don’t know about other mercenary groups, but in our Solar Forces, we generally standardize the menu for both soldiers and officers.

The only difference is in quality, as there are separate cooks for officers’ meals and soldiers’ meals.

It’s easier to feed fewer people with more attention to detail than to feed many.

Because of this, I’ve never once thought that the quality of meals in the captain’s quarters was inferior.

Whether it’s because I’m not picky about food, I don’t know, but there have never been complaints about the taste of the meals in the regular suggestions that come in.

“Hmm… flounder today…”

I put the tender flesh of the flounder in my mouth and chewed.

The braised fish, soaked in seasonings, was always a champion in pleasing my palate, and my wife beside me was enjoying her flounder with some rice wine.

Come to think of it, I’ve always brought in quality ingredients, which might be why there are no complaints.

No matter how well you cook garbage ingredients, you’ll only get tasteless dishes. Considering that most military meals taste bad because of those damned lowest-bid contracts, it’s natural that our military meals taste good since we procure large quantities of fresh ingredients locally and store them in rapid freezing…

However, for such “delicious military meals,” three elements must come together: quality ingredients, flawless cooking equipment, and skilled cooks. Most armies just make do with tasteless meals.

“Sigh…”

After finishing my meal, I stroked my wife’s cheek while watching the clouds drift by.

With not much time left until Moros Gorge, these moments of leisurely watching the drifting clouds were numbered.

I wonder how many challenges await me on this Yenisei continent… How many grueling trials lie ahead…

Although I borrowed the power of a god, I once defeated an eldritch being from the abyss, and with the army under my command, I defeated the allied forces of three nations.

Then, the trials I will face in the future must be difficult even with divine power and an army fighting alongside me…

Of course, viewing everything in the world as a trial is a sure way to develop a nervous breakdown…

“Raisha.”

“Yes?”

“What does it feel like to live as an immortal? We received immortality before we fully matured. Before we could even feel the finitude of life. To live forever means bearing unlimited responsibility for this world…”

When I asked this, my wife buried her head against me and answered.

“Well… I don’t really know either. But as you said, those who live forever have a duty to make the world of mortals better. If it’s the result of enhancement and augmentation, then for the people who sustain your immortality; if it’s the price of faith and belief, then for the god you believe in and the god who believes in you… Just as you accepted my love.”

“…I still don’t understand why you love me. That waiting. Was my visiting you every day without fail for just a few months so important to you? Important enough to spend a lifetime together as companions?”

When I asked, my wife quietly smiled and kissed me.

“Yes.”

That simple and clear answer echoed in my ears, and I nodded while caressing my wife’s cheek.