Ch.363The Ancestral Homeland. Talia Gorge (1)

As they spent their time busily naming the new weapons and making their own improvements, the Sky Warden sailed leisurely across the Karkata continent.

This landmark was located deep inland, and the pilgrimage order through Karkata was Talia -> Precursor -> Ainsess -> Blue Hole.

This was the route that would take the longest time, but for the Sky Warden—or more precisely, for the purpose of exposing the Sun more to the people—time was not a consideration.

Time, after all, was something they had in abundance.

But as the saying goes, steady progress eventually bears fruit, and before they knew it, the Sky Warden had arrived at the Talia Gorge.

The founding emperor of the Empire, Nariakira Ichika. Before being adopted by Saburo and Maria and formally bestowed the name “Ichika,” he was known as Curtis Wilford. However, that name has now been almost forgotten even in history, and only the name Ichika continues to be endlessly spoken by people of the mortal world.

The founding emperor, having been adopted at the mere age of five, didn’t particularly care for his original name anyway.

Born at the end of the Dark Age, he followed in his father’s footsteps, accumulating numerous achievements and becoming a celebrity of human civilization. He possessed a warm heart, rushing to comfort his mother Maria in place of Saburo whenever she suffered miscarriages and stillbirths, delivering his father’s messages.

For this reason, he was not only Nariakira Saburo’s most powerful subordinate but also earned great respect as one of humanity’s twin pillars of leadership. When the sun drove away the darkness and he established an empire that unified the world under Nariakira’s name, even those who opposed the forced unification did not object to him standing at the pinnacle of the world.

He was a historical figure who began the Nariakiran Empire, which continued its history for 350,000 years. Including the era of Nariakira Kenta just before the Age of Solar Eclipse, the Nariakira family line continued through an astounding 6,000 generations of emperors. Among historians, many considered his achievement of founding the empire to be humanity’s greatest accomplishment.

His influence was profound in developing human civilization to its limits over 350,000 years and establishing a sustainable system where humanity could be dignified and respected.

He ruled the empire for 140 years, and the Empire of Fervor, founded under the sun’s blessing, breathed new warmth into the human soul that had been utterly devastated during the Dark Age.

Although the empire’s end was ugly and futile, modern historians generally agreed that after ruling for 300,000 years, it was about time for it to fall. Whether it became corrupt because its time to fall had come, or whether its time to fall came because it had become corrupt, remains a subject of much debate.

“So that’s the Talia Gorge. It’s absolutely swarming with people.”

“Well, think positively. They’ve all gathered to see you.”

“I suppose I have no choice but to think that way.”

Down below, the streets of Talia Gorge were packed with crowds who had come to see the Sun’s divine countenance.

Despite it being a weekday, everything from companies to restaurants had closed their doors, and the sight of crowds rushing solely for the Sun made Viktor feel a madness in humanity that exceeded his expectations.

Was this truly healthy devotion? Or was it merely entrusting one’s self to a transcendent being? Such thoughts stormed through his mind.

This was understandable, as the thoughts of those devotees who wanted to meet the Sun were pouring into his head like a downpour, giving him a headache.

“Hmm… The gorge is too narrow for the Sky Warden. A shuttle would… No. I’ll fly there myself. That would be better for the people too.”

“Wow, our Sun is quite the showman! This old man is pleased.”

“What’s with you again? You haven’t even been drinking.”

“Hehe.”

Leaving the dwarves’ dad jokes behind, Viktor descended to the lower flight deck.

This was the homeland of the founding emperor who established the empire under the sun’s blessing. Naturally, during the imperial era, it received tremendous special treatment as the birthplace of the imperial family’s roots. It was so extreme that even in Imperial Center, the empire’s capital, people would say, “The people of Talia are too arrogant to associate with.”

Of course, they remained a hotbed of fervent imperialists even during the Age of Solar Eclipse, and when the last emperor died fighting underground, they sent the most volunteer soldiers, showing the deepest loyalty and faith to the Solar Empire.

For such people, walking on air was the least he could do.

*

Thunderous cheers enveloped the surroundings.

The Sun was slightly surprised that this volume could be produced by human voices alone without mechanical assistance, but he quickly maintained a composed expression. Holding hands with his wife, he walked through the air along the center of the gorge split on both sides, emanating radiance from his body.

“It’s the divine light!!!”

“He shines upon us!”

“Praise to the Sun God! Glory to the Solar Empire!”

Elderly people sobbing openly, young people shouting with ecstasy. The 16 million people of Talia fainted, wept, and waved their hands fervently in praise of the Sun, who was truly an idol incarnate.

The intertwined hymns that amounted to mere noise. The weak beings gazing at the greatest entity that embodied the wishes of mortals seeking salvation and transcendence. Only then could Viktor understand why the imperial family had become corrupt.

He said nothing. He merely walked.

Well, there was no ground beneath his feet as he walked, and his entire body was gleaming with light, but during the imperial era, such effects were considered modest enough to be seen even at a countryside wedding. There are no records of how magnificent the imperial ceremonies or national holidays were, but we can only infer that they were overwhelming compared to what Viktor was doing now.

The population here was “only” 16 million. It was frightening to imagine how much praise the emperors of the empire, with populations in the billions, must have received.

Even he, a god, was momentarily shaken by the overwhelming cheers, so it was inevitable that emperors with the hearts of corruptible mortals would eventually fall, experiencing only constant praise.

That’s how decline begins, until either a wise ruler appears to extend the system’s lifespan or a new system is established. This was the logic of rise and fall shared by all human civilizations.

“My loyal subjects.”

And responding to their cheers, Viktor let them hear his voice.

When the echo of a powerful transcendent being, not the death throes of a weak human, reached their eardrums, the people below began to tremble as if in a frenzy and bow their heads.

“I have come here. To the birthplace of the founding emperor of the dead empire. I tell you this: The sun in the sky will be extinguished. The moon in the sky will lose its light. But this is not to leave you.”

Viktor said this while flicking his finger to disperse the clouds above his head.

As the sun’s heat suddenly shone down, people began to collapse, saying the deity had revealed his power, and in their hearts, the sun’s fervor began to spread like a fungus.

“I tell you this: No legion can break the human soul, but a small belief can become the seed of a great tree that spreads throughout the world. The sun’s extinction is not to watch you from the distant universe anymore, but to feel your touch on this earth. I shall ascend to the throne and gift this world with thirteen suns. I ask you: Will you help me accomplish this great work?”

In an instant, cheers erupted once more. Countless words of affirmation and submission came from the people, and Viktor could only marvel at how many expressions of agreement existed in this world.

Viktor could understand why dictators corrupted so easily.

To maintain one’s original intentions after hearing the cheers of so many people… would be impossible for a human.

“Then I shall establish an empire for you! Do you desire the return of the empire? Do you want a powerful government that will once again rule these 13 continents and regenerate the torn and devastated lands? If you do, kneel and look to the sun! I will hear your voices and wishes. This land will be rebuilt in the name of the sun!”

At this, the people sat down and looked up at him.

Above them was the sun.

One was in the same place as them, and one was far away from them.

That’s why they knelt. They loved the sun, so they could not oppose bringing the sun down to earth.

“Good,” said the Sun.

“Now, the empire shall return to these 13 continents.”