Ch.391The Burial Ground of Faith. Mount Dikere (1)

“Ah. Finally. Mount Dikere, I see.”

Viktor shook his head as if thoroughly disgusted.

For some reason he couldn’t quite understand, it seemed to have taken far too long to reach Mount Dikere.

It had only been a few weeks, but it felt like he’d been traveling for almost a year.

However, since both the clock and calendar still indicated the year 1204, it must have been only Viktor’s sense of time that had gone strange.

“I don’t see anywhere to dock the Sky Warden. We’ll have to use the shuttle.”

“Even the shuttle looks difficult to land… are you sure it’s alright? The wind is already strong up here on the mountain…”

“What’s the problem? If we crash, I’ll just climb up on my own two feet. Isn’t that right?”

As Viktor joked, Simon shook his head while chuckling.

“Good grief. So now that you’re a god, you can abuse your body however you want?”

Simon couldn’t help but laugh at Viktor, who claimed he could confidently survive even if they crashed.

Surviving a fall from thousands of kilometers up a mountain…

While Aura users of a certain level could certainly manage it, considering how few people had reached “that certain level,” it sounded like something only a god could say.

Well, with Simon the spellcaster present, they wouldn’t need to worry about crashing anyway.

But regardless, Mount Dikere was exceptionally treacherous.

He hadn’t expected there to be a landing spot for the Sky Warden in the first place, but the fact that even the shuttle couldn’t find a stable place to land was somewhat unexpected. Still, if they were truly concerned, they could supplement with Simon’s magic, so there was still no worry about crashing.

It was just that the shuttle’s cargo—a god, and not just one but two gods—was mercilessly pressuring the pilot’s mind.

“Well then, shall we head down… Ah, before we go…”

Viktor suddenly paused while heading down to the lower flight deck and snapped his fingers.

Snap.

A small gesture that made a sound not even worth an exclamation mark. Yet with that single finger snap, all the perpetual snow accumulated on Mount Dikere melted into clear water, which then evaporated completely, rising as clouds.

“This should make things a bit easier for the pilot. What’s that called… when there’s too much snow, it’s hard to distinguish the terrain. There’s a term for it…”

“Snow blindness?”

“Ah. Right. That’s it. Anyway. There shouldn’t be any problems now. Let’s go down.”

No matter how treacherous a mountain may be, as long as it exists, there will always be those who climb it.

If he hadn’t evaporated the melted snow into clouds, countless climbers and pilgrims would have lost their lives to the tidal wave that would have swept down the mountain. Viktor had calculated this and deliberately gone through the trouble of boiling the pooled water into clouds.

And as if the world marveled at his mercy, the Iron Walker party set foot on the now-cleared middle section of Mount Dikere.

*

“From here, you’ll have to walk, my lord. The mountain is too rugged for landing. I apologize, my lord.”

“That’s fine. It’s not bad to walk after so long. Everyone, disembark.”

After confirming that the entire Iron Walker party had gotten off, Viktor sent the shuttle back.

Though the mountain terrain was rough, being designated as a famous site meant there had to be some level of human traffic.

As if to prove this, they could see paths worn deep into the mountain from thousands of years of use, and people traveling up and down, connecting the mountain to the ground below.

“Your Majesty.”

They knelt before Viktor, their hands still wet with moisture that hadn’t fully evaporated.

“Rise. Isn’t the ground cold? We’re going to walk to the top of the mountain. How long will it take?”

“Hmm… for ordinary people like us, it would take about two hours, but Your Majesty could easily make it in about an hour.”

“And with the magician lord here, it could be even faster.”

“One to two hours… I see. Thank you. You may go on your way now.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Judging by the baskets strapped to their backs, they were mountain herb gatherers (people who make a living by collecting medicinal herbs in the mountains).

While uncertain how valuable those herbs might be, seeing them descending suggested they had gathered enough to live comfortably for at least a few days.

Come to think of it, when was the last time he had paid money to buy something? Having gotten everything for free due to his status as the founding emperor of the New Empire, he could barely remember how much a simple loaf of bread cost anymore.

Would the Empire’s currency even circulate in this Mount Dikere?

While there were many records of imperial envoys visiting, there were only 13 documented cases of ordinary people coming here. Even those weren’t intentional visits but rather rescues of people who got lost or injured while gathering herbs.

With so little exchange, there might have been no need for money, or perhaps they created their own internal currency. However, without any excavated relics or artifacts, there was no definitive evidence either way.

The rugged terrain made it difficult for excavators to access the area and bring in specialized equipment… which made sense. After all, if they started digging into a mountain that had been carved into dwellings, they might risk being buried under trillions of tons of soil.

Tap. Tap.

Striding forward as if treading on cold ashes, Viktor was taking in the earthly scenery after a long time.

While a snow-covered mountain might offer nothing to see but white, now that the perpetual snow had been removed, there was quite a sight to behold.

Those who appreciate atmosphere might curse the sun for revealing the ruggedness of the rocks by removing the snow, but those who truly know how to enjoy the finer things would marvel at the changing landscape gradually returning to its original form, savoring it like fine wine.

“To think flowers can bloom even in a place like this. How sentimental.”

“Ah. Snow flowers. Common at high altitudes. Snow actually provides surprisingly good insulation, you know. The roots aren’t all that cold.”

“Is that so?”

At Simon’s explanation, Viktor smiled gently.

Even a mere flower could make its own home? Truly, nature was an opponent one could never underestimate.

*

“Huff… huff…”

“Simon. Are you alright?”

“Huuuugh… I’m still… damn it… I didn’t realize my physical condition had deteriorated this much…”

It’s common knowledge that mana weakens the body. A spellcaster of Simon’s caliber, now at his peak, would have the physical capabilities of barely a young girl in her early teens.

Since he wasn’t flying but walking, Viktor had naturally assumed he’d cast a physical enhancement spell, but to think he’d actually been walking through sheer willpower.

“Why would you do something so reckless?”

“There are many watching eyes. When a god walks, if a human flies beside him, he could rightfully be condemned as a heretic. Even if I’m in your party, fundamentalists tend to dislike seeing humans standing tall next to gods.”

“Good grief.”

While not incomprehensible, it wasn’t something Viktor could accept.

What did people think gods were? Omnipotent beings? The ultimate answer to all their problems? Or faith vending machines that could provide a happy life without any effort?

Perhaps if there were 42 beings like Viktor, it might be possible, but being a god doesn’t mean one can manipulate the fate of mortals with an arrogant expression while reigning above humanity.

Whether the Four Great Gods or the sun and moon, gods are ultimately bound to humanity’s “free will.” If all of humanity decided they no longer needed light and heat in this world, Viktor would undoubtedly lose all his power and become an ordinary Aura user.

Of course, that wouldn’t happen, which is why Viktor established the New Empire as the world’s ruler, but occasionally, the violent ignorance displayed by humanity disappointed its master.

“Despite the example of the Age of the Solar Eclipse, there are still those who believe gods are absolute beings…”

“It’s been 1,200 years, so everyone has probably forgotten. Humans don’t change unless they experience something firsthand.”

“A sad reality.”

How pathetic it is to entrust one’s identity to someone else. If one has the ability to think for oneself yet tries to avoid responsibility with convenient phrases like “The Emperor/God commanded it,” there could be nothing more disgusting.

There’s a saying that the pen is mightier than the sword, but those who wield pens often become furious when criticism directed at them is equated with those who wield swords.

The reason Viktor knows this is because at his core, he was still the orphan from Parsifal.

While he hadn’t lost his temper many times in his life, he had certainly cracked quite a few skulls.