Volume 1: Chapter 059: Makia: How the World was Created (Made Easy for Idiots)
Author: かっぱ同盟／友麻碧
Link: https://ncode.syosetu.com/n3862be/
Translated by Zzonkedd
Edited by Gumihou
“Oh my, it’s the body of the Wisteria Princess! Kanon, come and take a look!! [1]”
A bright voice smashes the gloomy atmosphere.
Princess Shatma, who had abstained from interfering in all matters just now, had wandered over to one of the caskets and is now exclaiming over it.
“As expected of this princess. I am beautiful regardless of the era… Oi, Kanon, come here! Look how nicely they sew this princess’s neck back together.”
The Hero remains silent and unmoving for a long while. Then, he did as he was told and approached the casket. To be honest, it is all very uncomfortable.
“Oi, will you look at that? The stitches could barely be seen. I must compliment the executioner, the guillotine was quite sharp and the cut very clean. I barely felt a thing.”
“… Wisteria Princess, we are in the middle of a conversation right now.”
“Is that so? Can’t recommend it, too depressing,” she declares with another thrill of laughter. suddenly, her expression hardened, and she turns to us with a serious expression. “Although we were called Gods, we were basically stupid and ignorant children. We were just nine children from another world. Having been summoned to build the foundations for a world that had been pulled back from the brink of chaos.”
“… What?” Tooru frowns [2] in confusion.
“As the tale goes, nine children crossed the borders of the world and gained extraordinary powers. With such a ridiculous amount of power in their hands, even stupid, ignorant children could easily create a world in their own image.”
[3a] The rest of us did not quite know what to say.
[3a] To think that… our origin story was so meaningless… it is nearly beyond our comprehension.
Percelis, who had not been saying anything and looking very confused all this while suddenly perks up at the mention of Gods and the myths of Maydea, says, “The names of the gods are inscribed in front of the big tree.”
“?!”
We hasten forth to look at the names. [1] By we, I mean myself, Tooru and Yuri.
The God of Imagination & Creation – Para Achromea
The Goddess of War & Destruction – Para Margriva
The God of Space & Time – Para Chrondor
The God of Spirits – Para Utis
The Goddess of Earth & Fertility – Para Demetris
The Goddess of Destiny & Life – Para Pushima
The God of Calamity – Para Eris
The God of the Sky & Sea – Para Tritania
The God of Souls, Death & Memory – Para Hadefis
“… these are… the Nine Pillars?” I stare at the list of names. The names are all familiar to me, as they are the well-known Gods of Maydea, especially in this country.
[3b] “In the first place, there is no such role. The nine children that came to this place from another world arrived to find themselves in a world devoid of many things. In order to live here, they had to design it from the beginning.
[3b] First, they chose a leader among themselves. Para Achromea, described as the First God, headed the design by creating all manner of things that made up this world. He created nine lands for the nine gods, granting each god a land of their own. This turned out to be the First Great Mistake.”
“…”
“After all, with the existence of borderlands and countries, conflict would happen. As civilization grows, the conflict between each country grows too, culminating in a weapons race and eventually reaching that final chapter of the myth. The Great War.”
“Was that the…” since we had just fought against giant soldiers earlier, it was not difficult to imagine them even when looking at the images depicted on stone slates.
“The battle with the giants… ‘Gigant Magriva’,” said Princess Shatma, especially emphasizing certain keywords.
“If the Age of Mythology is considered something like a super ancient civilization, the Giants would be creatures of that era. The myths, as handed down by the humans, make it sound like it was a battle between Gods and Giants, when in fact the Giants were originally created by the Gods as ultimate weapons of destruction. [1] The War of Giants was really the War Between Gods through Giants. The war was so terrible that the world was split into four pieces. The Gods then reflected on their actions and proceeded to rebuild the world with new rules… and thus born the current Maydea.”
[3c] Princess Shatma revealed the true history of this world in a parable-like manner. Breaking down the terrifying information into something like a folktale, making it easier for our brains to accept the information.
“Somehow, this story is kind of crazy.”
[3d] The three of us look away, unable to look up from the weight of this information. Princess Shatma clears her throat and smacks the closed fan on her hand before saying, “Not that you should trust everything said by this princess, but this is the conclusion we came to from the fragments of information left to us.”
“…”
“Well, Kanon probably remembers the whole history. Sadly, however, this fellow has a very tight mouth. The only thing he’s willing to part with is a few measly hints.” Shatma smirks as she pokes Kanon with her fan.
“You remember everything? Then, all those old stories from long ago… you believe them?” the question blurted itself out of my mouth.
The Hero looked a little surprised, as though he had never thought about it.
“Those long-ago stories don’t matter now.”
He answers in a quieter voice. The tight atmosphere around us loosened a little.
“The problem starts after the Great Reconstruction of Maydea. The Gods were now aware of the impact their existence have on the world… to mitigate this, they sealed away the ‘Truth of the World’ in this Sanctuary and created a System to protect it forever.”
“System?”
“The System randomly reincarnates the Gods into this world every 1000 years to carry out world-changing events. Once they die, the container that once housed their souls would fuel the barrier that protects the Sanctuary… This is the System. However, the more times the Gods reincarnated, the more they forget about the ‘pact’ they had once made and misused their powers to shape the world to their liking beyond what was promised in the pact.”
The Hero suddenly turns his gaze at us.
“Demon Kings, I think you should understand that with the power you have, life expectancy becomes irrelevant. If you manage this world as badly as before, it is only a matter of time before all nine will appear in the same world and everything will once more hurtle towards the same disastrous ending and the Gigant Magriva will repeat itself… therefore, it was decided that one of the gods will be designated as the ‘God Killer’. The retriever of bodies and the only one who does not enter the same cycle of reincarnation.
“… you’re saying, that person is…”
You?
Nine Gods but only eight caskets. The Hero is the only one to remember everything even as the rest of us forget.
“If that’s the case… if that’s the case, isn’t the system too useless?! We have giant soldiers on the loose!!” Tooru yelled.
The Hero sneered, “That thing is a mere prototype. Once the technology is completed, it will no longer be at that level. [3e] Those giants, must have been built from long-forgotten technology, buried under the scars of an ancient war. Scars that had been exposed when part of the ground had been scooped out by the Crimson Witch’s self-detonation. Those Miasma Particles that lingers in the air after 2000 years were not from you. They were remnants of weapons from that ancient war!”
Finally, I have an answer to one of my questions. The Miasma Particles found in the Western Continent. [1] I had always wondered if I was the cause of it. It turned out that the answer was both yes and no. [2] I may have received an answer, but it doesn’t give me any peace of mind at all!
The Hero went on, “Once the dust settled somewhat, people eventually return to the explosion area to study it. One of them was a Demon King Class individual from 1000 years ago. The Blue General of the North. He fled the Western Continent to the North and sold his skills in subduing demons. He was the one who had discovered the ancient legacy and, unable to suppress his curiosity, tracked down the information and discovered those ancient weapons. Considering the timing, [1] Federation of Hermedes’ sudden leap in technology and the creation of those giant soldiers now, it would appear that the Blue General’s research had been continued by others.”
“The Blue General… is he also in one of those caskets?”
“Yes… I had to kill him before anything else happened. He is the very example of ‘being too involved in the world’… even so, he was an extremely ruthless and tenacious man. It took me a long while and a lot of effort to kill him.”
The Hero clenches his fist. His eyes glared into the distance, at someone who is no longer there.
There is no way for us to know what really happened 1000 years ago, but from the Wisteria Princess’ expression, something major had happened back then.
“Hero… No, the term ‘hero’ ended during our time, 2000 years ago. Are you here to kill us again? If you are, then why are you telling us this? Isn’t it easier to just kill us right away?”
Trust Ulysses to immediately cut right into the heart of the problem.
“…”
“Sage, your doubts are justified,” Princess Shatma murmured after a moment had passed. “Even so, was it not mentioned earlier? We are reincarnated into the world to accomplish a ‘Great Deed’. As the Collector, Kanon may only kill Demon Kings who have accomplished a Great Deed.”
“… a Great Deed…”
“This princess has already decided that my Great Deed will be to prevent the invasion of the Federation or Hermedes. Kanon is also aware of that.”
“Y-you’re saying that you’re fine dying at his hands after completing your task!?” Ulysses is shocked.
Princess Shatma’s fan flutters lightly, “Indeed, this princess is prepared to accept my destiny as the Goddess of Fate. Fufu…”
“…”
“Now that you have been born into this era, it is time for you to decide on your Great Deed.”
Is what Princess Shatma told us, but, even we do not have the answer to that question yet.
“Umm, Ahem.”
The tense and contemplative silence of the Sanctuary is suddenly disturbed by a very obvious throat clearing. There is someone else standing at the entrance to this underground garden.
“So, you’re all here… when you suddenly disappeared, Your Highness and Princess Shatma, you gave me quite the scare, you know? Did you borrow the power of a Twilight Mage?”
“Oh, it’s Honourable Uncle,” Ulysses is just as surprised as the rest of us to see Sir Raymond here. “How is uncle…”
“How, you asked? I insisted on coming, and here I am. I figured I would find you here.”
Behind Sir Raymond are the Archbishop and Lord Medite. However, they remain by the entrance.
“Hoo… Raymond. Have you come to collect us? What is your purpose?” [2] asked the Princess.
“Nothing, no purpose. While the tale is being told, I dare not interrupt. Especially after you’ve just given us a such great display earlier… I’m afraid there is very little room for doubt.”
He looked at the three of us and frowns, “Your Highness… and friends… if you really are the reincarnation of the Three Demon Kings… well, well, things have certainly come together nicely.”
“…”
Ulysses frowns.
“Even so, what are your plans, Honourable Uncle?”
“If possible, I’d like them to reside at the Royal Palace.”
“Absolutely not,” Ulysses steps forward. “Your intention is to keep us as weapons, isn’t it? Naturally, as the prince of this nation, it is my obligation to protect the country. However, they are different. Though we might be Demons Kings in our past lives, we now walk a new life. We have new homes, new parents, and new relationships. Your invitation is just a farce to make us deterrent weapons against the Federation!!”
“And what is wrong with that, Your Highness?”
“?!”
“Your Highness, while there is no doubt this current threat has been stopped and we have managed to strengthen our relationship with Fresir, matters will not rest as it is. The people have [2] just witnessed how their Barrier failed to completely protect them. From this day onwards, the country will take a very different path from before. At times like this, I cannot ignore the potential of individuals who could well be powerful weapons themselves!”
He is right.
Ulysses is still trying to argue, but Tooru puts a hand on his shoulder, shaking his head, “That’s enough, Yuri. The old man is right. When Makia and I showed our powers before everyone, we have already made up our minds from the start.”
Tooru glances at me, and I nod back.
“That’s right… After coming this far, it doesn’t make sense for us to just part ways…. Mother and Father will be sad, but…”
Suddenly, at the thought my parents, my spirit waver a little. What would they think of me? Will they be sad? Angry? Or horrified to know that I have been concealing such a terrible identity from them?
I’m sure, they will be very hurt once they know the truth.
“Your existence in the Royal Palace will serve mainly as a deterrent. In return, I shall prepare whatever you may need. Your Highness, I promise you, your friends will be treated with the utmost courtesy and care. Well?”
“…”
Ulysses let out a little sigh. He looked at me and Tooru and finally said, “Fine, I understand.”
Princess Shatma clears her throat, “I do believe that it is time to leave. This is a sacred place after all and not meant for politics. Raymond… escort me from this place. Do not worry, those three will not hide away from their duties.”
Her eyes flash meaningfully at us even as she steps forward and slips her hand around Sir Raymond’s elbow and pulls him away from this sacred place.
The Hero lingered a little longer before turning to leave with the others, not sparing us a single backward glance.
Lord Medite remained in place. However, since he did and said nothing, we do not care about his presence.
I slowly got to my knees. The coolness of the soil travels up thromy knees and seems to cool my body in an instant.
Ulysses is once more staring quietly at his son from a previous life.
As the one who probably understands the least about this situation, Percelis had nothing much to say. However, she stays by Ulysses’ side without a word.
Tooru remains standing. Vigilant and strong as he stares silently at the Black Demon King’s casket.
The sound of rustling leaves whispers in the air.
There is no wind in this underground tomb, but the sounds of whispering winds could be heard very faintly. As though it had come from somewhere very far away.
I shall say this now.
There is an inevitable, invisible chain between us and these caskets in the water.
We shall never be free of them.
[Gumihou: Ooof, that was difficult. I shall say this first, this story is beautiful, whimsical and nostalgic. Did my best to convey the ‘feelings’ of the text beyond just words]
[1] Princess Shatma’s way of speaking seems very ‘kyaa~~’ without the dignity of her supposed characteristics. What the heck? Reduce the ‘kyaa’
[2] Add Details
[2a] Probably the princess. No evidence aside from ‘Raymond’ without honorifics etc. The princess is the one with the most rank and seniority to do this, but even so, it is rather out of character for her.
[3] Adjusted text for better dramatic delivery:
[3a] Original was:
We couldn’t really say anything back. It was something that was beyond our comprehension. Percelis who hasn’t been involved in the conversation has been quiet for a very long time, but when it comes to the talks about Gods and the mythology of Maydea, she instantly comes forth and speaks her mind.
[3b] Original was:
From the beginning, there was no such role… The first children that were summoned from another world were nine, in order to live in this land, which has been the foundation of this world. and the leader was decided from one of those nine. The one that was chosen was Para Achromea, who is now said to be the main God. With him at the top, he created various things that built the world over a long time. Nine lands in total were created, and they were given each one a country… However, that was a big mistake
[3c] Original was:
Princess Shatma arranges her words in a straightforward manner, as if she’s telling a story. We were organizing things slowly in our brains in an attempt to absorb all the information.
[3d] Original was:
Princess Shatma clears her throat and hits her hand with her fan.
“I’m not saying you should believe in everything. You can see this as one perspective of what happened and was left behind. It’s just some information”
[3e] Original was:
“There would have been a disaster digging up the scars of the super’ancient war that had been hidden under the earth for the longest time. The great explosion in the western continent… the earth was scooped out because of that, and the ancient legacy was discovered. Crimson Witch… Those Magus Particles weren’t from your magic, they were remnants of the weapons from the ancient war
