Translator, Editor and Proofread: theunfetteredsalmon
Golier stretched his hand out to help Amon stand . “Son, do stand up . I wonder if your shoulders and knees can bear the weight of this… but I believe you are stronger than I think . Master Nietzche chose the time and place of this event to let me witness everything . He must have wanted to tell me something . ”
Amon struggled to stand . He felt the weight of the world on his shoulders and his mind was as heavy as a rock . Just like the helpless child many years ago, he continued to cry on the Golier’s shoulder . The chief priest of Syah just patted Amon on the back quietly . Eventually, Amon calmed down and saw that his tears had wet Golier’s clothes .
He wiped away his tears before he proceeded to say, “Lord Golier, words cannot describe the gratitude I hold for you in my heart . Today, someone has finally told me what happened! The god in the visions, Enlil, I recognise him . I saw him in Bablon, in the town of Som . He had paraded as a shepherd . Just a few days ago, I bid farewell to him at Mayor Dusti’s estate . I will never forgive him . One day, I may even become a god!”
Golier was surprised at Amon’s audacity . “Child, how can you say such a thing? Is this related to the vow you made with the Scorpion King?”
Amon nodded . “When you asked me earlier, I didn’t know how to answer . Now I understand why Master Nietzche asked me to find you . He wanted you to tell me all of this and what he has been pursuing all his life . Both you and I are the people he has hope for in his old age . My Lord, please sit down and let me tell you the theories of Nietzche and those that I have confirmed . ”
Both men sat back down at the table again . What happened in the room that night was invisible to anyone outside . Warret and Raphael waited until dawn/
When the shimmer of the rising sun shot through the window, Amon finished the story of his journey in the past few years . Golier did nothing but sigh yet again . “Amon, this is a secret the world dreams of,” he said . “This is what you are telling me . ”
Amon’s face was still damp with tears . “I can’t say if this is my repayment to you or my revenge against the gods . It is Nietzche’s hope, hence I am telling you this . For some people, there will never be an occasion when I will tell them, and for some other people, telling them would prove to be useless . You are a ninth level supreme mage, so it would be easy for you to understand everything I say . ”
Golier’s look was twisted, almost complicated . He closed his eyes for a while then said, “I have experienced too much in my years . It’s hard for me to prove this theory by starting from scratch . In fact, with Master Nietzche’s talent and ferocity, he should have achieved far more than I have, but he spent his entire life searching for this truth to finally leave you to verify . My chances of accomplishing this with you are very slim, but Warret and Raphael should prove to be much more promising . ”
Amon asked, “You already know the secret . Do you want to teach Warret and Raphael the power of both paths?”
What Amon said to Golier was entirely different from how he taught his disciples . Metatro, Lynk and the few others only knew that this was a unique way of cultivating power, but Amon never told them that this was the path to immortality . For Golier, he was thorough and clear . A ninth level mage would be able to understand the profound meaning of his words .
Golier shook his head and replied, “As the chief priest, I will not teach the power to the two high priests of the Shrine of Enlil . Furthermore, these paths were proven and discovered by you . Even if I am more powerful than you, I am afraid I cannot impart this knowledge onto my disciples as well as you can because I have no evidence nor experience of it myself . Amon, I have a private request . Can you entertain me?”
“You don’t have to ask, please tell me what the request is . ”
“If an opportunity shows itself in the future, please lead my disciples down this road . I know it cannot be forced and that it depends almost entirely on the fate of each individual . Your practice is not only the power of both magic and body arts, but it is also a belief that is entirely different from the temples and shrines in the world . If one day they are confronted with troubles in life and require guidance, please don’t forget this request . ”
Amon considered it carefully for a little while . He turned back to Golier and finally nodded, “Lord Golier, I won’t forget . ”
Golier stood up . “I have another speculation . Be it physical or magical, I believe it is possible to become a god if the path is practised to the extreme . However, I’m afraid this would prove to be far more difficult, and the test ahead is unknown . Allow someone like Enkidu and me to explore this possibility while you continue to cultivate both paths . This must be the secret of the gods . ”
Amon wondered aloud, “Enkidu and you?”
Golier answered, “I am a supreme mage of the ninth level . You understand your experience with me, but you are unclear on Enkidu . He is a warrior, a pure warrior . He has never awakened the power of both sides . He is either unable or unwilling to do so, or he is devoting himself to the practice of body arts to an unprecedented peak so as to prove that human beings can be just as, if not more powerful as the gods . ”
Amon took a breath . “So, the great supreme warrior’s ambition is not small!”
As the conversation neared its end, Golier added, “You want to guide the descendants of Duc back to their hometown, and you have led the neanderthal tribesmen and women from the caves on top of the mountain to build their homes in their marshes . In the near future, the newly emerged fertile land will inevitably cause dispute amongst all surrounding countries . The home that flows with milk and honey could be covered in blood and fire for, perhaps, thousands of years . I have a desire to build a new city there that will allow everyone who lives there to coexist, regardless of race or religion . What do you think?”
Amon solemnly replied, “This may even be harder than becoming a god, but I admire your intentions . If this wish can be realised, I hope that the descendants of Duc can also live in such a city . ”
Sighing bitterly, Golier said, “Despite the slim hope in this plan, at least I know some people are trying it . This is all I think about . It can be foreseen that during the disputes between mortals, there will also be disputes between the gods . People will drive their own desires in the name of their god . Amon, do you know who betrayed you this time? Why would the Syah patrol guard break down your door?”
Amon thought about it for a moment . He asked Golier, “Who is the messenger sent by the sepat of Cape? I saw the parade at the southern gate and felt a hostile gaze . ”
“You mean Judah Fayol?… In that case, please wait for a day or two . I will deliver something to you before you leave Syah . ”
Once Golier finished speaking, he prepared to leave . Just as he approached the door, he heard a loud grunt and the sound of something impacting with the table, shocking the supreme mage . He looked back to see a cat that fell off the roof beam . It was Schrodinger . When Golier visited Amon, Schrodinger wanted to remain hidden, so he hid on the beam above them . None of the three guests noticed him .
During the long and serious conversation between Golier and Amon, the cat had watched and listened very carefully, eyes wide open and ears standing . Its head went farther and farther off the roof beam . It seemed that it was lost in its mind . As a result, the cat tripped and fell down accidentally . Schrodinger was flexible; as soon as it fell off the beam, it spun and fluttered onto the table . Of course, a cat was harmless to a supreme mage like Golier, but it still shocked him
The chief priest looked at Schrodinger with an odd look . “Amon, is this your cat?”
Amon nodded . “Yes, this cat is my friend . It used to be Master Nietzche’s cat but it has been tagging along with me this entire journey . Its temper is a little unique and it is not very fond of dealing with strangers, but it likes to watch the bustle . ”
Golier patted Amon on the shoulder . He said, “Oh, I am impressed! The cat was never like this at the beginning . A young man like you was able to raise it this way; the future is limitless! Take care of yourself, Amon . ”
The next afternoon, Golier summoned Governor Schmul to the temple and asked him, “Governor, what is the origin of the information and who is behind all of what happened last night? Have you found out any information?”
Fermien Schmul answered, “You sent Warret this morning to assist Musenu in the investigation and specifically mentioned for it to start from the envoy Judah Fayol . It was Judah who bought up the vagrants in the city and informed the guards . The man who told Judah Fayol the address where Lord Allaha lived was Raphael’s attendant . ”
When Judah entered the city, he saw Amon in the crowd . At that time, Raphael had sent an attendant to greet Amon . Judah then sent his own men to talk to the attendant to gather information . The attendant, without warning, answered the men casually and truthfully that when Raphael had entered the city, he saw an old friend he had initially met in the desert and was sent to ask for his address . Just like that, Judah found Amon’s location and sent someone to inform the guards to frame him .
“Find an opportunity to arrest Judah Fayol and seize his belongings and guards . Get them to confess and find conclusive evidence before we hold a secret trial against him . Deliver all relevant evidence to me . ”
Fermien Schmul was puzzled at Golier . “Honourable supreme mage, why not give the man to the Ejyptian Empire? It will not be good for us to worsen relations . ”
“It is not my business to denounce him to the Empire,” Golier sneered . “Do you think a small official like him can fight a man as powerful as Lord Allaha? He did not do his research on his enemy before framing him . This kind of person is small, weak and doomed for failure . He insults us with his actions! Find the evidence, and don’t bother yourself with the rest of the details . ”
A day later, Amon left the city of Syah quietly . Raphael escorted him to the border of the Charcoal Forest and gave him something . “This is what Lord Golier wanted to give you . You can choose how to deal with this yourself . ”
After bidding goodbye to Raphael, Amon entered the swamp and opened the package in a spot where there was no one else . It was a magic artefact imbued with message magic . This instrument was different from the Terroculos in that it was only one-time use . There was no other usage for it . Once the information is extracted, the artefact disintegrates .
The message the artefact held was the recording of the interrogation of Judah Fayol and his men, outlining the process of framing Amon . Amon looked at it gloomily, but he suddenly remembered the words Crazy’Ole gave him after killing Maqi . The old man had said, “You have to understand clearly that everybody involved will bear all possible consequences for their choices, whether they like it or not… If you choose to forgive, you should think through it and bear all possible consequences for your choice as well . You should ask yourself if you are resolving the hatred, or bringing greater harm to yourself or to others . ”
Amon put away the artefact, walked through the marshy Charcoal Forest and returned to where Lynk and the others were stationed . Lynk and Metatro were looking forward to Amon’s return . When he did, the people cheered loudly and warmly . The cavemen’s efficiency was stunning . Amon had not left for a long time, but they had already built a rough but sturdy wall surrounding the temporary settlement, which will certainly help in preventing bestial invasions and allow for defensive operations relying on the wall .
According to Amon’s vision, the people will build a magnificent city in the future, but that was a long-term goal . They would need to take things step by step, the first of which was to establish a firm foothold . As the flood recedes, construction can be carried out in portions .
Amon then led Lynk, Metatro and dozens of tribal leaders to build a simple altar to pray to Goddess Mourrin . Amon wanted to attend the prayer ceremony in person, but Lynk and Metatro took him aside and persuaded him, “God Amon, you and Goddess Mourrin are together . Everyone saw you holding her in their dreams . Even if you refuse to stand on the altar to receive our offerings, please don’t kneel down with us to pray!”
Amon laughed cheerfully at their devotion and listened to them .
After the ceremony, according to Mourrin’s instructions in the dreams, Amon brought people to the site of the original temple to excavate . First, they cleared up more than a dozen feet of mud before they reached the original soil of the town of Duc . The temple was destroyed long ago, so there was not much gravel left on the foundations that it once stood on . They continued to dig another twenty feet until they encountered hard rock formations . If there was no clear guidance, no one would continue digging .
At that time, Amon sensed a weak fluctuation of emanating power and ordered the tribesmen to dig further down and clean up the gravel and soil . Eventually, that exposed a boulder that had fused with the bedrock beneath it . Amon ordered for everyone to retreat back to ground level . He then recited words, staff in hand and floated in mid-air . The surface of the boulder began glittering inexplicable patterns of a trace of magic .
Suddenly, a loud boom came from the excavation pit . The boulder had divided into six pieces . A hole appeared in the middle, where many shiny parangons laid in rest . The rays of light that reflected out of the cavity were dazzling . The treasure was not actually opened by Amon but by Inanna, who had been waiting for Amon to come . It was a pity that the temple had been washed away by the flood . It was not known how many chief priests had deposited sacrificial wealth in the treasure trove .
In the flood, Enlil retrieved all parangons in Duc, practically turning everything into a sparkling rain that touched the sky . It was what Golier had seen with his own eyes . But the concealed cellar of the Temple of Mourrin was not only magically protected by the goddess herself, but it was also protected by the heavy earth that laid above it . The contents of the trove were not discovered by Enlil . Thus, the wealth was left to Amon and his followers .
The cavemen who crowded the pit could not see what was going on . They only saw Amon standing like a god in the void beneath them, holding his iron stick of a staff . Suddenly, there were flashing patterns on the boulder in the ground which then fractured into six equal wedges . The crevice beneath it had so many different kinds of parangons . This was a miracle! Everyone fell to the ground and cheered .
Amon was also taken by surprise . The treasure was made entirely out of parangons . There had been hundreds of chief priests that existed in Duc before today!
Amon’s first thought of the newfound wealth was not how much money it was worth, but rather how many magic artefacts he could create . Parangons were the primary materials for many artefacts . If he wanted to refine those artefacts in the future, he required other auxiliary materials . Unfortunately for him, the wealth could not be used to make magic artefacts and weapons, which was a great waste to him . They were to be used to build the prosperity of the city and further develop it .
Amon gathered up all the parangons . That evening, while the cavemen danced around a large bonfire in celebration, Lynk, Metatro and he was again discussing their next plans in a non-permanent stone house . With this wealth, they would be able to hire craftsmen, caravans and artificers from all over the world once the land around has subsided to be able to tolerate explorers’ passages .
Lynk felt that the population of their town was too small, then mentioned the existence of other small tribes of cave dwellers in the mountains . The flood would have been devastating to them, so they may as well send people to recruit and take them in to strengthen the stockade . Amon nodded his head in agreement .
Lynk himself was a tribe leader and had great experience in managing tribes, but to establish a city from scratch was too large of a test for him . Everything required a thousand minds to culminate in their dream . Metatro was a warrior at heart, so he would train soldiers to fight well . He was also a layman in the construction of a city .
The few people who came to discuss the future of their fates agreed that it was not an easy task . They could still maintain their current situation, but they could only learn as they progressed . Ultimately, they were aware of one thing, which was that talent was rare . Metatro and Amon both thought of two people, the mayor of the town of Arcade, Tich, and the leader of the giants, Ussir .
When Princess Sissila was kidnapped, Mayor Tich had managed to gather the entire town to organise and prepare the list of demands delivered by the giants in just a day and a half . He also organised rescue teams to deliver the materials to the designated location on time, completing the seemingly impossible task without much disturbance to the daily life of Arcade . This talent was highly appreciated by Princess Sissila and Prince Benut, earning him recognition and allowing him to be promoted to a more important position .
The supreme mage Peri was not a simple man either . He was able to organise these simple-minded oversized men to coordinate an action . It was an ability that was far better than any ordinary leader! The man may not be particularly skilled, but in a sense, he was more talented than any other supreme mage .
If they had talents like Mayor Tich or Lord Peri around, their tasks would be much easier, but unfortunately, that was not the case . So, Metatro added another suggestion, “Aesop is also a very capable man . He was Sithator’s capable steward and housekeeper . Sithator had shops in multiple cities, yet Aesop was able to arrange and manage transport and teams between each of them . It is a pity to leave him as a guard in your manor in Memfis . We should bring him here . ”
Amon thought to himself, How can this desolate swamp compare to the bustling city of Memfis? Would Aesop like it? If he does not want to come here, it would be hard for him to put in his best effort .
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