Chapter: 668
As I inquired with Atelius, although he hadn’t seen Leviathan, he did recall encountering Behemoth.
That was the most ideal answer. After all, Leviathan had already been discovered and, as the Golden Duke’s friend, had shifted its home to the southern sea of the Empire. Information on a creature with an unknown name was more valuable than one they had secured.
“The last time I saw it, it was a cow larger than a typical building. No, not a building; it was the size of a hill, I think?”
“What a fascinating beast,” I remarked.
“What impressed me even more wasn’t its size, but its legs. They were so faint, like clouds; it didn’t feel like it was walking at all. Rather, it floated.”
That drew a gasp of admiration from me.
Leviathan could swim through the vast, lonely sea or fly in the sky, causing minimal disturbances around it. Sure, if it flailed around violently, tsunamis could occur, but that would require quite a bit of effort from Leviathan.
On the contrary, Behemoth was a creature that roamed the land. Just it stepping down would cause the ground to quiver and an enormous roar to erupt. Walking would be akin to a walking earthquake.
But it wasn’t stomping around; it floated around like a cloud? Even if onlookers would be awestruck by Behemoth’s size, there wouldn’t be any actual damage.
‘Incredible.’
How astonishing that a whale the size of an island and a cow as big as a mountain were created. From what I heard, it seemed to float a few centimeters above the ground, but even that was impressive.
“By any chance, do you remember what Behemoth’s temperament was like?”
“I never had a proper conversation with it, so I can’t say for sure, but it seemed quite docile. It mainly stuck around the pastures, taking care of cows and sheep. That pasture was a directly governed area of the Trika Empire.”
I nodded, relieved by the ongoing good news.
Unlike Leviathan, if it turned out to be a violent troublemaker, I would have worried, but if it was just peacefully keeping watch over the pasture, then there was nothing to fret about.
‘Indeed, cows are gentle.’
Even regular cows are relatively tame for their size. No matter how artificially created, it seems they maintained their true essence.
“Now that I think about it, that creature I saw in the sky just disappeared one day. If you hadn’t asked, I would have forgotten it forever.”
With those words, Atelius tapped the ground with his fingers and continued quietly.
“The last place I saw Behemoth was near the Capital.”
“Thank you for the advice.”
He was suggesting I start searching there for traces of Behemoth. Such kind consideration made me bow my head in gratitude.
‘The Capital.’
There’s no way he was referring to the current capital. The region around Ausen has been thoroughly developed for hundreds of years since the establishment of the Empire. If something like Behemoth had been lying there, it would have been discovered long ago.
That means he was talking about the Capital of the Trika Empire back then, which was…
‘Kroita.’
Kroita. A small city located in the southwestern part of the Empire.
Once a thriving center of the Trika Empire, it fell from power after the founding of Apels and became just an ordinary city.
However, it had been a center of a millennium-long empire, and since the founding of Apels, it still functioned as a city, making its historical value quite significant. It reportedly earned quite a good profit from tourism alone, so you can only imagine how much.
‘…What if it lies there?’
That thought sent shivers down my spine. Kroita was virtually an archaeological site, and it was said that every time land was sold, new historical papers had to be written.
Yet, if Behemoth was sleeping disguised as a mountain in that region, and if I were to wake the mountain, wouldn’t the buildings atop it move along too?
‘Should I just ignore it?’
For a moment, that thought crossed my mind. Perhaps it would be better for everyone if Behemoth remained undisturbed—just a passing whim.
Of course, that was just a thought. While we might have toyed a little with Leviathan, peeling back its skin slightly, with Leviathan’s size, even that amount of impact wouldn’t logically wake it. The timing was just right for it to awaken, and we were merely the ones to inadvertently provoke it.
If that’s the case, Behemoth would wake up eventually on its own. Instead of witnessing a mountain moving unexpectedly, it would be best for the Empire to rouse Behemoth first.
“I’ll come back to greet you again if I find it.”
“Just don’t bring it with you. It’s so massive that if it comes near, those kids will surely be scared.”
I glanced at the rabbits nestled near Atelius.
Certainly, those cave-dwelling rabbits would panicked if a mountain-sized cow approached. Though I hadn’t planned on bringing it anyway, I’d better be extra cautious.
Conducting a large-scale search operation near a city isn’t something I could decide unilaterally. It wouldn’t be an issue if it was within my territory, but beyond that, it wasn’t under my jurisdiction.
Moreover, Kroita belonged to a directly governed area of the imperial family. Disturbing a city like that without permission and causing Behemoth to wake up and wreak havoc would be troubling for me and the Emperor as well. There was a high chance I’d have to hold a compulsory meeting with the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Prison.
“…What are you looking for?”
“Behemoth, an artificially created creature like Leviathan that was recently discovered by the Trika Empire.”
I thus went to report directly to the Emperor.
It seemed a colossal cow was likely sleeping near Kroita, and we needed to secure it before it woke up.
“Minister. I’m curious about the burden you’re carrying,” the Emperor said.
After a moment of silence following my words, the Emperor pinched his brow and spoke again.
“Are you perhaps misunderstanding the meaning of the word vacation?”
His serious tone brought a swell of emotions within me.
How could I not understand? No one is more sensitive to vacation than I. The state of chasing work around like this would bring tears to my eyes.
‘If I leave it alone, I’ll just tire myself out.’
But what could I do? The only ones who knew about the Three Pillars along with me were the Wise Duke and the Golden Duke. Excluding the two busy dukes running their territories, that left me as the sole one available to step forward and find the remaining pillars.
If I waited too long, and suddenly Behemoth woke up or some other unnamed bird stirred up chaos, I would be the one summoned before the Emperor. I wouldn’t want to be grilled with questions like, “Did you wake that thing up because of you?” or, at the very least, I would be required to explain what that thing even was.
‘If I’m going to be summoned anyway, it would be easier to deal with it first.’
It’s a simple calculation. “Dealing with aftermath and being summoned to explain vs. getting support from the imperial family and utilizing manpower” – of course, the latter is preferable.
The best situation would be to avoid being presented with such choices entirely, but that would require me to retire completely.
“…Even during a vacation, should we not commit to the safety of the Empire and the peace of its citizens?”
“Hmm.”
I forced a smile as I spoke, and the Emperor rubbed his chin as if to consider my words.
You scoundrel. If I’m saying this, you should take it for granted; what’s with this assessment? I had plans to charge into Ausen upon discovering Behemoth—
“Well, I understand. As you say, if something thought to be a mountain starts moving, it could become quite a headache. I’ll support you with a squad of the Imperial Knights and a portion of the Mage Corps, so do look for it. Apply to the Ministry of Finance for your budget.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
With more generous support than I’d expected, marching into Ausen was off the table for now.
*
I am Behemoth. Alongside the flying Ziz and the sea-dominating Leviathan, I stand as a pillar protecting the land. A masterpiece compiled from the technological prowess of the Trika Empire, serving as a shield for the Royal House of Roygas.
At the time of my birth, the Trika Empire was more powerful than any other nation, and the selection of Roygas was so captivating that it could turn the entire continent upside down. Thanks to that, no one dared challenge Roygas’s might, so I seldom felt the need to step forward to protect the land.
Thus, I quietly remained in the directly governed territories of the royal family. Taking care of the royal livestock and lending a hand whenever construction work was needed.
It wasn’t a glamorous life. Ziz dominated the skies, unreachable by anyone, and Leviathan treated the vast and deep ocean like his front yard. Meanwhile, I quietly held my ground on the land where countless humans and animals live.
– How do you manage to live with such boredom? I couldn’t bear it; my body would ache from inactivity.
– Behemoth, why not come visit the sea? It may be deep, so coming like me might be a stretch, but at least you’d be freer than on the land.
Perhaps because of that, Ziz and Leviathan often worried about my well-being during our brief encounters.
But I was fine. It was a bother to move about, and taking care of my livestock was enjoyable enough.
“When I look east from the Imperial Palace, you’re always the first one I see. Every time I see you, I feel reassured.”
My master, the Emperor, wanted me on the land. He wished for me to remain near the palace and close to the now-ocean.
That was enough. If my master wanted that, I would willingly comply. It was my joy and pride.
“I suppose I need to make you sleep for a while.”
Sadly, the enjoyment wouldn’t last long.
They said we had grown too large for comfort, and if left unchecked, we would grow to an unmanageable size. It was time for us to take a little nap.
I didn’t want to. I disliked the thought of sleeping. If I fell asleep, I wouldn’t see the gentle breeze, fragrant flowers, soft grass, the livestock following me, or the humans greeting me. I would be separated from my master, the Emperor.
But I hated the idea of causing damage to the Empire. We were born to protect the Empire and the royal family; it would be wrong for us to threaten the very Empire we were meant to safeguard.
“When the time comes, you will awaken again. Someday, you will soar through the skies and traverse the continents and seas again.”
So, I believed those words and closed my eyes. I waited for the day I would open my eyes again and see Ziz and Leviathan once more.
– …Is it time?
And then today, I naturally awakened.
Honestly, I had no clue how long I had been asleep. From my viewpoint, closing my eyes and opening them again felt as if no time had passed at all.
‘Let’s get up, for starters.’
Thus, I pushed against the weight pressing down on me as I stood.
Once I stood up, I’d figure out just how long I had slept.
*
With a thunderous roar, the earth split open. I observed the massive cow struggling to rise from the fissure with a bemused smile.
Indeed, there it was. No wonder I could never find it, no matter how hard I looked.
‘It wasn’t on the ground; it was buried underground.’
Who would’ve thought a massive cow lay hidden underground like that? I had naively assumed it would be above ground like a mountain.
Damn it. This is why I couldn’t find it. Who would imagine there was a giant cow buried underground?
“Y-Your Grace! What on earth is that…!”
“So that’s Behemoth. It’s a good thing no one is nearby,” I replied.
I observed the imperial knight, astonished at the giant cow rising from the earth. I gently patted the knight’s shoulder as I spoke.
“Let’s move. It’s a sentient being; we can communicate with it.”
I sensed the knight shudder at my words, but I didn’t chastise him.
I was startled when Leviathan first moved too.
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