Chapter: 146
“Alright then, who should go first?”
Shamash said, glancing around at the other kids.
“I think we should start with the easy ones. Hmm…”
“I’ll go last.”
Sagarmatha replied calmly.
“Hmm. What kind of test did you all bring?”
“That’s a secret. Remember, we all agreed to keep it a secret!”
Hmm… so are the contents of the tests also a secret from each other? Now I’m really curious about what kind of tests they’ll come up with.
“Mine isn’t that easy either… So I’ll go before Sagarmatha.”
“Sounds good. That means Sagarmatha is sixth, and Thetis is fifth. But seriously, mine’s not easy either…”
Huh, did everyone bring tough ones?
Hearing this, Baal’s expression started to tense up a bit. If everyone’s tests are hard, he couldn’t help but feel a little anxious.
“I couldn’t think of anything, so I just brought something simple… Should I go first?”
“Alright, then Ifrit goes first. But what test did you bring?”
At Shamash’s question, Ifrit hesitated a moment before answering.
“There are a bunch of gods messing around in the desert near me. I want you to properly take care of them and calm them down.”
Hmm, that’s a really simple test.
“But were there really that many gods around Ifrit’s place?”
“Given that it’s an incredibly harsh environment for humans, there are plenty of gods born from fear. Sometimes I got annoyed and wanted to smack them, but as soon as I moved, they’d just scurry off and hide.”
Upon hearing this, Shamash nodded knowingly.
“Oh, that? It’s that feeling you get when a stronger god is around, right? You can feel it when Mom moves, don’t you?”
“Uh… Huh… Was there something like that? I’m not sure.”
“Really? Was I the only one who felt that? What about the others?”
“I wouldn’t know.”
“Me neither.”
“Was it just Shamash?”
At the kids’ remarks, Shamash looked puzzled.
“So I was the only one who felt that… It helped me easily figure out Mom’s location.”
“Wow, that’s unfair.”
“Why do you only get to have that?”
Hmm, this conversation is straying off course.
“Okay, everyone calm down. We’re not making any progress here.”
My comment made the previously charged atmosphere settle a bit. Nice. I discreetly signaled for Ifrit to continue.
“Anyway, come back after subduing all the desert gods. That’s my test.”
Now that’s a genuinely simple test from Ifrit.
Hearing this, Baal spoke with a confident grin.
“If it’s a test like that, I can totally do it!”
Baal was brimming with confidence.
Hmm, I don’t know what the desert gods are like, but compared to the god of the sky, their divinity should be lower…
Eh, it should be fine. After all, he’s a god of the sky.
“Ah, just to be clear. You’re not allowed to get help from Mom! Got it?”
Oh no… I was kinda planning to lend a hand if needed.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
The one who overcomes the trials set by the gods will seize glory.
This is a classic story found in myths. The gods test the hero, and the hero overcomes the trial.
The quest to find the archetype of such tales has never ceased.
Some have referred to Rychlen, the hero of heroes, as the archetype of that myth, while others have claimed the tale of the hero chosen by the goddess of life as its source.
Amid all of this, a stone tablet was excavated from the depths of the sea.
Originally a clay tablet, it turned to stone due to extreme heat and pressure, with the inscription reading:
“The one who overcomes the trials of the seven gods shall possess this world.”
The discovery of this tablet sparked heated debates among many theologians and historians.
Which gods are referred to as the seven? What are the trials they set? And what does it mean to possess this world?
The gods in the pantheon, who seemed to know the answers, kept quiet.
As if they simply couldn’t reveal the truth.
So, as the meaning behind the tablet’s inscription remained undisclosed and its existence threatened to fade from memory,
my friend approached me, carrying another fragment of a tablet.
The small tablet fragment my nervous friend brought, which he claimed he had never shown to anyone else.
The inscription on that tiny fragment read:
“The King of the Gods, his name shall be Baal.”
What a mind-boggling inscription.
A king among the gods? Was there someone above the gods who had ruled the heavens and earth? If so, was it a god other than the Goddess of Life, known as the supreme god?
I had no idea. The name Baal was also something I had never encountered before.
After showing me the fragment, my friend left with an anxious demeanor, and I never saw him again. He probably met his end somewhere.
But enough about my friend’s story…
If, just if, the god named Baal, the King of the Gods, actually existed.
Why did this alleged King of the Gods disappear?
Why don’t the other gods mention such an entity?
How were we so oblivious to his existence?
I have no answers. I couldn’t find out anything.
Maybe this name shouldn’t be unearthed. Maybe it was a name buried in history by the gods of the past.
It could well be a name that must never be spoken. One that should remain unuttered.
From that moment of realization, I was engulfed by a sense of dread.
I felt as though someone was watching me. I began to distrust those around me.
Everything spiraled into distrust.
Was this the same conclusion my friend arrived at? Did that drive his anxiety?
Caught in a cold sweat of fear, I have decided to record everything I found out about Baal in this research notebook and burn any other clues, sealing the memory within.
So I won’t ever have to see this name again. So that this name won’t endanger me.
One day, when the gods lose interest in humans and faith starts to wane,
may this research notebook find its way to those seeking the truth. With a feeble prayer.
May the truth that is currently unacknowledged be passed on to the future.
– From the research notebook of a certain historian.
This research notebook never fell into human hands.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
“O gods of the desert! I, the God of the Sky, have come to rule over you as your king!”
The young desert gods, having animal heads, influenced perhaps by the presence of beastmen nearby, erupted in fierce rebellion against Baal’s proclamation, leading to a battle that raged for days.
As one might expect, Baal emerged victorious.
The gods born of scorching winds, flowing sands, and other elements simply couldn’t hold a candle to Baal, who was born from the sky itself.
Faced with the overwhelming power pouring down from above, the desert gods had no choice but to kneel.
Well, that’s only natural. The power wielded by Baal, born directly from the sky, was the mightiest among all the newly born gods.
The faith of those who longed for the sky – it all flowed towards Baal. It was only logical.
The gods born from the fear of the harsh desert couldn’t possibly defeat Baal.
“The first trial has been passed with flying colors!”
“Right? Now things are getting a bit quieter around here.”
Ifrit, was the real goal not to pass the trials, but rather to create some peace around here?
Well, it doesn’t really matter. Just proving that Baal has vanquished these gods is enough to showcase his power.
“So, shall we do Sylphid or Yggdrasil next? Who’s up for it?”
“Me! Let me take a crack at it first!”
Sylphid said, brimming with confidence.
“Just to give you a heads-up! My trial won’t be a walk in the park!”
Oh wow. Sylphid is that confident? I’m curious about what this test is.
“My trial is! A race against me! From the eastern end of this continent to the western end! Fly fast! It’s a one-on-one race!”
Well, it seems there’s a reason for her confidence.
“But just to clarify! No teleportation or anything like that is allowed! You must use that incarnate body of yours! That’s the rule!”
Sylphid, with a condition like that, practically no god can keep up with you in speed.
Shamash might be able to transform his incarnate body into light and shoot it, but… hmm… teleportation is banned too.
I mean, that’s just way too unfair!
If Baal can teleport under the sky, that might work, but if even that is off the table… there’s no way out of that, is there?
“Whatever! I’ll give it a shot!!”
Surprisingly, Baal boldly accepted Sylphid’s challenge.
“Baal, just so you know, Sylphid’s speed is on another level. Are you really okay with this?”
“I also refuse to lose under this sky! I can do this!!”
Hmm… if all goes well, great, but… this condition is just not fair at all. Hmm…
Maybe I should lend a tiny hand?
You may also like Mesugaki Tank Enters The Academy
