Chapter 288

Chapter: 288

“Even I… who can wield the mightiest magic among the wizards of Procyon, find this kind of feat impossible… Is she truly human?”

“It would have been a challenge for any human.”

Luke chuckled softly, placed the helmet he was holding on the table, and sat down in a nearby chair.

“Unfortunately, she was not human.”

“If she’s not human…?”

In an instant, an entity of colossal power flickered past Encia’s mind—a dragon. Shaking her head slightly, she tried to clear the thoughts swirling around.

Why on earth would a dragon help humans? The dragons in stories are fierce beasts, and the tales say they are savage creatures who ruthlessly drive away any intruders to their domain.

Given a dragon’s immense magic that dwarfs that of humans, it simply wouldn’t make sense for such a being to offer assistance.

“She is… Hmm. I’m not entirely sure, but I think she might be a god who remained on this earth.”

“A god?”

For an instant, Encia tilted her head in confusion.

A god? One surveying the world from a pantheon high in the sky?

That can’t be! Gods don’t just get involved in human affairs like that.

In ancient times, it may have been true that gods descended and stirred the world, but isn’t that a thing of the past now?

They respond to prayers and grant strength to priests but… they don’t come down to Earth directly, do they?

One of those gods stayed behind on the ground? But why?

“I believe I understand what you’re thinking. I had the same thoughts myself.”

Luke continued the conversation with a gentle smile.

“Gods no longer approach humans and merely gaze down from their lofty abodes. You are thinking along those lines, right?”

“Ah, um, well…”

“I felt the same way. In truly difficult times, I even found myself resenting those gods for simply watching.”

Luke gazed longingly at the statue, his eyes mixed with nostalgia and affection.

“But through a twist of fate, I met her… and learned that not all gods are like that. In fact… aren’t the gods of the elves and dwarves looking over their people even now?”

“That’s true… The Holy Flame, the god worshipped in Procyon, is said to dwell in the heart of that scorching desert. No one has ever seen it, though.”

Luke nodded faintly. Besides that, there are a few gods who still descend to attend to humans.

Among those… there exists a goddess who conceals her very existence to dedicate herself to humanity.

Even as she was losing all faith, she continued to serve humankind.

“Among them, there was a goddess named Gaia.”

“Gaia…? That’s a name I’ve never heard before.”

“That’s to be expected. She had neither a temple nor priests, nor had she ever received worship… she simply existed on this earth.”

Encia furrowed her brow at the ambiguous words spilling from Luke’s lips.

“I had no idea such a goddess existed. What kind of goddess is she?”

“She was the goddess of the earth. Known as the mother of all land.”

“The goddess of the earth…?”

“Yes. The goddess of the earth.”

Encia felt something strange at those words. The goddess of the earth—the very goddess of the land they tread upon. Just hearing that name made it seem like she wouldn’t be an ordinary deity.

The farmers who toil there, the lords governing the territories, and even the emperor, master of the Romanian Empire… they are merely humans standing upon the earth. This is the first time I’m hearing of such a mighty goddess of the earth?

As if someone had deliberately buried that name.

“How can that possibly be? If the earth goddess truly existed, wouldn’t it be natural for many people to revere her?”

“Well, the specifics remain unknown, but… I did uncover one truth.”

Luke spoke in a calm tone.

“She was… another facet of the Goddess of Life.”

“The Goddess of Life…!”

The mightiest of gods. The creator god responsible for all life. And she was merely another aspect of that.

“Then everything falls into place. If she’s merely another aspect of the great Goddess of Life… it wouldn’t be surprising if she was buried away unless the Goddess of Life herself highlighted that aspect.”

“But… even if she’s the Goddess of Life, isn’t it odd to leave such a grand deity to the shadows?”

“How could mere mortals like us ever grasp the thoughts of a great god? Perhaps… to her, that facet might not hold significant importance.”

Luke took a gentle breath and looked at the statue as he spoke.

“It’s a well-known fact that the Goddess of Life treasures all existence. To her, even the designation of the earth goddess was merely a means to care for the life on Earth… making her nobility incomparable to those of regular gods.”

“No, no matter how you slice it…”

Encia was about to argue further but:

“Of course, all of this stems from my interpretations of the sparse records left behind. There’s no certainty in any of it. It’s merely this old fool’s attempt to find some trace of her because he laments her absence.”

Luke’s expression, tinged with sorrow as if drowning in memories from long ago, left Encia at a loss for words.

“Have you ever had to say goodbye to someone precious?”

“Yes?”

“Have you lost someone dear to you? No? Perhaps you haven’t experienced that, being so young.”

“A precious person….”

The first person who came to Encia’s mind was, of course, Tia.

An enigmatic entity whose appearance she knew not, with only a voice that had ever been her companion.

But that voice was like family, always there since her childhood.

If Tia wasn’t considered precious, then who else possibly could be?

“Yes. It was a while back…”

“Hmm? And you’re still so young?”

“Ah, well… it’s a bit special. She’s not even human, and I don’t know her appearance… I only know her voice…”

“Hmm? Just the voice?”

“Yes. Since childhood, there’s been a voice that’s exclusively spoken to me.”

This was a tale she had never shared with anyone before, but for some reason, in front of Luke, she felt the urge to reveal it.

Why? Had the thought of losing a beloved person struck a chord in Encia’s heart? Or perhaps it was simply returning a favor for sharing the tale of the statue?

Not knowing the reason, Encia continued her story.

“That voice called Tia… she taught me many things. The magic I perform was actually revealed to me by Tia.”

“Hmm… The weather manipulation magic, correct?”

“Yes! Tia knew so much! She even shared knowledge that others were unaware of. I considered her an older sister due to her constant presence in my life… but she left not too long ago.”

“A voice sharing knowledge that others lack….”

This left Luke in deep contemplation as he absorbed Encia’s words.

“Why so curious?”

“It’s just… I feel like I’ve heard the name Tia somewhere before. Tia, Tiara… Where had I heard that? Have I gotten so old that my memory is fading?”

After a moment of thought, Luke seemed to recall something.

“It sounds similar to one of the names of the goddess of life who came down to this world in the form of a dragon priestess, a tale passed down in Ratkinia and Bistria. Was it perhaps… Tiamat?”

“Tiamat?”

“Indeed, Tiamat. I recall there was a dragon priestess referred to as Tia by those around her. But judging by her deeds, she was anything but an ordinary dragon priestess. What sort of dragon priestess travels the world with companions and elevates them to the status of gods?”

“Yes?”

“While it’s true that dragon priestesses hold significant power, it’s not enough to create gods. That’s why there’s this story that Tiamat, the dragon priestess, was actually the Goddess of Life in disguise.”

“I’ve never heard that before!”

“That’s an oral tradition from Ratkinia and Bistria, so it might not be common knowledge elsewhere.”

Encia tilted her head slightly in intrigue. Was this truly the case? Or rather, if Tia is the Dragon Priestess, or could she be viewed as an alias of the Goddess of Life…

Could it be that Tia, the one who spoke to her, was also related to the Goddess of Life?

Gifted in magic, possessing vast magical knowledge, and able to elevate a mere child into one of the greatest wizards…

Encia gave a subtle nod. The tales Tia shared, all the information she imparted. Each of those stories was filled with the extraordinary.

How could an ordinary person know such things if not for divine origins?

“Could Tia… be a god?”

“Honestly, I can’t confirm who the Tia you speak of is, so I can’t offer any clarity. Unless she’s akin to someone I loved dearly, that is.”

“Is that so…?”

Encia felt a twinge of sadness. As expected, this world held no straightforward answers. Only Tia could provide clarity to everything.

If Tia were still around… if she could just ask her if she was a god… would she respond truthfully?

Probably, she would have, for there were no lies in her words.

Encia longed to see Tia.

She yearned to hear her voice.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

“Ugh… This is difficult…”

“Not easy, huh? That’s the usual struggle everyone faces on their first attempt.”

“I thought I had it figured out, but it just keeps unraveling! Am I really doing this right?”

“Of course. That’s precisely why you borrowed books from other schools, isn’t it?”

The bespectacled girl lowered her head, unable to respond to the sleepy girl’s remark.

“Maybe I’m just not cut out to be a wizard?”

“Well… I’d say your potential for knighthood is impressive too.”

The sleepy girl glanced over at the bespectacled girl lightly.

A robust physique. An infinitely sturdy frame. Muscles that are elastic with great strength. Plus, a constitution that easily fosters muscle growth.

Had the bespectacled girl chosen the path of a knight, she could have had a shot at leaving her name in history.

“But you turned it down. With those mismatched glasses you keep wearing.”

“Ugh…”

The sleepy girl picked up the bespectacled girl’s glasses. They resembled more of an ornament, with empty spaces where the lenses should have been.

“Well, it’s normal for the first steps to be challenging. True progress requires steady effort. You can’t construct a grand castle overnight.

It’s just tricky to create the first circle; once that’s established, gathering magic becomes much simpler. Just keep pushing through.”

“But this is just too tough… Ugh…”

The bespectacled girl reclaimed her glasses from the sleepy girl and put them back on.

“What about you? Can you use magic too?”

“Huh? Me?”

“Right. Since you seem to know everything in such detail… you can’t cast a spell or two?”

The bespectacled girl looked at the sleepy girl with faint anticipation sparkling in her eyes. Hoping for a display of magic, eager to see something spectacular.

But.

“Um… Nope.”

“Why not? Can’t you do magic?”

“I can use magic, but… if I draw on my power, things could become complicated.”

“Complicated, huh…?”

The sleepy girl’s remark left the bespectacled girl puzzled, tilting her head curiously.

She’d spent quite some time alongside her yet had never heard of any difficulties before.

“If I start using my power… People start pursuing me.”

“People are chasing you?”

“Yeah. They follow me using their magic and will take me away. So I can’t use it.”

Was she being pursued by someone? Yet she showed no signs of such a thing?

It’s the first she’d heard of her companion, who had always been with her from such a young age, having any such troubles.

“If I use my power, I get caught and that’ll lead to trouble. But if I don’t use it, all’s well. That’s why I can’t show you any of my magic.”

“You mean just by unleashing your power, they will come after you?”

“Yeah. The magic within a person has unique waveforms, colors, and frequencies. There are even tales in stories about magicians who use those magical traits to follow criminals through residual magic at a crime scene.”

“Oh, so that’s it? I read about that in a book! It was in the magical detective story about Homer!”

“Exactly. That story. I can’t share everything, but… my magic is under constant pursuit. Thus, I can’t summon it.”

The sleepy girl’s comments left the bespectacled girl with a rigid expression, pressing further.

“Is it something you can’t even share with me?”

“Yeah. Not even with you or that uncle. I hope you can understand this much.”

The bespectacled girl found herself at a loss for words in response to the sleepy girl’s statement.