If this were a typical ‘game’ story, what lies before us would be the final dungeon that exists at the end of the story, and enemies would be waiting for us inside.
As we break through the dungeon layer by layer, one by one, high-ranking beings from the opposing side would emerge at the end, and our protagonist party would take them down one by one to move forward.
Of course, if the opponent is a being that is preordained to be extremely powerful, even if we achieve victory in terms of the system, they may not fall in the story, meaning in the cutscene. In such cases, it’s common for another ally character to crash in with a cliché, saying, “Leave this to me and move forward.”
…That was how it should have been.
“Surprisingly, you’re just waiting here, aren’t you?”
The one who said this incredulously was the Sword Saint.
As the Sword Saint said, there wasn’t a grand dungeon waiting for us, nor was there a large beast blocking our path.
“Why wouldn’t I be confident?”
The one who retorted like that was the Emperor.
This was my first time visiting the Cathedral of the Papal State. Since I never had a religion, I had never been in a place like this, so I didn’t even know what the inside of a cathedral truly looked like.
But even for me, the appearance of this cathedral was rather unusual.
There were no pews for believers to sit if you were to call it a cathedral or a church. There was only a spacious hall, and in front of it, several high-backed chairs were lined up. All the chairs were a luxurious red.
So… no matter how you look at it, this place felt more like an imperial palace than a cathedral.
Well, I guess it makes sense. Although it was a very small place to be called a nation, it possessed a power that couldn’t be ignored enough to impact the whole world. And the beings the Pope had to face were the kings of other nations. They couldn’t afford to look inferior. One could say they are entirely different from the modern-day Pope.
So, the throne-like chair over there was actually for the Pope.
But for now, the Emperor was seated there.
Sitting proudly with one elbow resting on the armrest and supporting his chin, he certainly looked like a cliché.
“Have you really just been sitting there waiting all these days? How rude of us to think we’ve kept you waiting too long.”
“What can I say, I had plenty to do on this side. I wasn’t bored adjusting this and that.”
The Emperor replied with a smile to the Sword Saint who spoke provocatively.
“And, in fact, the ones I was waiting for were my daughters.”
“Oh ho, does that mean we are uninvited guests?”
“Well, I can’t just kick out those who come knocking. I will graciously forgive you.”
The Emperor wore an expression that seemed genuinely pleased as he said that.
“… So it means that it wasn’t your intention for others to enter here?”
As I stepped a foot closer and asked, the Emperor’s gaze turned toward me. It was exactly the same gaze he always had when looking at me. His expression showed no significant difference despite the unusual circumstances he created waiting for me.
Or perhaps, could it be said that what is happening now is simply an extension of what the Emperor usually does?
“Well, I was wanting to ask you that.”
The Emperor grabbed the armrests with both hands and slowly raised his body.
The Emperor couldn’t be called young. But he looked too healthy to simply call him middle-aged. He had broad shoulders and was much taller than me. Even without looking up right in front of him, the sight of the Emperor standing over us was just big.
Above all, the dignity of someone who wouldn’t lower themselves before anyone could be felt.
“The device has been completed.”
The Emperor said as he stepped down from the throne.
“Therefore, the power of the Goddess, which controlled this world, should have broken as a norm. However, that hasn’t happened. The rules left behind by the Goddess still exist in this world.”
The Emperor spread his arms wide as he spoke.
“…”
I thought about asking a question, but decided to just keep my mouth shut. Somehow, it felt like the Emperor would tell me everything even without me asking.
“You must have read through all the records of the Imperial Palace. You must have had enough time.”
The Emperor suddenly said as if he had become engrossed in something, gazing at the ceiling. I chose to remain silent again. It was as if the Emperor didn’t expect a response from me, and he slowly began to narrate.
“There is a tale only passed down in the Fanggriffon lineage. It’s a story so irreverent that others wouldn’t understand it, and it’s shared only with those who can properly continue the Fanggriffon name. It’s a tale told just once when in the presence of one who would inherit the legacy, left unwritten so no one else can hear or read it.”
The Emperor lowered his gaze to look at me.
“So, listen well. You will have to tell this story to whoever will inherit your place someday.”
The Emperor’s gaze moved this time.
Not to me, but to Alice.
*
Once upon a time, there existed a world.
A world shattered and jumbled due to some unknown reason.
In a world where even the most basic laws were intertwined chaotically, people were groaning. In a world where even time wasn’t organized, people aged differently, dulled, and decayed.
Then one day, a revelation descended.
A beam of blue light came down from the broken and cracked sky.
In the midst of that light, the world began to organize for the first time.
Limbs and arms that sprouted haphazardly became two each.
Eyes that popped out in various places on the head gathered on the face.
Fingers and toes that were bent backward, and spines spinning around, all found their rightful places.
As time had passed long ago, humans who no longer knew their original forms were finally able to remember their true selves, following that blue light.
However, the light did not touch everywhere in the world.
The cracks in the broken sky were limited, and thus those who did not receive that light continued to live painfully in a twisted world with twisted bodies.
In the space where the light did not reach, one day, a hero was born.
He subdued other twisted monsters with his distorted body, leading a bizarre creature that blended eagle and lion in a struggle against the Goddess. His one and only goal was freedom.
Those who were fixed in shape by the Goddess never attempted to step outside the light. They feared everything beyond it, and sought satisfaction only in the Goddess’ embrace.
And to protect themselves, they created their own “order.”
They placed one person above another. Placed another person below each.
A solid tower of people, distinctly separated layer by layer. A city that is order itself, sustaining everywhere in society according to each person’s role.
The king of the bizarre creatures, the Griffons, did not like that at all.
He loved to fly through the skies of the mixed red and blue light.
To gaze upon the endless golden veins deep within the shattered land.
To endlessly admire the frozen earth that burned at the same time.
—In a world where, as long as one has their own will, they could rise higher without stronger or weaker beings.
To the King of Griffons, Fanggriffon, the world of order seemed to deprive all those opportunities.
So he decided to confront the Goddess.
*
“But no matter how you look at it, he didn’t have enough power to confront the Goddess.”
The Emperor explained in a relaxed voice.
“I mean, you can’t expect a systematic weapon system for the distorted beings. They can’t demand armor in the exact forms they want and distribute it accordingly, nor could they use the commonly used weapons; they were terribly uncomfortable. There was no way to win against those who moved consistently under one being and one order, almost like a single organism.”
“But if that’s the case—”
“The Fanggriffon ultimately surrendered.”
The Emperor said flatly.
“And he accepted the Goddess’s words, entered the world of order, and ascended to greatness once more within it.”
“….”
Up to this point, it was a story absurd enough to leave one in disbelief. But there was still a smile lingering on the Emperor’s lips.
Surely, the story could not end here.
And as if answering my thoughts, the Emperor opened his mouth.
“Do you know what the Goddess’s flaw was?”
No one replied to the Emperor’s question. Only Sophia, who was seen far away at the end of the horizon, trembled slightly.
“The Goddess was obsessed with ‘order.’ The Fanggriffon conformed to that order. But in his mind, he still envisioned chaos.”
The Emperor raised his right palm toward the ceiling.
And slowly lifted his hand.
“As much as the Goddess was obsessive about order, the Fanggriffon’s obsession was not trivial.”
The ground began to tremble.
Thud, thud, sounds like rough rocks scraping against one another echoed as the Pope’s chair began to crack.
“So he thought, ‘Could I invoke chaos using only ‘order’ without the Goddess noticing?’”
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