WNC 357

Upon the land, ripening red and melting away, only a colossal Makrir and our party remained, enduring the silence.

A god?

The Oasis possessed a size and appearance similar to a Human. Thus, it was easy to approach. Though its smooth face was irritating, it was not its appearance that was frightening, but rather the fact that it didn’t breathe or show any signs of life. Its appearance itself was perfectly normal.

But the Makrir before us now was different.

Would a Magic Tower look like this if it had legs?

Beyond its thick, massive upper body, the roots attached directly below seemed like tens, even hundreds, of intertwined vines. Seeing the dense, colossal vines, like a living forest, wriggling and churning the sand, I was too afraid of being devoured to approach.

Rubel took a hesitant step forward. I instinctively extended my arm to block him, but the child, with a polite gesture, placed a hand on his chest and greeted me in a calm tone.

“It is an honor to meet you. We are always greatly indebted to the Sun God’s grace.”

[….After gazing at the silent partner, I asked this time.

“Are you the Sun God?”

[That is what Humans call me.]

Even with the benevolent and kind voice, my heart did not settle. Not only I, but all the others kept their weapons firmly in hand.

Then, the Makrir slowly lowered its body.

Startled, I looked at the left branch extending towards us. As is common with Makrir branches, plump green cacti were studded with thick, large thorns, spaced far apart.

[Burn. It would be best to continue our conversation at my sanctuary.]

However, no one took a step.

It was because I, standing at the forefront, raised my arm to stop them.

I pushed Ruben back behind me once more. There was still something weighing heavily on my mind to simply obey its words. I tried not to sigh, forcing my voice out with effort.

“…Is there a particular reason you are wary of this child?”

[….]

That was it.

The Sun God had not responded to Ruben’s polite greeting. The third god had also stopped laughing the moment he saw Ruben. If anything were to harm Ruben, how could I possibly enter that creature’s lair with peace of mind?

My opponent was a god, and might possess the skill to pry into my innermost thoughts.

So, I deliberately did not hide my wary demeanor.

I worried I might look ridiculous, growling like a tigress protecting her cubs. I was afraid whether showing my wariness outwardly was the right choice. Since I couldn’t see the opponent’s expression, I had no way of knowing what thoughts lay within.

Ruben grabbed my wrist and pulled, trying to stop me. But I didn’t budge. From behind me, I could hear the muffled groans of several men swallowing their sounds. I glared up at the Makrir.

The red flower blooming at the very top of its head swayed like clouds in the passing wind.

Hoo. Was it a sigh? Or the sound of the wind?

The god, who had been silent for a moment, replied in a still calm tone.

[…It is not so. That one… bears the trace of that one.]

“That one?”

[The first Human to be born. Most children born of Sierren are like that, but this child is particularly… resembles that one. That is why unpleasant memories have surfaced.]

[….]

[I do not dislike him. Otherwise, I would not have called you here, nor would I have thought of taking you to my domain. Do not worry about such things.]

…Ruben?

Rubel was… the Prince of the largest Empire on this continent.

I had consistently heard tales of him inheriting Divine Blood. I knew it wasn’t merely passed down through fabric and blood, but through some action of Divine Power, yet I hadn’t truly grasped it.

Ruben opened his mouth in a calm tone.

The child stood half a step behind me to my left. Every time Ruben spoke, my ears tickled, but I endured it.

“…Am I, the first… Human… reincarnation?”

[Reincarnation? It would have been better if you could have maintained such a complete soul. But… you are indeed a large piece of it. Though, I wonder what meaning it holds now…]

The Makrir, no, the Sun God, urged again in a calm voice.

[The road ahead is long. Let us go comfortably.]

Only then did I turn around. Some of the party were slumped down, and others were rubbing their faces with their hands. Before my eyes, they one by one put away their weapons.

I grabbed the thorns that soared like a spire and helped the others comfortably climb onto the Makrir’s massive branches. Though they could all leap this height, they deliberately used both hands and feet to scramble up.

Only Elvin, with a disrespectful disregard for etiquette, stomped his feet forcefully as he climbed onto the god’s body. The Sun God did not take issue with his attitude.

He merely straightened his body after confirming the party had gathered safely.

The children covered their mouths. Unbearable gasps escaped their lips.

Indeed, it was a magnificent sight.

In an instant, the land below grew impossibly distant.

I could see the zombies, like specks, crawling on the path we had traversed. Looking down at such a tiny world, I could almost understand why gods were so arrogant. Was there anything large enough to be seen in their eyes?

The Sun God spoke no further. He simply walked at a slow pace towards the direction we intended to go. The zombies struck by the roots at his colossal feet were swept away, tossed here and there. As I watched them crumble as if they had never existed, I felt a warmth gripping my hand.

Perhaps he was scared? Concerned, I intertwined my fingers with Ruben’s.

Until the deep night passed and the bright sun rose high.

❖ ❖ ❖

Fatigue had accumulated, yet no one could sleep.

Afraid of being separated, they each clutched a thorn. Even if the Makrir moved like a slithering snake, the height made it impossible to relax. I even had a fleeting thought, what if the god sneezed and sent us all flying far away?

While everyone else was seated, Leon stood alone. He held a thorn of the Makrir in one hand and his axe in the other, gazing into the distance, lost in thought. Then, he suddenly spoke, announcing,

“We are almost there. Look, the Sanctuary of the Sun is visible over there.”

“…Mm.”

It looked as if gold had been melted and poured into a mold shaped like a castle.

The castle, smooth and seamless, shone brilliantly under the sunlight. It had three tall horns; the middle one was high, and the ones on either side were lower. Whether it was studded with crystals or sprinkled with jewels, it glittered, reflecting countless lights. Its appearance was so magnificent that it was impossible to look directly at it.

Of course, Prince Ruben’s Second Prince’s Palace was also decorated with golden reliefs, but it wasn’t gilded like this.

I narrowed my brow at the needless extravagance, then wondered if this gold was also made by this god. I suppressed the futile thoughts that kept surging.

As the Sanctuary of the Sun, drawing ever closer, came right before us, the Sun God glanced back at Ikyun.

Whether the cactus head, lacking eyes, nose, or mouth, could be said to ‘see’ as it bent towards us, I don’t know, but the god spoke kindly towards us.

[Prepare to dismount now.]

As he said, the Makrir’s branch, upon which we had ridden, slowly lowered itself.

We dismounted as instructed, finding ourselves right before a tall gate.

What should one say at a time like this? The silence was awkward, so I offered a hesitant thank you.

“…You have worked very hard.”

I didn’t understand why Ruben was gripping my hand so tightly, nor why Marianne was glaring at me.

Was it not much different from the thanks I would give a coachman? But I didn’t know what else to say to express gratitude for being brought this far.

“Th-then, yes. We will see you again shortly.”

“Thank you.”

Seeing this, the mercenaries also added hesitant greetings one by one, which put me at ease.

The god, who had been looking down at us for a long time, acted kindly in a tone not much different from before.

[All the doors are open. Come in slowly.]

Then, he moved about five of his steps away and rooted himself. The Makrir’s roots burrowing into the sand again was not a common sight.

We all stared blankly in that direction for a moment, then looked back at the opened gate.

One by one, they stretched, as if waking up in a carriage after a long journey.

The massive gate, smooth without any decorative reliefs, was golden inside and out, dazzling the eyes.

Without a word, we stepped inside.

The grand avenue, wide enough for thirty people to walk side-by-side, had numerous pillars on either side. To the sides of the pillars were gardens sculpted from sand, ornate and elaborate. The sand, reflecting the sunlight, the castle walls, and the golden pillars, shone like gold, confusing the eyes.

A long red carpet laid out ahead showed us the way.

I wondered if there was any meaning to the lack of a ceiling, with only the floor and pillars, but whenever I opened my mouth to ask, Leon would place a finger to his lips and hiss like a snake, making me give up.

Come to think of it, I vaguely recalled hearing once that silent meditation was practiced at the Sanctuary of the Sun.

…But then, how would we ask our questions?

Would I have to use Sound Transmission to ask them all on their behalf? However, while I remembered some of the many questions the children had chattered, I couldn’t recall others at all. I could only hope that the Sun God, who had brought us here, would be more lenient towards our party.

We stood before the door at the end of the avenue.

It was a door, perfectly flat and smooth, no different from the grand gate. In Sierren and all five kingdoms, it was customary to attach various relief carvings to all doors, decorating them elaborately. Perhaps because of this? This door looked less like a door and more like a mere gap in the wall.

Leon, stepping forward from the silently standing party, bowed three times before the door and pushed it open.

Inside the silently opened door, dozens of small Makrirs simultaneously stood up.

This seemed to be an unexpected event. As I watched Leon’s shoulders stiffen, one of the Makrirs, barely reaching knee-height, toddled forward and stood before our party.

Then it hopped and spun.

…Is it telling us to follow?

The large one was terrifying, but the small ones were cute. Do Makrir young always act like young animals? I wondered if they ate separate snacks when they were young, but I was frustrated, unable to open my mouth.

I decided to ask the god about this later, when I saw him again, and stored it in my mind.