Chapter 594 - Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint

No, it can't be my elder sister. After all, she's already dead. A corpse can't be my sister. "Oh? That's true. If you're here, I must have died. Then why am I still alive?" There could be many reasons for that. Nevida's obsession with preserving your body for two thousand years could be one, and the advanced demon capable of creating humans could be another. But those aren't as important as you'd think. What matters more is— It's because someone wishes for the return of the human king. More than just Nevida, many others do as well. "Huh? Why is that? It shouldn't be possible." Why? If not that, there wouldn't be any reason otherwise. "Because the reason I died was..." She was trying to explain something to me. It was a story too profound to be articulated with the language shaped by tongues, because it wasn't just the story of a single human but the overwhelming current of consciousness shared by many. Even without explicitly stating it, one can feel the grandeur of the torrent. The flow and truth within it aren't meant to be explained. They're meant to be accepted. She approached me and explained it in a way only I could understand. Thoughts aligned with thoughts. I read her mind. *** There was a time like that. A time when humans, not much different from beasts, sought to claim the world as their own and thrive. Just before the roots of knowledge and the budding spirituality were set to blossom fully. A time when the world held its breath, awaiting the dawn. For humans, there was the existence of the tradition-bearer. Drawings on cave walls meant to signify something. Those drawings became symbols, transformed into words, and woven into meaningful sentences like intricate carvings. For the first time, humans could inscribe their experiences onto something beyond their physical being. This was the tradition, the inheritance of the human species. Gathering countless traditions and preserving them from being forgotten was the role of the tradition-bearer. "This concludes today's lesson." They had the significant role of passing that tradition to the human king. The rolled scrolls were wound back up, the remaining ink wiped clean on paper. The 'sister' asked the tradition-bearer, who was ready to leave, with curiosity. "Huh? Is that it for today?" "I have nothing more to teach. Thanks to your extraordinary intelligence.” The tradition-bearer spoke as she slipped the scrolls into her arms. "It's been only half a year since the previous king passed on to the mountain lords. Just a month since we found and enthroned you. Yet in that time, you've mastered letters and read all ninety-nine scrolls." "I just read them. Letters are fascinating! Not difficult at all!" "You, after all, are the king of all humans. If it's a human capability, you can achieve it all. As much as you are my king, I am overjoyed to have such an intelligent and enthusiastic student." The tradition-bearer smiled genuinely. As the sun set and the moon waned, as the new sprouts withered and fell into autumn leaves, and as the winter snow melted, giving way to sprouting seeds. Reading the constellations to discern the cycles of time. Sowing seeds in concert with the vast flow, farming, channeling molten metal in roaring furnaces, and endlessly forging, binding them to create tools and weapons. In mere weeks, the human king mastered all the knowledge the tradition-bearer had. "Saying 'mastered' almost diminishes your greatness. Because you can enact all that you learn." "We learn to use it, don't we?" "Because it's challenging. Humans can only learn what they genuinely feel. No matter how much they read scrolls or are taught traditions, they often fall asleep without understanding." Grumbling, the tradition-bearer glanced at the 'sister' for solace. "Unlike our brilliant king." "But aren't these scrolls made by all of you?" The 'sister' lightly opened a scroll. Countless letters unfolded before her. A typical person might feel dizzy seeing the spreading letters, but her eyes swiftly scanned all of them. The king of beasts was the pinnacle of its kind, but the more pronounced trait was the conceptual characteristic. The human's strength lies not in mere strength or tools. The true power is the ability to learn and master everything in the world. The human king excelled in the power to learn. Before long, they had learned all the truths and principles known by the tradition-bearer. Strong, swift, wise, and sagacious. "If I'm remarkable, then you, who created remarkable things, are also remarkable! So, you have every right to be proud!" Benevolent and compassionate even. The human king was, in every sense, perfect. Could anything greater ever appear? Politics was also among the many things the human king learned. Not the politics people typically imagine filled with opinions and views where parties criticize one another. What the human king learned was a structural understanding of how humans flocked together and lived. Most of the northwestern continent was the human king's domain. It was a bit different from dominion. The humans in the northwest had a loose tribal system that felt normal, and the human king didn't concern themselves with how they lived. The human king didn't impose anything on anyone. Yet, the existence of the human king was so perfect. One couldn't help but follow. Immense strength. Exceptional skills. Outstanding knowledge. And the sheer concept of being the 'human king.' Water flows from high to low. The humans who received the wisdom shared by the human king were enraptured and willingly bowed their heads. Thus, the human king caused civilization to flourish across the northwestern continent. The king's domain took on the form of a nation and prospered. Where there was a nation, there had to be a capital. But the human king, the heart of the nation, was free and didn't command others, nor did they receive commands. Therefore, the capital also needed to be able to move with the human king. The subjects embarked on an endless journey, following the esteemed king. These were the king’s warriors—noble humans who assisted, followed, and spread the commands of the king far and wide. As they embarked on pilgrimages with the king, they recruited individuals with talent, and as they aged, they stepped back to settle somewhere, spreading the king's teachings throughout the land. There was another task given to these warriors: to find the king. Should the king die of old age, sickness, or any creatures like beasts, they would conduct a brief funeral and quickly set out across the continent in search of the next king. This was vitally important. If the search was even slightly delayed, ambitious warriors of the king might turn against each other, leading the nation into chaos. The warriors needed a king to avoid fighting among themselves. Fortunately, in this era, the warriors had quickly found the new king. “My king!” A girl as fresh as a blade of grass spotted the human king and ran barefoot towards them. She was the one who had taken and cared for the ‘sister’ when she was newly born in a cave within the vast forest. The girl, who had lost her parents early and was performing chores under a grumpy druid, earned the right to join the king's warriors for her care of the 'sister.' The 'sister' also warmly welcomed her. “Nevada! Look, here!” The 'sister' approached with two scrolls, proudly waving them. Savoring the curiosity and joy reflected in the girl's eyes, the 'sister' spoke. “These are the druid traditions. I wrote them to be easier to understand from what I memorized.” “Dr-druid traditions…? You wrote this yourself?” “Yes. You want to become a druid, right? With this, I'll make you a druid!” It is only natural for humans, being akin to beasts, to feel more inclined towards those who have shown them kindness first, even if they are the human king. In this era, the human king's chosen companion was Nevada. The tradition-bearer who followed the 'sister' was startled upon seeing the scrolls and rushed over. “My king! Those scrolls are—!” “It’s okay! I wrote these myself!” The 'sister' probably meant to emphasize that it wasn’t stolen, but for the tradition-bearer, that was the bigger issue. Superior traditions had been born unbeknownst to him. “Huh?” “She’s just a child. We can educate her; meanwhile, you, my king, should focus on more pressing matters.” “More pressing matters? Like what?” “Creating treasures, governing the land, or resolving village disputes, for instance.” “That doesn’t seem important at all. Others can handle those without me.” Though she had earned the eligibility to become a king's warrior, many were displeased with the transient girl who was favored merely for meeting the ‘sister’ first. Thus, Nevada remained in a cold spot among the king's warriors. “If it’s Nevada, no one else but me can teach her. That’s much more important!” Yet, this only intrigued the ‘sister’ more. The thoughts of the king’s warriors did not reach that far. Always by the king’s side, indulging in the power and wisdom, king's warriors clearly held power in their era. Naturally, where there is power, corruption grows. The king’s warriors became corrupt. The role of a king’s warrior offered opportunities for growth and experience, and merely having once been by the king’s side warranted treatment akin to sages. In any village, they could displace the village chief and wield control. Gradually, the king’s warriors sought to monopolize that power. They grew frustrated with the independent, carefree human king and attempted to sway things their way. “Let us amend the traditions.” The tradition-bearer, too, could not escape the tides of corruption. “My king freely spends our knowledge. We painstakingly gather and document our knowledge onto scrolls, yet he shares it even with a young girl ignorant of where it originates. Why would anyone bother to painstakingly gather traditions if they can lounge by the king and simply await the fruits to fall?” The other tradition-bearers nodded in agreement with his words. “Even if it’s our duty to pass on traditions, authoring new traditions without our consent is a step too far, even for a king.” Among the king’s warriors, the esteemed tradition-bearers were highly respected by the people. Yet unlike other powers, knowledge could be shared. Perhaps that's why the tradition-bearers became possessive of their scrolls. “Without tradition, humans might as well be beasts. Humans and, indeed, the king’s distinction arises from our traditions. We deserve better treatment.” “Indeed! Without us, the king's warriors wouldn't stand a chance!” “Regrettably, our current king has already mastered the scrolls. Let us ensure the records warn the next king thoroughly.” “What if, like now, the king authors scrolls himself?” “We must retrieve them. Preserving scrolls is rightfully our duty.” The tradition-bearer unfurled a scroll as he spoke. Although no words must be erased without consideration on a tradition scroll, he attempted to overlay the letters, disregarding that custom. A sentence ordering the spreading of traditions was erased by painting it over with white ink made from ground shells. He then layered black letters over the thickened conscience. Despite it bearing the name of tradition, it concealed a plea to stifle its existence. Or so it should have. The letters danced defiantly, resisting their overwriting. The tradition-bearer glared in disbelief. “No, this is…” “The ancient sage is enraged!” “I-it can’t be…! Was the tradition true?” The legendary figure said to have created the first written words. The tradition sage, the protector of knowledge and tradition, is said to punish those who dare to defile traditions by appearing before them in person. Of course, this too was merely an age-old fable created to protect the tradition. However, she possessed the power to turn such fables into reality. "That was not something you wrote." The tradition-bearers were startled to the point of breathlessness. As if their vulnerabilities had been exposed, they clutched the scrolls to their chests, trembling. "Knowledge is the asset of humanity. It originates from humans and must rightfully return to them. It should not be something exclusive." The girl rebuked the tradition-bearers with eyes penetrating the essence of all things. Embarrassed and guilty, the tradition-bearers lowered their heads and held their breath. Who she was, how she came to be there, and what powers she wielded had ceased to matter. "However, if you can overlay tradition with sin, then sin can be overlaid with merit. I shall offer you a chance to amend your wrongs." Cutting through the tradition-bearers' fear, the girl emerged as a new tradition-bearer.