239. Throwing the Spark (5)
Fernandez and Kirhas gradually slowed down. The sounds were disappearing. Screams, eerie wails. Soon, only the rustling sound of the sandstorm blowing around them remained.
“Your Excellency, this is…”
“Shh.”
Fernandez quickly put a finger to his lips and made a hand signal. ‘Something’s here.’ They stopped and scanned their surroundings.
The sandstorm suddenly intensified, and silhouettes emerged from beneath the dust.
Statues. Despite the traces of time, the statues still stood, holding curved swords with blades as blue as the sky. Their arms were crossed over their chests, gazing somewhere in the distance.
Fernandez stepped a few paces away from Kirhas. He raised his hand to the sky and clapped. Simultaneously—
-Crash! Boom!
A curved sword flew and embedded itself where he had been standing. Not just one. At least five curved swords appeared from different directions, piercing through the sand and dust, striking the spot where the sound had come from.
Fernandez had already moved away.
He quietly observed the statue holding the curved sword. It was a type of golem, densely packed with magical circuits.
‘It reacts to sound.’
-Its performance has degraded. Has the logic circuit been damaged?
‘Or perhaps the caster’s control has weakened.’
Fernandez raised his head. There was a point where the wind direction changed. He took Kirhas’s hand and walked in that direction.
If the flow of magic was like a wave, this was the densest, upstream flow.
-Whooosh…
The dust gradually dispersed. The field of vision widened. One by one, the objects around him came into view.
The floor, half-buried in sand, seemed to be part of a road. The straight, neatly laid tiles showcased high-level stonework.
And on either side of the road stood statues. Like soldiers in formation, evenly spaced, one by one. As the view widened, Fernandez narrowed his eyes and looked ahead.
‘This is the Pharaoh’s Path.’
This was the road leading to the royal palace. Stone golems, carved in the image of gods protecting the Pharaoh, stood in a long line, gazing toward the end of the road. Despite the years and sandstorms, they remained in the same stance, exuding a sharp aura…
-Whooosh.
The wind swept away the dust. The view cleared completely. The blue sky became visible.
He was standing in the eye of the sandstorm, at the very center.
The clear sky was cut into a perfect circle. Just a few meters beyond this spot, the sandstorm still raged.
-Screeeech…!!
The cry of a hawk echoed beyond the sky. The hawk, flying gracefully, circled once and then descended, disappearing toward the end of the road. At the end of the road stood a massive altar.
[Approach.]
The golems on both sides spoke in unison. As Fernandez stepped forward, Kirhas grabbed his sleeve. She hastily made a hand signal. ‘Beware of traps.’ Roughly that meaning.
Fernandez chuckled, ruffled her hair, and moved forward. Kirhas, drawing her sword, guarded his back, vigilant in all directions.
* * *
There was no interference all the way to the upper level of the altar. Even the magic circuits activated as a precaution seemed unnecessary. The statues guarding the altar simply stared blankly toward it.
The altar was made of pure white marble. Not just reflecting the midday sun, but emitting a soft glow on its own.
Intricate carvings filled with gold and the unique stone paintings of the Empire of Ashit adorned the steps of the altar.
He stepped on it.
One step at a time.
And finally, he reached the top of the altar.
“……”
There were three figures. No, three ‘things.’ Mummies, almost perfectly preserved, were slowly waving ornate feather fans. Two mummies, dressed in palace servant attire and adorned with various ornaments, stood there.
And between them lay ‘her.’ On a massive throne decorated with glittering emerald-colored jeweled beetles… A stunningly beautiful woman lay there.
No, a mask of a beautiful woman. Likely modeled after her appearance in life. A mummy wearing a finely crafted mask of gold and various dyes lay there, looking down at him.
“Lavirata…”
[One of my names.]
The voice was as beautiful as a heavenly melody. Normally, the Wraith Sovereign’s forces lack vocal cords and do not communicate through physical sound. Therefore, this was a type of magic that directly spoke to his mind.
Such meticulousness even in the smallest details. Fernandez smirked. It was practically a waste, bordering on vanity.
[Savior. Why do you attack us?]
Surprisingly, Lavirata showed no hostility. Despite having buried thousands of troops under the sand with a single spell and unleashed wraiths to harvest the survivors beneath the sand.
“Savior.”
[You have driven away the darkness of Ashit and restored light to me and the heroes of Ashit. Ashit owes you. Savior. Why do you oppose me?]
Ah, so she knew about that.
From Fernandez’s judgment, Lavirata was an exceptionally skilled mage. The group called the Conclave, revived by Mumto, was itself a remnant of the Empire of Ashit…
It was a group composed of the greatest sovereigns, so it was only natural.
She was a powerful mage, so she must have known about Mumto’s curse that captured her. And as the curse lifted, she would have naturally realized it. After many years, she had finally gained her freedom.
So, the savior. The savior who rescued her and her people from the eternal darkness of the Great Demon. It was only natural to judge it that way.
“Your era ended a thousand years ago. The living have their own world.”
[Then, do the dead, even if they have free will, have to die peacefully and turn to dust?]
“Your will is nothing but an illusion woven by magic. The spirit remains, but the soul is gone, the white is faint, and the castle is twisted. Mumto only needed puppets, so he did not try to preserve your souls intact. You are but shadows of the people you think you were in life.”
[Shadows, you say?]
Lavirata slowly rose and gestured. At her gesture, the maids put away their fans and cautiously stepped back.
[True. I no longer feel any sensation on my skin, cannot play any instrument beautifully, nor find any food sweet. So, shadows. Are we merely mimicking our actions from life?]
“That’s right.”
[No.]
Lavirata stepped forward, lifting a thin purple curtain. Her golden mask shimmered under the midday sun.
[What defines life? Is the criterion for life merely the activity of an organism? Who dares, who dares to call our will a ‘mockery’? How were you born, and how do you die?]
Lavirata was not angry. She spoke calmly, looking at Fernandez.
[Were you born with a clear desire for life and free will? Your first breath was just a lowly instinct, and your body was merely a mix of your parents’ traits. Does that mean you are just a copy of your parents?]
-This is quite interesting.
Faijashi chuckled. Fernandez coldly stared at Lavirata.
Lavirata took the cup offered by the servant. She poured its contents onto the ground.
-Drip…
A sour smell hit their noses. It was wine. Very old, fermented, and thickened… Lavirata stood there unfazed.
[All humans are born, and from the moment of birth, they inevitably move toward death. But does that mean humans live to die? No. We were born in the shadow of the Great Demon, constructed to be his puppets. But that does not define our entirety.]
Lavirata stared intently at Fernandez. Fernandez stroked his chin, organizing his thoughts. There were many things to refute, but he did not want to argue with this Pharaoh.
What do we live for? What proves life? Who am I? These questions were a heavy burden for Fernandez now.
But… is there a need to ponder?
That is clearly Lavirata’s true feelings. She was sincerely trying to persuade him. But persuasion? The Pharaohs of the Conclave never persuade others. They only assert.
Lavirata’s words… must be sincere and earnest, but they are unlike her. Unlike a Pharaoh. The Pharaohs of the Empire of Ashit were not beings who persuaded.
They only asserted and ruled.
-You’ve weakened.
Fernandez shook his head and gripped the sword hilt. With a creak, the greatsword slid out of its scabbard, covered in sand.
You’ve weakened. Faijashi was right. Lavirata had cast a large-scale spell to turn the tide of the war. It was a delicate and advanced spell that could rival Faijashi’s signature spell.
Faijashi, even in his prime, suffered severe backlash every time he used his signature spell. Just a Conclave member. If someone of that level cast such a spell, the damage would not be trivial.
The Legion of Wraiths changes in power according to the Pharaoh’s strength. Down below, the wraiths’ sluggish movements proved Lavirata’s decline.
“You’re right, Lavirata. Your existence is more than just a mockery.”
[Then, savior, do you intend to make a peace treaty with me?]
“That’s why I’m even more sorry.”
At Fernandez’s words, Lavirata paused. She tilted her head slightly and asked.
[What is it?]
“Even if I respect your will and affirm your life, it’s already too late.”
-Swish.
The blade rose into the air. The greatsword pointed straight at Lavirata. At its tip, Lavirata stood. Fernandez bowed his head.
The seal of Mumto breaking sooner than expected. The Conclave running wild. Freeing the Conclave members by killing Mumto.
It’s my doing. Not the attitude of religious people who blame everything on themselves. Literally, his doing. Even trampling on these things.
Just puppets? At least Fernandez couldn’t think that way. Faijashi wouldn’t have even pondered it.
Puppets. Who dares to think this world, themselves, truly free? To Fernandez, who knows the truth of this horizontal world… all events are just a puppet show from a macroscopic view.
If they are shadows of the living, mere imitations of life, then it’s no different. Even if they are shadows of Faijashi, imitations moving toward Faijashi’s goals, it wouldn’t be wrong.
‘Your life is your gallows. Sinner, move forward.’
He recalled Kadán’s trial. The punishment from the God of the Hunt was ‘life.’ Faijashi’s life was a tragedy filled with regret and remorse, and Fernandez, who inherited it, was bound by the same gallows.
“There’s only one answer I can give you, Lavirata.”
[……What is it?]
“I will pray for you. To your god, in your language… sincerely.”
Fernandez raised his head.
His blue eyes glowed darkly.
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