Indeed, the results of thoroughly examining the Elf’s Books Huang Dong-gyeong brought back were quite fruitful.
First of all, the hypothesis that a war broke out among the gods was proven to be true.
Back in the day, groups of gods sharing similar cultural backgrounds formed factions. However, for some reason, they ended up going to war.
Only the elves seem to remember that era, as this event is absent from both human and dwarf records.
Why did the gods go to war? Was it over limited faith resources? Or did tangled relationships among the gods escalate into conflict?
Unfortunately, detailed records are lacking. What we do know is that the war between Olympus and Ennead became increasingly complicated due to conflicting interests and personal ties among the gods. The conflict grew so massive that 60% of the Divine Hall’s gods eventually joined the battle.
The war dragged on for tens, perhaps hundreds of days, leading to the decline or destruction of many gods who couldn’t maintain their followers. It was a tremendous sacrifice.
And the outcome of such a war… Well, I wouldn’t want to spoil it just yet. Still, discovering that such a war occurred is quite the revelation.
Though we gained valuable insights, more information is desperately needed.
Why did the gods fight each other? What kind of war was it? Why did so many gods risk everything over faith?
Those reasons remain completely unclear.
Also, if the four most powerful god factions at the time were involved, and Olympus and Ennead fought each other, what were the other two doing?
What about Aesir and Lokapala? Why aren’t they mentioned?
What was the Church of Life, now known for its prominence through the Temple of Life, doing during this time?
There are far too many gaps in our knowledge.
It would be great to ask the gods directly, but they likely wouldn’t let us dig this deep.
Unless… Isn’t there a god free from the Divine Hall? The dwarven god, the Divine Mountain Sagarmatha, might have less connection to the Divine Hall…
But if word got back to the Divine Hall through Sagarmatha…
That wouldn’t end well. Definitely not.
I sighed quietly. This frustrating lack of clues is maddening, but it’s too late to give up now.
While the elf documents were helpful, they contained almost nothing about Baal.
If someone deliberately erased all traces of Baal, they must have been incredibly thorough.
What should I do now? If no one – dwarves, elves, or humans – knows anything, should I consult the dragons?
Lost in thought, I picked up the parchment document lying next to me.
A record of elven history, with newer pages gradually added over time. The older pages were thicker and of lower quality, showing how their leatherworking skills improved over the centuries.
Elves are renowned as the finest leatherworkers, but even they started out rough.
History and technology develop gradually after all.
As I reflected on this, I idly stroked the thick parchment.
Something felt off about its texture.
This wasn’t ordinary thick parchment.
The subtle slippery feel… Almost like two sheets glued together…
Wait a moment.
Carefully inspecting the edge of the parchment…
What appeared to be a single sheet actually had a tiny folded section.
With extreme caution, I took out a small dagger and carefully separated the layers.
Though damaging the document was risky, this might be worth it…
Amazingly, the blade successfully split what seemed like one page into two, revealing the hidden inner side.
“This is…”
Older records than those on the back page. Pre-elf history.
Could this be a record from the Age of the Gods? Though rather brief, it’s fascinating.
The earliest entry describes the birth of the gods from Yggdrasil’s perspective.
An era when countless gods were born and ran rampant across the world.
Among these gods, the King… Bael? No, wasn’t it Baal?
They probably intentionally altered the name to avoid blasphemy.
Anyway, there’s a record of the King of Gods.
Receiving a sacred vessel from the Goddess of Life, ruling over the gods for centuries before trying to stop the continent from rising and destroying the world, suffering heavy damage and shattering…
Afterwards, the gods Baal created divided his scattered fragments and declared themselves sky gods…
So…
Taking a deep breath, I continued reading the hidden page.
Most of the self-proclaimed kings were actually Baal’s avatars, who took possession of his fragments after he shattered.
This was shocking enough, but what followed was even more surprising.
Disappointed by the gods’ rampaging behavior after Baal’s disappearance, the Goddess of Life decided to end the Age of the Gods.
To appease her, the gods returned Baal’s fragments to her… though possessing such a fragment meant certain death, so everyone avoided it, eventually leading to war among the gods.
Was the Goddess of Life’s attempt to reclaim Baal’s fragments the cause of the divine war?
It’s quite the revelation. The supposedly gentle Goddess of Life was the reason the Age of Gods ended.
Still, if she ended the Age of Gods, why was Baal’s existence erased?
Is it because a King of Gods wasn’t needed anymore?
Or was it erased for some purpose?
Whatever the truth may be, let’s organize the information first.
Once organized, I should discuss with Huang Dong-gyeong whether it’s ready to present.
Closing the elven history book…
“Hmm, impressive.”
I noticed someone watching me analyze the data.
“I thought most of the information was erased, yet you managed to gather this much.”
A silver-haired girl with horns.
Any historian would recognize her instantly.
“Dragon Priestess…?”
“Hm. Did you piece this together alone? Not bad for a human.”
She gave a sly smile.
Noticing her approach, I subtly gripped then released my concealed dagger.
Fighting her would be futile. She represents the Goddess of Life herself.
Even if I fought, victory wouldn’t be guaranteed.
“Smart thinking. Charging recklessly would be unwise.”
“How did you find me?”
“Your actions caught my attention. Following you here was natural. Feel honored – you’ve earned my interest.”
The calm Dragon Priestess made me sigh.
Is this the end? Will my dream of leaving a mark in history fade here?
“So, are you here to eliminate me?”
“Eliminate? Such strong words…”
She smiled mischievously.
“Hmm. How shall I deal with you?”
“I have no regrets. I knew the risks of uncovering hidden history.”
“Ah, you understood the dangers and proceeded anyway?”
“But may I make one last request?”
She tilted her head curiously.
“One last request?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm. Very well, what is it?”
“The truth… I wish to know the truth.”
“The truth?”
“Exactly. The truth buried in history. As a representative of the Goddess of Life, you must know.”
I accepted my fate long ago. Since embarking on this investigation, death was expected.
What saddens me is dying without knowing the truth.
The divine war, the truth about Baal.
Why was the King of Gods erased from history?
I wanted to uncover the facts hidden in history.
“Hmm… The truth, eh? Might not be as grand as you imagine, but still… do you really wish to know?”
“Of course.”
She nodded slightly after studying my face.
“Very well. I shall reveal the truth to you.”
And so, the Dragon Priestess began her tale.
