Teogonia: Volume 1 (Premium)

by Tsukasa Tanimai

  “Looks like the demi-humans had a go at them.”

  “Ah, they’re with people from the next village over. I guess they needed escorts.”

  Several soldiers on horseback came galloping in shortly after the carriage. Horses were in short supply, and lords generally had just a small number for use when hunting, making them a precious resource in the borderlands. The riders were probably the most skilled horsemen in the neighboring village, but the ride had left them exhausted. Some women of the village then screamed as one of the riders fell from his horse.

  “Someone has to carry him! He’s injured!”

  It was the quick-witted soldiers who acted first in situations like this. Manso immediately abandoned his position and ran toward the soldier who’d fallen from his horse. This of course led to Manso’s squad, Kai included, all coming to the soldier’s aid.

  Kai took on the job of keeping the riderless horse under control, grabbing the reins as it looked ready to bolt off. Kai had no experience taking care of animals, so he had no idea how to calm the nervous horse, and he was making it even more agitated.

  Calm down.

  The horse tried to break Kai’s grip on the reins by throwing its head to the side, but Kai quietly used his incredible strength to hold the horse fixed in place. He held the reins firmly and kept the horse immobile, causing it to cower in submission.

  Anyone who worked with animals probably would have been enraged to see a horse treated this way, but there were bigger things happening, and no one was watching Kai.

  The carriage that had passed them by finally came to a stop in front of the gate to the castle, and someone inside had begun to vomit. The gold-plated frame of the carriage glistened in the sunlight. Three people climbed out from inside, and the baron greeted the man dressed in the finest clothing.

  Kai could guess that this was the inspector everyone was talking about.

  “Demi-humans are attacking the roads now?”

  “We’ll need to dispatch a company to subdue them.”

  Nearby, the senior soldiers were talking to one another in hushed voices.

  One woman was whispering something about likely damage to the fields.

  Someone else angrily asked no one in particular how many people had died this time.

  The villagers directed their cold stares toward their guests, as if the carriage had carried death itself to their village.

  23

  “This is quite the reception...”

  “I am Moloch Vezin, baron of Lag. I am honored to receive you, Inspector.”

  The inspector had been dispatched in the name of the king who ruled over the Unified Kingdom. When two lords met, it was normal for both lords to show each other respect regardless of differences in rank, but in this case the higher-ranking lord was a government official wearing the royal colors, so the baron had to appear self-effacing and subservient.

  “You have traveled far and must surely be tired, Inspector. We have made preparations in anticipation of your visit, and if you’d allow me to lead you inside...”

  “Lord Moloch. Your domain is swarming with demi-humans, isn’t it?”

  “The borderlands do lie close to the nation’s border, Inspector.”

  “As long as there are many grotesque demons targeting the kingdom, every lord has a responsibility to patrol their domain and spread the glory of His Majesty the King. I do not intend to level accusations at House Moloch, but I am sure you agree that it would not do to be negligent in your duty to exterminate demon-kind?”

  “You are quite right...”

  The inspector, Severo Gandal, was a man who looked like a fat toad. The difference in height meant that he was glaring up at Vezin, who was forcing a smile while his temple twitched ever so slightly.

  As the inspector was led into the castle, instructions were given to women in waiting. They were to prepare one of the finest luxuries of the borderlands for their guests: a hot bath.

  Jugs filled with hot water were prepared, and women waited on them with fragrant oils and rough cloths to remove dirt. When Severo saw the group of fairly young girls and the rising steam, he glanced at the officials serving as his entourage with a much more placid expression.

  The guests enjoyed a carefree conversation as their skin was scrubbed by cloths soaked in hot water. Vezin breathed a sigh of relief when he heard his guests sounding cheerful, but then he noticed that one of them was still standing by the entrance unattended, and he hurried over to him.

  “How terribly rude of me. Allow me to guide you.”

  “That’s quite all right. You needn’t concern yourself with me.”

  The man held a light gray staff and was dressed in a long priest’s garb. His hood concealed a pattern that resembled the sigil of a guardian bearer.

  When his eyes met the baron’s, he drew back the hood for a moment as a display of respect.

  “I am a mere apprentice who just recently joined the great monastery of Maas. It would be improper for me to be touched by a woman’s hand. Please, do not concern yourself with me.”

  “You’re... from the monastery...”

  Vezin traced a holy sign over his chest as a show of respect.

  The man was a priest of Manu, the state religion of the Unified Kingdom. The Manu monastery trained many holy men known as imilk. The imilk obtained power far beyond ordinary humans not through the blessings of a land god, but through training and the consumption of godstones. Vezin knew that such people had secret ways of influencing the royal household.

  This priest was still young. He looked up with strong eyes, filled with willpower.

  “If you’ve already obtained a sigil...”

  “I’m ashamed to say that I’ve just barely obtained a doi sigil. I’m told that godstones are easily obtained here in the borderlands. The grand monastery has had much trouble procuring godstones. If it were possible, I would be most grateful if you had some you could provide to me as a donation before we depart.”

  “I will see to it that some are prepared.”

  “My sincere thanks.”

  The priest introduced himself as a truthseeker dispatched from Maas. He gave his name as Nada. His kumadori appeared clearly on his face to prove that he spoke truthfully. He had not been mistaken when he called himself a doi sigil. Two sigil lines ran across his brow.

  Theologians had found many rules describing the number of sigil lines that could appear between one’s eyebrows and the way the pattern would vary for each land god. Naturally, a greater number of sigil lines indicated a higher level of status. Priests who obtained sigils without the aid of a land god were deeply admired by most guardian bearers.

  “A new land god has appeared somewhere within the kingdom.”

  Nada explained that he was dispatched as a truthseeker with the task of locating this mysterious land god.

  “It is the belief of the high priests that the divine spirit we are seeking is one close to the source, and that it would spell untold disaster if such power were to fall into the hands of profane demons.”

  “The high priests... have they made a prophecy?”

  “Indeed. The grand monastery is making every effort to find this new arch-god of prophecy, so its name might be listed alongside the others of the mausoleum. But in every region, the kingdom continues to lose the very land gods that form the fabric. We cannot allow the blessings of a newly discovered and powerful land god to be stolen by demi-humans... by profane demons. Other truthseekers have been dispatched all across the kingdom under similar orders so that we might quickly locate this new god spoken of in the prophecy. The inspector was kind enough to allow me to ride in his carriage, and we travel the same course.”

  “Perhaps I could hear more of this prophecy.”

  “I can share it with you, of course. Though I was not given permission to bring a written copy, so you must forgive me for reciting it orally. There are high priests in the grand monastery who hear the resonance of the realm of gods clearly. This is wh
ere the words of prophecy came from.”

  A disobedient spirit awakens in the borderlands.

  Its power reaching to the very heavens like a soaring bird.

  Its nature, a shadow that brings light, evil that is virtuous. To be feared and revered. A god of miraculous change.

  The priest must have recited the same words in every region he visited. He recited it clearly and rhythmically, without a single stutter.

  “The Council of Priests have ordered that the gravesite of this new land god must be found as soon as possible, and its name must be enshrined in the mausoleum where it belongs, so that it might become one with the fabric. We have been granted full authority by His Majesty the King to search within the kingdom without restriction.”

  With his face hidden under his hood once more, Nada dropped to his knees in his formal priest garb, and traced a holy sign across his chest while bowing. This bow was how priests expressed the greatest degree of subservience.

  “I beg your assistance in our survey of this land.”

  “Please, rise. You’ll dirty your clothing.”

  “I beg of you.”

  “Of course,” Vezin replied without hesitation. “Whatever I can do to aid you, I will do.”

  Nada dropped his head low in response.

  The inspector was watching their conversation as his body was being cleaned. He scoffed with disinterest and said, “And of course, you’ll also be expected to cooperate with my assessments.” His drooping gut wobbled as his hand slowly creeped up the arm of the woman beside him, coming to a stop on her shoulder.

  “Let me give you some advice. If you’re planning on a search of the forest, send a good number of men out. We approached the forest at the suggestion of our dear priest not long ago, and we had quite a time of it. We were attacked so quickly that one might think the forest is well-within the demons’ territory.”

  “I beg your pardon, Inspector,” said Vezin. “What were these demons that attacked?”

  “They were gray baboons.”

  It was a clear sign that macaques were active in the area once again.

  Vezin shot a glance at Olha who was standing by the entrance, and Olha immediately left the room. He’d gone to gather soldiers to drive back the macaques, which was likely to help the truthseeker’s survey. It was also important to beat back demi-humans regularly to prevent them from attacking in large numbers later.

  “I will demonstrate the ferocity with which soldiers serving under House Moloch fight day after day. Please let us make this first step toward the survey while you all rest comfortably.”

  “Very well,” the inspector replied. “I’ll ask to see it for myself some time later.”

  A dining table for guests was set up in a dedicated room, and the table was already set with a meal so extravagant that it would have made the color drain from the villagers’ faces if they saw it. Although each dish was made from the typical food of this rundown village, the table was packed with dozens of dishes that made every possible use of the ingredients they had available.

  Needless to say, this wasteful use of food would have to be compensated for by providing less to the villagers, but their baron took great care to ensure that this extravagant meal was served in a separate room where it would never be seen by the adversely affected.

  **

  A company of soldiers was quickly assembled and put under Olha’s command. Their task was to hunt for demi-humans near the forests where the inspector’s party had been attacked.

  The company was made up of 30 soldiers. Kai was among their number. They expected that they’d have to fight in the forests where group tactics were difficult to use, so rather than selecting squads of soldiers, the soldiers had been selected according to their skill in combat. The weapons they carried were short spears, which were easier to use in tight spaces, and several of the men were carrying bows.

  The invading demi-humans were likely macaques, and their numbers had been increasing in this region.

  Every soldier knew the enemy they faced and was prepared for the battle ahead, but many wore unhappy expressions.

  No matter how many times they were driven back, the macaques would always come back and attempt another surprise attack on Lag’s land. As expected, they soon found signs of the creatures in the forest.

  First, ten or so of the fastest soldiers charged in to ensure a given area of land was secure, and then the soldiers would move through the forest side-by-side, like beaters on a hunt.

  Before long a soldier whistled through his fingers.

  “Over there!”

  Movement through the forest was slow, so it was most efficient for beaters to spread out over a broad area, and then the main force would charge in to meet any enemies in close-range combat.

  When a beater found an enemy, they would turn and run without attempting to fight. Naturally, they would run toward the main force.

  “There were five or six!”

  “Don’t let them get away!”

  Helping the survey was a secondary goal. Their true intention was to kill as many enemies as they could, because with every kill, the safety of their land would be ensured for a little longer. These enemies would die before they had a chance to attack the village.

  They killed this other species so that members of their own kind might live.

  The futile cycle of life and death in the borderlands continued that day, just like it did every other.

  24

  It came as a surprise to no one to learn that this strangely dressed man from the capital was an esteemed priest.

  Olha and even the baron himself showed great respect for him. When, through some strange turn of events, the man agreed to spar with Olha on the training ground, their bout ended in a tie. Despite being a guardian bearer, Olha struggled to withstand his attacks.

  “That priest’s not a guardian bearer, but it looks like he’s got the markings.”

  “It’s like the wandering priests we see out here are nothing compared to priests from the capital.”

  The borderlands was a place that valued raw strength, so visitors to villages in the borderlands would often be pestered with invitations to spar for the sake of comparing strengths.

  The inspector was a cinquesta sigil, so the baron himself offered to spar with him. However, the fat, toad-like inspector brushed off the request and offered up the priest instead.

  But the baron’s sigil was far higher in status than the priest’s, and it would have been rude to give him such a badly matched sparring partner. The baron was left frustrated as he was forced to send Olha in his place. After the bout between Olha and the priest took place, it was only the priest who was left unscathed, so the outcome was essentially a loss for Lag.

  The god offering its protection to Olha was the land god of the ruined village of Elg, which gave him a tres sigil. The priest had a mere doi sigil, but was somehow able to force him into a tie. Olha looked less than pleased by this outcome.

  “Your fighting style... It must be something taught in the capital...”

  “How astute of you, Lord Olha. I’m well-versed in all aspects of the staff techniques of Raksha-ryu. I’ve gathered from your footwork that you’re trained in Zula-ryu.”

  “You have keen eyes. I lost to you... even though I’m the one with the higher ranking sigil.”

  “The priests of the monastery have long said that there is more to combat than one’s sigil.”

  The conversation between the two was a friendly one. The priest explained that he’d walked a dangerous path, pushing his body to its limits through godstones and harsh training, with no land god to rely upon.

  The soldiers had watched the fight while imagining that someday it might be them standing where the priest stood, and they argued passionately about the details of the fight afterward. If they could just get close in terms of physical strength and speed, they could sharpen their arts through hard work to close the gap and stand abreast the guardian bearers. They had just se
en it happen with their own eyes.

  The soldiers around Kai were all trying to analyze the fight.

  “What do you think, Kai? How would you fight the priest?”

  “Well, he moves his weapon so fast that he can parry any attack from Olha... But Olha was using a wooden sword, so he should have tried thrusting more instead of just cutting...”

  “Good point. A good thrust might’ve found some gap in his defense.”

  “Manso, how would you attack him?”

  “Well I’m a spear bearer at heart, so I’d just thrust, thrust, thrust like mad. Not that it’s going to work on someone with the markings. He’s basically half-guardian bearer. But I suppose you could follow it up with a Zula-ryu grapple to break his stance.”

  “Right? There’s no other way.”

  Kai folded his arms and thought carefully about Manso’s analysis. Kai thought the real problem was that the priest’s eyes were too sharp. But since no one else had noticed the shine in his eyes, Kai kept quiet about it. It was barely noticeable, but the priest’s eyes had given off a faint light, like a torch burning in the distance. If that light was his spiritual energy, then Kai would be forced to conclude that he was using magic.

  Priests can come up with prophecies, so maybe they have something like... a precognition ability?

  He wondered how he’d fight against someone who could predict his every move.

  Kai had also been imagining himself fighting in Olha’s bout, and he absentmindedly went through simulations in his mind. Most of the spectating soldiers were still sitting while gesturing wildly with their arms. The scene would have looked comical to an outsider.

  “Soon they’re gonna start sending some of us out with the priest so he can explore the forest during training time. There’ll be another selection contest, I bet.”

  Many of the soldiers wanted a chance to learn more from the priest, so it was likely that a lot of volunteers would step forward. Normally, no one would want the job of patrolling the forest and possibly fighting demi-humans, but this time the job had some real appeal.