---

Chapter: 288

“I too… even I, capable of wielding the mightiest magic among the mages of Procyon, can’t believe something like this is possible… Is that really a person?”

“If it were a person, it would have been impossible.”

Luke chuckled softly, placing the helmet he held in his left hand on the table and settling into a nearby chair.

“Unfortunately, she wasn’t human.”

“If she’s not human…?”

In an instant, a being with immense power flashed through Encia’s mind. A dragon. But she shook her head, brushing the thought away.

Why would a dragon assist a person? The dragons in stories are ferocious monsters, known for driving off anyone who dares to enter their territory according to the rumors.

There was no way a dragon, with its overwhelming magical power, would help a human.

“She… well, I’m not sure. But I wonder if she might be a deity that once walked the earth.”

“A deity?”

For a moment, Encia tilted her head in confusion. A deity looking down on the world from the Divine Hall above?

That couldn’t be. Deities don’t directly intervene in the world.

In ancient times, the gods descended to this world and wreaked havoc, but now, they no longer meddled directly.

They respond to prayers and give power to priests but… they never come down themselves.

One of those gods had remained on the ground? Why?

“I can see what you’re thinking. I thought the same way.”

Luke smiled faintly, continuing his story.

“Gods no longer approach humans; they merely look down upon the world from their lofty Divine Hall. I imagine you’re thinking along those lines?”

“Ah, well, that’s…”

“I felt the same way. In tough times, I resented the gods for just watching.”

Luke gazed at the statue with a wistful look in his eyes, a blend of nostalgia and affection.

“But after a chance encounter, I met her… and I realized not all gods are like that. In fact… the god of the elves and the god of the dwarves are known for caring for their people.”

“Indeed… it’s said that the Divine Flame, the god worshiped in Procyon, resides at the heart of that scorching desert. No one has seen them firsthand, though.”

Luke nodded slightly. Aside from that, there were still some deities who descended to the world to care for humans.

Among them… was a god who lived for humans while hiding their own existence.

Even as believers began to fade away, they remained for humanity.

“One of them… was a goddess named Gaia.”

“Gaia…? That’s a name I’ve never heard before.”

“There’s a reason for that. She never had a temple, nor did she have priests, and she wasn’t worshipped… she merely existed on the surface of the earth.”

Encouraged by Luke’s ambiguous words, Encia merely tilted her head in confusion.

“I didn’t know there was such a goddess. What kind of goddess is she?”

“She was the goddess of the earth. A goddess known as the Mother of All Lands.”

“The goddess of the earth…?”

“Yes. The goddess of the earth.”

At that moment, Encia felt something odd. The goddess of the earth. The deity of the very land on which they lived. Just hearing it made her feel that this goddess was not an ordinary one.

Moreover, the farmers who cultivate the land, the lords who govern the territories, and the Emperor, the master of the Romania Empire, were merely humans standing on that vast earth. To learn of such a massive earth goddess… was her first encounter.

It was as if someone had purposefully buried that name.

“How could this be? If the goddess of the earth truly existed… it would make sense for many to believe in her.”

“Well, the detailed circumstances are unknown, but… I did learn one thing.”

Luke spoke in a calm voice.

“She was… another aspect of the Goddess of Life.”

“The Goddess of Life…!”

The greatest god. The creator god of all life. Her other aspect, indeed.

“Then that explains everything. If she is another aspect of the great goddess known as the Goddess of Life… it’s not strange for her to be buried unless the Goddess of Life herself emphasizes that aspect.”

“But… even if she’s the Goddess of Life, it feels strange to just leave such an immense deity unattended.”

“How can mere humans like us comprehend the thoughts of a great deity? Perhaps… for her, that part of herself might not be of great importance.”

Luke took a small breath before speaking while looking at the statue.

“It’s a well-known fact that the Goddess of Life cherishes all life. For her, even the status of being the goddess of the earth might have been just a tool to care for earthly lives… a nobility incomparable to other gods.”

“No, even so…”

Encouraged, Encia tried to add something, but…

“Of course, all of this relies on what I found in the remaining records and my own deductions. There’s nothing certain. I’m just an old fool mourning her absence, trying to find traces of her.”

Seeing the sadness etched on Luke’s face, reminiscent of someone reflecting on the past, Encia couldn’t bring herself to speak further.

“Have you… ever said goodbye to someone precious?”

“Huh?”

“Have you ever lost someone precious? Ah, you’re still young. You might not have experienced that yet.”

“Someone precious…”

The first thing that came to Encia’s mind was none other than Tia.

An entity whose appearance she didn’t know, recognized only by the sound of her voice.

But, she had been with her since she was young… a being like family.

If Tia wasn’t a precious existence, then who could be?

“Yes. A little while ago…”

“Huh? You’re still young and yet?”

“Ah, well… it’s a bit special. She’s not even a person, I don’t know her appearance, just the voice…”

“Hmm? Just the voice?”

“Yes. Ever since I was a kid, there’s been a voice that only I could hear.”

This was a story Encia had never told anyone before, but she slowly revealed it to Luke standing before her.

Why was that? Was it because the mention of losing someone precious stirred something within her? Or was it a response for Luke sharing the story about the statue?

Not knowing the reason, Encia continued.

“The voice named Tia… has told me many things. The magic I use was also taught to me by Tia.”

“Hmm… magic related to weather?”

“Yes. Tia knew many things. She shared knowledge that others didn’t know. Because it was a voice I had known since I was young, I considered her like a sister… but she left not long ago.”

“A voice that tells you knowledge that others don’t know…”

Hearing Encia’s words, Luke fell into deep thought.

“Why do you say that?”

“No. The name Tia. I feel like I’ve heard it somewhere. Tia, Tiatra… where have I heard it? Must be my old age making my memory fuzzy.”

Luke seemed lost in thought for a moment but then suddenly recalled something.

“I think it’s similar to a name passed down from Rattkinia and Vistia… One of the names for the goddess of life that descended to the earth in the form of the Dragon Priestess. It must have been… Tiamat?”

“Tiamat?”

“Yes. Tiamat. There was a Dragon Priestess known as Tia by those around her. But looking at her actions, it was certainly beyond anything an ordinary Dragon Priestess could do. Which Dragon Priestess travels the world with several companions and elevates them to godhood?”

“Really?”

“It’s true that the Dragon Priestess possesses great power, but they don’t have enough power to create gods. Therefore, it was said that the Dragon Priestess named Tiamat was, in fact, the Goddess of Life disguised as a Dragon Priestess.”

“I’ve never heard of anything like that before!”

“It’s a tale passed down in Rattkinia and Vistia, which likely isn’t known elsewhere.”

Encia tilted her head slightly. Could it really be true? More importantly, if Tia was a name associated with the Dragon Priestess… could it be that the voice she had heard was related to the Goddess of Life?

Being knowledgeable about magic, being well-versed in spells, and possessing enough knowledge to make this young girl a renowned mage…

Encia nodded slightly. The stories Tia had told, the information Tia had shared, all filled with extraordinary tales.

How could she know such things if she wasn’t a divine being?

“Could Tia also… be a goddess?”

“Well, I can’t say anything definite because I don’t know who this Tia you speak of is. Unless she is the same as the one I loved.”

“Is that so…”

Encia felt a bit melancholic. Indeed, there weren’t any clear answers in this world. Only Tia could provide the answers to everything.

If Tia were still around… If she could ask her if she was a goddess… Would she have answered honestly?

Perhaps, she would have. There was no lie in her words.

Encia found herself missing Tia.

She longed to hear her voice.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

“Ugh… this is hard…”

“It’s not easy, is it? Everyone struggles at first.”

“I thought I had it all collected, but it keeps unraveling. Is this really how it’s done?”

“Of course! That’s why we borrowed books from other schools, right?”

The sleepy girl commented, and the girl with glasses lowered her head without a response.

“I guess I’m just not cut out to be a mage?”

“Well… you certainly have potential as a knight.”

The sleepy girl lightly scanned the girl with glasses.

Strong physique. Unyielding framework. Bouncy and muscular, capable of immense strength. Plus, a physique that easily gains muscle.

If the girl with glasses had chosen the path of a knight… she might have left her name in history.

“But you said you didn’t want to. Even wearing those unfitting glasses.”

“Ugh…”

The sleepy girl picked up the glasses belonging to the girl with glasses. The parts where the lenses should have been were empty, resembling more of an ornament.

“Well, it’s natural for your first step to be difficult. You have to keep putting in effort for results. You can’t build a huge castle overnight.”

“It’s just that making the first circle is particularly hard; once you make it, it won’t be so difficult to gather the magic afterward. So keep at it.”

“But this is just too hard… ugh…”

The girl with glasses retrieved her glasses from the sleepy girl’s hands and put them on her face.

“What about you? Can you use magic too?”

“Me? Huh?”

“Yeah. Given how detailed you are about all this… you must be able to use at least some magic, right?”

The girl with glasses looked at the sleepy girl with hopeful eyes, anticipation for magic to be shown, wanting to see impressive spells.

But…

“Um… no.”

“Why not? Can’t you use magic?”

“I can use magic, but… if I release my magic, bad things would happen.”

“Bad things…?”

At the sleepy girl’s words, the girl with glasses tilted her head in confusion.

To think there were troublesome things with her, even after spending a considerable amount of time together? This was the first she heard of it.

“If I release my magic… there are people who will come after me.”

“People who will come after you?”

“Yeah. They’ll chase me down using magic and take me away. So I can’t let it out.”

“Chased down by someone? But she doesn’t seem to give off such vibes?”

After all, they had spent a long time together, like sisters; why had she never heard of such circumstances?

“It’s troublesome if I let my magic out because I could be found out. But if I don’t let it out, it’s fine. So I can’t show you any magic.”

“Just letting out magic is enough for them to come after you?”

“Yes. The magic a person has contains unique patterns, colors, frequencies, and such. The story of mages using that property of magic to track down criminals through the residual magic at the crime scene has also appeared in novels.”

“Oh, is that what it was? I read about it in the book! From Magic Detective Homeros!”

“Yes. That. I can’t tell you in detail, but… my magic is being chased after continually. So I can’t let it out.”

Upon hearing the sleepy girl’s words, the girl with glasses asked with a hardened expression.

“Is it something you can’t even share with me?”

“Yeah. You, of course, and I can’t tell the uncle either. I hope you can understand this much.”

At the sleepy girl’s words, the girl with glasses remained silent.

 

---