CH 254

Mia’s Roots

“That’s strange. I don’t know why it’s so bright.”

Mia grabbed a handful of water and watched as it ran through her fingers. Her hand didn’t light up after what she did.She thought the glowing was coming from the water, but it seemed to be coming from something else.

“It kind of looks like the light that fireflies give off. Maybe there are glowing organisms in the water,” said Abel after he had thought about it for a while. Then he was silent for a few seconds.

Then, with a bit of worry in his voice, he asked again, “So, Mia, do you think this was done on purpose?”

“Huh? What was done on purpose?”

“This.”

He made a sign for the water.

“You remember how Sion said that there were signs that the cave we were in was made by people, right? I was thinking that the light source in this cave might have been put there by someone. On purpose.”

Mia’s mind went back to the story Esmeralda told.

“Huh, an evil cult with a secret shrine… I see. That scary story she told is suddenly a lot more believable, don’t you think…?”

Even so, she didn’t really think they’d find a place where bad things happen down here. Abel, on the other hand, saw the more important conclusion.

“That could be good or bad, depending on how you look at it. If people helped make this place, there must be a way to get in and out.”

“Oh, you’re right. Then there might be a way out!”

Even if there hadn’t been, the path still went in both directions. If they followed it, they might be able to get out of there. As her mood got better, she took lighter steps.

Unfortunately, when they got to the end of the winding tunnels, they weren’t in the open air, but in a huge underground room. The huge cavern was much bigger than any of the others they had seen so far.

“What…does this place do?”

It was a strange sight that made people feel both amazed and confused. The blue light that had shown them the way through the water is now everywhere in the room. Not because whatever was in the water was now in the air.

Instead, the crystalline rocks in the area spread the blue light in a million different directions, lighting the whole cavern.

And in the middle of it all, lit by the strange blue reflections, was a shrine. The huge pillars that held up the roof were made of rocks that were so clear that they looked like ice.

The building was like a kaleidoscope of reflections, and the light around it made it look like it was glowing. The crystalline shrine looked like it came right out of a fairy tale.

And like most places in stories where strange things happen, there was something scary about it.

It just felt wrong.

Mia thought the sight from another world was not only strange, but almost dirty.

“I- It’s true… Down here, there really is a shrine. I’d never have imagined… Could this be the underground shrine of the evil cult?”

“Who can say? Though the fact that it’s hidden in a place like this suggests it wasn’t built for entirely good reasons…”

He didn’t say much more as he looked at the building in silence. She didn’t blame him. Both of them had never seen anything like it before.

From the way the place looked, you couldn’t tell much about it. When did it get built? How will you do it? …who?

It was a complete mystery how its architecture fit into the world. But there was one thing that was obvious…

“Whatever it is, it creeps me out,” Abel said, saying exactly what Mia was thinking.

She agreed by nodding. She was looking at something that looked like something out of a dream, but she had a strange dislike for it. Almost disgust, but not quite.

Shrines were meant to show how great God was. They were meant to be built with a philosophy of harmony that looked for beauty in completeness.

The one before them, on the other hand, made them feel uneasy. Of not being perfect.

It wasn’t a definite feeling, but more of a vague gut feeling. Things they thought they’d find weren’t there, and places that should have been empty were instead full.

Every small deviation from the expected norm added up to make a strange whole that made people feel like invisible claws were constantly scratching their nerves.

“The evil cultists’ church…”

She didn’t think there were many other buildings that fit the term as well as this one.

“You know, Mia, when I hear the words “evil cult,” the first thing that comes to mind is them.”

“Yes. The Chaos Serpent. I had the exact same thought.”

They were people who hated and fought against the people who tried to set up order. If they really made this building, it would make sense that it is twisted and goes against all rules. It would be a sign of profanity and sacrilege just by being there.

“I think we may have just made a surprising find in a surprising place!”

Mia said in a happy voice. She might have finally grabbed one of the Chaos Serpents’ slippery tails after stumbling around for so long in the mysterious fog that surrounded them.

“Let’s go inside and take a look!”

She walked into the building with eager steps. Mia said as she looked around the dreamlike interior of the shrine, “This…is really something.”

Everything, including the floor, walls, and ceiling, lit up, bathing her in pale blue light.

It was like there was a small, azure sun down here in the depths, and it was determined to make its own kingdom in defiance of the fiery sun that ruled the land above.

“I don’t know why, but just standing here makes me feel weird,” she said as she looked around again.

The shrine didn’t have any doors or walls. Inside, there was only one big open room with thick pillars for support.

And, Mia noticed with interest, there was another thing in the very back of the room. It looked like a big piece of stone that had been cut out of a cliff or boulder and put in a prominent place.

As the only solid thing in the clear shrine, its grey colour stood out against the ghostly blue background.

They went over and looked at the stone.

“Something is written on it,” Abel said with a sigh and a shake of the head.

“No good. It’s not in Continenta. Mia, do you know what language it is?”

“Yes, in fact. This is written in a language from the empire’s early days.”

Mia usually spoke Continenta, which is a language that is used everywhere on the continent. The writing on the stone was written in a language that was used in the Tearmoon Empire a long time ago. She also knew how to speak this very old language. As a princess, she had to learn it as part of her basic education.

“Are you able to read it?”

“I can, as a matter of fact.”

“Really? As always, you’re great, aren’t you?”

When he praised her, she couldn’t help but give him a smug smile.

“I sure am.”

“Is it difficult to read it?”

“Nope. Not for me at least,” she said, her confidence boosted by the fact that she had a skill that no one else had. “It’s easy as a pie. Let me read it out loud for you.”

She looked at the writing while leaning forward and putting her hands on her hips. At first, she was able to make a few hmms and aahs to sound smart, but she soon stopped.

Soon, she was just staring at the stone slab in silence, with her brows getting deeper and deeper into a frown. The old writing on the stone slab told the story of a man and his strange beliefs.

Or maybe it was his curse.

===

Carved on the stone slab was the words of the man, who had been hurt by terrible things and lost everyone he loved, grew to have a poisonous hatred that grew in the bottom of his heart.

When he came here and found this shrine, he also found the Serpents. They had been hiding on this island after being chased off the main continent. He connected with the Serpents’ destructive ideas and dislike of all man-made order. Soon, he wanted to realise or at least take advantage of their entropic plan to take revenge on the world.

The Serpents told him that on the continent, there was a place called “the Fertile Crescent,” where the land was blessed by God. The region’s consistently good harvests and plenty of food made sure that the whole continent was safe and stable.

The man knew that food was the mother of mercy, so this made sense to him. As long as men could feed themselves, they could forgive or at least deal with most problems.

Only when they were hungry did they pick up swords and start killing people for no reason.

So, if he wanted to destroy all civilization and throw the world into chaos, he would have to do something about the Fertile Crescent. Its abundance stood in the way of his revenge.

What ought he to do?

The answer was easy to figure out because the man was very smart. His sharp mind cut like a knife, slicing through the surface layers of people to get to the abyss inside.

He was a wise man who knew everything there was to know about how bad people are. What, the man thought, should he do with his brilliant mind and sick heart?

He should talk about ideas and beliefs that would make the Fertile Crescent look bad. He should spread an idea that makes people look down on agriculture and the making of food.

The man wondered where his biggest problem was. It depended on speed. He wanted his ideas to get out there quickly and well.

The man wondered how he could reach his goal. Again, the answer was easy. He would make a country there. Then he would spread a doctrine that was against farming and production of food.

The process would feel natural, because the seeds of ruin would be wrapped in the fruit of regal legitimacy. This would let them grow in the rich, unassuming soil without being disturbed. Then, they would poison the people of the Crescent and cause them to pollute their own fertile farmland, destroying it forever.

So, the man made up his mind. He would build a country whose tears of pain would soak the fertile crescent-shaped moon.

So crazy was his belief, and his curse led to the rise of an empire.

The name of the man was Alexis, the first Tearmoon emperor.

—

Translator’s Note:

I can’t even…