Chapter 165 - Interlude: Reviewing the World (Part Two)
Continuing from last time, this is a summary of the world in which Mash and the others are adventuring. A world map is included at the end. My apologies, but this will continue for one more part.
"About when was this war of the gods?"
"We don't know for certain. It's said to have been over ten thousand years ago. After the war, humanity was exhausted and scattered, and it took about five thousand years before a nation that could be called a civilization was born. The Old Empire is said to have been founded and begun its rule of this world two thousand years ago."
"And when did the Old Empire split apart, leading to the birth of the Demon Kingdom as we know it now?"
"About a thousand years ago. However, the exact timing of the Demon Kingdom's birth isn't well understood. You see, the eastern regions where the Demon Kingdom lies saw countless nations rise and fall. Some consider all of them to be the Demon Kingdom, while others believe its true beginning was when a city southwest of the Old Empire's capital fell."
So there were various theories.
"And Uta marched in there and defeated the Demon Lord?"
Maira nodded at my words.
"Yes. To be precise, she was victorious in a major battle against the Demon Kingdom's army as it advanced on the Old Kingdom's capital. They say it was a historic, monumental victory."
It seemed they hadn't managed to recapture the cities occupied by the Demon Lord's army, but they must have been on the back foot as the Demon Kingdom slowly encroached on their eastern lands. To then strike down the enemy's general was a tremendous achievement. I could imagine the elation that swept through the Old Empire. Considering the global situation that followed, it took the Demon Kingdom ninety years to muster an army against the capital again. It must have truly been a historic feat. And yet, ten years ago, the Demon Kingdom began its invasion of the Old Empire once more and brought the capital to its knees. And so, the Old Empire fell.
I felt the urge to check a map. But it was impossible for a common citizen to get their hands on a decent one. Reluctantly, I pulled out How to Get Around in This World. The book, as thick as a large dictionary, was an information guide Racshell had prepared for Mizuki and me, who knew nothing of this world. However, I had long since given up on reading it, as most of its pages were filled with mind-numbing information, like the massive feature on romantic hotspots at the beginning. It was now Fam's favorite book.
Just as I was about to flip to the map page, Mizuki let out a cry of surprise. A new section had been added to the back of the book: The Enchanting Lingerie Mail-Order Corner. Racshell worked fast. Mizuki pumped a small fist in celebration. Had she really been looking forward to it that much?
"It's not fair that it's just for you, Mizuki!"
Maira puffed out her cheeks.
"You were sleeping again, weren't you…"
"Hmph, it's because Mash and Aira were making such a racket last night! I wanted to speak with Racshell-sama, too."
Though Maira was the most devout member of Levante, she still hadn't managed to have a proper meeting with Racshell.
We were getting sidetracked; I had to get us back on topic. I opened the lingerie section and began my serious deliberation. Thongs and other risqué items were tempting, but her fighting style was a shameless form of swordsmanship that involved showing off her underwear. I couldn't have other men seeing that. Something befitting her age, something a high school girl would wear, would be better. I agonized over the colors and patterns—white or pink?
If I got the chance, I wanted to quickly pull her into a deserted place and try something erotic. For that, whatever she was wearing had to be easy to take off. As I was thinking that, my eyes fell upon a description of an optional feature: with a snap of the fingers, she would become completely naked. I had absolutely no idea how it worked, but if that was an option, then I could focus entirely on the design.
"…Mash?"
Maira spoke up on behalf of everyone. Her tone had a slight edge to it.
Right. The map page. With a heavy heart, I flipped to it. I arrived at a page with a map that looked like a cutout of Europe, the Orient, and the northern part of the African continent from my world.
"The scale is way off, and the doodle-like information is confusing, but the geography really does resemble Europe from my original world. Where did the Old Empire flourish?"
I asked Maira. According to this map, the city of Richelle where we were transferred was somewhere in central to northern Germany. Further north of that was the imperial capital, Krum. I couldn't pinpoint its exact location, but it seemed to be around the Rhine river basin from my world. A river was drawn flowing north there.
We were traveling to Migul to break Fam's curse. We first headed south from Richelle, reaching what would be the Danube river basin in my world. We visited the city of Flucht, situated on the banks of that river. Looking closely, I noticed the river that resembled the Danube was labeled the Valis River. Had anyone ever actually called it that? In any case, from there we traveled down the Valis River and were now in the city of Heilong. Next, we would head to Migul, north of this city. It should take about ten days.
The capital of the Old Empire would correspond to Istanbul in my world. Or Constantinople, in medieval terms. It was located on the western side of the Bosphorus Strait, connecting the Black Sea and the Mediterranean.
It seemed this world shared the same geography as the one we came from. When I explained this to Mizuki, she tilted her head but seemed to accept it, more or less.
"I've never seen a map like this, so I don't really understand, but the city of Priia unified the surrounding city-states, primarily through maritime trade, and that's how the empire was born."
Maira answered.
"Where is Priia?"
"From Flucht, you cross the southern mountains, and it's in the center of a peninsula that juts out into the sea. Priia was the imperial capital until the Old Empire split. Even after the east-west division, it remained the western capital, but it was invaded by barbarians and is now the third-largest city after the Old Empire's capital and the current empire's capital, Krum. In terms of population, it might even be smaller than Migul."
It was Claire who answered in Maira's stead. She pointed to a location near the center of what would be the Italian peninsula, where Rome was located.
"You know your geography?"
"Yes, Mercedes taught me."
"Is it possible to get a map…"
"We have one for the company's use, and I believe we can procure one more suitable for commerce than this. However, creating or possessing such a wide-area map is a punishable offense. So please, keep this confidential."
"Whoa…"
Mizuki and I let out voices of admiration at Claire's reply. The restriction on maps was likely for defense reasons. I hadn't considered that the Mateo Trading Company would have one, but for merchants and adventurers who need to travel between cities, it's a necessity. Its possession must be an open secret.
"Compared to that map, how accurate is this one?"
"Hmm. The one we possess isn't based on precise distance measurements either. Since we don't know what is correct, it's hard to say. But they seem to be quite different."
Claire answered, knitting her brow.
For now, we'd have to make do with the shoddy map Racshell had likely drawn and proceed with that.
"Do you know where the war of the gods took place?"
"There are legends scattered everywhere, so that's a difficult question to answer. However, the place where the gods are said to have descended, the place where Racshell-sama fought the God of the End, is called the Terra Principii et Finis—the Land of Beginning and End."
That was a long name. I wasn't confident I could remember it. When I asked her to repeat it, Claire dutifully said it again, flapping her little wings, and then bit her tongue.
"Hmph… ow."
If even a resident of this world stumbled over it, there was no hope for me. As I was thinking this, she placed her finger on a location in the eastern Mediterranean of my world, around where Jerusalem would be.
Another strange coincidence. Mizuki looked surprised by this as well. We instinctively looked at each other.
"Did the current church begin there?"
"Yes. It's said that a kingdom existed in that land even before the Old Empire was formed. However, the church there was centered on the faith of the Five Pillars of Genesis. They say they received a divine decree to establish the world's order from that land. But the kingdom fell, and the church was persecuted by the Old Empire. It was during that time that the faith of the Fifty Gods, which we follow now, was born and spread throughout the Old Empire's territory."
This time, Maira answered.
"I thought the gods didn't appear after their war?"
"The fall of the kingdom was brought about by those who did not believe in the divine decree. And the gods did not come to save them. However, it's also said that a hero from another world was involved in the nation's founding."
Her phrasing had a slightly thorny edge to it. A plausible explanation would be that someone like us, chasing the mystery of the Ark, tried to create a nation from our own world's mythology in this world.
"And the Demon Kingdom has a faith in the God of the End, right?"
"That's right. However, it seems to be something that emerged in the regions east of the old imperial capital, inheriting from the faith of the Fifty Gods. So it's not that the Demon Kingdom exclusively worships the God of the End."
"You did say that faith in the God of the End is common among demons, while the general populace mostly believes in the Fifty Gods. I see… This world really does have a similar geography and history to our own."
The spread of monotheism in our world was similar. Though, this world was polytheistic.
"Is that so? Then in the world where you and Mizuki lived, are there similar countries and cities? I've been trying to imagine what your world is like."
Maira asked. Come to think of it, while I'd shown Fam pictures of our world, I hadn't really talked about it much with the others.
"Well, the parts that feel similar to this world are a region from my world called Europe and a historical period called the Middle Ages. The region we live in is different, and we live about five hundred years after that time. Also, as I've mentioned before, while there are gods revered through various faiths, there's no proof that any of them actually exist. I, for one, didn't believe gods were real."
It wasn't like I was an expert on European affairs.
"Since you're from the future, does that mean you also know the outcome of the war between the Empire and the Demon Kingdom?"
"I can make a guess."
"I'd like to hear it."
"Before that, let me confirm something. The faith of this world, or the church, originated as the faith of the Five Pillars of Genesis in the Terra Principii et Finis, spread as the faith of the Fifty Gods (Isonokami) within the Old Empire centered around Priia, and then the faith of the God of the End spread further, outside the Old Empire's territory in the east. Is that right?"
"Yes."
"And besides managing professions and healing, it also provides norms for people's lives, sometimes meting out punishment, what with all the rituals, imperial coronations, and bishops, right?"
"Yes. For the most part."
Maira replied. Since the gods here were real, their faith didn't have the power to control believers by fabricating stories about the afterlife. However, it was a group that could wield the immense power of healing miracles. They fulfilled a similar role to religion in my world. Considering this societal restraint imposed by religion, it seemed likely that history would follow a similar path.
"The Demon Kingdom might temporarily occupy places like Heilong or Migul. But I doubt they'll ever be able to conquer the Empire."
"And why is that?"
"Because of the church's teachings and the differences in climate zones."
The church's teachings were synonymous with the word of god. Once uttered, they could not be changed. I could substitute this world's faiths with those from my own. The faith of the Five Pillars of Genesis was a teaching confined to the very limited region of the Terra Principii et Finis. The faith of the Fifty Gods (Isonokami) expanded that into the temperate Mediterranean region, and the faith of the God of the End spread it into the arid Orient region to the east. These can be thought of as version upgrades that adapted to the characteristics of the land.
"Is it bad to cross climate zones?" Mizuki asked.
"The biggest impact is on agriculture. Productivity and the types of crops that can be harvested are completely different."
"How does that make a difference?"
"For example, let's say with the same amount of labor, you can harvest 100 units of wheat in Heilong, but only 60 in a city within the Demon Kingdom. A ruler, considering fairness, imposes a 10 percent tax. Heilong pays 10, the Demon Kingdom's city pays 6."
"Ah, the citizens of Heilong would get angry that it's not equal, and that would create discord. They can't just accept it as a characteristic of the land. On top of that, they'd have the rules of a different faith forced upon them, making it impossible to live according to their own climate. A ruler could manage it on a case-by-case basis, but when the power balance with the residents and feudal lords collapses, the entire system breaks down. So you're saying that while the Demon Kingdom's dominion might temporarily extend to Heilong and Migul, it will eventually return to its original borders?"
I nodded in response to Mizuki's conclusion.
"That line of thought is good news for the Empire, but it's a tragic story for the two frontline cities, isn't it? So, why is the Demon Kingdom currently in a superior position?"
The question came from Claire.
"Speaking with reference to my world, you could say that the power of the Empire and the western kingdoms is currently sealed."
"Sealed?"
"Well, limited, let's say. This is also a problem of the church's teachings and the climate zones. The teachings of the Fifty Gods have spread in the west, but they're tailored to a Mediterranean climate. However, the western kingdoms and the imperial territory we've traveled through are both classified as having a West Coast Marine climate, even though they're both temperate zones."
Mainly, the Mediterranean region, which has little summer rainfall—the most necessary thing for agriculture—and the central to northern parts of the Empire and the western kingdoms, where rainfall can be expected, have fundamentally different potentials.
"That's just based on comparing it to our world, right? In our world… that would be the Reformation."
Mizuki muttered, coming to her own conclusion. In other words, the world north of the climate divide of the Pyrenees and the Alps underwent a religious reformation, a minor version update, which gave them rules that suited their environment and improved their production capabilities. And with that, they succeeded in updating their foundation to a point where they surpassed the Mediterranean region, which had discovered the New World and was dealing with invasions from the east.
"That's an oversimplification! There's no guarantee this world will follow the same history, right?"
Mizuki was skeptical. She was right that it was an oversimplification, so I couldn't argue. Without knowing the detailed circumstances or geography of the countries, any answer I gave would be half-baked.
"Mash, you're saying that by updating the faith of the Fifty Gods (Isonokami) to a teaching that fits the Empire's climate, we can defeat the Demon Kingdom, right?"
Maira said, her eyes sparkling for some reason. Was she thinking that the Demon Kingdom ought to be repelled by the Empire? As a resident of imperial territory, she probably wished for the Empire's victory. I was an outsider, and I didn't know the detailed history of the area, so I was just hoping they could avoid conflict. I kept silent about the fact that I didn't care who the victor was.
"Hold on, I have no intention of getting involved in politics or the church. Besides, the best thing to do is to separate church and state. The teachings of a god can't be changed, but the thoughts of people can. Also…"
I trailed off as my eyes met Mizuki's. The world that had undergone the Reformation had certainly developed. But it didn't put an end to war; instead, it led to even larger conflicts. I hesitated to tell them that.
"Like I said before, Mash's idea is an oversimplification. This way of thinking isn't common even in our world, and in reality, the ideologies of the people living at the time, natural phenomena, and climate change all intertwine in complex ways. You can't declare anything with certainty."
Mizuki said, as if reading my mind and trying to smooth things over.
I looked out the window. A long time seemed to have passed, but the rain hadn't stopped. Claire was refilling everyone's tea. And for some reason, Aira was the one who brought me my cup.
"So, why the Three Sacred Treasures again?"
Mizuki changed the subject. It was about what the Fifty Gods had told the transfer student, Ito. If she defeated all the transferees summoned by the Five Goddesses, the Ark, located in the deepest part of the Palace of No Return dungeon in the imperial capital, would grant her wish.
According to Maira, the Ark was a holy relic brought to this world during the war of the gods. Inside it were a staff, a mirror, and a jar of holy oil. The three items were considered lost, but the emperor's scepter was the lost staff, and the mirror had been obtained by Uta before being stolen by the transferee, Isaac. As for the last item, the jar of holy oil, the goddess Lishar had destroyed it during the war of the gods. Thanks to that, or perhaps because of it, the mana that was inside the jar flooded this world, and the concept of magic was born.
Furthermore, it was said that crystal cores are what happens when mana crystallizes. Crystal cores create the alternate dimensions known as dungeons and spawn monsters. They also seem to be used for the execution of church miracles and for the magical control of cities and castles.
To summarize, the Ark that held the jar is now located in a dungeon created by the contents of that same jar. It was a chicken-and-egg question, a strange situation.
I had considered the possibility that the Ark was brought from my world. That's because a similar object appears in the mythology of a monotheistic religion prevalent in my world. In my world, it was called the Ark of the Covenant. The exact era is unknown, but long ago, a prophet who received a revelation from God created it, and it was later enshrined in a kingdom built by the people led by that prophet. The location of that kingdom matches the location of this world's Terra Principii et Finis. However, with the division and collapse of that kingdom, the whereabouts of the Ark of the Covenant were lost. I had thought that it was brought to this world as the Ark.
The myths say there are two stone tablets. In this world, there was the mirror that Uta possessed and the special skill Fam later acquired, the Yata no Kagami—another strange coincidence. Furthermore, there was a legend that the scattered people of that kingdom had wandered to our country, which was reminiscent of our country's Three Sacred Treasures. However, I now knew that the Three Sacred Treasures were special skills bestowed by Racshell. So I had concluded that they were different things.
"I think that's a bit of a hasty conclusion," Mizuki said.
"Do you have an idea?"
"Well, you said there are two tablets, right? Uta's mirror and Fam's Yata no Kagami. I think those correspond to the two tablets. And that got me thinking… what if the tablets, staff, and jar from the Ark, and the Three Sacred Treasures, aren't the same things, but are counterparts?"
Mizuki joined her index fingers and thumbs to form a triangle.
"This is the Ark. And at its three vertices are the tablets, the staff, and the jar of holy oil."
Then, she inverted it.
"This is also the Ark. Or, to put it in our country's style, a mikoshi. And at its three vertices are the Three Sacred Treasures."
"Whoa…"
I groaned at her flash of insight.
"By overlapping these two triangles, you get a hexagram, a symbol of monotheism. Only six people can enter a dungeon's area guardian room. I was wondering why it had to be six. And so, a hexagram is needed to access the Ark in the deepest part of the Palace of No Return."
It was just a hunch. But it fit together with a strange sense of satisfaction.
"…Mizuki, are you a genius or something?!"
I wiggled my fingers, preparing to reward her by groping her chest, but she sensed my intent and quickly darted away. This meant that what the Fifty Gods had told Ito made a certain kind of sense. The path would open if one obtained the Three Sacred Treasures. I had told Ito that what the Fifty Gods said was nonsense, but perhaps it wasn't a complete lie after all. The only problem was, we didn't possess those Three Sacred Treasures.
And the situation had become even more hopeless. We knew the whereabouts of the staff and the tablets. But what were we supposed to do about the destroyed jar? As for the Three Sacred Treasures, apart from the Yata no Kagami, we were completely stumped.
"In the first place, the Three Sacred Treasures are in our original world. Are they being summoned here using special skills?"
"I don't know about that, but…"
"Wait, to borrow your words from a moment ago, if it's similar to the Ark of the Covenant, then in our country, there's a vehicle similar to a mikoshi called a Horen. No, wait, I think there's a rumor that the Ark of the Covenant is enshrined at a shrine that worships the sun god."
"It's a pedestal for a god, right?"
"Its original purpose is unclear, but since the people of this world call it an 'Ark,' which literally means 'box ship,' what if it's an item that connects different worlds?"
"It's hard to believe, but we were actually transferred to this world, so… Does that mean we could use the Ark to return to our world? Considering the route we took to get here, it might actually connect to Racshell's world, but maybe if we go through there…"
There was a possibility we could return to our world.
【World Map】
This is the world map. *This is the version before Racshell's artistic additions. Unfortunately, Mash and the others cannot see this.
Blue: Cities under the Empire's umbrella
Green: Cities under the Empire's umbrella (with strong independence); Nest and Grato are completely independent
Yellow: Various cities of the Western Kingdom
Purple: Demon Kingdom territory
Thank you for reading. To those who have liked, bookmarked, and rated this story, your support is a great encouragement. The typo corrections have been a great help. Thank you very much.