Chapter 40

“Wow…”

Gide, who had come to the capital from a small village in the south in search of a job, gasped as he looked at the vibrant scene inside the grand city of Pohelrn.

“The outside was amazing, but the inside is truly incredible.”

He was overwhelmed by the towering city walls that seemed high enough to stack ten of himself, as well as the beautiful blue bricks that he couldn’t figure out how they were made. But once he entered through the gate, he was even more struck by the sheer magnitude of Pohelrn.

Every space he turned to seemed like a blend of earth and humanity.

“It seems like there are at least ten times as many people gathered at the entrance as there are in my village.”

He didn’t quite understand, but he had heard that a person named Priegoss, chosen as the earthly representative of the skies, had declared a kingdom called Pohelrnian three years ago after absorbing several villages and cities over the past ten years.

Although his village belonged to the kingdom, he found it hard to comprehend what that truly meant, even if the village chieftain did understand.

But beyond comprehension, just the thought that he and his village were beneath this magnificent city, known as the capital of the kingdom, filled him with pride.

“Oops!”

As people continued to flood through the gate, Gide panicked and moved aside.

Everything was so fascinating that he wandered around the city, and he noticed other young or youthful men looking just as awestruck as he was.

They must also be young people who had come to the capital in search of work, just like him.

Worried that he might appear just as foolish as they did, Gide began to manage his expression and walked forward.

Among the properly organized dirt paths, there were also roads covered with black stones that didn’t get ruined even by passing carriages.

Moreover, far in the distance, he noticed a single building towering at the city’s center.

‘Is that a temple?’

In the center stood the Grand Temple, home to the message of the heavenly gods, the High Elf, who conveyed the will of the greatest sky god and the earth god.

Since King Priegoss began to make a name for himself throughout the land, it had become a faith that many began to believe in across Pohelrn.

It was a religion that believed in the World Tree, El Prigion, the earth goddess, and Ul Kanadiel, the sky god.

To honor those gods, the giant Grand Temple had been built higher than the city walls, as if striving to reach the heavens.

It appeared that construction was still incomplete, but it was a grand structure that made one wonder if humans could truly create such a thing.

Rumor had it that the High Elf, acting as a messenger for the gods, had giant servants carry stones to construct it.

Honestly, before seeing it with his own eyes, he had thought it was a ridiculous story meant to mock the common folk, but upon seeing it, he began to think it might actually be true.

Furthermore, the human chosen by the gods through the High Elf, who established the current capital of Pohelrn and formed the Kingdom of Pohelrnian, was indeed Priegoss.

It was said that the High Elf could bestow divine power upon selected humans, and that Priegoss and the soldiers he led were far superior in stature and strength compared to ordinary humans.

King Priegoss claimed that all gods, except for the one true sky god and earth god, were false, and that he had attacked villages protected by land gods, defeating and subjugating them.

Gide’s village was not under the protection of a land god, but he had seen the enormous toad known as the earth god, and to him, its overwhelming presence seemed impossible for any number of humans to confront.

If such a human could indeed defeat land gods, then Priegoss might truly be a messenger of the gods.

As he thought that living in this city might give him a chance to see such great individuals, Gide felt a tingle in his chest.

“This city has everything. Incredible.”

Lost in admiration of the city, Gide realized he had spent more time than he thought and approached a building, asking those around for directions.

“Stone…crafter…guild? Fr…ee…ma…son…”

Gide slowly read the words on the sign beneath a shield adorned with a hammer and chisel.

While anyone could speak, only few could read, which made Gide feel a bit proud.

“Yes, this must be the place.”

The place claimed to have the second son of the village chieftain from Foxibel.

Confidently, he pushed open the well-maintained wooden door and found a bustling scene filled with people running around.

“Hey? Who’s here?”

“Did someone come today?”

“I don’t know! Go away! I’m busy!”

Among them, the one who seemed relatively free scratched his head and approached Gide.

He was a tall man, easily twice Gide’s height, and his well-defined muscles attested to the labor he had endured.

“What brings you here?”

“Um… I’m here to meet Adler, the second son of Chieftain Amantes from Foxibel…”

Gide’s voice became a whisper at the end, intimidated by the man’s presence.

“Oh, a visitor from Adler! Hey! Adler!”

The man’s voice echoed boisterously throughout the chaotic space.

Gide, worried that blood might spill from his ears, quickly covered them when a man came forward, solidly built from hard work, though not as large as the first man.

He seemed nothing like the chieftain’s son who was always grumpy, looking rather well-groomed.

“I am Adler. What brings you here?”

“Um… it seems I was introduced by the chieftain…”

“Ah, you were sent by my father.”

Adler turned to the man who stood earlier and asked, “Ubaid, are there any apprentice positions left?”

“Perhaps? But everyone is busy preparing for the upcoming Martial Arts Festival next week. Can you really think of hiring someone right now?”

“Nonetheless, we are short on laborers, right? Let’s use him for odd jobs until the festival and then decide.”

“If that’s the case, then that’s your job to handle.”

Ubaid then left to return to his work.

“What are you doing? Follow me.”

Ignoring Gide, who was dazed, Adler started walking.

Adler guided him to the accommodation where the apprentices of the Stonecrafter Guild stayed.

Above the door, there was a stone plate carved with ’13’, and upon entering, the room had four bunk beds.

The messy, lived-in space exuded the stale sweat of young men.

While Gide was appalled by the room’s condition, Adler brought him a piece of clothing.

“Put this on. If you work in those clothes, they won’t last a week.”

Changing into a clean outfit made of leather pants and a sleeveless shirt like those worn by the guild members, Gide felt more suited for the task.

Adler tapped Gide’s shoulder, who seemed dazed, and pointed outside with his thumb.

“Alright, let’s get to work.”

◈ ◈ ◈

“How has your experience been after a few days of work?”

“…I feel like I’m going to die.”

“Hahaha, but you’ve adapted well, Gide. This is the toughest work you can find in the city. It was even work that only slaves were allowed to do when there were many slaves due to the king’s conquest wars. But don’t take it negatively. It’s an age-old job that has existed long before slaves arrived. It’s true that they took our work when they came, though.”

“Ugh…”

“Though you seem muscular, what did you do before coming here?”

“What could someone from a backwater town like Foxibel have done? I just scraped by.”

Gide chewed on the barley bread given for lunch, listening to Adler’s words.

“At least you get plenty of food, given it’s hard work. That’s good, right?”

In his hometown, he was used to getting by on barely two meals of watered-down gruel with a few scraps of vegetables.

Though work was tough, it was still a bit easier than farm work, and with two meals of barley bread of such quality daily, boosted by a few dried dates, meal time was something to always look forward to.

He wouldn’t receive any money, but it was said that his pay for working as a laborer until the Martial Arts Festival happening in a few days would be substituted for his membership and tuition for becoming an apprentice in the Stonecrafter Guild.

It was said that to join any guild initially, one typically needed to provide money.

“Your father probably didn’t mention this, did he?”

It was true.

Gide wanted to agree right away, but he wasn’t clueless enough to insult the parent of someone who would soon be his superior.

“Still, coming here right as the Martial Arts Festival is approaching is quite fortunate.”

Adler savored the taste of dried dates, a joyful expression on his face.

“Eat well, learn well, and if you work hard, you’ll be able to eat three meals a day and save enough to marry a decent girl one day.”

As Gide chewed on the chewy dried date and felt his weary body rejuvenate a bit, he asked something that had been on his mind for a few days.

“Um, but what exactly is this Martial Arts Festival that everyone’s so worked up about? It seems like the entire city, not just the Stonecrafter Guild, is… a bit excited.”

“Huh? Hahaha! Oh right, you’re new to the capital. I’m from Foxibel too, but it was so long ago. I didn’t realize you might not know.”

Despite not having lived in Pohelrn for long either, he kept that thought to himself as he began to focus on Adler’s explanation.

“There are two major events in Pohelrn that you must remember.”

“The first is the Triumph Ceremony. You’ve seen it a few days ago, right?”

Gide nodded blankly.

The triumph of King Priegoss, clad in golden armor, along with bronze-armored soldiers.

It was the ceremony following their campaign to subjugate the land gods, now referred to as Roa, and the towns or villages they guarded.

The well-baked breads being scattered, and the treasures being carted in were all wonderful sights, but the sight that left Gide utterly mesmerized was the enormous corpses brought in on large carts.

From a boar the size of a house to giant squirrel-like beasts and even insect-like creatures.

Those corpses he saw amidst the cheering crowd surely belonged to beings once called gods.

“I can’t believe they truly hunted gods!”

Yet, since there are only two true gods worshiped in Pohelrn, they should be considered beings that were once gods.

Unlike the small horses he saw in his hometown, he waved at the soldiers on monumental horses tossing bread while King Priegoss appeared so regal; Gide’s heart raced.

That form truly resembled a warrior sent by the heavens.

Tap—

Adler poked Gide’s forehead, who was lost in his thoughts.

“Oh, sorry.”

“Well, I understand. Any man would be captivated upon seeing that.”

Adler continued, shaking the last remaining dried date.

“The Triumph Ceremony takes place every time the king returns from conquests, so while it’s irregular, the Martial Arts Festival is an annual festival and ritual.”

Adler lifted his head to gaze at the grand structure that currently stood as the greatest building on this land.

Though still unfinished, it had something overwhelming about it.

“The Martial Arts Festival is a celebration dedicated to the two great gods who protect us.”

“In front of this Grand Temple, various factions of people engage in fierce battles at the arena that we build and maintain.”

“And the messenger of the gods, the High Elf, observes the spectacle.”

In the grand arena, there stood a massive column.

Erected awkwardly away from the center of the arena, at its top, there appeared to be a stone-carved chair, viewed vaguely through the limited perspective from below.

Unless seen from a distance or from the audience around the arena, it was hard to make out.

Moreover, there were no stairs to climb, and given the height and narrowness, it seemed perilous to even consider.

“In this festival, the winners from various parts will be! The High Elf, our messenger of the gods, will bestow upon them divine power and take them as their apprentice, ensuring they wield that power correctly.”

“This tournament doesn’t only include the citizens of Pohelrn but also has foreign participants… and even a category for slaves.”

“For talented humans, it’s the rare chance to be chosen by the gods, regardless of their status, and elevate their social standing!”

“While the festival itself is enjoyable, it’s also joyous to witness the birth of new servants of the gods as they become more and more securely appointed, making us safer in the process.”

“Anything is good, as it serves as entertainment, and it feels good to have good things!”

As Adler passionately spoke, Gide got wrapped up in his excitement as well, beginning to feel a surge of enthusiasm.

“Is… is becoming a servant of the gods that significant?”

“What do you think?!”

Adler delightedly responded to Gide’s eagerness, beaming with joy.

“In this city, there are four classes: the king, nobles, commoners, and slaves. But! The only existence that breaks this rule.”

“Are the servants of the gods. The High Elf, being not only the messenger of the gods but also the Grand Chancellor of this kingdom, stands apart from human law. Likewise, the servants of the gods also transcend the boundaries set by humans!”

“Above the servants of god, only the messenger of the gods and the gods themselves exist, meaning even nobles, including King Priegoss, cannot treat them poorly!”

Gide could feel his jaw drop.

“…Even the king?”

“Well, in reality, no servant of the gods would ever dare disrespect the king, so it’s not like there’s ever been a problem with that.”

Realizing he had been too careless by bringing up kings, Adler calmed himself slightly.

Gide recalled the commanding presence of the king and his soldiers at the Triumph Ceremony.

…To think that one could become someone that even the king couldn’t treat casually?

It was beyond his imagination.

After lunch ended, their conversation came to a close.

As Gide worked atop the arena, he gazed at the towering column, imagining the upcoming Martial Arts Festival in a few days, snapping back to focus as the foreman shouted and resumed his work.

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