Fortunately, there was an exit. The taste of the air changed as they erged onto a terrace halfway up a stepped altar.
The jungle of Toa Mountain stretched out below them like a sea.
From twenty ters above sea level, the forest looked vast, with scattered Kergo settlents visible here and there.
As they circled around the altar, a palace made of gold ca into view. It was the residence of the Kergo chieftain. Entering the palace, they found a long hall with two rows of tables set up.
Shirone took the seat of honor, with Amy, Rian, Tess, Canis, and Arin sitting to his right.
To the left sat Chieftain Kadum and the elders. Hasid, who had blown the horn, was not present. Mahatu was also seated at the lower end, indicating his rank was not low.
Music played, and traditional Kergo dishes were served. Before they could even taste the food, warriors entered, carrying large chests in pairs.
The warriors opened the chests, revealing an enormous amount of gold coins and jewels.
Shirone: "What is this?"
Kadum: "A humble gift from Kergo. Please accept it."
The value of the contents went beyond counting; it had to be weighed. The five chests combined likely weighed at least a ton.
Amy put down her food with a displeased expression.
This wasn’t inco from the ruins. It was money earned from smuggling Loop. And with that amount, they could feed the entire tribe and still have plenty left.
Amy: "Shirone, you’re not actually thinking of accepting this, are you?"
Shirone: "I can’t accept such a hefty sum without knowing the reason. It’s not like they’re just giving it away."
When Shirone demanded an explanation, Kadum’s expression changed.
Any saintly person would have their breathing change upon seeing over a ton of gold coins. But Shirone reacted as if the gold were re stones.
Shirone wasn’t soone who was detached from material wealth. He simply wasn’t foolish enough to obsess over what wasn’t his.
Kadum wasn’t flustered. Instead of explaining, he clapped his hands, and a second offering was brought in.
He was confident that even soone who rejected wealth wouldn’t be able to resist this.
n with white tattoos on their faces, like the man from the Chamber of Achievent and Sacrifice, entered. Shirone guessed they were priests.
As they stepped aside, a dozen beautiful Kergo won entered.
The boys, including Shirone, stared dumbfounded. It was a scene rarely encountered at their age.
The won, barely clothed, approached with sensual dances.
From a distance, the dance seed quite splendid, but up close, it was unmistakably lewd. The won’s eyes were glazed, as if they were in a trance.
Kadum: "How is it? These are the most beautiful priestesses of Kergo. The second offering to the ssenger of the gods. I hope it pleases you."
Shirone felt the seat next to him grow hot. He didn’t need to turn his head to know what expression Amy was making.
Kadum’s goodwill had the opposite effect.
The priestesses’ dance was captivating, but to Shirone, it looked like the writhing of won intoxicated by Loop.
Kindness without reason felt like a threat, and Shirone’s heart grew colder as he analyzed Kadum’s intentions.
When Shirone remained unmoved, Kadum finally grew anxious.
The spirit of an Unlocker was superior to that of an ordinary person, but that didn’t make them a saint. The Immortal Function was a process toward nirvana, not liberation.
If Shirone were free from the five desires and seven emotions, he wouldn’t have been curious about the Chamber of Achievent and Sacrifice in the first place. Kadum couldn’t grasp what Shirone wanted.
Kadum: "I must have miscalculated. I thought you would be pleased. In truth, this is my first ti welcoming a ssenger of the gods, so I was rely following tradition."
Shirone felt even more displeased. How debauched had the Unlockers before him been for the word "tradition" to co up?
Shirone: "Did they enjoy this sort of thing?"
Kadum: "According to records, they didn’t dislike it. But don’t misunderstand. There’s no ulterior motive; it’s just tradition. Kergo is a tribal society, but the priests hold great power. The priests are divided into male and female, and the females’ beco priestesses. According to Kergo’s laws, priestesses must be beautiful and remain chaste for life, but they are allowed to have intercourse once to bear the child of an angel. In other words, the priestesses are prepared to give everything for you, the descendant of angels."
Shirone: "If I were to accept these won, what would I have to do?"
The chieftain wouldn’t make such a sacrifice without expecting sothing in return. After all, traditions were rely customs born out of necessity.
The amount of gold could feed the entire tribe. Moreover, the won dancing to win Shirone’s favor were potential mothers who could increase Kergo’s population. In essence, Kadum was handing over the tribe’s wealth and future to Shirone.
Kadum: "The people of Kergo are the children of the great Ra. And the descendants of angels are the only ones who can connect our tribe to the gods. Please convey our faith to the gods."
Shirone: "By gods, do you an Anke Ra?"
Kadum: "Anke, Ra. It ans the eternal, immortal Ra. He has existed since the beginning of ti and created us. With his great power, he still watches over us."
Stripping away the religious content, it was essentially a proposal for a deal.
In exchange for gold and won, Shirone would go to the gods and convey the tribe’s wishes. It wasn’t clear how he would do that, but it was undoubtedly related to the Immortal Function.
The ntal channel buzzed with discussions about whether to accept the offer.
Tess was against it. It wasn’t just about the money; the idea of Shirone being with another woman while Amy was around unimaginable.
But contrary to expectations, Amy was in favor of accepting the offer. And Shirone agreed.
Tess (telepathically):Shirone! How could you? I thought you were different from other n!
Rian (telepathically):Don’t get worked up. Shirone must have his reasons. Amy agreed too, didn’t she?
Tess (telepathically):Don’t make laugh! Are you taking his side just because you’re a man too? I can’t agree with this. Amy, say sothing. Aren’t you annoyed?
Amy (telepathically):Of course I’m annoyed. It’s disgusting to see a feast while the tribe starves. But that’s sothing Shirone can control. For now, gathering more information is important, so let’s accept.
While Shirone and his companions exchanged thoughts, a white-haired old man entered. It was Elder Hasid, who had blown the horn. His eyes were bloodshot as he glared at the elders who were engrossed in eating and drinking.
Mahatu stood up, showing respect.
Mahatu: "You’ve arrived, Elder."
Hasid: "Tsk tsk, how pathetic. What is all this commotion?"
As the music stopped, the dancing girls collapsed, exhausted.
Hasid walked toward Shirone, leaning on his cane like a man with three legs.
Kadum blocked his approach with an authoritative tone.
Kadum: "What is this, Father? You’re ruining a sacred banquet."
Hasid: "A sacred banquet? Outside, our tribesn are starving to death every day. If we waste any more money on such nonsense, the tribe will truly be ruined!"
Kadum: "I’m surprised to hear such nonsense from the forr chieftain of Kergo and a respected elder. Would you like to repeat that statent in a council eting?"
Hasid: "That won’t do. The tribesn are filled with hope because of the ssenger’s arrival. But that’s all. Why can’t you see that what they want is happiness, not a ssenger of the gods!"
The atmosphere grew tense. If the conflict escalated in front of the elders, there was no guarantee that the civil war from five hundred years ago wouldn’t repeat itself.
As the mood settled, the elders quietly left their seats, and the banquet ca to an end.
Kadum led Shirone and his companions to the top of the altar. The rooftop was spacious, with a 7-ter-tall statue standing to the north. The giant figure, bathed in moonlight, exuded an overwhelming presence.
Kadum stood by the statue and looked up at the night sky.
Countless stars twinkled above.
But he was focused on one particular star.
Kadum: "Do you see that cluster of stars in the northern sky? Connect them in the shape of an ’8,’ and then find the brightest star at the intersection of the two circles."
They had followed him expecting to be shown sothing, only to receive a lesson on constellations. Though reluctant, Shirone and his companions took the ti to find the star Kadum pointed to.
Kadum’s next words were shocking.
Kadum: "That star is the holand of Kergo."
Shirone: "Huh? Holand?"
To Shirone, a holand was the place where one was born. It was what young people who moved to the city missed when feeling nostalgic. It certainly wasn’t so distant point in the night sky.
Kadum: "The people of Kergo know that the god who created us lives there. We are born and die on this land, but our souls fly to that sky. The heavenly kingdom. That’s why we call that star heaven."
Shirone was baffled.
Heaven was a conceptual place. It wasn’t sothing you pointed to like a tourist attraction.
Shirone: "I don’t quite understand. Why is that place heaven?"
Kadum: "It seems you don’t believe in gods."
Shirone neither believed nor disbelieved in gods.
A mage’s way of thinking doesn’t draw clear conclusions about things that cannot be analyzed.
To Shirone, gods were beings whose existence couldn’t be confird.
Kadum: "Kergo’s creation myth goes like this. In the beginning, there were giants, and humans were born from their blood and flesh. The first human was Garok, who lived for 782 years. His child, Deris, lived for 982 years, and his son, Thessus, lived for 1,320 years."
Ra’s creation myth wasn’t much different from other religious myths.
So scholars argued that the lifespans of figures from prehistory didn’t represent actual lifespans but rather the duration of a family’s rule.
For example, if the Elzian family thrived for 13 generations, a figure like Elzian, who lived for 1,000 years, would appear in the myths.
It was a plausible explanation.
Even in the Kingdom of Tormia, the king’s na was passed down through generations. The current king was Adolf XII.
Kadum recited the lifespans of figures Shirone had never heard of, as if showing off his morization skills.
As the mythical era ended, the narrative shifted to historical tis.
Kadum: "Two thousand years ago, the sage Hanes established civilization here. From then on, we were embraced by Ra. You must be wondering why we haven’t restored the Kergo ruins buried in volcanic ash."
Shirone recalled the thick barrier in the middle layer of the ruins, which even Amy’s sniper mode couldn’t penetrate.
Kadum: "There are many ancient ruins in the world, and this is one of them. But there’s a hidden fact about the ruins that ordinary people don’t know. Long ago, our ancestors freely traveled to and from heaven. The underground facilities of the ruins prove this."
Shirone: "What exactly is underground that makes you say that?"
By now, Shirone couldn’t help but listen.
Kadum stared intently at Shirone, whose curiosity was piqued.
Kadum: "Beneath the ruins, there is a gate that leads to heaven."
Shirone’s head rang as if struck by a hamr. Heaven? Was he really talking about the star in the northern sky?
That place was in space.
It was a distance no human could ever reach.
Shirone: "Are you saying we can go to where the gods are?"
Kadum: "Yes. Exactly that."
A thought crossed Shirone’s mind. Was Chieftain Kadum a madman? Or was he telling the truth?
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