Chapter 117
Dragon Slaying God
“…Hm?”
Eivass was slightly surprised by her words, “Taught you to recognize characters?”
“Yes,” Haina said with a mix of nostalgia and pleasant surprise, “In our village, there were very few cultured people.
“The entire Shepherd’s Bay Country has only over 300,000 people, most of whom are herders. There is only one proper city, and the rest are towns and villages. Our Eagle Cape Village has less than a thousand people, with slightly more people raising cattle than sheep. Farmers generally grow potatoes and turnips, and occasionally some people grow ginger to earn money.
“There are no factories or tall buildings in our village. The tallest building is only three stories high, and there isn’t even a middle school. My middle school was in another town in Shepherd’s Bay Country. The most famous cultured person there was Grandpa Jacob.
“He was a reporter in Windpipe Town back then, and later left the newspaper office to become a freelance writer. Windpipe Town is very close to our village. Although it only has a population of over five thousand people, it attracts many tourists—you can catch excellent trout and salmon there, and the scenery is beautiful. People from Glass Island say ‘go on vacation in the countryside,’ usually referring to the few notable towns in Shepherd’s Bay Country, including Windpipe Town.
“I went to middle school in Windpipe Town and could even easily run back to the village on weekends. But later, Mother said it wore out my shoes too much, so I stopped going back.
“Back then, my favorite thing was to go to the train station and watch people get on and off the trains. I found it magical; boarding a train felt like entering another world, and people getting off the train seemed to exist in a different world from us.
“People getting off the train seemed illusory, like a dream, a soap bubble. Once the dream ended, they would disappear, never to be seen again.”
Haina chuckled a little self-consciously at this point, “It’s quite funny, isn’t it? After all, I had never taken a train back then. Windpipe Town only had one railway line. Of course, it doesn’t seem like much now… I’ve also become one of the people who leave by train.”
“No,” Eivass said seriously, “I think it’s very interesting, really.”
It was the first time he had heard Haina talk about her past.
When Haina spoke of her hometown, she became exceptionally focused and very happy.
Her sapphire-blue eyes seemed to sparkle like a flawless sapphire.
She truly loved her hometown.
Haina said softly, “Windpipe Town and our Eagle Cape Village are separated only by a lake—Sapphire Lake. It’s the largest lake in Avalon, and in my opinion, the most beautiful.
“Many white swans reside there—according to Avalon’s laws, the Royal Family owns all wild swans in Avalon. Therefore, every year, a Swan Minister comes to our area to count the swans and check if anyone is poaching them… This is the only ‘Minister’ we see from Windpipe Town.”
The Swan Minister…
Eivass was speechless for a moment.
…Well, it *is* a minister.
According to Avalon’s laws, swans were a delicacy only the Royal Family could enjoy.
More so than gourmet food, they were a symbol of the Path of Authority.
Occasionally, the Royal Family would bestow swans upon certain knights, mainly those who had rendered meritorious service or diligent ministers. Knights who received this bestowal would hold banquets to flaunt their favor and honor.
However, in the last hundred years or so, the Royal Family had also begun to sell some swans at high prices to wealthy merchants. This was partly because knight families no longer placed as much importance on swans and the symbolism behind them… and partly because the status of merchants was continuously rising.
The Swan Minister was a position specifically responsible for managing swans. They had to report the number of swans annually, tend to sick or injured swans, and regularly provide a specified number of swans to the Royal Family. Their direct superior was the Minister of Palace Affairs, a position held by both Arthur and Mycroft Hermes.
However, this position was essentially a sinecure. They were only busy for one month each year, and the rest of the time was spent slacking off. Since they had no real work, there were naturally no opportunities for promotion. The status of such ministers on Glass Island was even lower than that of university professors—at least professors could generally hold concurrent positions as technicians and possibly attain higher ranks.
“When I was little, I would pester Grandpa Jacob to tell us stories. He later published the stories he told us in a book.”
Haina said with great interest, “I still remember the contents.
“One of the most memorable was a story about an animal kingdom—carnivores led by red giant bears and golden lions ruled the world, while herbivores like white horses and green deer used their wits and courage to eventually defeat the giant bears and become the new kings. The golden lion, after swallowing a black mole, was dug out from the inside by the mole…”
“…Hm?”
Hearing the story, Eivass paused for a moment.
He thought carefully and smiled with interest, “I see… No wonder you have an affinity for the Transcendent Path. It seems you haven’t gone astray, but rather, you genuinely have an affinity for the Transcendent Path, which is why you instinctively remember this story, even if you weren’t aware of its hidden meaning.
“In that case, we can talk. Senior Sister, do you remember? When we went to the Pelican Bar, I asked you a question: ‘Have you ever considered this? Why does Avalon follow the Path of Authority?'”
“I remember.”
Haina nodded honestly, “I’ve always remembered… You said you’d tell me when you had time after coming to school. I’ve been waiting, but it’s not convenient to rush you. After all, you’ve encountered a lot of things since enrolling, and final exams are approaching, so you’re quite busy now.”
“Then I will tell you now.”
Eivass said, motioning for Lily to sit down beside them.
He took a sip of tea, ate a piece of pastry, and then his expression turned serious, “This is a secret I will never share with outsiders. After you hear it from me, you must never speak of it again. Merely recounting the knowledge within could result in execution.”
Haina and Lily were somewhat surprised by such a strong and serious warning.
They had never seen Eivass so serious about anything.
After they had both sworn an oath, Eivass slowly nodded and began to explain the story his grandfather had written: “This story actually has three layers. The first layer is a simple fairy tale, and the second layer narrates the destruction of the Kingdom of Arcturus and the Hrasal Empire. The white horse foreshadows Avalon’s Knights of the Round Table, and the green deer represent the Elves and the Church. The Church is on a giant tree, entwined with branches and vines, and the deer are a symbol of the Candlemaster.
“The golden lion refers to the Hrasal Empire, and the mole is the Death Scythe, commonly known as the ‘Child of the Moon.’ Because Death Scythes can only be transformed after death, they emerge from the earth upon awakening, like moles digging.”
“I see…”
Haina suddenly understood, “So the destruction of the Giant Kingdom Arcturus back then was related to the Church… No wonder the founding families have the duty to protect the Elves.”
But she seemed somewhat doubtful, “However, at this level… it doesn’t seem as terrifying as you claim, does it?”
“Yes,” Eivass replied, “because he hid a third layer of mystery within this story.
“Did you know that 500 years ago, there was no ‘Path of Authority’? The Path of Authority is a relatively young path.”
Eivass revealed secret historical knowledge he had obtained from the mid-game.
This was a secret only obtained in the “Shadow of Avalon” version. However, in Avalon, it was a top secret, while obtaining it from other countries was not as difficult.
The Moriarty Family, as a founding family, also had the inheritance of this knowledge internally. However, Old Moriarty had disappeared before passing it down to Eivass.
—But that didn’t matter.
It’s fine if you didn’t pass it down to me, I know it anyway. If anyone asks, I’ll just say Grandpa told me.
“Five hundred years ago, this path was still called the ‘Path of Power.’ Knights, Warriors, Berserkers, Challengers, Fighters… these are all Extraordinary Professions belonging to the ‘Path of Power.’ The former owner of this path, ‘Supreme Heaven,’ was, in people’s minds, an immensely huge bear, burning with blood and fire, and the constellation Ursa Major belongs to Him.
“It is said that Giants have the blood of the Red Bear, which is why they are so tall, naturally strong, and can run as soon as they land. The Giant Kingdom Arcturus worshipped Supreme Heaven, and they were all followers of the Path of Power.”
Hearing this, Haina’s eyes widened abruptly.
“At that time, a legendary human warrior, whose name cannot be mentioned, received the protection of the Red Bear and possessed the great power of both the Path of Power and the Transcendent Path. In the end, he triumphed over the weak and slew an extremely powerful White Dragon. Through a ritual of the Transcendent Path and bathing in the dragon’s blood, he transformed into the crowned White Dragon and ascended as the Crown Heavenly Envoy of the Path of Power.
“Later, the Crown Heavenly Envoy grew increasingly powerful, even surpassing the Red Bear. Finally, he decided to initiate a rebellion at a certain moment. This Heavenly Envoy once again transformed into a human warrior and voluntarily descended upon the world. He formed the Knights of the Round Table and, with the support of the Elves, attacked the Giant Kingdom, which was then immensely powerful and enslaved and consumed other races.
“Humans, Elves, Dwarves, and Goblins were all slaves and food for the Giants. They could even prey on Dragons, and even the Empire dared not provoke them.
“Concurrently, the Crown Heavenly Envoy and Supreme Heaven waged war. The white Dragon and the red Bear vied in the Dream Realm, and a corner of the Dream Realm even collapsed as a result. The ‘Fallen Abyss’ region of the Dream Realm today is the large void created when the Dragon smashed the Bear down.
“The battles in the mortal world were not going well because the Giants were too powerful. The twenty-one strongest Knights of the Round Table, under the Holy Grail ritual presided over by Guinevere, drank dragon’s blood, sacrificing themselves to transform into powerful Phantom Demons. Only then did they defeat the Giant Kingdom and sever the Giant King’s head.
“The war lasted for a long time. Eventually, Supreme Heaven fell, and the path changed hands. The ‘Path of Power’ became the ‘Path of Authority,’ and the Crown Heavenly Envoy is now the Silver Crown Dragon. Lancelot I was the sole survivor among the twenty-one Knights of the Round Table at that time. The twenty who did not survive are the ancestors of the founding families today.”
Eivass said meaningfully, “This is why Avalon exclusively reveres the Path of Authority… and it is also the true reason why Avalon prohibits the Transcendent Path.”
