Golden Mage - Chapter 60
Volume 2 Chapter 30
People still didn’t know that a mausoleum had been erected where Troll Valley once stood. Even the builders who had teleported here only vaguely knew that a mausoleum had been built somewhere.
As a result, rumors were spreading quietly. There was now a mausoleum somewhere on the continent, said to be more magnificent, beautiful, and practical than any other city.
Standing atop the mausoleum, El gazed at the picturesque valley below. Feeling a sense of popularity from below, he used Blink magic to head to the office on top of the mausoleum.
There stood a beautiful woman with red hair and armor, now an eighteen-year-old Kaina.
“What’s going on?”
“Ah!”
Startled by El’s question, Kaina’s eyes welled up with tears.
“S-Serena unnie… Serena unnie…”
“What? Serena?”
Surprised, El asked, and Kaina nodded tearfully.
“Let’s go see her!”
Hurrying out of the office, El was followed by Kaina.
When they arrived at Serena’s room, she was lying on the bed, being cared for by Cilfir.
As El entered the room, he asked anxiously, “Mom, what’s wrong with Serena?”
“Come here. Even I don’t know what’s going on. Shall I take a look?”
“Yes.”
Stepping aside, Cilfir gave El her place.
Then, Serena’s face came into view.
She was breathing heavily as if something was causing her great pain. Her already pale face looked even whiter, and sweat covered her body.
El grabbed her slender white wrist and focused his senses to understand what was happening to her.
“This is…!”
Cilfir must have sensed it too, but she couldn’t be sure and didn’t say anything.
“Mana is disappearing from Serena’s body…”
Mana is the essence of the world. It can be considered the fundamental power that makes up the world.
And now, it was slowly… very slowly vanishing from Serena’s body.
At the same time, something foreign was taking its place.
It felt white, so to speak. Little by little, it was pushing out mana from its place.
“This power…”
El could easily deduce what that power was.
In this world, there are four major types of power.
Mana from the Intermediate Realm. Dark Aura from the Demon Realm. Holy Aura from the Celestial Realm.
And Divine Power from the Divine Realm.
The power flowing into Serena was undoubtedly divine power.
Then?
El could reach only one conclusion.
“No way…”
El was speechless, his fist clenched tightly. It could lead to an immense disaster, the kind that could cause a war across the continent if mishandled.
El made a firm oath to himself. No matter what threat approached, he would protect her at all costs.
—
If people were asked which place on the continent had the most devout belief in the gods, they would mention this place: Gaia Kingdom.
As the goddess of the earth, Gaia was the most worshipped deity on the continent, and Gaia Kingdom was a nation formed by millions of voluntary believers.
Located right in the center of Seldia Continent, it was a country where an enormous number of people traveled to and from. However, only Gaia’s followers were allowed to enter the country.
While others might complain, no one could argue against it because there were so many devoted believers in Gaia.
Although people weren’t exclusionary towards other religions, there was a prevailing sense of superiority that Gaia was the most supreme among the gods, making even empires wary of Gaia Kingdom.
The armed holy knights, filled with religious fervor, fearlessly shouted martyrdom and feared not even death.
One of the imperial powers known as the Dayzec Empire led a cavalry of one hundred thousand into the Gaia Kingdom. Their disastrous defeat at the hands of the Gaian Holy Knights still remains famous to this day. At that time, the twenty thousand Holy Knights fought relentlessly, even piling up their fallen comrades’ bodies while shouting their martyrdom. Those surviving Dayzec cavalry members still vividly remember the Holy Knights’ dedication and chant their praise.
When invaded, the entire nation rose up and rushed to defend the Gaia Kingdom. It’s no wonder Gaia was considered the safest country, thanks to its unified spirit.
Gaia Kingdom, governed by a pontiff closest to the Gaia Goddess, has twelve high-ranking officials. These officials divide the twelve regions of Gaia Kingdom and manage them, while lower-ranking priests work tirelessly to spread their faith throughout the land.
The people of Gaia willingly contribute fifty percent of their income to the Church, and the presence of dedicated priests traveling and training throughout the kingdom made Gaia the only nation where nobody died from illnesses.
Yet, in the capital of Gaia, something unusual was happening.
Serena suddenly displayed abnormal symptoms and collapsed, at almost the same time as the yearly event when the pontiff and the twelve officials gathered at the Gaia Temple for prayer.
Before the statue of the Gaia Goddess, an altar was set up, and behind it, the Gaia Temple stretched, with the pontiff kneeling in prayer. On both sides, six officials knelt, also praying like the pontiff.
Crack!
Suddenly, radiant light filled the temple from the sky, followed by a brilliant white glow that illuminated the entire place.
The solemn and serene atmosphere was filled with an overwhelming sense of holiness.
The officials couldn’t help but be moved by the abundant divine power, and they prostrated themselves on the ground, trying to absorb it entirely. They trembled under the intense divine energy.
Amid this atmosphere, only the pontiff remained kneeling but with his head raised.
In the midst of the radiant light, a vague figure appeared.
Intuitively, the pontiff felt it was the presence of the Gaia Goddess and exclaimed with a voice full of emotion, “This humble servant worships the Goddess!”
A voice resonated from the indistinct figure, and it was more soothing, more enchanting, and softer than anything they had ever heard before.
“Those who receive me. An heir to maintain my legacy has descended upon the Earth after five hundred years. May you find that child and contribute to the peace of the continent…”
With those words, a divine message started to descend. It was a divine message that hadn’t come for three hundred years, heralding the arrival of a saint.
The contents of the message were as follows:
“In the place where the dark soul shines,
The world that ends but never ends, a realm of fantasy exists,
An artificially twisted world in the flow of time.
Sometimes overwhelmingly tender, but sometimes immensely terrifying.
A place where understanding has never been achieved.
In the midst of difficulty, a place where beauty shines.
In a bright yet exceedingly dark place, where light and darkness intersect,
Please find a holy flower blooming there.”
Ordinary people might be perplexed by the words, but these were the servants of the Goddess. They immediately began interpreting the divine message.
“The holy flower must refer to the saint, no doubt. Considering the contents of the message, it’s likely to be a place with magic in the twisted flow of time.”
The pontiff nodded in agreement with the officials’ interpretations, and another official shared their opinion.
“The phrase ‘twisted flow’ likely indicates the presence of magic.”
“The term ‘never achieved understanding’ probably points to a place where people’s prejudices hinder their approach.”
“Difficult terrain could mean the surrounding landscape.”
Various opinions were put forward, and the pontiff carefully selected and refined them.
Among the thoughtful comments, the wise Ardimos official, who had been maintaining silence, finally spoke up.
“The place where the dark soul shines indicates that while it may have disappeared, its power remains active. There’s only one such place on the continent—the Labyrinth Plateau.”
The pontiff’s eyes brightened. Ardimos’ interpretation sounded convincing.
“That means?”
“The place that ends but never ends. This could refer to the Labyrinth Plateau in the western region of the continent, but it might also imply a place even earlier than the Labyrinth Plateau.”
“I see…”
The pontiff, along with the officials, was captivated by Ardimos’ words. His interpretation of the divine message was almost irrefutable.
Ardimos continued explaining, “The ‘twisted flow’ refers to magic being used in that area. ‘A place where understanding has never been achieved’ means that people have preconceptions and avoid the place. When it says, ‘A place that is not it but that thing,’ it’s more likely to refer to a person rather than an object.”
Ardimos’ explanation was full of confidence and sounded like a perfectly plausible interpretation.
The pontiff, his eyes shining, said, “You are brilliant indeed, Ardimo. How could I not praise your perfect interpretation?”
“I am flattered. Nevertheless, since this is not yet confirmed, please refrain from excessive compliments.”
Seeing Ardimo’s humble attitude, the pontiff smiled.
“Hehe! How can I not praise the perfect interpretation by Ardimo? Your insight into the divine message is awe-inspiring.”
While gazing at the esteemed Ardimo, the pontiff’s eyes were filled with admiration.
“Once again, confirm that the saint has descended upon the continent. Ardimo, lead the Radiant Knights and go to the Tolian Kingdom to seek cooperation. Also, thoroughly search around the Labyrinth Plateau to find the saint’s whereabouts.”
“Yes, Your Holiness.”
Ardimo’s prompt response was firm, and the pontiff then declared, “Our holy kingdom possesses the mightiest power in history! Even against an empire, we shall not retreat! Those who obstruct the search for the saint shall not escape our retribution. The appearance of the saint is the will of the Goddess! Everyone must move with unwavering faith. Understand?”
“Yes, Your Holiness.”
The officials lowered their heads deeply in response to the pontiff’s command. His eyes were brighter than ever, radiating with renewed intensity.
“Those who reject the will of the Goddess shall never be forgiven!”
The divine prophecy and the sudden change in Serena—it couldn’t possibly be a coincidence.
A storm was approaching the continent—a fierce and powerful storm.
The Tower Master El of the Golden Tower, who would spare no effort for his faith, and the figure who was prepared to fight the entire continent to protect what was theirs.
Their inevitable confrontation was drawing nearer, little by little.