Chapter 43
Humans toil to grow crops and raise livestock.
They do so to obtain grains, fruits, milk, and meat from them.
To savour the joy of the harvest, they endure hardships, patiently waiting and enduring day after day of monotonous time.
And from this perspective, she…
With not a single thread of clothing on her body.
Fully embracing the hot seed of life that falls upon her.
The goddess Isiris thought to herself.
That it was almost time for her own harvest.
After a hiatus of over 60 years,
Finally, the moment had arrived for her to taste the sweet fruit she had cultivated with patience.
A certain harvest season that used the tool called “National Crisis.”
As a result, this land would become barren like a field after harvest, but that was of little concern to her.
Even if the harvest is completed, the roots and trees will remain, preserved by her will.
Humans, after all, are beings that endlessly grow as long as they have the right land, water, and climate, even if they die over and over again.
With time, like trees that bear fruit, they will grow again,
And before long, they will start bearing fruit for her once more.
This has been true in the past.
And it remains true now.
Just as the seasons circulate, a history that has repeated itself dozens of times, utterly natural.
Especially now, with the scorching sunlight of the Seraphim warming their hearts to desperation.
So, expecting this harvest to be sweeter than usual, she leisurely relished the ecstasy that drenched her entire body.
For an even more certain harvest…
Until the thirst of those beasts waiting above her reaches its peak.
***
“Oh, goddess! Please answer our prayers!”
“Please answer us!”
The Emperor Ramset and his subjects cried out in a voice of desperate wailing, shedding tears.
Bowing their heads toward the altar before them, they fervently pleaded with all their might.
The Imperial Army had suffered a devastating defeat at the hands of the orcs.
Out of the 30,000 troops dispatched, most were either killed or captured.
Only about a thousand soldiers barely managed to escape the encirclement, thanks to General Obel’s valiant efforts.
General Hos perished in battle, and Seth’s whereabouts were unknown as it was unclear whether she had been killed or taken prisoner.
Although Grand General Roa and the Royal Guard defending the capital still remained,
And while there was still the possibility of gathering a considerable number of troops by conscripting the people since a draft order had not yet been issued,
Even with that considered, the fact remained that a full 30,000 elite soldiers had been utterly wiped out.
It had now become evident that they could no longer resolve this situation with their own strength.
Thus, General Roa suppressed his combative nature and proposed a truce to the Emperor.
Given the circumstances, he suggested that they had no choice but to release the orcs.
Rather, he proposed to allow them a pilgrimage and, at the same time, find a way to coexist by adopting conciliatory measures.
However, Ramset ultimately refused.
“Are you telling me that you want to make me an emperor who bows his head to orcs?”
“Your Majesty… but…”
“Silence! I can never allow that! I’d rather hang myself here and die than negotiate with those creatures!”
In the end, ignoring the countless objections of his subjects, Emperor Ramset decided to place his faith in the goddess, following the advice of High Priest Amum.
He knew what consequences this decision might bring.
But even so, what choice did he have?
As an emperor, he could never bow his head to orcs… especially not to that despicable Mok.
If he were to do such a thing, not only would his authority be shattered, but the truly enraged Goddess Isiris might even take his head.
In that case, wouldn’t it be far better to bow his head to the goddess instead?
Even if the price was a disastrous consequence, so be it.
Having made his decision, Ramset immediately began preparations.
The common people, the nobles, and even himself—
All participated in gathering the “Holy Water” the goddess favoured.
Following the customs, they began the ritual by scattering it over the vast Nael River.
Under the scorching sun,
They knelt down,
Bowed their heads,
And ceaselessly cried out.
Begging for help.
Pleading for her to reach out her hand to them.
After about a few hours had passed under the blazing light,
And as their minds grew faint and their exhaustion reached its peak…
—Whoosh!!!—
“!”
“O-Oh! It’s the goddess!!!”
The altar blazed fiercely.
Immediately afterward, through the searing flames, her figure began to appear.
A being with red hair and blue eyes.
The Goddess Isiris.
The very one who has determined the rise and fall of the Baro Empire and protected this country for the past few centuries.
Seeing her presence, possessing an incomprehensible power that mere mortals could not hope to reach,
The emperor and his ministers, exhausted from hours of pleading, barely held onto their sanity.
{Humans, for what reason have you summoned me?}
“G-Goddess! Your children need your help! Please accept our offerings and extend your hand of salvation to us!”
“P-Please! Oh, goddess!”
The emperor and ministers pleaded desperately,
This situation was not unfamiliar to them, as they often offered tributes to the goddess for favourable weather or bountiful harvests, and each time they would come face-to-face with her.
However.
{Offerings…}
{How unfortunate. It seems that there are many flaws in these offerings to satisfy me. Both in quantity and quality.}
“Guh…!”
“Gulp…”
“G-Goddess! Th-that’s… that’s…”
The goddess’s words were as light as falling feathers.
However,
Upon hearing them, a heavy fear descended upon the hearts of Ramset and his ministers.
In fact, even before the goddess spoke, they harboured greater fear and concern than usual.
They knew as well.
They knew that to overcome this crisis, the goddess would have to wield her full power.
For that, they needed an enormous offering, far more than usual.
Of course, such a burden would inevitably shake the very foundation of the nation’s strength.
Unfortunately, at this point in time, the empire no longer had such reserves.
The orcs’ surprise attack had wiped out a tremendous amount of their food supply.
Grains, vegetables, fruits, and even livestock were lost.
With their military rations—necessary to sustain the army—cut off, how could they possibly prepare offerings that would meet the goddess’s demands?
Thus, the numerous offerings gathered at the back.
Among them were the livestock killed by the orcs that were still in relatively good condition,
And even some slightly aged grains painstakingly scraped together from the royal storage.
In this current situation, where the orcs could be closing in at any moment, they had made every possible effort, yet the offerings were clearly lacking in various ways compared to normal times.
If they were not careful,
Rather than receiving help,
The goddess, who had descended before them, might unleash her wrath, shattering their bodies into pieces.
But…
“We apologize, O Goddess! We are aware that our offerings are lacking! But please… please do not turn down our plea! Grant us the strength to overcome this crisis! Please, lend us the power to defeat those filthy orcs!”
Yet, even so…
They,
Emperor Ramset, had summoned the being before him,
And now had no choice but to cling to her.
As extreme exhaustion clouded his mind,
He regretted not seeking the goddess’s aid from the very beginning.
Yet, even now, he desperately hoped that the goddess would heed his plea.
“If you resolve this matter for us, we will provide you with even more offerings in the shortest possible time… As many offerings as you desire! Ten times this amount, a hundred times! No matter how long it takes, we will offer them all to you!”
Thus, he—
Driven by desperation, he ended up saying what should never be said.
To secure their present, he declared that he would sell the future of their descendants…
Just as his ancestors had done before.
And then.
In response, the goddess, with a supremely benevolent…
Yet, at the same time, unbearably cruel smile, gave her answer.
{{Very well. I shall accept that contract.}}
***
“That means, from now on, the goddess will take direct action, correct?”
“Yes! That’s right, Lord Regent Mok! It’s a message conveyed through telepathic magic by my subordinate left in the imperial palace, so there’s no mistake.”
“Like I said, I am no longer a regent… Sigh… Well, I understand.”
Despite being in captivity, the Witch Queen Seth seemed oddly pleased.
However, regardless of her reaction, Mok and Patra’s faces began to turn grim.
“Emperor Ramset… I never thought he would actually resort to this.”
“I told you, didn’t I? He’s the kind of person who would do anything to save himself. If the situation worsens, he’s the type who wouldn’t hesitate to offer up every one of his people as living sacrifices to the goddess.”
The goddess Isiris.
Indeed, thanks to her, the Baro Empire was able to grow from a small, weak nation into the great country it is today.
Surrounded by barren deserts, the existence of such a vast city and country was only possible because of her continual blessings.
The Nael River, which flows right before their eyes, is sustained by her presence. This is an undeniable fact.
However, separate from her necessity, Mok, who once served as the regent of the Baro Empire, knew well.
He knew of the dangers posed by the goddess Isiris.
He knew that she wasn’t helping to run this country out of pure goodwill.
This was evident when looking closely at the 800-year history of the empire.
It meant that, to the goddess Isiris, humans were nothing more than livestock raised for slaughter.
The large and small incidents that occurred during the Empire’s governance,
In those significant events, there was inevitably a powerful intervention from the goddess.
Thanks to this, the Empire had managed to maintain its strength to this day.
However, in the process, the immense losses that arose—
The astronomical amount of offerings sacrificed to the goddess caused the people’s blood and sweat to be squeezed out to the very last drop.
In particularly severe cases, excessive exploitation by the goddess led to the death of 60% of the entire population, resulting in the nation barely recovering and managing to revive.
From the state’s perspective, one could still argue that they managed to prolong their lifespan with the goddess’s help…
But, looking back at it later on, one can’t help but raise some questions.
Was it truly a coincidence that such events occurred?
Could it really be natural for these incidents to happen immediately when the national power reaches a certain level?
Or were they the results of someone creating an excuse for slaughter?
Whichever it may be, one thing is clear: moving the goddess involves great danger.
She is a ruthless tyrant who never considers human circumstances.
There’s a reason why the previous emperors refrained from seeking the goddess’s help, even during national crises, and tried to resolve matters independently as much as possible.
But the foolish Ramset broke this principle with his own hands.
In a situation where the outcome of the war is already decided, he sought to protect his pride and safety.
“…What should we do? Even for us, there’s no chance of winning against the goddess.”
Her terrifying power is already well-documented in history.
With just a flick of her hand, she could send tens of thousands of soldiers to the afterlife.
No matter how brave the orcs are, they are nothing but insects in front of her gestures.
And because of this, Mok had no choice but to make a firm decision.
He decided to carry out the only method that could overcome this situation.
“…In the end… it has come to this…”
Princess Patra spoke in a heavy voice.
Mok understood the emotions displayed on her face.
Worry, and fear.
The worst possible situation that could arise as a result of this.
But even so, Mok had no choice but to make this decision.
To protect his kin.
To safeguard his one and only precious family.
“Please, sister. There’s no one else I can entrust this matter to, except you.”
“…Ugh.”
Seeing her brother’s desperate gaze, Patra bit her lip so hard it bled, struggling to suppress her emotions.
And then—
“…Just promise me two things.”
“Please, speak, sister.”
With a resolved expression, Patra looked at her brother… at the man.
“Don’t die. Never… If you break this promise, I will follow right after you, so keep that in mind.”
“Sister…”
“And one more thing. This is… um.”
She paused, trying to say something, and Mok felt a hint of confusion as her face slightly blushed.
“No. I’ll tell you after you come back. Just remember this one thing for now. Never… never die.”
“Yes, sister. I promise… I will.”
Mok made a promise in response to her earnest plea, setting aside his doubts.
To survive and meet again.
To ensure that he, no, she would not die.
After making the promise, Princess Patra immediately left the barracks.
With a heart full of worry and another unnamed emotion, she quietly repeated the words she couldn’t say aloud.
‘When this war ends… I will…’
—
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