Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Chapter 135: Hymn of Praise
When the Dragon Fae appeared again, Father Kalen was badly startled. The little mouse staggered out, flopped beside his shoe, and nearly reverted into a corpse on the spot.
Father Kalen hurriedly took out a gemstone and hid it beneath the mouse’s fur. The Dragon Fae frantically absorbed its magic, reducing the gem to powder in the blink of an eye.
Then Tass listlessly flicked his tail to indicate that he was fine.
“They’re all right for now. I told them everything I needed to say.” He whispered into the air. “My condition is better than I expected. I didn’t suffer any serious injuries.”
Only then did Kalen sigh in relief, though that relief was soon replaced by unease. According to the Dragon Fae, did that mean all they could do now was wait?
A few steps away.
“Egan, your spell doesn’t appear to have succeeded. Has God given you any further instructions?”
After dealing with the “accidental” little fire, the High Priest and Garnet turned their attention back to the boy.
Egan bit his lower lip and gently shook his head.
The old man sighed. “Child, you must understand that the sacrifices’ dream is a beautiful dream personally created by Lord Blind God.”
“I knew you couldn’t interfere with it, which is why I tolerated your mischief. Remember this lesson and be sure to distinguish dreams from reality.”
Egan obediently lowered his head and muttered rather childishly, “But I really did hear God’s voice.”
The High Priest naturally didn’t dislike such innocent loyalty. He smiled. “Garnet, once this year’s Eye-Opening Ceremony is over, you must properly instruct this child.”
Kalen instinctively looked toward the half-dead Dragon Fae rat and lightly nudged the tip of Tass’s tail with his boot.
Tass immediately understood his question. “I merely amplified the mechanism of his spell and used it to smuggle myself into the dream. His own magic isn’t strong enough to enter so easily.”
Kalen hesitated, glanced at the tiny tail again, and tugged it slightly toward Egan.
“Hey, I can’t investigate a second time. My body hasn’t recovered yet.” Tass curled himself into a dark-brown ball, pulling even his tail inward.
Having no method didn’t mean they had to sit and wait for death.
Since they were already inside, they needed to collect as much information about the Blind God as possible before the Eye-Opening Ceremony began. When Myss and Salaar awoke, Kalen wanted to provide them with the most complete support and backup possible.
Hermit had instructed him to assist the two of them with all his strength, so Kalen resolved to investigate as seriously as he could. He stuffed the rat-ball Tass into his pocket and quietly began retreating with the two ordinary rats.
At almost the same moment, Egan spoke. “Um, I shouldn’t continue disturbing your preparations. I must return and pray for a while longer to apologize to Lord Blind God.”
His tone remained obedient, but every adult present could hear a trace of grievance and defiance within it.
The High Priest stroked his white beard, which nearly touched the floor, and smiled kindly. “Good night, Priest Egan.”
Father Kalen hurried after Egan and quietly left the preparation room behind him.
On the way in, Kalen had deliberately observed the layout. Within this spiraling, shell-like corridor, there were two routes leading toward the very center, the sanctuary of the Blind God.
One was the route Salaar and Myss were meant to take. The preparation room connected to the confession chamber, which in turn connected to the central sanctuary.
The other appeared to be reserved for clergy. It stood directly beside the preparation room, at the end of the corridor.
Compared with the small arched doors lining both sides of the passage, this door stretched from floor to ceiling and filled the entire corridor. Its panels were extremely thick and bore a dim metallic sheen, making it look impossibly heavy.
Kalen reached out and touched it. The cold instantly bit into his fingers.
Once Egan returned to his room to sleep, Kalen planned to find a way to open the door and investigate the sanctuary…
Huh?
Before Kalen’s astonished gaze, Egan turned a corner and strode toward the Blind God’s sanctuary. The child had said he would “apologize to Lord Blind God.” Had he meant that literally?
Surprised though he was, Kalen didn’t waste such a perfect opportunity to infiltrate the sanctuary. He once again became Egan’s invisible tail and followed him all the way to the great doors.
Egan placed his hand on the door and recited an obscure incantation. In a manner completely at odds with its heavy appearance, the sanctuary door slid open without a sound.
The interior was dim, and faint, bathed in a faint, eerie green glow. The moment Kalen stepped inside, the door silently closed behind him, solid as a wall.
Kalen quickly turned his head, searching for a statue of the Blind God. Instead, he was met by the group of closed-eyed sculptures in the center of the hall and the enormous pit more than ten meters wide.
Dressed in a pale robe, Egan walked step by step toward the horrifying pit, which resembled an empty eye socket. Against the ghostly green light, he looked almost luminous.
Kalen remained concealed and followed directly behind him, hiding within the vague human silhouettes. Tass had recovered a little. He gripped the edge of Kalen’s pocket and curiously examined everything around them.
Egan closed his eyes and prayed with complete devotion.
Deciding to fully commit to the ruse, Kalen stepped between Egan and the pit, drew a deep breath, and said, “Good child, you’ve done well.”
Egan immediately opened his eyes. Delight nearly overflowed from his blue gaze.
“My God, my spell failed. I thought…”
“Good child, don’t doubt yourself,” Father Kalen improvised on the spot. “When the Eye-Opening Ceremony begins, you will witness a spectacle unlike anything ever seen before.”
Egan’s cheeks reddened slightly. “Yes!”
Tass had regained some strength. He climbed along Kalen’s elaborately decorated Crimson Marsh clothing until he reached the priest’s shoulder.
“What are you going to do next?”
“You can’t order him, in the Blind God’s name, to explain the Blind God to you. This child doesn’t look foolish. Be careful, or he’ll become suspicious.”
That was true. Father Kalen frowned. Yet the difficulty didn’t trouble him for long. Egan’s youthful face reminded him of the distant past.
“A hymn.” Hermit enunciated each word carefully. “Next, I’m going to teach you the hymn of the Lord of Shadows.”
“Aren’t hymns sung by bards?” the young Kalen asked in confusion. “The Church of Cadence explains its doctrine first. Why is the Order of Shadows different?”
“No, no, no.” Hermit laughed. “Hymns are easy to remember. They also help you remember the rough outline of a god’s origin, deeds, and desires.”
“Hymns are far more interesting than doctrine, and what they represent is far greater than doctrine as well.”
“Gods have desires too?”
Hermit’s response suddenly grew distant. “Gods…”
The memory lost its shape as quickly as a drop of ink dispersing through clear water. Father Kalen rubbed his temple and decided to focus on the situation before him.
“…Therefore, I don’t need your apology,” Kalen said softly.
“Sing the hymn for me, good child.”
Egan’s eyes flickered. For that brief instant, the childishness on his face faded. His delight became complicated, mixed with something vague and indescribable.
Kalen didn’t have time to examine it closely before the hymn’s words captured his attention.
“The long night nears its end, and calamity runs rampant. Upon this green battlefield, there is only hunger, plague, and death. The emissary points toward the hidden marsh and excavates hope from the ruins.”
“The suffering walk among the relics, seeking echoes of the past. Lord Blind God sleeps in the deepest part of night. Omniscient and omnipotent, He dispels every uncertainty with His wisdom.”
“The ruins are reborn, and daylight endures forever. In this green paradise, there is only abundance, health, and a beautiful plaza where song shall never fade…”
“…Ignoring all the excessive praise, the story is rather realistic,” the Dragon Fae commented quietly.
“I’ve read the histories. The human world truly was chaotic immediately after the Night Scourge ended. It sounds like a group of displaced, bewildered people rebuilt a town under the guidance of the ‘Blind God.’”
“Does that truly qualify as a ‘miracle’?”
Compared with the hymns of other religions, the Blind God’s hymn was extraordinarily plain. It had nothing to do with creating the heavens and earth or warring among the gods.
The Dragon Fae stroked his whiskers with his damaged paw.
“I have to admit, the Crimson Marsh’s urban design is impressive. This place is fundamentally unsuitable for human habitation.”
“The Crimson Marsh we saw could never have been planned by ordinary people. I also suspect that these people’s common sense, laws, and customs have all been influenced by the Blind God.”
Kalen’s own theory mirrored Tass’s.
But ruins had already existed here during the age of the Night Scourge. By conventional reasoning, the “Blind God” might have been some brilliant human who was later deified.
Yet that wouldn’t explain the line about “sleeping in the deepest part of night.”
And how could a god “sleeping in the deepest part of night” answer human questions?
Still, speaking of the deepest place…
Kalen could not help looking toward the pit before him.
What exactly was hidden inside that darkness?
Could the legendary “Blind God” truly be sleeping deep within the shadows?
……
“Stop sleeping. You’ve already been asleep for more than an hour.”
Myss hammered unceremoniously on Sogné’s door. “Open up. Let me take a look at you.”
The Archdemon’s tone differed very little from that of a swindler. Salaar silently shook his head while washing the dishes.
Sure enough, Sogné immediately became wary. He didn’t open the door and instead spoke through it.
“Mommy, I have a right to privacy.”
“You already call me Mommy.” Myss searched his understanding of humans. “That means I have the right to pull the sheet off your bed even while you’re lying on it. I’m also going to look under the bed. I can only promise not to read your diary.”
At that, Myss even looked expectantly toward the closed door.
Since a few words from Salaar had caused Sogné’s dream to change, perhaps Myss could do the same.
Sogné became as silent as a corpse. The environment around them flickered faintly and grew even more solid.
Myss: “…” This was a blatant provocation!
Myss turned toward Salaar.
“Does this count as the teenage rebellious phase?”
Salaar answered diplomatically, “If Sogné truly is the Blind God, He is only a little over twenty years younger than I am.”
“What’s wrong with that? That’s a perfectly normal human age difference between father and son.”
Salaar sighed again. The difference between someone in his teens and someone in his thirties was indeed normal. But between someone in his three hundred and teens and someone in his three hundred and thirties, the tens digit could safely be ignored.
Still, he decided to let the Blind God bear that particular concern alone.
“…Then treat him as though he’s going through his teenage phase.”
Immediately afterward, the Hero assumed an almost serene expression and watched the two gods match wits.
Myss grabbed the doorknob. “Be a good boy and open the door!”
“No. This is my room.”
“Your father made delicious snacks.”
“You’re lying. I can’t smell anything.”
“Can you remain inside forever? Are you not eating dinner?”
Sogné fell silent behind the door. Myss thought for a moment and grinned as an excellent idea occurred to him. He transformed part of his magic into mist, quietly seeped it through the crack beneath the door, and condensed it again.
He reproduced the strange shadow from the living room almost perfectly. The shadow pressed close to the door, looking rather oppressive. Unfortunately, under Myss’s control, its words were far less normal.
“Raspberries are delicious, gooseberries are disgusting, raspberries are delicious, gooseberries are disgusting…”
The uninvited shadow startled Sogné. With a loud bang, Sogné burst through the door. Myss attempted to seize the opportunity and push his way inside, but Sogné crashed directly into him and sent him flying.
By the time Myss recovered, the door had already shut by itself again. The Archdemon clicked his tongue loudly in fury.
That little brat’s strength was suspiciously strong. It was almost certainly the Blind God itself!
“Don’t do that again, Mommy! I know it was you,” Sogné said indignantly, grabbing the hem of Myss’s robe.
Myss lowered his head and revealed an evil smile utterly unrelated to maternal affection.
“How did you know I did it? Normally, you should have run out shouting that something strange had appeared inside.”
“Is it because you’re familiar with those shadows and know they would never say anything like that? What are those shadows, hm?”
The sound of Salaar washing the dishes immediately grew much quieter. He was obviously listening with intense concentration.
Sogné raised his distorted face toward Myss. Myss remained entirely unmoved.
“Your father and I both saw the shadows earlier. Don’t try to deny it. What, do they count as your privacy too?”
Sogné lowered his head again. He seemed to want to rest it against Myss’s leg, but in the end, he stopped himself.
“They are my memories,” he said solemnly, as though this required immense courage. “They aren’t as private as a diary. I don’t mind if you see them…”
“Excellent.” The corners of Myss’s mouth rose.
Until now, he had only used his self-created magic to peer into human memories. He had never attempted to control a god. Since Sogné had said that, he might as well try it and directly analyze Sogné’s—
“Myss.”
The moment Myss’s magic began to surge, Salaar suddenly spoke. His voice wasn’t loud, but it was like a sharp piano wire tightening directly around Myss’s movements.
Salaar paused before continuing, his tone carrying a subtle shift in nuance.
“I’ll make dinner early today.”
His words held even more determination than Sogné’s had.
“We should… go to bed early.”
The author has something to say:
Myss: ?
Myss: Did you do that deliberately or accidentally, or did you deliberately do it accidentally? [cat paw]
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