Children of the Rune – Winterer - Chapter 177

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 177.
The Call of the Sealed Land (23)

“Those who abandon such a life and choose rest are reborn according to some mysterious criterion, yet save for a rare few, they lose all the memories, knowledge, and wisdom they have accumulated. It is this fear that prevents those who have once become spirits from easily choosing rest.”
“The Regent King we serve has existed in this mysterious state for thousands of years already. He was a king even in life. Since we only came to know him after death, we cannot say for certain, but perhaps he was the first king of Ganapoli.”
“In any case, because we have lived so long, we fear the loss of our past. Even humans who have lived merely a few decades are deeply averse to losing their memories, and suffer greatly if such a thing befalls them. How could we not fear returning to a blank slate, to a child’s mind, when we possess over a thousand years of history and countless memories?”

Daphnen could only nod in agreement. At the same time, he thought that these spirits must have been great mages or sages in life.
The more excellent a person was, the stronger their attachment to life became. That they had been revived in this mysterious manner after death was surely because they had clung to the life they had cultivated.
The spirits fell silent. The mirror spring, which had shown countless visions, now merely traced concentric ripples like an ordinary puddle.
Daphnen reflected on the legendary tales he had heard today and wondered why they had shared such stories with him.
Thanks to these tales, he had learned much of Ganapoli’s hidden history, but surely they had not summoned him here merely to speak of ancient times?
Surely it must concern him directly. If so, then it was indeed a matter of the Winterer.
The spirits did not wish for this Island to perish, even for their own sake. Then they could not help but be sensitive to the existence of the Winterer, could they?
“Thank you for showing me so much. But I confess I do not understand why you showed me such things. Was it perhaps the craftsmen of Ganapoli who created this Winterer?”

“That cannot be. If it were a thing of Ganapoli, how could we not know its power and purpose? Your blade is not a thing of Ganapoli, but of the Land of Mortals.”

“But was not Ganapoli located in the Land of Mortals?”

“You speak truly. The Land of Mortals is where Ganapoli ‘once existed.’ Your blade came to that land after Ganapoli had transformed into the Land of Mortals.”

“Remarkably, though imperfect, it emerged from beyond Evbzenis’s Origin Seal, which succeeded in purifying all of Ganapoli, and from the Old Man’s Well.”

Daphnen cried out in alarm.
“Then… are you truly saying that this blade, this Winterer, came from the same source as the power that destroyed Ganapoli?”
The spirits shook their heads faintly. Their appearance was eerie, like prophets from a dream.

“We do not know the path this blade has taken, and we fear and doubt its purpose. The Old Man’s Well is not a passage that connects to only one world. It may have come from the world that Gitisi once glimpsed, or it may have come from another world entirely.”
“But where it came from is not truly important. Rather, this blade may be far more fearsome than the power that destroyed Ganapoli. Must you not know the truth? At the Boundary of Worlds, there is one who created this blade. Go and find that one, and ask them everything.”

“I wish it were possible. But what exactly is this Boundary of Worlds? Do you not know who this person is? If you do, why have you not gone to them directly to inquire?”
It was then that Endymion spoke for the first time in a long while.

“As I said, we cannot leave this Island. Our descendants do not exist on the Continent or in other worlds. If we were to become lost in another world, we would become a great curse upon that place. That would be catastrophic.”
Endymion smiled faintly.
“And the Old Man’s Well remembers all the worlds it has ever connected to. So if you take the blade to the well, you will come to know where it originally came from, where the one who made it dwells, and even which world it truly belonged to.”

Daphnen turned to look at Endymion and answered.
“I’ve seen what worlds this blade has passed through. I learned that all who possessed the Winterer were utterly destroyed. After countless destructions, the sages of some world deliberately sent this sword here. I witnessed that scene within the sword’s memories, and I even conversed with those sages. But even they didn’t know the sword’s true nature. All they could do was banish it from their world.”

“Yes. No sage from any world would know such a thing. But fortunately, our world has a connection through the well to the one who created the sword. That’s why we know of his existence. Don’t forget—all things reveal their true form when traced back to their origin. You must understand this, lest you meet the same destruction as the sword’s former masters.”

Daphnen fell into thought. According to the Island’s rules, it wouldn’t be easy to leave for the Continent after becoming a formal Pilgrim.
What if he spoke to Priestess Despoina and asked for her help? She too had long worried about the Winterer’s power, so surely she would grant him some convenience.
But would it be possible to venture back to the Continent, evade pursuers, and maintain peace of mind?
Moreover, if Endymion spoke truly, the place he needed to go was the Land of Mortals. Did he possess the strength to survive there?
One of the spirits spoke.

“Danger is inevitable, I’m afraid. In the end, it’s your choice. Choose for yourself and for the Island’s future. Make the right choice.”

Then another spirit suddenly interjected.

“Though even if you stay still, it will come to pass regardless…”

Daphnen wondered if he would see landscapes resembling this hall if he went to the Land of Mortals.
Translucent curtains fluttering between pillars, forests of vaults layering endlessly into distance, stones where the Milky Way flowed, violets scattered across milk-white marble, hearth fires, raspberries, cushions the color of bark, and carpets adorned with silver and gold embroidery.
Had Ganapoli once possessed such magnificent scenery, more impressive than anything Daphnen had ever witnessed?
Yet here, those who sat like demigods with long hair and flowing robes possessed only translucent bodies.
If they were the shadows of Ganapoli’s people, then this place was the shadow of an elegant civilization that had once existed in that land.
Daphnen rose and bowed deeply to the spirits.
“I understand. I will certainly treasure the invaluable counsel you have just given me. But before I depart carrying those words with me, I wish to return to the beginning and ask—is there truly no way you could save that young boy?”
At that moment, Endymion rose quietly and spoke to both the spirits and Daphnen.

“Father is coming.”

All the spirits rose from their seats. Daphnen turned as well.
Unexpectedly, a spirit who appeared to be barely forty years old approached. Of course, if this was Endymion’s Father, that age would be fitting, but all the adult spirits Daphnen had conversed with thus far had been elderly.
Clad in violet robes and wearing a slender crown upon his head, he responded to the greetings of those around him one by one as he spoke.

“Be seated. And let the boy who asks for difficult things be seated as well.”

His voice was deep, yet clear as a child’s. It was the voice of a sage who knew all things, and at the same time, it was familiar as though he would speak anything with honesty.
It was strange that such contradictory qualities could exist within one person’s voice.
Daphnen thought this must be the king the spirits had spoken of earlier. Perhaps after witnessing thousands of years, one becomes like this. Even as he convinced himself of this, Daphnen continued to tilt his head in wonder.
The mysterious voice spoke.

「Granting your request is truly difficult for me. I do not easily refuse requests made on behalf of others rather than oneself, yet your plea entangles a troublesome matter. Awakening the sick or the sleeping is no great feat. Even raising the dead is possible. However, in the latter case, I would greatly offend the almighty ‘Death’ itself, and no one can know to whom that price will ultimately fall.」

Though the voice was gentle, Daphnen felt an uncanny pressure as he opened his mouth.
“Oizis… has not yet died.”

「That is not so. The child you wish to save has already entered the path of death. I can see it.」

Daphnen’s heart sank at the spirit’s despairing words, yet he steeled himself to endure to the very end.
“Are you saying that even Your Majesty, who possesses the greatest power in this mysterious place, cannot awaken a single small child?”
At this, the spirit’s expression softened and he laughed aloud. Beside him, Endymion’s transparent cheeks flushed as he whispered.

「He is not Your Majesty. We cannot easily meet His Majesty ourselves. This is my father, and he is merely called the ‘Regent King.’ So you should address him as ‘Your Highness.’」

Daphnen likewise flushed and spoke to the Regent King.
“Forgive my rudeness. But I cannot give up so easily. Is there not a price I might pay for what you have spoken?”
Endymion shook his head vigorously. The spirits merely gazed down at him in silence.
Daphnen continued to rack his mind. At last, a single idea came to him, and he resolved to stake everything on this method. In any case, this was not a matter that could be resolved through pleading or bargaining.
Daphnen spoke boldly to the Regent King.
“Just now, I heard that in this place, when deciding whether to accept another’s request, you trust most in the power of those dice. I propose a game of dice to you, Your Highness. If I win, return that child’s life to me. If I lose, I will do whatever you command.”
Not only the spirits who had participated in the conversation but the entire Hall stirred with murmurs. Though they had seemed indifferent, they had all been listening.
Daphnen strove not to waver as he fixed his gaze upon the Regent King’s eyes. The Regent King too was peering into Daphnen’s eyes.
A moment passed, and the Regent King burst into light laughter.

「Do you truly wish for this? Yes, it is not a bad idea. In truth, Death itself greatly enjoys games of dice. So even if I were to lose to your dice and grant your wish, Death may not be greatly angered. However, this will not be an easy game—do you still wish to try?」

There was no choice. Daphnen nodded.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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