Chapter 117 God-Slaying Dragon
"……Um?"
Aiwass was a little surprised when he heard this: "Teach you to read?"
"Yes," Haina said with a mixture of nostalgia and surprise, "In our village, there are actually very few educated people.
"The entire Muwan County actually has only about 300,000 people, most of whom are herders. There's only one proper city, and the rest are towns. Our Eagle Head Village has fewer than a thousand people, and there are slightly more cattle herders than sheep herders. Farmers generally grow potatoes and turnips, and occasionally some grow ginger to make money.
"There were no factories or tall buildings in our village. The tallest building was only three stories high. We didn't even have a middle school. I went to middle school in another town in Muwan County. The most famous intellectual in our area was Grandpa Jacob.
"He was a reporter for Bagpipe Town, but later left the newspaper to become a freelance writer. Bagpipe Town is very close to our village. Although it only has a population of about 5,000, it attracts many tourists—you can catch excellent trout and salmon there, and the scenery is beautiful. When people on Glass Island say 'going on vacation in the countryside,' they usually mean going to one of the several towns in Pastoral Bay County, including Bagpipe Town.
"I went to high school in Bagpipe Town and could even run back to the village easily on weekends. But then my mother said it would wear out my shoes, so I stopped going back.
"My favorite thing at the time was to go to the train station and watch people getting on and off the trains. I thought it was magical. Getting on the train was like entering another world; and the people getting off the train seemed to be from a different world than us.
"The people who got off the train seemed unreal, like a dream, a soap bubble. When you wake up from the dream, they will disappear. Never to be seen again."
At this point, Haina smiled a little embarrassedly: "It's funny, right? After all, I had never taken a train at that time. There was only one railway in the entire Bagpipe Town. Of course, it doesn't seem like a big deal now... After all, I became one of the people who left the train."
"No," Aiwass said seriously. "I think it's funny, really."
It was the first time he heard Haena talk about her past.
When Haina talked about her hometown, she became extremely focused and very happy.
Her deep blue eyes seemed to be shining, like a flawless sapphire.
She really loves her hometown.
Haina said softly, "Bagpipe Town and our Eagle Point Village are actually separated by only a lake, Sapphire Lake. It's the largest lake in Avalon and, in my opinion, the most beautiful lake.
"There are many white swans living there - according to the laws of Avalon, the royal family owns all the wild swans in Avalon, so every year a swan minister comes to count the number of swans and see if anyone is poaching them... This is the only 'minister' we can see from Bagpipe Town."
Swan Minister...
Ai Hua was speechless.
...Well, he can be considered a minister.
According to the laws of Avalon, swans are food that only the royal family can enjoy.
Rather than being a delicacy, it is closer to a symbol of authoritarianism.
Occasionally, the royal family would gift swans to knights, primarily those who had made outstanding contributions or ministers who had recently been diligent in their work. The knights who received the gift would then hold a banquet to show off their gift and honor.
However, in the past hundred years or so, the royal family has also begun to sell some swans to wealthy businessmen at high prices; on the one hand, this is because the knight families no longer attach so much importance to swans and the symbols behind them... On the other hand, it is also because the status of businessmen is constantly rising.
The Minister of Swans was responsible for managing the swans. He was required to report annually on the swan population, treat sick or injured swans, and regularly provide a designated number of swans to the royal family. His direct superior was the Lord Chamberlain, a position held by two Hermes, Arthur and Mycroft.
But this position was essentially a sinecure. It was only busy for one month each year, the rest of the time spent slacking off. Since there was no real work involved, there was naturally no chance of advancement. The status of a minister on Glass Island was even lower than that of a university professor—at least a professor could usually hold a concurrent position as a technical officer, potentially even higher in rank.
"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 interest: “I still remember the content.
"The one that left the most impression on me was a story about the animal kingdom—carnivores, led by a giant red bear and a golden lion, ruled the world. Herbivores, like the white horse and the green deer, battled wits and courage, ultimately defeating the giant bear and becoming the new king. And then there was the golden lion, after swallowing a black mole, only to be dug out of its stomach by the mole..."
"……Um?"
After hearing this story, Aiwass was stunned.
He pondered for a moment, then smiled with interest. "So that's how it is... I was wondering how you could have a connection that transcends the Dao. It seems it's not that you've strayed, but rather that you truly possess a connection that transcends the Dao. That's why you instinctively remember this story, even if you're not aware of its meaning."
"In that case, let me talk to you. Senior, do you remember? When we went to the Pelican Bar, I asked you a question: 'Have you ever thought about this question? Why did Avalon follow the path of authoritarianism?'"
"I remember."
Haina nodded honestly. "I've always remembered... You said you'd tell me when you got to school and were free. I've been waiting, but it's hard to rush you. After all, you've just started school and you've already encountered a lot of things, and the final exams are coming up soon, so you're quite busy right now."
"Then I'm going to tell you now."
After saying this, Aiwass asked Lily to sit down beside him.
He took a sip of tea and a bite of snack, then his expression grew serious. "This is a secret I will never reveal to anyone. After you hear it from me, you must never tell anyone else. Simply sharing the knowledge within could result in death."
Both Haena and Lily were a little surprised to hear such a strong and serious warning.
They had never seen Aiwass so serious about something like this.
After they had all sworn an oath, Aiwass slowly nodded and explained the story written by his grandfather: "This story actually has three layers. The first layer is an ordinary fairy tale, and the second layer tells the story of the destruction of the Kingdom of Alctor and the Empire of Hellas. The white horse foreshadows the Knights of the Round Table of Avalon, while the green deer represents the elves and the Theocracy - the Theocracy is on a huge tree, with trees and vines entwined, and the deer is a symbol of the candlelight.
"The golden lion refers to the Herasil Empire, and the mole is the Death Tsuige, also known as the 'Son of the Moon.' Because Death Tsuige can only be transformed after death, they will break out of the ground after awakening, just like a digging mole."
"I see……"
Haina suddenly realized, "The destruction of the giant kingdom of Alctoros back then was actually related to the Theocracy... No wonder the founding family has guardian elves."
But she was a little confused: "But, at this level... it doesn't seem as scary as you said, right?"
"Yes," Aiwass replied, "because he has hidden a third mystery in this story.
"You know, there actually wasn't a path of 'authority' five hundred years ago. The path of authority is a fairly young path."
Aiwass revealed the secret history knowledge he had only obtained in the middle of the game.
This is a secret that can only be obtained in the Shadow of Avalon version. But in fact, it is only top secret in Avalon, and it is not that difficult to find it in other countries.
As the founding family of the nation, the Moriarty family also had this kind of knowledge passed down within their family. However, the elder Moriarty disappeared before he could pass it on to Aiwass.
——But it doesn’t matter.
It's okay if you don't pass it on to me, I know it anyway. If anyone asks, that's what the old man said.
"Five hundred years ago, this path was known as the Path of Strength. Knights, Warriors, Berserkers, Challengers, and Fighters... these were all extraordinary professions belonging to the Path of Strength. The former master of this path, Supreme Heaven, was known to the people as an immense bear, its body ablaze with blood and fire. The present-day Ursa Major is its constellation.
"It is said that giants have the blood of red bears, which is why they are so tall, naturally strong, and can run as soon as they land. Therefore, the giant kingdom of Alctors worships the Supreme Heaven. They are all followers of the path of power."
Hearing this, Haina's eyes suddenly widened.
"At that time, there was a legendary human warrior whose name must not be mentioned. He was protected by the Red Bear and possessed the great power of both the Path of Strength and the Path of Transcendence. Ultimately, he overcame the strong with his weakness and slew an extremely powerful white dragon. Bathed in dragon blood through the ritual of the Path of Transcendence, he became a crowned white dragon and ascended to the position of Crowned Celestial Master of the Path of Strength.
Later, the Crowned Celestial Lord grew stronger and stronger, even surpassing the Red Bear. Finally, he decided to rebel at some point. He transformed himself into a human warrior and descended into the world. He formed the Knights of the Round Table and, with the support of the elves, attacked the then-incomparably powerful Giant Kingdom, which enslaved and devoured other races.
"Whether humans, elves, dwarves, or goblins, they are all slaves and food for the giants. They can even hunt dragons, and not even the empire dares to offend them."
"At the same time, the Crowned Heavens and the Supreme Heavens waged war. A giant white dragon and a giant red bear wrestled in the Dream Realm, causing a corner of the Dream Realm to collapse. The 'Abyss' region of the Dream Realm is where the giant dragon and the giant red bear smashed the hole in the Dream Realm when they dropped it.
"At that time, the war on earth was going badly because the giants were too powerful. The twenty-one most powerful Knights of the Round Table drank dragon blood in a Holy Grail ceremony presided over by Guinevere, sacrificing themselves and transforming into powerful phantoms. They finally defeated the Giant Kingdom and beheaded the Giant King.
"The war lasted a long time. Eventually, the High Heavens fell, and the paths changed hands. The path of 'Power' became the path of 'Authority,' and the Crowned Celestial Master is now the Silver Crowned Dragon. Lancelot I was the only one of the twenty-one Knights of the Round Table to survive. The twenty who did not survive are the ancestors of today's Founders."
Aiwass said meaningfully: "This is why Avalon only respects the Path of Authority... It is also the real reason why Avalon prohibits the Path of Transcendence."
(End of this chapter)
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