A Wish to Grab Happiness - Book 13: Chapter 345

Chapter 345: The Great Myth

It spoke defiantly, sticking out its two-horned ornament. Its big eyes looked at me in an interesting way.

「I often say that I like those with heroic colors. I never thought I would say something like this to Offal.」

Doha Surah showed a thin smile while its hands and body were restrained and suppressed by a magical equipment. Its child-like features were twisted and distorted.

Doha Surah. A demonic being that possessed the Burial Prison Beulah, and the one who served Palome Bashar for life. No, since it was a magical beast, it was better to call it that way.

Hearing its joke, I lowered my eyes and opened my mouth.

「I don’t think I like that compliment. Besides, I’m not Offal, but a different person. I don’t know why you keep saying it.」

I could see that Caria stood beside me, tilting her expression, and raising and lowering her silver hair. The fact that a foreign being called magical beast was in the room made her heart jump.

Her neat lips opened slightly.

「Lugis. I think it’s useless to negotiate with a devilish being.」

I lightly waved my hand to Caria in response. Her tone was strong because she was worried. Among the magical beasts she encountered so far, none had the skills to trap their opponents with words.

Of course, talking face-to-face with a magical beast was not something that happened that often. The tension felt like the skin on my fingers was stiff.

Even so, there was something I needed to ask, so I had no choice but to do it this way. Six eyes were looking at me with worry. Then, I opened my mouth while receiving their gaze on my back.

「…You’re on Altius’ side, and you’re an old acquaintance with Offal. I want to ask something. What is the goal of those who call themselves gods, and what are they trying to do?」

For a moment, I felt the air in the room become tense. My saliva slowly touched my throat. Doha Surah’s demonic eyes narrowed, and I could see that Filaret and Eldith’s breathing was disturbed for a moment.

I lightly tapped the wooden desk with my finger and looked right at Doha Surah’s demonic eyes. The inside of its eyes, which seemed to carry endless possibilities, trembled in response.

「…Why don’t you figure that riddle yourself? Even if I tell you, you can’t do anything, and nothing will change.」

It spoke as if to eat my words.

「There’s a meaning in Altius’ words. It told me to pray for salvation. You see, I don’t feel like doing it, but I still don’t know why it keeps saying those words. I want to know the reason why…Or I’ll be hostile to you again, I’m sure.」

If so, it was important for me to know its true intentions. It was always meaningful to understand its personality. An enemy was someone you should know more about than an ally.

More importantly, that Altius fella had Ariene’s body. I didn’t know what method Altius used or what its purpose was.

Whatever it was, it was already a clear enemy. I had to stop the root of its breath.

That’s why I told Doha Surah that I’d take hard measures just to hear what I wanted to hear. However, I didn’t know if this interrogation could work against a hostage who was a rational magical beast.

Still, it was quite troublesome to receive the words I wanted from someone whose lips were tightly closed. Even my little conscience hurt. If possible, I wanted it to speak voluntarily. Ahh, if everything was that easy, the world would be a very different place.

It slightly waggled its lips, looking a little funny. Then, it closed those lips again. It seemed hesitant as to what to say and how far to go.

「…Okay, I’ll speak as long as it doesn’t turn into a betrayal. I can’t betray Altius anyway. So, you won’t be able to persuade me on that matter.」

It couldn’t betray Altius. I didn’t know if it was a magical effect or its own beliefs that didn’t allow it to speak certain subjects. I nodded slightly, opened my hand, and urged it to continue.

After all, Altius was a mysterious existence from the age of the gods. I wanted to get enough information to understand my opponent even if it was just a fragment.

「The Divine Spirit Altius…No, her name when she was human was Altia. You are misunderstanding since she was by no means an evil existence.」

“She behaved horribly at the Great Temple of Flimslat”, Filaret muttered in disgust. In response to those words that exposed some hostility, Doha Surah smiled lightheartedly.

In any case, for a magical beast, Doha Surah was terribly friendly, or rather, it showed a behavior befitting its appearance.

「It’s been a long time since she has shown mercy to those who oppose her. However, when she was human, Altia, was truly a hero to humans. A great person from the human race who stood up for the dignity of the starving and deprived people, and fought for their salvation and happiness…」

From such words, Doha Surah’s story about the human Altia began.

—

The era that was once called the age of the gods. It was a time when spirits lived in the heavens, dragons ruled the sky, and giants ruled the earth.

The human race was not yet the rulers of the continent, but a slave race for the great giants, the only race who ruled. Running around the earth freely like now was nothing more than an impossible dream.

Therefore, humans had no dignity, no will, and died as easily as dust. Words such as freedom and happiness were illusions, and there were no words that actually saved them.

Yes, in other words, humans were livestock. A small civilization existed, but humans were still nothing more than beings who were favored by the ruling races, sometimes to be killed, and sometimes to be eaten.

A special person was born in such a cruel time.

Her name was Altia. Even Doha Surah did not know her detailed history. All it had heard was that she was originally an abandoned child.

She only wanted one thing. Doha Surah remembered her saying it like a catchphrase.

…How can we give dignity to the weak and happiness to the hungry people? Such words are not allowed in this doomed land. For there is no God in this world, and all that is there is the one who rules and govern us humans.

Her demeanor was just like a hero. In a sense, it was like a great myth.

She brought the great Giant Flimslat to its knees and abolished the giant race.

She ripped off the wings of the evil dragon Vrilligant and forcibly took away its heart.

She caused the spirit god Zebrililith to fall from the heaven to the earth, and built the foundation of magic, which was nothing more than a concept of nature. Her mere human body shed blood, her bones were crushed, and she was injured repeatedly, but even so, Altia did not stop.

The glorious trajectory she created was unmistakably mythical. For humans to be humans, Altia wielded her sword and used magic to pave her way.

If a hero was someone who stood out before anyone else and achieved greater things than anyone else did, then she was truly a hero.

How did she, who was nothing more than just a human, come to acquire such power? Doha Surah had no idea.

Some said she was actually a hybrid of some kind, while others said she was the result of a mutation in the human race.

Many songsters had said that her success was the sum of the courageous figures combined into one.

Still, as far as Doha Surah knew, Altia certainly had a good number of comrades, but she was the only great one.

Her ultimate goal was to save all people and make them happy. Human beings were finally united, a purpose that had to continue forever. She believed from the depths of her heart that the impossible dream had reached reality.

Doha Surah didn’t know if it was for that purpose, but after crushing all the evil myths, Altia created a large empire.

It united all kingdoms and oversaw the human species. A unified empire that bore her name.

Doha Surah was convinced. That was undoubtedly the greatest age of mankind. An era when everyone possessed so much honor and prosperity that they could not hold them in their hands. A time when everyone was happy and fulfilled.

Nevertheless, that glory eventually faded away. The unified empire ended with the death of its founder.

The death of the great hero Altia. It wasn’t a natural death. She was a murdered by someone else.

…The name of that murderer was Offal, Altia’s most trusted ally and the only one she loved.