Volume 9 (The Dead and the Empire)

Interlude: Gische, at the fortified city of Remea

Gische had never deeply contemplated anything throughout his life.

Leaving his impoverished and disheartening birth village behind to head towards the city was a decision made on a whim, spurred by the casual invitation of a troublesome friend.

Unable to secure any decent employment in the city, he half-heartedly volunteered for a mercenary group, having taken the sweet-sounding recruitment words to heart.

In the end, the reality of that mercenary group was little more than a band of bandits. However, Gische didn’t bother to escape; he went along with the flow, assisting in raiding merchant caravans and travelers.

It was too much trouble to think.

He vaguely sensed that it was wrong, but Gische lacked the motivation to act on such thoughts.

As expected, such a livelihood couldn’t last long. The mercenary group was captured, their leader was executed by hanging, and Gische and the others at the bottom were sold as slaves.

Taken along with many other slaves, they were brought to a place: a mine. The tunnels were narrow, dark, hot, and filled with poisonous gas and collapsing rocks that claimed the lives of comrades one after another. Gische felt that he wouldn’t live long either, but he didn’t do anything.

Thinking was too much trouble.

Even if there were means to escape the situation, Gische found contemplating them, let alone taking action, too burdensome.

So, Gische’s participation in the rebellion was simply because it happened right in front of him.

One night, waking up to the commotion, he found the quarters where the soldiers overseeing the slaves were on fire. There were bodies scattered around, and excited slaves stood around them. 

From their conversations, Gische learned that a rebellion had broken out.

Armed with swords taken from the soldiers, as well as hammers and pickaxes, the group of slaves, each with their own weapons, decided to follow along. Breaking into the slave master’s mansion, they killed the wealthy middle-aged man and his family, looted their valuables, and set the place ablaze.

“…Amazing.”

Seeing the grand mansion engulfed in flames and clutching a stolen gem amid the chaos, Gische couldn’t help but mutter.

The magnitude of what they had just accomplished excited him, even though the realization came a bit late.

The number of slaves had increased

Seemingly having joined forces with those who rebelled on the plantation. Gische couldn’t contain his excitement.

“We did it, everyone! We’re free now!!”

Gische did not know the face of the man who led the slaves.

He initially thought the man might be a slave from the plantation, but upon reflection, he remembered seeing the man during the journey from the mine. Therefore, it was certain that they had been working together as comrades.

“Well, whatever.”

Gische didn’t delve deeper into it.

It was troublesome, and above all, he didn’t care.

Afterward, the slave rebellion began attacking towns and villages.

Attacking a settlement is not easy. Even in a small village, the opposing side usually outnumbers the attackers. In order to protect their lives, the villagers will counterattack with a desperate resolve if they are attacked. Wealthier villages often have a vigilante group, and in towns, it’s common to hire a knight order that serves as both a patrol and defense force. There are limited opportunities for bandits to raid such settlements. That’s why they primarily target merchant caravans and the like.

However, with a group of this size, the situation was different.

The group of slaves that had taken control of the mining and plantation town had quietly increased in number.

To the point where they could easily conquer a small town.

Once the rebel army left their original town, they relentlessly headed in one direction, claiming to seek provisions and then attacking the towns and villages along their march.

The leader and his followers fervently claimed to be acting for justice, but their actions were far from just.

Nevertheless, Gische still didn’t care.

“Hehe… this is amazing.”

With a bloodied blade in hand, Gische cornered the village girl hiding in the barn and couldn’t help but mutter so.

He found himself witnessing something extraordinary.

Whether it was the liberation of slaves or the abolition of the aristocracy, he didn’t quite understand what that man was talking about. But for Gische, who had been bored with his life, now a tumultuous change had finally arrived.

Gische was convinced of that.

The rebel army continued to grow.

In the towns and villages they attacked, they incorporated individuals with similar backgrounds – slaves and those who had been oppressed.

Sometimes there were forced conscriptions, but those individuals were made into their servants. When attacking settlements, they were the first to charge in, so Gische felt satisfied.

Soon, the rebel army arrived at a small fortress city.

Despite its size, being a fortress city made it significantly larger than towns and villages.

Even with the increased numbers of the rebel army, it seemed almost impossible to capture a walled city. However, for some reason, the city gates were wide open from the beginning.

Passing through the deserted gates, the rebel army proceeded through the quiet city streets.

There was no sign of anyone in the impressive city.

Eventually, they reached what seemed to be the central square of the city.

There, the rebel army naturally came to a halt.

“Huh…”

Gische raised his voice in surprise

The surroundings gradually became restless.

In the square, there were already a large number of people.

They didn’t seem like ordinary city residents; rather, it was a disorderly group armed with swords, spears, scythes, and even hoes, dressed in dirty clothes.

Like the rebel army, they seemed agitated upon seeing each other.

“…Finally, my mission is over.”

In the midst of it all, a faint whisper reached Gische’s ears.

From the midst of the group of slaves, the male leader stepped forward. He didn’t seem much like a slave, with refined movements and a certain elegance. He addressed the rebel army.

“Everyone, don’t worry. They are our comrades too.”

Amidst the growing commotion, the man continued.

“We are followers of the Sozo religion. Unable to endure the oppression in the southern lands, we rose up. Just like you, we bravely confronted the great evil, endured a long journey to get here.”

Gische had heard of the Sozo religion before.

It was a dubious emerging religion that seemed to be spreading among the poor.

While Gische didn’t want to be associated with such people, the fact remained that the opposing group was quite numerous. If either side made the first move, it could escalate beyond a mere skirmish.

As Gische hesitated, the leader smiled and spoke.

“Let’s join hands with them. Their intentions are the same. Together, we can achieve something greater.”

The surroundings buzzed with activity. Gische, too, widened his eyes.

Certainly, if both sides could unite, they could become a considerable armed group.

They might be able to conquer not only towns and villages but even small fortress cities like this one. They might become capable of resisting even the feared Imperial Army.

Occupying a large city and rebuilding it for themselves might not be impossible.

“Amazing.”

Gische’s heart leaped.

“Amazing.”

Once their town is built, Gische decided that he would definitely be appointed to a good position.

As a bureaucrat, he could receive bribes and freely torment the foolish and dull people who had looked down on him until now.

Gische didn’t really know what kind of positions there were for town officials, but he thought that if he could become important, any position would do.

If possible, he preferred a job that didn’t require too much thinking.

“So, everyone, first of all… Ah, never mind.”

The leader suddenly turned around and, as if he had become suddenly bothered, cut off his words.

In the background, the person who seemed to be the leader of the believers was speaking in front of the group, but had disappeared without anyone noticing.

The man turned his face back to the group of slaves and spoke with a somewhat indifferent expression.

“Well then, I’ll leave the rest to all of you.”

With those parting words, the man ran off to one of the streets in the town and disappeared.

“Hey, he’s gone.”

“What should we do now?”

“Should we talk to those guys?”

“But about what?”

Confusion spread around, and Gische thought it was his chance.

If he raised his voice now, he could become the next leader. 

Even though he was just one of the faceless rebels within the uprising, the current chaos offered an opportunity to assert his presence. 

If he could do that, he might even become the leader of the officials.

His life was about to begin right here.

Why did the man know about the group of believers?

Why did he disappear now?

Why were they forced to walk to this place?

Why was there nobody in this town?

Various questions floated in the back of his mind, but Gische didn’t bother delving deep into them. It was too much trouble, and there were more important matters at hand.

The crucial thing now was figuring out the most effective words in this situation. Gische pushed his rarely used brain to its limits in this moment and had a sudden inspiration.

In the excitement, he tried to speak with as much dignity as possible, his mouth hinting at a smile. But just as he was about to do so…

“――――The world is made of zeros and ones.”

Suddenly, a voice echoed.

Gische, the slaves, and even the members of the believers’ group instinctively looked up in the direction of the voice.

On the roof of a building overlooking the square, there was a solitary figure seated.

“Void and existence, shadow and light, frost and flame, and death and life. The world is built upon the opposition of these two concepts. With just these two numbers indicating them, it is possible to explain and describe everything.”

The figure was small—

Small for an adult, but slightly large for a child. It had an awkwardly in-between stature.

Gender was indiscernible. The combination of a neutral voice and physique played a role, but most importantly, the entire face was wrapped in bandages, concealing any facial features.

While glaring at the group with hidden eyes, the figure continued speaking.

“According to this theory, you are all ones. Though small, you undoubtedly exist, and when gathered, you become a significant number… Well done on reaching this far. From here on, let me guide you.”

A murmur rose from the two groups.

In it, there was a somewhat relieved tone, perhaps from those who were perplexed by the absence of their leader. The sound of deflated voices could be heard from those who had been in confusion.

Gische couldn’t help but click his tongue.

His plan to become the next leader had just been ruined. Who on earth was this bandaged person?

“However, I can’t seem to fit in with this ‘ones’ concept.”

The figure continued in an unchanged tone.

“It’s better to be desolate than cluttered. A dim shade is preferable to a bright sunlit area. I also dislike the heat. It’s uncomfortable, and above all, I get injured easily. Oh, and this is the most important thing―――― I don’t like the living, not at all.”

The figure, unnoticed, had a book open in their hands.

In the next moment, particles of light gushed forth from it.

“What, what is this!?”

Amidst the murmurs of the crowd, Gische, also unsettled, had an idea about that book.

It was, if he recalled correctly, a grimoire. A book used by magicians to summon monsters and items.

He had never seen one in person, but he had inferred it from fairy tales he heard as a child and the contents of adventure tales sung by minstrels. It seemed to be a reasonably accurate guess.

If that bandaged figure had a grimoire, then what exactly was it trying to summon?

“You don’t need feeble intentions. First, return to zeros promptly. Then, guided by my orderly will, I’ll lead you in an organized manner.”

The particles of light materialized.

What appeared in the square was――――a peculiar monster.

“What…?”

A massive lizard-like body, a thick tail, and two wings protruding from its back. At first glance, it resembled the dragons from the tales of adventures.

However, it had seven heads.

Surrounding the central head, which appeared to be the original dragon’s, were six additional heads, each with a distinct appearance. 

They were like a peculiar assortment of a hydra’s delicate neck, a worm without eyes, a wyvern with a triangle-shaped head, a sea serpent covered in fish scales, and even heads like a giant red single eye at the end of a long neck or a semi-transparent spiritual entity.

Upon closer inspection, the scales had different colors all over the body. Perhaps due to the excessive weight of the heads, the overall balance was poor, and its posture appeared hunched.

It was clearly an unnatural monster.

As if forcibly stitched together by human hands.

“You can relax; I won’t do anything rough to you.”

One of the heads, the hydra’s, pulled back significantly.

Simultaneously, the patched-together dragon’s chest expanded.

“So, die beautifully.”

The hydra head opened its wide mouth, exhaling a gust of wind.

In an instant, it engulfed the entire square.

“Uh…”

Gische felt a nauseating odor, like rotten eggs, piercing his nostrils. 

He instinctively wrinkled his face, and in the next moment――――intense nausea and eye pain forced him to double over.

“Ugh… Kaha… cough…”

Gische couldn’t breathe.

No matter how much air he tried to inhale, it felt as if his torso was being constricted by a giant snake, preventing his chest from expanding.

Tears streamed down Gische’s face. It wasn’t sadness. Due to the intense eye pain, his eyeballs couldn’t endure it.

His entire body lacked strength. Gische collapsed in the square as if he could crumble at any moment. Through his teary vision, he saw the distorted figures of his fallen comrades.

“Well, well, well. It’s challenging to prepare good corpses, but this time, it went very well. Since you’ve gone through all this trouble, I should meet your expectations.”

Just before losing consciousness, Gische’s ears caught the pleased soliloquy.

“Now then, let’s begin.”

In the center of the square, a massive magic circle appeared.

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