novelTo the Homunculus's home
| ← Ch.44 | Ch.46 → |
Translator: DC & Kui
Editor: Arocks
The woman nervously conversed with the goddess who descended from the pile of rubble. It was not long before she understood the true nature of the girl. She was no goddess, but rather, a homunculus.
This country involved itself with many research projects, and among them was the creation of homunculus. The young girl's uncanny resemblance to the goddess was also an artificially created appearance.
Around the initial stages of this research, the goddess had still been seen as a goddess.
"There may be some benefits if we make her look like the goddess."
For such a simple reason, the girl was forced to adopt the appearance of the goddess.
However, as the research progressed, the goddess's status was gradually reduced to that of Satan. Those at the research facility were of the opinion to change her appearance, but by then, it was too late ー the girl's body was completed.
Hence, in the hidden institute, the research of the little girl continued, and finally she was completed.
But immediately afterwards, a horde of demons came attacking, reducing the country to nothingness, leaving just the girl.
Fortunately, the girl's body required no sustenance to remain functioning, allowing her to survive to this day. One day, she smelt the nostalgic aroma of food and thus curiously made her way here.
After so long since she last saw food, the girl stared at the cooking with excitement as the female scholar ruminated.
(This... I lucked out.
If I ask her, I could find out why the country was destroyed. )
So, the woman questioned the girl.
"I have a few questions, if that's fine with you. Did anything special happen before the demons attacked the country?"
Upon asking, the girl responded with an innocent expression.
"I don't know the specifics but they deployed some large scale magic around noon and everything around the country was burnt to the ground. I remember mother and father celebrating 'We can drive the demons to extinction with this!!'"
"Is that so... then did the powerful magic incinerate the surrounding area...?
Do you recall how large the demon horde was? After the demons destroyed the country, what did they do?"
"I don't know exactly how many demons attacked but there were enough of them that you couldn't even see the ground. I think... They breached the walls at around 9pm.
After they destroyed the country, the demons went after anyone who survived and stayed back in this country for a while. But eventually... the bigger demons started attacking the other demons.
Which was why most of the demons ran away, and then big ones also left the country to chase the other ones."
The female scholar listened to the girl's recountanance with bewilderment.
"The bigger demons attacked the other demons?
Was it... something like a territorial dispute?"
"No, it was different. If anything, they were hunting anything nearby.
Actually, the bigger demons hunted and lived off of the medium-sized demons."
The female scholar sank into deep thought.
(What? What happened?
The demons ate meat?
...No, I should be thinking about why the demons attacked.
I can think about their ecological niches later. )
The female scholar cleared her throat with a small cough and then faced the girl.
"You said that it was around noon when the country incinerated everything in its surroundings right?
Then why were so many demons left around the country?
Were there normally this many large demons around the country?"
"When the country and everything around it was burned to the ground, the demons were annihilated as well. There had been some demons around before the country burned, but none so big.
To begin with, all demons that large should've died from that magic."
The scholar held her head in contemplation when she heard the girl's response.
(All the demons in the area were supposed to be dead...
She has no reason to lie so it's probably the truth.
Then... Where did this horde of demons appear from?
Don't tell me, there actually is a Satan as the Goddess's teachings say and it was Satan that sent them in?
...No, that's impossible.
Satan does not exist.
Then how...
Where did they come from?)
The young girl spoke slowly as she looked at the scholar's anguishing state.
"My house is just a little ways away from here. Would you like to visit my home?
There's nothing to eat, but there are still buildings left to shelter against the elements.
Moreover, my home is located at the heart of the academy, and there's a fully detailed map of the academy too. That map even shows the location of the hidden institute where they conducted their research.
It would probably be worth investigating. How about it?"
As she asked, the woman raised her head.
It only required a little thinking for her to agree to go home with the girl.
"Parents...is it"
I, dressed in a knightly set of pure white armour, stopped in my tracks.
This was another outfit chosen through ghost's leg, and I was to spend the day in this outfit.
On my waist was a sword capable of splitting the Earth down the centre, and in my left hand was a shield capable of reflecting even attacks from a space battleship.
Clad in a pure white armour composed of specialised materials, I recalled the past.
(Come to think of it, I've never seen my own 'parents'.
I do have their data remaining but I've never met them.
...Nay, I never thought of wanting to meet them.
I see, so you're supposed to want to meet your parents.
Unlike us Ancients, the children of new humanity are born without knowledge.
Is it because they can't survive as is, that they compensate by wanting to meet their parents?
By learning the ways to survive from watching their parents, they can pass the knowledge to their descendants, bringing prosperity to the species.
...Is that really it??
Would someone really want to meet their parents just because of that??
If it was only knowledge and experience they wanted, wouldn't it be better to separate the baby from its parents and have it raised by the government?
Everyone would receive equal knowledge and undergo various experiences to grow up to be the perfect citizen, who would then in turn help develop the country.
...No, it's useless.
My ancestors tried and failed.
Humans cannot live for a system.
Although my ancestors were able to develop their society from this, they were unable to satisfy everyone's individual needs. Humans are unable to accept a life where everything has been laid down in a path for them.
This was exactly why my ancestors ultimately abandoned society and chose to live individually. Although this led to their abandonment of the universe, they never regretted it. Everyone enjoyed the lives they lived freely in their own way.
Even if it didn't stop at throwing away 'society'.
Relationships between people also weakened, and 'friendship' was the first to disappear. Next was 'lovers', then 'couples'. The concept of 'parent and child' remained for a while but also faded into the dark.
Ultimately, even if the Ancients had children, they ceased rearing altogether.
Why you ask?
The reason was simple.
It was because there was no meaning to it.
A newborn baby was equipped with all the necessary information. They had a body which could heal from any sickness and injury. On top of that, they could make anything, freely wielding their godly powers.
Why should we teach and bring up such children? Morality? Legality? Relationships? Conflict? They entirely understood all of these things.
Furthermore, without countries; laws, morals and human relationships were left without meaning.
In the end, we could survive even after abandoning language.
Well, if I did that, my life would get really boring, so I wouldn't do such a thing.... Which reminds me, some people cast aside both language and their original bodies to become information life forms.
...But well, their bodies they left behind rotted normally and from the sidelines, it was like they had died, so the concept never really spread...
It's dubious if they even became information life forms. )
Then, I drew my sword upon my back up over my head.
(So, it's this sword. If one threw this sword out into the current world, and someone from new humanity obtained it, the person could rule the outside world.
I was able to create a sword this powerful in an instant.
What should someone this powerful be learning?
The world had long been a monochrome grey.
A flattened road was paved out into eternity... and I would blindly follow the road.
The sky was sunny with not a single cloud in sight.
An environment maintained for optimum comfort. Nothing else.
I continued to walk this path alone. That is my life.
To me, the lives of new humanity glistened.
The paths they walked were always shrouded in darkness.
The elements always raged, and they never knew what was happening. They're advancing down their path. How precious this was... my ancestors never understood it.
The last saving grace for us Ancients was 'death'.
It was the final blessing bestowed upon us that we could 'die when we wished to'.
...How would new mankind react if I told them this...?
Would they glare at me with eyes of envy?
Or would they send me pitiful stares?
...And, what face would I have as I looked back at them...?)
I sheathed the sword in its scabbard and resumed my stroll on the artificial island which was adjusted to maximise comfort.
| ← Ch. 44 | Ch. 46 → |