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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Simzy
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Have you ever heard of the name Ichadon?
I learned that long, long ago, when Silla first accepted Buddhism, this person, Ichadon, offered himself as a sacrifice, becoming a martyr while spewing white blood.
Of course, it must be an exaggeration. How can a person bleed white blood? Unless Ichadon was a reptilian…
What I’m trying to say here is that I was hoping for an effect similar to that anecdote.
Even if I couldn’t shatter the giant boulder, if I struck it hundreds of times and left even a fist mark, that alone would be a tremendous feat.
I was trying to use that forced effort to crush the numerous superstitions that existed in this land in one fell swoop, but…
Things were taking a rather strange turn.
“So this is… what you did…?”
“Oh-”
Storolf and Refil, who had already witnessed my prowess countless times, and even my vassals, who came running with glee at the news that ‘Konungr Helgi split a giant boulder with his fist,’ couldn’t snap out of their shock this time.
Of course, my brothers Bjorn and Halfdan were among them.
“…That’s what happened.”
“Oh-”
“Wow-”
The performance, driven by instinct as if possessed, clearly left a strong impression on the people.
Around the giant boulder, split vertically centered on my fist mark, wooden sticks inscribed with all kinds of runes were driven into the ground in a circle, and a rope was drawn around them. The rope was adorned with Hel’s symbol, along with rune stones inscribed with the names of numerous gods, including Odin, Thor, and Tyr, and decorated with all sorts of grass and flowers.
Behind us three brothers, observing the split boulder from up close, were priests who had been praying around it for days, the citizens of Uppsala who visited at least once a day, and a massive crowd of people who had come from Aarhus and beyond after hearing the news.
‘It’s become a tourist attraction…’
The eccentric act, which began with the intention of religious reform, unintentionally brought an economic boom to Uppsala. I wonder if I should split a rock in Aarhus too.
“Bjorn, didn’t you say you had something to tell me?”
“Oh ho- Ah, right. I almost forgot. A merchant came down from beyond the northern mountains, and the goods he brought are quite unusual, Helgi.”
Bjorn still maintained a poker face, but as his brother who had observed him for a long time, I could tell he was quite agitated. I subtly addressed him, and soon a serious reply came.
‘Unusual goods.’
If Bjorn said that, it meant something.
“You said that merchant is in Aarhus now?”
“Yes, his accent doesn’t sound like one of our Northmen. He seems to be Sami from the far north. I’ve told him to stay on the outskirts for now. He came riding a reindeer.”
“He came riding a reindeer?”
A reindeer?
“Haha. Yes, it was quite a large one, and its antlers were very beautiful. Horses can’t even travel in the frozen lands of the north, so it’s their own solution.”
This made me even more eager to see it. Was Santa Claus a real person…?
“It seems things here aren’t finished yet, but I’m afraid I’ll have to summon him to Uppsala.”
“Alright, I’ll send someone.”
“Aren’t you going?”
I asked Bjorn, whose gaze was still fixed on the split boulder, and who answered vaguely. My brother scratched his beard and said,
“Now that the Konungr has returned, I should go back home. In case you’ve forgotten… I’m retired. Eric stayed in Aarhus, so there shouldn’t be any problems.”
“Honestly.”
Now that I look at it, looking at the rock is just an excuse, he’s just running away.
“Alright, Eric is trustworthy. I’m holding a Thing with the priests in the hall. Should I prepare a separate seat?”
“No, a Thing with the priests sounds dreadful. I just want to stay here and gaze upon the proof of god that has appeared in this world through your body. To think I’d see such a sight in my lifetime…”
He’s making a long-winded excuse for not wanting to work. Still, Bjorn was better than Halfdan, who seemed to have lost his mind, his mouth agape. Why is he acting like he’s never seen a split rock before?
“…Alright, see you later, Bjorn.”
“Yeah, see you later, Helgi.”
Leaving Bjorn, who seemed genuinely engrossed in the rock, I led Refil and Storolf, who were mesmerized by the boulder, towards the longhouse.
“-So listen carefully. When a person gets sick, it’s not because they are wicked or have incurred the wrath of the gods, but because tiny, invisible bad things enter our bodies. Therefore, to avoid getting sick, one must wash well and eat well.”
[Scratch- Scratch-]
[Swish- Swish- Swish-]
The first national gathering of Gothi, hosted by Konungr Helgi, was held in Uppsala’s great hall.
To record this monumental first event, I ordered the multi-talented Refil to document it in runes, and likewise, Leon, the Roman who was nearly as versatile in scholarly matters, to record my words in Latin in a blank book.
Leon had already improved his Norse to a certain level, so there shouldn’t be any problems. Even if he makes mistakes, I can correct them later.
Therefore, the hall was filled only with my low, slow, and clear voice, and the sounds of the two scribes writing on thin wooden tablets and paper.
I wanted Refil to use paper as well, but he wasn’t yet accustomed to paper and quill, so I let him use what he was comfortable with. He could transcribe it later.
Perhaps my performance the previous day had been shocking, as the priests, who seemed half out of their minds, appeared to be in better condition today. Thanks to this, they were focused on my words with burning eyes.
It’s astonishing, how these stubborn people are listening so intently to someone’s words.
Of course, they wouldn’t be able to understand everything I said, but the important thing was that we’d started.
“-Lightning strikes in the sky, and thunder follows because light is faster than sound. This is caused by rain clouds colliding with each other, not because Thor is angry. Summer and winter cycle because the world we live in revolves around the sun in a vast trajectory, and that cycle is one year.”
My developed brain could recall even fleeting memories of various documentaries from my previous life as if they were brand new.
Therefore, I tried my best to recall what I knew (or had seen on TV or YouTube) about natural phenomena.
The movement of the sun and celestial bodies, basic knowledge about bacteria… the importance of hygiene… rational interpretations of natural phenomena… Naturally, these things wouldn’t immediately sink into people’s minds.
In a way, this was the end at the same time as the beginning.
Showing people the finish line at the starting line. I’d already seen the answers in the future, so now my people had to find the path to get there.
My job was to unravel my knowledge as much as possible, and then protect it.
No matter how many rocks I shattered, how many seas I parted, or meteors I summoned, people are fundamentally susceptible to superstition…
Yes, this is a kind of spiritual, mental war.
“And beneath this land, buried deep, are the bones of dragons that ruled this land long ago, before humans even existed. We’ll talk about that again tomorrow. The day has grown late.”
“Ooo- Dragons!”
“Yes, Konungr.”
“Glory to Hel!”
Leaving behind the Gothi, who had become docile after the rock-shattering incident, I escorted my mother, who steadfastly remained by my side, to the inner chambers of the longhouse.
The guards standing along the way bowed their heads deeply. As I arrived at my mother’s door, about to bid her farewell, she suddenly stopped me.
“Helgi.”
“Yes, Mother.”
My mother’s face, as always, wore a gentle smile. Although it was a soft smile, I had a premonition that something unavoidable was approaching, and unfortunately, I wasn’t wrong.
“I have no doubt that both people and gods will follow the path you lead. But to do that, you must also fulfill your duty. Isn’t it about time you started a family?”
“…”
As expected.
She usually didn’t mind the direction of my rule, or even my mention of the death of the gods, despite being Hel’s high priestess herself… but ever since I brought Constantinos from Constantinople, she had been pressuring me about marriage.
I heard she had been looking after the child in my stead. She had always taken in and raised orphaned children in Aarhus, so it wasn’t strange, but the timing was the problem.
“Instead of saying you’ll think about it, will you promise me you’ll truly consider it this time?”
“Of course, Mother! I swear on Hel’s name… I’ll look for a bride soon.”
“…The one who receives Hel’s favor more strongly than anyone else, yet believes in the gods less than anyone else. I wonder about the efficacy of that oath.”
“Mother, what are you saying? I’m Hel’s champion. You saw the rock I shattered, didn’t you?”
At my somewhat indignant plea, the worry on my mother’s face seemed to ease slightly. She chuckled and smacked my arm. Her hand was still strong.
“If you can’t even keep your word… Anyway, don’t dismiss it as an old woman’s worries. Think about it carefully. I should go in now.”
“Yes, Mother. Please rest. The Thing seems like it will continue for a while, so if you get tired, it’s alright to leave, isn’t it?”
“I’m not that old yet, so you don’t need to worry so much. And.”
My mother’s eyes seemed lost in thought for a moment. But soon, those deep green eyes looked at me with strong conviction.
“…You’ll laugh if you hear this, but I don’t believe your stories are entirely your own. Perhaps, could the goddess be speaking through your mouth? I can’t shake that thought.”
My mother, who was already aware of my rather atheistic tendencies for the son of a high priestess, seemed worried about my somewhat cynical reactions when talking about the gods. But my true stance on gods was closer to ‘I don’t know.’
I don’t know if there’s a Lord, if the gods of Asgard exist, or if the Chuchushen somewhere in Africa are real. I don’t know.
Because I’ve never seen or heard of them.
But regarding the goddess Hel, honestly, I have to admit I’m wavering. There are too many phenomena occurring before me to simply deny it, but to acknowledge it… I’d already experienced the 21st century.
A world where faith became a matter of choice.
“Perhaps you’re right, Mother.”
‘How can a person shatter a giant rock with a single punch?’
However, I didn’t voice the latter part.
Helgi’s natural science lectures, disguised as a Thing, continued for about a week.
At first, only a few Gothi attended, but soon people from Uppsala and Aarhus, with nothing better to do, strongly requested a change of venue. In a circular plaza hastily designed by the genius engineer Leon, I continued my unplanned lectures in front of the gathered crowd.
“Now, this is the land we live on. See that long protrusion?”
“Ooooo-!”
“This is our current location, Aarhus.”
“Oh-”
“This is Novgorod where I visited, beyond that is Kyiv, and below that is Constantinople.”
“Wow-”
I hadn’t yet shown them a complete map of the Earth. For now, just the approximate locations of Northern Europe and the Mediterranean below it.
Of course, even this schematic representation made people cheer… (Leon, my scribe, seemed particularly excited. “Such accurate coastlines!”)
There were still many difficulties and preparations needed to go beyond Iceland and Greenland, so for now, it was enough to break their conceptual world.
The Gothi, who had been confused on the first day, seemed to have reached some agreement amongst themselves. They all started to adorn themselves with Hel’s symbol alongside the symbols of their own gods, imitating the rather simple attire of the priests from Aarhus and Uppsala.
Clothing heavily influenced by my mother and me. Basically, white cloth garments, decorated around the neck with individual flair.
‘They’re halfway there. Now, shall we move on to Italy and then up to France…’
With the people of Aarhus and Uppsala now engrossed in the fascinating natural science and world geography lessons, leaving religion and gods behind, a voice interrupted me as I was about to continue the next lecture. It was the voice of my brother Bjorn, who had audaciously skipped the Thing to handle miscellaneous affairs in Uppsala.
“Konungr Helgi! Someone has arrived from Aarhus! They say the merchant we spoke of earlier has arrived, with a gift for the Konungr!”
Ah, the one who rides the reindeer-
“Alright, let’s stop here for today. Everyone, don’t forget what you learned today, and try drawing it once you get home!”
“Yes, Konungr!”
“Aarhus, Visby, Novgorod, Polotsk… Ky… Ky what was it? Kislev?”
“Hey, I just got here, and it’s already over?”
“Oh dear… You… Sigh, you’ve missed out on half your life…!”
“Damn it! Tell me!”
“Just like that?”
My heart pounded with anticipation, a feeling I hadn’t experienced in a long time, as I moved among the satisfied and disappointed people.
‘A reindeer…!’
How often would I get the chance to see someone riding a reindeer in my life?
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