668 – One Is Not Affectionate – 2
As a result of inquiring with Athelius, the answer was that he did not know about Leviathan, but that he had seen Behemoth.
It was the most ideal answer. After all, Leviathan had already been discovered and moved to the southern seas of the empire as a close friend of the Golden Ball. Information about a life form whose name you do not even know is more valuable than a life form that has been secured.
“The last time I saw it, it was a cow bigger than most buildings. No, it wasn’t a building, it was the size of a garden?”
“It’s a fascinating beast.”
“What was more impressive was not its size, but its feet. They were as faint as clouds, so even though they walked on all fours, I couldn’t feel any vibration. You could say they were floating rather than walking.”＜ Br﹥
I was naturally amazed by those words.
Leviathan did not cause any damage to its surroundings as it chose to swim in sparsely populated seas or, if necessary, flew through the sky. If the body is shaken violently, a tsunami may occur, but that is only possible if Leviathan is determined and takes action.
On the other hand, Behemoth is a being that roams the land. If that gigantic figure simply steps on it, the ground will shake and a tremendous roar will erupt. It’s like a walking earthquake.
But instead of walking on land, do you float like a cloud? Even if people around you are overwhelmed by the size of the Behemoth, no damage occurs.
‘That’s amazing.’
It’s amazing. Creating a whale the size of an island and a cow as big as a mountain is amazing, but making a floating cow? From what I’ve heard, it seems like she’s floating for a few centimeters like the Crown Princess, but that’s not all.
“Do you remember what that cow called Behemoth’s personality was like?”
“I don’t know the details because I haven’t talked to him directly, but he seemed like a very gentle guy. He didn’t move other than taking care of the cows and sheep in the pasture. That pasture was also under the direct control of the Trika Empire’s imperial family.”
She nodded at the successful good news.
Unlike Leviathan, I was worried about what would happen if he was a violent and disruptive guy, but if he was quietly guarding the pasture, there was nothing to worry about.
‘As expected, cows are gentle.’
Even ordinary cows are gentle and timid animals compared to their size. No matter how created the creature is, it seems to have maintained the essence of the cow.
“If you think about it, the guy who was visible from the sky disappeared at some point. If you hadn’t asked, he would have been forgotten forever.”
After saying that, Athelius tapped the ground with his fingernails again and spoke quietly.
“The last place I saw Behemoth was near the islands.”
“Thank you for the advice.”
If you want to find traces of Behemoth, start searching there. It was an extremely kind consideration, so I politely bowed my head.
‘It’s an institution.’
Of course, I’m not talking about the current system. Archipelago Ausien and its surrounding areas have been thoroughly developed over the hundreds of years since the founding of the empire. If something like Behemoth was asleep, it would have been discovered long ago.
In that case, you would be referring to the system of the Trika Empire, and the system at the time was…
‘It was Croita.’
Croita. A small city located in the southwestern part of the empire.
In the past, it enjoyed prosperity as the center of the Trica Empire, but after the founding of the Apels Empire, it fell away from power and was reduced to a mediocre city.
However, I remember that it is a city with considerable historical value as it was once the center of a thousand-year empire and functioned as a city even after the founding of Apels. How amazing is it that it was said that the tourism business alone made a decent profit.
‘…What if I’m asleep there?’
Thanks to this, a chill went down my spine. In fact, Croita is a place where the entire city is a historic site, and it is said that a new history thesis has to be written every time land is sold.
But what if there was a Behemoth in that area that had turned into a mountain and was sleeping, and I woke up the mountain and made it move? What if the buildings built on the mountain started to move?
‘Should I just ignore it?’
I even had that thought for a moment. I thought that it would be beneficial for everyone to let Behemoth sleep as is.
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Of course, it was just a thought. Although we made a fuss on Leviathan’s back and peeled off some of its skin, considering how big Leviathan is, it would be ridiculous for him to wake up with only that much shock. It was just about time for him to wake up, so it is correct to say that we stimulated him.
In that case, Behemoth will also open his eyes on his own over time. It is better for the Empire to awaken the Behemoth first than to intuit a mountain moving out of nowhere.
“When I find it, I will come back to say hello.”
“Don’t come with that guy. He’s so big, the kids will be surprised if he comes near.”
At those words, I looked at the rabbits sleeping near Athelius.
Surely these cave rabbits would get scared if a distracted cow approached them. I didn’t intend to bring it in the first place, but let’s be more careful.
Conducting a large-scale search operation near a city is not something that can be done alone. It doesn’t matter if it’s my territory, but if it’s outside of my territory, it’s not under my jurisdiction.
Croita is even a city under the direct control of the imperial family. If Behemoth wakes up and causes chaos while raiding the city without permission, I will be in trouble and the emperor will be in trouble as well. There is a high probability that there will be a forced meeting with the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Prisons.
“…What are you looking for?”
“Behemoth is a creature created by the Trica Empire, like the recently discovered Leviathan.”
So he went to the emperor and reported in person.
There seems to be a giant cow sleeping near Croita, and the Empire needs to secure new recruits before it wakes up on its own.
“Minister. I’m just asking because I’m curious about luggage.”
The emperor was silent for a moment after hearing my words, then frowned and spoke again.
“Am I misunderstanding the meaning of the word vacation?”
The voice was so serious that it made me cry for a moment.
How could you not know? I am a person who is more sensitive to vacations than anyone else. I feel like crying because I’m a little kid wandering around looking for work on my own.
‘If I leave it alone, only I will get tired.’
But what can I do? The only ones who heard about the three pillars of Leviathan were me, Hyeongyeong-gong, and Geumgong-gong. Them, except for the two dukes who are busy running the estate, I am the only one left, so I inevitably have to go out and find the remaining pillars.
If I move around leisurely and a Behemoth wakes up, or a bird whose name I don’t yet know wakes up and causes a commotion, I will be the first to be called to the Emperor. ‘They woke up because of you!’ Although it may not be the same question, ‘Do you know what that is?’ Because you will be asked to explain the same situation.
‘If you’re going to be called anyway, it’s easier to deal with it first.’
It’s a simple calculation. If you were asked to choose between the two, ‘something happens and you are called in and explained the situation vs. Using your fingers with support from the imperial family,’ it would definitely be the latter.
The best would be to not be asked to make this choice, but that would only be possible if I retired completely.
“…Even if you are on vacation, shouldn’t you be willing to sacrifice yourself for the safety of the empire and the tranquility of your subjects?”
“Hmm.”
So, when he opened his mouth with a smile, the emperor touched his chin as if he was willing.
Damn you. If I were, you would know that, but where is the evaluation? If I find a Behemoth, I will charge it to Ausuen─
“Well, I understand. As the Minister said, it would be a headache if something that was thought to be a mountain moves. We will be supporting a squad of Imperial Knights and a part of the Wizards, so look carefully. Apply for the budget to the Ministry of Finance.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
There was more support than expected, so we gave up on advancing on Aus.
***
I am Behemoth. A pillar that protects the land along with Ziz who travels the sky and Leviathan who rules the sea. A masterpiece that combines the technology of the Trika Empire, and a shield that serves the Roygas royal family.
Of course, the Trika Empire at the time I was born was more powerful than any other nation, and Roigas’ selection was so beautiful that it overturned the entire continent. Thanks to that, no one dared challenge the majesty of Roigas—there was little need for me to step forward and protect the land.
Therefore, I quietly stayed in the imperial territory and maintained my position. He looked after the livestock, which were the property of the imperial family, and even helped out when there was construction work that required strength.
It was not a glamorous life. Ziz monopolized the untouchable sky, and Leviathan treated the vast and deep sea as if it were his front yard. On the other hand, I had to live quietly on land where countless humans and animals lived.
– How do you live because you’re bored? If it were me, my body would be so sore that I wouldn’t be able to endure it.
-Behemoth. How about coming to the sea too? It may be impossible to come as deep as I did, but at least you will be freer than on land.
Maybe that’s why Ziz and Leviathan, whom I see occasionally, were busy worrying about me.
But I was fine. Moving around was annoying, but taking care of the livestock that followed me was fun.
“When I look east from the imperial palace, I see you first. Every time I see you, I cannot be more confident.”
And the emperor, who was my master, wanted me on land. I wanted to be close to the imperial palace and close to the islands.
That’s enough. If my master wants, I’m just willing to follow. That was my joy and reward.
“I guess I’ll have to let you guys sleep for a while.”
Unfortunately, it was a pleasure that did not last long.
Did you say that the problem was that we grew bigger than expected? It was said that if left like this, the empire would grow beyond its capacity and it would have to go to sleep for a while.
I hated it. I didn’t want to go to sleep. If I fall asleep, I won’t be able to see the warm breeze, fragrant flowers, soft grass, livestock following me, or people greeting me. I become separated from my master, the emperor.
But we hated it even more if we caused damage to the empire. We who were born to protect the empire and the royal family cannot threaten the empire.
“When the time comes, you will open your eyes again. One day, you will once again roam this sky, continent, and sea.”
So I believed those words and closed my eyes. Waiting for the day to open my eyes again, waiting for the day to see Zizz and Leviathan again.
– …Is it time?
And today. Naturally, my eyes opened.
Honestly, I don’t know how long I fell asleep. From my perspective, it was no different from opening my eyes as soon as I closed them.
‘Let’s get up first.’
That’s why I stood up, overcoming the weight that was weighing down my body.
When I wake up, I’ll know how much I fell asleep.
***
The earth splits with a roar. I laughed out loud as I saw the huge cow writhing in the cracked earth.
Indeed. That guy was there. For some reason, no matter how hard I searched, I couldn’t find it.
‘It wasn’t on the ground, it was buried in a hole.’
Of course, I thought it was above the ground like a mountain, but it was buried beneath the ground and sleeping.
Damn it. This is why I couldn’t find it. Who would have imagined that there would be a giant cow underground.
“Go, Excellency! What the hell is that…!”
“That’s a Behemoth. I’m glad there’s no one nearby.”
An imperial knight is astonished when he sees a giant cow popping out from underground. He patted the knight on the shoulder and spoke softly.
“Let’s go. He’s intelligent, so we can talk.”
I felt the driver flinch at those words, but I didn’t bother to scold him.
I was surprised when Leviathan first moved.