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Silence of the Dragonrider, part 4.1
Chapter Index
Chapter 4: The Dragons’ Principles
1
The next thing she knew, she was on a bed. Wrapped in a soft and nice-smelling blanket, she was warm and comfortable.
I was sleeping until now, Judith thought absentmindedly.
Relieved, she tried to sink once more into the depths of slumber, when she caught sight of the ceiling with shock.
“Dad!! Ba’ul!!”
She sprung up like a snapped string and glanced around. But Ba’ul wasn’t there. There was nobody in the room besides Judith herself. Nobody—nor any monsters.
“Ba’ul...”
She had felt like she’d been cradled on his back as they travelled. Or maybe that was a dream?
But if so, where in the world is this?
Judith looked around the room once more. Although she didn’t recognize it, in some ways, it gave Judith a strange feeling of déjà vu. It was like Temza, yet also not.
This can’t be Temza. She couldn’t believe there was still any safe place left in Temza, not after what happened.
She wanted to see Ba’ul. Ba’ul was the only companion left she could see.
With a deep breath, Judith got down from the bed. Her steps were immediately unsteady. My body has no strength. It feels really weak.
She then realized that the clothes she was wearing were unfamiliar. The size wasn’t quite right, and they just seemed a bit sloppy.
Feeling uneasy, Judith opened the front of her shirt and knitted her eyebrows. What should have been there was gone.
With a puzzled expression, Judith stared at her unblemished chest. There was no trace left of the claws’ merciless blow, even though her memory of the pain was still vivid.
And the letter box that had been taken away by that attack. Her father’s letter, which had been stored in the letter box, was also gone.
The loss of the wound and the letter box had to be related. What did it mean that both of them were gone? Judith was irritated by the strange surrealness that felt like some kind of trick.
Hoping to find an explanation, she approached the window in the corner of the room.
Judith was bewildered by the sight that met her eyes. Speechless, her mouth hung slightly open.
She seemed to be in a high spot, allowing a sweeping view of the surrounding scenery. It was all bathed in pale green light.
The whole sky was a beautiful jade green, and there were lines or maybe patterns—she couldn’t say which for certain—that were running all throughout it like leaf veins. A few layers of the leaf veins were also overlapping, constantly moving and changing like they were pulsing.
She saw the sun shining beyond the green dome. The transparent membrane-like material, which seemed quite thick, was covering the entire town. The sunlight passing through this membrane became a green haze.
The town spread out beneath her eyes. The townscape, similar to the room’s interior, gave her a strange sense of déjà vu.
Although the buildings looked crowded together in an odd way, upon closer look, the clusters were individual sections that were connected to each other by bridges. That organization was definitely reminiscent of Temza.
Judith was speechless at the too-surreal sight, and noticing something else, she went wide-eyed once more. Without realizing it, she leaned forward through the window.
There was something that wasn’t similar to Temza. To be more precise, it was something that was in Temza that wasn’t here.
In the city of Temza, each section was built atop a towering mountain peak. This place—unless she was still dreaming—wasn't built on top of anything at all.
In the space between sections, or below the bridges connecting them, there was nothing. There was only thin air and drifting lines of clouds below. Even further below stretched the wide open sea.
She’d been seeing a series of spectacles that defied her own common sense, but this one was leagues above the rest.
This city is floating in the sky.
No way. Judith froze. That can't be possible. Surely it had to be supported where she couldn't see. Yet the sea surface beneath the clouds was also slowly drifting, albeit slowly.
At a total loss, Judith moved away from the window. She immediately headed towards the room’s door, which was unlocked and readily opened as if it was only this room that was abnormal. Judith left the room behind.
She exited directly outside. With the great jade dome completely encompassing the area overhead, she felt all the more like there was no refuge. It was beautiful, but somehow also unsettling.
Right before her was a small landing, from which a winding staircase descended and stretched towards the townscape. In the streets and plaza below, there were people passing. Their clothing seemed familiar somehow, like the buildings, and hanging from the backs of their heads were two long—
"Are they...Krityans?" Judith murmured. Temza was the only Krityan city in the whole world; that's what she had always been told since she was born. And that one city was completely gone now.
Where in the world did you bring me?!
"Ba'ul!!" The cry was swallowed futilely by the green light. No response. As Judith sobbed, she staggered and leaned against the nearby wall.
“Oh, so you’ve awoken.”
Judith lifted her head at the somehow tedious-sounding voice.
She hadn’t noticed that there was an old man with a calm expression standing next to her. Although he seemed quite old, he was dressed in a very fine, long gown and stood tall and dignified.
“I am Cepat, the Elder of this city.”
“Um...I’m...” Interrupted by her stomach loudly growling, Judith reddened with embarrassment and confusion. The old man didn’t seem to mind.
“You were asleep for three full days. I would think you’d be hungry. Come, let us get you something to eat.”
---
The food was delicious. It was also uncannily similar to what Temza’s Krityans would make, but focused on her hunger, she paid it no mind. Judith ate silently, partly because she was still confused by the situation.
“It’s the special legendary cucucumber.”
This cucumber he wanted to try was something the old man had been talking about for a while now. It was said to dramatically improve the flavor when added to any dish. He said that it was used in all the food she was eating even now, but since that seemed impossible for some of the dishes, Judith couldn’t decide whether he was genuine or joking.
But at least he seemed to be saving the important conversation until she was finished eating. Judith was grateful for that.
“Now then, where shall we start?” The Elder started to talk once he was sure that Judith had swallowed every last bite.
“Where’s Ba’ul?” Although there were many things she was worried about, Judith asked what bothered her the most.
“Who is Ba’ul?”
“Ba’ul brought me here, didn’t he? Please, where is he right now?” Judith stood and leaned forward as she repeated the question. Having the meal had restored her energy.
The Elder, however, remained unhurried and muttered, “Ba’ul... Hmph, so that young Entelexeia is Ba’ul?”
“Ente...le...xeia?”
“What, you don’t know? The mightiest race in existence are called the Entelexeia. Your friend is one of them. That’s what Krones said.”
“Ba’ul is a dragon. Dad said so.”
“Hmph, I don’t know that name, but... Well, it seems they were described in various ways.”
“So, where is Ba’ul?” Judith cried impatiently.
“As for that, as soon as he left you here, he went off somewhere again. He’ll return eventually.”
Judith sank into her chair as her energy, which had been recovering after the meal, instantly faded.
The Elder lifted his hand to reassure her. “Now, now, only three days have passed since then. He might turn right back up soon. There’s no need to look so disappointed.”
Despite what he said, Judith wasn’t comforted at all. She wanted someone familiar at her side in this strange place. And she no longer had anyone besides Ba’ul who she could consider a close friend.
But still, thought Judith. At least Ba’ul knew that she was here. When she thought that, it felt like her heart became a little lighter.
“Putting that aside.” The Elder’s tone changed slightly. “Why don’t you tell me about yourself? As you can see, we too are Krityans, but no one has visited the city like you. Would you tell me what happened?”
Judith’s memories of the tragedy resurfaced inside her when she heard those words. The pain returned along with the memories. Just when I was trying not to think about it, Judith thought resentfully about the old man before her.
He’d been so kind so far, though, and she didn’t have any reason not to answer, either. So, haltingly, Judith told him. About herself, about her father, about Ba’ul, about Temza—about the monsters. There was a lot that she couldn’t explain. In the end, what she had seen was only a fraction of the whole situation. Even so, her story was one that was unmistakeably about Temza’s demise.
Deliberately putting it into words made Judith truly realize that she had lost just about everything. My friends, relatives, house, hometown, Dad.
Each time she was reminded of one of them, the feeling of loss grew stronger. One mental image lead to another mental image, and Judith couldn’t stop the connection.
The Elder silently listened without interrupting.
Eventually, her emotions blocked her throat, and the words stopped coming. Yet Judith still struggled to say something, repeatedly opening and closing her mouth. Before she’d realized it, tears were endlessly streaming down her cheeks.
“That’s alright,” the Elder said gently. “You did well to explain all that. That’s more than enough. I’m sorry you had to do something so painful.”
The Elder stood up and approached Judith, who was looking down and heaving with sobs. As he came to a stop there, he reached into his clothes and took something out. He placed it in front of Judith.
“...?”
Judith wiped away her tears and stared at the small object on the table. The colour, the shape—she recognized them. She snatched it up and tightly hugged it in her arms. “Ba’ul...!”
“After your friend left, this was there next to you. I thought that perhaps he was trying to give it to you.”
It was the broken piece of Ba’ul’s horn. In their final moments in Temza, the ash-gray monster had sliced it from Ba’ul; there was no mistaking that it was the piece from that time.
“Thank you, Elder.” Ba’ul felt close to her as she hugged it. Judith still continued to cry. However, although faint, on her face was the smile of a nine-year-old.
---
After a while, Judith finally stopped crying and her heart felt calmer. She turned to ask a question to the Elder, who had been waiting patiently. “What is this place? It looks like it’s, um...floating in the sky, but...”
The second half of her question ended up coming out timidly. When asked, however, the Elder proudly straightened up. He seemed delighted somehow. “It is none other than Myorzo. Myorzo. This here is Myorzo; are you surprised?”
A delicate silence filled the room. Judith self-consciously averted her eyes.
“...Could it be that you don’t know about Myorzo?”
“...I’m sorry.”
“Hmph, and I simply thought our brethren on the surface would be teaching everyone about Myorzo. Then again, it is a secret that none but the Kritya should know. Perhaps that’s why the children weren’t told.”
Judith was a little annoyed at being called a child. “Why is it a secret?”
“We severed our connections to the surface. We can’t afford to be well-known and have uninvited guests barging in from below.”
“Why did you sever your connections?”
“Because that is the path we chose. It’s been this way since long, long ago.” Although it didn’t satisfy her at all, the Elder seemed to believe he had explained well enough. Judith gave up on asking further. “In any case, this is Myorzo. It was originally a city on the sea. It is said that when it began floating in the sky, those who remained on the surface built Temza.”
“Temza...”
“Hmph, therefore, you see, we’re kind of like distant relatives. No, parent and child? If not that, siblings...”
As the Elder mumbled and grumbled to himself looking for the appropriate phrase, she suddenly heard footsteps outside the room, and then several young men and women came in. They were all Krityans.
“Elder, we heard that child woke up.”
“Oh my, this kid’s cute. How old are you?”
“She’s gotta be eleven—no, twelve years old for sure.”
They weren’t so much being blunt as they were freely chattering without caring about the responses. They didn’t seem to be bothering one another, though.
They seem a little different from Temza’s Krityans.
Just as Judith was thinking that, the Elder cleared his throat and cut in, “This is Judith from Temza. The poor girl’s lost her hometown. Good timing, would you go and show her around this area?”
“Huh, you’re not coming, Elder?” one of the youths asked.
There was nothing the Elder could do but simply shake his head. “It’s about time for my walk.”
It wasn’t until after the youths had ushered her out of the room that Judith realized she’d forgotten to ask about the most important detail—that they were flying in the sky.
---
“I’m Tenzal.”
“I’m Siluusi, nice to meet you.”
Along the way, the Krityans introduced themselves one by one. Not only that, but they also introduced Judith to anyone passing by. Since there was no way she could remember them all right away, for the time being, Judith thought she should just try not to forget the names of the four accompanying her. The boys were Tenzal and Fimun, and the girls were Kilomay and Siluusi. She turned their names over in her mind.
Aside from its structure, Myorzo was furnished with all the facilities needed for people to live. It was a normal city in that respect.
"What are those?" Judith asked, pointing at strangely-shaped objects that were piled up in various corners in the streets and plazas. They were all different shapes and sizes, with only their old age in common.
"Oh, these things are called blastia. They're machines that haven't worked for ages."
The blastia were abandoned. Judith remembered that it was also the same in Temza. I wonder if there's someone like Dad devoted to research here too? "I had no idea there was a city like this. But when I said I didn't know, that old man...the Elder was surprised."
"Well, yeah, 'cause you can't come here if you don't know about it," said Fimun. Because everyone's impressions were similar, if Judith wasn’t careful, she would soon lose track of who was who. "Myorzo is the Krityans' birthplace. So if you want to come here, you have to be properly taught how."
“It’s been a while since the story about that person came up. Someone said his name is...Tort, I’m pretty sure. The person who inherits that name for generations is the one responsible for teaching the way from the surface to Myorzo to our brethren who seek it," Tenzal added.
Siluusi nodded. "Well, since you've already made it here, that story doesn't matter anymore."
"Doesn't...matter?" Judith interjected, feeling that something was off.
“Yes, since you’ll always live in Myorzo from now on, after all.” Although the look on Judith’s face was perplexed, Siluusi paid it no mind and continued. “There isn’t anyone who leaves Myorzo since it’s floating in the sky, you know? Even if it does go down, it’s only when Krones descends, and that only happens to pick up people from the surface or to go fishing in the sea.”
“Either way, it’s pretty rare,” Kilomay cut in.
“Krones... That reminds me, the Elder mentioned Krones... Is he a great person?”
All four laughed when they heard that.
“Great...yeah, he’s great.”
“That’s right, he’s greater than anyone.”
Judith was getting angry at these continued exchanges that were like some kind of conspiracy. Although there were similarities to the people of Temza too, she felt like this was a bit excessive. “Where is this person?”
“He’s right there,” Kilomay said and pointed up.
Judith’s gaze followed, but there was nothing to be found but that same dome. Within its transparent green layers were leaflife veins that were pulsing like a living thing—like a living thing?
“You mean...”
“Yes, that’s Krones,” Tenzal said happily. He looked up, spreading his arms. “Everything you’re seeing—the entirety of Myorzo is carried by the magnificent Krones. It’s thanks to Krones that we can live here safely without anyone noticing. He’s literally Myorzo’s guardian.”
At that moment, she saw some enormous in the sky, peeking through the gaps between disctricts. The same colour as the dome, they were shaped like thick tree roots. The roots were hanging from above—from the dome. Eyeing its size compared to the district once more, Judith’s eyes widened at its massiveness.
Both Krones’ extraordinary size and the fact that they themselves were being carried within the city—it was still unbelievable, even after seeing it firsthand.
Judith was dizzy. How are the people here so calm?
“He’s an Entelexeia, just like your friend,” Kilomay said, unconcerned with whatever Judith was thinking. Those words brought her back to her senses.
“He...doesn’t look like Ba’ul at all.” Judith’s comment brought broad smiles to the Krityans’ faces again.
“Oh, sorry—about the Entelexeia, it seems like they take after all different kinds of creatures. Maybe it’s just natural they don’t look alike.”
Just when she was about to ask more about the Entelexeia, she saw someone ahead, walking towards them. It was a girl a little older than herself. The four introduced Judith.
The girl smiled brightly at Judith. “Hello, I’m Nelni.”
Her heart skipped.
“What’s wrong?”
“I-it’s nothing,” Judith said hastily, frantically shaking off the image of the bloodstained doll that crossed her mind, but the girl—Nelni of Myorzo—peered questionably at her face. She was too close, and Judith ended up subconsciously backing away.
“Oh?”
“She only just got here so she isn’t used to it yet. See, she’s from the surface.”
“Oh, I see. But it’s alright; you’ll get used to it soon. Can you use your Nageeg?” Nelni asked, smiling at Judith.
“Y-yes.”
“Then there’s nothing to worry about. Because the Nageeg will help you.”
“...?”
After being at a loss for words for a moment, Judith tried to ask again, but by that time, Nelni of Myorzo was already walking away. “...Is the Circle is here too?” When she asked Tenzal, he looked blankly at her.
Fimun raised his hand. “The Great Circle, was it? I’m pretty sure that’s what they call it in Temza,” He said without realizing his use of the present tense.
“Ohh, you mean the Great Tree,” Tenzal said in understanding and smiled at Judith.
“Wait, but according to the story I heard it’s only the adults in Temza... You’re still a kid.” Fimun looked at Judith in amusement.
“I still joined it,” Judith said. Even though I was cut off. Even though I was cut off from the Circle. Judith ignored her reproachful inner voice.
“That doesn’t matter in Myorzo, anyway. Everyone has been a Leaf on the Great Tree since childhood. You’ll become one too.”
“Enough.”
“Hm?”
“...That’s enough.”
Just the thought of feeling someone’s heart made her feel like her surroundings were going dark.
Besides, Judith wasn’t confident that she really wanted to return to the Great Circle. She didn’t want to talk about it right now.
She realized one thing. Those four, as well as the other people, were often smiling. However, their smiles were all identical copies.
---
[End of 4.1.
So, yes, the Myorzo Krityans are also a hivemind and that's why they're so weird in the game.]
Chapter 4: The Dragons’ Principles
1
The next thing she knew, she was on a bed. Wrapped in a soft and nice-smelling blanket, she was warm and comfortable.
I was sleeping until now, Judith thought absentmindedly.
Relieved, she tried to sink once more into the depths of slumber, when she caught sight of the ceiling with shock.
“Dad!! Ba’ul!!”
She sprung up like a snapped string and glanced around. But Ba’ul wasn’t there. There was nobody in the room besides Judith herself. Nobody—nor any monsters.
“Ba’ul...”
She had felt like she’d been cradled on his back as they travelled. Or maybe that was a dream?
But if so, where in the world is this?
Judith looked around the room once more. Although she didn’t recognize it, in some ways, it gave Judith a strange feeling of déjà vu. It was like Temza, yet also not.
This can’t be Temza. She couldn’t believe there was still any safe place left in Temza, not after what happened.
She wanted to see Ba’ul. Ba’ul was the only companion left she could see.
With a deep breath, Judith got down from the bed. Her steps were immediately unsteady. My body has no strength. It feels really weak.
She then realized that the clothes she was wearing were unfamiliar. The size wasn’t quite right, and they just seemed a bit sloppy.
Feeling uneasy, Judith opened the front of her shirt and knitted her eyebrows. What should have been there was gone.
With a puzzled expression, Judith stared at her unblemished chest. There was no trace left of the claws’ merciless blow, even though her memory of the pain was still vivid.
And the letter box that had been taken away by that attack. Her father’s letter, which had been stored in the letter box, was also gone.
The loss of the wound and the letter box had to be related. What did it mean that both of them were gone? Judith was irritated by the strange surrealness that felt like some kind of trick.
Hoping to find an explanation, she approached the window in the corner of the room.
Judith was bewildered by the sight that met her eyes. Speechless, her mouth hung slightly open.
She seemed to be in a high spot, allowing a sweeping view of the surrounding scenery. It was all bathed in pale green light.
The whole sky was a beautiful jade green, and there were lines or maybe patterns—she couldn’t say which for certain—that were running all throughout it like leaf veins. A few layers of the leaf veins were also overlapping, constantly moving and changing like they were pulsing.
She saw the sun shining beyond the green dome. The transparent membrane-like material, which seemed quite thick, was covering the entire town. The sunlight passing through this membrane became a green haze.
The town spread out beneath her eyes. The townscape, similar to the room’s interior, gave her a strange sense of déjà vu.
Although the buildings looked crowded together in an odd way, upon closer look, the clusters were individual sections that were connected to each other by bridges. That organization was definitely reminiscent of Temza.
Judith was speechless at the too-surreal sight, and noticing something else, she went wide-eyed once more. Without realizing it, she leaned forward through the window.
There was something that wasn’t similar to Temza. To be more precise, it was something that was in Temza that wasn’t here.
In the city of Temza, each section was built atop a towering mountain peak. This place—unless she was still dreaming—wasn't built on top of anything at all.
In the space between sections, or below the bridges connecting them, there was nothing. There was only thin air and drifting lines of clouds below. Even further below stretched the wide open sea.
She’d been seeing a series of spectacles that defied her own common sense, but this one was leagues above the rest.
This city is floating in the sky.
No way. Judith froze. That can't be possible. Surely it had to be supported where she couldn't see. Yet the sea surface beneath the clouds was also slowly drifting, albeit slowly.
At a total loss, Judith moved away from the window. She immediately headed towards the room’s door, which was unlocked and readily opened as if it was only this room that was abnormal. Judith left the room behind.
She exited directly outside. With the great jade dome completely encompassing the area overhead, she felt all the more like there was no refuge. It was beautiful, but somehow also unsettling.
Right before her was a small landing, from which a winding staircase descended and stretched towards the townscape. In the streets and plaza below, there were people passing. Their clothing seemed familiar somehow, like the buildings, and hanging from the backs of their heads were two long—
"Are they...Krityans?" Judith murmured. Temza was the only Krityan city in the whole world; that's what she had always been told since she was born. And that one city was completely gone now.
Where in the world did you bring me?!
"Ba'ul!!" The cry was swallowed futilely by the green light. No response. As Judith sobbed, she staggered and leaned against the nearby wall.
“Oh, so you’ve awoken.”
Judith lifted her head at the somehow tedious-sounding voice.
She hadn’t noticed that there was an old man with a calm expression standing next to her. Although he seemed quite old, he was dressed in a very fine, long gown and stood tall and dignified.
“I am Cepat, the Elder of this city.”
“Um...I’m...” Interrupted by her stomach loudly growling, Judith reddened with embarrassment and confusion. The old man didn’t seem to mind.
“You were asleep for three full days. I would think you’d be hungry. Come, let us get you something to eat.”
---
The food was delicious. It was also uncannily similar to what Temza’s Krityans would make, but focused on her hunger, she paid it no mind. Judith ate silently, partly because she was still confused by the situation.
“It’s the special legendary cucucumber.”
This cucumber he wanted to try was something the old man had been talking about for a while now. It was said to dramatically improve the flavor when added to any dish. He said that it was used in all the food she was eating even now, but since that seemed impossible for some of the dishes, Judith couldn’t decide whether he was genuine or joking.
But at least he seemed to be saving the important conversation until she was finished eating. Judith was grateful for that.
“Now then, where shall we start?” The Elder started to talk once he was sure that Judith had swallowed every last bite.
“Where’s Ba’ul?” Although there were many things she was worried about, Judith asked what bothered her the most.
“Who is Ba’ul?”
“Ba’ul brought me here, didn’t he? Please, where is he right now?” Judith stood and leaned forward as she repeated the question. Having the meal had restored her energy.
The Elder, however, remained unhurried and muttered, “Ba’ul... Hmph, so that young Entelexeia is Ba’ul?”
“Ente...le...xeia?”
“What, you don’t know? The mightiest race in existence are called the Entelexeia. Your friend is one of them. That’s what Krones said.”
“Ba’ul is a dragon. Dad said so.”
“Hmph, I don’t know that name, but... Well, it seems they were described in various ways.”
“So, where is Ba’ul?” Judith cried impatiently.
“As for that, as soon as he left you here, he went off somewhere again. He’ll return eventually.”
Judith sank into her chair as her energy, which had been recovering after the meal, instantly faded.
The Elder lifted his hand to reassure her. “Now, now, only three days have passed since then. He might turn right back up soon. There’s no need to look so disappointed.”
Despite what he said, Judith wasn’t comforted at all. She wanted someone familiar at her side in this strange place. And she no longer had anyone besides Ba’ul who she could consider a close friend.
But still, thought Judith. At least Ba’ul knew that she was here. When she thought that, it felt like her heart became a little lighter.
“Putting that aside.” The Elder’s tone changed slightly. “Why don’t you tell me about yourself? As you can see, we too are Krityans, but no one has visited the city like you. Would you tell me what happened?”
Judith’s memories of the tragedy resurfaced inside her when she heard those words. The pain returned along with the memories. Just when I was trying not to think about it, Judith thought resentfully about the old man before her.
He’d been so kind so far, though, and she didn’t have any reason not to answer, either. So, haltingly, Judith told him. About herself, about her father, about Ba’ul, about Temza—about the monsters. There was a lot that she couldn’t explain. In the end, what she had seen was only a fraction of the whole situation. Even so, her story was one that was unmistakeably about Temza’s demise.
Deliberately putting it into words made Judith truly realize that she had lost just about everything. My friends, relatives, house, hometown, Dad.
Each time she was reminded of one of them, the feeling of loss grew stronger. One mental image lead to another mental image, and Judith couldn’t stop the connection.
The Elder silently listened without interrupting.
Eventually, her emotions blocked her throat, and the words stopped coming. Yet Judith still struggled to say something, repeatedly opening and closing her mouth. Before she’d realized it, tears were endlessly streaming down her cheeks.
“That’s alright,” the Elder said gently. “You did well to explain all that. That’s more than enough. I’m sorry you had to do something so painful.”
The Elder stood up and approached Judith, who was looking down and heaving with sobs. As he came to a stop there, he reached into his clothes and took something out. He placed it in front of Judith.
“...?”
Judith wiped away her tears and stared at the small object on the table. The colour, the shape—she recognized them. She snatched it up and tightly hugged it in her arms. “Ba’ul...!”
“After your friend left, this was there next to you. I thought that perhaps he was trying to give it to you.”
It was the broken piece of Ba’ul’s horn. In their final moments in Temza, the ash-gray monster had sliced it from Ba’ul; there was no mistaking that it was the piece from that time.
“Thank you, Elder.” Ba’ul felt close to her as she hugged it. Judith still continued to cry. However, although faint, on her face was the smile of a nine-year-old.
---
After a while, Judith finally stopped crying and her heart felt calmer. She turned to ask a question to the Elder, who had been waiting patiently. “What is this place? It looks like it’s, um...floating in the sky, but...”
The second half of her question ended up coming out timidly. When asked, however, the Elder proudly straightened up. He seemed delighted somehow. “It is none other than Myorzo. Myorzo. This here is Myorzo; are you surprised?”
A delicate silence filled the room. Judith self-consciously averted her eyes.
“...Could it be that you don’t know about Myorzo?”
“...I’m sorry.”
“Hmph, and I simply thought our brethren on the surface would be teaching everyone about Myorzo. Then again, it is a secret that none but the Kritya should know. Perhaps that’s why the children weren’t told.”
Judith was a little annoyed at being called a child. “Why is it a secret?”
“We severed our connections to the surface. We can’t afford to be well-known and have uninvited guests barging in from below.”
“Why did you sever your connections?”
“Because that is the path we chose. It’s been this way since long, long ago.” Although it didn’t satisfy her at all, the Elder seemed to believe he had explained well enough. Judith gave up on asking further. “In any case, this is Myorzo. It was originally a city on the sea. It is said that when it began floating in the sky, those who remained on the surface built Temza.”
“Temza...”
“Hmph, therefore, you see, we’re kind of like distant relatives. No, parent and child? If not that, siblings...”
As the Elder mumbled and grumbled to himself looking for the appropriate phrase, she suddenly heard footsteps outside the room, and then several young men and women came in. They were all Krityans.
“Elder, we heard that child woke up.”
“Oh my, this kid’s cute. How old are you?”
“She’s gotta be eleven—no, twelve years old for sure.”
They weren’t so much being blunt as they were freely chattering without caring about the responses. They didn’t seem to be bothering one another, though.
They seem a little different from Temza’s Krityans.
Just as Judith was thinking that, the Elder cleared his throat and cut in, “This is Judith from Temza. The poor girl’s lost her hometown. Good timing, would you go and show her around this area?”
“Huh, you’re not coming, Elder?” one of the youths asked.
There was nothing the Elder could do but simply shake his head. “It’s about time for my walk.”
It wasn’t until after the youths had ushered her out of the room that Judith realized she’d forgotten to ask about the most important detail—that they were flying in the sky.
---
“I’m Tenzal.”
“I’m Siluusi, nice to meet you.”
Along the way, the Krityans introduced themselves one by one. Not only that, but they also introduced Judith to anyone passing by. Since there was no way she could remember them all right away, for the time being, Judith thought she should just try not to forget the names of the four accompanying her. The boys were Tenzal and Fimun, and the girls were Kilomay and Siluusi. She turned their names over in her mind.
Aside from its structure, Myorzo was furnished with all the facilities needed for people to live. It was a normal city in that respect.
"What are those?" Judith asked, pointing at strangely-shaped objects that were piled up in various corners in the streets and plazas. They were all different shapes and sizes, with only their old age in common.
"Oh, these things are called blastia. They're machines that haven't worked for ages."
The blastia were abandoned. Judith remembered that it was also the same in Temza. I wonder if there's someone like Dad devoted to research here too? "I had no idea there was a city like this. But when I said I didn't know, that old man...the Elder was surprised."
"Well, yeah, 'cause you can't come here if you don't know about it," said Fimun. Because everyone's impressions were similar, if Judith wasn’t careful, she would soon lose track of who was who. "Myorzo is the Krityans' birthplace. So if you want to come here, you have to be properly taught how."
“It’s been a while since the story about that person came up. Someone said his name is...Tort, I’m pretty sure. The person who inherits that name for generations is the one responsible for teaching the way from the surface to Myorzo to our brethren who seek it," Tenzal added.
Siluusi nodded. "Well, since you've already made it here, that story doesn't matter anymore."
"Doesn't...matter?" Judith interjected, feeling that something was off.
“Yes, since you’ll always live in Myorzo from now on, after all.” Although the look on Judith’s face was perplexed, Siluusi paid it no mind and continued. “There isn’t anyone who leaves Myorzo since it’s floating in the sky, you know? Even if it does go down, it’s only when Krones descends, and that only happens to pick up people from the surface or to go fishing in the sea.”
“Either way, it’s pretty rare,” Kilomay cut in.
“Krones... That reminds me, the Elder mentioned Krones... Is he a great person?”
All four laughed when they heard that.
“Great...yeah, he’s great.”
“That’s right, he’s greater than anyone.”
Judith was getting angry at these continued exchanges that were like some kind of conspiracy. Although there were similarities to the people of Temza too, she felt like this was a bit excessive. “Where is this person?”
“He’s right there,” Kilomay said and pointed up.
Judith’s gaze followed, but there was nothing to be found but that same dome. Within its transparent green layers were leaflife veins that were pulsing like a living thing—like a living thing?
“You mean...”
“Yes, that’s Krones,” Tenzal said happily. He looked up, spreading his arms. “Everything you’re seeing—the entirety of Myorzo is carried by the magnificent Krones. It’s thanks to Krones that we can live here safely without anyone noticing. He’s literally Myorzo’s guardian.”
At that moment, she saw some enormous in the sky, peeking through the gaps between disctricts. The same colour as the dome, they were shaped like thick tree roots. The roots were hanging from above—from the dome. Eyeing its size compared to the district once more, Judith’s eyes widened at its massiveness.
Both Krones’ extraordinary size and the fact that they themselves were being carried within the city—it was still unbelievable, even after seeing it firsthand.
Judith was dizzy. How are the people here so calm?
“He’s an Entelexeia, just like your friend,” Kilomay said, unconcerned with whatever Judith was thinking. Those words brought her back to her senses.
“He...doesn’t look like Ba’ul at all.” Judith’s comment brought broad smiles to the Krityans’ faces again.
“Oh, sorry—about the Entelexeia, it seems like they take after all different kinds of creatures. Maybe it’s just natural they don’t look alike.”
Just when she was about to ask more about the Entelexeia, she saw someone ahead, walking towards them. It was a girl a little older than herself. The four introduced Judith.
The girl smiled brightly at Judith. “Hello, I’m Nelni.”
Her heart skipped.
“What’s wrong?”
“I-it’s nothing,” Judith said hastily, frantically shaking off the image of the bloodstained doll that crossed her mind, but the girl—Nelni of Myorzo—peered questionably at her face. She was too close, and Judith ended up subconsciously backing away.
“Oh?”
“She only just got here so she isn’t used to it yet. See, she’s from the surface.”
“Oh, I see. But it’s alright; you’ll get used to it soon. Can you use your Nageeg?” Nelni asked, smiling at Judith.
“Y-yes.”
“Then there’s nothing to worry about. Because the Nageeg will help you.”
“...?”
After being at a loss for words for a moment, Judith tried to ask again, but by that time, Nelni of Myorzo was already walking away. “...Is the Circle is here too?” When she asked Tenzal, he looked blankly at her.
Fimun raised his hand. “The Great Circle, was it? I’m pretty sure that’s what they call it in Temza,” He said without realizing his use of the present tense.
“Ohh, you mean the Great Tree,” Tenzal said in understanding and smiled at Judith.
“Wait, but according to the story I heard it’s only the adults in Temza... You’re still a kid.” Fimun looked at Judith in amusement.
“I still joined it,” Judith said. Even though I was cut off. Even though I was cut off from the Circle. Judith ignored her reproachful inner voice.
“That doesn’t matter in Myorzo, anyway. Everyone has been a Leaf on the Great Tree since childhood. You’ll become one too.”
“Enough.”
“Hm?”
“...That’s enough.”
Just the thought of feeling someone’s heart made her feel like her surroundings were going dark.
Besides, Judith wasn’t confident that she really wanted to return to the Great Circle. She didn’t want to talk about it right now.
She realized one thing. Those four, as well as the other people, were often smiling. However, their smiles were all identical copies.
---
[End of 4.1.
So, yes, the Myorzo Krityans are also a hivemind and that's why they're so weird in the game.]