Whether You Call Me a Guardian Dragon or Not, I’m Going to Sleep

The convenient tools of the dwarves. Using the information processing board to find traces of the King of the Gods, Baal, was... not an easy task.

While searching for information on mythology and reading through it, I was constantly distracted by related documents that would suddenly appear next to me, and then the related documents of those related documents, and so on.

To be honest, half the time I spent in the dwarven archives was spent looking at these related documents, not the ones I had originally searched for.

Furthermore, the range of information that would pop up as "related" was so broad. Documents discussing the breeds of Sirius, the guardian deity of the pantheon, for example - what on earth were those doing there?

Well, there's nothing to be done. As someone who once studied theology, I was well aware of the value of the countless books in the dwarven archives... I couldn't afford to miss even the most trivial piece of information.

They were just too precious to overlook.

After spending day after day like this,

"Phew... There's nothing at all."

I realized that the dwarves had no information at all about the King of the Gods, or the name Baal.

Was this too even for the dwarves' vast knowledge? But if that's the case... the only place I might be able to find related information would be...

The elves? But the elves are... even more closed off than the dwarves. Even if I, as a human with no connection to the elves, were to get permission to enter Alfheim, it would take months.

Unfortunately, I have no ties to those elves. So that's a dead end.

If the dwarves don't have it, and the elves are out of the question... then the beings who might know about the King of the Gods, Baal, would be...

The god of wisdom? No, that won't work. If the fact that I'm searching for an obscure deity hidden in history were to be discovered...

It wouldn't just end with my death.

There must be a reason why it's been buried in history.

I let out a small sigh. What should I do? How?

It's like being faced with a dead end, with the tangled path I've walked behind me making it impossible to tell which way is right.

What can I do? Is this truly the limit of a mere human's power?

As I was sighing like that, Hwangdonggyeong came to see me and clicked his tongue briefly, saying,

"What, have you already given up?"

"Hwangdonggyeong."

"The archaeologist I know wasn't the kind of person to give up at a dead end. The boar-like person who would charge towards his goal without regard for the means - where has he gone?"

"Back then, there were faint clues, you see. It wasn't as hopeless a situation as this."

At my words, Hwangdonggyeong shook his slightly and said,

"But don't you have a clue? That fragment of the stone tablet with the writing on it."

"But how could this stone fragment be more of a clue than it already is? Unless the stone can speak."

"It may not have a mouth, but it can still provide various information."

Various information?

"As for the dating that can be obtained from the tablet, I've already tried that."

"Tsk, tsk. So you've only tried that much, have you?"

Hwangdonggyeong looked at me with a pitying gaze, then held out his hand.

"Give me the fragment. With the advanced technology of the dwarves, we can find out when and how this fragment was made, as well as the region where the stone was sourced."

Unusually for a dwarf, his hands were free of calluses. Dwarves are known to be a loyal race, steadfast in their gratitude and vengeance, but...

Is it really the right choice to hand over the only clue I have, the stone tablet fragment, to Hwangdonggyeong, who has already betrayed me once before?

But the fact is, in this situation, I have no other answers.

I let out a small sigh and took the fragment wrapped in cloth from my pocket, placing it in Hwangdonggyeong's palm.

"Hmm. You've thought this through well. I'll return it after the necessary procedures are complete. Oh, and a small piece from the edge would be alright to cut off, wouldn't it?"

"As long as it's not the part with the writing, that's fine."

At my words, Hwangdonggyeong nodded and put the wrapped fragment in his pocket.

"But were you really so desperate for a clue that you were ready to give up?"

"I didn't realize it had gotten to this point. It feels as if all information about the King of the Gods has been completely erased."

"Hmm... Erased, you say."

Hwangdonggyeong pondered my words.

"Then, what about looking for it in something other than mythology?"

"Something else?"

"If it's not even in the Great Book of All Gods List, which is said to contain the names of all the gods, then it must have been thoroughly erased. So if we can't find any traces in anything related to mythology, there's a possibility that the traces may remain in something other than mythology. For example... fairy tales that children hear."

Fairy tales?

"Un. Certainly, the origins of many fairy tales are said to be the same as mythology..."

At least in the fairy tales I know, there is no mention of the sky or similar entities...

Of course, there's a high possibility that they've hidden its identity, but at least in the fairy tales I know, the sky has never appeared directly.

"At least in the fairy tales I know, there's nothing like that. Unless it's a folktale passed down from a distant region..."

"If it's a human folktale, that would be the case."

Hwangdonggyeong snatched the information processing board from my hand, found something, and then returned it to me.

"The fairy tales passed down among the dwarves are a little different from human ones. I used to like one when I was young."

The screen of the information processing board displayed a fairy tale suitable for children.

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Once upon a time, in the distant past, when dragons were smoking, there was a small mountain.

T/N: What? Like smoked cigarettes!? or its an idiom!?

This small mountain emerged from Mother Earth, rising up ever so gently. It had a demeanor that could be strict at times, yet also kind. It always held a deep affection for Mother Earth, who cared for it selflessly.

The small mountain, learning the vastness of the world through Mother Earth's teachings, was living happily with Mother Earth.

One day, the high sky fell in love at first sight with the vast Mother Earth.

Captivated by the most beautiful and charming Mother Earth, the sky thought that this land could be its only match.

In this way, the sky, not knowing its own place, tried various tricks to get Mother Earth.

......

And so, through the efforts of the small mountain, the sky's tricks all came to naught.

Mother Earth appreciated the small mountain's efforts and raised it up to become the highest mountain.

The small mountain, now called the sacred mountain, was tasked with monitoring the sky so that it could not attempt any more tricks.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Gaia! There are too many orphaned children!"

"What are you suddenly barging in and saying?"

In the middle of enjoying tea and bread with Sagarmatha, Baal suddenly came.

Hmm. How many times has this been now? Doesn't this fool have the concept of contacting me beforehand before coming?

And Sagarmatha has been growling every time she sees Baal, which is a bit worrying. But still, he keeps suddenly appearing. Does he have no learning ability?

At least this time, Sagarmatha is asleep, clinging to me, so she won't fight.

"Orphaned children... Why are you talking about them all of a sudden?"

"But aren't they pitiful? Children without parental protection, starving to the point of collapse, are so pitiful."

The rampages of the gods have decreased, but the aftermath is still ongoing.

Many were killed in the midst of the gods' battles, after all.

And among those who died were those who left their children behind.

"Let me tell you in advance, the Temple of Life has already taken in a sufficient number of children."

The number and scale of the Temple of Life had been gradually decreasing, but due to caring for the children, it had momentarily increased in scale and number, to the point of exceeding its capacity.

But well, the temple had accumulated enough wealth and personnel over the years, so there wasn't a big burden. If necessary, they could pull resources from other places.

"But... the children growing up without parents are so pitiful."

"So, what are you trying to do?"

Baal said boldly.

"Lend me your wisdom! How can I raise those children well?"

"Raise them well... At the point where they've already lost their parents, the difficulty level of their lives has skyrocketed."

"But... Gaia, don't you have some way? It's so pitiful that the children without parents are despised by others."

Hmm. A way... A way, huh?

Ah, I've got it.

"Wouldn't you become the father of those children who have lost their parents?"

"Father? Me?"

"Yes. If you, the king of the gods, become the father of those children, won't there be no one left to despise them?"

After all, there would be no human with such a big liver to despise the children of the king of the gods.

"Indeed... That's right! So you want me to lend my name, is that it?"

"Yes, that it."

"Then... Lend me the name of Gaia as well! If there is a father, there should also be a mother, right!"

My name? Hmm...

I glanced down at Sagarmatha, who was clinging to me, and let out a small sigh before speaking.

"If they are children without a mother, then you may use only the name Gaia. Don't mention the goddess of life."

"Okay! Thank you!!"

Well, if it's for the sake of the poor children, I can let them use the name Gaia.

Thinking so, I stroked the head of Sagarmatha, who was clinging to me.

At some point, Sagarmatha had opened her eyes and I stroked her head.

"Don't dislike Baal, since it's for the sake of the poor children."

"Okay... I don't dislike him anymore."

"Is that so?"

"It's just that he's a fool who wants something he can't have, and that's pitiful."

"Something he can't have?"

"There's something like that. It's fine if Mom doesn't know."

I don't understand it very well, but if Sagarmatha says so, then it's fine.

But well, as long as she doesn't hate him anymore, that's a relief. It's difficult for me to take sides in this situation.

And so, I continued to stroke Sagarmatha's head.

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