Chapter 100 – Old Sky and New Sky

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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The world cannot change with a single fight.

Change doesn’t come suddenly, but happens little by little.

It is exactly like a river that changes as time flows.

It’s so faint right now that you can’t recognize it right away, but you’re bound to realize it at some point.

The fact that it has changed this much.

Huuu…

Shek blew a breath toward the flame wavering precariously on top of the melted wax.

The flame disappeared, leaving behind only a wisp of smoke and a sweet burning smell.

If it were like before, he would have been anxious to keep the embers alive somehow.

People who had learned to live under the black-stained sun were always like that.

Candlelight was the only standard for people wandering having lost even their sense of time due to the Black Sun that rose and set as it pleased.

However, Shek was no longer afraid of blowing out the candle.

A ragged straw mat tent drooping damply from the night dew.

Because there was an auspicious light seeping through the worn-out holes.

The morning he had eagerly awaited had arrived.

Shek turned his head to wake up his nephew.

Although what waited where his gaze reached was merely a neatly folded blanket.

“Did Den leave already.”

Den was receiving all the love from the artisans for his excellent dexterity and knack for work.

Probably among the reasons the many artisans were pleased was his diligence.

Diligence.

It was a virtue truly far away from the current Shek.

Shek repeatedly smoothed down his spiky hair and let out a sigh.

“He could’ve woken me up before leaving, jeez. Leaving without even blowing out the candle. I thought he was still here.”

Yaaaaaawn.

Shek let out a long yawn and stretched his body fully.

Since his drowsiness wouldn’t go away with just one, he repeated it several times.

Only after coming to his senses a bit like that did he pick up the dented bucket he had put away in the corner and went out.

Toward the street where numerous footsteps were already overlapping.

Whoosh-.

As soon as he stepped out of the tent, a familiar yet unfamiliar stream of light welcomed him.

It was the bright stream of light he had given up on ever seeing again.

Inadvertently raising his arm, Shek looked up at the celestial body faintly visible between his fingers.

It’s different from before.

The light shining on the world right now was neither golden nor orange, and it was ridiculously dark compared to before.

However, if asked what that celestial body was, a hundred out of a hundred would answer like this.

That it is the sun.

“…Today’s sunlight is clear too.”

It was a blue sunlight giving a clear and clean feeling.

The incomplete sun instead commanded countless stars and constellations around it.

Under this mysterious sky, new lives were sprouting.

Shek shifted his gaze toward the ground, not the sky.

Nameless sprouts were growing between the cracked bricks.

Bugs frantically running away every time the dew formed overnight fell also appeared.

The cries of beasts began to be heard in the forest where only the sound of falling leaves piling up under the bare branches used to be heard.

But above all, the biggest change occurred to the residents gathered in Bacumcia.

“Don’t block the way while we’re moving it! Step aside!”

Laborers getting annoyed while carrying all sorts of goods on carts.

“Those who wish to uphold the will of the Young Father, come to the plaza now! We will give you the opportunity to join the holy war!”

A soldier raising his voice loudly among the passing people.

“They say today’s ration is bread, bread.”

“Bread? Was there a running mill? No, I haven’t even seen flour…”

“The Godfather of Stars did this and that yesterday, didn’t he. They say it was a miracle that revived the wheat or something.”

“That works?”

“He’s a god because he can do that.”

“Oh my, that makes sense too.”

Middle-aged women gathering in groups of three or five, chatting about all sorts of topics.

“Lord Star Creation seems to be here!”

“…This is the place we came to earlier.”

“Huh? Is it not?”

The winter-light molten iron flowing nobly along the drainage channel, bringing insufficient warmth.

Up to the children loudly roaming around it and squawking.

It was a sight he thought he would never see again.

The days when he trembled in fear trapped in the ruined city still flickered before his eyes.

Already very fearful, the days his tears dried on his cheeks were countable on one hand.

Looking back now, he was incredibly lucky.

They went through the difficult times together, but the one standing here was the coward Shek.

Shek stood blankly for a while, then looked up at the sky again and smiled.

“I made it thanks to my brother and Ad. Please continue to help me.”

He could offer words of gratitude as much as he wanted.

Shek let out a short sigh, then moved his steps toward the well with a bucket.

His steps toward the boisterous crowd were lighthearted.

Numerous footsteps overlapped.

Among them was also a holy knight who had taken the lead and showed bravery and faith more than anyone else.

***

Two weeks since the Nebula Church achieved victory in the imperial capital.

People regained many things.

Abundant food, a forest where various cries could be heard, the warm sunlight taking care of them.

And even time.

These changes were not limited to Bacumcia where Star Creation stayed.

People everywhere who had lost their gods and wandered gained a new focal point.

Although it was a fake sun raised using all sorts of tricks, it didn’t matter at all to the people.

Because the influence of the Godfather of Stars, Star Creation, permeated every corner of their lives.

Instead of dried-up wells, they quenched their thirst with the tears shed by the Ever-Weeping Constellation, and instead of rotting corpses, they filled their hunger with the lives cultivated by the Seeding Constellation.

The monsters that barged in during the night disappeared completely the moment the blue sun rose.

After passing a night under devoted care, people gathered closely in front of crude statues made by carving wooden blocks with sharp stones.

“God who makes stars, great Godfather of Stars.”

“We endured today as well through your care.”

Those who stubbornly held out, saying Star Creation might be a demon, also gradually changed their minds.

When the prayer started, even people who hadn’t paid attention saying they had a god they believed in quietly entered the tent and took the back seats.

A mean-spirited man smirked at that sight.

Because his best friend, who had crossed his arms saying he wouldn’t be fooled, sat nearby with an awkward expression.

‘Didn’t you say you were fine because you had a god you believed in?’

‘Well, Lord Flickering Flame doesn’t seem to be in a good condition these days.’

‘Can you just come because his condition isn’t good? Huh? You acted all devout and now you sound like a lukewarm believer.’

‘…My kid is sick. I have to grab even a rotten rope.’

The one who got startled while whispering was the mean-spirited man.

“What? No, where is she sick?”

“Shh!”

“Is this something to shush about? Priest, my friend here seems to have an urgent situation. He says his kid is sick!”

However, the face of the priest conducting the prayer was only peaceful.

Lowering his gathered hands slowly onto his lap and smiling.

“Then you shouldn’t be here. Go back and take care of your child.”

“T-That is…”

Is it an eviction order?

He was a head of a family who came prepared even for apostasy thinking of his sick child.

Just as he was hesitating, worrying if there was any way to persuade him somehow.

The priest who was silently watching pointed his finger outside the tent.

“The Young Father’s care has no shaded places. Put your child under the sunlight. Then he will take care of her.”

“Where is such an irresponsible saying…!”

“If it’s a shallow faith that can’t even do that, no god will save your child.”

He coldly swatted away the man trying to cling to him.

The father with a sick child fell into agony with a pale face.

Will that really do it?

She’ll get better just by putting her under the sunlight?

The part about not needing a price or ordeal was rather more suspicious.

It also felt like a silent pressure to show sincerity since he came late.

If his friend who was silently watching hadn’t intervened, he might have rummaged through his pockets right away.

“Have you lived being fooled your whole life seriously. I’ll help you too. Priest, I’ll go help this friend for a bit.”

“Please do. There is no need to come back separately. If you do not take it for granted and always have a thankful heart, you can pray anywhere…”

“Can pray. Yep, I’ll be back!”

“Wait, hey, hey! Olchen!”

“Follow me already. Dharma… what are you going to do if the one in a hurry doesn’t even think about believing?”

The mean-spirited man, Olchen, forcefully dragged his friend out of the tent.

Dharma, who followed Olchen out, had a sullen expression.

Dharma didn’t stop grumbling as a father with a sick child.

It was the same even after returning to the shelter where his family stayed.

“Honey, how did it go? Did you swear you’ll believe in the god who makes stars?”

“No… well, you see.”

“You didn’t just stand far away without even attending the prayer to keep your faith again, did you? Right?!”

“No! I went in today, I went in but. He, he kept saying completely weird things.”

“The kid is wheezing because she’s sick, even if he says weird things, you should’ve listened firmly and come back!”

Olchen could only shake his head looking at Dharma getting heavily nagged.

Eventually, only after Dharma was scolded for a long time could he barely deliver the story.

“Th-The kid will get better if we let her get some sunlight?”

“Yes. The god who makes stars is, what was it. He seems to like taking action first and getting reports later, something like that.”

“Will that really work?”

“It’s not like there’s any other bright idea either, Ma’am. You have to hope for the Young Father’s generosity here.”

“Gods are not those who bestow blindly, Olchen. If they care for us, we must also offer a reasonable price.”

“Then think of it as putting it on credit.”

After persuading his wife, Olchen and Dharma approached the child laid on top of rags.

Wheeze, wheeze.

It was a girl who had just turned six.

Her reddish flushed cheeks showed the depth of her illness.

Olchen had to manage his expression as soon as he carefully picked up the child.

“She held on because she was somewhat healthy at least. What’s her name?”

“Hwiron.”

“You named a girl like that so you got heavenly punishment.”

“It’s our grandmother’s name…”

Olchen deliberately made a groaning sound.

Hwiron found it very difficult to breathe because she had lived hiding in a shelter full of musty smell and dust.

Cough, cough.

It was also difficult to get out again because the shelter was located underground.

The two men, Olchen and Dharma, moved busily to find a sunny spot with good sunlight.

“Will just getting one stream of light work?”

“Let’s go to a bright place. A well-lit place.”

Before long, the two were able to greet the warm sunlight.

The two cleared the piles of stones on the wide-open ruins and laid the child down.

Then, the blue sun twinkled.

The constellations settled around it also wavered as if in agreement.

While all attention was taken by the mysterious sky.

Dharma, who had been standing blankly for a long time, realized something had changed.

The coughing sound stopped.

The breathing sound that was painfully vomited out was also stable.

“Hwiron?”

When Dharma picked up Hwiron again, the child was sleeping with a peaceful expression.

It was a sight distinctly different from a moment ago when she painfully vomited coughs even if shaken a little.

“It’s real. The kid is fine. I don’t hear the wheezing sound either…”

Dharma, bewildered rather than rejoicing.

Olchen put his hand on his shoulder and smiled.

“Do you see, follower of the old sky. This is the new sky.”

“Old sky?”

“The Pantheon is the old sky. The god after the Pantheon is the new sky. Easy, right?”

Dharma couldn’t answer immediately.

However, in one corner of his heart, there was a self that acknowledged it.

The old sky of the Pantheon where the black-stained sun rises, and the new sky of the young god where the blue sun settles.

The world was already divided into two, and there was only one choice given to people.

“I won’t force faith on you. If you change your mind later.”

“You’re still praying, right?”

Dharma carefully hugged Hwiron and solidified his resolve.

Olchen noticed that resolve and just nodded his head quietly.

The people of the old sky were following the new sky one by one.