Gradually Reaching Paradise - Chapter 60
Three Thousandth would not tolerate the warriors’ attempts to escape reality. Fairly, they drew lots, and the bearded warriors wept as they confirmed their partners.
Throughout this ordeal, Mariax and Gart were excluded. As she paced nervously, no one paid her any mind; they were all too caught up in their own struggles and sorrows.
In the meantime, the pairs stepped onto the altar two by two, hugging, kissing cheeks, offering lap pillows while reading books, playing tag, trying to cheat their way through only to fail, getting scolded by Three Thousandth, and then forced to express even deeper affection.
Mariax remained unresponsive, even as she witnessed the grotesque sight of bearded men pressing their foreheads together and intertwining their fingers. What troubled her more was the dwindling number of people. Already, half of them had passed through the door.
As the crowd thinned, the presence of one man began to feel more intense. Mariax, like when the lizard statue first awoke, stiffly rolled her eyes and glanced at the man standing beside her.
Thud. Mariax’s heart dropped to the ground. Gart was also looking at her. When their furtive glances met, a smile formed in his previously expressionless eyes. Soon, his arm rested heavily on her shoulder.
With his arm draped over her shoulder, Gart cast a casual glance at the fervently kissing priests and spoke as if in passing, “Mariax?”
“…”
“Don’t get distracted. You need to pay attention.”
It was a sight she could hardly watch with her eyes open.
“You have to pick something from them, after all. Ah, my heart is racing with excitement…”
Mariax’s heart pounded with fear. Somehow, she didn’t want to leave the fortress after all. With a sad look, she took in the surroundings, which were growing quieter by the minute.
After five attempts at getting rejected, Salenok’s group finally managed to pass through, leaving only Mariax and Gart behind. Mariax shot a fierce glare at the gatekeeper she had once looked upon with awe. From what she had seen, Salenok’s group didn’t seem to meet the passing criteria. Why had they been allowed through? Did the gatekeeper find their efforts admirable? Or… had it simply grown tired of watching them?
“Mariax.”
As Mariax silently criticized the gatekeeper for its negligence, the man who had reached the altar called out to her from the center. She couldn’t afford to keep him waiting—his patience was short. Feeling like a sacrificial offering being led to the altar, Mariax walked forward with a heavy heart.
Mariax felt smaller under Gart’s crooked gaze, even more so than under the intimidating stare of the gatekeeper looming from above. As she shrank further into herself, Gart’s smile took on a curious gleam. He narrowed his eyes, the corners crinkling in a sly grin.
“Have you decided what you want to do?”
At first, she had deliberated whether to try this or that, but after witnessing the fervent kisses exchanged by the priests, all such thoughts had vanished from her mind.
Mariax tried to calmly recall, forcing herself to remember those horrifying scenes. Kisses, in particular, seemed to gain approval from the gatekeeper more quickly and simply than other displays of affection. However, whether on the forehead, cheek, or hand, the gatekeeper would not allow any awkward or forced gestures to pass through. Astonishingly, the statue could discern such nuances in atmosphere.
Yet, lip-to-lip kisses seemed beyond suspicion—no matter how clumsy or reluctant the attempt, the door would open. This had been conclusively proven through the priests’ own trials.
Folks, don’t waste your energy—just bump lips and get through!
That one priest’s thumb-up and parting words had etched themselves vividly into her mind. But Mariax quickly dismissed that thought. It seemed better to waste unnecessary effort. She wasn’t sure if Gart would cooperate, but she decided to start with something simpler—maybe holding hands or offering a lap pillow.
Having made up her mind, Mariax lifted her head, only to find Gart gazing elsewhere. He was looking across the cliff, toward the vast expanse of snow-covered ground that stretched beyond. The tracks of their expedition still lay freshly imprinted upon it.
Mariax saw nothing but a vast white field, but Gart seemed to sense something more, narrowing his eyes as if trying to discern a distant threat.
“So it’s been quiet today. I guess something big is coming.”
Following his cold breath, Mariax turned her head to look into the distance. A mass of dark clouds that hadn’t been there moments ago was now approaching, thick and ominous. Thunder rumbled like a heavy chariot being dragged across the sky.
Lightning flashed through the clouds, revealing the massive silhouette of a bird before it disappeared again. The ruler of this region, who brought thunder and lightning, had arrived. Its presence was immense, oppressive.
Mariax tried to quickly turn her head to look at Gart, but his hand caught her face first. He squeezed her cheeks. It was something Gart had taken to doing recently.
And as always, his hand drew her close to his face. This time, however, the distance was shorter than usual.
It feels a bit close.
As soon as that thought occurred to her, the distance shortened even more. Gart leaned in further, his nose grazing hers, his breath tickling her skin.
Smooch.
Mariax’s eyes widened. Gart had kissed her on the lips that had been puckered by his hands squeezing her cheeks.
With a clunk, the sound of the statue moving echoed. Mariax rolled her eyes toward the gatekeeper. The eyes of the lizard that had been watching them had shifted into a pattern that signaled approval.
Before she could even process what had happened, everything seemed to swirl past her in a blur. Dazed, Mariax blinked, while Gart, right in front of her, grinned wide enough to show his teeth.
“Winged ones like to escape to the skies. Since Faldoa, the ancient god, I’ve preferred not to deal with them.”
Gart released her face and turned his gaze back to the distant storm clouds rolling in with the sound of thunder. The fierce wind swept over them, tousling their hair.
“No need to waste unnecessary effort, right?”
Gart comfortably tucked Mariax under his arm and strode past the gate guarded by the massive lizard statue.
Before they crossed the entrance, Mariax forced herself to look up. Something caught her eye that she hadn’t noticed earlier. The tail of the lizard, which extended toward the cliff, was cut cleanly in half.
It didn’t appear to have been eroded by time, wind, or snow. The smooth cut suggested that it had been crafted this way from the start. Why would anyone deliberately carve a lizard with only half a tail, instead of creating a complete figure?
Mariax recalled the information she had read about lizards in a book. In dangerous situations, lizards often cut off their tails to escape, drawing the enemy’s attention to the severed part. However, the act of severing the tail carried significant risks. Regrowing it required tremendous energy, slowing their overall growth, and even if the tail grew back, the lizard could never use the tail-cutting method again. It was a one-time survival strategy, a last resort.
A hidden city beneath the earth, with densely inscribed protective wards and an entrance that was hard to find, along with its bizarre conditions for entry—Mariax realized this underground city was a place for beings as weak as herself to gather.
Unlike the guardians of other ruins who demanded strength and worthiness, the peculiar standards here were likely due to the unique nature of this place.
In this land covered with ice and snow, the only beings carrying fire were fragile humans. Thus, they proved their existence through fire. By requiring pairs to pass, the city took advantage of the human tendency to form groups, ensuring that solitary, powerful deities who lived alone could not gain entry. The expressions of affection, while also possible among other animals, were ultimately human—a form of communication only humans could genuinely demonstrate.
Though the methods and criteria seemed cumbersome and strange, they were, in fact, a way to prove one’s own fragility and the capacity to love another.
Before passing through the entrance, Gart removed his sword and cast it aside. This was the final condition to enter. Unlike grand treasures or ancient relics holding secrets, this place was solely meant for survival. Only by discarding a weapon that could harm others could one enter this safe haven.
As soon as Gart and Mariax crossed the threshold, the entrance closed up, like a wound healing over. A deafening roar erupted from beyond, shaking the ground and the sky, but the entrance showed not a single crack.
In the dimly lit space, Gart let out a laugh.
“Think that’ll stop it?”
He chuckled incredulously, still holding Mariax at his side, and walked confidently into the darkness.
Storyteller Lubai's Words
A new masterpiece by Kim Miyu-ssi, the author of Shadowless Night! This is another one with heavy background and setting, so it might not be everyone's taste; but it is certainly mine. Buy the books at Ridi to support the author, and consider supporting me via Wook's Teahouse's Ko-fi~ Enjoy!
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