NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 382
Welcome to the largest village of the Lizardmen! Theocaly is so massive that calling it just a “village” feels a bit ridiculous.
Situated right in the middle of a gigantic lake, Theocaly is about the size of a decent-sized city.
Is it called a village because the Lizardmen are about 1.5 to 2 times larger than other races? Or is it just a case of strange humility?
Well, either way, it doesn’t matter much.
“Building a city on an island in a giant lake… it’s magnificent!”
“Not only is the city impressive, but that temple standing tall in the middle… it’s downright majestic…”
Pinna, Lily, and Yurica, who was silently astonished, made Quartz nod slightly.
“This is the temple dedicated to our god, the Creator Dragon God. The greatest temple for the greatest god.”
“Wait a minute! I can’t let that slide! The greatest god is obviously the Goddess of Life!”
“Different races have different views, so let’s just agree to disagree.”
Quartz shrugged slightly and walked toward the dock by the lake.
“So, this is a lake, right? Not the sea?”
“Definitely a lake. If it were the sea, we Lizardmen wouldn’t be able to build a city here.”
It was so wide that you could even see the horizon, but officially, it was still a lake.
Sure, there might be larger lakes out there in the world…. but those places are untouched by intelligent beings.
“We Lizardmen can swim across the lake to reach Theocaly, but I don’t think you outsiders can swim that well, so you’d better rent a boat.”
“That’s a relief!”
Pinna seemed the most relieved by Quartz’s words. It makes sense since it’d probably be pretty hard for a dwarf with short, heavy limbs to swim.
What awaited us at the dock was…
“An interesting… little boat.”
“It’s made from woven reeds. Small and lightweight but surprisingly sturdy.”
“Reeds…? With those tiny, thin reeds…? How absurd!”
Oops! Looks like the elf’s plant-lover instincts are kicking in!
Modern elves have toned it down a bit, but some still get worked up over this stuff!
Seeing Lily like this, Alice said quietly.
“Hold it. Don’t blow a gasket.”
“Ugh, I know in my head… but it’s hard to accept emotionally…”
“I understand elves treat plants like family, but causing a scene here would be a disaster. It won’t end with just traveling together.”
“Ugh… okay…”
Still too scared of going through a trial again, Lily suppressed her rising disgust and nodded.
It’s not just the trial; being stuck in the courtroom as a suspect must be pretty stressful!
Plus, each Wanderer Judge is quite a powerhouse. If you cause a ruckus there, it won’t just end nicely.
That’s why laws are strictly enforced.
“Boats are made of wood, you know. There’s no way anyone would make a boat out of stone or metal.”
“Well… that’s true…”
“I’ve heard you need a big boat to meet the God of the Sea far out in the ocean, so you’d better not let your disgust show if you want to ride one.”
Lily nodded knowingly at Quartz’s words.
“I know. I know. But I can’t help feeling disgust instinctively.”
“Then make sure to hide it as best you can. The sailors might get angry if they see you looking disgusted.”
The sailors sailing the wide sea probably see their boats as beloved companions, so they’d likely blow their tops.
Not that anyone is building metal ships here; the age is still too early for ironclads to appear.
“Ah! It looks like the boat has arrived, so let’s hop on!”
And so, the Hero’s party boarded the boat heading to Theocaly.
Just for the record, the boat shook quite a bit when Pinna got on. Probably because of her weight.
“It’s not that I’m heavy! It’s just that my weapons and equipment and all this extra stuff are super heavy!!!”
Let’s just go with that. A girl’s feelings can be delicate.
“I swear, it’s true!!!”
—–
Theocaly. The city of white flowers.
The great city of the Lizardmen and the temple dedicated to the Creator Dragon God, all at once. It is also the name of the artificial island created by the Lizardmen in the middle of the massive lake.
It started with a small boat made of reeds, but gradually, more boats were made and interwoven, endlessly expanded and built up, eventually completing a massive island floating atop the great lake.
This can only be described as a colossal miracle achieved not by divine power, but by the hands of the Lizardmen.
…
All around Theocaly, vibrant white flowers bloom strong with life, offered as sacrifices to the Creator Dragon God and presented as gifts.
The Creator Dragon God accepts these delicate flowers as payment for creating this world and letting it flow.
Despite having achieved something monumental, the Creator Dragon God desires only the smallest of rewards, so those flowers must never be lacking.
And if the Creator Dragon God were to stop receiving these flowers…
No, even thinking about that is not good. The Creator Dragon God is always watching over us.
To keep from disappointing Him, we must continue to strive forward.
– The city of white flowers dedicated to the Creator Dragon God, Theocaly.
—–
“Uncle! You ran off again!!!”
“Ugh… uhm…”
“Please! Keep some dignity! You’re a great Warrior of the Lizardmen! Remember the weight of that title!!!”
“I do remember…”
“Just saying you remember doesn’t mean anything! Anyone could do that!!! Seriously! If you weren’t a Warrior!!!”
Quartz, a notably large Lizardman, seemed to shrink under the onslaught of a female Lizardman only about half his size.
This woman, adorned with various accessories and holding a staff, growled as if she was ready to swing it at any moment.
“Sorry, Fer. But I couldn’t help sensing the presence of a strong opponent.”
“Then what is it about this ‘strong opponent’ that you keep bringing up! You always have excuses!!! It’s so frustrating!!! I can’t even just use magic to tie you up!!!”
“Oh, and we have guests. The Hero, the Dragon Priestess, and their companions.”
At Quartz’s words, the female Lizardman named Fer looked surprised and gazed at the Hero’s party.
“The Hero and the Dragon Priestess’s party?! Is that really true?!”
“Yeah, if my eyes aren’t playing tricks on me…”
“Your eyes are always right! It’s actually infuriating sometimes!! Ahem! Hem!”
Fer cleared her throat and, with a completely different tone than when she was scolding Quartz, said:
“Nice to meet you, Hero and Dragon Priestess, and your party as well. My name is Fer-Tots. I have the honor of being the Archmage of the Lizardmen.”
Archmage. That means she’s one of the three leaders of the Lizardmen.
The other was Quartz, who was currently cowering and tucking his tail in.
Is this what a leader looks like? The Lizardmen…?
“Archmage…? Why is someone that important…”
“Well, if we’re talking importance, the Great Warrior counts too.”
Pinna nodded in agreement, echoing Yurica’s sentiments.
Yeah, that much is true. A Great Warrior is also important.
“Ahem! Welcome to Theocaly! I don’t know what brings you here, but I’ll do my best to serve you!”
“Oh, sorry for being late to mention, but I’ve decided to travel along with these guys.”
“Huh? Uncle? I think I just heard something weird. Maybe it’s because I got water in my ears while swimming today, but that sounded really strange. There’s no way someone like you, who gets lost easily, would be saying they want to wander far from Theocaly! If you stray too far, you’ll lose your sense of direction! You’re saying you want to travel? Seriously?! Ever since you bolted with the merchants a few years ago to join that race with the tribes without knowing how to get back, and I had to use magic to track you down… You’re saying you want to travel? A-travel?! What even is this nonsense?!!”
Wow, who would’ve thought Fer could unleash such a verbal storm with her eyes momentarily losing their light?
“But, if I go with them, I might meet strong opponents. I can’t let that chance slip away.”
“Chance or no chance! How are you going to come back if you leave Theocaly?! No matter how much you accompany them, you should have a way to return once the journey’s over! Don’t even mention I should tag along! Given that you’re ignoring your duties as a Great Warrior, I have too much to do!”
“I’m truly sorry for that. But if we can use your magic to figure out where each of us is, wouldn’t that solve everything?”
“Well… I do have such magic, but once I cast it, it can’t be undone! If I do that, we’ll know where each other is for life! So, is that okay with you?!”
“As long as it’s not any other Lizardman, I’d trust you.”
Quartz casually dropped some serious commitment to Fer!