The Nebula's Civilization

Chapter 66: A Time

“How is this possible? I’m sure you died!”

The star catcher raised his index finger and put it close to his lips. It did mean to be quiet, but it also seemed to mean not to ask about him.

“Are you telling me to not ask that?”

The star catcher didn’t reply or even nod.

Lakrak thought to himself, ‘So the last conversation I had with him turns out to be correct. It seems that the Blue Insect God does gather us after we die. If a dead person could talk the same as a living person, the dead and living wouldn’t be distinguishable. So there must be things he can and can’t say. I at least shouldn’t ask the dead how they came back. Because death is a private thing.’

The dead star catcher had come back. Lakrak didn’t hold any prejudice against him. He decided to think of it as a simple thing. The star catcher had appeared to answer his question, which meant he should continue to talk about the problem.

Lakrak asked, “What do you mean by living in the same time?”

Without a word, the star catcher pushed the changho door open, revealing a hallway. As the star catcher pushed open another door, the maru appeared. And from that point, another door was pushed open to reveal the outdoors. There were a few perches placed in the garden. The cold wind made the torch light dance and swept through Lakrak’s sleeves.

Lakrak followed the star catcher outside. It was a starry night.

The star catcher then said, “How is the night sky?”

“It’s beautiful.”

“I wonder if you still remember what I told you.”

Lakrak looked at the star catcher with complaint, wondering why the star catcher was testing him. “I see two yellow stars close to the blue star. At this time of year, those yellow stars would be in the south and slowly move until spring comes, and they disappear into the northern horizon. We need to always look back at the North Star, which doesn’t move, and estimate the distance between them.”

“You remember well. Then are the stars seen from Orazen the same shape as what one will see from the end of the land, Maganen? Are they the same at the edge of the northern coast? What about past the wilderness, in the Renads’ or the Satyrs’ land? Are they all the same shape?”

Lakrak stared at the sky until he came to a realization.

“They’re different.”

“How are they different?”

“The stars are in different places.”

After Lakrak replied, he understood what the star catcher was trying to tell him.

“The shape of the sky you taught me is not enough,” said Lakrak. “When I first met you, I couldn’t find any other vagrant who went to and from such large lands as you did. But now that I look back on it, you only wandered across the wilderness and the northern part of the peninsula throughout your life. The skies you had seen are much narrower than the skies I’ve seen until now, and the skies I’ve seen may just be a small part compared to the sky over the eastern continent, and even across the sea.”

“That’s right. I’ve only lived my lifetime.”

“...But isn’t that enough? Everyone lives through their own times. And you lived your best life too.”

The star catcher shook his head.

“I am not ashamed of my life. No one is wrong in leading their own lives. But that’s not enough. Especially for you, a king.”

“...Then what?”

“You need to live everyone’s time.”

Lakrak thought about the meaning behind those words. The star catcher wasn’t wrong.

In the days before Lakrak learned from the star catcher, buffaloes simply read the wind and moved as they wished. Buffalo herding only came to be after the Lizardmen learned how to read the sky and track the time—after they learned when rain would fall, when grass would grow, when land would dry up, and when coldness that the buffaloes couldn’t bear would come. The same was true of something other than buffalo herding.

It hadn’t been long since crops had become staple food in other countries as well as Black Scale. Without being able to tell time, it wouldn’t be possible to farm. Farmers needed to know in advance when to plow the ground, when to plant seeds, when to water them, when rain would fall, and when the crops would start to grow. Only then could they gather workers, create farming tools, prepare for what was to come, and know when they had to finish all the work. Again, the same was true of something other than farming.

It remained true for sericulture, woodcutting, and herb gathering. Everyone who ate, dressed, and slept needed to know the time, and looking at the sky was the only way to do it. Miners who were unlikely to see the sky often and carpenters who worked under roofs also had to avoid the rainy season. The same applied to warfare as well. When winter came, the grounds froze and wagons couldn’t be properly pulled, so they would have to stop fighting.

Then the star catcher said, “Everyone is living different times, so even those on the same land are divided in heart. The king needs to know this.”

“Oh, I see.”

Lakrak knew this wasn’t all just a metaphor. The Lizardmen of Black Scale and the Humans of Automation where Sairan Muel was at had all been practicing teachings of the star catcher. They were all living the same time, so there was less disorder. They knew that the time was right when the stars were in certain spots, and they knew it was time to keep their promises when the sun was in a particular place in the sky.

However, the other species living in Black Scale never learned of these things. Promises would go wrong, and misunderstandings would build up. Even when tax collectors went around the villages, oftentime there wouldn’t be a lot of harvest to be collected as taxes. And if the tax collectors went around trying to meet Larkak’s demands by taking away all the crops that were there, the village would starve, and resistance against the Lizardmen would build up.

There was even a time when a deputy warrior requested for young male Dwarves in the neighboring village to work, but on the day they promised to meet, the Dwarves hadn’t gathered. The deputy warrior had assumed that the Dwarves were plotting a rebellion and looted the village as punishment. However, the Dwarves had simply misunderstood the date. They read the sky in a different way than the Lizardmen.

Lakrak sighed.

“This is a difficult matter.”

Lakrak had now figured out the problem, but it was hard to find an answer. Learning something was hard, and teaching was also difficult. It wasn’t common, even in Black Scale, to find someone who knew how to read the sky and also had the knowledge to show others the ropes. And those who had that knowledge in Black Scale would already have important duties.

The star catcher then asked, “Why do you think it’s difficult?”

“Because teaching is a difficult thing. Especially because I would have to teach groups who are hostile towards Lizardmen.”

“Isn’t that why I came?”

“...Hm?”

The star catcher pointed at the sky and said, “Do you see that shining blue star?”

Lakrak nodded.

“That is you.”

“Me?”

“Carefully connect those stars. It’s you riding a Cockatrice.”

“Hm.”

“Do you remember how those stars move? They appear when spring comes and disappear when winter comes. You are a warrior, so you go to sleep when it’s winter.”

“Ah…then what about that star?”

“That’s Owen. It’s a wanderer, isn’t it?”

“I see.”

“But he hasn’t forgotten about you. When the time comes, he will pass by you. Owen would’ve been thinking you were making new stories while he’s gone, so he is coming to hear the stories from you. And then he would leave again. To spread those stories.”

“Interesting. Is there more?”

“Of course.”

The star catcher smiled and continued to say, “You won’t know how much your warriors talk about you. I can name those stars one by one after those tales.”

Lakrak looked forward to seeing if the star catcher would really do that, and he listened to what the star catcher said.

Name after name came out of the star catcher’s mouth, including Lakrak, Zaol, Yur, Owen, Sairan, Hwee-Seo, Hwee-Kyung, the other four siblings, those who had died such as Beauer the tribal chief of the Blue Skin Tribe, Auloi the tribal chief of the Frogmen tribe, Shunen who was Auloi’s son, warrior Oboi, Salkait the chief of the Ears Cut Tribe, Tamaridu the chief of the Centaurs, Kajin the chief of the Ogres, Lubo the Astacidea, Hati the Renard king, and Pav the Satyr king.

In the star catchers story, Centaurs, Ogres, Elves, and Renards were mentioned, and even the species Lakrak hadn’t fought yet like the Trolls, Nixes, and Kobolds were brought up. Automation, the water wheels of Automation, and Orazen became constellations. So did the great accomplishments and processes of Black Scale’s development.

In addition to all the constellations, the star catcher divided the sky into twelve parts and corresponded them to thirty days. Lakrak knew that if everyone in Black Scale learned the star catcher’s method, they would all be able to live in the same time. Lakrak became so immersed in what the star catcher was saying that he forgot about the cold weather.

Finally, as the star catcher named the last constellation, he said, “I should leave now.”

“Already?”

“I’ve been here long enough. I was greedy. I can feel God calling me.”

Lakrak wanted to grab onto the star catcher, but he couldn’t touch the glowing silhouette of his old friend.

“I can introduce you to my royal palace.”

“I’ve seen it. It’s outstanding.”

The star catcher climbed up stairs that Lakrak couldn’t see one step at a time. Lakrak couldn’t follow.

Lakrak then said from below, “Are you leaving just like that? Aren’t you going to ask how many children I have? You must have lots of questions.”

“That’s the business of a living man.”

“Then how is that world? Can you tell me more?”

“That’s the business of a dead man.”

“...Is that all you can say?”

The star catcher silently smiled.

And Lakrak didn’t push further.

“...Death is a scary thing.”

The star catcher turned around.

“Correct.”

“...That’s correct?”

“I mean the living should be afraid of death.”

If those who believed in God weren’t afraid of death, they would just jump into a pit of fire.

“A dead man cannot change anything. I can only watch. Even if God gives me permission, this is all the hints I can give you.”

“...Oh.”

“Only a living man can change things.”

The star catcher walked up without a glance back. And Lakrak looked at the star catcher and the sky behind him.

The position of the star seemed a little strange. As Lakrak chased the stars with his eyes and connected them with an imaginary line, he saw a giant looking down at Orazen. The giant outlined by stars quietly reached out and opened their hand so that the floating star catcher could climb onto their palm. Lakrak daringly looked up at the giant’s head. The silhouette was that of a buffalo skull. Their eyes shone blue, and with a flash of light, the giant’s gaze met Lakrak’s.

Lakrak knew it was the Blue Insect God. He knelt down and bowed.

***

“...rak. King Lakrak.”

Lakrak opened his eyes at the voice calling his name.

An attendant said, “It’s time for your meeting. All the noblemen have gathered.”

Lakrak rubbed his eyes and checked where he was. He was sitting on his throne. Through the paper of the changho doors, the morning sunlight streamed through, and he could hear birds chirping.

“Bring me a large sheet of paper and a piece of charcoal.”

“I’m sorry, King Lakrak, but how big of a sheet would you like me to bring?” the vassal asked, puzzled by Lakak’s sudden request.

Meanwhile, the noblemen stared at Lakrak. It seemed that they were curious as to why Lakrak was asking for paper.

So Lakrak said, “Big enough to draw the sky.”

***

The identical Continent Message being sent throughout the whole continent popped up in front of Sung-Woon.

[The first calendar ‘Ephemeris’ has been established on the third continent.]

[Ephemeris has been established by the country ‘Black Scale’. This calendar has been made based on the moon and the constellations of the night sky. Ephemeris reflects 99.8% of the planet’s rotation cycle, which is still used in modern civilization. It is currently being used by 3 countries, and is rated as ‘the best of all’.]

After the Star Catcher was found, Sung-Woon thought it would be possible to make a calendar early on in the game, but of course, he knew that it couldn’t be made during the star catcher’s lifetime. Sung-Woon knew that through the star catcher’s research in the Afterlife, Lakrak’s story would spread throughout the lands and, with it, the star catcher’s existence as the first ancestor would serve as the beginning of a proper Afterlife.

‘Though my heart did tremble every time the star catcher said a word because my Faith points would be consumed in lumps.’

Knowledge of the Afterlife wasn’t for the world of the living. Although not as much as it would take for God to directly get involved in the science or development of civilization, having an ancestor appear in Lakrak’s dream also consumed a lot of Faith points. Since the Afterlife was very much affected by the principle of causality, Sung-Woon had established a set of restrictions so that the star catcher couldn’t say anything that would violate said principle and use up too many Faith points. As a result, the star catcher had only told Lakrak about the calendar as Sung-Woon had intended, so it was a good investment.

Sung-Woon then said through the video chat, “And I’m glad the Renards are using it well too.”

Scowling, Lunda replied, “Sure.”

“It’s not a lunar calendar based on observation of the moon, but a solar calendar that includes the leap year. I think you would be happier.”

“Wow, I am so glad… Is that what you thought I would say? I am deceiving Crampus and Wisdom fine, but because I keep making up what I lack with things from Black Scale, we might as well become a subordinate country to yours.”

Of course this was what Sung-Woon had intended, but he decided not to annoy Lunda further. Sung-Woon had been regularly receiving information from Lunda one-sidedly, but this time, Lunda had unexpectedly contacted Sung-Woon first. Lunda had been coerced into this deal, so there was no way she would have contacted him first to strengthen their friendship.

Sung-Woon asked, “So? Why did you contact me?”

Lunda’s irritated expression turned into one of composed seriousness.

“I think a new force has appeared in the center of the continent.”