Ubermensch – Chapter 146

Chapter 146

In the north of Ulster, a giant was on a rampage.

There was a giant whose navel reached the door frame and whose forehead touched the chimney. A giant whose elbows touched the sides of the door when entering, and who could devour a whole fattened ram in one sitting.

This giant roamed the roads every day, seized the best house in the village to sleep, and sought out renowned warriors.

The mountains belonged to the giants, as the plains belonged to humans.

The audacity of coming down to the plains and seeking warriors was clearly a mockery of the humans.

Therefore, those who claimed to be warriors challenged the giant, but none of them could defeat him, only suffering repeated humiliation…

“…”

And that giant, Mason, was scratching his head, eating mutton and drinking alcohol.

‘How did this happen…’

This was all Nodens’ fault.

To be precise, it was a problem with the translation magic that Nodens had cast on him.

At first, the conversation Mason had with the village headman went like this:

Mason had meant it that way, but later he learned that the conversation with the village headman actually went like this:

The problem was the usage of the word”giant.”

Mason thought it simply meant a large man, but it seemed there was a separate race called the”giant race”in Ulster.

A savage, warlike giant race that was difficult to communicate with.

The rumor that a giant race had descended into the village began to grow.

Word spread that Mason ate a whole sheep and drank ten jars of alcohol, but no one mentioned that he diligently paid for the mutton and the alcohol.

This was because no one had ever seen a giant race pay for food and drinks.

The story that he was looking for a renowned warrior bound by a Geas was twisted into him seeking a fight with a renowned warrior.

This was because no one had ever seen a giant race come down to the plains for conversation or trade.

Dozens of challengers, hoping to become the heroes of an epic poem by defeating the ferocious giant.

His body wasn’t tired, but his mind was.

‘Ordinary people are just too weak.’

Even now, six young men had challenged him while he was waiting for the roasted whole lamb. It wasn’t easy to defeat them all without causing any injuries.

It wasn’t because they were strong. On the contrary, it was because they were too weak. So weak that it was tiring to defeat them without hurting them.

And after they got up, he still had to explain the situation and convince them.

Mason scratched his head with a troubled expression.

‘And not a single one of them actually knew anything about Geas…’

Maybe his approach was wrong?

This place would have its own belief system, and there would be people with a priestly class. Wouldn’t it be better to go to those priests and ask for their advice?

But that thought quickly hit a wall.

‘Then where am I supposed to meet those priests?’

Mason sighed deeply.

“Ugh… This is giving me a headache…”

The roasted whole lamb arrived.

‘Let’s eat first and think later.’

Mason paid the fee with a silver coin and tore into a leg of lamb.

No matter how complicated life got, meat was always right.

At that moment, someone sat across from him.

It was a small woman with curly hair.

Fifteen? Sixteen? By the standards of this era, she was just old enough to be called an adult.

Mason asked as he chewed on the meat.

“What brings you here?”

“I am Edrid the bard. I came at the request of the village headman from a nearby village.”

“A nearby village? Not the headman of this village?”

“It seems the rumors traveled faster than you did. They filled the headman’s old heart with anxiety. They asked me to come and talk to you. To ask you not to come to their village.”

Edrid smiled playfully.

“But I think they would have changed their minds if they had heard that the fearsome giant who eats a sheep per meal was a generous guest who pays handsomely for his food and drinks.”

Edrid’s voice had a rhythmic quality, like a song. Or maybe not like a song, but that she was actually singing right now.

After all, unlike modern music, ancient music like epics and ballads placed more emphasis on verses than rhythm.

In any case, it was a pleasant voice.

“A bard. Then you must be well-informed?”

“As much as anyone else.”

“I want to meet a priest. Can you arrange a meeting?”

“Yes. I can.”

Edrid pointed at herself.

“Right here.”

“You’re a priest?”

“Yes.”

“Didn’t you say you were a bard?”

“Yes. I’m a bard, albeit a novice one. Naturally, I’m also studying to be a druid.”

In Celtic mythology, druids were wise people who carried on traditions and legends, and offered advice and healing. Among them, those who conveyed traditions and legends to the people were the bards.

“So. Here is a priest.”

She smiled brightly and asked.

“What did you want to do when you met a priest?”

“I want to know about Geas.”

Edrid narrowed her eyes.

“…Why Geas?”

“I just want to know.”

“A god from another world desiring the most mystical secret of our world. I can’t help but feel uneasy.”

Mason also narrowed his eyes.

“How did you know I came from another world?”

“As I said, I’m a bard. It’s my duty to praise the gods and convey their teachings.”

Edrid smiled and said.

“How could I praise them if I didn’t recognize them?”

“…Well, fine.”

Mason said in a calm voice.

“I am Oztalon. Oztalon, the Guardian Deity. I came here at the behest of Nodens, the God-King, to obtain knowledge about Geas.”

“You’re not among the gods mentioned in our legends.”

“Well, that’s to be expected…”

Both Nodens and Oztalon were names taken from the fictional Cthulhu Mythos. Although Nodens and Mason were actually divine beings, their names were coined after Lovecraft was born and wrote his books.

Judging from their cultural level, this was considered an ancient era. Probably around B.C.

Considering their level of philosophy and science, it would be nearly impossible to explain time and dimensions to them.

“He’s a god from another land. Just as we don’t know much about your gods, it’s natural that you wouldn’t know much about us.”

After vaguely glossing over it, Mason looked at Edrid.

“So, can you give me the knowledge of Geas?”

“What if I refuse?”

“We’ll have to negotiate. Perhaps we have something to offer each other?”

Edrid laughed.

“You have the body of a giant, fight like a warrior, think like a sage, and speak like a bard. All four aspects are unexpected.”

“So, will you negotiate?”

Edrid said with a serious expression.

“I can’t guarantee that the knowledge I can offer will satisfy you. Is that okay?”

“It doesn’t matter. I’m in a position where I need to find any clue I can get.”

“Alright. Then the payment will be the knowledge I have. And if that’s not enough, information about someone who knows more than me. Would that be acceptable?”

“Yes.”

Mason asked.

“So, what do I have to do for you?”

“The best way to clear up the misunderstanding about being a giant is to kill a giant.”

Edrid smiled.

“There happens to be an Ettin living in the mountainous region of northern Ulster. It comes down to the plains and steals cattle and sheep. More than half of the notoriety you’ve gained is due to them. I’d like you to deal with them.”

Mason asked the most important question.

“Do Ettins kill people?”

“Yes. People who get in the way of their work. Mostly shepherds.”

“Alright.”

Mason stood up.

He slung his two-handed hammer, larger than Edrid herself, over his shoulder and said.

“Let’s go then.”

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Finding the Ettin was harder than expected.

And traveling with Edrid was more enjoyable than expected.

“Ettins usually hunt beasts like bears and wolves in the mountains, but old or young Ettins sometimes prey on the sheep and cattle raised by humans. Those Ettins must be killed.”

“They’re treated the same as wild beasts…”

Bears and wolves were like that too. They mostly hunted within their own territories, but old or injured individuals would sometimes encroach on human territory. Even though they knew it wouldn’t end well if they got involved with humans, they developed a taste for easy and simple hunting.

A beast that strayed from its path needed to be given an answer that even a beast could understand.

Violence.

It was Edrid’s songs that soothed Mason’s troubled heart. She knew many epic poems and many legends.

‘Come to think of it, they had an oral culture.’

Edrid taught him many things. Things that people shouldn’t do to others, and things that a human shouldn’t do, and so on.

And Edrid’s presence was an excellent pass.

“It’s a giant!”

“No. This is Oztalon, the Guardian Deity, who came from another land. He’s not a giant, he’s a Giant God.”

“We’ve never heard of him.”

When the guards looked at each other and tilted their heads, Edrid spoke in her characteristic sing-song manner.

“No one knows alcohol better than a brewer, or iron better than a blacksmith, so why do you think you know the gods better than a priest?”

“That’s true…”

They scratched their heads and let Mason and Edrid pass.

It was a pleasant and comfortable journey.

Mostly Edrid sang and Mason listened, but sometimes Mason spoke and Edrid listened.

She shuddered at the scale of the War of the Gods, and her eyes sparkled at the advanced technology of the 21st and 28th centuries.

Mason wasn’t a very good storyteller, but the bright Edrid was a good listener.

Good enough to heal Mason’s wounded soul.

‘I wish we could keep traveling like this.’

It was around the time Mason started thinking that.

“Oztalon. I’ve found the Ettin’s location.”

“…Where is it?”

“Serpent’s Valley.”

It was a valley where a large serpent that had devoured many renowned warriors was said to have lived. Mason picked up his hammer and headed for Serpent’s Valley.

Indeed, an Ettin lived there.

An Ettin over 4 meters tall.

The reason for the past tense was that it was no longer there.

“Who are you?”

Standing atop the Ettin’s corpse was a young man with a confident air.

The young man looked at Mason and asked.

“Are you human? Or monster?”

“I am a god.”

Mason replied shortly and looked at the young man.

“And who are you?”

“I am Cú Chulainn.”

Cú Chulainn, holding a long spear, pointed it at Mason and said.

“I will be the greatest warrior in this land.”