The world of transcendents and the human world are very similar. At first glance, they are almost indistinguishable. This is because the human world was based on the world of transcendents.
No one knows who created that world or why it was modeled after the world of transcendents. Even the transcendents can only speculate that the original being who transcended did so.
In any case, while the two worlds appear very similar on the surface, their natures are completely different. Just as boiling water and water just before freezing cannot be considered the same, the two realms are inherently distinct.
The world of transcendents is filled with various energies emitted by the transcendents themselves, making it impossible for humans to endure it.
Just like freshwater fish die from dehydration in seawater, the insignificant beings known as humans would be utterly shattered in such an environment.
Yes, insignificant beings.
Humans are truly trivial creatures.
Thus, one should understand the foolishness of these insignificant beings…
“O great god of the desert! I will dedicate my life to you! Please, accept our offerings and show yourself once more!”
Sigmund was speechless at the irrationality unfolding before him.
After he had disappeared, the followers had gone half-mad, searching for him.
Until that moment, Sigmund thought time would resolve the issue.
Transcendents who understood humans always said that.
Humans are no different from animals. They are instinctual and materialistic, lacking patience, and forget everything quickly.
‘But what is this?’
The followers pursuing him were remarkably persistent. They even concocted offerings.
The problem was that the offering they chose…
Was the priest.
That’s right. It was the same human who had babbled that Sigmund was the god of the desert Altatang when he had grabbed him by the collar.
The wrinkled priest, hanging upside down from a pole, was turning red in the face as he shouted.
“You ignorant fools! I am His representative! What do you think will happen if you offer me as a sacrifice? I am the one through whom you will receive His grace!”
“Altatang!”
Whether the priest shouted or not, the followers ignored him, crying out the name of Sigmund—no, the god of the desert Altatang. Watching from a distance, Sigmund was astounded.
‘Should I be thankful that this wretched priest is being punished, even like this?’
The root of all this chaos was the priest, who had deceived people by pretending to be a god.
For Sigmund, who had planned to eliminate the priest and dismantle the temple tainted with evil, it felt like he was doing nothing to resolve the situation.
‘…That’s what the elders would say. But is that really the case?!’
The followers were already under the sway of madness. Even if the priest died, they would undoubtedly offer another sacrifice. He had revealed his true identity several times in an attempt to persuade them, but it was all in vain.
“I am not the god of the desert! There is no such thing as the god of the desert! I am the Black Dragon Sigmund! I have come to help you who are being deceived by this charlatan!”
“Oh! Altatang has manifested in the form of a dragon!”
“That explains it! No wonder Altatang’s appearance is dazzlingly beautiful!”
“Just hold my hand once! No, even a claw! Please, just give me one before you go!”
Remembering the uproar of the followers, which felt like it was echoing in his eardrums, Sigmund thought,
‘Why do transcendents find such humans charming and worthy of praise?’
It seemed that he had become completely tired of humans just two days after arriving in the human world. The idea that he would develop a taste for this realm, or that he would be unable to escape it, was nothing but Kaiten’s nonsense.
‘As much as I want to abandon such a nuisance…’
He couldn’t do that out of conscience. Sigmund had never forgotten that he was the master of great power.
‘Power comes with a price.’
Having strong power meant he had to fulfill his responsibilities. As a great being, he had an obligation to shatter the delusions of insignificant creatures.
‘That temple was just the beginning. I will encounter even more humans ahead. I must adapt to the foolishness of humans.’
Fortunately, he was still able to keep his emotions in check. Perhaps due to calming himself, he even felt pity for the ignorant humans.
‘They didn’t choose to become this way.’
As Sigmund quietly observed them, he approached the followers.
* * *
“Did you hear the news? The temple at the desert entrance has collapsed completely. All the followers have vanished.”
“They didn’t vanish; they scattered.”
“Vanished or scattered, if they’re not visible, it’s the same. By the way…”
The restaurant owner twirled his mustache and glanced at Sigmund.
“I don’t think I’ve seen you around. Where do you hail from? Are you here to become the Count’s son-in-law?”
“The Count’s son-in-law?”
“I’ve heard rumors that the Count is looking for a suitor for his niece.”
“I’m not interested in that…”
“We’re all acquaintances here, so there’s no need to pretend not to know.”
The restaurant owner laughed heartily, interrupting Sigmund’s words. He continued to talk about what he wanted to say.
“Our Count is indeed a remarkable man. Who would miss the chance to become his son-in-law? If I hadn’t been married, I would have applied myself. Believe it or not, I was quite strong in my youth. But it seems you got support based on your looks…”
The restaurant owner trailed off for a moment before saying,
“You aren’t going to show up in that ragged state, are you? Did you pick up some beggar’s clothes? I can’t fathom why you’re in such a state…”
“What did you just say? Are you implying that I’m dressed like a beggar?”
Fuming, Sigmund shouted. Unfortunately for him, the restaurant owner, who had weathered the storms of self-employment all his life, didn’t flinch.
“I said you’re an exceptionally handsome man. It’s been a while since I’ve seen such a good-looking young man.”
“That can’t be all you’re saying.”
“The young master is being overly sensitive. You should let comments like that roll off your back.”
The restaurant owner casually flicked his ears.
“Anyway, I’m saying this out of concern for your youth. Our Count prefers serious individuals. You can’t act all stiff in front of him like you do now. Be gentle and amiable. Relax those eyes a bit. Honestly, you really should. I’m afraid I might get a hole in my forehead.”
The restaurant owner laughed heartily, never imagining that Sigmund actually had the ability to pierce a hole in his forehead.
Feeling his blood pressure rising, Sigmund clenched his teeth.
‘Calm down. The opponent is a trivial human. It’s only natural that he doesn’t recognize me. I shouldn’t let my emotions spill over for such insignificant beings. Losing my composure is enough for what happened two days ago.’
Two days ago, Sigmund had ultimately destroyed the temple of Altatang.
After trying for an entire week to persuade the followers, he finally gave up and took action.
Yes, a week.
Sigmund had spent an entire week trying to rehabilitate the humans.
He attempted to inform them that the god they believed in was an illusion and tried to convince them to return to their original lives. He even swore that he would help them by showing his dragon abilities.
Days and nights he spent shouting until blood flowed from his throat.
‘It was completely futile.’
Altatang, Altatang! That damned Altatang!
The followers sang the praises of Altatang until the very end. They endlessly rushed at him, trying to obtain his claws, hair, or even an eye.
The result of that was what he currently looked like.
It was only natural for the restaurant owner to mistake him for a beggar.
What bothered him more than his ragged clothes was the blind devotion of the followers.
‘Just how severely has that guy brainwashed them?’
Before becoming followers of Altatang, they had surely been ordinary people.
Greedy priests had likely exploited their weaknesses to bring them to this state.
Ultimately, Sigmund had no choice but to resort to using his dragon powers instead of breaking the brainwashing.
He had demolished the temple in front of the followers and sent them all off to different locations.
‘I thought that if they scattered, they might regain their senses. I don’t know if it will be effective, though.’
The priest, the source of all this chaos, was left tied to a pole in the middle of the desert.
As long as Altatang didn’t appear, he would have to pay for his sins there.
‘Even so, that’s just a temporary measure. Even at this very moment, there are others worse than that priest, deceiving foolish humans. The darkness will only grow stronger.’
Now Sigmund thought he finally understood why Kaiten had decided on the intervention of dragons.
‘It’s still annoying that it’s me, of all dragons, doing this.’
However, he felt less annoyed with Kaiten than a few days ago. After dealing with nuisances worse than Kaiten, he seemed to have become calmer.
The human world was far messier than it appeared from a distance. It would be wise to eliminate the cause before it got worse and return to the realm of transcendents.
‘This situation is a race against time. To do that, I need to understand humans better.’
Through the Altatang incident, Sigmund had realized that he knew nothing about humans.
Humans and dragons were completely different beings, despite their similar appearances.
Predicting human behavior based on dragon standards would lead to certain defeat in the future.
‘Perhaps I really do need a guide?’
As he briefly recalled Kaiten’s advice, Sigmund scoffed.
‘A guide? I don’t need that. There are plenty of ways to learn about humans!’
He absolutely did not want to heed the advice of that damn old man, Kaiten.
‘I’ll succeed perfectly without a guide.’
Just as Sigmund resolved this, a strong scent of spices suddenly assaulted his nose.
“Your food is ready, sir.”
Turning his gaze, he saw something unidentifiable placed on the table.
“What is this…?”
“It’s the stew you ordered earlier.”
“I ordered this?”
“You asked for anything. So, we’ve prepared our restaurant’s most popular special veal stew. It may look plain on the outside, but it tastes fantastic. It contains top-grade veal intestines.”
The restaurant owner proudly stirred the pot with a ladle. Inside the brass pot, white lumps floated in the red broth, wriggling and moving.
Sigmund looked at the sight in shock.
‘Do humans really enjoy this kind of thing?’
The so-called most popular special stew was enough to make his appetite vanish completely.
‘Is it really true?’
Though he could hardly believe it, Sigmund couldn’t shake the thought.
He had learned something from his experience at the temple of Altatang.
Humans always exceeded his expectations. As he stared intently at the stew, Sigmund slowly picked up a spoon.
‘After all, they must have their own aesthetics. Even if they are insignificant, they possess reason. I need to verify this myself.’
Sigmund struggled to understand human aesthetics as he took a spoonful of stew. He brought it slowly to his mouth. The cheap scent of spices made his stomach churn, but he held back.
Feeling the restaurant owner’s curious gaze on him, he placed the spoon in his mouth.
He squeezed his eyes shut.
Oh, gods.
How can human taste be so perplexing?
“How is it? Isn’t it fantastic?”
The restaurant owner asked, his eyes sparkling. The middle-aged man with a mustache was sending such fervent glances that it made Sigmund feel somewhat uncomfortable. With trembling hands, he set the spoon down and closed his eyes.
“It’s remarkable.”
“Oh!”
“It’s an extraordinary dissonance.”
“What?”
If chaos were to be expressed as food, this would be it. Every ingredient seemed to act separately. The most intense element was undoubtedly the greasiness. It felt like the red oil was sticking to his tongue.
“Ugh, do humans really enjoy this?”
“Of course! Absolutely!”
The restaurant owner’s brazen response concealed a secret that Sigmund was unaware of.
His taste was exceptionally unique.
The restaurant owner had strived to promote his taste widely. Unfortunately, all his attempts had failed.
Not only had his friends rejected his special dishes, but even his family had turned them down.
In his contemplation, the restaurant owner found a solution of sorts. He would offer his special dishes to foreign customers.
When he served his peculiar dishes, the patrons complained vehemently about the strange fare. Still, the restaurant owner did not give up.
He hoped to meet a customer who would one day understand his taste, using that customer as a stepping stone to spread his menu throughout the continent, and that’s how he encountered Sigmund.
Seeing Sigmund, who was struggling to accept the stew with his pale face, naturally endeared him to the restaurant owner.
With a satisfied smile, the restaurant owner revised his opinion of Sigmund.
‘What a solid young man he is.’
From a handsome youth seeking to become the Count’s son-in-law while appearing like a beggar, he had subtly changed the view to that of a solid, handsome young man, albeit in a beggar’s state, still vying for the position of the Count’s nephew-in-law.
‘Upon closer inspection, he has a certain nobility about him. Is he a fallen noble?’
With his glossy black hair, golden eyes he had never seen before, smooth porcelain-like skin, sharp nose, and red lips, it all pointed toward a fallen noble.
‘He must indeed be a fallen noble. No wonder he had such an attitude since entering the restaurant; that must be it.’
If he was a fallen noble, it made sense that he would be trying to aim for the Count’s niece in a beggar’s state. He likely wanted to leverage the Count’s power to restore his family’s name.
‘By the way, I wonder why he fell? Was it indeed due to the priests? After all, Lady Romiya’s situation was also the fault of those priests, wasn’t it?’
Lady Romiya. She was the Count’s niece who was currently searching for a suitor.
If it weren’t for ‘that incident,’ she would have been the only daughter of the Count, not just his niece.
But because of ‘that incident,’ her father, who had been the Count, passed away, and her uncle inherited the title.
‘Should I lend a hand?’
The restaurant owner resolved to provide valuable information to the solid beggar nobleman outsider aiming for Romiya’s hand.
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