Pivot of the Sky
chapter-175-30041322

An exciting duel had ended, and although the crowd didn’t see the scene of Rulio and Amon’s secret fight, the feeling was still dizzying, for this was a duel between the top experts in the continent! After watching the duel, Aruka no longer had any more thoughts of winning against Amon. Furthermore, Amon had won with ease, clearly not having given it his all yet.

The captain of the guards of Syah, Musenu, was dumbfounded. He had once been the captain of the garrison of the Charcoal Forest checkpoint during the flood, and had been saved by Golier, seeing the magic of this supreme mage with his own eyes. Later on, Golier became a ninth level supreme mage, commanding Hittite’s army and never encountering defeat, and Musenu’s heart only obeyed Golier, treating the supreme mage as a god-like existence. Now, Amon had appeared, who was not only a great general who shocked the nations, but also had such a strong fighting ability, so in Musenu’s heart, Amon became the second person to be worshipped and revered.

As for Celia, of course she was convinced that she lost, for she knew very well how powerful her summoned beast was, and although the Ironback King that Amon had “summoned” wasn’t weak, it obviously didn’t help much, and was basically just having a good time. She was able to take it easy, and her face turned red when her staff was taken away, but she was relieved after the duel, and returned to the table to toast to Amon.

Celia felt great regret for Amon, not because she had lost, but because a talent like Amon was not used by Hittite. She couldn’t help but say again when she was toasting: “Supreme General, now that you have left Ejypt, it is impossible for you to go back, not to mention that the Ejyptian Empire will send experts to hunt you. You once led an army to fight against the Hittite and captured the former king alive, but you were also the one who brokered peace between the two countries, and won the respect of the soldiers from both sides.

Now that King Asher has succeeded the throne and the Kingdom of Hittite have recovered from their turmoil, a man of your abilities is greatly needed. Why not serve your homeland, now that you have returned? Please reconsider the suggestion just made by Lord Golier and Governor Schmul, I am also a supreme mage of the court and the royalty of Hittite, so I can jointly recommend you. King Asher himself is also very appreciative of you, and you will definitely be treated well in Hittite!”

Amon looked at the wine cup and said, “Princess Celia, thank you for your kindness. My purpose for coming is also to serve my homeland, and I have just made a deal with Lord Golier. Since I won the duel, we should talk about our agreement now, and I would like to ask for your help, Princess.”

Celia was Asher’s cousin, and Asher conferred the title of Princess upon her after he succeeded to the throne, but to be honest, an ordinary princess was not as prestigious as the status of a supreme mage, so normally everyone still called her Supreme Mage Celia. For Amon to address her as Princess, he obviously had other intentions.

Governor Schmul spoke: “Supreme General, you just said that there is a business, what kind of business is it that you need to talk to us about? If you want wealth or territory, just ask, you don’t need to start your own business to earn it.”

Amon laughed. “The business I want to talk about is not making money myself, but helping the city of Syah make money. Duc is my hometown, and as you all know very well, now that Syah has lost control of the Plains of Duc, there are now cities established by the Assyrian and Bablonian kingdoms in its northern and southeastern corners respectively.

The hundreds of miles of fertile land, which will be eventually developed over a long period of time, and will be able to accommodate hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people in the future, is rich and beautiful, but it is bound to be accompanied by war and strife. I don’t want Salem, where my friends and people live, to be destroyed before it is fully built, so I need support. The business I have to discuss is certainly related to that, starting with building a road.”

Amon moved away the cups and plates and placed a map on the table. Then he drew a winding path from their current location to the eastern end of the Charcoal Forest on the map. He wanted to hire workers from Syah to open a path and build a roadbed to fill in the road along the route, on the scale that two wagons could stagger, and on the way build three rest stations in the open space between the swamps for the passing caravans to rest.

Naturally, the workers would not be working for free, and Amon would pay enough to do so. Governor Schmul looked at the project for half a day and remarked: “This project is big enough! I wonder how long will it take to finish?”

Amon said with a seeming smile: “Since I have requested you to come here and am willing to pay a heavy amount of money, naturally the faster the better. I hope that it can be finished within three months.”

Governor Schmul shook his head. “It’s unlikely to be that fast. Organizing manpower is one thing, but there are no roads to pass through the swamp, and it’s impossible to get materials locally, many things have to be transported from all over the city, and it’s very difficult to advance forward bit by bit to build the road.”

Golier looked at the map and added: “If someone makes a narrow road that can be walked on beforehand, and then organizes enough manpower behind it to strengthen and widen it, it’s not impossible to complete it in three months. …Amon, this road twists and turns, it seems like it’s only suitable for commerce and not for marching and warfare?”

Amon folded his hands. “Can’t be helped, this is the Charcoal Marsh. It’s all thanks to the Ironback King that this path could be found. Its name is El Mar, and it has been living in the swamp since young. …El Mar, say hello to everyone!”

After the duel, El Mar had been crawling about in the clearing at the edge of the swamp, and when it heard Amon summon him, it lifted its massive body and nodded to everyone. Governor Schmul frowned again and said: “How do we explain this to the capital since it requires a massive recruitment of workers using the name of the kingdom?”

Amon pointed to the Plains of Duc on the map. “You have been governor for many years, there used to be only one town of Duc there, with more than two thousand inhabitants, and most of the goods of life need to be transported from outside, but that small place has been an important source of tax for Syah. Now, foreign cities have been established there, but the Assyrian and Bablonian kingdoms will bring you no benefit, only Salem can.”

The original town of Duc had only two thousand people, and excluding the old and infirm, there were no more than eight hundred registered miners at the most, but the mined parangons and smelted fine iron were already important products of Syah. That area was rich in resources, and there were veins in the nearby mountains, which the Ducian miners had long been aware of, but they didn’t have that much manpower to exploit them, and only chose the area with the richest and easiest mineral deposits to establish their mines.

The Plains of Duc, fully developed in the future, would be enough to accommodate hundreds of thousands of people, and even today’s Salem could provide tens of thousands of people to settle down. If this city was able to develop, the one who would profit the most would be Syah, because the goods produced there would have to be shipped out and the supplies needed would have to be shipped in. After passing through this road that Amon wanted to build, there would not only be the benefit of commerce, but also a large increase in tax revenue.

In the past few years after the flood, Syah had been stable under the governance of Golier, but after two wars and the loss of such an important source of tax revenue in the town of Duc, it was obviously not as prosperous and affluent as it used to be. Now Amon was offering them another opportunity to prosper, except Salem is no longer the same as the former town of Duc.

Not only did Salem need backup, but it also needed more people. The nomads from Syah who had lost their land, wandering explorers trying their luck, and bankrupt craftsmen were all welcome to enter Salem from Syah in search of opportunity, as long as they submitted to the governance of the city. The more prosperous Salem grew, the more prosperous this trade route would be, and the more profit Syah would make.

The reason why Amon wanted to discuss this matter personally was because Salem was in a delicate position. It was a city that did not fall under the jurisdiction of the Hittite kingdom, but rather was a place of commerce and mutual benefit as far as Hittite was concerned. Nominally, the Hittite kingdom might not accept it publicly, but the fact that three cities had been established on the Plains of Duc was also a fact that the Hittite kingdom could not stop.

Amon’s plan for cooperation had three steps: the first step was to pay a large sum of money to hire manpower from Syah to build roads. The second step was to organize one of the great merchant houses of Ejypt to transport goods through the checkpoints of Syah, and to do business with the city of Salem through this trade route. The third step, the city of Syah could now carry out the exchange of personnel and trade with the city of Salem.

Although Schmul was the governor of Syah, he did not dare to nod his head easily, so he needed to discuss with Golier. If Golier supported Amon’s suggestion, with his position in Hittite as well as his prestige, even King Asher wouldn’t be able to oppose it.

Everyone was not good at stating their position and looked at Golier with a questioning look. Golier twirled his goatee and said: “The duel just now, it was Amon who won, right?”

Celia smiled bitterly and replied: “Of course, Supreme General Amon won, Sir Golier was the one who did the arbitration!”

Golier again at Schmul: “Then we have to keep our word! There is no need for the governor to worry, whether the Kingdom of Hittite wants it or not, cities are already established on the Plains of Duc, and we are powerless to intervene. At least this path is better than no path at all, better for the present and better for the future! Let’s open this trade route first using Amon’s money and hire people to build the road. We have a peaceful trade agreement with Ejypt, so we should allow their caravans to pass through. If all goes well, we can also do more business ourselves, so it will be even better for us. …Let’s treat this as a private trade exchange, and Syah should acquiesce.”

Only then did Governor Schmul nod his head. “Since Master Golier has taken such a stance, then let’s do it. In terms of actual benefits, the city of Syah will also profit. No wonder you asked me to bring along the quaestor and the head of the barn as well as the official seals with me.”

Amon stood up and raised his cup. “Well then, here’s to future cooperation!”

Golier also raised his cup of wine. “Let’s celebrate slowly, the Supreme General has asked for such a tight timeframe, I’m sure Salem is under a lot of pressure at the moment, and the conflict on the Plains of Duc will be coming soon. The city of Syah can enlist the workers to build a road as soon as possible, but the prerequisite is that the Supreme General also needs to prepare a path that can be travelled in advance.”

Amon nodded. “I will do it immediately, and will open a path within a month. As for the people of Syah, they don’t need to be concerned with where I have already gone, just pave and widen along that path.”

Golier also nodded. “I certainly trust the words of the Supreme General, so Syah will immediately go and organize men and supplies, and it won’t be long before the work can begin.”

Raphael interjected: “There are now three cities on the Plains of Duc, the city of Enlil built by Assyria, the city of Marduc built by Bablon, and the city of Salem guilt by the people guided by Supreme General Amon, even though this last one does not have the support of any kingdom. It’s a city that seems to have been created out of thin air, and I’m curious to see it.”

Celia also chimed in: “I want to go and see the city too, it’s like a miracle!”

Amon smiled. “All of you are welcome to be guests in Salem, but it is best to wait until the road is built so that everything is convenient.”

Raphael replied: “Supreme General, don’t worry, since Master Golier has agreed to cooperate with Salem, the road will definitely be finished within three months.”

After talking about the cooperation, the crowd raised their cups and drank freely, and during the banquet, they talked about the various things they had seen and heard during the war of the kingdoms, especially when Amon witnessed Enkidu’s demise in the battlefield. At this moment, the crowd was overwhelmed with emotion and filled with unknown doubts. After the banquet was over, Golier didn’t leave immediately as he wanted to meet Amon for a private talk.

That night, the large body of the Ironback, El Mar, was floating lazily in the swamp, while Raphael was standing on its back, looking at the rotten mud puddle around him with great interest, not knowing what he was studying. This noble supreme mage and the Ironback King had just met and actually got along well, as they could converse through their souls, and El Mar was willing to take Raphael around the Charcoal Forest on a tour.

On a strange rock exposed in the swamp, Golier and Amon stood side by side, talking in private using message magic. Golier asked: “Do you know what exactly happened when Enkidu fell?”

There were only a few people in the world who could make Amon reveal secrets without reservation, and besides Schrodinger, who had departed, and Maria, who was far away in Ejypt, the last one was the supreme mage in front of him, Golier. It was interesting that they had been enemies leading armies in battle, but Golier was a friend of Crazy’Ole and a respected elder to Amon.

Amon replied frankly: “I didn’t know it at the time, but later on, due to a particular experience which I underwent, I was able to understand that that was the ‘judgment of fate’, the ultimate consequence which one had to face for all the choices and deeds of a lifetime. Forgive me for not being able to explain it too clearly to you, as it may not be beneficial for you to know about it in advance. But I can tell you that it is a necessary test if mortals wish to become real gods of eternal life.”

Golier was slightly taken aback. “Are you saying that Enkidu has reached the end of the path and might have become a god?”

Amon sighed. “Yes, he already has that accomplishment, but unfortunately he did not succeed in the last step. Even then, he should already have no regrets in life for all the achievements he had! You may have been right in your belief that both a mage like you and a warrior like Enkidu could touch the light of divinity when they reach the end of their path as mortals, but this hope is too remote and too fortuitous. I once told you about the power of two sides, but when I was in Ejypt, I realized that it’s not about two sides or any side. The real power is the original of all that. It affects the body and the mind and we observe that. But it’s more than that. It’s always one.

It is possible for a warrior or mage to reach the end of mortal achievement because of luck, talent, and perseverance, but the secrets of practice that have been passed down in the world are missing a lot of key information, and unless the body and mind have unwittingly met the requirements, it is impossible to take the final step. Achieving the ninth level with the power of origin allows one to possess a life and strength that is seemingly unceasing. As for ninth level mages, although they are very long-lived, they cannot be compared to the divine emissaries.”

Golier asked again: “The divine emissaries?”

Amon laughed. “They are those various so-called gods or demigods. Now, one such as I can also be called a god in some legends, just like Humbaba was also once called the god of the Euphrates. But there is a difference between these kinds of gods and the gods that really have an eternal life. I have yet to confirm the difference by myself. Of course, it requires a ninth level achievement of the power of origin, and also, not all gods’ emissaries have reached this level, but they all have knowledge of the secret of the power of origin.”

Amon stopped speaking after saying this, waiting for Golier to ask further. Regarding the secrets of the power of origin, if Golier didn’t ask, he wouldn’t say anything on his own accord, but if Golier wanted to know, Amon wouldn’t hide it either. He could tell Golier the secrets of it, and as for the guidance of his beliefs, that was Golier’s own business, as even if he knew the secrets, it didn’t mean that he would become a god.

But Golier didn’t pursue the matter further, instead sighing: “Amon, your purpose in building this road is not only to obtain supplies, but more importantly, to increase the population of Salem, am I right? Attracting the poor nomads from Hittite and Ejypt to settle in Salem so that the city can have a growing power against the other two cities. On a personal level, I am even willing to send in unemployed soldiers who have been discharged back home and they can be reformed into a new army with some organization. But there is one question, if that were to happen, who would you build a shrine for in Salem?”

Amon simply replied: “Salem has built a shrine for Mourrin, just like old time, so I don’t think anyone can have a problem with that, right? As for my people, they have their own god that they believe in.”

People in modern time might not quite understand what Amon and Golier were saying, but at that time, the belief in deity was an essential spiritual support for the commoners. Most commoners were slaves and laborers, they worked hard for their lords and enjoyed no freedom. Even the rich lords couldn’t live long before suffering from diseases, pain and aging. What was the goal of all the misery, the unknown and the inevitable death? What was the meaning of life? Most commoners needed a god to give them hope and tell them the meaning of life.

The rulers loved the gods for another reason. With a god they didn’t need to explain many things. Their rule was stabler since people asked less questions. God justified the king, the taxes, the misery in life, the unknown future and many other things. A shrine brought more sense of safety than a camp of soldiers, both to the average people and to the nobility and royalty.

Golier smiled a somewhat odd smile, and twirled his beard in his usual manner: “You haven’t visited Salem in all this time, have you? The shrine you mentioned has been built, and there is indeed a statue of Mourrin, but right beside her is your statue, holding her waist! Oh, God Amon … Hahaha!”