From ASMR Lectures to Ancient Myths

The stiffly upright backs and sparkling eyes that marked the start of the lesson vanished without a trace just twenty minutes in. As words entered one ear and drifted out the other, my soul felt as though it were halfway dissolved into the air. I tried shaking my head and even pinching my thighs to snap out of it, but the effects were fleeting. Eventually, the tiny, ant-sized letters on the page began to look as if they were dancing of their own accord.

Even I, accustomed to long hours of sitting through my years of exam prep, was in such a state, so the other children fared even worse.

Elliot, who usually monopolized Jeffrey’s praise in math class, couldn’t hide his look of terminal boredom. Louis, possessing the concentration span of a typical ten-year-old, rested his chin on his hand and fidgeted with his legs. Aiden, terrified of the stern Aniglan, didn’t dare break his posture, but his eyes were already hollow. Amidst this struggle, Erkel alone sat with a benevolent smile.

Perhaps aware that his lectures were tedious, Aniglan seemed quite impressed by Erkel’s attitude. He even offered a rare word of praise for the Prince’s demeanor. It was a pity—he had no idea Erkel was staring at his goatee, thinking about tying it into a ribbon.

“The theory of Langsa, which began then, had a major impact on the economy and culture thereafter…”

When lecturing, Aniglan’s voice was devoid of pitch or inflection. If one were to record his voice and upload it as ASMR, there would be a flood of reviews claiming it cured their insomnia.

The palace maintained a perfect temperature, the class followed right after lunch, and the voice was serene. All the conditions for a nap were perfectly met. Finally, Aiden’s head began to bob as he drifted off, and Louis’s eyes were half-closed. Watching this, Aniglan clicked his tongue and shut his book.

Until now, he hadn’t cared whether we dozed off or spaced out, pushing forward with the curriculum regardless. Perhaps he had been influenced by the other instructors.

“There is still much time left in the lesson, so let us refresh our minds for a moment.”

He should have just let us out early. No, even just a short break would have sufficed. Students enjoying a honey-sweet rest would surely treat him with increased favor. Still, considering his past lessons, this was a great improvement.

“I thought we might discuss the subject you are likely most familiar with: history.”

Chloe’s vacant eyes suddenly sparkled.

“The Age of Myth?”

Aniglan nodded, not disappointing Chloe’s expectations. Dylan sat up, disheveled, and picked up his pen again. Funnily enough, my own interest piqued as well. History is usually a tedious subject filled with things to memorize, but there’s a reason so many creative works are based on it. If told like an old fairy tale, it can be quite captivating. And right now, Aniglan was pulling out the most interesting part of the Empire’s history.

The Age of Myth—the time when gods and dragons still walked upon the continent. It covered the life of the First Emperor, Sarbazan. Like most founding myths, it was layered with absurd exaggerations and dramatic love stories, but it’s the drama that truly captures people’s hearts.

“In the long history of the Empire, there is a name that always graces the first page. While not true for every single one, almost every history book I know begins with the same sentence: ‘In honor of the Great King Sarbazan.’ You will find it in your own books as well.”

A revived Chloe flipped through the pages without hiding her excitement. As Aniglan said, the front page of the thick tome began with Sarbazan’s name.

“Sarbazan was loved and respected by many, among whom was the Sun God, Yakab. In the book written by the historian Sabrun and compiled by his disciple Siminiton, it is recorded as follows: ‘Among them, the Sun God Yakab loved Sarbazan deeply and wished for him never to die. When Sarbazan resolved to leave to slay the Demon King, Yakab put him to sleep for seven days and wandered the world seeking a way to save him.’”

Louis, who had been swinging his feet, raised his hand the moment Yakab was mentioned. Aniglan gave the floor to the young student who had volunteered to speak for the first time in class.

“Is it true that Empress Robellette, who became his consort, was actually Yakab?”

The love story between the First Emperor Sarbazan and Empress Robellette was a staple of theatrical plays. The tale of Sarbazan confessing his love in the face of death, and the courageous Empress bargaining with Death to save her lover, was by far the most popular myth.

However, historical records do not mention Robellette’s whereabouts prior to the event. Consequently, all sorts of hypotheses regarding the First Empress abounded. The most famous was that Robellette was, in fact, the Sun God Yakab.

In short: a god who loved a human so much that they surrendered their immortality to Death to save him, lived with Sarbazan, and eventually died as a human. When I first heard this story, I felt a bit skeptical. It was certainly romantic enough to capture hearts, but praising a love where one side sacrificed so unilaterally as “beautiful” felt a bit much.

“It is not a matter of official record, but…”

Aniglan trailed off. He was likely debating whether to speak as a scholar of accurate history or as a tutor trying to keep young nobles and princes engaged.

“It is more than just a mere rumor; there are compelling theories that cause debate even among scholars of the Mythic Age. It is called the Hen-Robert Theory. Sestub, a leading scholar in this field, argued that the rare reddish-blonde hair and red eyes appearing only in the direct imperial line are clear evidence of the Sun God’s bloodline.”

Unconsciously, my eyes drifted to Erkel. He had brown hair, showing none of the evidence Aniglan mentioned. Perhaps I wasn’t the only one thinking this, as my eyes met Elliot’s. Erkel remained stoic, looking straight ahead.

The Crown Prince’s mother had passed away from a chronic illness years ago, and her brother, a Count, was not the type to jump into bloody political infighting. Consequently, the Crown Prince had to fight for the throne without significant maternal backing, yet no one opposed the First Prince becoming the heir. This was because Peryon Akareon was the only one among the Emperor’s children who met both criteria Aniglan mentioned.

The age of gods, dragons, and heroes had ended, but the people of the Empire still remembered the myths. Reddish-blonde hair and red eyes were the marks of the Great King. In a situation where there was no prince born to the current Empress, his status as the First Prince made his qualifications more than sufficient. I had also heard he was quite capable.

I recalled the Crown Prince, who had smiled with a face that looked almost inhumanly cold. I wondered how much “capability” a mere fourteen-year-old could truly show, but when I pictured him, it somehow felt possible.

“It is said Sarbazan gained the power to achieve anything he desired through an object given to him by Yakab. Is it not known what that was?”

Following Louis, it was Erkel who questioned. These kids were clearly determined to end today’s class with the story of Sarbazan.

“Yes. The phrasing in the relevant texts is ambiguous, and the descriptions vary across different traditions, making it difficult to determine what is correct.”

“What is your opinion, Sir?”

“Forgive me, Your Highness. While I can explain various theories, adding a personal opinion might lead students to believe it is the established truth…”

“Is history not ultimately a summation of facts and records? Even if one tries to write objectively, the writer’s perspective inevitably seeps in. If so, are we not learning history based on Sabrun’s viewpoint anyway? Is that acceptable?”

The scholar’s eyes glinted behind his spectacles.

“Since you put it that way, may I venture to share my private thoughts?”

“I permit it.”

“Looking at the final part of the myth, after the Dragon pledged to protect the Imperial Family, Sarbazan divided the gift from Yakab into four. ‘When Sarbazan divided the object from Yakab into four, they became able to revive the dead, change fate, reflect the truth, and cut through anything. The wise and great King gave one to the strongest, one to the most honest, one to the most wise, and one to the most clever.’”

“Does that mean it originally possessed all four powers?”

“It would be reasonable to assume it held all those abilities. However, I speculate that before it was divided, it possessed an even more formidable power. Since the original was a divine relic, it could exert the power of a god; once such overwhelming power was no longer needed on the continent, perhaps it was divided and sealed into four…”

“Then where are those holy relics now?”

The kids took turns raising their hands. To this unprecedented display of academic enthusiasm, the scholar’s mouth grew busy with answers.

03. A Bad Example of Showing an Apology Through Action

I felt an urge to vomit. My legs had started shaking long ago, and my lungs felt like they were about to burst. My running speed had slowed to the point where walking would have been faster.

Usually, when a child is struggling this much, someone would tell them to stop, but the man standing in the center of the training grounds remained indifferent. He acted as if this sight were perfectly ordinary.

“Half a lap left.”

A body raised in luxury and kindness was weak. Though the training ground was quite large, I hadn’t expected to be this exhausted after only seven laps. My body was spent; the only thing moving my feet now was a few scraps of remaining pride.