Deep within the marshland forests, in a secluded glade.
In the center of the clearing stood a solemn and majestic towering stone serpent statue, surrounded by an abundance of offerings consisting of fruits and various meats, their enticing aromas tantalizing to the senses.
And beside the serpent statue, a group of graceful young women, clad in exquisite feathered garments woven from avian plumage, their heads adorned with headdresses crafted from long and vibrant multicolored feathers, danced a sacred ceremonial dance around the serpent statue, twirling with elegance while chanting arcane ceremonial verses.
"C_HAI_EHYE, HRII_'RON_'AI_C_GNAIIH! (We gather here at this moment, believers calling out to our father!)"
The cadence of the ceremonial verses was exceptionally solemn, carrying a certain primordial and untamed rhythm. Accompanied by the melodious and grand graceful dance steps, rather than a mere ceremony, it seemed more akin to a form of artistic expression.
In the gestures and movements of the young and beautiful maidens, they fully conveyed their devotion and fervor, seeking to please the deity they revered. And on their wrists, necks, and even behind their ears, one could vaguely discern scattered snake scales, attesting to the fact that they were not entirely human.
And accompanying their dance steps, there were some maidens donning masks on the side, holding various bone or wooden musical instruments, producing an array of deep and melodious accompaniments, adding even more allure to their ceremonial dance.
"Y_LLLL_GEB_STELL'BSNA, VULGTLAGLN_C_FHTAGN_OG, C_GNAIIH_GOKA_SYHA'H_Y_NYTH… (We pray here, beseeching our slumbering father, to allow us to eternally serve as your servants…)"
The lengthy ceremonial verses would continue for a long time. The entire ceremonial ritual was suffused with an ineffable joy and vitality. The unadorned primordial cadence in the song and dance, simple and unaffected, possessed a certain inexplicable soul-stirring enchantment.
The young maidens circled around the serpent statue, singing, exalting, their joyous worship seeming as though it would never cease.
And not far away, a young handmaiden's face showed a hint of unease as she observed the ongoing ceremony before her, occasionally glancing at a certain person in the ceremony, clearly yearning to say something, yet not daring to intrude at all.
None dared to disrupt the progress of the ceremony. In this marshland kingdom that had endured for over a century, the worship and faith in the serpent was absolute. Anyone who dared to offend the ceremonial ritual had already been cast into the snake pit, devoured to death by countless serpents.
It was only after a long while, as the final note of music came to an abrupt end, that the many beautiful maidens stood upright, then bent their knees in salute, slowly retreating, concluding the entire ceremony.
And only at this moment did the young handmaiden's face reveal a glimmer of joy. She tiptoed over to the group of masked women holding musical instruments.
"Your Highness, Serpent's Daughter."
The young handmaiden faced one of the women, half-kneeling in salute, not daring to even breathe loudly as she respectfully spoke.
"What is the matter?"
Amidst the group of graceful musician maidens surrounding her like the moon among the stars, the woman gently removed the crescent-shaped mask from her face, revealing a youthful and beautiful, gentle countenance. She regarded the handmaiden before her, her pearly teeth parting as she uttered a calm and pleasant voice.
In the past century, one could not discern any traces of the passage of time on her face. Her appearance was the same as a hundred years ago.
No, it couldn't be said that there was no impact at all. At the very least, her face had gained a few hints of dignity and majesty. Her vertical serpentine pupils carried an imposing air that was difficult to meet directly, and this majesty added a few touches of inviolable sacred aura to her already captivating and alluring visage.
"It's about the border regions…"
The young handmaiden dared not look directly into the Serpent's Daughter's eyes, slowly answering.
In the entire marshland realm, the Sect of Serpent Worship kingdom of several million people, there were not many who dared to directly face the majesty of the kingdom's ruler - the Serpent's Daughter. The power and influence amassed over the past century was enough to make anyone feel greatly alarmed.
And after hearing it, the Serpent's Daughter's face showed a look of understanding, then she nodded and said,
"I am aware."
This border war issue that could shake half of the Sect of Serpent Worship kingdom, she merely responded with a light "I am aware".
"But…"
The handmaiden's face revealed an anxious expression.
"You just need to convey my words to those elders."
The Serpent's Daughter seemed to comprehend her meaning and gently said.
The handmaiden dared not speak further and could only retreat, leaving this ceremonial site to relay her message to those elders holding high positions and great authority in the kingdom. And beside her, the musician maidens also retreated one after another. In the blink of an eye, the vast ceremonial site became empty, with only the Serpent's Daughter remaining.
After contemplating for a long while, the Serpent's Daughter clasped her hands tightly, closed her eyes, and murmured prayers to a certain existence.
"My father…"
…
In the deep sea, the Great Serpent opened its eyes. Its frigid pupils were silently pondering.
"In the end, is it still because the land is too impoverished…"
Over the past century, Mona had been working with meticulous care, executing the tasks it had assigned to the fullest extent, even going above and beyond.
When it was hungry, she would not hesitate to bear the resentment and curses of the marshland kingdom's people, mobilizing the food supplies of thousands upon thousands to offer in worship, in order to fill its stomach to the utmost. As for how immense the Great Serpent's appetite was, there was probably no need to elaborate.
If it weren't for the fact that the Great Serpent belonged to the type that could eat its fill in one meal and last a millennium, even just filling the gaps between its teeth would be enough to sustain it for several years. Otherwise, even stuffing the entire marshland kingdom into the Great Serpent's stomach might not be enough to satiate it.
And in order to prevent it from getting too bored at the bottom of the sea, she even personally composed songs and dances to entertain it, doing her utmost to please it. It could be said that for the sake of her revered and worshipped father, the maiden had exhausted all of her abilities.
The Great Serpent did take notice of all this and would occasionally utilize some of its memories from its previous life to provide the maiden with some assistance.
For example, things like fertilization, reclamation, architectural techniques, and so on. As long as the Great Serpent still had an impression of it, it would directly impart it to Mona. In any case, for it, this knowledge no longer had any use.
And for a newly emerging civilization and kingdom, this could be considered an immense boon, causing its population to rapidly swell. One mustn't forget, even now, the entire human world was still only in an era transitioning from bronze to iron, with civilization in all aspects still extremely primitive.
However, even the most brilliant mind was powerless against the barrenness of the geographical environment.
The entire Eastern Great Marshes, although not entirely marshland, with occasional plains and mountains, the harsh environment meant that even if the maiden tried her utmost to gather the population, it only amounted to a scale of several million people. Despite nominally possessing around one-fifth of the continent's territory, the actual usable land was exceedingly limited.
In order to increase the population, she had no choice but to attempt to seize people from those prosperous human kingdoms outside the marshes. However, this naturally led to fierce resistance from the human kingdoms. And the recent news was that the armies of the Sect of Serpent Worship kingdom had been defeated by the allied forces of several human kingdoms and had no choice but to retreat in defeat back to the depths of the marshes.
At the same time, there was another unsettling piece of news…
Some soldiers discovered that there seemed to be some warriors with exceptionally exquisite armor searching for something near the marshes.
"Einherjar? Is it because a powerful kingdom suddenly emerged in the depths of the marshes, which should have been desolate, that some deities have turned their gaze here…"
The Great Serpent pondered.
At present, it did not wish to directly confront those deities. At the very least, if there was to be a confrontation, now was not the opportune moment.
In other words, the Sect of Serpent Worship kingdom's external wars of plunder could only be put on hold for now. Retreating to the depths of the marshes, quietly amassing strength, it was not advisable to act rashly.
However, just waiting idly was not in the Great Serpent's nature. Then, what should be done now…
The Great Serpent lay at the bottom of the deep sea, its frigid pupils flickering.
However, one thing that the Great Serpent gradually overlooked was that it, who had previously been too indolent to use its mind due to its confidence in its immense strength, was now compelled to start activating its intellect because it was imprisoned at the bottom of the sea, unable to exert its might.
In a sense, this could also be considered a benefit… right?