I realized my purpose the very instant I manifested in this world.
Realized? No… it would be more accurate to say that it was bestowed upon me.
Those without a name do not know their own True Name, and thus, they do not know their place.
Without a name, they possess no sense of purpose, no goal. They are mere existences, lingering pointlessly in the void.
That is why I came to be.
To contemplate the True Names (眞名) suited to the nameless things of this world, to bestow those names, and to ensure they function according to the weight of those names.
I stood upon this earth charged with the duty of making them live lives worthy of their names—lives suited to their stations.
Thus, from the moment my eyes opened, I traveled the world naming all things. From the things that could be seen to the things that remained hidden.
With these 'eyes,' there was no name I could not perceive.
The days passed in a blur of endless work. The primordial world was overflowing with the nameless.
One day, while I was working without regard for day or night, *it* arrived.
"Your name is Spiraea prunifolia, the Meadowsweet."
Though the naming of invisible phenomena was complete, there was still much to label, and so I wandered through the dark and light alike. That was when it appeared.
It stood before me as naturally as if it had been there since the dawn of time.
I could not see a name. No, it wasn't that it lacked a name. It was quite literally that the name 'could not be seen.'
A phenomenon I had never experienced.
Wonder. Yes, it was wonder. It was also the fear and confusion that stems from the unknown.
To be bestowing names upon my own emotions even in a situation like this—I truly am quite mad, aren't I?
With that thought, I locked eyes with the Unknown before me.
"…."
He was looking at me, yet he was not.
Those eyes were fixed upon something else entirely, something beyond me.
There was no way to explain it. Just as I instinctively knew names were visible to these eyes, I knew this as well.
This being's True Name was something that could not be glimpsed from my current horizon.
As I swallowed dryly and waited for him to speak, his gaze finally snapped to mine.
"Thou who callest upon the name, thou who namest all phenomena."
Just as I had bestowed names upon the lowliest of creatures…
He bestowed a name upon me.
"I grant thee the name Jin-myeong-ho (眞名呼), the Manako."
The name he granted was carved into my very soul like a wedge.
The world, already visible, became even sharper; I could now see, however faintly, the state of things before their names existed and what they would become after.
The moment I realized the power of the 'name' he had granted me, I instinctively lowered my head at the sheer gulf between us.
I bowed as naturally as a subject prostrates before a King.
"Follow me."
"As you command."
A mere grain of sand like myself could not defy his… no, His Majesty's will.
For one who has been named is destined to be drawn to the one who named them.
I followed in His Majesty's footsteps.
I knew not where we were headed. I simply moved according to His will, occasionally naming the nameless things we passed.
Like a vassal serving a sovereign, I trailed behind him.
Then one day, the King, who had been merely wandering the world, halted his steps and looked in a certain direction.
"…."
The King's brow furrowed—whether out of displeasure or to focus his sight on something difficult to perceive, I could not tell.
Whatever had disturbed His Majesty's equilibrium, it was certainly no ordinary existence.
"Is that where you intend to go?"
"Indeed."
With those words, the King turned and began to walk.
If drifting through the sky can be called walking, that is.
The place we arrived at was a gargantuan Sea of Trees.
The height of the trees was staggering, their thickness immense beyond measure.
And furthermore…
'Trees that devour Spiritual Power…'
It was a forest filled with malicious trees that could drain the Spiritual Power from one's entire body in an instant just by being near.
For a fleeting moment, I nearly lost consciousness.
"Urgh…!"
I had to exert such strength that my eyes trembled just to maintain my sanity.
What could possibly exist in such a place?
Was there truly something alive in this living hell besides these trees?
It seemed impossible.
"My King… what exactly is here?"
"Something that cannot be seen."
I asked, but the King's reply was utterly shocking.
An existence that even the King's eyes could not see? What kind of monster could it be?
I tried to ask more about this 'unseen' thing, but the King stepped into the forest before I could open my mouth.
A vassal cannot fail to follow where his King leads. Swallowing my dread, I followed him into the heart of the woods.
Curiously, however, the moment we crossed the boundary of the forest, the trees stopped draining Spiritual Power. In fact, they were emitting it.
No… that wasn't right. It wasn't simple emission.
'Reflux…?'
They were regurgitating it because they couldn't handle the excessive amount of Spiritual Power stored within them.
Unlike the trees on the outskirts that sucked power to survive, these trees spat it out for the very same reason.
They were clearly the same species, yet how could they be so different?
Stunned by this revelation, I shook my frozen legs and hurried to catch up with the King.
We finally reached a single, massive tree. Beneath it sat a man… resting upon a ―――.
Something yet to be named—wait. How could such a thing even exist right now?
While my eyes darted around in confusion, the man sitting on the ――― let out a chuckle and gave a casual wave.
"Yo, Soul King. Welcome."
Soul King? That wasn't my name. Then the existence he was referring to as 'Soul King' was…
The words were few, but the information they carried was overwhelming.
"*Smack*."
"These are entirely new things."
I snapped out of my trance at the sound of the King's… no, the Soul King's voice and looked around.
"What is?"
The man spoke, glancing around before letting out a small exclamation as he looked at the ――――.
Since those things didn't have names yet, I opened my mouth to designate them.
"Those are ――――"
But the 'names' of those objects left the man's mouth first.
"Are you talking about the chair and desk? The integrated desk? Or the bed?"
In that instant, names were bestowed upon the chair, the desk, the integrated desk, and the bed.
Names were given to things that shouldn't even exist in this world yet. Or rather, names were given to things that existed here but definitely should not be present in the 'now.'
That was shocking enough, but what truly staggered me was that this man had bestowed 'names' just as I did.
Staring at him blankly, I approached him as if possessed and asked:
"How is it that you know the names of 'those things'?"
"Huh?"
The man blinked, appearing flustered by my question.
I knew my behavior was rude, but I had to get an answer from him, no matter what.
If this man possessed the same power and ability as I did…
Then my power, which I thought was unique, might become meaningless—nothing more than a triviality.
"I shall ask once more. How do you know the names of 'those things'?"
"Hmm…"
The man scratched his head as if troubled, smacked his lips, and finally spoke.
"If you ask me how I know something I already know, I don't really have an answer for you…"
"…."
Before their names are called, things merely exist.
When I call their name, they finally gain significance in their existence.
But then, who creates those names?
Who crafts the names that the one who calls them will speak?
Jin-myeong-ho (眞名呼).
The one who calls the True Name.
It was only then that I realized why the Soul King had bestowed this name upon me.
The moment I heard the man's answer, my mind went blank, and I found myself unable to react at all.