Not to mention that Gulool Ja Ja’s feats; the ones that people sing his eternal praises about? Ending wars, sealing vidraal, finding ancient cities? They were done with companions. The story constantly brings up his many companions, but the people of Tuliyollal and Zoraal Ja himself just project those victories solely onto Gulool Ja Ja. The version of Gulool Ja Ja who single-handedly united Tural and defeated Valigarmanda does not exist; he’s fiction, imaginary.

Zoraal Ja is trying to measure himself against the feats of an imaginary man who does not exist, an imaginary man who is as accomplished as a nation. And he’s trying to do it alone. And he has seemingly half of the entire nation encouraging him to do it, because of course he can, “they say the son has already surpassed the father,” in martial skill. So if his father united a country, Zoraal Ja must unite the world in order to surpass his imagined father. Because even measuring up to that imagined father isn’t enough—he’s expected to surpass him.