Chapter 140
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 140
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Parent
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“An egg?”
Aint carefully picked up the egg.
*Is this really a Saint Bird's egg?*
“I've never seen a Saint Bird before.”
- *An egg, to be precise. In any case, I now understand why the late emperor left this behind.*
A full-grown Saint Bird was a massive creature, standing over five meters tall.
Its back was broad enough to carry a person, and the first emperor often rode one.
This was a major reason why the Saint Bird became the symbol of Armian.
“But is this thing okay? It must have been here for nearly a thousand years. It should have died a hundred times over.”
A thousand years was a long time.
Even for a Saint Bird, which could live for hundreds of years, it was enough time to die of old age several times.
Even if it had been magically treated, it was hard to believe it had remained alive for so long.
It would be one thing if it were an object being preserved, but this was a living creature.
“…It's warm.”
For some reason, he could feel warmth coming from the egg.
- *Is such a thing even possible, no matter what method the late emperor used?*
- *Check the box.*
The inside of the box was engraved with a countless number of magic circles.
As natural-born knights, neither Gardner nor Aint could possibly understand what they meant.
“I feel like I need to understand this to know the egg's condition, but I'm at a loss.”
- *Take it to Pernyan.*
“To Pernyan Sunbaenim?”
- *Yes. Since it's a Saint Bird's egg, you can't tell just anyone, but Pernyan is different.*
- *He might expect something in return, but he has helped you until now, and he was the one who gave you the box.*
- *Most importantly, Pernyan once gave you the Heart of a Saint Bird.*
Because he had the most, Pernyan was the one person who could examine the egg and the box without greed.
- *He knows your value better than anyone.*
“That's true.”
Aint took the box and the egg and went to find Pernyan.
“So, this is the box, and this egg was inside it?”
“Yes.”
It was early evening, and though Pernyan was busy with guild business, he readily agreed to meet with Aint alone.
“…Impressive.”
Pernyan remarked in pure admiration after examining the magic circles and engravings inside.
“Is it impressive? I don't really know...”
“There's a mana stone embedded inside this box. It's absorbing the surrounding mana, making the box a semi-permanent object.”
It was an object that would have made Rosalia faint. The ultimate goal of her research was right here.
*'This is on a different level from a magic lamp.'*
The semi-permanent magic circle of a magic lamp was a simple mechanism that merely drew in ambient mana to produce light.
Such a thing could be made to some extent even with current technology, though its cost-effectiveness and efficiency were terrible.
But this was far more advanced and complex.
It was impossible with current technology, the final destination of Rosalia's research.
*'Did this exist a thousand years ago and was then lost to time?'*
But if that were the case, some record of it should have remained, and he couldn't recall ever seeing one.
*'Then was it something only the first emperor could create?'*
For reasons unknown, it was possible he had intentionally kept it a secret.
*'I'll look into that later...'*
After studying the magic circles more intently, Pernyan finally grasped the box's function.
“This is a high-level freezing magic circle.”
“A freezing magic circle?”
“Yes. The level of the magic circle is incredibly high. I can't even decipher half of it at my level. The egg probably froze the moment the lid was closed.”
“Froze?”
“Among magical studies, there was research into freezing living organisms for hibernation. In fact, frozen creatures were found to be perfectly alive even after a considerable amount of time. This is likely the same principle.”
And once he finished examining the last part of the box, the full picture began to form.
“And there's also a magic circle to thaw the frozen egg. The medium is blood. Armian blood, I presume. Are you... alright?”
“Huh?”
“To meet the conditions of the magic circle, you'd need far more than just a drop or two of blood.”
“That's why it took me so long to open it. It really did need a lot.”
Aint scratched the back of his head and laughed awkwardly.
“So, the conclusion is that they put it in hibernation to deliver this egg to you. But no matter how incredible the magic is, I doubt something from a thousand years ago would still be viable.”
Pernyan cupped the egg in both hands and closed his eyes.
As he slowly infused it with mana, the shell repelled it.
*'...It repelled it?'*
*So this is the egg of a Saint Bird, after all.*
His interest piqued, he controlled his mana with even greater precision. The moment he finally projected it through the shell...
*Crack-*
The egg split in half.
And the head of a small white bird popped out, its eyes meeting Pernyan's.
“......”
*Peeeeeeep-*
*Crash-*
The powerful cry shattered the windows in the office.
* * *
“......”
Pernyan was flustered.
*Peep, peep, peep-*
Not only had he not expected the Saint Bird to actually hatch after a thousand years, but he certainly hadn't expected it to start following him around.
The first thing the newly hatched Saint Bird did was perch on Pernyan's shoulder and nuzzle his cheek.
When Aint tried to take it, it flapped its tiny wings and flew right back to Pernyan.
When he moved, it trotted after him.
“…I swear I didn't do this.”
“…Yes, I know.”
Aint was just as bewildered.
His joy at the prospect of raising a mythical beast like a Saint Bird was short-lived; the little white bird wouldn't even spare him a glance, completely smitten with Pernyan.
*Peeeeeeeeeeeep!*
If he tried to separate them by force, it would shriek at the top of its lungs, shattering every piece of glass in sight, so he couldn't do that either.
“…I guess there's no helping it. I'll look for another way and come back later.”
“…I have absolutely no intention of stealing it.”
“Yes, I know. I saw what happened.”
In the end, Aint had no choice but to leave dejectedly.
- *Is this that imprinting effect birds have?*
- *I can't even blame Pernyan, which is just absurd.*
“I know, right?”
- *What a waste, such a waste!*
Gardner's feelings mirrored Aint's.
To lose a mythical beast said to be among the greatest, alongside the phoenix, right before his eyes left a bitter taste in his mouth.
If it hadn't been Pernyan, and if it hadn't been an unavoidable accident, Aint probably would have let out a string of curses for the first time in his life.
- *It's frustrating, but for now, let's leave it with Pernyan and think of a way to get it back.*
“What if we can't, in the end?”
- *...Then we'll just have to consider it repayment. We may have lost the Saint Bird, but it was Pernyan who found the box and gave you the Heart of a Saint Bird.*
That, at least, was some consolation.
He could think of it as trading the Saint Bird for the Heart of a Saint Bird...
“Still, it's such a waste! I wanted to ride a Saint Bird and fly, just like the first emperor!”
- *Same here! Damn that late emperor! If he was going to leave something like this, he should have told me about it!*
It was the first time since Aint had known Gardner that he heard him curse an emperor.
* * *
“To think a sack of gold coins would just roll in like this.”
*Peep?*
- *Koong?*
The bird and the golem tilted their heads at each other on the table.
Honestly, it was a bit bewildering.
That there was an egg in the box, that the thousand-year-old egg had hatched safely, and that it happened to lock eyes with Pernyan of all people.
“Is this that imprinting effect, or whatever it's called?”
He had heard that birds regard the first creature they see after hatching as their parent.
Though he'd also heard it wasn't always absolute...
*Peep!*
It seemed the Saint Bird belonged to the absolute category.
Otherwise, it wouldn't be this attached after just one glance upon hatching.
“…He won't hold a grudge over this, will he?”
It was a relief that Aint wasn't the petty type to forget what he'd received and only remember what was taken.
“Anyway, what should I do with this little one?”
It refused to leave his side for even a moment, so he had to take it with him, but this was no ordinary bird.
Anyone would recognize it as a Saint Bird just by its two pairs of wings.
“This is problematic...”
Just then, Wooden thumped its chest.
“You'll take care of it?”
- *Koong!*
- *Koong koong, kooooo, koong!*
After Wooden said a few words, the Saint Bird looked like it was about to cry.
- *Koooooong!*
But when Wooden shook its head firmly, the bird looked at Pernyan and nodded.
Its determined expression seemed to declare its resolve to endure, however difficult it might be.
*'...What was that?'*
*Can it communicate with mythical beasts because it's a spirit?*
In any case, it was a good outcome.
“Wooden, take care of this one, then. And don't you dare leave this room.”
- *Koong!*
Before leaving, Pernyan activated a magic circle he had installed in his office. It was a protective ward that prevented anyone but him from entering.
It had originally been inscribed to guard against potential intruders targeting him, but now it was for the opposite reason.
His preparations complete, Pernyan headed straight for the faculty building.
“What's with the sudden visit?”
He was sitting in Professor Rosalia's office, drinking coffee, when she entered a good while later.
“You seem to have been busy.”
“I was in the middle of some research. What is it?”
“I've come with a gift I'm sure you'll love.”
“A gift?”
“This.”
It was the box that had contained the Saint Bird's egg. The box engraved with a semi-permanent mana stone and a high-level magic circle.
“…This is.”
Professor Rosalia saw its value in an instant.
“Where did you get this?”
“I came across it by chance and brought it thinking it might be helpful to you, Professor. Both the freezing magic circle and the semi-permanent mana stone.”
“By chance. You expect me to believe that?”
“It's Aint's.”
“A semi-permanent mana stone was already developed in the past...? Such a high-level one?”
Perhaps because she realized her years of research were merely following in someone else's footsteps, Professor Rosalia was silent for a while.
“Are you all right?”
“Why wouldn't I be? In all my years, I've never seen any document suggesting this magic was ever perfected.”
A thousand years of being lost to time was essentially the same as never having existed.
“Besides, this method is slightly different from my own approach.”
“Yes, that's why I thought it would be of great help to you, Professor.”
“How did you recognize its value?”
“I'm first in the written exams, am I not?”
Pernyan said nonchalantly.
His combat skills might not have been befitting of the top student, but his written test scores and knowledge were more than worthy.
“The freezing magic circle is also beyond my level. I don't know who it was, but they must have been a mage of incredible skill.”
*He was a master who fought demons alongside the first emperor, so of course he would be.*
“I'll have to study it more to be certain, but I'll gratefully accept it.”
“Yes, please make good use of it. It's a gift from your investor.”
Pernyan smiled faintly.
As expected, taking credit with someone else's things was the most enjoyable.
“Give me some cigarettes before you go.”
“You've smoked them all already?”
“No.”
“Then?”
“I'm saying I'm about to start smoking a lot.”
As Rosalia stared at the box, her eyes burned with the characteristic inquisitiveness of a mage.
* * *
Time flew by, and a month had already passed since the new semester began.
This meant the time mentioned in the Prophecy Book was imminent.
He had notified key figures like Aint, Ruina, Aria, and Verian about the potential crisis, and Pernyan, too, was fully prepared, his subspace filled with an ample supply of holy water.
The Mercenary King had sent a reply accepting the request, and the forces at the blacksteel mine were ready to move south at a moment's notice.
“Now, all we need is for Flauros to descend.”
“It sounds like you're hoping for the demon to be summoned.”
“Of course not. There's no one who wants that demon gone more than I do.”
However.
No word came from the Prasia Kingdom.