Chapter 451: The Kingdom of Gerios(2)
Chapter 451: The Kingdom of Gerios(2)
While the expedition and Siris faced King Morgan and explored the royal palace, Elena was busy investigating the exterior as Deimos had suggested.
As the capital was a significant city both politically and practically, one would expect there to be much to investigate... but there wasn't.
During the Demon War, the sea levels had risen due to the demons' magic, and most of civilization had been swept away into the ocean.
The Kingdom of Gerios was no exception. While the royal palace remained clearly intact—likely due to its role in sorcery—most other areas had vanished.
Occupied territories further from the capital still held traces here and there, but the capital itself did not. With the sea right at its doorstep and being the site where the demons first appeared, such a fate was perhaps inevitable.
"I was hoping for at least some skeletal remains. This damn sea swept everything away; there's nothing left to study."
"The bones would have all decomposed by now anyway..."
Elena grumbled when she couldn't find a single item worth excavating. To make matters worse, Cindy chimed in with a listless "fact bomb."
In reality, even under the best conditions, bones are bound to decompose completely after a thousand years. On rare occasions, they might fossilize, but that was extremely uncommon. Furthermore, the Kingdom of Gerios was now a desert.
Three thousand years had passed, and the land had turned to sand; it was difficult to find proper artifacts, let alone bones.
"I'd settle for a skeleton jumping out at me right now."
Elena grumbled, kicking at the dirt. Unlike other regions, the capital had almost no buildings left standing except for the palace.
She was investigating what little debris remained, but it wasn't much help. The moment she touched anything, it crumbled into sand and scattered in the wind.
Part of her genuinely wished a skeleton would emerge from the ground. Thanks to mana and grudges, skeletons tended to be preserved for thousands of years.
Unlike grave robbers who only cared for treasure, such skeletons were of immense value to explorers.
"The sea probably swept those away too..."
"Are you really a scholar? Why are you being so negative?"
"I'm just stating the facts..."
Elena was already frustrated, and her assistant—no, Cindy, who had recently been promoted to professor—was getting under her skin. However, since Cindy was right, Elena had no comeback.
Unlike other places, the capital had taken the full brunt of the rising sea levels. Moreover, records indicated that the demons had caused the sea to rise during the mid-to-late stages of the war.
With a heavy heart, Elena looked out over the flat expanse of the capital before glancing down at the ground.
"At least they built one hell of a road."
Beneath her feet lay one of the few ruins not swept away by the sea: a 'road.' Though slightly weathered by the salt, it was a road designed for the easy transport of goods.
These roads existed not only in the capital but also in the occupied territories. They likely allowed for seamless logistics and supply lines.
It was highly probable that this road system was the reason they were able to rule the entire West despite being human.
If they had fallen for any reason other than the demons, another nation could have put these to good use.
In truth, this road alone held immense academic value. A road existed three thousand years ago, and it was mostly constructed from hewn stone.
Though damaged in places by the aftermath of the Demon War, its mere existence was nothing short of astonishing.
In an era where manifesting mana—let alone magic—was difficult, the existence of such a road was unbelievable.
According to records, the Kingdom of Ters was established before the Demon War...
Elena fell into thought as she looked at the neatly laid road. As everyone knew, the first civilization was Albenheim, followed by the establishment of the Kingdom of Ters.
However, that was only "according to records." The founding dates of other ancient civilizations, including the Kingdom of Gerios, remained unknown to this day.
Everything had been lost. Not even the Holy Land of Albenheim, which archived all records, held the answers.
This was why the Kingdom of Ters was called the 'Country of Culture.' Despite being half-destroyed during the Demon War three thousand years ago, it had stubbornly maintained its lineage.
The Kingdom of Ters was also the favorite city of scholars. You couldn't dig into the ground without all sorts of ruins popping up.
Perhaps because of this, there was a bittersweet joke that the Kingdom of Ters was the country most hated by real estate buyers.
But why did they build a kingdom here? It's far—too far—from Albenheim.
If the Kingdom of Gerios was at the western edge, Albenheim was at the eastern edge. Albenheim was a land blessed by the gods, a region where nothing was lacking.
The Kingdom of Ters had been established next to Albenheim, which was the reason it managed to survive the Demon War.
There wouldn't have been a sea back then. Hmm...
Elena followed the road with her eyes, slowly looking up. At the end of the road lay the churning sea, an environment now considered cursed.
She didn't know why the road led toward the sea, but she felt it was best to follow it for now.
Though she felt uneasy, the surroundings were so desolate that she hoped she might at least salvage something from the coast.
"Cindy. And dear. We're moving toward the sea now, so get ready."
"Understood."
"Okay..."
Elena's group made their way along the road toward the shore. As they drew closer, the distinct briny scent of the ocean carried on the wind.
Albenheim on the eastern edge also had a sea, but they hadn't built a city there. There was no need to risk fishing, and from the beginning, the sea was believed to be an ominous place.
Still, they did conduct many investigations. As much as it was known to be dangerous, the sea was worth studying. Of course, since more dangerous things kept surfacing the more they investigated, they generally left it alone.
"This place is..."
"It looks like... a harbor...?"
"A harbor from three thousand years ago..."
As they reached the water, Elena's group couldn't help but be shocked. Although most buildings had vanished due to the rising sea levels, the defining characteristics remained.
Artificial channels and structures built to allow 'ships' to pass. Piles of stones stacked as breakwaters to block the waves.
And finally... a 'lighthouse' built so that ships could navigate freely even at night.
For the record, the lighthouse was half-destroyed, making it hard to call it one, but based on its location and structure, anyone could see it was a lighthouse.
Building and utilizing a lighthouse with the technology of three thousand years ago? It was unheard of.
They would need a detailed investigation to confirm the true nature of the ruins, but if their hypothesis was correct, it was well-deserving of the title 'wonder.'
Of course...
"What is that...? It's just sitting there all by itself..."
"I'm not sure. I don't know."
In the present day, where harbors were not developed, there was no way to know for sure. Not only Cindy but even Elena could only look at the ruined lighthouse with curiosity, completely unaware of its proper function.
The concept of a 'lighthouse' only arises when harbors are developed. Yet, even in cities with developed harbors, there wasn't a single one with a lighthouse.
It wasn't that the people of this world didn't sail at all. However, rather than roaming the vast ocean, it was more akin to crossing large lakes sandwiched between landmasses.
If Isaac had been with them, he might have guessed, but he was currently enjoying a leisurely life back at the mansion.
More importantly, they needed to confirm if this really was a 'harbor.' The traces suggested it, but given it was three thousand years old, it was hard to believe.
However, that doubt was soon replaced by denial.
"This is impossible. There was a sea three thousand years ago? The sea only appeared because the demons made it rain."
"It seems there's even a shipyard, though..."
While Elena was busy denying it as she looked at the relatively well-preserved harbor, Iker pointed in one direction. Elena and Cindy followed his gaze.
Beyond the channels and buildings for ships, they saw a 'shipyard' specifically designed for manufacturing vessels.
A flat, artificial floor designed to move ships easily. Behind it, the ruins of a building presumed to be where the shipwrights worked.
Though there were no actual ships, the layout was identical to a modern shipyard.
"There might be something left over there."
"...Let's go take a look."
"Whoa..."
Unlike Elena, who had turned serious the moment she realized it was a harbor, Cindy was simply in awe.
As the two scholars moved forward, Iker drew his sword just in case. The sea was dangerous just by being near it, so it was wise to be prepared.
Soon, they reached the site of the presumed shipyard, and Elena hurried to look around.
She would need a 'ship' for definitive proof, but she didn't expect to find one. Unlike bones, ships were made of wood. Wood rots on its own; there was no way it would remain after three thousand years.
"Let's go to the building first. There might be something there."
"Okay..."
Even if they found something, it might not be helpful. At Elena's command, Cindy and Iker followed her without a word.
They headed toward the building presumed to be the quarters for the shipwrights, rather than the construction site itself.
Unfortunately, that building was also mostly destroyed, making it hard to recognize its original form. However, the fact that it had survived the Demon War at all was significant.
Furthermore, it meant the sea hadn't swept everything away. She began to search the interior of the building meticulously.
Flip—
"Hmm..."
By a stroke of luck, she found a book lying on the floor. It seemed to be a book that hadn't been washed away despite the rising sea levels.
Elena even used magic to carefully turn the pages, just in case. However, having been abandoned for so long and soaked in saltwater, the pages were discolored and warped.
"Sigh..."
Elena eventually gave up on reading the book. However, its existence alone was valuable enough.
A 'book' from three thousand years ago. Moreover, it wasn't a scroll but a codex similar to modern books. Although it wasn't sophisticated since printing technology hadn't been developed, this alone was amazing.
"Professor...! Professor...!"
Just then, Cindy's listless cry reached Elena's ears. Startled, she turned her head.
When was the last time the usually sluggish Cindy had called out so urgently? Elena couldn't recall it happening outside of their adventures.
Given the urgency in her voice, it had to be something important. Elena shouted back.
"What is it? Did you find something?!"
"A basement...! There's a basement...!"
A basement. The moment she heard those words, Elena hurried over.
Reaching the spot Cindy was investigating, she saw an entrance leading underground, just as Cindy had said.
She didn't know the purpose of the passage, but seeing as it was out in the open rather than hidden, it seemed to be a place used by the shipwrights.
"...There might be skeletons, so be careful. Dear?"
"Mm."
At Elena's call, Iker took the lead and headed down first. Elena and Cindy followed quietly behind him.
It wasn't difficult to light up the basement with magic. Thanks to that, they could clearly see the underground space.
"It really is a basement. These holes were probably for ventilation."
"How did they think to build a basement three thousand years ago...?"
Cindy voiced a perfectly natural question. The road, the shipyard, and now this basement.
None of it felt like ancient technology from three thousand years ago. Honestly, in this era, people should have been doing nothing but farming. The idea of roaming the sea should have been non-existent.
She couldn't understand why they would build a capital near the sea. And yet, the Kingdom of Gerios had ruled the entire West.
"Since nothing has been clearly revealed, it's up to us to investigate. Anyway, it looks like this was a private living quarters."
As Elena said, the basement appeared to be a resting area for the shipwrights. The spacious layout and the leveled ground supported this. Furthermore, the stone beds that still held their shape added weight to her claim.
Wooden beds would have easily rotted in the salty air, so they likely preferred stone ones.
"There seem to be no remains."
"You're right. Let's check the books first."
The shipwrights must have been treated quite well, as they had private beds and even what appeared to be private drawers next to them.
However, the drawers, likely made of wood, had all decomposed and vanished. Only the books that were presumably stored inside them lay scattered on the floor.
Elena instructed Cindy to search elsewhere and picked up a book from the floor. Given that books were incredibly valuable in ancient times, the owner must have been someone of high status.
This one is in good condition.
Being underground, it seemed it hadn't been swept away when the sea levels rose. Elena hoped the interior would be in good shape.
However, the moment she opened the book, her expectations were shattered. Like before, the ink had bled extensively, and the pages were so degraded that the words were illegible.
Just as she was about to be disappointed, Elena spotted a single phrase that caught her eye.
It was an ancient language different from the current one, but it was decipherable. With her centuries of experience in exploration, this was child's play.
February 21, Year 841...
That was all she could decipher. The rest was unreadable due to the book's deterioration.
But this alone was enough to leave Elena bewildered. Setting aside the fact that the Kingdom of Gerios used a solar calendar, the year '841' was what bothered her the most.
After staring at the phrase for a while, she called out to Cindy, who was busy investigating up ahead.
"...Hey, Cindy."
"Yes...?"
"Do you know when Albenheim was founded?"
Cindy blinked at the sudden, random question. But a question was a question, so she had to answer. She blinked slowly, scratched her cheek, and spoke.
"According to records... it was probably 3,541 years ago... according to the oldest records..."
"...Right?"
"Yes... but why...?"
Despite Cindy's question, Elena couldn't break free from her thoughts.
...It was founded even earlier than Albenheim?
She felt as if history itself were being twisted.