Chapter 22
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Divine
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[Divine]
Silence.
No one spoke.
No one moved.
Not even a breath could be heard.
Fuck.
We're screwed.
Completely screwed.
Forget F-grade. It showed Divine.
Divine
In the blank space.
If word of this gets out, it's over.
Big Bro will hear about it.
"The second son received a Divine rating."
Once he finds out...
Purge.
It's certain.
"Th-that's..."
Someone finally spoke up.
"Divine grade...?"
"Words appeared in the blank space..."
"No way... So it actually shows up like that?"
The murmurs grew louder.
The duke's son glared at me.
The leisure from before was gone.
Wariness.
Hostility.
The other nobles were the same.
Their stares stung.
Damn, this is so fucking unfair.
Why the hell did that pop up all of a sudden?
"My."
A voice rang out.
It was Elysia.
She walked toward the crystal orb. Click-clack, click-clack. Light footsteps.
She looked at the rating plate.
Tilted her head.
"That's strange."
"...Pardon?"
"Looks like the machine glitched."
What?
Elysia looked at the administrator.
"Could you check it? The mana detection circuit seems overloaded."
"Ah, yes..."
The administrator hurried to the machine with a flustered expression.
Elysia turned to the nobles.
She smiled.
"Sorry for the confusion due to the machine error."
The nobles' expressions wavered subtly.
"We'll have to end today's measurements here. I'll let you know once the check is done."
The nobles glanced at each other.
"A glitch?"
"I guess so..."
"Divine popping up out of nowhere was suspicious."
"Yeah. No way letters appear in the blank space."
"Right? You see all kinds of things living long enough. Even Magic Tower machines break."
The mood shifted.
The tension eased.
The nobles began filing out one by one.
The duke's son left too.
He glanced back at me once.
Eyes full of suspicion.
But he turned away quickly.
Everyone was gone.
The administrator said, "I'll inspect it," and left.
Only Elysia and I remained in the measurement room.
Phew.
I survived.
For now...
"Young Master."
Elysia looked at me.
"Let me show you to your room."
"...Sure."
No reason to refuse.
Especially not someone who just saved my life.
We walked down the corridor.
Elysia led the way.
Click.
Click.
Only the sound of heels echoed.
It was quiet.
Too quiet.
The mood felt off.
The playfulness from earlier was gone.
I felt uneasy.
Something was wrong.
We passed more corridors.
Two combat mages stood there.
The moment they saw us.
Snap!
They saluted sharply.
We passed.
Another combat mage.
Snap!
Another salute.
Snap!
Another.
Snap!
Yet another.
What the hell.
Why are there so many?
My heart raced.
Then.
Fizz.
One corridor light went out.
Fizz.
Another one.
It grew darker.
Only Elysia's back was visible.
Her purple hair faintly glowed.
Click—
Click—
Only footsteps echoed.
"Young Master."
Elysia spoke.
Without turning.
"The price for glimpsing the Magic Tower's secrets..."
My breath caught.
"Is heavier than you think."
My heart felt like it stopped.
What?
What did she say?
Price?
Price for seeing Divine?
No way...
Stories from back home flashed in my mind.
NIS.
And America's Area 51.
The urban legend about dissecting captured aliens.
Am I...
Being taken to be dissected right now?
Because of Divine grade?
Because it's rare?
Research subject?
My legs shook.
Fuck, should I run now?
If I pull a 36 Stratagems and bolt, maybe I can make it?
But fuck, how many combat mages did I see on the way?
Can I even escape?
I thought rationally.
The answer came quick.
No.
I can't.
Elysia stopped.
In front of a door.
"We're here."
The door opened.
I could see inside. Looked like a fancy guest room.
But.
To me, it looked different.
That glowing crystal orb.
Brainwave scanner?
That sharp quill pen.
Nerve stimulator?
That huge bed.
Operating table?
"Come in."
Elysia said.
She was smiling.
But her eyes weren't.
I stepped inside anyway.
Soon, Elysia looked at me.
A faint smile.
"You know you can't leave this room now, right?"
"..."
What?
Can't leave?
For real?
Elysia spoke toward the door.
"Guard the front here."
"24-hour surveillance."
"If there's any report lapse..."
Elysia leaned close to my ear.
Whispered low.
"Summary execution."
Chills ran down my spine.
My back went cold.
My mind went blank.
I'm dead.
Dying here.
Because of Divine grade.
Because it's rare.
Dissected.
Studied.
Turned into a specimen.
Last will.
Should I write a last will?
What to say?
To Big Bro?
"I'm going first. Eat all the potatoes you want."
To Father?
"Sorry for being unfilial. Should've given me side dishes besides potatoes."
To the Northern Territory folks?
"Enjoy the potatoes."
Fuck.
Only potatoes come to mind.
Ha...
I want a croissant before I die.
Freshly baked, piping hot croissant.
From Le Maison de Pain.
"Pfft."
"...?"
A sound.
I looked up.
Elysia was shaking, shoulders trembling.
Hand over her mouth.
"Puhahaha!"
It burst.
She cracked up.
Elysia was laughing.
Clutching her stomach.
"Hahaha! Your face...! Hahaha!"
What.
What the?
"Just kidding."
I was speechless.
"Kidding."
Elysia wiped tears.
From laughing, probably.
"God, your expression was hilarious... Haha..."
A cough from outside.
Ahem. Ahem.
The combat mages.
I could feel them averting their eyes.
They knew.
It was a prank.
Everyone but me.
"Feel free to roam around."
Elysia said.
Voice still laced with laughter.
"No surveillance or anything. For real."
"Seriously funny... Your eyes went like this. Like this."
Elysia widened her eyes.
Mimicking a terrified face.
"Haha."
Ah... Prank...
I was writing my last will just now.
Potato ranting.
Ha...
Am I that much of a pushover?
Still, my mind cleared a bit.
"By the way... What about our shoot?"
"The shoot?"
"Yeah, that."
Elysia nodded.
"Right here."
"...Here?"
"Yes. They decided to film in the Magic Tower. So just stay here."
Wait.
So I've been here two days.
And the shoot's here too?
I didn't need to go out.
Could've scheduled the meeting here?
"Then, maybe..."
I opened my mouth.
"Can I step out for a bit?"
"...?"
Elysia tilted her head.
About 45 degrees.
Pure eyes on me.
"Where to?"
"Just... outside briefly..."
"Outside?"
"Yes..."
Elysia looked at me.
Genuinely curious.
"Don't you have no friends?"
Crack.
"Ugh."
I clutched my chest.
Like an arrow hit.
"You don't know the capital layout."
Crack.
"No acquaintances."
Crack.
"No friends."
Crack crack crack.
Stop.
Enough.
Stop the fact-bombing.
No more shots.
I know already.
"What would you even do out there?"
Elysia beamed.
The purest smile in the world.
No malice.
That's why it hurt more.
"Hang out with me."
"You were bored. I was bored too."
No words.
Couldn't argue.
All facts.
Every bit true.
"...Okay."
"Heehee."
Elysia smiled.
Satisfied.
"Good choice."
"Starting tomorrow, I'll show you around the Magic Tower. Lots of fun spots."
"...Sure."
"Rest well tonight. You got quite the scare."
Whose fault?
"Good night then."
Elysia waved.
Click-clack.
Opened the door and left.
Thud.
Door closed.
I lay on the bed.
Stared at the ceiling.
But.
That girl.
Loves pranks.
Thought my heart would drop out.
But.
Hitting me with "no friends."
Why so spot on?
Hurts.
Really hurts.
Hurts more 'cause it's true.
Thud—
Door closed, I lay on the bed.
Stared at the ceiling.
[Divine]
Those two letters flashed like a billboard in front of my eyes.
Divine
[Divine]
Fuck.
Keeps showing.
Closed my eyes, sick of it.
Divine Divine Divine
Eyes closed, but still saw it.
Even clearer now.
Fuck, is it mocking me?
"Ha..."
Sleep wouldn't come.
"Fine, Divine is Divine."
"But showing in the blank space? What the hell."
"So ominous."
Tossed and turned.
Again.
Punched the blanket.
Useless.
The unease lingered.
Fuck...
I need to know what it is before I can sleep or not.
Bolted up, eyed the door.
"......"
Wait...
Suddenly recalled Elysia's words.
"You know you can't leave this room now, right?"
"24-hour surveillance."
"Summary execution."
That was just a prank.
But fuck, why...
Heart pounding so hard.
Trauma.
Definitely trauma.
Haa...
Why am I so fragile?
Still.
Curiosity won out.
I need to know.
Can't sleep flat like this.
Crept to the door.
Quietly opened.
Creeak—
"......"
Checked the corridor.
Empty.
Really empty.
Phew.
Stepped out.
Crept.
Crept.
Walked the corridor.
Heart pounding.
Why so nervous?
Not doing anything bad.
...
Magic Tower library.
General reading room near the forbidden section.
Shelves reaching the ceiling held tens of thousands of books.
Let's see...
Walked between shelves.
Checked labels.
[A-1 Magic Theory.]
[A-2 Mana Measurement.]
[A-3 Grading System.]
"This?"
Reached out, scanned books.
"Grade..."
"Measurement..."
"Divine..."
Rifled through dusty tomes.
Mostly worthless.
Basic stuff.
Explanations of F to S grades and measurement principles.
Almost nothing on Divine.
"Nothing."
Sighed.
Then.
Something caught my finger.
Worn parchment book.
Deep in the shelf.
Caked in dust.
Untouched.
Pulled it out, checked cover.
Pre-Human Humanity: On the Lost Bloodlines
"Pre-human humanity?"
"Lost bloodlines?"
Intriguing title.
Turned pages reverently.
First page.
Preface.
This document is based on records left by the Magic Tower's third lord, Helios, and most of its contents are mere hypotheses.
Hypotheses.
Still worth a read.
Next page.
Chapter 1: Definition of 'Ancient Humanity'
Before modern humanity arose, beings known as 'Ancient Humanity' existed on this land.
Ancient Humanity.
Outwardly similar to modern humans, they did not 'use' mana.
Did not use it?
Then what were they?
Next sentence.
They were beings 'composed' of mana itself.
...
Composed of mana itself?
What does that mean?
Kept reading.
Their grades were immeasurable.
Later mages named this 'Divine'.
The blank space on the rating plate was reserved for them.
Blank space.
Where my grade appeared.
Hand trembled.
Chapter 2: Fall of Ancient Humanity
They vanished completely at some point.
Various hypotheses exist for their extinction.
Hypotheses.
First, interspecies war theory.
Claim they were wiped out by someone.
However, this is nearly impossible.
Why?
No species could extinguish them.
They were too strong.
Too strong for anything to kill them.
Whoa... Real OP dudes.
Second, self-destruction theory.
Claim they collapsed under their own power.
Supported by some scholars, but lacks evidence.
Third, divine punishment theory.
Currently the leading hypothesis.
They fell out of the gods' favor.
Gods' disfavor???
Yet this has many questions.
Why the gods destroyed them.
How they did it.
No records remain.
"..."
Chills up my spine.
Chapter 3: Relation to Modern Humanity
Ancient Humanity are not ancestors of modern humans.
No genetic links found.
Best classified as a different species.
Different species.
Not human, something else.
Almost set the book down.
But next line caught my eye.
However, extremely rarely, modern humans exhibit Ancient Humanity traits.
Their mana is immeasurable; rating plates show 'Divine'.
Fuck.
That's me.
Chapter 4: Abilities of Ancient Humanity
The more they suppressed mana, the denser it compressed.
Suppress to compress?
Normal mages' mana dissipates or backflows under suppression.
Not for Ancient Humanity.
Their mana grew denser under pressure.
...
And when it burst forth.
Hands sweaty.
They wielded power to 'redefine the laws of the world'.
"......"
Closed the book.
Hands shaking.
"So right now..."
"The power flowing in me..."
"Is the strength of these extinct ancients?"
Head spinning.
What did Elysia say earlier?
"Very rarely... Some modern humans have that aptitude."
"People call them born with Tower Lord or Swordmaster aptitude."
Tower Lord aptitude.
Swordmaster aptitude.
I brushed it off then.
But.
Now it clicks.
Beings made of mana itself.
Mana compressing under suppression.
Explosive release.
That's why Tower Lord or Swordmaster aptitude.
Those with Ancient Humanity traits.
That trait lets them become Tower Lords or Swordmasters.
Ah.
That's what it was.
Made weird sense.