Chapter 146
Chapter 146
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 146
Chapter Title: Spirit Mountain
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As I remained silent, the bear-like guy continued.
“There’s usually only one type of person who can’t name their family. It’s when their family is such trash it’s not even worth mentioning.”
“...”
“There are always bastards like you. Inferior stock who don’t know their place and enroll in the academy. Is that why you’re clinging to the prince? Dreaming of turning your life around?”
The guy’s friends burst into laughter, but I, for one, was surprised.
So they knew the prince’s identity, yet they were still smoking and drinking here?
Regardless of Glen being a down-to-earth person, it was beyond my comprehension.
I wasn’t particularly offended by such childish provocations, but...
I was curious what gave them the confidence to run their mouths like this.
“And what family might you be from, senior?”
When I asked in a slightly polite tone, the guy smirked and replied.
“Even a country bumpkin like you has probably heard the name... the name of my Rozallus family.”
Normally, this would be the part where I wouldn’t know the family name he dropped, but unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.
If I remembered correctly, the Rozallus family was a count-level house and quite famous in the capital.
The very fact that someone like me knew the name was a testament to their influence.
“And I am Talis Rozallus. The direct heir and eldest son of the Rozallus family, the future Family Head.”
“I see.”
“Hey, commoner. You’re on my list now. Don’t even think about running. No matter where you go, you won’t escape my sight. Got it? You can’t just skip this class without my permission either...”
Just then, the door opened, and a middle-aged man with hollow eyes appeared.
He had matted hair, a hunched back, and dark spots that reached down to his chin.
Is that Professor Alec?
“...”
It seemed so.
The delinquent students had at least shut their mouths. Talis shot me a look that said, “get lost.”
I nodded and returned to my original seat.
“...We will begin the lecture.”
A voice as gloomy as his appearance sounded out.
Of course, this was my first time attending an academy lecture, but... I knew this wasn't how things were supposed to go.
Even if he skipped greetings, shouldn't he at least do a basic roll call?
What’s more, Alec didn’t even glance at me, despite me sitting in the very front row.
You’d think he’d show some interest in a new face.
‘What is he saying?’
I could barely even hear his voice.
Not only was it quiet, but his pronunciation was so mumbled that the words were garbled.
‘This is a lecture?’
I stared at the lectern in bewilderment.
Around that time, Glen returned.
Spotting Professor Alec, Glen cautiously made his way over.
He scribbled something in his notebook and showed it to me.
‘Everything okay?’
I nodded again.
Glen let out a sigh of relief and looked back toward the lectern.
It was in that moment that his demeanor changed.
“...”
His usual timid and goofy demeanor vanished, and the crimson eyes behind his glasses were filled with a fervent passion.
“...”
With him acting like that next to me, I had no choice but to treat that nonsense as a lecture.
As I focused a little, the mumbled voice became somewhat audible.
“...Today, the land conquered by intelligent beings is not even a tenth of the continent. Beyond the Empire’s borders, threats and death abound, and the only way to know the world’s shape now is to sift through ancient texts. Those who once burned with yearning, admiration, and a spirit of adventure for the unknown are all dead now. And within the next 100 years, the Empire will fall.”
“...”
I blinked.
I felt like I had just heard something that couldn't be easily dismissed.
‘He talks about the fall of the Empire?’
A history professor, of all people, and in front of a member of the imperial family?
What was more absurd was Glen's reaction.
He wasn't angry, sad, or even surprised.
“...Within the next 100 years.”
He simply mulled over Professor Alec’s words, as if he had heard them countless times.
Even though I’d just had some fresh air, the lecture hall suddenly felt suffocating.
A feeling of being left alone in some unknown madness?
Annoyed and uncomfortable, I impulsively shot my hand up.
“I have a question.”
Professor Alec’s vacant gaze turned to me.
“I do not take questions during my lecture.”
“Then will you take them after?”
“If I feel like it.”
That sounded like a no.
The man would probably leave the lecture hall without a second glance the moment class was over.
In that case, I had no choice but to be a bit forceful.
“What is your basis for claiming the Empire will fall within 100 years?”
Alec was silent for a moment.
I wondered if he would just ignore me and continue the lecture, but...
Surprisingly, he answered.
“...For the last 1,000 years, the territory of intelligent beings has been steadily shrinking. Millennia ago, various races lived across this vast continent. The northern snowfields were the land of giants, and the great forest at the eastern edge was home to elves and beastmen. In the south lived dwarves and dragonkin. What about now? We live in this narrow imperial territory, divided into five parts. It may not seem like a major problem yet, but we will soon reach our limit.”
“Due to population growth?”
“No.”
Alec shook his head and said.
“When the cult and the demons reveal their true colors.”
“Hmm.”
So he estimated that would take about 100 years.
I smirked and said.
“You’re quite the optimist, I see.”
“...What?”
“There’s no way the fall of the Empire will take a full 100 years.”
The moment Alec’s blank gaze fell on me, I felt a slight sense of unease, but...
I didn't let it show and continued.
“Ten years should be enough.”
“...If you’re spouting nonsense.”
“It’s hardly nonsense. Right now, besides the capital, where in the Empire can be considered truly safe? The Bednicker territory, perhaps?”
I wasn't being biased because it was my family’s land; it was a fact.
Of course, I now knew that wasn't true either.
Cultists had infiltrated the Bednicker lands, and judging by Seren’s attitude, the capital was no longer a safe place either.
The truth was, there was no longer any place in the Empire that was absolutely safe.
“Few live in the north due to the cold, and the nomadic tribes of the eastern plains are fiercely independent. They follow not the imperial family, but their chieftains, great warriors, and ancestral gods. The south? If a disaster is to begin, it will surely start there. The Empire can’t even control half of that vast wilderness as it is.”
Indeed, the Empire's great war begins in the south.
Alec’s gaze was fixed on me.
“Are you certain of its fall?”
“I can’t say for certain it will fall, but I am certain of war.”
There was no one in this world more certain of war than I.
I had experienced it firsthand.
The time when the Dark Cult was officially established.
Ten years from now, I would be swept up in that war and die.
“...Come to think of it, I haven’t seen you before.”
He’s only asking that now?
I chuckled at Alec’s question, feeling my unease turn into certainty.
“I’m a transfer student.”
This man wasn’t mad.
He was only pretending to be.
* * *
The lecture ended.
Normally, this would have been the only lecture for the month, but...
“I will hold another lecture in three days. Will you be able to attend then?”
Alec looked directly at me as he spoke, and I, of course, nodded.
As Alec left the lecture hall, I turned to Glen.
“Something urgent came up, so I have to go.”
“O-Oh? Ah, okay! Be safe—.”
Barely hearing Glen’s words, I followed after Alec.
Fortunately, he hadn't gone far, and I was able to catch up to him just as he was leaving the theory building.
“Professor, I have something to ask you.”
“...Your questions seem worth hearing. Organize them for the next lecture.”
“No. I’d like to ask now, not during the lecture, while we’re alone.”
“...”
Did the sincerity in my voice reach him?
As Alec stopped and looked at me, I asked him abruptly.
“You know about Spirit Mountain, don’t you, Professor?”
And I saw the muscles in the dazed man’s jaw tighten.
It wasn't a dramatic reaction, but for now, it was enough.
“...From whom did you hear that name?”
“My apologies for the late introduction. I am Ruan Bednicker.”
“Bednicker.”
Alec paused for a moment, then spoke.
“Yes. The Young Lord, I believe. And the Family Head, the Iron-Blooded Duke, would certainly know of Spirit Mountain.”
“Yes. The Family Head himself told me to seek you out, Professor.”
“...Heh heh.”
Alec let out a low laugh.
Then, with a somewhat unsettling smile, he said to me.
“Follow me.”
I followed Alec.
We passed the theory building, the main hall, and even some unnamed building before arriving at a shabby-looking structure.
It seemed to be where Alec stayed.
*Jingle.*
Alec took out a set of keys and spoke.
“May I ask why you are looking for Spirit Mountain?”
“Because it is a place I must one day go.”
“...I see.”
*Click.*
As the door opened, a sharp, medicinal scent stung my nose.
‘The smell of herbs?’
Probably.
The interior looked like a laboratory.
There were countless glass bottles, liquids, and plastic beakers, and...
Old books and documents were scattered haphazardly on the desks and floor.
“According to the records,”
Alec began as he stepped inside.
“The first confirmation of Spirit Mountain’s existence was 157 years ago. They say a mountain range perpetually shrouded in fog was discovered on a peninsula at the eastern edge of the continent.”
*Rustle.*
He handed me a nearby document, which I saw was not a document at all, but a newspaper.
[The Empire Journal]
I'd heard the name in passing.
Palm had once mentioned it was the largest publisher in the Empire, right?
I couldn’t help but flinch when I saw the publication date.
It was from nearly a century ago.
[The Great Empire’s Expedition Team Once Again Sets Off to Uncover the Mysteries of the East.]
“...This is.”
“Over the past hundred years, countless people have been sent to Spirit Mountain. Some of them carried special magic devices.”
Alec took something out of a drawer and showed it to me.
“It looks like an old wristwatch.”
Of course, it had no hands, and the glass was square.
“It can tell time, of course, but that is only a fraction of its function. This was created by the undisputed master of alchemy, the great Yellow Mage, Oenne. It’s an artifact from over 100 years ago, but I assure you, few modern magic devices are more complex.”
Alec continued his explanation.
“This allows communication between wearers, and it can also monitor heart rate and body temperature. It’s shock-resistant, waterproof, and even has a separate storage space for a certain amount of items.”
It was an incredible device, but I remained silent instead of reacting.
I had a feeling that these features were not the main point.
Alec paused for a moment before speaking.
“And... thanks to this watch, there are things we still know.”
“What is that?”
“The wearer’s location and whether they are alive.”
*Grit.*
Alec ground his teeth.
But in that action, I sensed a fear greater than anger.
With a trembling voice, Alec said.
“...They are all alive.”
“What?”
“For the past hundred years, the expedition teams, reconnaissance teams, subjugation teams—everyone who wore this watch to Spirit Mountain...! They are all still marked as alive...!”
“...”
“Their locations change constantly. Sometimes they soar hundreds of meters into the sky, and other times they plummet thousands of meters underground. Wearers who had disappeared for decades have suddenly reappeared.”
Alec wrapped his arms around himself and chuckled grimly.
“I know. I know. The magic device must be malfunctioning... that’s the rational way to think. But I...”
“...”
“...I believe that if there is a hell on this earth, that is the place.”
“Why do you say that?”
“There is one photograph. A picture taken on Spirit Mountain.”
I paused for a moment, then asked.
“You took it?”
“Yes. I took it. I, too, accompanied an expedition ten years ago... It was the most foolish decision of my not-so-short life.”
“...”
“Honestly, I don’t know when or how I took it. I have no memory of the six months after my return... But I was told I would scream, laugh like a madman, self-harm, and try to hang myself at every opportunity.”
I studied Alec’s face and asked cautiously.
“Could you show me that photograph?”
“...”
Alec seemed to hesitate, but after a moment, he moved his frail-looking body with great effort toward a drawer.
“It was taken with an old model, and it’s an old photo, so it’s badly damaged, but...”
He opened the drawer.
Then he flinched as if he had seen some hideous insect inside.
A trembling hand reached into the drawer, and a moment later, it emerged with a yellowed photograph clutched between its fingers.
“...Take a look.”
“This is...”
I felt a chill run down my spine.
I had seen all sorts of monsters during my mercenary days.
And after regressing, I encountered the creature known as a Jewel Beast.
At the training retreat, I even witnessed a demon that had descended personally.
But the strangeness I felt now was greater than when I had faced the demon.
And it was just from a photograph.
This creature, clearly a beast, wore a wicked expression that one would expect to see only on a human—an evil person, at that.
It was beyond simply scary or intimidating; it was bizarre.
“It is a beast. It was recorded in the texts left by the eastern minorities. Its name is...”
“...A tiger?”
At my words, Alec looked slightly surprised and asked.
“You... are surprisingly knowledgeable. You are correct. They say it’s a beast that went extinct on the continent long ago.”
Alec ground his teeth again and said.
“But the tigers recorded in the texts did not look like this. They weren’t this massive, nor did they have such a horrifying expression...!”
“...”
“How many such beings are there? What happened to the remaining expedition members? Some hope for their return, but not me. I hope they died, that they died and were freed from that hell... I still repeat such thoughts thousands, tens of thousands of times every night. But...”
Alec closed his eyes and said.
“I... I have a feeling that those who went there are still alive. And that they are writhing in an agony more terrible than death.”
Only then did I realize why Alec had shown me this picture.
“Young Lord, I do not know for what purpose you seek Spirit Mountain. But...”
“...”
“Please, cherish your life.”