Chapter 39
Chapter 39
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: Trajectory: Celestia (5)
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The lowest floor of the Phantasmic Archive Celestia.
From the massive desk at the center of the library, I was currently observing the members of the secret society.
Two weeks had passed since the last regular meeting.
As such, the time for another regular gathering had arrived for the Celestia Secret Society.
"The atmosphere within the Magitech Legion feels off. There might be some changes on the Empire's northern frontlines soon."
"Wasn't the Church supposed to join the war against the Erbar Federation?"
"I heard something happened in the Holy City. Maybe that's influencing the Church's decision."
Crayton, the chief mage of the Magitech Legion, was discussing the Empire's northern developments with the attending members.
As I listened to Crayton, I fell into brief contemplation.
Was it because I'd attended every meeting held in Celestia without fail?
Now, I had a decent grasp of the continental situation.
Of course, compared to directly witnessing and experiencing events outside, the information I could obtain was still limited.
"Mr. Crayton, we've received a cooperation request from the Imperial Family at our Mage Tower too."
"Hmm... It's not common for the Empire to request assistance from the Mage Tower."
"Yes. I've only seen it happen two or three times since joining the tower. The upper echelons seem quite concerned."
"If Miss Lua is saying that, then this issue must be no small matter."
Crayton conversed with Lua, piecing together the outline of the situation.
The Blue Tower and the Magitech Legion.
Judging by the attitudes of those affiliated with both factions, even the Empire hadn't fully grasped the situation yet.
I listened to their exchange and turned my gaze toward the one who knew the full story of this incident.
"......"
Begerton Antares.
The technical advisor for the Magitech Research Society and a researcher who had likely influenced this affair more than anyone.
He sat at the desk, wearing an unpleasant smile as he quietly observed the meeting.
Tap, tap.
His fingers bizarrely bent and straightened repeatedly on the desk.
Must have been itching to speak terribly.
After amusing himself with the members' reactions by flexing his fingers, the doctor finally looked up and shot me a gaze full of anticipation.
"Doctor—"
In response, I quietly called out to Begerton.
As if he'd been waiting solely for my summons, the doctor promptly adopted a deferential posture.
"Yes, command me as you will."
"If you have a report to make, there's no need to wait your turn."
I addressed Begerton with the story he'd been waiting for.
He was the only one here who knew the full truth behind the continental events.
Thus, I needed a detailed report from him on this matter.
Was my command to the doctor unexpected?
The gazes of the members seated at the desk all turned toward him at once.
Click.
Meeting those stares, the doctor smiled and adjusted his monocle.
"If it is the Great One's will, then I shall report on the results of the experiment we conducted."
And with that, the doctor tossed out the key topic to the attending members.
—A new experiment.
The members who heard this looked at Begerton with eyes brimming with curiosity.
Among them were some who had vaguely guessed the cause of the continental disturbances.
"If it's an experiment... are you referring to the one mentioned at the last meeting?" I wanted to ask.
The first to question the doctor was none other than Crayton Lukbart.
The doctor nodded in affirmation to Crayton's question.
"Indeed. In the Empire's northwest border region... specifically near the Marquisate of Barion, we conducted an experiment to summon part of the Great One."
"Wait, the Marquisate of Barion? Then that would explain why the Empire and the Church are reacting so sensitively this time..."
Kekekeke.
The doctor's eerie laughter echoed across the desk.
With a twisted smile, he spread his arms wide in satisfaction and declared,
"Yes, exactly! With this experiment, a fragment of the Great One has descended to the earth, so it's only natural those humans are reacting that way."
"......In that case, it's no wonder the Church and the Imperial Family are in an uproar."
"Well, from the Church's perspective, it was simply bad luck, wasn't it? If they'd prayed more fervently, it might have ended without issue, but it seems the cardinals lacked devotion."
Creak, creak.
As he spoke, the doctor straightened his grotesquely bent fingers.
Tension settled over the table.
Every member's eyes fixed on the doctor's mouth.
Smirk.
The doctor, lips curling upward, continued his account of the experiment.
"For this experiment, we selected one of the humanoid chimeras in my lab with the highest durability."
"......"
"Of course, for the soul research aspects, I received assistance from my dear friend Alandorf. We needed verification for procedures from soul transplantation to stabilization."
A familiar name slipped from the doctor's lips.
Hearing it, Lua immediately asked him,
"Alandorf... isn't he the vice president of the Magitech Research Society...?"
"Everyone seems to know my famous friend. He's capable in many ways. His tastes are... rather peculiar, but we'll gloss over that."
Swish.
Having answered, the doctor's hand reached for the glass of water before him.
Had his throat grown parched during the explanation?
Gulp, gulp.
The doctor lifted the glass and quenched his thirst.
After downing the water swiftly, he pushed the empty glass aside and continued.
"We prepared the ritual quite diligently, but regrettably, the vessel's durability proved insufficient, and it failed. The moment it received the soul fragment, the vessel began collapsing at a rapid pace."
"......"
"However, that failure product did manage to contain... a faint portion of the Great One's power."
"......"
"Considering the vessel had shattered, it lasted surprisingly long. That means there were no issues with the transplantation ritual Alandorf verified—fortunate, isn't it?"
The members sank into their own thoughts upon hearing the doctor's tale.
Hmm.
In particular, the battle mage Crayton seemed to have some inkling, lost in deep contemplation.
Leaving the members be, the doctor pressed on with his explanation.
"So, if we conduct the summoning through a slightly better medium, we could achieve far superior results than before..."
But as the doctor began expounding his views,
Thud.
Soon, Crayton interrupted him with a question.
"All well and good, Doctor. So, what did you do with that 'failure product' you created?"
"......The failure product, you say?"
"The one that contained part of Lord Johan, as you described. Since you conducted the experiment, you can explain how it was handled, right?"
Crayton spoke to the doctor with serious eyes.
The handling of the failure product.
It was the most crucial part of this experiment.
What fate had befallen the failure containing a part of me?
That would determine the direction of the next experiment.
In response to Crayton's question, the doctor merely shrugged nonchalantly.
"I left it alone since it was self-destructing. I watched where it went, and it headed toward Partia."
"Wait... Partia...?"
"If it lasted longer than my calculations, it must have encountered the Sword Saint in the Holy City, right?"
"......"
"It would have been fascinating to witness firsthand, but what a pity."
After the doctor's remark echoed across the desk,
Everyone in the meeting hall pieced together the full story and wore complicated expressions.
The Church's sudden change of heart.
The frantic movements now visible from the Empire's Imperial Family.
They had learned the reason behind it all.
"Utterly mad. So you're saying it carried the fragment straight into the Holy City?"
"If put harshly, yes. Though I had no hand in its movements, of course."
"......"
"Still, with no reports of the Sword Saint's death, at least the Holy City hasn't fallen. Small mercies."
The doctor's laughter rang through the meeting hall once more.
Hah.
A short sigh escaped Crayton, who had been listening.
Lua, apparently starting to find the doctor unsettling, quietly averted her gaze from him.
"Thanks to you, things will be busy around here for a while. Still, progress toward Lord Johan's resurrection is a silver lining."
"D-Doctor... you're even more incredible than I imagined..."
Crayton and Feria's voices alternated toward the doctor.
In a sense, it was a perfectly natural reaction.
Even to me in Celestia, the report of the doctor's actions sounded far from ordinary.
However, what drew my attention more was the doctor's mention of the 'failure product.'
Specifically, the part about the miracle released while containing a fragment of me.
'The magitech tome that woman was reading... 'Thunder God's Descent' didn't return to the library until much later.'
The day the doctor attempted to summon me.
The magitech tome I'd left the library with—Thunder God's Descent —wasn't returned until much time had passed.
At the time, I'd thought perhaps the girl from my dreams had taken it, but now, hearing the doctor, my thoughts veered in another direction.
Another possibility.
I pursued the possibility that surfaced in my mind, recalling memories from days ago.
'The magitech tome showed a sense of loneliness as I tried to leave.'
That day, I was certain the doctor's experiment had achieved partial success.
Otherwise, I couldn't have briefly escaped Celestia.
But if I wasn't the only one caught in the doctor's experiment that day—
Wasn't it possible a magitech tome from the library had fallen outside too?
My thoughts had reached that far.
"Not a bad outcome. Gives me more to think about."
Organizing my thoughts, I soon addressed the doctor, who had been reporting before me.
Several possibilities had solidified within me.
This experiment had yielded no small gains.
Celestia. Magitech tomes. The girl in my dreams.
And even a faint clue toward escape—
The information the doctor brought was more than sufficient to aid me.
"It was all in service of bringing the Great One to the earth. Next time, I will ensure success through greater efforts..."
"Then I shall grant you a reward."
Thus, I felt it wouldn't hurt to recompense the doctor for his achievements this time.
A reward for the doctor.
His face brightened at the words.
Eyes full of expectation, he looked up at me, awaiting what came next.
Snap.
Before such a doctor, I snapped my fingers and conveyed the reward he would receive.
"Begerton Antares. Henceforth, I permit entry to the Second Archive and perusal of its collection."
"......Pardon?"
The first reward I bestowed upon the doctor.
His face showed great surprise at the unexpected response.
And rightly so, for the boon I granted him was no mere permission to check out books.
Free access to the area housing the Second Archive.
In other words, he had permanently acquired access rights to part of the Phantasmic Archive Celestia's mid-levels.
"Great One... you mean I may peruse the tomes in the Second Archive... at my leisure?"
"Indeed. Do as you please."
Permissions to view, study, and even check out every magitech tome in the Second Archive.
The doctor's lips quivered at the news.
Of course, my words didn't end there.
I affirmed that, depending on his future achievements, I could grant the rewards he desired.
"But it's still insufficient. Show a bit more progress, and I'll even consider letting you check out a magitech tome from the Third Archive."
A magitech tome from the Third Archive.
Depending on his future performance, he could take out a special spell.
The doctor smiled briefly at the promise.
Ahem, ahem.
Swiftly clearing his throat, he adopted a formal demeanor and spoke again.
"My thanks for the Great One's promise... Might I share my thoughts on the experiment?"
"Speak, and I shall hear."
Having heard of the Third Archive's magitech tome, the doctor's eyes transformed as he explained the experiment.
Behind his monocle gleamed the gaze of a true researcher.
Better results.
In other words, he intended to convey what was needed for his next experiment.
After a cough to clear his throat, the doctor addressed the library's members.
"Personally, I saw potential in this experiment for summoning the Great One... but my chimeras fell short of even containing a fragment."
"Undoubtedly."
"Thus, I require a vessel of higher durability... additional materials to cultivate a new body."
Swish.
Crayton's gaze turned to the doctor.
"What sort of additional mediums?"
"They won't be easy to obtain. But without items of this caliber, crafting an excellent vessel will prove inadequate."
"......"
"Elixir, the World Tree's fruit... or perhaps a Dragon Heart or dragon blood at minimum..."
—Dragon Heart.
At that word, the members conducting the meeting fell silent in unison.
"......"
"......"
The members all turned to look at Feria.
She blankly met the sudden stares.
Blink, blink.
Feria quietly endured the members' gazes for a moment.
Soon, she clutched her pendant and averted her eyes.
"Isn't that a dragon too?"
"O-Our little one isn't like that..."
Feria's gaze wandered into empty space.