Chapter 112
Chapter 112
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 112
Chapter Title: On the Way Back to Rainpole
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On the way back to Rainpole.
Eo and Ymir, who had come to greet me at Alpenserd, wore serious expressions after hearing the story.
“Young master, this incident…”
“It wasn’t my intention. It seems the king saw traces of Mother and Father in my face. Through that, he realized I’m of Pensilon blood.”
“The faces of Lady Lizna and Sir Myos?”
“Nothing strange about it. King Gares was a heavyweight in the Pensilon Empire.”
“This matter needs to be discussed with everyone together. It’s not a small issue.”
“Yeah, I think so. And now it’s time to explain to the family too.”
The family only knew I’d been taken in as an adopted son; they had no idea about the secret of my birth. I decided to lay it all out this time, including Wade’s part.
Once inside the carriage, I first pulled out the book I’d packed in my bag.
“Eo! I plan to read a book for a bit, so drive the carriage slowly.”
“Yes!”
The cover read [Magic Research Journal -1-].
‘There are three more volumes like this.’
I had no real interest in reviving magic, but I decided to read it anyway.
The book began with what seemed to be the author’s monologue.
‘The author is Azkiel Rodios, huh.’
From context, he appeared to have been the head of the magic research division.
[──By the Emperor’s order, we began magic research by analyzing healing magic and lighting magic. Magic that heals wounds as if washing them away clean, and mysterious energy crystals that emit light for extended periods. I thought probing their origins would unlock the secrets of magic.]
I would’ve done the same. Tracing origins from existing magic is the obvious approach.
[──My hypothesis proved correct. Both magics were clearly tied to the origin. The issue was the presence of foreign elements—specifically, divine power. The force enabling these magics is called divine power, a fusion of pure mana and divine force. If divine power stems from faith, then healing magic is truly a miracle from the gods, and lighting magic is light bestowed by them. This led us to speculate that the aura wielded by martial artists is similar: pure mana fused with their inner energy. Progress has been smooth so far. A breakthrough feels imminent.]
But that optimistic tone didn’t last.
[──I was too naive. I assumed separating the divine power would yield pure mana, but it was impossible. The fusion isn’t a mere combination but a true integration, making separation unfeasible, or so I conjecture. For now, we shelved pure mana extraction and focused on deconstructing healing magic’s structure—reversing the completed spell step by step.]
Like dissecting a finished clock to understand its mechanism.
[──We dubbed this endeavor magic studies and established a dedicated research department at Pensilon Academy. Completing this will resolve all the Empire’s pressing issues.]
The subsequent entries delved into reflections on magic studies, but with no breakthroughs, they grew shorter.
By the end, frustration had set in, and the writing turned disjointed.
[──It’s utterly impossible! Without knowing how to handle pure mana, trying to comprehend these is pointless. Pure mana! If only we knew how to wield it!]
Chronologically, about a decade had passed since the start. Azkiel had been unraveling in the interim.
[──Time to shift focus. Mysteries aren’t limited to magic. Yes, beastkin too! And elves! Races unlike our own. They might hold the key. The Empire’s founding policies had stripped beastkin of rights, making test subjects plentiful and easy to acquire—but elves were another story. No pureblood elves remained in the Empire. Even quarter-elves had grown scarce. So I turned to the Kurabel Holy Kingdom, that enigmatic state in the northeastern Mystery Mountains. A land we’d only recently encountered. Word was their history spanned centuries, and vanished pureblood elves dwelt there. I urged the Emperor to conquer Kurabel for test subjects. A minor nation—it should be straightforward.]
The war between Kurabel Holy Kingdom and the Pensilon Empire. News to me.
[──We marched with 300,000 troops to conquer Kurabel, only to suffer defeat. A bizarre campaign. Some units lost their way in the mountains and never returned. Others went mad, as if souls stolen, slaughtering their own comrades. Then a mysterious female general raided our main camp. In the ambush, Crown Prince Melian—the expedition’s commander—went missing. Renowned as a future sage king, his disappearance could darken the Empire’s future. Still, gains were made. I’m convinced those uncanny phenomena tie directly to magic.]
What followed was even more shocking.
[──Defeat forced a change in tack. We dispatched envoys to apologize and formally request cooperation. Brazen for invaders like us—but incredibly, Crown Prince Melian received them as a citizen of Kurabel. He claimed to have locked eyes with the female general who struck our army. She was the nation’s Guard Captain, known as the Valkyrie.]
I looked up from the page.
“Eo! Come inside the carriage for a sec? Ymir, you take the reins.”
Blazing sun had left Eo drenched in sweat as she climbed in.
“You called?”
“Yeah, got a question. Eo, you know anyone named Melian?”
“How does Als know that name…? He was my master’s husband.”
“I see.”
I’d half-hoped he might be her father, but apparently not.
Well, Valkyries were half pureblood elf and human, so a child with a human would be quarter-elf.
I wanted to press for more on Melian, but Eo knew little.
“He lived a short life. I only glimpsed him as a child. Though now that I think… he did resemble Als a bit…”
“Cut the nonsense. More importantly, Eo—do you know anything about magic?”
“…!?”
Eo flinched needlessly. Her face gave it all away.
“You do know something.”
“Ah, uh, no!?”
“Oh ho? Keeping secrets from me, eh? Wonders never cease. Well, no helping it. Disappointing as it is—everyone has their secrets. Disappointing, yeah.”
Maybe a touch mischievous. “Disappointing” made Eo’s face crumple.
“Th-that’s…”
Soon, resolve hardened in her eyes.
“I used it on Als once.”
“…What?”
Out of nowhere. Not just aware of magic—she’d cast it on me?
“The liege oath magic, handed down only to Valkyries. Within range, it reveals the subject’s location. If the lord dies, so do I…”
“You cast a spell on me? You!?”
“Ugh…”
Come to think of it, during the last war, Olaf mentioned Eonia suddenly pinpointing my location and charging like mad. And it checked out.
“Why hide it all this time?”
“I worried you’d feel uneasy knowing…”
“Hah…!”
Kurabel Holy Kingdom was linked to magic. Azkiel’s hypothesis had been spot on.
“That all?”
“There’s also the barrier magic guarding the Holy Kingdom. It conceals the nation in the mountains from outsiders and shields against invaders. Dispelled only once—for exchanges with the unified empire of Pensilon, or so I heard.”
I dropped my gaze back to the book in haste.
[──Our intentions must’ve been seen through. Kurabel expelled our entire diplomatic mission. Melian, deeply disillusioned, severed imperial ties. Kurabel barred its doors once more. Contact proved impossible. Damn—the sole hope for magic research! I petitioned the Emperor again for Kurabel’s subjugation, but it was denied. They’d honor Melian’s wish for peace. Thus, Kurabel Holy Kingdom and the elves plunged into enigma.]
That marked the end of journal volume 1.
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I closed the book and met Eo’s eyes.
“You sure hid that well.”
“Ugh. Sorry…”
“Quick question: what’s the tracking range?”
“If you’re in Rainpole, I can find you.”
Roughly a 3 km radius. Impressive.
“Could I learn that spell too?”
“Not sure. I learned it without grasping the principles. And if you botch it on someone else by mistake, your life’s at risk.”
“Fair point. Hmm… I heard no pureblood elves remain in Kurabel anymore. When did they vanish?”
“His Holiness said after bearing me—the last Valkyrie—they all disappeared.”
“All gone in a flash—could be magic at work.”
It clicked.
“So after contact with the Pensilon Empire, Kurabel cut off the outside world entirely?”
“No, some still ventured out for intelligence even after. Like General Peradin, who served under Als in the Madon War.”
“They figured at least keep tabs on external affairs post-incident.”
Now that Kurabel had been forcibly pried open by Crossing, my interest piqued in the place Pensilon couldn’t crack.
“Think I could visit the Kurabel Holy Kingdom site sometime? No special requirements?”
“Yes, the barrier’s gone now.”
“Ah…! So that’s why.”
The reason for Kurabel’s fall to Crossing.
“The elves’ departure took the barrier down.”
But Eo rebutted at once.
“No. The barrier persisted. Designed as a permanent one using terrain and ley lines, it ran fine even after the elves left.”
“Huh? Then how’d Crossing…”
“Juras Pamillion. He showed up and shattered it—artificially wrecked the key terrain formations, collapsing the barrier. Without it, they couldn’t hold against Crossing’s army. They emptied the treasury hiring mercenaries to defend, but it wasn’t enough. All my fault… sob!”
Memories of that time welled up; she choked back tears. I’d all but caused it myself, so I scooted over, patted her back, and soothed her.
‘Better ask Juras about that barrier magic.’
Juras soloed what Pensilon’s 300,000-strong army couldn’t. Then again, him doing it? Not all that surprising.
“But if the subject dies, you die too—that’s odd, no? The Holy King’s long dead. Which means you…”
“His Holiness was advanced in years; he refused, not wanting to shorten my life. Said to use it on a new lord when found…”
“So you picked me. Sigh, hate the thought of you dying on my account.”
If Fisher Partin had killed me in that last war, Eo would’ve followed.
“Just adds a heavy burden.”
“Ugh, but for a Valkyrie, it’s akin to honor…”
“Well, water under the bridge. Best not stray too far from here on.”
“Y-yes! For my sake too, I’ll stick right by Als!”
A truth unveiled from the unlikeliest source.
One lingering question: why was Eonia—a character with this backstory—a conditional recruit in the game?
‘Recruiting her the key to the true ending route?’
Issue was, the protagonist’s a science-first type who rejects magic.
Contextually, Eonia slotted naturally with Als’s side.
‘Plenty still shrouded, though…’
Still, one hunch lingered.
Riddles piling up one after another.
Western peoples’ grudge and Master Illya’s origins. Lisitea of the Florand tribe and her Ash. Kurabel Holy Kingdom’s secrets too.
Somehow, they all connected.