Chapter 153
Chapter 153
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 153
Chapter Title: The Final Research Journal
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Having concluded my candid discussion with Juras, I boarded a carriage bound for Rainpole.
In my possession was the magic research journal he had given me.
‘A magic research journal left behind by someone named Azkiel Rodios….’
If I had to guess, this journal would play an important role.
That was because Als had been confirmed as the protagonist.
At first, I thought the core of the story was the conflict between the hardliners and moderates of the Pensilon Empire. But the hardliners' lineage had been severed long ago.
Als was the only one left, as a descendant of the moderates and the magic research faction.
The game story might touch on the hardliners versus moderates conflict, but since Cassius Lloyd himself was a fabricated figure, it likely wasn't the main focus.
That meant the revival of magic was one of the story's ultimate goals.
You could tell from the fact that the kings of each nation possessed the four journals. Als would gather these four volumes one by one as he set out to unify the continent.
That must have been part of the game story.
‘What a coincidental situation.’
And that was because the volume now in my hands was the final one.
The changes had arisen because I had skipped ahead in the game's story.
I wondered if I could just read volume 4 without volumes 2 and 3, but it didn't seem like there would be much difference.
Fortunately, the author, Azkiel Rodios, had left hints about previous events at the beginning of volume 4.
─The magic experiments on beastmen ultimately ended in failure. Due to a rebellion led by an experimental subject named Melkaizer, most of the subjects escaped. We immediately issued wanted orders for them. If the details of this experiment became public, even if it was on beastmen, we would face severe condemnation.
Magic experiments on beastmen. That must have been the content of volumes 2 and 3.
I couldn't help but frown.
─They were clever. The escaped beastmen must have judged there was no safe place on the continent, so they fled westward. I immediately advised issuing a subjugation order against the west, but it was rejected due to internal turmoil. In the end, we decided to cover it up by controlling information, blocking all news from the west to the continent. Fortunately, we managed to bury the incident that way. I later heard that the escaped beastmen had settled in a region called Dielrum in the west.
Gaspar had said that Dielrum began to rapidly degenerate from a certain point.
It had turned into a human-hating group, once merely a refuge for beastmen.
‘I see.’
Human experiments on beastmen. And the escapees had settled in Dielrum, so their rage now made sense.
If Juras was a root of all evil, then this Azkiel Rodios was much the same.
─In any case, we gained nothing from the experiments on beastmen. Moreover, we had already found a new subject: pure-blooded elves. Kurabel Holy Kingdom was inaccessible, but there was another place. After searching around, we discovered pure-blooded elves living in the Florand tribe in the northwestern mountains. Since it was a place we could access, I promptly dispatched troops.
Lisitea's homeland. Ash had grown up there as a child, too.
─It's frustrating. The investigation revealed that the five pure-blooded elves there had left just a few months prior. Their destination was even Kurabel Holy Kingdom, making pursuit impossible. Wondering if there might be any clues, I searched the Florand tribe and found hints about magic. Amid that, I came across some very intriguing information. It wasn't about magic. It was simply contemplation about this world. In a book that seemed written by an elf, it said: ‘This world was divided by the gods, and the world is round in shape.’
It was like the reaction of ancient people hearing that humans could fly in machines.
─It was laughable. The world is round? Nonsense! If so, wouldn't a ship sailing straight from the northern continent arrive at the southern continent? But that never happens! Ships sent on expeditions in the past fell off the edge of the world and shattered. So the world being round is impossible.
The edge of the world? It was the first I'd heard of such a thing.
“Olaf.”
“Yeah?”
I asked him, who was lying in the carriage humming a tune.
“Does this world have an end?”
“What kind of talk is that?”
After I explained about the sea, Olaf ambiguously nodded.
“I've vaguely heard such stories. Ships that venture into the great ocean never return. They fall off the edge of the world and vanish.”
I knew this world hadn't succeeded in circumnavigating by sea, but I'd thought it was just that the expedition ships hadn't returned.
But hearing the details, it was different. It was as if some kind of wall existed.
─I was captivated by that alluring hypothesis. Considering ocean currents, the round world theory fit better. Moreover, if the world is flat, what is the horizon visible from the edge? What lies there? I formed more and more hypotheses and began verification. And I became convinced. This world is truly round, and there is another world beyond the sea.
Azkiel, who had ventured beyond magic into the truths of science.
That was why he advocated it.
─I petitioned the emperor for a massive new continent expedition. Different from past attempts. Using hundreds of ships to break through the edge of the world. Even if just one escapes, it's fine. Confirming another world's existence would be humanity's success! But the empire's real power was already held by the hardliners opposing magic research. Organizing a new continent expedition team would take considerable time.
And there the journal ended.
What followed was as I knew it.
The hardliners seized power, the new continent expedition fizzled out and was drastically scaled down. It was unknown if it even set out.
‘New continent…?’
It was natural to think it existed. I believed it absolutely did.
But I didn't think civilized humans lived there. If they were that advanced, they would have visited our continent first.
At best, natives at our level or primitive ones.
But what if a wall called the "edge of the world" truly existed? Blocking travel between us?
“…….”
I had a gut feeling that some incident would occur.
*
*
*
Returning to Rainpole, I headed straight to the Ilrain mansion.
To meet Ymir, who was resting there.
Now in her third month of pregnancy, her belly was starting to show slightly. It wasn't noticeable under her clothes yet, but I could tell.
“Young master, welcome back. …Ah!?”
Overwhelmed by various emotions in that moment, I pulled her into a tight embrace. It wasn't enough, but with eyes around, I held back.
“Whew! Whew! Our little brother’s all grown up!”
Yulia whistled teasingly. The other family members smiled warmly.
I explained the recent events to the family, then took Ymir and left immediately. Mother and Yulia suggested staying the night, looking disappointed, but I politely declined and hurried back to the mansion.
With no one else's eyes now, I didn't hesitate to kiss her. Ymir accepted it warmly.
However, even in my own mansion, it seemed we weren't completely unobserved.
“Ahem!”
An awkward cough came from the reception room. I startled.
“Lutger!?”
Estelle and Eonia were there too. Estelle stared blankly. Eonia looked shocked as well.
Lutger spoke.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop.”
“No, no.”
It was my fault for being affectionate in the living room.
It seemed Lutger had noticed my arrival and just come out from the reception room, witnessing it immediately. How embarrassing.
“Oh, what brings you here today?”
“Well, I wanted to ask about the academy. You’d know best about the Pensilon Academy closing this time.”
“That’s right.”
“As an alternative, Crossing proposed creating a new advanced academy here in Rainpole. A joint academy of Caliper, Crossing, and Bekavia.”
Come to think of it, Juras had mentioned something like that.
What if they created a joint academy to replace Pensilon Academy? Rainpole, on the border of Caliper and Crossing, was one of the candidate sites.
“I came to ask you about it at Bisceta Clen’s request.”
“For that, just ask Olaf over… Ah.”
Come to think of it, Olaf had returned here after handling things in Meisen, then left for Europe right away.
“Ahem! If you’re busy, we can talk later. Sorry to interrupt the heat of the moment. But isn’t it too hot? When with a pregnant woman, be as gentle as possible…”
“I-I get it! I understand, so let’s talk business!”
I left Ymir with Eonia and led Lutger and Estelle to the reception room.
But the conversation didn't progress easily. My mind was jumbled from having been seen in that embarrassing state.
Moreover, Estelle was staring piercingly at my lips, making it even harder to focus.
Finally, she said to me.
“Sir Als… you’re surprisingly forward. It’s so different from usual, I was quite shocked.”
“Ugh…!”
I decided to pretend to focus on work.
Back in Rainpole, I had to deal with the piled-up workload.
Now that Wade’s identity was revealed, no one batted an eye at me openly handling Rainpole’s affairs.
Even Crossing officials brought documents to me directly.
The most pressing task was the one Lutger mentioned: the advanced academy. We needed to complete it within at least two weeks to accommodate the displaced Pensilon Academy students.
Fortunately, there was already an academy under construction—for the people of Kurabel Holy Kingdom.
Since it had been designed large from the start, there was plenty of space to add the advanced section.
This would make it a combined elementary, intermediate, and advanced academy, but I thought that was actually the ideal form.
“Not bad. Why not merge the elementary and intermediate academies too?”
Saying that in front of the academy building was Sophia Veron.
Since Bekavia was involved in this academy project, she had come to Rainpole as Bekavia’s representative.
Curious about the state of Rainpole, which I managed, she decided to stay for a few days.
Ash, now with nothing to do, had come to visit Lisitea; Erina and Dorothy were here as Caliper student representatives. So most of my acquaintances were gathered.
‘A good opportunity.’
I thought of holding a unity event while at it.
There wouldn’t be war for the next 2-3 years. Until then, what I could do was recruit talent and foster internal unity.
Recruitment aside, internal unity was crucial.
If my retainers still weren’t united among themselves, what use was bringing in outsiders?
As I thought that, Eonia said to me.
“Sir Als.”
“Yeah?”
Eonia was pouting. Like she’d been holding it in but could endure no longer.
Was she angry?
It was startling that she’d get mad at me over something, but it turned out to be minor.
“When are you doing the commendation ceremony?”
“Commendation ceremony? Oh… come to think of it, I haven’t.”
I hadn’t felt the need. No one had achieved major feats. No prepared gifts either.
“It’s already been a week. It won’t just pass this time.”
“Ah…! That’s…”
Eonia looked like the world had ended. I didn’t know why she was so shocked, but her eyes welled up.
I quickly backpedaled.
“…I was kidding. Of course we’ll do it.”
“Phew!”
Since we were doing it, I decided to combine it with merit rewards and a unity gathering.
I was planning to revisit the ruins of Kurabel Holy Kingdom anyway, to find clues about magic research.
It’d be boring alone, so I’d bring all my retainers, plus those like Sophia and Ash who fought in the war—a unity trip.