Chapter 107
Chapter 107
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 107
Chapter Title: Lengard von Euler's Voyage
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* * *
Back when Eirene was still young.
In the opulently decorated audience chamber of the Igugwoden Imperial Palace, the Empress and a single retainer faced each other.
The golden-haired, blue-eyed Empress—Aisha von Ainzberg—seated upon the throne, extended her hand toward the head of the Euler family, who knelt with arms outstretched.
"Lengard von Euler. I grant you the chance to personally prove the existence of the 'New Continent' from legend. I will spare no support, including five large galleons. If you need anything else, just tell me before you depart. Understood?"
"Yes, Your Majesty! I will surely discover the New Continent and etch Your Majesty's name into history!"
And so, with Aisha's absolute backing, Lengard set sail toward the endless seas, cheered on by the masses.
The massive sails, billowing with wind, guided them into the unknown world.
The long voyage was a trial in itself.
Even with generous support—plenty of water and food, chickens for eggs, a few cows for fresh meat, and even livestock pens—Lengard never eased up on his extreme rationing.
"Duke, hardtack and beer again today? Morale's been in the gutter these past few days... How about slaughtering a couple?"
"We don't know how much longer we'll be sailing. We have to ration everything we can. Our provisions might run short."
Lengard's words were sound, but—
Sailing the vast ocean, subsisting on tasteless fare, was no small hardship.
If they kept pinching pennies like this, the crew might band together for a mutiny—it couldn't be ruled out.
But.
The goddess of fortune had not forsaken Lengard just yet.
"Land! I see land!"
"Coastline sighted, Duke!"
"Oh...!!"
Though they'd braced for the worst, they spotted land far sooner than Lengard or Aisha had anticipated.
The crew disembarked, roaring in triumph as if all their past sufferings had been a dream.
"A continent really exists...!"
"This is the find of the century!"
"There might be gold mines!"
Lengard promptly established a base camp near the shoreline, then launched a full exploration of the New Continent.
The first to scout were the mages.
There was a reason for it. The mages had detected anomalies first.
"No mana? Does that mean we can't use magic?"
"To be precise, there's something like mana, but different from our continent's... It feels entirely unlike the mana we wield. I can't tell if it's an issue with our incantations or some other unknown factor..."
"I see..."
"But fortunately, no Demonic Energy detected either. We found a few cave-like dungeons, but they were the same. This doesn't seem to be the infamous 'Demon Continent'."
In truth, the biggest reason for bringing knights alongside mages from the Fire Magic Tower was to account for the chance they might arrive at one of the legendary continents—the Demon Continent.
If they faced demons instead of mere foreigners, battle would be inevitable.
"Yes. It's a hasty guess, but by our knowledge, sizable dungeons tend to cluster near coastlines. No Demonic Energy in the coastal caves suggests... there may be no demons here at all. Demonic Energy is a form of mana, after all."
"So we can breathe easy?"
"That's the idea."
Lengard's expedition had no way of knowing there was no such thing as a Demon Continent, nor that without a Demon King, demons were confined to a narrow sphere of action—essentially semi-sealed to one continent.
In any case, there was no need to fret over the lack of mana.
"Everyone, begin scouting at first light! We have to discover something!"
It wasn't long before they spotted what appeared to be a village.
And naturally, they encountered its inhabitants—but—
"×××!?"
"××××!!!!"
"×××.××××××??"
As expected, the language barrier held firm.
But language wasn't their greatest difference.
Ears.
Their ears were distinctly different.
Long and pointed, they marked beings who resembled humans closely—yet were unmistakably not human.
Lengard cautiously attempted some body language.
Fortunately, their intelligence seemed little different from humans'.
Before long, they met someone of high standing.
An elderly man, visibly advanced in years, extended a hand toward Lengard.
"Greetings, strangers. You appear to be their leader."
"...?! You speak our language?"
Stunned by the sudden familiar tongue after so much silence, Lengard blurted the question—
"No. I cannot."
The elder wore a most benevolent smile.
He pointed carefully toward the sky.
"The gods have worked a miracle upon us, that's all."
"Gods...?"
"Indeed. They heard of your arrival from afar and granted us the temporary ability to understand your tongue. It draws upon 'Qi'."
('Talk of the local faith?')
In the era of Empress Aisha.
The Igugwoden Church—the last remaining faith on the continent—was on the path to decline.
It hadn't produced a saintess in over 180 years, and its rigid dogmatism had most folks thinking mages were more reliable than gods.
Lengard, a man of that time, held no deep devotion to the Igugwoden Church, so he had no urge to 'correct' their deity.
"Very well. Why have you come to this place?"
"Before that, I have a few questions..."
"I'll answer what I can."
Lengard hesitated.
Frankly.
The true aim of venturing to the New Continent was simple: expansion of territory.
Empress Aisha sought to bolster imperial authority by elevating nobles aligned with her politics.
Yet the Old Continent was so fragmented, there were no lands left to parcel out.
Seizing estates from powerful ducal houses without cause would imperil even an empress's safety.
So?
—If there's no land here to divide, just find new land and grant it.
That was it. And if gold veins or the like turned up, all would accrue to the imperial house.
Success meant his name etched in history. Making the Ainsberg Empire a millennium dynasty no longer seemed a pipe dream.
Legends and ancient texts spoke of other continents aplenty, but none had dared attempt it. Perhaps this was his chance.
Lengard was a prime example of her pro-imperial retainers—
Which meant, to these long-eared foreigners, they were invaders, plain and simple.
'......'
Lengard carefully sorted his observations of these folk over the past days.
First off, they boasted a decent civilization—but strictly speaking, the Old Continent's outpaced it.
From farming tools to clothing and architecture, the basics all lagged behind.
They lived in homes patched with wooden planks; he'd even witnessed bizarre customs long vanished from the Old Continent.
The concerning part: certain individuals wielded abilities akin to magic.
Likely the 'something else' his own mages described.
Probably the 'Qi' the elder mentioned?
In conclusion—unable to fully utilize mages, subduing these presumed Qi users with knights alone was a gamble too far.
He had to return safely and report to Her Majesty.
Thus, it was time to smile, conceal his true aims, and spout platitudes.
"Our goal was to find new peoples for exchange. And we've splendidly achieved it."
"Is that so?"
The elder smiled, amused.
Wary, yes—but they wouldn't stir trouble unprovoked.
"You've crossed an ocean we deemed uncrossable. I know not what you seek from us... but feel free to look around."
As the elder said, from Lengard's perspective, there were no wondrous artifacts worth taking.
Most items fell short of Old Continent standards.
However, with much unexplored, resources likely lay buried...
('I must petition Her Majesty to assemble an occupation force upon my return.')
That was Lengard's initial, cold calculus—but—
After spending weeks among them to recuperate, his thoughts began to shift.
"I-is this hospitality truly fine? Didn't you say this beast is sacred to you?"
He stared, flustered, at the table laden with meat from a massive horned bull he'd never seen—
"It's fine. Lavish welcome for new guests is our duty as well. The gods shared their balloons with us; shall we not share with strangers in turn?"
"Balloons...? What are those?"
At the word, the elder closed his eyes and knelt.
Then hopped about, emitting strange guttural cries.
Lengard had been baffled at first, but now he understood. In Igugwoden terms, it was a form of 'prayer' to their god.
They believed such comical acts elicited divine response.
"It is... profoundly holy. The divine love required to wield the 'Qi' that breathes with us in this world—a vast truth comprehended by but a precious few."
"I see..."
Though the object of veneration differed, the sight evoked the dogmatic devotees of the Igugwoden Church.
Perhaps all faiths converged at some point, like the ancient Old Continent cults that had faded away.
In any case.
Their excessive hospitality—and kindness despite the language gap—began to sway Lengard's heart.
'Is invading this place truly right?'
Was conquest of these welcoming foreigners, merely for resources or land, just?
Couldn't resources come via peaceful trade?
It merited deep thought—but his ultimate yardstick was one.
The great Empress Aisha herself.
'I'll discuss with Her Majesty and decide. I'll try persuading her, but if she orders occupation... as her vassal, I must obey.'
Days later.
"Truly fine to leave with nothing?"
"Yes. Next time, we'll bring Old Continent goods for trade."
"Understood. I'll pray to the gods for your safe return."
Finishing his words, the elder knelt once more and hopped about with odd noises.
It struck Lengard less as prayer and more like torment.
What sort of gods demand such from believers?—he wondered.
('No need for bias toward their faith.')
Being no zealot himself, Lengard felt no strong revulsion.
"May the gods' balloons be with you."
* * *
On the return voyage across the waves, Lengard's heart was far from settled.
Normally, he'd feel triumphant as a conquering general... but the closer home drew, the more his mind clouded like fog.
'What must I do?'
Commit slaughter for pure gain?
Even if Her Majesty's will, shouldn't he persuade her as best he could?—such thoughts swirled when—
A voice rang in his mind—utterly incomprehensible, somehow crass and sinister.
《Ah, big bro! Thanks for the 30 balloon sponsorship~! Now, let's wipe out those dumb humans!!!》
"...What?!"
Lengard reeled from the bizarre echo in his skull, just as—
"D-Duke! The storm's unnatural!"
"What? But yesterday it was clearly—!"
Boom!
"Argh, aaahhh!!!!"
As if some spell had been cast, the weather turned in an instant.
Fierce waves swallowed the ships.
Soon, a vortex churned the sea...
"Sa-save us!"
"No!"
The five vessels crumbled, helpless.
Home so close.
Ready to report the New Continent's discovery to Her Majesty...!!!!
More than that—what?
Thanks for 30 balloons?
...Balloons?
"Balloon...? What is that?"
"It is... profoundly holy. The divine love required to wield the 'Qi' that breathes with us in this world—a vast truth comprehended by but a precious few."
"May the gods' balloons be with you."
'Could it be...!'
—Boom!
Struck by a flying plank from afar, Lengard blacked out.
By miracle, he survived to set foot on Old Continent soil again—but the shock robbed him of memory. He lived as a savage, wasting his years away—
* * *
"...Is that true, Lengard?"
Eirene asked in a trembling voice, aghast.
"Yes! That unnatural storm... the eerie voice in my head—all of it! It seems I was deceived by them, Your Majesty...!"
—It was only after far too much time had passed that he finally regained his memories.