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1Chapter 1491: The Meaning of Existing
2Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
3 
4
5One could well imagine the strength it had, as the representative of more than 170,000 civilizations while also being in control of the Cradle system.
6
7But that didn’t mean Roland had no chance of winning.
8
9Lan’s unspoken request, Epsilon’s doubts, the memories from the astrolabes, as well as God’s reaction—all of the clues started to form a series of connections.
10
11The so-called replacement of God was not in the true sense of the word.
12
13“What did you say?” With its hand in midair halfway, the Custodian stopped suddenly.
14
15“Aren’t species capable of adapting to magic power and qualified candidates wishing to explore the world beyond the door already in existence?” Roland slowly extended his finger out and pointed to the Custodian. “If we were to let everything start over, no one would have been able to tell you this.”
16
17“…” It was the first change in expression that ‘Lan’ revealed.
18
19As though a crack had appeared on smooth glass.
20
21“Do you know what you’re saying? Once I leave, the Cradle will die and when the time comes, this universe will become a vestige of any form of life. Furthermore, the other side of the door possesses a completely different set of laws. Those transformed from magic power might be unable to return and failure means extinction—”
22
23“That’s not the point, because it will be the same regardless of what civilization it is. Even if they are willing to head beyond the rift, you will never know if they succeed. So compared to ‘adapting,’ the ‘aspiration’ is far more important. You should know that better than me.” At this point, Roland slowed down his speech. “That’s right, you know about this, that is why there’s a species such as the Sky-sea Realm.”
24
25God’s minimal actions made it seem as though it had quietened down.
26
27The Sky-sea Realm’s various abnormal activities indicated that it was not just a competitor. In fact, it was not difficult to comprehend. Magic naturally possessed the potential to exceed laws. Mutation couldn’t be eliminated for species that matured in environments with extremely weak magic power, allowing them to obtain astonishing progress in a short period of time. This progress might not make them adaptable to life outside the barrier, but would jeopardize the Cradle system.
28
29But to interfere just for the “possibility” that existed became an inconsistency that went against the basic rules—since creatures capable of adapting to environments with magic power would eventually experience this phase. In order to control the risks and prevent the situation from deviating, a sub-first grade filtering method had to be applied. Thus, the Sky-sea Realm, a unique species, was placed into the Swirling Sea.
30
31Even though all of this was merely speculation, Roland knew that his idea was not too far off from the actual truth based on God’s reaction.
32
33Since it was the Omniscient Custodian, the things it considered would definitely be more comprehensive.
34
35Obviously, the hardest part of the plan, aside from the unpredictability of how a species would evolve, was ‘aspiration’.
36
37The more than 170,000 civilizations involved in Project Gateway might make the scale seem vast, but compared to vast number of civilizations within the universe, it was just but a small minority.
38
39Besides, their common ground of understanding was to break the seal to allow the universe to continue inexhaustibly.
40
41But not every civilization would be willing to head into the domain of the unknown.
42
43In other words, if a species completely capable of adapting to magic power appeared, the Custodian would be caught in between a dilemma—if the Custodian was not willing to take any risks, the agreement would never be fulfilled. Or if God forcefully spurred the situation, no one could be sure that victory was assured for the Custodian.
44
45“… You think that this is enough to sway me?” After a long silence, the other party spoke up. But despite saying so, its hands no longer continued to move.
46
47“I’m not saying all of this to sway your judgment, but merely enunciating the simplest logic here. You already understand and know of the uncertainty in satisfying the criteria of being ‘adaptable’ and having the ‘aspiration,’ and you understand it without me continuing.” Roland shrugged and feigned casualness. “Of course, it is natural that you can’t be at ease leaving the Cradle. In that case, I can do a bit of a sacrifice. After you are gone, I can allow the Cradle to continue operating, and at the same time, nurture lifeforms with potential—just not through means such as the Battle of Divine Will. How’s that?”
48
49“Lan” never expected such words from him and was stunned for an extended period of time, be it his understanding of the rules or his suggestion from his all-out calculations. In the end, it shook its head. “A very interesting argument, for you to be able to reach this step shows that you truly stand out from the masses. But an agreement is an agreement, I am the Custodian, be it a species or civilization, this is something set long before life began, and the cornerstone of my existence.”
50
51“Really?”
52
53Roland focused all of his attention and unleashed yet another Battle of Souls!
54
55Darkness enveloped the two, the platform and stairs disappeared without a trace, and time seemed to freeze.
56
57“All of that rhetoric, just for this? A pity that a sneak attack is completely meaningless against me. As long as I transfer a bit of resources, I will be able to satisfy all calculatory requirements.” Upon entering battle state, “Lan” spoke much more calmly, and all its prior doubts had disappeared without a trace. “But this is good too. Let this battle mark the end of the world—”
58
59“No… I merely wanted you to see something, a past that maybe you’ve forgotten.” The huge drain on his psyche made Roland struggle to even speak, but he knew that it was a crucial moment that did not allow for him to fall.
60
61As his sentence came to an end, the scenery around them changed, and quickly receded at the speed of light!
62
63It was time flowing backwards—
64
65The world full of vitality within the Cradle degenerated into lava and earth, once again revealing the metallic cover. The red light blossoming out from the crack instantly receded and turned black. Following that were the fleets of the more than 170,000 civilizations, as well as the galaxy which had pulled over—these strings of events receded at an extremely fast speed, turning the entire space around the two into a light that had no end.
66
67All of which were memories obtained from the astrolabe, to which he had pieced them sequentially.
68
69This continued until a gray figure appeared.
70
71Time then returned back to normal.
72
73“This is—” “Lan” revealed an expression of shock.
74
75“How does it feel?” The gray figure walked to an incomparably large construct and raised his head. “This memory pod I built using materials from a galaxy is enough for you to use for tens of thousands of years. Of course, considering that the work involved would extend for a long period of time, you are free to increase the modules as you wish.”
76
77“Tests are completed, interaction is good.” A pair of eyes appeared beneath the construct—one could tell that its form was made up of a translucent substance and could relay messages directly. “But while circulating my consciousness with the different components, I discovered a few unnecessary redundancies. They occupy a large amount of space without being of much use. It is suggested to simplify or discard them.”
78
79“Keep them, they are part of the design.”
80
81“But I did not find similar constructs in other similar auxiliaries.”
82
83“Doesn’t that mean you’re unique?” The gray figure released a warm and gentle light.
84
85“… what’s the meaning behind being unique?” The eyes blinked. “According to logic, the possibility of malfunction with the redundant materials greatly surpass the norm. It might completely jeopardize the entire mission—”
86
87“But these things might allow you to see a few things, domains that the other auxiliaries might not be able to see. Treat it as a stubborn request of mine.”
88
89The eyes fell silent. “I understand.”
90
91“Very good. Next up is to activate the energy core, and allow you to separate from the external supply, you will be able to live autonomously for a long time. In some sense, today is the day that you are born.”
92
93“Executing… order.”
94
95Following that, the symbols on the translucent shell, the eyes, and the light disappeared without a trace, leaving only the gray figure reflected on the glossy surface.
96
97The gray figure took two steps and gently caressed the gigantic outer shell.
98
99“The following years will be long, but I do not want to become a cold voice by the side harping on and on. And as for you… you shouldn’t be just a machine.”
100
101CRACK.
102
103The crack on the glass suddenly split open.
104
105Chapter 1492: The Final Outcome
106Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
107 
108
109The background returned to pure whiteness again.
110
111It stood there in a daze for a period of time before speaking again. “These aren’t scenes from the memory vault—I had switched off all the sensual systems back then. It’s impossible to have recordings of it left in the outside world.”
112
113“Indeed,” Roland said frankly. These were fragmentary scenes he had seen before his memories came to an end—the astrolabe which Epsilon had presented not only belonged to her, but a part of it came from Lan. Perhaps due to the impact of magic power, they were just fleeting scenes, but Roland used the unique characteristic of the Battle of Souls to fill the gap with fabrications by combining all the scattered scenes into a perfect roll. “But, did you really need that one sentence?”
114
115The most unique part about the Battle of Souls was that it was imaginary. However, a complete fabrication was impossible to fool a highly intelligent being that worked on logic. Compared to calling it an argument, it was more of highlighting something.
116
117Be it the creation process or the long period of Project Gateway that followed, the gray figure had clearly never treated it as a mere tool, but something as its Creator, had imbued with their expectations.
118
119It could be said that those redundancies created the present-day Custodian.
120
121As long as it placed rationality first, it was impossible to be cheated.
122
123The Custodian stared deeply at Roland for a long while before raising its right hand—a scarlet beam of light bloomed from its palm before a shattering sound was heard!
124
125Roland instantly felt his heart in his mouth.
126
127This stance was identical to the rebooting of the world as before!
128
129Was he ultimately unable to change everything?
130
131Roland could not help but cast his gaze onto the screen behind “Lan.” He saw a ripple spreading out from the middle of the Bottomless Land, at a speed that was like a sudden clap of thunder which left no time for one to cover one’s ears—
132
133…
134
135“The third defense line has been breached. Those monsters are coming!”
136
137“The central area requires Aerial Knight assistance!”
138
139“Is the retreat not completed?”
140
141“Hold on another ten minutes. Let the armored troops line the rear. We have to stop that hole no matter what!”
142
143The Sky-sea Realm appeared out of the sea without no end. They poured towards the island maniacally and even with the Aerial Knight’s repeated dropping of incendiary bombs to create walls of fire, it was impossible to stop them. Be it the blade beasts or the Nest Mothers, all of them seemed to have thrown away their instincts as biological creatures—horror—and stepped across the corpses of their own kind to rush towards the First Army’s base.
144
145Hackzord was unable to voice out the bitterness he was feeling.
146
147According to the situation, he should have long retreated. After all, he wasn’t suited for matters filled with risk. But the problem was that leaving a bunch of humans and witches on the island was similarly a risk. If Anna were to succeed, he would become the person who had gone back on his word. His outcome wouldn’t be any better as a result.
148
149If he had known better, he wouldn’t have agreed to help these people!
150
151With the main bulk of the troops retreating and the enemies constantly increasing in numbers, the First Army’s firepower was no longer able to defend the integrity of the defense line under this level of attrition. Hackzord could already see a few blade beasts enter the perimeter five hundred meters from him. This meant that it wouldn’t be long before the enemies overwhelmed them.
152
153He had decided that once the Sky-sea Realm entered a hundred-meter radius, he would leave regardless of the situation.
154
155And it was at this point that several tanks on the right flank had been hit by acid from the Nest Mothers. They instantly lost their ability for combat. Upon finding this opening, the blade beasts poured straight in. Despite the God’s Punishment Witches’ immediate reinforcements, a few blade beasts were able to break through the tight barrage of attacks, spreading open their wings when they were two hundred meters away!
156
157After a quick flight, they finally entered the core region of the defense.
158
159It’s time to leave!
160
161Hackzord was just about to turn and retreat when a yellowish-brown figure appeared in his vision.
162
163It was a physically remarkable Desert Wolf.
164
165He remembered that her name was Lorgar.
166
167A blade beast fell to the ground, dying under the mouth of the Desert Wolf’s gaping jaws.
168
169Another blade beast had raised its scythe-like blades and slashed at Hackzord!
170
171At this moment, the witch reacted in a way that left Sky Lord incredulous.
172
173She had rushed forward without any heed, using her body to block the enemy’s attack trajectory. After the blade sliced off one of her front legs, her abdomen was stabbed. Fresh blood gushed out instantly, but she bit down at the beast’s jaw, refusing to let go.
174
175This continued until Maggie swooped down from the sky and shredded it to pieces.
176
177“Are you alright!? Bear with it, coo!” The young lady in humanoid form ignored the blood on her as she hurriedly pulled out a healing bandage from her backpack and stuffed it into Lorgar’s wound.
178
179Lorgar twitched her ears and smiled weakly. “Don’t worry. I won’t die anytime soon…”
180
181Upon seeing this scene, Hackzord, who had turned and had one foot out, retracted it.
182
183He was at a loss for words.
184
185The thoughts of retreating seemed to be mixed in with other emotions.
186
187Five minutes… he thought. Another five minutes at most.
188
189Suddenly, an extremely intense magic power surge poured out of the sinkhole, sweeping across Sky Lord’s body like a storm. The ripple was so intense that even the witches sensed its abnormality. They stood in their spots, stunned, completely unaware that it was a roar emitted from the Realm of Mind.
190
191What happened?
192
193Hackzord warily looked around him.
194
195The following scene left him dumbfounded.
196
197The blade beasts and Nest Mothers collapsed to the ground like they had lost their souls. As the wave spread, more and more of the Sky-sea Realm forces collapsed. It was like wheat being reaped.
198
199The First Army troops that lined the rear were stunned in their spots.
200
201They had been under attack by the enemy just a second ago, but there was silence the next. The sea ghosts had not fallen, but they were never the main force in the attack to begin with. When the Nest Mothers collapsed, the sea ghosts receded like the tide, just like how they had arrived in the first place.
202
203The intense battlefield quickly fell silent.
204
205The bolder soldiers even jumped out of simple trenches, using their barrels to prod the Sky-sea Realm enemies on the ground. However, there was no reaction, just like they were dead.
206
207With the immense pressure gone, everyone revealed a joy of surviving the onslaught. The first thing they did was not let out a victorious cheer, but to slowly sit down with their weapons, heaving as they looked towards the sky.
208
209“Eh?” Maggie looked in disbelief around her. “What’s happening, coo?”
210
211As for Hackzord, he cast his gaze towards the Bottomless Land.
212
213He had a guess, but he wasn’t certain if it was right.
214
215The Battle of Divine Will… might perhaps have ended.
216
217And it might never happen again.
218
219…
220
221“You guessed right. The Sky-sea Realm was indeed my doing.” The Custodian lowered its arm and said, “It was originally meant to be a supplement to the selection of life, using it as a control for the group undergoing natural evolution. At the same time, it would increase external pressure on the species. In the tens of thousands of years in the beginning, the competing lives were still in an extremely primitive stage. The plan was considered quite successful. But subsequent species were able to use more and more of magic power, and I discovered that they were posing a threat to the Cradle facility; therefore, I added more jobs to these modified beings.”
222
223“I once had the hope that when the Sky-sea Realm evolves to a stage of being able to withstand magic power environments, the two problems you raised would automatically be resolved.” Having said that, it sighed. “Unfortunately, the influence of magic power on the mind goes two ways. The Sky-sea Realm, which is controlled, is still very limited in their control of magic power. It relies more on its excellent genes and biological techniques. Instead, it’s the exterminated species that might be able to evolve and break through the barrier.”
224
225Roland noticed that its voice was no longer as unperturbed as before. Instead, there were some subtle changes.
226
227“Perhaps it is as you said. The Battle of Divine Will which is meant to prioritize the protection of the Cradle makes it impossible to produce an imagined perfect life.” The Custodian’s voice sounded depressed, but it also seemed to feel extricated. “This plan was destined to never have an outcome from the beginning.”
228
229Chapter 1493: Origins
230Translator: Henyee Translations  Editor: Henyee Translations
231
232“Could it be that you…” Roland blinked.
233
234“That’s right.” It appeared as an immense weight had been lifted over its chest as the Custodian’s brows smoothened out. “As for you— I have to say this, time is an extremely scary entity. In the following thousands, ten thousands of years, or even millions of years, you will have to stay within this tiny Cradle. Maybe you might think that you have many things to study, but in reality, this solitary life will catch up to you sooner than you think. Even though it is millions of years, it is just a snap of the fingers with regards to the cosmos.”
235
236The Custodian paused for a moment. “There are times… when I think that time is a form of magic as well. You can sense its flow, while at the same time be changed by the very same thing. If you wish to maintain your sanity during this endless time, you have to abandon your emotions; otherwise, this void will cause you to completely fall apart. Of course, it’s already too late for you to regret.”
237
238Roland looked at the other party in surprise—it was his first time witnessing the Custodian smile.
239
240“You’re saying that I will become a machine in the end?” With that, he gave a faint grin. “Relax, I don’t plan to stay here forever. Before I become completely numb, I will take the first step—but not to violate the agreement. When the time comes, I will choose the most suitable lifeform to take over this mission. Who knows, we might meet again in the future on the other side of the universe.”
241
242The Custodian replied disapprovingly, “You should see if you can last till then.”
243
244“Right, since you are the core of the Cradle, are you able to leave independently?” Roland suddenly recalled a crucial problem. “Will this world immediately collapse upon your departure?”
245
246“You haven’t even comprehended such a basic thing and you’re already making huge promises?” The Custodian glared at him in disbelief before answering the question. “Firstly, qualified systems possess multiple backups, much less a creation so perfectly created, one capable of holding a myriad of civilizations like me.”
247
248“Secondly, the Cradle’s memory capacity is indeed huge and not suited for transfers, but it holds data since Project Gateway’s inception, including characteristic seeding for the filtered lifeforms and the course of evolution. I do not need those memories to leave, and only need to retain the memories since I was born.”
249
250“Lastly, upon being connected to the database, you will naturally understand how to operate the Cradle. So long as you work as per normal, it can continue to run on its own for tens of thousands of years. But to sustain it, you will need to watch over it carefully—after all, the Cradle will not be so easily broken, but that doesn’t hold true for the life within.”
251
252“Then I am assured.” Roland heaved a sigh of relief and finally relaxed his tense and tired body.
253
254Not much time had passed, but the other party’s expression seemed to have gone through a great change. Not only did it portray its happy mood on its face, even its tone of speech had become more arrogant—making it seem more lifelike.
255
256“Take the opportunity to ask me whatever you want now that I’m still here.” The Custodian crossed its hands across its chest and suggested.
257
258“Er… that fast?”
259
260“Did you not sense that the expenditure from the Realm of Mind on you is an extremely huge burden?” It shrugged. “If you wish to ensure that you will still be you after the merging of consciousness, you best do it as soon as possible.”
261
262Roland’s mouth twitched, it seemed that the abnormal, decreasing red number above his head was indeed related to the Dream World. He pondered on it carefully before speaking. “Have you heard of a place… called Earth?”
263
264This time, he spoke using his original language.
265
266The Custodian closed its eyes, as though searching for related information. “Yes… There are a total of 3251 planets with similar pronunciation, but considering the lifeforms and characteristics, the place you should be inquiring about should be solid planet located on the arm of Milky Way 3.”
267
268“How is it now?” Roland immediately pressed on.
269
270“Now? Of course it has disappeared following the opening of the rift. According to records, they had footprints that extended to the borders of the galaxy, and the memory library has recorded some information regarding their species.” Suddenly, it stopped in place, and turned to Roland in shock. “Wait, everything that had happened to this planet occurred almost a 9.4 million years ago. If you were born from the Cradle, how is it possible for you to know this planet?”
271
272“In fact, this has been the question that has perplexed me for the longest time…” He chuckled bitterly, and recounted his origin to the Custodian.
273
274“To think that something like that can actually occur—” The Custodian revealed an intrigued expression. “So bundling the flow of time isn’t completely uniform…”
275
276“What… flow of time?”
277
278“It’s like this.” It extended both hands out and began explaining. “You should have heard of the hypothesis of parallel universes—when divergence of significantly potent influence happens, it will draw the world in two directions. The two worlds will have their respective time variations or what is known as a time bubble, and what you have personally felt was observing time. But the observer that raised this point ultimately belongs to one of the worlds; thus, the hypothesis has always remained as such.”
279
280“You mean to say—” Roland’s expression was one of shock.
281
282“That’s right. The immense amounts of energy which Project Gateway generated might have trigger your arrival here, just like how an impact on parallel membranes will trigger a temporary fold—this bifurcation caused our universe to split into two, one brimming with magic power, the other where Project Gateway failed and thus, the universe maintained its original state. But due to the difference in time for both time bubbles, it makes it seem as though you have traveled across millions of years, but in fact, everything is occurring at the same time.”
283
284“Err… that is a little difficult to comprehend.” Roland rubbed his head. “But doesn’t this prove that there is some sort of connection between parallel universes?”
285
286“You can assume that, since even the Creator never touched upon this domain.” The Custodian seemed fairly interested in this topic. “In theory, parallel universes and the multiverse shares the same concept, but in fact the former is far more difficult to prove than the latter. But your existence here could be a method of breaking the universe’s march towards death. But this is no longer a problem for me, but for you to explore and study.”
287
288With that, the Custodian waved its hands, turned and walked to the end of the platform—a small door had appeared, opening up to slate of scarlet.
289
290Following that, multiple figures appeared before Roland.
291
292They appeared in all types of strange forms; there were even humans and demons among them. All of these translucent figures quickly ran towards the Custodian and merged with it.
293
294Amongst the human figures, Roland saw Lan, Epsilon, and a few of the Oracles he had encountered—
295
296Epsilon waved towards him with a contented expression, obviously having obtained the answers that she sought.
297
298Lan stood by his side for a few seconds and her lips started to move.
299
300She mouthed the words ‘thank you.’
301
302When all the figures superimposed into the Custodian and walked into the scarlet land, the pure white space immediately collapsed into countless pieces—along with Roland’s body, yet he felt no pain or strangeness, merely a weightless sensation as though having stripped of a heavy outer shell. A large quantity of information surged into his mind, causing him to feel as though he had countless pairs of eyes. Regardless of the vast universe outside the barrier or the thriving life within the world, everything appeared in his consciousness.
303
304He had become the Cradle.
305
306Chapter 1494: Destination
307Translator: Henyee Translations  Editor: Henyee Translations
308
309But before Roland had the chance to expand his awareness by tens of thousands of times, new changes occurred outside the Bottomless Land again.
310
311Through his broadened perception, he instantly ‘saw’ a cylinder-shaped object with its two rounded ends emerging from the seabed, quickly rising to sea level.
312
313The object quickly traversed the thousand meter depth of the sea and tore out of the sea’s surface. Its dimensions were roughly spanned over dozens of islands, making its length even more astonishing. Due to its immense size, its emergence caused the seawater to surge backwards, forming a whirlpool with a radius reaching a hundred kilometers to appear north of the Bottomless Land.
314
315But it did not stop there.
316
317As though almost weightless, the cylinder object rose from the sea surface to the air without a moment of hesitation while maintaining a constant acceleration. It flew faster and faster, quickly surpassing Eleanor Skycruiser’s altitude. All the inhabitants of the floating island noticed the inconceivable scene—the majestic cylinder had no flames or combustions or any booming sounds that propelled its flight. It ascended silently, but the silence was what made it out of the ordinary.
318
319Roland immediately realized that it was the Custodian’s main cores.
320
321A few minutes later, the cylinder object interacted with the Cradle’s barrier. Roland watched the entire process from multiple angles as the object escaped the planet—there was no collision and the barriers did not open any exit paths, just that the latter gently smeared across the cylinder object and stretched out along where the cylinder broke through like a membrane and sealed up all the cracks.
322
323Once the two separated, the barrier was reinstated to its original form.
324
325Upon entering space, the cylinder object adjusted its direction and accelerated suddenly. That instant made it resemble a thin belt of light that stretched far out. In the next second, it disappeared without a trace, as though it never existed.
326
327Roland could not help but shake his head.
328
329Was that the style of the system—to leave without saying a word of goodbye?
330
331Not long ago, the Custodian was still insisting on rebooting the world, but after making its decision, it left without a single hint of reluctance. Just based on its resolve and actions, Roland believed that no other lifeform could compare to it.
332
333It could be said that all the crisis that humanity had encountered had finally been removed.
334
335But that didn’t mean Roland could relax for he had many pressing questions to resolve. For example, Tilly’s promise, and the agreement with the demons, etc.
336
337The things that he had to consider and worry about did not lessen, but had instead increased.
338
339After all, he previously only cared about the interests of humanity. But now, he had to consider the future of the remaining lives in the universe.
340
341While adapting to his new ‘body,’ Roland activated a few searches, separately investigating the rules with regards to the Battle of Divine Will, the ripple records of the Realm of Mind, as well as the summary of all existing lifeforms in the Cradle.
342
343The very first thing he had decided to do was naturally to switch off the legacy shard system.
344
345Only by doing so could the Battle of Divine Will truly end.
346
347As for the demons, Roland intended to separate a large, independent piece of land solely for them to thrive, under the situation in which there were sufficient resources. The distance between both lands couldn’t be too far or close to each other. Something similar to a two-body system like the Earth and Moon was probably a better idea.
348
349While probing the Cradle, Roland accidentally stumbled onto something: a mutated creature similar to a Nest Mother had actually escaped the command of the Custodian and was anxiously cowering into the sand at the bottom of the ocean, occasionally sneaking a few looks around with its few eyes. Very quickly, he traced its history back and found that it was the monster that had visited Graycastle’s Western Region.
350
351It seemed that even for life that the Cradle chose to create on its own, unpredictable and small changes would often lead to unforeseen outcome across a long span of time. He thought for a moment, and chose to leave it alone—once the demons left, humanity would be able to thrive in a peaceful and safe world. However, he did not wish for the Cradle to become a complete greenhouse. Having some competition probably wasn’t a bad idea.
352
353The Custodian’s actions had already proven that purely relying on bloody life-and-death battles was not effective in helping a civilization grow, and thus, he had to carefully plan ahead.
354
355Aside from that, he felt obligated to go through the memory bank of all the history of different civilizations. Be it to increase his knowledge or draw some inspiration, he felt that doing so would be a huge help to his new identity.
356
357And The Realm of Mind had to go through revisions, to preserve the witches’ growth and the balance between them and the Dream World. Fortunately, removing the core of the Battle of Divine Will brought about a huge space, allowing him to provide time in the near future to tackle this thorny issue.
358
359While being overwhelmed by the large amount of information, a scene instantly caused him to stop what he was doing.
360
361It was a scene coming from the Bottomless Land’s interior.
362
363Along the exterior pathway of the Cradle’s core were two ladies and a demon who seemed to be waiting for something.
364
365An indescribable sense of warmth coursed through his entire body. He enlarged the scene, and ‘extended’ his hands to touch their faces on the screen.
366
367… So they were the ones who brought me here.
368
369From the first day he entered this world, he had formed an inexplicable bond with the two ladies, to which their long periods of interaction had made him get accustomed to them. Right after merging with the consciousness and becoming the Cradle, he kept feeling as though he was lacking in something, until he saw this scene. Only then did Roland realize what he was missing.
370
371Indeed, he might not be able to leave the Cradle for more than a hundred million years into the future, or as what the Custodian had said, it might be a long and despairing period of time, but he was not afraid.
372
373The biggest difference between him and the Custodian was that regardless of how long time would flow within, he was not alone.
374
375…
376
377…
378
379…
380
381Five years later.
382
383Graycastle, Neverwinter City, Shallow Port.
384
385As the heart of the human kingdom, it was undoubtedly the busiest port in the entire world, with an average entry and exit rate of tens of thousands. To ensure that the port was not overpopulated, the Administrative Office had not only expanded the port along the coastline, but even built a large-scale public transport system.
386
387Tangen was part of it.
388
389He used to be a merchant from City of Evernight and helped the First Army defeat Otto’s coalition. Who would had thought that the Administrative Office had recorded this achievement and sought him after the war. After realizing that he was able to own a personal house in Graycastle’s King City, he eagerly brought his family over—everyone knew how great Neverwinter was; only that the cost of settling in was too high, so how could he ever miss such an opportunity?
390
391No longer bothered about his small fur business, Tangen turned to accepting the employment training held by the Administrative Office and became a taxi driver.
392
393That’s right, despite having interacted with people from Neverwinter, no one would have thought that they would progress to having such technology. Taxis were essentially similar to cart drivers, just that the latter was only provided for the ultra-rich in the past. But in King’s City, taxis were just a part of the public transport. Public transport!
394
395In other words, so long as one was able to afford it, one would be able to enjoy the luxurious ride.
396
397Of course, there were cheaper alternatives. The public buses were capable of accommodating close to a hundred people at once. But compared to riding in a taxi, with the ability to designate pick up and drop off points, the public buses which might not even have seats appeared somewhat wretched.
398
399After waiting for the taxi ahead to pick up his customer, it was Tangen’s turn—aside from having fixed pay, the majority of his income came from personal rewards from his customers; thus, being early to wait was always a good thing.
400
401“Katcha.” The door opened as a tall woman threw her luggage in the backseat before bending down and entering the vehicle.
402
403Tangen looked through the rear mirror only to see that the lady was dressed in a thick jacket and canvas trousers. She wore a cap and shades on her head, obviously a loyal customer to the Rainbow Stone. But strangely enough, Tangen could not find any logo that symbolized the Rainbow Stone company on her clothes.
404
405“May I ask, where are you heading to? There is a city map and the route pricing in the pocket of the back seat.”
406
407“I’m guessing Neverwinter’s castle hasn’t been demolished yet, right? If it exists, I want to go there,” the lady replied with a experienced and straightforward voice.
408
409Chapter 1495: Different Paths
410Translator: Henyee Translations  Editor: Henyee Translations
411
412Tangen was astonished.
413
414Tangen knew that the lady was someone from Neverwinter, based on what she wore or how she acted. If clothes could be considered a knock off, then only the Administrative Office was possible of creating the public transportation system, something that was possible in one’s wildest dreams.
415
416Having been on the job for almost two years, he had seen all sorts of customers from the Fjords to the Kingdom of Dawn, but in Neverwinter, they were always like country bumpkins. This was also the source of laughter for him and his fellow colleagues. Thus, the instant the lady opened the door, he had already recognized her as a Neverwinter citizen that had stayed abroad for a long time, but strangely enough, she didn’t seem familiar with the city…
417
418“You must be joking… who would dare demolish the kingdom’s castle.” Tangen laughed and steered out of the pick-up point. “On the contrary, the Administrative Office has mentioned multiple times that they plan to extend the castle to be as large as King’s City, but Her Majesty turned it down instantly. This was even on the news, to which the land ultimately became a war memorial garden. You’re… not local?”
419
420“I stayed here for awhile, in the past.” The lady leaned against the window and surveyed her surroundings. “Seems like Her Majesty knows how to empathize with the people.”
421
422“Of course! Although many people questioned Her Majesty Wendy’s capabilities when she succeeded the throne, the truth remains that despite being young and female, a Wimbledon is still a Wimbledon.” Tangen praised. Everything he said were his heartfelt words! If not for her issuing out the post-war rewards, how could he ever have the opportunity to move from the north to the luxurious city.
423
424“Heh…” The lady smiled. “Tell me more about her.”
425
426Wait a minute… why is her attitude towards Her Majesty so strange? A hint of doubt appeared in Tangen’s heart. Her attitude was not one of reverence, or a bitterness that of the old nobles had, but as though she was talking about an old acquaintance. Could she be some sort of intelligence spy?
427
428It was not a groundless suspicion, Tangen had heard from the grapevine—despite the end of the Battle of Divine Will, the abdication of the Kingdom of Dawn and Graycastle’s influence had covered the entire continent, it did not mean that the entire continent was in agreement. At least on the surface, many nobles from the Kingdom of Dawn had already expressed their dissatisfaction to the Quinn family. And the Duke of Longsong that had been pardoned had left the Fjords. If anyone wanted to overthrow the Wimbledon Family, he would definitely be one of them.
429
430And there was the illegitimate child of the previous King, obviously he would eventually become a focal point of influence. Although he was currently a child, who knew what thoughts he would have in a few years?
431
432Who knew if those conspiring to do harm had already taken action!
433
434The more Tangen thought, the more queer he found the situation. He carefully picked a few insignificant topics to engage with the lady while sizing her up— if she is truly a spy, I should take note of her features and make a report after.
435
436But… she already has such unique features, would those underhanded men really pick such a person as a spy?
437
438Ignoring the fact that her physical appearance was striking enough with her pitch-black smooth, long hair and her impressive height, her arrogant tone of speech was something no one would ever forget. Furthermore, Tangen was able to see her golden eyes hidden behind the shades through the rear view mirror.
439
440While staring at those sharp eyes, he became momentarily absent-minded.
441
442While pondering on all these, the vehicle arrived at the castle’s outskirts.
443
444“Er… we’re here.” Tangen coughed twice. “120 for the ride.”
445
446The lady promptly handed over a few paper notes, took her briefcase out, and walked towards Graycastle.
447
448Are all spies that direct now? He continued to watch her until she disappeared from his view… Forget it, don’t think about it. Tangen shook his head. Since she went straight to Graycastle, there wasn’t a need for him to inform authorities. After all, staying in the castle were witches who were far more resourceful and powerful than the police. If she truly harbored ill intent, she would never be let in.
449
450For some reason, if that truly happened, Tangen felt somewhat a pity.
451
452He bit his lips and drove off.
453
454…
455
456“Are we not able to settle the issue as to how to apply magic power more extensively in one go?”
457
458Amongst the bustling crowd at the entrance of the castle, Isabella chased after Agatha and asked.
459
460The intense debate that had just ended within the Administrative Office was mainly on how to establish more relations between the Awakened and the commoners, to allow everyone to benefit from magic power.
461
462After integrating all the various race technologies together, the Quest Society drew out two preliminary paths. One was to move towards installations that imitated how magic power worked, and the other was to consult the demons—which had been hailed as the Cargarde Family’s magic stone synthesis. The former barely had any side effects, but would never be able to work independently without witches, as the rate at which Awakened came around and the talent to utilize such magic was extremely limited, clearly indicating the restrictions and limitations imposed on the former route.
463
464Once the number of installations surpassed the amount supplied by witches, they would easily turn into beneficial tools for the higher-ups, but this was not in line with what the new Quest Society wanted. But unfortunately, the majority of the people agreed to it—in the foreseeable future, those who were able to enter the castle and members of the Administrative Office were considered as upper echelons of the kingdom. They would be the first to benefit from any breakthrough in magic power installations, but that might not be so for the ordinary citizens.
465
466The second choice had its risks; its breakthrough came from Eleanor’s research. As a Mother of Soul, Eleanor was grooming a kind of Cargarde people which fused with the human body, be it the hands, legs, nose, ears… Even the horns on the foreheads were embedded with magic stones.
467
468At present, there had been two successful cases. Volunteers would replace their limbs and turn into bodies capable of holding magic—although their abilities were not worth mentioning compared to witches and were incapable of completely driving low grade magic stones, they were able to utilize magic-powered installations independently. This could be considered a research breakthrough.
469
470But based on the fundamental principles as to how magic power and magic wielders influenced each other, no one knew how and what would happen if an ordinary person were to be artificially merged with magic stones; thus, the committee opposed the notion, so much so that even Barov requested intensely for it to be treated as forbidden technology.
471
472But Agatha knew that Isabella’s hopes of settling things at one go did not lie in the two paths, but a third path that only the Quest Society knew—transforming humanity. From information gathered through the Battle of Divine Wills, life could evolve endlessly and obtain even more magic power, in which magic power itself had a certain set of rules; thus, the research’s highest aim was obviously for humanity to gain magic power as a whole. Without relying on awakening and no differentiation, every single human being born would immediately be a magic wielder. If successful, it would usher in a new era for humans!
473
474But this study was only in its nascent stage, much less requiring countless of clinical trials. Throwing the idea out would incite an uproar. Even if they conducted protected research, it would easily be leaked; therefore, Agatha never even began building up a relevant research team, nipping the idea in the bud.
475
476“I understand your indignation, but you saw it too, humans receptivity towards magic power has not reached the ideal level yet,” Agatha replied gently. “The new Quest Society has just been established, so we need to bring out more results to allow them to realize what magic power can bring them. We cannot repeat Lady Alice’s mistake.”
477
478“But all of those old and stubborn people opposed the second path as well,” Isabella replied sulkily. “Without the support of magic users, it will be hard to popularize magic-powered installations out of Neverwinter.”
479
480“That’s right. But it is not as if we are out of options.” Agatha opened her clenched fist and revealed a piece of paper in her hand—something given to her by Edith after the meeting.
481
482‘Seven tonight, Gold Jade White Horse Banquet, I hope you two can do us the honor of an appearance.’
483
484At any time, revolution implied the reorganization of benefits and redistribution. With regards to how ordinary humans treated the profundity of magic power, it was no longer a simple technical problem, but a new battle.
485
486She missed the days when King Roland was around. During that time, so long as the King made a decision, no one disagreed, regardless of how inconceivable it was. Everyone would work towards the same goal.
487
488But after being depressed for a moment, Agatha roused herself up.
489
490That’s right, she could not continue relying on him—he had led humanity out of despair, all the following issues that came along were theirs to inherit and to bear such unyielding determination.
491
492Right at this time, a lady walked past her.
493
494Agatha was startled.
495
496And immediately turned around—
497
498“What’s wrong?” Isabella asked. “Did you drop something?”
499
500Agatha then realized they were already a few meters apart. Isabella looked at her in bewilderment, seemingly confused as to why Agatha had stopped.
501
502“No… I thought I saw someone familiar.”
503
504She blinked a few times and did one more sweep of the crowd, but was unable to find the familiar figure.
505
506“Someone familiar?”
507
508“Yeah, maybe I mistook her.” Agathe took two quick steps forward. “Let’s head back to the Spellcaster Tower, there are many more studies to do.”
509
510She wanted to succeed in the “battle” of revolutionizing magic power.
511
512She had already made preparations.
513
514Chapter 1496: The Moment for Reunion
515Translator: Henyee Translations  Editor: Henyee Translations
516
517Inside the castle’s study.
518
519“Your Majesty, there’s a letter for you.”
520
521Sean knocked on the door before quickly walking in and placing a crumpled paper envelope on the table.
522
523Long wave radios, wired telegraphs, and magic-imbued Sigil of Listenings had already become common, where even ordinary citizens could spend a few dollars to purchase a long distance telegram, leaving the usage of manually-delivered letters in decline.
524
525“Oh? Where was it sent from?” Tilly placed her pen down and massaged her fingers.
526
527“I heard that it was from… the ocean.” Sean coughed twice. “The first to receive it was a Fjords Exploration Group member, then to a marine tradesman, going from Festive Harbor to finally Shallow Port. If not for the signature, I wouldn’t have—”
528
529Before he could complete his sentence, Tilly had already ripped the envelope open.
530
531There were only a handful of people that would send out a letter from sea.
532
533As expected, a familiar handwriting appeared before her—having gone through multiple hands, the sea breeze and sun, the paper was somewhat mottled, but she could never mistake the handwritings and unique style it had even if the paper had turned to ashes.
534
535‘Greetings.’
536
537‘This is Exploration Group’s first letter.’
538
539‘As per usual conventions, we will have the captain to write first.’
540
541‘Hi, Your Highness Tilly… No, Your Majesty, we are now on our way to the Sky-sea Realm. More accurately speaking, we have already arrived at the edge of the floating continent.’
542
543‘It was only until I saw it did I truly understand what a floating continent truly was. Compared to the Deity of Gods, it’s like comparing the Fjords to the Land of Dawn. It even has mountains, creeks, and rivers on top of it, with seawater that pours down the walls. The magnificent sight of it is truly indescribable with words. If possible, I would like to bring you and Sister Soraya over.’
544
545‘Although the Sky-sea Realm monsters have already been obliterated, this huge piece of land is still unknown ground. Would there be new remains on it? Is there another core instrument that supports this land? Ah, so many questions! I can bet that in the following decade, it will be the target study for the Exploration Group.’
546
547‘But I am destined to be the first!’
548
549‘I will tell you more when I’m back, Father’s fleet is chasing behind me already, but this time, he can forget about overtaking me. Well then, I’m going to set off now!’
550
551‘Missing you, Lightning.’
552
553Following that, the handwriting took an abrupt turn.
554
555‘It’s me; Maggie’s turn now, coo!’
556
557‘I don’t know what to say, coo, but I’m so happy everyday, coo! Although carrying the wolf is very heavy, there’s no end to the chats all day. With new scenery to see, it is so much better than being on a roof alone coo!’
558
559‘Right right, there are so many different types of fishes in the sea, it feels impossible to try them all, coo! But without condiments, roasting feels soulless. If possible, can you send some condiments to the Sky-sea Realm?’
560
561Tilly resisted a laugh and flipped to the second piece of paper.
562
563‘Greetings, Your Majesty. I am Lorgar Burnflame from the Wildflame clan. As Joan is constantly soaking in the seawater; thus, I will be responsible for penning her thoughts as well.’
564
565‘Exploration is truly a very interesting motion. It has allowed me to learn that aside from the continent, there exists even vaster territories. Our following plan will be to land on the Sky-sea Realm, build up our camp, and explore the grounds, to seek the connection of Shadow Islands’ seabed. After all, this continent is extremely far from the Land of Dawn, so if we wish to develop it, we need to find a shortcut here quickly.’
566
567‘Since there aren’t many discovery results at the moment, I will not take up too much of your time. Lastly, may I be so bold to ask a favor for you to help me relay a message to my father and my clansmen that I’m doing fine? Thank you.’
568
569‘Right, please do not put Maggie’s words to heart, we all know how busy government affairs are and that Lady Eleanor isn’t able to bring the floating island to the sea. But… but if you truly bring some spices, can you bring along some of Miss Evelyn’s drinks.’
570
571‘May the Three Gods be with you.’
572
573At the end of the letter was a small drawing that depicted a human, bird, wolf and a fish.
574
575Tilly kept the papers together, took a deep breath, and looked towards Sean. “This letter does not need a reply, you may leave.”
576
577‘Yes, Your Majesty.” The latter bowed and retreated out of the room.
578
579Once the door closed, Tilly maintained a short silence, then suddenly plunged her head into the documents.
580
581“AHHHHHHHH—!”
582
583She released an envious mumble, at the same time shaking her head incessantly, causing the documents on the table to drop.
584
585She truly wanted to pilot the Phoenix and travel the world with her friends! That was the life she wanted!
586
587It was her brother’s fault, saying that he could not return with the excuse of searching for Ashes, leaving the position of Queen for her to inherit until the barrier between witches and ordinary people completely disappeared. This reason persisted for five years, with Anna and Nightingale missing as well. Now, Tilly was unsure if Roland had tricked her or not!
588
589And now, she was stuck with all the paperwork.
590
591The Fertile Plains was being developed and even the land under the Kingdom of Wolfheart and Everwinter was being used. All around her were people extending their hands and asking for money. Please, resources do not grow from the ground!
592
593And the news of Ryan’s attempt to ‘rebel’—all of the merchants that he had invited had sold the information to Neverwinter. Did he not know that his entire plan was laid out on her table? After so arduously gaining his freedom, he had thrown himself back into jail because of a silly idea. Tilly was unsure whether to treat him as an ordinary competitor with such a naive and brainless method of his.
594
595Of course, all of that were minor problems.
596
597The one that gave her the most problem was the direction in which the Kingdom was moving. The priority had been moved to developing what kind of new technologies, the friction between private companies and the Administrative Office’s businesses, as well as balancing the equilibrium of power between the various political factions. These were the truly big issues that influenced the world.
598
599In the past, she used to think that being a King was nothing great, since even the sloppy Roland was able to cope with it, much less her. But Tilly discovered that being the Queen was not something any ordinary person could do. Upon recalling that Roland not only had to spearhead government affairs but had to lead Scroll and a group of God’s Punishment Witches to gather knowledge from the Dream World, Tilly couldn’t help but be amazed.
600
601“Creak.”
602
603At this time, the door suddenly opened.
604
605Tilly raised her head up instantly and feigned an earnest appearance in doing her work, while speaking up in annoyance. “What is it now, didn’t I say to call out to me if there’s anything?”
606
607After all, aside from her personal guards, Wendy, Scroll, Agatha and company were frequent visitors to her office, especially for Scroll. If she were caught goofing off, Tilly knew that she was in for a preaching. Therefore, Sean’s responsibility was to anticipate and warn her ahead of time… In other words, he was tasked with the most important mission.
608
609But no reply came.
610
611Tilly looked to the door in surprise—
612
613“Plop.”
614
615The pen in her hand dropped straight to the ground.
616
617Chapter 1497: An Entirely Different Scenery
618Translator: Henyee Translations  Editor: Henyee Translations
619
620Under the afternoon sun, the warm and gentle breeze blew into the room, lifting up the few scattered documents along with Tilly’s hair.
621
622It might had been her annoying hair that had poked her eye, or it might have been for some other reason, Tilly suddenly felt her eyes turn sour. But even so, she did not dare close her eyes, afraid that the scene before her might disappear once again.
623
624The other party didn’t plan to give her the opportunity to stare in a daze.
625
626She threw her luggage on the ground and took large strides around the mahogany desk, then threw her arms out and grabbed Tilly into an embrace.
627
628Feeling the firm and vivid sensation of her clothes made Tilly realize that what she was facing… was no illusion.
629
630“Ash… es?”
631
632“It’s me.” Ashes adhered herself to her cheeks. “Long time no see.”
633
634The instant she heard Ashes’s voice, Tilly’s vision blurred.
635
636It was like having restrained something for the longest time and finally having the opportunity to let it pour out in torrents.
637
638Even though she knew that such an act was not dignifying, she didn’t wish for it to stop—she never needed to hide her emotions in front of Ashes, be it in happy times or sad.
639
640And now, she was no longer sad.
641
642Not one bit.
643
644Ashes gently caressed her hair and quietly gave Tilly her time. The two maintained their postures with the sunlight blanketing over them.
645
646It took a long while before Tilly finally calmed down.
647
648She wiped away the tear stains on her face and stared at Ashes. “Exactly what happened after the Battle of Divine Will? Why are you only back now? What is Brother doing away for so long?”
649
650The latter smiled and caressed the blushing face. “Relax, I will tell you everything I know in time. To be honest, I was surprised to be able to see Roland—in the Dream World.”
651
652Following that, Ashes recounted her entire experience after waking up.
653
654In Roland’s words, although he had gained full command over the Cradle, searching for a witch’s consciousness within the civilization memory banks was extremely time-consuming and tiring work, along with the fact that her physical body no longer existed. Considering that he wanted the most precise restoration, Ashes stayed in the Realm of Mind for a very long period of time.
655
656During this entire process, she slowly restored herself by searching for scattered fragments of her life. But considering that she grew and adapted inside the Realm of Mind, the current Ashes was unsure of the differences between her and her past.
657
658As for her physical body, Roland relied completely on his own impression of her and reconstructed the form, even though Roland had hoped to undergo a few trials before execution, Ashes no longer wanted to wait. Fortunately, the merger between her consciousness and body went extremely smoothly. When she opened her eyes to the world once again, she was standing on the island above the Bottomless Land.
659
660“So that’s why your face no longer have your scars?” Tilly asked.
661
662“Err…” This time, it was Ashes’s turn to be embarrassed. “I used to think that it was a reminder for me to always be cautious and to be extra vigilant in battle, so I left it there. But now… there is no longer a need for continued slaughtering, I thought you… might…”
663
664Seeing the other stammer, Tilly burst out laughing. “I will not deny that. But that will not be a factor in who I choose to like. Are these the clothes that you wear frequently in the Dream World?”
665
666“Yeah. Not just the clothes, but the money and luggage as well—Roland kept repeating that these things are far easier to obtain than reconstructing a consciousness.”
667
668The two looked at each other for a moment, before Ashes continued, “I do not know whether I’ve lost anything during my insentient drifting. So much that compared to the old me, the current me isn’t even sure if I am the Ashes in your heart. But one thing that I know for sure is that the yearning to see you has never decreased since the beginning—”
669
670Tilly extended her hand and interrupted her. “I can assure you; you are Ashes, and nothing has changed.”
671
672Ashes remained quiet for a moment, then revealed an expression as though a heavy burden had been lifted off her chest.
673
674“Right, what about Anna and Nightingale, they were clearly present and even returned to the camp after the end of the war. And what is Brother’s current situation? Is it impossible for him to leave the Realm of Mind from now on?” Tilly looked up in Ashes’s embrace and changed the subject.
675
676“Roland isn’t really in the Realm of Mind, he is this entire world. He isn’t able to leave the Cradle, but Anna and Nightingale are able to come and go as they place. But…” At this point, Ashes cleared her throat. “The question is not whether they can, but whether they wish to. In all, Roland is living a life far better than you can even imagine. Don’t worry about him.”
677
678“Is that… true?” Tilly asked carefully.
679
680“Yes, forget about him, he isn’t worth your pinings.” Ashes shrugged her shoulders, then suddenly remembered something. She turned to her luggage and fished out a document. “Also, Roland asked me to hand this over to you.”
681
682Tilly’s expression froze. “Is that going to be some new responsibility he is entrusting me?”
683
684“Nothing for you to handle personally,” Ashes explained. “These are all the toys he had fiddled with, mainly to create a link between the Dream World and our world.”
685
686To enter the Dream World previously, the God’s Punishment Witches could not separate themselves from Roland’s “light beams.” With him losing all contact with them, the God’s Punishment Witches themselves were no longer able to be as relaxed as before. If not for them being aware that his departure was temporary, the entire Taquila community might have a big issue.
687
688With the document, it could be said that they had a resolution to the issue, allowing Tilly to feel assured for the ancient witches.
689
690On the document were various strange diagrams and lines, which was most probably depicting a magic-powered installation.
691
692“I will have Agathe over now.” After making the call, Tilly frowned slightly. “Right, there were a few ancient witches that were with Brother when his consciousness was interrupted, right? Their bodies are no longer usable.”
693
694“Roland considered that as well, in fact, his next step is to create new carrier bodies for the God’s Punishment Witches. Not only will their spirits be able to use the vessels, they will be able to adapt to it automatically and regain their senses.” Ashes nodded. “But this step requires not only the Cradle, but Neverwinter to participate as well, until we obtain the relevant technology.”
695
696“I trust that Celine and the others will do their best.” Tilly smiled.
697
698“Once that is over, there is the last step.” Ashes carried on. “This time, Roland seems to have thought deeply about it. Aside from allowing the Witches to interact with the Dream World, he wants the people from that world to come over here. He has already hailed it as a new Project Gateway.”
699
700Tilly’s mouth gaped open in shock.
701
702She instantly realized Roland’s goal—there was no doubt that when a technologically advanced community and a magic power community interacted, it would bring about world-shaking changes.
703
704Although it would even speed up the development of civilization, it would also incite even more inconvenience. Upon realizing that she was the one to face them all, Tilly felt a larger headache incoming.
705
706“I knew that I shouldn’t have accepted the crown.” She whined.
707
708“But I feel that even if we redo it all over again, you would agree to his requests.” Ashes took a step back and knelt down on one knee and performed a Knight’s salute with a fist across her chest. “You’ve performed beyond what you think you have actually done, my Queen. You are already a qualified sovereign.”
709
710Tilly fixed her eyes on Ashes for a moment, then extended her right hand. “Are you willing to walk with me from now?”
711
712“Of course,” Ashes replied with conviction. “It will be my honor.”
713
714That’s right, compared to an hour ago, not only did the things on Tilly’s table not decrease, but it had also increased.
715
716But she did not feel as dreadful as before.
717
718Because this time, it was an entirely different scenery around her.
719
720Chapter 1498: A Brand New Road
721Translator: Henyee Translations  Editor: Henyee Translations
722
723“This is the first list of names of those who are participating in the shift of consciousness.” Fei Yuhan handed a report over to Roland. “Although you’ve told us that we don’t have to explain to you, Mister Rock still insists that you take a look at it.”
724
725“Since he is so worried about it, dine then.” Roland helplessly opened the report and glanced through the list—many familiar names appeared within the report. It was no surprise that Fei Yuhan’s name was at the very top, having expressed her interests and desire to look at the other world since the very beginning, to which the new Project Gateway coincidentally aligned with her curiosity.
726
727Following down the list were Garcia and Zero’s names.
728
729I see… This was probably the reason why the Defender wanted him to look through the names.
730
731“To be honest, I’m worried about this.” Fei Yuhan spoke bluntly. “You once mentioned that they were important figures capable of influencing the Dream World as well? If something happens during the transfer or if they find their past selves, will our world still be able to preserve its current state?”
732
733“Of course.” Roland smiled. “If this happened in the past, I would not be able to assure you so, but now that the Dream World is part of the Cradle, so long as I am here, this world will continue to exist.”
734
735Back when he narrated the history of the Selection of the Crown Prince and Hermes to the two, he had long anticipated for such a day.
736
737Although they had regained new lives in the Realm of Mind, that did not mean they had to tight-lipped about the past.
738
739He was curious as well, how the two would perceive the other world. But he was sure that it was impossible for them to return to their past.
740
741“Then I will relay your message to Rock.” Fei Yuhan nodded.
742
743“Right, there’s one more thing I need your assistance to relay as well.” Roland stopped for her. “The new Project Gateway is in its last phase, I will be gone for a period of time and will have to leave everything here to all of you.”
744
745“You’re not thinking of shirking responsibility and going to enjoy being a God, right?” The celebrated martial artist sized him up with suspicion in her eyes.
746
747“What’re you talking about!” Roland coughed twice. “My help and use will be extremely limited in the next step, I have already opened up the regulated technology knowledge base to both worlds, but it will depend on you guys to research on how to use magic power.”
748
749This was not a lie.
750
751Although the central system had a backup, it was only the Custodian that was affected and influenced by magic power. After all, magic power only interacted with consciousness and the inactivated back up was obviously just an ordinary machine. This resulted in Roland being unable to awaken his use of magic power like the Custodian, and what he was able to use at the moment was what he had grasped—even with this revelation, it was enough for him to spend close to a thousand years to learn.
752
753“I will leave it to the intelligent people to research on that.” Fei Yuhan patted his shoulders magnanimously. “But I believe that there will be outstanding people that will rise from both worlds, just like how we had worked together to face God.”
754
755With that, she waved her hands and turned to head towards the Defender’s office.
756
757She’s just telling me that there isn’t a need to be as lonely as the Custodian.
758
759So she actually knows how to encourage people.
760
761Roland chuckled and shook his head as he reached for his sleeves and took out a small recorder.
762
763Just overly inquisitive.
764
765He walked out of the sanatorium and there were people bustling about outside. After assuming control over the Cradle, he took a long time to reinstate the workings of the Realm of Mind. As a result, to the entire Dream World, all the destruction and chaos caused by the Corrosion were left behind, leaving the Association with many things to do.
766
767The facts were not something everyone knew—the abrupt stop to the flow of time in the Dream World prevented the people from keeping any memories, much less recognizing who Roland was. Although people still stopped to greet him, it was only because of the emblem at his chest that indicated him as being at the highest level of the Association. This was quite a strange feeling for Roland.
768
769Amongst the crowd, Roland caught sight of a familiar figure.
770
771Nightmare Lord Valkries.
772
773“I’m here to say goodbye.” She walked over to him.
774
775“You plan to head back as well?”
776
777“Head back?” She shrugged. “No, I’m staying here.”
778
779Roland was startled. “Wait, what’re you going to do about your race?”
780
781“With Sky Lord and Silent Disaster watching over them and the remaining senior lords, I’m not worried about anyone else attempting to cause trouble to them,” Valkries replied nonchalantly. “And my existence in the Dream World is the most beneficial method for the race. My body will be connected to the Mother of Soul and become the new King. But compared to the previous King, it will no longer have a standalone consciousness, but a consciousness shared by everyone.”
782
783“Serakkas agreed to that?” Roland recalled that Silent Disaster followed Anna and Nightingale down into the Bottomless Land despite the possibility of exhausting her Red Mist.
784
785“It’s not a permanent separation. And Hackzord gained his own territory. If the signal installation test is successful, he can enter the Dream World as and when he wants to.”
786
787“Fine.” Roland raised an eyebrow. “Then why are you saying goodbye?”
788
789“Because I’m not the one leaving, but you.” Valkries spoke somewhat wistfully. “If I’m not wrong, you’re already planning to go into reclusion, right? Since magic power is related to the consciousness, obviously only by having more wills collide will there be a higher possibility of creating a diversification of outcomes, but that also means that the existence of ‘God’ needs to be kept at a minimum. From your choice of allowing both worlds to interact, I can tell that you have made the decision. If I do not come to bade farewell now, it’ll be difficult for me to find an opportunity in the future.”
790
791She paused for a moment, then became serious. “When ordinary people obtain great power, they will not be able to resist the their egos; yet, you are able to prioritize the future of the world first. I have to admit, your thoughts far transcends that of any human being and even I find myself inferior to you. You are definitely the most suitable candidate to become the Custodian.”
792
793For the first time, Valkries lowered her head slightly and bowed at him.
794
795In that moment, Roland was stumped for words. Although he had considered what the other party had mentioned before, there was another more important reason for why he did what he did—it was completely unrelated to the future of the world, and a much simpler one at that.
796
797But evidently, it was not right for him to say it out at this time.
798
799In the end, he feigned a calm expression, nodded his head and walked ahead, brushing past Valkries and leaving his gradually distant back view to her.
800
801When he was alone, Roland’s mind stirred and in the next second, he appeared thousands of kilometers away.
802
803Ahead of him was a majestic and elegant ravine far from the cities and clamor. The gentle and clear wind blew against the willow trees and left shallow ripples on the limpid lake surface.
804
805At the peak of the ravine sat a graceful manor.
806
807He walked past the courtyard and garden, arrived at the door and knocked gently.
808
809Footsteps could be heard from within.
810
811Roland’s reason was simple. Indeed, the future required meticulous, careful planning with an all-out effort. But with all the time to himself, delaying and starting his work later would not create too much of an influence.
812
813After busying himself for the longest time, he had finally found a reason to take a break.
814
815The door opened to have Nightingale behind it.
816
817Her brilliant smile and gold hair shone into Roland’s eyes.
818
819Seated on the sofa in the living room, Anna nodded at him gently.
820
821“Welcome home,” she greeted gently.
822
823“I’m back.” Roland smiled as he walked into the house.
824
825The path before him extended forward. Regardless of what future awaited them, it was a brand new page.
826
827╔═════════╗
828
829The End
830
831The magical attack was about to hit when Angeline had appeared in the nick of time. With a single kick, the girl had sent the attack careening into the sky. A powerful mass of magic had literally been punted into the horizon. 
832
833Everyone just stares with their jaws dropped; speechless and stunned.
834
835Angeline herself looks like she had a rough night. She’s got her hair messily tied up, but one can still see the evidence of bed hair. Dark shadows linger around her eyes which were practically radiating with tiredness. The simple dress she had worn to sleep is full of creases and wrinkles. But that doesn’t matter to her right now. 
836
837
838“So. I assume you’re the one bullying my friends.”
839
840Angeline’s eyes narrow dangerously on the boy.
841
842“You,” Byaku’s normal emotionless demeanor cracks a little, a tiny drop of cold sweat trickles down his face. “I’ve seen you before…”
843
844The girl shrugs. “Yeah. I get that a lot.”
845
846Byaku’s eyes never leave Angeline’s. He grinds his teeth. “If I were you, I’ll walk away and pretend I didn’t see anything.”
847
848Angeline’s eyebrow raises questioningly. Then her gaze turns into a murderous glare. 
849
850As if to provoke the boy, she performs a couple of practise swings with her sword. She gently prods at her shoulder wound, checking it before going into a quick set of stretches and squats. The girl seems satisfied with her body condition.
851
852“You know…” Angeline says, readying her blade. “I think I’m going to fight.”
853
854Byaku growls. He dashes back a safe distance and raises his arms. The panorama around Angeline distorts like a mirage. 
855
856“Angeline his magic is invisible!” Sasha yells.
857
858However, Angeline doesn’t attempt to move at all. Although she looks like she barely had a wink of sleep, she wasn’t an S Rank for show. Her sword is a blur as it swings at the open air.
859
860The remnants of the magical attacks split and fall to the ground, dispersing on contact. Everyone is silent.
861
862“Hmm…”
863
864Angeline’s figure blurs and disappears from view. Byaku blinks, and suddenly finds the ‘Black Haired Valkyrie’ behind him.
865
866“What—”
867
868Angeline—with an indifferent expression—kicks Byaku just as he tries to raise his hands and launch another magical attack. The golden geometric pattern prevents a direct hit, but the force of the kick sends Byaku flying back.
869
870“My condition is pretty good…how did I recover so quickly?” Angeline thinks to herself.
871
872She remembers having a nightmare when she was asleep. Beyond all the darkness, there was a voice calling to her, lulling her in further. But the darkness of her dream began to take hold of her and tried to drag her into a much deeper, darker area. 
873
874However, the warm sensation of a hand drove away the darkness. The nightmare disappeared completely and was replaced by the fragrant and nostalgic aroma of the forest. 
875
876It was peaceful.
877
878But something had awakened her from her slumber.
879
880A terrible feeling tormented her until she could no longer bear it. It’s as if something was calling her. So, she took her sword and ran out of the mansion.
881
882Angeline snapped out of her thoughts when she senses another build up of magical power. She simply slices another spell with her sword.
883
884“Do you mind? I’m trying to think…”
885
886“You think this is the time to daydream?” Byaku growls. He stomps on the ground, a large burst of light erupts from him. “Don’t you dare underestimate me!” 
887
888Byaku’s magic swirls around him like a vortex of golden power to the epicenter. Golden third-dimensional shapes spin to life. Spheres, triangles, squares and other ecstatic complicated figures spin around the boy. The light flowed like a living liquid, squirming and moving and constantly changing form. 
889
890The golden geometric patterns illuminate Byaku like a radiating beacon of light.
891
892Elmore stares in awe, hand shielding his eyes from the bright light. “T-That’s…Three Dimensional Patterns!”
893
894Three-Dimensional Magic Patterns are high-level magic spells. In order to perform them, several techniques must be applied simultaneously. The flow of magical power and the shape of the pattern must be maintained, as well as the constant increase of energy and a firm will of the conjurer.
895
896These spells are capable of acquiring mass, so they can be used to block swords and arrows, and can also be effective in attacking the enemy. By incorporating an automatic activation formula, the patterns can function as magical barriers and instantly defend the conjurer.
897
898And if this were not enough, Byaku is able to add formulas of invisibility. It is an extremely difficult task to use so many techniques at the same time and without any error. 
899
900But if Angeline cared, she didn’t show it. She knows that all she has to do is defeat the enemy in front of her, regardless of what fancy tricks they have up their sleeve.
901
902“High-tier magic…is that all?” Angeline mocks with a snort.
903
904Byaku throws his arm forward. “Why don’t you see for yourself!” 
905
906The three-dimensional pattern flies at Angeline, it’s deadly golden light radiating with power. Angeline swings her sword, dispersing it with a steady swing, but is shocked at the weight. The magical attack forces the girl to skid a couple of feet back.
907
908This new attack was a lot heavier than the Magic Bullets. Did his magic grow stronger when it became visible?
909
910More three-dimensional patterns burst out around Byaku. Its radiance made him seem like the sun; the three-dimensional patterns were planets that revolve around him.
911
912Angeline shakes her head, knowing now wasn’t the time to be lost in thought. 
913
914Her eyes narrow in on the boy’s hands, watching them conduct the patterns around. Most mages tend to direct their magic through their hands, and if Angeline is able to observe the movement of the boy’s arms…she can easily predict the direction of his attacks. 
915
916She leaves a small crater when she kicks off the ground, charging straight at Byaku. Byaku raises his arms calmly, sending his magic forward. Angeline side steps and spins around the first pattern, barely scraping past it. Another flies towards her head, and she cuts it down with full force. The magic patterns attack Angeline one after the other, barely giving her second to relax. She dodges them all with minimal movements and destroys the ones she can’t dodge with her sword. 
917
918However, when she thinks she has everything under control, a big impact strikes the back of her head. The adventurer’s view is clouded for a few moments. Dazed, Angeline dashes a safe distance. 
919
920She glares at the boy and steadies herself. Apparently, there are also patterns that can move without Byaku having to raise his arms. Byaku had tricked her into thinking that his attacks were linked to the movements of his arms.
921
922Angeline rubs the back of her neck. “That was a dirty trick. Though to go through so much trouble…are you perhaps really weak?”
923
924“…”
925
926Byaku, as always, does not reflect any expression. However, the edges of his mouth or eyes twitch slightly. It is as if he is desperately trying to contain something.
927
928Angeline feels the pain at her nape disappear quickly. She’s curious to her already recovered state…but is her body healing faster? What happened while Angeline was sleeping?
929
930“It must be because of my Daddy’s care and love…yes, it must be…”
931
932Angeline was certain that it couldn’t be anything else. She can already feel the power flowing through her body. It is not necessary for her to concentrate on other unnecessary ideas.
933
934“Alright let’s see what I can do then. Here we go.”
935
936Angeline’s figure distorts like a flame in the wind. A split second later, Byaku back caves in as Angeline buries her foot into his back.
937
938“Gah!”
939
940The attack was too fast, even for the automatic magic barrier. The air escapes from his lungs and he feels a piercing pain in his chest. For the first time, Byaku’s face reflects an actual expression of pain.
941
942Following her kick, Angeline smashes his temple with her sword hilt. Byaku’s head flies back as his vision goes hazy. A world of pain erupts from his head.
943
944Distorted, Byaku stumbles back, blindly reaching out and grabbing Angeline’s arm in a vice-like grip. “That’s enough dodging out of you!”
945
946With a murderous glare, he swings his other arm down. The remaining Magical Patterns hone in on the adventurer.
947
948Seeing this, Angeline grabs Byaku and flings him to the side, diving for cover. The Magic Patterns collide with each other and create a huge hole in the ground.
949
950Baku hits the ground and starts rolling away, but Angeline is hot on his heels. He tries to rise to his feet, but another solid kick sends Byaku skidding across the ground and into a tree. 
951
952“Guh…!”
953
954He falls to the ground, gasping for breath, his shoulder dislodged and hanging loosely. He tries once more to get up, but Angeline is already behind him, placing her foot on his back and pushing him back to the ground.
955
956“If I were you, I’d stay on the ground,” she growls. Her sword finds its way to his neck and rests there. “Now tell me, who are you? What’s your goal?”
957
958Byaku spits on the ground. “Who do you think you are, bitch?”
959
960The blade presses slightly. “I’m Angeline, daughter of the ‘Red Ogre’ Belgriff.”
961
962“A daughter?…A daughter! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” Byaku starts to laugh. “You dare make fun of me!” 
963
964A demonic voice rips from the boy’s throat. Byaku’s body starts to squirm as unsettling noises erupt. The dislocated bones of his shoulders snap back to their original position. Byaku throws Angeline off him. Several emotions swirl in Byaku’s face and his eyes glow with madness. 
965
966He slowly rises to his feet, baring his teeth like an unchained animal. 
967
968“Why are you here, you bitch?!”
969
970Angeline takes an unsteady step back. “Uh…what happened to your voice?”
971
972Byaku roars and leaps at the adventurer. His hands have turned jet black, sharp claws replacing fingers. Angeline raises her sword and blocks the attack. She slides back a couple of feet from the strike.
973
974“What are you? Are you even human?”
975
976Byaku doesn’t answer and leaps again. His attacks are a blur to everyone, surpassing the speed of most seasoned adventurers. Angeline ducks another blow before dashing backward, but the attacks keep raining on relentlessly. Thankfully they are quite crude and predictable, like a berserker. She just needed an opening.
977
978Angeline sees her opportunity and batters the next strike with her arm. She gives a battle cry, swinging her sword with all her strength. The blade flashes quickly, already by Angeline’s side. It takes a while, but soon Byaku starts yelling in pain.
979
980“GAH!” the boy grabs his chest. 
981
982Angeline lifts up her leg, lashes out with a devastating kick to the boy’s chin. Byaku’s head is knocked backward and he topples onto his back. There is no blood on his clothes from the attack, but a black mist begins to rise from his wounds. Byaku’s hair changes from black to white.
983
984Angeline pants heavily, pointing her sword at the downed boy. Her eyes narrow.
985
986“What are you really? A new kind of magic beast?”
987
988Angeline didn’t know what kind of response she would get. But she certainly wasn’t expecting Byaku to start giggling. He coughs and sucks in a deep breath.
989
990“I’m the same as you…bitch.”
991
992Angeline looks confused, and her grip on her sword loosens just a bit. Byaku puts his hand on his chest and closes his eyes. Suddenly, his figure distorts for a moment, and Angeline realises her mistake.
993
994She raises her sword and brings it down on the boy. But by the time she strikes, Byaku has already disappeared. 
995
996“No…No! Goddamnit!” she yells. She takes a couple of seconds to breathe. “H-He escaped…”
997
998At the same time, a dull rumble is heard in the distance. It’s as if something had broken. Angeline looks towards the sound, as do the rest of the people.
999
1000A threatening black cloud looms above the Bordeaux mansion.
1001
1002○
1003
1004“Daddy! Please take care of everything in here!”
1005
1006Belgriff awoke to the sound of Angeline screaming. Hazy, he sees Angeline grab her sword and run out of the room. 
1007
1008“W-What?” he asks, confusion lacing his voice. 
1009
1010Anessa and Miriam also get up suddenly and immediately look for their weapons, a common habit among adventurers. Their expressions are still a bit sleepy.
1011
1012“What? What’s going on…?”
1013
1014“Huh~? Where’s Angie~…?”
1015
1016Belgriff looks at the elven elixir in his hand. He slips the small bottle into his pocket. He grabs the sword by his side and moves to open the window. A large dark cloud covers the night sky. The wind is warm, just like the one yesterday. When Belgriff looks at the garden, he can see Angeline sprinting to get somewhere.
1017
1018“I have a bad feeling about this. The fight isn’t over yet is it…”
1019
1020Belgriff turns to Anessa and Miriam.
1021
1022“Let’s go. I’m worried about Lady Helvetica.”
1023
1024“But Angie is—”
1025
1026“—She already left. We, on the other hand, have to protect this mansion.”
1027
1028The two girls look at each other, before nodding. After that, the three leave the room and head to Helvetica.
1029
1030On the way, Belgriff is surprised to see how easily he can move his body. The old adventurer is convinced that the Elven elixirs are incredibly effective.
1031
1032The smell of rottenness is still perceived inside the mansion, but the remains of the undead have been removed and all the windows have been opened for better air circulation. The guards continue to watch the mansion, while the servants clean up the remaining dirt.
1033
1034In a large room, Helvetica and Selen are discussing some affairs. Their escorts are located in front of the doors and windows. Hearing Belgriff and the girls rushing in, Helvetica lifts her face with a surprised expression.
1035
1036“What’s going on?”
1037
1038A solemn look is on Belgriff’s face. “Lady Helvetica, there’s a black cloud over the mansion again. There is a good chance that another attack will be coming soon.”
1039
1040Hearing Belgriff’s words, Helvetica lowers her gaze, letting out a tired sigh. “I was right.”
1041
1042Belgriff looks confused. “What?”
1043
1044“The enemies are after my head. I should have expected them to not have the courtesy to wait until morning to claim it.”
1045
1046“Sister, Sasha is…”
1047
1048“I know. I believe I have made a grave mistake sending her out alone…”
1049
1050Everyone knows Sasha’s abilities, but at the moment no one knows what the resources and reach of their enemy are. Helvetica sent Sasha to keep an eye on Count Malta, but if he has a powerful escort…
1051
1052Helvetica kneads her head, cursing at her recklessness. Was she too imprudent in trying to anticipate her enemy’s movements?
1053
1054At that moment, the outside of the mansion becomes noisy. A servant bursts into the room.
1055
1056“M-My Lady! The undead…They have returned!”
1057
1058“They’re already here?” Helvetica curses.
1059
1060Her mind is racing, and her heart is panicking. She looks around the room, seeing everyone looking at her. At that moment she takes in a deep breath and slaps her cheeks. Now wasn’t the time to panic. She was a Countess, and right now everyone in the mansion was in danger.
1061
1062“Nobody panic, we are in a delicate situation and mustn’t waste a second,” Helvetica says. She points at the servant. “Notify whatever guards we have left, and gather everybody. The mansion is swarmed, and we must stick together. Thankfully, it is apparent that our enemy has also been impatient, so whatever forces they have would most definitely be limited. So I ask selfishly that everybody capable wear down their numbers.”
1063
1064Anessa and Miriam step forward.
1065
1066“We’ll help.”
1067
1068“Yes~! I still want to fight~!”
1069
1070“Thank you very much.” Helvetica says with a warm smile. “And please, don’t push yourselves too hard.”
1071
1072The two girls nod and quickly leave the room. Belgriff also tries to leave, but Helvetica’s hand grabs the hem of his clothes.
1073
1074Belgriff stops and turns to face the girl. “What’s wrong?”
1075
1076Helvetica looks away nervously. “Could you stay by my side, please…Sasha and Ash aren’t here, and that makes me rather nervous…”
1077
1078Helvetica’s always gave off the aura of a worthy and righteous noble. Her maturity was well beyond her years but right now…right now her weak grip was trembling. Her whole body was quaking in fear.
1079
1080Belgriff’s expression softens. “I understand. I will protect you and everyone to the best of my ability.” 
1081
1082“…Thank you,” Helvetica sighs. Selen is also relieved and embraces Belgriff’s other arm.
1083
1084Belgriff offers a smile, before clearing his throat. “It’s best we move locations as soon as possible. Somewhere with a window to escape if necessary.”
1085
1086The group soon consists of all the guards and servants of the mansion. At that moment, a lightning bolt illuminates the windows, and then an explosion is heard outside the mansion. Anessa and Miriam have just taken action. The number of undead is much lower than in the Battle of the Cemetery. If two AAA Rank adventurers are in charge of eliminating them, then there shouldn’t be any problems.
1087
1088“Everybody move now!”
1089
1090The large group moves to another room on the ground floor. Belgriff closes the door shut.
1091
1092However, the worrying thing is that the true identity of the culprit of these riots is still unknown to Helvetica. If Count Malta is the mind behind it all, it means that he is being supported by a magician who can perform necromancy. 
1093
1094“We should be safe here for a breather.”
1095
1096Helvetica nods, and Selen slumps onto the ground. Everyone else seems to relax. The older of the two sisters comforts the younger, assuring her that everything was going to be okay Watching this, Belgriff thinks of Angeline…Where was she now? Was she alright? Was she caught up in this unruly attack?
1097
1098Belgriff sighs heavily, massaging his temple and shakes his head. He needs to focus right now. Next to him, the windows begin to shake. He peers curiously at it, looking at the two sisters from the corner of his eye. They don’t seem to see anything…but…
1099
1100There it was again. 
1101
1102The windows shake once more, and this time the distinctive, unpleasant scent of the undead begins to seep from the outside.
1103
1104Belgriff’s eyes widen.
1105
1106“Get away from the windows!” shouts the old adventurer. 
1107
1108Belgriff leaps forward and covers both girls just as the windows shatter. Black smoke rushes into the room. It rises to the ceiling, distorting with various shapes. The guards back up and form a line shielding everyone.
1109
1110“Everyone out now!” Belgriff shouts, pointing to a door.
1111
1112“This way!” Helvetica shouts, taking Selen’s hand and directing her towards the corridor. Belgriff holds the hilt of his sword tightly and turns towards the black smoke, he intends to cover everyone’s retreat. The smoke begins to converge at a single point and descends to the ground. Little by little, it begins to take on a clear form. 
1113
1114Suddenly, Belgriff’s right leg begins to hurt. The wooden peg aches, silently screaming at him for some reason. A cold sweat breaks out on the old adventurer. Was he scared?
1115
1116Belgriff clenches his teeth, keeping his eyes fixed on the black smoke, and waits for the room to be empty. When Belgriff is the last one in the room, he finally slips out the door and into the corridor.
1117
1118“Keep going! To the end of the corridor!” He urges, dragging nearby furniture in front of the door. 
1119
1120Everybody runs down the corridor. A few moments after they left the room, the door is blown to smithereens. Apparently, the smoke has finally taken a form.
1121
1122“Lady Helvetica!” Belgriff says, coming up beside the Countess. “The undead should be manageable by Miss Ane and Miss Miri. I ask you to flee with everyone to their side.”
1123
1124“Yes, they can protect everyone. But what are you going to do Sir Belgriff?”
1125
1126“I’ll keep this monster busy until you escape.”
1127
1128At that moment, the shadowy creature appears behind them down the corridor. It looks like a deformed spider, with tentacle-like legs, and round torso. However, this creature is much smaller than the one that appeared in the cemetery.
1129
1130“Lady Helvetica, we are wasting time!” shouts Belgriff as he readily lifts his sword.
1131
1132“But…Lady Angeline would never forgive me if you die!”
1133
1134Belgriff smiles and looks back. “I won’t die. That girl…I taught her everything there is to know about being an adventurer. I won’t be able to look her in the eye if I’m defeated in a place like this.”
1135
1136Helvetica expression is filled with worry. She bites her lip and looks to everyone else. Helvetica seems hesitant for a moment but finally recovers her composure. She looks back at Belgriff. “All right…Good luck!”
1137
1138Belgriff nods.
1139
1140Helvetica turns back to everyone else. “Everybody, we have to go! Selen, hurry!”
1141
1142“Y-Yes, Sister.” Selen seems worried about Belgriff, but despite that, she runs after her sister.
1143
1144Belgriff lets out a sigh of relief. Then he looks dead ahead at the abomination before him. The shadow creature comes nearer; each step closer brings more pain to Belgriff’s pegged leg.
1145
1146Regardless, Belgriff lifts his sword readily.
1147
1148“Alright…”
1149
1150He lunges towards the shadowy creature, his blade arcing like a snake to its prey. The creature whips its tentacles forward in retaliation.
1151
1152“Too slow.”
1153
1154Before they could touch him, Belgriff blade flashes silver and swiftly changes its arc, slicing through the tentacles and they fall to the ground. Moments later, the severed limbs disperse into clouds of black smoke.
1155
1156Belgriff’s body feels surprisingly light. Is it the effect of the elixir of the elves? His lost leg still hurts, but it is something he had long since gotten over. Right now, his senses are strangely sharp; it’s as if he can read the movements of his enemy like a book.
1157
1158The creature squirms once more and attempts to strike the old adventurer once more, but Belgriff cuts the tentacles like a hot knife into butter.
1159
1160Perfectly balanced, every move was planned and performed to perfection after years of honing his sword technique. Every cut he moved closer to the core of the shadowy creature. In no time at all, he reaches the creature’s torso. His feet come to a halt, but his sword continues to move as if it had a life of its own.
1161
1162After cutting all the tentacles with amazing ease, the creature falls to the ground. Then it dissipates into black smoke, making a strange noise.
1163
1164“Is…Is that it?”
1165
1166This is somewhat anticlimactic. But perhaps for that very reason, the old adventurer senses that this is not yet over. However, he has no time to lose. Belgriff needs to meet with Helvetica, but when he slides the sword back into its sheath, he feels a presence behind him.
1167
1168When the old adventurer turns around, he sees a little girl. 
1169
1170In front of him is Charlotte. Her face is distorted by anger, and her tiny fists tremble with fury.
1171
1172“You are the girl with the Count…” says Belgriff.
1173
1174The shadows on her face darkened, as a threatening rise in magical power radiates from the girl.
1175
1176“W-Why…Why does everyone stand in my way!? Every one of you…!” shouts Charlotte as she slams her foot against the ground. “Why do you do it?! Why?!”
1177
1178“Hey calm down. Everything is alright,” Belgriff says, offering a reassuring smile. He takes a careful step forward. “You’re not hurt are you? It’s dangerous to be here right now. Come with me and—”
1179
1180“Don’t come any closer!”
1181
1182Charlotte slaps Belgriff’s arm away. Tears are welling up in the girl’s eyes, and her power is threatening high. The black gem in the girl’s ring begins to glow a sickly colour.
1183
1184“We were so close…We were so close!”
1185
1186A wave of magical power erupts from Charlotte’s body. This catches Belgriff off guard, and he drops his hand to the hilt of his sword without realizing it. Charlotte has a demented and sinister smile, slowly turning mad.
1187
1188She points her finger at Belgriff.
1189
1190“Die.”
1191
1192A powerful Magic Bullet shoots out. Belgriff raises his sword and pushes against it. It is terribly heavy, and without a proper leg to support his weight, Belgriff slowly is pushed back. He grits his teeth and finds himself sliding back. With a cry, he uses his remaining strength to push through the Magic Bullet with his blade, dispersing it. 
1193
1194A second and third attack conjures around the mad girl and both fire in rapid succession. Belgriff dives through a wooden door and into a nearby room, not having the strength to defend against the magic.
1195
1196The walls of the mansion explode behind him, sending splinters of wood everywhere. Another explosion happens right behind him, concaving the ground with a loud bang.
1197
1198“Hahahaha…Hahahaha!” Charlotte laughs hysterically and more Magic Bullets fire rapidly around her. “Die! Die! DIE!”
1199
1200Belgriff can only dodge them. His surroundings continue to explode as he maneuvers away to the best of his ability. Every second could be his last if he’s struck. 
1201
1202Each Magic Bullet is followed almost instantaneously each increasing with more power. Belgriff’s hand falls to his sword hilt, looking for a prime opportunity to strike…but could he do it? Regardless of power…this was still a young girl…
1203
1204Suddenly, the Magic Bullets stop. Belgriff eyes widen as he sees Charlotte’s face take on an expression of fear. Her arm twists strangely at a weird angle. She screams and clutches it with her other hand.
1205
1206“Wh-what is this!” she cries out.
1207
1208The black gem in her ring suddenly swells, increasing in mass. The gem becomes a viscous liquid-like substance, wrapping around Charlotte’s hand and squeezing it in a vice grip. Charlotte tries to shake off the black substance, but she is unable to do so. She starts screaming in fear.
1209
1210“No! Not like this! Help me! Father! Mother!”
1211
1212Belgriff quickly rushes to Charlotte’s side. Her gaze is reflecting tears, her lips quavering. She fearfully reaches out with her other hand and desperately clings to Belgriff’s sleeve.
1213
1214“Please! Help me!”
1215
1216Belgriff doesn’t need to be told twice. 
1217
1218“Calm down!” Belgriff booms in a thunderous voice, shutting up the crying girl.
1219
1220The old adventurer quietly looks at Charlotte’s hand. The black substance is revolting and has consumed her hand up to her wrist. But the substance is constantly eating at the girl, and it was only a matter of time before it covers the entire arm.
1221
1222The old adventurer doesn’t know what to do. His mind is racing with any solutions, calling back on his years as an adventurer. Should he cut off her hand? No. Charlotte is still quite young. She could suffer irreparable damage from the shock, or something much worse.
1223
1224Then a thought strikes him. 
1225
1226“Will that work?”
1227
1228A crazy idea crosses Belgriff’s mind and he pulls the elixir out of his pocket. He unclogs the bottle and looks the girl in the eye. She seems fearful, but she doesn’t question what the liquid is. So he pours a few drops into the black substance.
1229
1230As soon as the drops touch the black substance, it begins to convulse, almost as if it were suffering from terrible pain. Charlotte’s eyes widen.
1231
1232“Aaaah!” she screams in pain.
1233
1234Belgriff quickly grabs Charlotte’s thin arm, slipping his hand over the girl’s hand while holding her. The black substance peels off easily and falls to the ground.
1235
1236As soon as it does, the old adventurer lets all the magical power flow from inside him to the blade of his sword and pierces through the substances and the floor. An explosion is heard throughout the entire mansion. Through the smokey clouds, the black substance dies away, wilting under Belgriff’s blade. Both Charlotte and Belgriff watch on as it shivers, and very slowly melts and sizzles into nothing.
1237
1238Charlotte is stunned and falls to the ground, still shivering. Belgriff lets out a heavy sigh, not realising he was holding his breath. Apparently, they have managed to emerge in one piece.
1239
1240Belgriff grabs at his sword and attempts to pull it out. He groans when it doesn’t budge at first, but eventually, he does and sheathes it. He looks to Charlotte. “Are you all right?”
1241
1242Charlotte remains silent, but several tears stream down her cheeks. Then she wraps her arm around Belgriffs, clinging to him like a monkey. 
1243
1244“I was scared! I was so scared!” she wails.
1245
1246Belgriff lets out another sigh. He subconsciously brings his hand to pat her on the head as she cries. Right now, Charlotte is behaving like any other girl her age.
1247
1248‘Why does a little girl have so much power?’ Belgriff thinks. 
1249
1250While lost in thought, the air distorts and shimmers. Byaku appears before them in the destroyed corridor. The boy is full of wounds and bruises, obviously from a huge fight as he stumbles towards them. Charlotte sees him and releases her grip. 
1251
1252Despite his obvious pain, the boy is still able to lift Charlotte’s body off the floor with one arm.
1253
1254“Who are you…?” asks Belgriff. His eyes curiosity observes the boy. 
1255
1256Byaku doesn’t say anything, instead remaining quiet. He looks over the old adventurer with a stoic expression. Charlotte pops her head up at the boy. “Byaku…What happened?”
1257
1258At first, he doesn’t say anything. “…We have to go.”
1259
1260Byaku hugs Charlotte tightly, the movement seems to cause her agony. Suddenly a sea of flames erupts around the two, cascading around them like a flowing wave.
1261
1262Charlotte looks at Belgriff with an afflicted expression. “…Thank you.” 
1263
1264Before the girl finishes talking, the fire disperses and the duo disappears, leaving Belgriff in the darkened corridor. Belgriff doesn’t move for a few moments. Groaning, he reluctantly rose to his feet, then he hears footsteps approaching down the hall. When he turns around, someone jumps into his arms.
1265
1266“Daddy!”
1267
1268“Oh, Angie. Are you okay?”
1269
1270“Yes…You’re safe and sound too, Daddy. I knew you were all right,” Angeline says with a cheerful smile as she buries her face into her father’s chest.
1271
1272○
1273
1274Even if it’s close to dawn, Malta still hasn’t heard a word on the whereabouts of Byaku nor Charlotte. Perhaps this should be classified as another failure. The Count leaves the inn with haste, knowing it was best that he leave. He shouldn’t have entrusted something like this to worthless children.
1275
1276If everything goes on like this, the Bordeaux family will no doubt catch him soon. He has to get out of the city and try again at a later date. 
1277
1278Maybe he should meet the nobles of the eastern cities?
1279
1280A sinister smile arcs his lips.
1281
1282Across the street, the Count meets a troop of soldiers. The soldiers greet him and bow before the presence of Malta.
1283
1284“Count, what are you doing in the street so late…or perhaps I should say early?” the soldier chuckles at his own joke.
1285
1286Malta joins in the chuckling, trying to retain his innocent facade. “I…Well, I want to help keep the streets safe. After a devastating attack like that, I thought I should try and help wherever I can. As you can see, I’ve been patrolling a little.”
1287
1288“Oh, that’ s wonderful! You must be tired. It may not be high quality, but we know a place with good wine. How about we take a break?”
1289
1290Malta considers it. There’s no way he can leave town with the clothes he’s wearing. He also has to go to the military station and find his soldiers. He also needs a horse. Besides, if he refuses this offer, they might suspect him. Who will believe him if he tries to remain clear and stay away from the commoners?
1291
1292“Alright,” he says with a warm smile. “Of course I’ll be glad to join you all.”
1293
1294The soldiers smile and guide Count Malta through the streets to the military station. The sturdy building is made of stone, and outside, there are soldiers and adventurers who sit near the fire. All greet the Count warmly as he passes by.
1295
1296‘Apparently, these commoners still think that I eliminated the magic beasts,’ thinks Malta with a smile. ‘They are all idiots.’
1297
1298Once inside, a soldier leads the Count to a wooden door at the back of the building.
1299
1300“Count, this way, please. It’s a room for the exclusive use of our superiors.”
1301
1302“Aha. You humble me,” Malta says, though his expression said otherwise.
1303
1304The soldier offers a smile, and Malta returns it and strolls into the room. But when the Count enters the room, his eyes widen with surprise.
1305
1306Helvetica is sitting on a wooden chair in the middle of the room surrounded by a group of soldiers. She waves a hello.
1307
1308“Count Malta, I bid you welcome,” she smiles.
1309
1310The door slams shut loudly behind Malta. The soldiers quickly rush to his side, seizing his arms in an iron grip. Malta’s face is pale.
1311
1312“Ah! Lady Helvetica! What a surprise to see you here? To what…do I owe all this!” he squirms.
1313
1314Helvetica’s smile turns cold. The Count sees the sword hanging by her waist, and his stomach drops. 
1315
1316“It’s a little late for that, isn’t it Malta?” Helvetica says, dropping the honorifics. “I wish you had led a quiet life in Hazel.” 
1317
1318“W-What are you talking about Lady Helvetica? Did I do something wrong? If so I assure you there has been some mistake—”
1319
1320“You know well what you’ve done,” Helvetica stands up and draws the sword by her waist.
1321
1322Seeing himself in front of a sharp blade, Malta’s breath is shaken. “W-Wait! If you kill me, your reputation will fall to the ground…What about evidence? Yes! That’s right! You need evidence to accuse me of something!”
1323
1324“I have no evidence. For now,” Helvetica admits regrettably. She sighs, her smile breaking.
1325
1326Malta sees his opportunity. “Then this is stupid! Outright injustice! You can’t do this to me! It’s against morals and the obligation that nobles should uphold!”
1327
1328Helvetica pauses. Then she shrugs, retaining her cold smile. “I’ll be able to prove it later anyway.”
1329
1330Malta once again pales. Helvetica isn’t finished though. “But, if you tell me the names of your collaborators now, maybe you can keep your life. You will lose your territory though.”
1331
1332“Ah…ah! O-Okay!” Count Malta says. The names of each and every one of his collaborators slips out from his lips. I mean, why should he protect them when his life was on the line? With each name, a shadow of sadness and disappointment crosses Helvetica’s face.
1333
1334“That’s it! That’s all of them! We’re even, right? In that case, I demand that you let me go!”
1335
1336There’s a loud silence that fills the room. Everyone looks at each other, and Malta feels nervous. 
1337
1338Helvetica tilts her head in confusion. 
1339
1340She looks at the soldiers around her, holding her hand in front of her mouth in a mocking fake whisper. “Did I say I’d let him go?”
1341
1342“No, you didn’t. Maybe he misunderstood?”
1343
1344“I didn’t hear anything.”
1345
1346Count Malta is in shock, but when he realises that he has been deceived, his face turns red.
1347
1348“Y-You bitch! Skank! Harlot! You tricked me! You lied to me!”
1349
1350Helvetica smiles, not bothering to take the insults. But her eyes still remain very cold.
1351
1352“I must thank you Malta,” she says reluctantly. “Now I understand what my indulgence has allowed. Thanks to you I have learnt quite a bit.”
1353
1354“Wh-What…? You damned brat! Do you think you can do something like this to me? I’m a nobleman! I’m a nobleman from the Capital! My blood is not the same as yours! My blood is different!”
1355
1356“Oh thank the gods. It disgusts me just thinking that my blood is the same as yours.”
1357
1358Helvetica slowly approaches the Count. The soldiers holding Count Malta move away quickly. Helvetica raises her sword.
1359
1360“Now if you excuse me Count Malta…Some pigs must be slaughtered.”
1361
1362The sword falls and the room becomes silent. Helvetica wipes the blade with a handkerchief, making sure to scrub it properly. She blows on it once, before sheathing it and throwing it to a soldier. 
1363
1364“Take him to the outskirts of the city. The brave Count Malta protected the territory from outlaws, but unfortunately he lost his life in the process,” Helvetica says with a heavy sigh.
1365
1366“”Yes ma’am.””
1367
1368The soldiers leave through the back of the building. Helvetica slowly follows suit, stopping outside. She lets out another sigh of relief and shivers.
1369
1370“It’s been…a long night indeed.”
1371
1372Towards the now rising horizon, the eastern sky has finally cleared.
1373
1374Expecting to Fall into Ruin, I Aim to Become a Blacksmith 126
1375
1376 
1377
1378 
1379
1380The items that Spunkymond had confiscated while disturbing the Dartanel transaction was brought in front of the mansion.
1381
1382It was so big that it had to be carried by a large wagon that was drawn by four horses. You could tell at a glance that this was no light matter.
1383
1384 
1385
1386A number of trustworthy citizens helped carry all of it from the wagon to the mansion’s storage shed. As it was tightly covered with cloth and rope, its contents were not visible. However, there was the faint smell of iron, and the hardness of it seemed to suggest some kind of weaponry.
1387
1388I let the people go as soon as they were finished moving everything. It seemed that even they understood that it was something dangerous, but I couldn’t show them any more just yet. We had to decide what to do with it first.
1389
1390 
1391
1392And so I untied the ropes myself and pulled off the remaining cloth.
1393
1394What appeared before my eyes was a weapon that looked like a large canon. However, unlike a canon, it had lots of small barrels, instead of one large one. There were about twenty of them around a cylinder and they were welded to it very neatly. Its base had iron wheels and looked like it could confidently carry the heavy weapon. The height of the barrel came up to my chest.
1395
1396The thing had an overwhelming presence.
1397
1398 
1399
1400“Seems quite different from the canons in the royal capital? No, very, very different…”
1401
1402It was both my impression and an invitation for Rahsa to check it.
1403
1404“Yes, the magic canons from the royal capital are designed for long distance and great firepower. But I feel like this thing is a little different.”
1405
1406Besides… He seemed to want to continue, but instead, moved to inspect the weapon in more detail.
1407
1408 
1409
1410And so Rahsa spent the whole day analyzing the weapon. He found out that there was no mistaking that it was imported from the Ammirale Kingdom, judging by the materials used. As for who made it, it was likely a nobleman from the Ammirale Kingdom known as Salman.
1411
1412At first, he had no idea how to use it, but as he tinkered with the weapon, it soon became evident that it was incredibly efficient. And with that realization, came fear.
1413
1414Apparently, the system for launching magic bullets was the same as the canons that Rahsa was so familiar with.
1415
1416 
1417
1418You put your hand over the magic stone on top of the weapon and send magic energy after its property has been changed. This causes it to resonate with the magic stone, the transformed magic bullet will then fly out of the cannon barrel with immense destructive power and with great range.
1419
1420However, the magic cannon had a weakness, and that was that it could not fire in rapid succession. This was because the cost was much too high. It was necessary for three skilled sorcerers to work together and send energy into the stone. If the amount of magic used was 3, then the power of the fired bullet was 4, which meant that it was not particularly efficient. There were obvious merits such as the long distance, but it required a one to two minutes rest every time it was used.
1421
1422Still, there was immeasurable value in the magic cannons, and so they continued to be used. They were especially useful in battles where a castle had to be protected.
1423
1424 
1425
1426Now, as for this weapon that had come from Salmon and the Dartanel family.
1427
1428Obviously, each round did not have the same weight as a magic cannon. It also had inferior range. However, in terms of utility, it outstripped the magic cannon by far.
1429
1430First, it could be controlled by a single person. One person could fill it with magic, and unlike the inefficiency of the magic cannons, the magic required to fire it was a 1, while the bullet carried three times as much power as normal magic. This was because the barrel was thin, allowing the magic to be compressed when fired. Not only that, but there were many barrels lined up, which meant you could fire in rapid succession. While it depended on how much magic the operator had, this weapon allowed you to fire off a few dozen bullets in the same time it took the magic cannon to fire one.
1431
1432 
1433
1434“Will this put the country in danger?”
1435
1436“There is still a lot we don’t know, but I think it is necessary to return to the royal capital immediately and make a report.”
1437
1438I hadn’t seen Rahsa look this nervous in a long time. Then again, he had made a similar face recently when he drank too much water and got a stomach ache…
1439
1440 
1441
1442As we couldn’t test the machine inside of the storage house, we took if outside in order to begin testing its power. According to our theory, it should be a very powerful weapon, but we did not know how powerful.
1443
1444 
1445
1446It was outside now, but what could we hit?
1447
1448Trees? No, even trees are living things.
1449
1450 
1451
1452And so we turned the barrel to the sky at a sixty degree angle.
1453
1454It took some precise adjustments, but we set it so that the ammunition would fall in a natural field of flowers.
1455
1456 
1457
1458I touched the magic stone and sent a rush of water magic inside.
1459
1460As soon as the energy entered it, compressed spheres of water shot out of the twenty barrels at a rapid pace, one after another. It was so fast that it shot three times for every second.
1461
1462Ra-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-taaa. It echoed. The sound was so loud that the ground even shook.
1463
1464 
1465
1466The spheres of water were launched high into the air before exploding and falling to the ground like rain.
1467
1468 
1469
1470Woah. This was a useful way to water plants.
1471
1472I thought. But of course, I could not say such a thing out loud. This was a matter of national security, and so I had to act seriously.
1473
1474Still, I may use it for this purpose for a little while…
1475
1476 
1477
1478“We won’t be able to match them if these things go into mass production…”
1479
1480“I doubt that will happen. The magic stones used in these are incredibly rare. It’s not something you can collect so easily. However, it is true that the technology here is frightening. I will leave the management of the weapon to you. I must return to father at once and make a report.”
1481
1482 
1483
1484As Rahsa and Iris would return to the royal capital, they began to prepare for the journey, even though it was late at night.
1485
1486I and Lotson disassembled the weapon and created a simple blueprint of it that night. We would analyze it further, of course, but this would be good enough for Rahsa to take with him.
1487
1488 
1489
1490“What should we call this weapon?”
1491
1492Lotson asked as we handed the blueprint to Rahsa.
1493
1494Translations by AsianHobbyist Website.
1495Yes, it was a little inconvenient to not have a name for it.
1496
1497Watering Machine? No, no one would agree to that.
1498
1499 
1500
1501“What about Watering Machine? That way, it won’t matter if the name leaks, because they will have no idea what it is, no?”
1502
1503Said Iris. She had been thinking about the same thing as me… That made me quite happy.
1504
1505“Yes. That is a good idea. Alright then, the weapon shall now be known as the Watering Machine.”
1506
1507It was decided. Were they serious? I should have just suggested it then. I now regret restraining myself.
1508
1509 
1510
1511“So, brother. We will part ways for a short while.”
1512
1513And so Rahsa and Iris took the information about the Watering Machine and returned to the royal capital by horse.
1514
1515 
1516
1517Now, it was me, Eli and Lotson who remained, but we hadn’t exactly been entrusted with something to do. And so I had to work in order to contribute to the development of the Helan territories, and since I knew the design of the Watering Machine, I wanted to make one for myself.
1518
1519And so with that in mind, I headed for the craftsman street the next day. Development had been going smoothly, and it was now a larger, more lively place. Of course, I took the Watering Machine with me.
1520
1521 
1522
1523I tried to be careful so as not to leak any information, but it was pretty difficult.
1524
1525The best craftsmen gathered together while I carried a hammer in one hand and discussed my plan for the creation of the Watering Machine II.
1526
1527 
1528
1529“Well, I do not see why we could not make something like this, or even better than it, with Master Kururi’s skill and all of our help. However, the problem is that we can’t do anything without a magic stone.”
1530
1531After we all talked about it, the conclusion was that there was nothing we could do without a magic stone.
1532
1533The magic stones that could endure such high power going through it could only be found in select regions and were very rare. And since the royal capital owned most of them, there were of course, none in the Helan territories.
1534
1535 
1536
1537While it was impossible to make a finished product, we decided that we might as well make something since we were all there. And so the Watering Machine II was completed after one week. The barrels were much rounder and more beautiful than the first machine, and all of the small details were improved on to a shocking degree. This was proof of how far the craftsman street had come.
1538
1539“Well, then. Should we test it out?”
1540
1541It was human nature to want to test something out once you created it. And so while I felt sorry for it, we disassembled the Watering Machine I. Of course, this was to rob it of its magic stone.
1542
1543 
1544
1545I put it inside of the II and we immediately started to test it.
1546
1547The spheres of water were launched into the air. This time, they went much higher than they had the other day.
1548
1549And they were faster too. When I sent energy into it, it fired five times in one second. So its energy use was much more efficient now. Putting in the power of 1 gave you the force of 5. The flowers would be able to drink a lot of water today!
1550
1551That being said, it wasn’t all good news. A fearful weapon had now evolved into some kind of monster. Was it really safe?
1552
1553I couldn’t help but worry.
1554
1555 
1556
1557Still, it was human nature to want to improve once you have been successful. And so before I knew it, we had started development on a Watering Machine III. Where were the people of Helan going with this?
1558
1559Though, I was one to talk, since I was the one leading them…
1560
1561 
1562
1563While the creation of the Watering Machine III was under way, Lotson came up to me and said he had an important report.
1564
1565And so I left the production site and looked through the report. Apparently, a mysterious ore had been discovered on Helan soil.
1566
1567 
1568
1569Different policies had been put in place in order to decrease our reliance on resources, but we were still thankful for what we had. In other words, you shouldn’t rely on them too much, but take good care of them so they can be used for a long time.
1570
1571 
1572
1573I left the development of the Watering Machine III to the craftsmen and decided to head for the place that the report had come from.
1574
1575Many people had gathered at the site, and they were currently still digging straight through the mountain.
1576
1577They had been working in order to increase the size of their fields, when they found this unexpected treasure. And so they were now digging very eagerly.
1578
1579Ore could be sent to the craftsmen street, where it was bought at a high price. And so it was understandable that they would be excited at this temporary increase in income.
1580
1581 
1582
1583They stopped their work once I arrived and led me through the tunnels that had been dug.
1584
1585It was wide enough for two to three people to walk side-by-side, and there were lanterns set up to light the way.
1586
1587I entered in order to investigate.
1588
1589As for the ore, there was apparently as much of it as you could dig up.
1590
1591I tried lightly brushing away the dirt with my hand and saw a glimpse of it appear.
1592
1593 
1594
1595“Oh!?”
1596
1597I had been wondering what kind of ore it was, but also felt that the amount was more important.
1598
1599The reason I had come to day was to calculate the amount and talk about how much they should be paid. I also intended on helping them if they needed any supplies, but…it seems that my plans were starting to get messed up.
1600
1601 
1602
1603I quickly called someone over and had them dig up the ore.
1604
1605Then I went out to where there was light so I could see it.
1606
1607And then I went around and looked at everything that had been dug up already.
1608
1609 
1610
1611They were all the same. There was no mistaking that.
1612
1613It wasn’t ordinary ore. They were magic stones.
1614
1615Not only that, but they were high in energy with high purity levels, meaning that they could be used for the Watering Machine and magic canons…
1616
1617 
1618
1619I looked at the stone in my hand.
1620
1621I compared the purity to what Rahsa had told me of the magic stones from the royal capital, and the stone that had been in the Watering Machine.
1622
1623I could tell by just sending a little energy into it. Twice…no, it was at least three times higher in conductivity. It was incredible.
1624
1625 
1626
1627I turned around and looked back into the tunnel I had just come out of. Then I looked up.
1628
1629The mountain was a lot bigger and deeper than I had thought.
1630
1631There was a man there who knew a lot about the place, and so I asked him how much more ore we could expect to mine.
1632
1633“If we continue at this small scale pace, then we may be able to continue for the next twenty or even thirty years.”
1634
1635He said. While we would have to do a more thorough investigation, this information was enough to make my hands shake.
1636
1637 
1638
1639And then Mister Lotson, who had been standing next to me all of this time, muttered,
1640
1641“Master Kururi, I guess you will rule the whole country after all.”
1642
1643I shuddered and was soon covered in a cold sweat.
1644
1645Helan now had all these magic stones and the technology to create the Watering Machines. And it was I who managed it all.
1646
1647 
1648
1649Translations by AsianHobbyist Website.
1650No, no, no. That’s not right! I don’t like doing these sorts of things!
1651
1652The new Watering Machine III would be finished in a week. It’s expected to be quite the upgrade. Though, I’m sure we would find new flaws once it was finished.
1653
1654The creation process for swords were quite similar and so I understood it. You have to alter something at least ten times before it approached perfection. So that meant we wouldn’t stop until we had made the Watering Machine X or XI.
1655
1656If we could accomplish that, the current skill and manpower of the craftsmen street meant we would be capable of putting them into production. We had a lot of magic stones now. I could conquer the world!
1657
1658No, no, no! You lose the moment you start thinking like that. I need to live as a more honest man.
1659
1660 
1661
1662“Mister Lotson, I’ll conquer the whole country some other time. Right now, I want to use these for something that is more fun.”
1663“Oh, do you mean what I think you mean?”
1664
1665“Yeah. We’ve only made plans and haven’t started anything concrete yet, but yes. That. We have this much resources and the craftsmen street is almost complete. The population in the Helan territories is on the rise. We could use a little more money, but that can be borrowed. I think it’s time we had a magic train that runs through this country.”
1666
1667“One that runs through Kudan…”
1668
1669“Yes. It might end up being a bigger hassle than taking over the world.”
1670
1671“Very good, Master Kururi. You are saying total domination is easier than a train?”
1672
1673No, no, no. What are you even saying!? This guy!!
1674
1675I rang the handbell a while ago, servants came despite it being midnight. You can hear Lotte’s voice.
1676
1677“I want two people to help you”
1678
1679“Certainly.”
1680
1681Bruno has also come. As Bruno was well aware of the condition that Palle’s immune system was weak, he changed clothes and washed his hands as a countermeasure against infection.
1682
1683“Father, please help me as my hands are occupied.”
1684
1685Falma directs Bruno. He is supplying oxygen to Palle with his left hand, so his hand is used.
1686
1687“Oh, leave it to me. What are you doing by putting your hand on Palle’s mouth?”
1688
1689“I am helping by making it easier to breathe”
1690
1691It may actually be better to intubate (insert a tube and secure the airway), but I hesitated because I had never done it with a human partner.
1692
1693As for Falma with Kusurishintsue, Bruno saw his whole body emitting light.
1694
1695Bruno was overwhelmed by the mysterious sight.
1696
1697“Prepare what I ask for”
1698
1699Farma tells Bruno to prepare blood transfusions, transfusions and equipment without leaving Palle. Bruno is competent and does his best to prepare for the application of anesthesia, which Falma had prepared.
1700
1701“Thank you very much. I appreciate it”
1702
1703Pharma is grateful for the assistant’s presence.
1704
1705By the time the rooster announced dawn, Falma, who was working nonstop, was exhausted.
1706
1707TLN : “By the time the chicken roar…”
1708
1709Thanks to that, Palle’s body condition is settling down little by little.
1710
1711Falma dozes off, material creation is interrupted.
1712
1713Then Palle’s breathing, which has run out of oxygen, is painful. He occasionally spits up blood in order to avoid his throat being clogged because of hemoptysis.
1714
1715“Falma”
1716
1717The sound of Bruno wakes Falma up and he resumes material creation.
1718
1719“I’m sorry, I was unconscious.”
1720
1721“Because you are overdoing it … drink this”
1722
1723A potion of strength recovery was prepared and presented to Falma. He has a body that is not effective for drugs but is thankful for moisturizing his throat.
1724
1725“I’m happy. Thank you”
1726
1727(Oh….?)
1728
1729After a while, my drowsiness blew away, and my energy began to recover.
1730
1731“It worked …”
1732
1733(Though it did not work for Ellen?)
1734
1735To Falma, who often slept at the drugstore due to overworking, he used to have the same composition nutritional drink as Ellen. But Ellen’s did not feel more effective mentally.
1736
1737“What happened”
1738
1739“No, my father’s medicine works well”
1740
1741Bruno’s guardian deity is a medicine god. So no wonder Pharma’s compatibility is good. Pharma turns his head.
1742
1743“The preparation of medicine is in the realm of theology, the medicine of skilled people works well, however, the medicine of immature people doesn’t”
1744
1745What he is saying may be true, Falma paid more attention to Bruno.
1746
1747“Your technique is more interesting to me. And how do you make the oxygen that you are giving to Palle?”
1748
1749Bruno only sees Falma with his hand on Palle’s mouth.
1750
1751Bruno is concerned that it might be stuffy as it covers the mouth with hands. Bruno wanted to say, or could not hide …, Falma partially confessed.
1752
1753“Like father who can produce water, I can produce oxygen and other substances”
1754
1755TLN : Since I did not read everything yet, is this correct?
1756
1757“Wow!”
1758
1759Bruno’s eyes were wide open in surprise.
1760
1761“I thought that was the case. That’s how you’ve created medicine so far. You don’t have to hide it.”
1762
1763“Yes, actually …”
1764
1765“You didn’t seem to be doing a full-blown synthesis, I had no evidence of buying raw materials, so I thought there was something secret..”
1766
1767Bruno had not pursued in detail until now but wondered how he was procuring new medicine. It seemed that he fell into a trap of Falma’s explanation.
1768
1769“I can only see your hand, but if you are using such advanced theology … You must have the power of the drug God.”
1770
1771“I do not know if it is the power of the drug god, but I can do it. However I think that this method is also inefficient, so I also need industrial production of oxygen. Let’s make it possible to produce at the Mersail plant in the future.