Children of the Holy Emperor Chapter 260

260. Regina’s crossroads (4)

Cartilage hypoplasia.

Although it is not a commonly heard disease name, it is still a distinctly Earth-style disease name. Also, Seongjin, who is dressed as a Delcrossian, is called a person from another world?

“…Are you, by any chance, an Earthling?”

Then the dwarf sniffled and crossed his arms.

“Can’t you tell just by looking at it? Now that Ionia has been destroyed, is there any world other than Earth that can handle this high-level over-technology?”

Over technology?

Aren’t the tools you’re wearing too clunky and old-fashioned to say that? Wouldn’t it be perfect to tinker with a windmill or a steam engine?

‘At least the Earth I lived on before destruction was a world dominated by semiconductors and software.’

While Seongjin was thinking that, Dexter picked up his goggles and grumbled.

“You’re wasting this genius Dexter’s precious time. If it weren’t for your request, I would have kicked this idiot’s ass right away!”

What, you bastard?

Seongjin’s eyebrows twitch and distort.

This guy said he’d see it. Can’t you see that I’m putting up with rudeness just by looking at my father’s face? Otherwise, I would kill you right now… … !

‘uh? But wait a minute!’

For a moment, Seongjin blinked as a realization struck his head.

I was consciously stopping my brain movement for fear of being caught eavesdropping on Seonghwang’s thoughts, but now, due to the subtle anger rising, my head began to slowly turn.

Now that I think about it, I forgot about it for a while, but didn’t the Holy Emperor explain this to him one day?

-This is a wise ancient dragon that has protected Delcross for the past thousand years. I can’t tell you his true name, but I call him ‘Elder’.

okay. I couldn’t help but feel strangely strong. The old man was really a dragon!

For some reason, the vertically slit pupils looked suspicious.

‘then!’

Sigh.

When Seongjin suddenly exposes his teeth and laughs fiercely, Dexter, who feels an unknown chill, flinches in surprise and blinks his eyes.

Anyway, Seongjin smiled kindly and spoke politely to him.

“It’s nice to meet you from Earth. I’ve heard a lot from you about the advanced technology there. You already know what kind of person you are, right?”

“Ah, yes. Well….”

Dexter said, ‘Why is this guy acting like this all of a sudden?’ He answered with a shocked expression on his face.

“But Mr. Dexter, for what reason have you come to another world and been living in this ‘Dragon’ workshop?”

“What? Why are you suddenly asking that? What are you supposed to do with such a thing?”

Dexter twitches his eyebrows and glares at Seongjin.

There isn’t much of a reaction to the word ‘dragon’. Seongjin confirmed this and said with a smile on his face.

“Oh, it’s nothing. I’m just grateful that you work hard for ‘us’ here, leaving a place as good as Earth. Now, would you please show me around the workshop?”

Dexter, seeing Seongjin’s kind smile, was startled again and muttered softly.

be surprised Why is that smiling face so scary?

“yes?”

“…No, it’s nothing. Follow me.”

Creak.

Dexter, who felt a little intimidated for some reason, opened the door wide and gestured. Seongjin followed him into the room and was quite surprised by the dizzying sight that unfolded before her eyes.

‘It’s a completely different space inside the door!’

The workshop actually resembled a huge exhibition hall rather than a room.

Engines whose purpose is unknown, spewing out strong steam, and strange crystal plates flashing and blinking light. Wires with a complex structure whose connections cannot be counted.

Several floors of shelves filled with such unique machines, and dozens of high landings to get up to them.

It seemed as if many objects from across the world and time had come together in one place. Just taking a quick look at it is enough to make your eyes spin.

“Haha, what do you think? Have you ever dared to imagine that there is a place like this in the world?”

While passing through the crowded machines, Dexter’s voice began to gradually become louder as he gained confidence.

“Look at this! It’s an amazing machine that can distill dozens of layers in a short time with just simple operations! Isn’t that amazing? It’s a [Soul Reader] that reads not only human memories but even past life records!”

“oh…….”

Of course, Seongjin’s sentiments were simple, as he lived a life far from machines, both during his lifetime and even now.

‘Um, yeah. ‘These are very complex machines.’

And soon enough, they arrived in front of a huge, isolated machine. It was a huge machine with a high monitor reaching up to the ceiling and a lot of flashing crystal plates.

Voila!

Dexter shouted proudly, spreading his arms wide.

“Now, look! This is the highlight of the day! The ultimate [Homunculus Engine Editor]!”

But Seongjin’s sentiments were still simple.

‘Right. ‘It’s a very complex machine that applies principles that you don’t need to know.’

“Wow… that’s really cool….”

Clap clap clap.

Dexter twitched his mouth in soulless admiration.

“…Is that all?”

“No, that’s great, Mr. Dexter. I was so shocked that I couldn’t even speak.”

Seongjin spoke nonsense without even putting saliva on his mouth and then added:

“But is this over-technology really Earth’s technology? From my insight, it seems a little distant from Earth’s products.”

At first glance, the quaint crystal plates that gave off a strange glow were a far cry from Earth’s machines.

Then Dexter frowns suspiciously.

“Of course, this is the last legacy of Ionia. It is obviously over-technology, but it is not of Earth. But how do you know that?”

“That’s because ‘we’ have a high mental age and have accumulated a wide range of experiences.”

“…hmm?”

Only then did Dexter sense something strange and began to carefully examine Seongjin with new eyes.

Aren’t we supposed to lump together the elders and refer to them as ‘us’ from now on? Even though she was young, she seemed strangely serious, as if she had gone through some difficult times.

When I stopped pretending and faced him politely, I was suddenly startled by what conclusion Dexter had come to and took a step back. Oops on that face! The expression on his face was clearly revealed.

‘You’re caught!’

“…Are you, by any chance, a hatchling?”

He asked in a hushed voice, but Seongjin turned his head and avoided answering, pretending not to hear.

If they look young but have a high mental age, are they all dragons? Now, which one is more into fantasy?

From then on, everything was as Seongjin cooked.

“If he can become our colleague, Mr. Dexter, even though he is an Earthling, he must have lived using over-technology for at least a thousand years, right?”

“No, no. I just….”

As Dexter broke into a cold sweat, Seongjin smiled warmly.

“Mr. Dexter, please speak low. I only have the mental age of 640 years. Compared to Mr. Dexter, who has mastered this over-technology for so many years, I am nothing more than a foolish brat.”

I didn’t say I lived 640 years. So it’s not a lie.

But that alone made Dexter’s face pale. I think he thoughtlessly ignored the proud hatchling, who would grow up to be a mighty dragon in the future.

Okay, now let’s try some.

“Please, Mr. Dexter, help me as I am young and immature.”

Saying that, Seongjin took out a large number of objects from the normal world that he had in front of him.

Not only the three ice hearts, but also the Nebraska Amulet, the Soul Stone, the magic stones given to him by his brothers and sisters, and even the handkerchief tied to the nutcracker.

The idea of ​​coming to the workshop was to grab everything that could be pulled out.

“No, this is too much… isn’t it? That’s a different story…”

Dexter’s face becomes gloomy as he checks the pile of work.

But Seongjin added with a smile.

“The old man told me to give ‘as much’ as possible to what he wants, so I tried to be a little greedy. Oh, will it be difficult to have too many things? Then, I will go and ask again.”

“No! No, it’s okay.”

Dexter waved his hand urgently and pulled out a machine from his belt. And he began to look at the items Seongjin had taken out one by one, as if scanning them.

How long has it been like that? He suddenly opened his eyes wide and shouted with a straight face.

“Huh? Wait, wait! What is this, yo?”

“yes?”

When Seongjin asked, not knowing what to say, Dexter, who was very excited, shouted.

“No way? It’s here? Is this really it? Is it true that it is a [signpost] created by Oracle and that reflects the spirit of Oracle?”

Shouting like that, what he picked up was a pendant with a bright red broken gem. It was a relic of his grandmother that Seongjin found in the labyrinth some time ago.

* * *

It happened more than ten years ago now.

The Astros mercenaries had just completed a commission and were staying in the huge city of Regina for a while.

The mercenaries who received additional money for a rare success were celebrating with each other by drinking heavily.

“The next request is Brittany! Will you come with us this time too, Bart?”

Justin, who was heavily drunk, asked Nate, who was diligently dressing up as a woman.

But he was still busy packing without even looking at the leader.

“Now, how about becoming an official mercenary member? I’ll settle the bill well.”

“I’m leaving this time. I have somewhere else to go.”

“…What? No!”

Justin screamed loudly. Naturally, he assumed that Bart would be with him, and he readily took on a request that was a bit tight compared to the mercenary group’s capabilities.

“What should I do with the request without you?”

“You can proceed without me, or cancel the request altogether.”

“Impossible! The reward for this request is so high! This can never be returned!”

But before I knew it, Nate, dressed in women’s clothing, was walking across the bar and speaking calmly.

“I also know that I will never have another opportunity like this. If I go this time, I don’t know when I will come to the northern part of the continent again. I have to hurry and go to Marie.”

Then the mercenary members who were quietly watching the two’s scuffle whispered quietly.

number of animals? Is that a woman’s name? That’s a girl’s name!

“What? Bart! You finally have a girl you’re dating?”

“This sinful bastard has his first lover!?”

“You envious bastard! Is she pretty? You say she’ll wait for you?”

Hustle and bustle.

While the Astros mercenaries were talking excitedly, Nate pushed open the bar door and came out. He kicked Justin hard, who was hanging on by his legs.

There was a reason for his haste. This is because her lover, Marie, was a particularly sickly woman.

‘I feel somewhat uneasy… … .’

Since she always had assassins on her tail, she couldn’t stay for long, even for her lover’s safety.

Not only was it not enough to pile up plenty of food and fill it with firewood, he even left behind a signpost he had made himself, just in case.

Nevertheless, I have an ominous feeling that something big is about to happen to Marie.

It was just as I was about to move north.

Damn.

With a ringing sound in my head, something hanging around my neck split in half. It was his mother’s last remaining milestone.

“……!”

Especially now.

The significance of the timing when the milestone was broken was clear.

‘If we go to Sigismund now, we’ll be in big trouble!’

Nate froze in place.

Is there an assassin pursuing him closely now? If he goes to Marie like this, will he not only expose himself but also her location?

‘What needs to be done is decided. As the signpost indicates, we must move as far away from the North as possible.’

Still, Nate was worried.

He had no choice but to leave her, because Marie was a sickly woman who would quickly wither if he did not give her divine power. I definitely have to stop by at least once in the near future.

‘But my mother’s foresight is never wrong. If I go to Marie like this, a great and irreversible misfortune will befall me.’

Nate quietly closed his eyes and composed himself, sighing and throwing the broken pendant in front of the bar. According to her mother’s will, if the milestone were to break, she would leave it in its place.

“Bart! Bart! Please! Huh?”

And even then, I was dragged by Justin, who was clinging to me tirelessly behind me, and headed straight to Brittany.

* * *

[When I was young, I received several milestones from Mama Mama.]

Nate explained to the elder in a calm voice.

Empress Bethsheba, the previous Oracle, left a total of three bright red jewels to Nate. One of them broke when he was still a small child.

At the time, young Nate followed the guide’s instructions and had an accident where he was trapped in a labyrinth alone with the guard knight who had been commissioned to kill the prince.

Nate, who managed to kill the knight and escape the labyrinth, had no choice but to doubt his mother’s intentions for a while. But she later found out that it was thanks to him that she dramatically avoided her fate of being taken to Rohan.

The other one was given to the newborn Owen as a godson when he was running away from assassins. He thought he didn’t have much time left to live anyway, so he hoped to be of some help to his godson’s future rather than to himself.

[And one last milestone was broken right at the crossroads of Regina.]

As expected, Nate faithfully followed his mother’s instructions.

But the choice he made at that crossroads changed his and Amelia’s fate in an instant.

[What do you think would have happened if your mother had not changed that choice?]

In response to the old man’s question, Nate rested his chin and thought deeply.

If I had found her again then, I would have found out that she was pregnant. And she wouldn’t have met Tatiana on the way to Brittany.

It was a time when he had an assassin as his tail, so he probably couldn’t stay by Marie’s side forever. However, it is clear that he would often find her and take care of her, revolving around her squirming spirit.

[Even if I had stayed around her, Marie would not have been able to avoid death in the end.]

Nate can tell now. No matter what choice she made, Marie’s life would not have been any longer.

But Nate could have saved little Amelia. And he must have wandered the continent alone with his child.

Although they may not have had a comfortable life, they would have had a great time seeing the continent’s wonders and searching for delicacies. That alone would have made the two happy enough.

[Eomamama, as an oracle, ‘knows’ everything and moves cause and effect.]

There is a clear difference in karma between ‘moving’ and ‘creating’ cause and effect.

However, this is a story that only applies to ordinary people who are ignorant of cause and effect.

For the Oracle, who sees through all cause and effect and is able to understand its beginning and end, the act of moving cause and effect itself remains as karma.

[Perhaps Mama Mama has taken on an unimaginably great burden of karma.]

The woman who brought a little girl to the brink of death several times and put her life in extreme pain has accumulated enough karma to be trapped in the cycle of eternal suffering.

What about his mother?

Who was the Oracle of the previous generation who, despite knowing the misfortune that would befall that girl, moved the cause and effect so that it would happen?

Nate looked up and his eyes became heavy.

[What kind of future did you see, and what kind of price did you prepare for?]

fantasy,