Episode 146
As I kept my mouth shut, Gomtaeng continued speaking.
“I heard there’s usually one guy who can’t tell his family name? “That is, if the family is so trash that it’s impossible to even talk about it.”
“… … .”
“There are people like you. Inferior servants who enter the academy without even knowing the subject. So, did you stick with the prince? “I dream of turning my life around.”
Gomtaeng’s friends burst out laughing at the same time, but I was just as surprised.
So, even though they know the prince’s identity, they burned tobacco and held a drinking party here?
Regardless of Glenn being an easy-going person, I couldn’t understand it based on my common sense.
I wasn’t particularly offended by this childish provocation, but… … .
Separately, I was curious about what these guys believed and what they were talking about like this.
“What family do you belong to?”
When I asked in a slightly polite tone, Gomtaeng smiled and said,
“Even you from the countryside have probably heard the name… “It is the name of our Rosalus family.”
Normally, it would have been normal for me not to know the family name that popped up at times like this, but unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.
[Rosalus], from what I remember, was probably a family of Counts, and a fairly famous family in the islands.
First of all, for a guy like me, just knowing his name is not a small amount of prestige.
“And I am Talis Rosalus. “He is the legitimate heir and legitimate son of the Rosalus family, and the future head of the family.”
“I see.”
“Hey, commoner. You have already captured me. Don’t even think about running away. No matter where you run, you won’t be able to escape my sight. Do you understand? You can also arbitrarily skip this class without my permission… … .”
At that moment, the door opened, and a middle-aged man with wide eyes appeared.
He was an impressive man with thick hair, a curved waist, and freckles that fell below his chin.
Is that Professor Alec?
“… … .”
I guess it seems like that.
If you look at the fact that these delinquent students have closed their mouths. Talis told me to f*ck off with a look.
I nodded and then went down to my original seat.
“… “Let’s start class.”
A voice sounded as gloomy as it looked.
Of course, this is my first time attending an academy class… Still, I knew that this was not a normal trend.
Even if we were to skip greetings, I thought it would be necessary to do basic attendance checks.
Alec didn’t even look at me, who was sitting in the front row.
Even though it’s normal to be interested when you see a new face.
‘What is he saying now?’
Even my voice was barely audible.
Not only was the voice small, but the pronunciation itself felt like a mumble and was very muffled.
‘Is this a class?’
I looked at the church with a bewildered gaze.
By then Glenn had returned.
Glenn confirmed that Professor Alec was there and came over with careful movements.
Then he scribbled something in his notebook and showed it to me.
‘Nothing happened, right?’
I nodded again this time.
Glenn breathed a sigh of relief, then looked at the church again.
It was at that moment that this guy’s expression changed.
“… … .”
The usual timid and shy impression disappeared, and the bright red eyes behind the glasses were filled with enthusiasm.
“… … .”
When people around me showed that kind of attitude, I also had no choice but to accept that nonsense as a lesson.
After concentrating a little, I was able to hear the mumbling voices.
“… Today, the land conquered by our intelligence is not even one-tenth of the continent. There are all kinds of threats and deaths outside the imperial territory, and now the only way to find out the shape of the world is to look through ancient texts. Those who burned with envy, longing for the unknown, and a sense of adventure are now dead. And within the next 100 years, the empire will fall.”
“… … .”
I blinked my eyes.
For some reason, I felt like I heard something I couldn’t easily let go.
‘You’re talking about the fall of the empire?’
The author is a history professor, and even a member of the imperial family?
What was even more absurd was Glenn’s attitude.
This guy wasn’t angry, sad, or even surprised.
“… “From now on, 100 years.”
I just pondered what Professor Alec said, as if I was repeating something I had heard over and over again.
Even though I made sure to ventilate the room, for a moment I felt frustrated being in this classroom.
For some reason, it feels like you are suddenly placed in an inexplicable madness?
It felt irritating and uncomfortable, so I threw up my hands in anger.
“A question.”
Professor Alec’s blurry gaze turned to me.
“I don’t accept questions during my class.”
“Then do you get it when it’s over?”
“If I feel like it.”
I heard they said they wouldn’t accept it.
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The author will probably leave the classroom the moment class ends without looking back.
In that case, I had no choice but to be somewhat forceful.
“What is the basis for saying that the empire will fall within 100 years?”
Alec was silent for a moment.
I was wondering what would happen if I just ignored this and continued with the class… … .
The answer came unexpectedly.
“… The area of intelligence has been shrinking over the past 1,000 years. Thousands of years ago, various races lived across this vast continent. The northern snowfields were the land of giants, and the Great Forest at the eastern end was the home of fairies and beast people. Dwarves and dragons lived in the south. What about now? We live in this narrow imperial territory, once again divided into five parts. “There doesn’t seem to be any major problems yet, but there will be a limit soon.”
“Because of population growth?”
“no.”
Alec said, shaking his head.
“When the cult and the devil show their full strength.”
“hmm.”
And did you expect that period to take approximately 100 years?
I said with a genuine smile.
“Now I see you are an optimist.”
“… what?”
“There’s no way it could take up to 100 years for the empire to fall.”
The moment Alec’s blank gaze turned towards me, I felt a little uncomfortable… … .
I continued speaking without showing any signs of it.
“It will take 10 years.”
“… “If you’re talking nonsense.”
“It can’t be nonsense. Excluding the institutions, is there anywhere in the empire that can be said to be truly safe? “At least it’s about Bad Knicker.”
I’m not siding with you because it’s my family, I actually was.
Of course, now I know that’s not the case.
A church member had also infiltrated Badniker… Looking at Seren’s attitude, the system is not a safe place either.
So the truth is that there is no longer a place in the Empire that is absolutely safe.
“There are few people living in the north to begin with due to the cold, and the hunting peoples of the eastern grasslands are independent. What they follow is not the imperial family, but the chief, the great warrior, and the ancestral spirits. Southern? If a disaster starts, it will definitely start from that point. “Right now, the empire doesn’t even control half of that vast wilderness.”
In fact, the imperial war begins in the south.
Alec’s eyes turned to me.
“Are you sure of destruction?”
“I’m not sure about destruction, but I’m sure about war.”
There is probably no one in this world more convinced of war than me.
Because I experienced it myself.
This is the time when the Dark Church began in earnest.
I died 10 years later, caught up in the war.
“… “Now that I think about it, it’s a face I’ve never seen before.”
Are you asking that now?
Even as I laughed at Alec’s question, I felt my discomfort turning into confidence.
“Because I’m a transfer student.”
This man wasn’t crazy.
I’m just pretending to be crazy.
* * *
Class is over.
Normally, this month’s only class would have ended… … .
“I will hold another lecture in three days. “Will you be able to attend then?”
Alec said that while looking straight at me, and of course I shook my head.
And as he looked at Alec leaving the classroom, he said to Glenn:
“I have urgent business to attend to, so I’ll leave for today.”
“Yes? Ah Okay! Be careful—.”
I followed after Alec, ignoring what Glenn said.
Fortunately, I didn’t stray too far and was able to catch up with Alec, who had just left the theory building.
“Professor, I have something to ask you.”
“… I think your question is worth hearing. “Please organize your questions by next class.”
“no. “I want to ask this now, when it’s just the two of us, not in class.”
“… … .”
Was the sincerity in my voice conveyed at all?
When Alec stopped walking and saw me, he suddenly asked:
“Professor, you know about Yeongsan, right?”
And then I saw this blurry man’s jaw tighten.
It wasn’t a sudden reaction, but it was enough for now.
“… “Who heard that name?”
“I’m late in introducing myself. “This is Luan Badnicker.”
“Badniker.”
Alec paused and said.
“okay. I said it was Yeongdo. And of course, if you are the head of the family, Iron Blood Duke, you would know about Yeongsan.”
“yes. “The head of the family directly told me to go see the professor.”
“… “Hehe.”
Alec laughed lowly.
And he spoke to me with a somewhat uncomfortable smile.
“Follow me.”
I followed Alec.
I passed the theory building, the main building, and an unknown building and ended up in front of a shabby building.
It seemed like a place where Alec was staying.
Well done-.
Alec said, taking out a bundle of keys.
“May I ask why you are looking for Yeongsan?”
“It’s a place I have to go someday.”
“… is it.”
Clap-.
When the door opened, a somewhat spicy smell hit my nose.
‘The smell of medicinal herbs?’
Probably so.
The inside looked like a laboratory.
There were countless glass bottles, liquids, and plastic beakers of all kinds… … .
Old books and documents were scattered haphazardly all over the desk and the floor.
“For the record.”
Alec stepped inside and opened his mouth.
“The existence of Yeongsan was first confirmed 157 years ago. “They say they discovered a mountain range shrouded in fog all year round on a peninsula-shaped land at the eastern end.”
Rustling-.
He then handed me a document nearby, but when I looked closely, I saw that it was not a document but a newspaper.
[Empire Journal]
It’s a name I’ve heard in passing.
Did you mention that it is the largest publishing company in the empire, something that Palm once mentioned in passing?
I couldn’t help but cringe when I saw the publication date.
It was about a century ago.
[The expedition of the great empire goes once again to uncover the mystery of the East.]
“… This.”
“As a record, over the past hundred years, the number of people deployed to Yeongsan has been countless. Some of them carried special magic tools.”
Alec took something out of a drawer and showed it to me.
“It looks like an old wristwatch.”
Of course, there was no hour hand, and the shape of the glass was also square.
“Of course you can see the time, but that is only a small part of its function. This was created by Oenne, the yellow-colored archmage who is a recognized expert in alchemy. Although it is already over 100 years old, I can assure you. “Among modern magic tools, there are few that are more complex than this.”
Alec continued his explanation.
“This can not only communicate between wearers, but also check heart rate and body temperature. “It’s impact-resistant, waterproof, and has a separate storage space so you can fit a certain number of items in it.”
It was a great thing, but instead of responding, I remained silent.
For some reason, I have the feeling that such a function is not the main purpose.
Alec was silent for a moment and then spoke.
“and… “There are still things I can know thanks to this watch.”
“What is.”
“The location of the wearer and whether he or she survives.”
Quickly.
Alec gritted his teeth.
But I felt more fear than anger at such actions.
Alec said in a trembling voice.
“… “Everyone is alive.”
“yes?”
“Over the past hundred years, the exploration corps, reconnaissance corps, and punitive corps that headed to Yeongsan—in any case, all of those who wore this watch… … ! It says he’s still alive… … !”
“… … .”
“Their location changes all the time. Sometimes it soars hundreds of meters in the air, and sometimes it sinks thousands of meters underground. “Sometimes the wearer who has disappeared for decades suddenly reappears.”
Alec wrapped his arms around himself and laughed.
“I know. I know that too. The magic tool must have caused an error… It’s reasonable to think that way. But I… … .”
“… … .”
“… “If there is hell in this world, I think it is there.”
“Why?”
“Just one piece. “There is a photo taken at Yeongsan.”
I paused for a moment and then asked.
“You filmed it?”
“okay. I took the picture. I also accompanied the expedition team ten years ago… “It was the most idiotic choice in my short life.”
“… … .”
“Honestly, I don’t know when or how it was filmed. Because I have no memory of the six months since I came back to life… But from what I heard, I screamed and laughed like a crazy person, harmed myself, and hung myself every chance I got.”
He looked at Alec’s face and asked cautiously.
“Can you show me that photo too?”
“… … .”
Alec seemed to hesitate, but after a while, he moved his much weaker body with difficulty and headed toward the dresser.
“It was taken with an old model and the photo was old, so it was damaged a lot… … .”
I opened the drawer.
And I was startled, as if I had seen some kind of ugly bug inside.
A trembling hand reached toward the inside of the dresser, and a moment later, a yellowed photo came out with its fingers.
“… “Take a look.”
“This… … .”
I felt a little goosebumps running down my spine.
When I was a mercenary, I saw all kinds of monsters.
Even after returning, I encountered a monster called Jewel Water.
At the retreat, I even witnessed the devil descending in person.
But the strangeness I felt now was more than when I encountered the devil.
Even though it was just a photo.
This creature, which was clearly a beast, had an evil expression that a person, or even an evil person, would make.
It is strange and goes beyond the concept of being simply scary or intimidating.
“First of all, it’s an animal. It was recorded in the literature left behind by the eastern minority, and the name was… … .”
“… “Are you a tiger?”
Alec asked, slightly surprised by my words.
“You… Surprisingly, your knowledge is wide. That’s right. “They say it is a beast that became extinct a long time ago on the continent.”
Alec said through gritted teeth.
“But the tigers recorded in literature did not look like this. It’s not this huge, and it doesn’t look that scary… … !”
“… … .”
“How many beings like this exist? What happened to the remaining expeditioners? Some people want them back alive, but not me. I wish I had died, I wish I had died, I wish I had died and been freed from that hell… I still repeat those thoughts thousands and thousands of times every night. but… … .”
Alec said, closing his eyes.
“I am… I think the people who left there are still alive. And it looks like he’s struggling in pain worse than death.”
Then I realized that Alec had shown me this photo.
“Young Yeongdo, I don’t know for what purpose you are targeting Yeongsan. but… … .”
“… … .”
“Please cherish your life.”
fantasy,
