EP.221 Traces of disaster (8)
The ancient kingdom of Arcadia.
Cardi’s homeland.
Cardi told me when I started my trip. There are three main purposes for his return to his homeland. At the end of my journey, I think of those three things.
“Search for the Holy Grail.”
“Your subordinate, Kaltra, may have a way to cure that hound’s eye.”
One, the search for the Holy Grail.
A treasure created in an ancient kingdom that allows one to become a superhuman without losing anything. Retrieving it was the first purpose of this trip.
‘Making Kalt a superman.’
If he becomes a superhuman, there will be more ways to heal his lost eye. Even if I didn’t bring Sarah with me, I might be able to end it on the Black Tower’s behalf.
Just like that, I obtained the Holy Grail.
Having achieved the first goal, I head to the next. I walked and walked, crossing the traces of disasters and walking towards the center of the ancient kingdom.
“The second truth.”
“Understanding the origin and shadow of the devil.”
“That’s the information I need to get here.”
Two, reach the second truth.
This is the second of the three contracts Cardi made with the stars and the three erased histories. I realized it in the depths of the ancient kingdom of Arcadia.
The origin of the devil.
Understanding curses.
The existence of the first madman.
I saw hell and understood its meaning. By understanding, I reached the truth. I no longer viewed the shade as something I couldn’t understand.
It is a human cry and resentment.
Now that I know its identity, I constantly think back to the circuit I carved in my head. I reflect on the Cursed Mana I created.
‘Circuit and mana created simply to destroy the object without understanding it.’
There is understanding in that.
I succeeded in holding on to the clue to move on. It will take some time, but it is clear that the direction in which we should move forward has become clearer.
“Three years, Gray Wizard.”
“It is the time given to you, and it is the time I need to move on.”
The direction became clear.
I know what I must do.
So, I remind myself of my goals.
‘We are nurturing the next warrior who will brighten up an era where the lights have gone out.’
That is the goal I set for Aplia.
If it is not possible with Kylo, train other warriors to achieve the unachievable goal. Countless knights die to fulfill the responsibility entrusted to me.
That was the path I had to take.
That path required a lot of things, and when I first pictured the path in my head, I first thought it was futile. But not now.
‘Children have talent.’
The kids I chose had talent.
‘There is starlight for those children.’
There is a saint’s arm that can raise that possibility.
‘And even the Holy Grail is in my hand.’
I was even given the means to become a superman without losing anything.
‘So, there is a possibility.’
Now I can say that.
For many things have been gathered in my hand.
It’s no longer a delusion. There is a possibility.
Really, given enough time, it’s a path you can walk. Although I was happy about the possibility, I couldn’t shake the worry from my heart.
‘Everything came together for those children.’
Because there was something I was lacking more than anything else.
‘The time I have left.’
my lifespan
The fact that I don’t have much time has always held me back. Therefore, the final goal of this journey was to solve that problem.
The third purpose of coming to Arcadia.
“There is a way to stop the leak of your life.”
“That’s the reason we’re heading to Arcadia.”
Third, a means to stop the leakage of life.
With my goal in sight, I slowly opened my mouth.
“…is that the answer?”
I pointed to the potion Cardi was holding.
Cardi nodded to my question.
“Yes, this is a kind of ‘data’ that can be given to you who have solved the truth about Arcadia.”
He shook the potion in his hand.
“After Gleria, Belial, and Ganicalt fell, I continued my research. “I really continued my research in numerous directions.”
Cardi pointed to the research materials scattered around the room.
“Annulment of contracts, purification of the soul, law of turning a traitor back into a human being, unilateral cancellation of a contract, law of going against the providence established by the stars…”
Countless, numerous directions.
The numerous traces of the wizard’s agony to find the answer are like tree branches spreading out with one purpose. The branches that spread out like that…
“And, among them, there was this one.”
——————
faqwiki.us
Join our Discord for new chapter updates!
https://discord.com/invite/xr7SxG5T6V
——————
Although not all, it has come to fruition in some places.
“How to repair a worn-out soul.”
“···Restoration of the soul?”
“Yes, whether it is a shadow or a star… those who reach out for the unreachable end up with cracks. A cracked vessel cannot function properly.”
Cardi pointed at me.
“The same goes for your bowl. Even though you are not a vessel to hold stars, you have held stars many times. “The gold even grew bigger as it was exposed to a curse.”
“···It did.”
“Life leaks from cracks in a dish. That may be the reason why the time you have left is shrinking faster.”
These were things I knew.
I know, but I can’t solve it… so I just have to accept it.
“This is a holy ointment for repairing broken vessels.”
Holy emulsion.
“Holy water used by Gleria to save humans. It was created by concentrating it all together. Originally, I was going to use it to bring back Gleria, but…”
Cardi laughed bitterly.
“It didn’t seem like it would work for her. The moment she saw it, she knew. “She said her soul was not worn out, but completely deteriorated.”
The fruit that finally came to fruition at the end of research.
However, Cardi handed it to me because I couldn’t use it. I accepted it cautiously.
“It seems like I’ve finally found a use for it.”
Cardi smiled bitterly as she handed over the s*xual emulsion, but her smile was not all bitter. Is he glad that the results of his research were not in vain?
“······.”
I looked at the potion for a moment, then reached out and uncapped the potion.
Pong.
Then he tilted the potion and put it in his mouth. Soft starlight passed down her throat. Even after hundreds of years, the potion retained some warmth.
‘···It’s warm.’
I felt something like warmth surrounding my body.
It took some time for the potion to soak into my body, and after several minutes of silence, I slowly opened my mouth.
“I feel like I can breathe a little easier.”
“There is no such additional effect.”
“I just feel that way.”
No dramatic changes occurred in the body.
Is it just that I can breathe a little easier… and my body feels a little lighter?
“That’s what is revealed outside the body.”
I drew my finger in the air.
A scale was placed in front of me, and with my hand on the scale, I calculated the wealth I had left.
“It seems like there are more changes in the soul.”
The soul was restored.
The cracked and worn soul slowly finds its own form.
‘Traces of wear remain.’
However, the crack was completely filled.
Life will no longer escape through cracks. To be honest, it was surprising.
“…It’s something close to a miracle.”
Although the shrunk sand does not return, the sand that had been shrinking at a rapid rate has regained its speed. So I calculated in my mind how much time I had left.
“That’s enough.”
It was enough time to achieve the goal.
‘and···.’
One more chance was given.
Without saying that fact out loud, I let out a faint laugh.
“Thank you, Cardi.”
“···well. “I think I’m the one who should be thanking you.”
Cardi let out a short breath at my words.
He leaned against the desk littered with all kinds of materials and looked up at the ceiling.
“In the end, it was a study that was never used anywhere.”
He said, looking at the traces of failed research.
“I couldn’t find the answer, I failed, and I couldn’t pass it on to anyone else because I was bound by a contract with the stars. So, all the time I spent here was meaningless.”
Worthless time.
So the futility he must have felt.
Cardi’s gaze, which had been looking around the room with empty eyes, turned to me again.
“Not anymore.”
He looked at me and smiled.
“I am glad that the long time I spent here… could be of help to someone and that it was not meaningless. really.”
Okay, Cardi snapped her fingers.
Data scattered everywhere, traces of alchemy, and fragments of failed research all turned into rays of light and gathered in one place. What the brilliant platinum-colored starlight gathered together to create is a book.
“It contains all the records I have been researching.”
Cardi handed the book to me.
“I hope this helps you too.”
I held a book in my hand.
Looking at the words written on the first page of the book that I had been searching for for a long time, I laughed bitterly.
“For the next time.”
Next, then again.
The phrase that came to mind was the one I saw in the Northern Tower.
“You really like the sound of Daum.”
“Understand. “When you travel for a long time, you tend to pick up a habit or two from your colleagues.”
“Move it?”
“Gleria, Ganicalt, and Belial. “That’s the sentence those three guys said in front of me ad nauseam.”
Cardi said in a slightly nostalgic voice.
“Next, next again.”
Because that’s the way humans live.
Saying that, Cardi lifted his back from leaning on the desk.
“Then shall we go?”
I nodded.
All goals that had to be achieved in Arcadia were achieved.
Now, it was time to go back.
2.
The road back to the royal capital after crossing the land of ashes was extremely peaceful, as there were no notable incidents.
‘I guess it’s just an incident…’
They did push out some of the illegal street vendors who had set up near the land of ashes… but in Raniel’s opinion, it wasn’t something that could be called an incident.
“Build a gate on land that clearly belongs to the owner, and collect toll taxes? They were running a business here? Looking at it again, it’s disgusting. It’s like somewhere…”
The ancient elves sing in anger.
“uh? Then push it away?”
Raniel only swung his fist a few times.
Some illegal residents who lost their homes resisted with spear knives, but even that did not last long.
“Kaaaaaaah!”
In the face of a wizard who could tear down an entire building with just one swing of his fist… an ordinary spear knife was no better than a toothpick.
“I don’t want anything big. “Please just save me.”
“I will never set foot there again. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”
A dark place nestled in the land of ashes, a gray wasteland.
The incident ended with the so-called head of the place bowing his head at Cardi’s feet.
‘It ended on a bland note.’
Not even half a day, let alone a day.
In just that amount of time, the history of the underworld, which had boasted a history of nearly a hundred years, came to an end. It was an extremely vain ending, but in the face of disaster, the history built up by mankind is worthless.
Half a day was enough for even the ancient kingdom of Arcadia to turn into ashes.
Since Aplia’s nightmare set foot in the slums, its destruction must have been a given.
“Hwaam.”
And then, the nightmare relaxes and sighs.
As she boarded the carriage heading to the royal capital, she rested her chin and looked out the window. The carriage moved forward with a clatter, and little by little it was getting closer to the royal road.
‘It must have taken about three weeks.’
It’s not exact, but I think it took about that long.
Although I was only away from Aplia Academy for a short time, it feels like a very long time has passed.
Three weeks, if it’s long, it’s long, if it’s short, it’s short.
“I don’t know if I’ll get along well with Kelhalm.”
Raniel suddenly muttered something like that.
There are so many safety devices installed that I am not too worried… Still, Kelhalm is a person with the nickname of a madman.
‘A person whose way of thinking is different from others.’
It would be extremely painful to take classes from such a person. Tears welled up in her eyes as she thought of the students who must have been suffering from excessive classes.
“···I have to go back quickly.”
It was clear that the students were missing him too.
Raniel felt his fingers itching at the thought of standing at the teacher’s desk for the first time in a long time, teaching a class, and making assignments.
While Raniel was snapping her itchy fingers, Cardi’s eyes narrowed as she glanced at her.
“······.”
“What?”
A gaze similar to that of an herbivore looking at crocodile tears.
Raniel tilted his head and asked back.
“Why do you look at me like that? “Do you have anything to say?”
“···Not long ago, Chloe was screaming.”
“scream? why?”
“I heard there are a lot of tasks. “Extremely.”
“Hey, that’s all?”
Raniel smiled and waved his hand.
“It’s a tough situation.”
There is no professor as kind as me.
Raniel smiled while muttering that.
“I’m sure everyone is missing me, right?”
* * *
“···Why did you come back so early?”
“yes?”
Aplia’s Dean’s Office.
Aaron, who was sitting there, glanced at Rania, who had returned from vacation a week early, but she did not seem to welcome her return.
“Didn’t you take vacation for a month? “I think it would be a good idea to rest for the rest of the week.”
“···yes?”
Rania blinked.
“No, the students are probably waiting for me, so I have to get to class quickly…”
Instead of saying that, Rania looked out the window. This was because she had been hearing the students’ laughter outside the window, saying “haha, hoho.”
-Aha, is this how you do it?
-okay. You’re good at it.
-Professor Letia, I also have a question…
-Professor, mine too!
The garden seen from the window of the president’s office.
There is a young professor sitting on the sunniest bench there. A professor, surrounded by her female students, is looking at assignments brought in by her students.
-As expected, you are Professor Letia!
-It would be good if Professor Letia continued teaching…
It’s a very nice sight.
It looks nice, but…
“uh···?”
Rania’s pupils shake back and forth as if there is an earthquake. She turns her head with a squeak and looks at President Aaron. In response to Rania’s gaze asking for her explanation, President Aaron only slightly nodded his head.
“···That’s it.”
Rania sensed that something was very wrong.
A word from the author (author review)
NTR….!
It was packed in plenty 😀
*Rtia is a pseudonym used by Kelhalm in Aplia.
