Chapter 49: Human Greed Has No End, And They Repeat the Same Mistakes (4)

The Akashic Record accessed through the ruins was different in form from the one I had connected to at the Squaret Duchy.

If that place was a tower filled with countless books reaching all the way to the sky, befitting its name, the Tower of Wisdom, this place was a space filled entirely with blue-hued Image Magic.

The roughly 100-pyeong space was made of iron plates, as if forged from steel, and strange images and characters floated here and there throughout the area.

Is that Image Magic?

Faces of people, figures, outside scenery, and elaborate magic all unfolded through Image Magic.

But there was no trace of mana energy whatsoever.

What was most peculiar was that not a single book was in sight.

Both the Tower of Wisdom and the first Akashic Record I accessed had every book in the world placed there.

Is this really the Akashic Record?

“You must be the legendary successor everyone talks about. Nice to meet you. This is the Record’s Vessel.”

The voice came from the very center of the space.

It was a strange shape that looked part chair, part cradle, or even like an egg.

It was a hemispherical chair with a smooth white body and a plush sofa in the center, where a girl sat.

The girl’s aura was very unique.

She was about 130 cm tall, wearing a white negligee made of some peculiar material that didn’t reveal anything beneath.

Her skin, visible outside the clothes, was unnaturally pale, and her long, pale green hair gave off an otherworldly vibe unlike any human.

Most striking were her ears.

Pointed on both sides, they were ears no human could possess, symbolizing a rare existence in the human world.

“You are……”

“Valentia Erman. Just call me Tia, comfortably. I’m the caretaker of this place.”

Valentia… Racking my brain, I had never heard that name before.

“Tia, what about Albatron? I have something to ask him!”

“That screamer? Too bad. This channel isn’t his room. This is my room. My space.”

“Space…? So that means each person accessing the Akashic Record can build their own domain?”

“You’re quick to catch on. Exactly. So this is exclusively my domain.”

“How do you connect to your domain?”

“It varies for each domain. Sometimes you connect at a specific place, other times through special ruins.”

Damn it. Does that mean I have to go back to the Squaret Duchy to meet Albatron?

No.

I have a feeling I can’t meet Albatron just like that.

Maybe this time, Albatron refused to meet me?

“Can a domain owner choose who connects to them at will?”

“Oh my, you’re quick to think outside the box. I’m sure you’re from the old era without any concept of the internet or even virtual space.”

In, what?

She spoke nonsense I couldn’t understand.

The only word I caught was “old era.”

“You’re from the future, aren’t you?”

“That’s correct.”

Tia clapped her hands and smiled brightly.

“Since you answered correctly, I’ll show you one of the records engraved here. You can’t meet Albatron, but you can read records related to him. Playback the video.”

Her finger tapped faint rectangular images that appeared above the chair, and the entire vessel hummed as a bright light started to shine.

The scenery around changed.

This is… the ruins beneath the Demon King’s Castle?

The hard iron walls from a moment ago quickly transformed into a new sight.

Still, the texture of the sturdy iron floor beneath my feet and the surrounding air remained unchanged.

Is this the power of the Record’s Vessel?

[XXXX!]

Suddenly, a young male mage stepped into the center of the video.

Is that a young Albatron?

Where was his usual blue pointed hat? Instead, his sweat-drenched, messy hair flew wildly.

[XXXX!]

Albatron was walking around calling someone’s name, but for some reason, the name couldn’t be heard clearly.

“The sound is faint because your authority as the successor is low.”

“That damn authority keeps coming up. How do I increase it?”

“First, become stronger. Both body and soul.”

[Is that Albatron? It should be his usual working hours.]

[XXXX! This magic diagram—what on earth is this! Explain it properly!]

Albatron held a magic scroll.

Is that the magic circle drawn in the ruins? Its form looked familiar, so it must be.

[Such a terrible magic circle! This is not the one we originally intended to create!]

[It was, but that magic circle is too weak. Do you really think that can make our kingdom the world’s greatest empire?]

[Of course! It’s magic that summons a Spirit of Another World! That alone should give us enough power!]

[That’s not enough. We need something stronger.]

[XXXX!]

Albatron shouted angrily throughout the video.

The opposing voice, in contrast, was calm and leisurely.

Who was it?

Only the voice was captured in the video; no clue who that person was.

[This is an insult to me! You think I’d set up such a magic circle?! It’s a summoning circle that kills not hundreds, but tens of thousands! I quit!]

[Tsk. So that’s how it is. Can’t be helped. Farewell.]

“What?”

“Farewell.”

Albatron’s face, which had momentarily gone blank, instantly flushed red.

“You wouldn’t throw me out unprepared. Who are you?!”

“What are you talking about?”

Despite Albatron’s shouting, the man’s voice was indifferent.

“I’m the one who will make this damned magic circle instead of you!”

“I think I hear a voice desperately calling for me.”

“Parmesio!”

That time, the name was clear.

Albatron glared sharply at one side of the video, and simultaneously the Image Magic split in two.

On one side was Albatron, and on the other, an unfamiliar man appeared.

Wow, what’s this?

Can Image Magic be used like this? Double casting?

The man was very seductive.

His lips gleamed with dark purple lipstick, and his slightly droopy eyes with a tiny beauty mark created a subtle atmosphere.

“Long time no see, Albatron.”

[XXXXX! To think you’d summon a filthy demon’s lackey!]

“And what of it?”

“What did you say?”

“Have you already forgotten our vow? To end this war and raise our kingdom into an empire? Didn’t we laugh about selling our souls to demons for that purpose?”

[XXXXX, you really!]

Albatron’s rage radiated from his entire body.

The purest form of mana surrounded him.

At the same time, an ominous black aura began to surge from Parmesio’s body.

The power of both seemed roughly equal at first glance.

Parmesio, was it?

With such skill, he should be at least an 8th Circle Archmage, but why had I never heard his name in history?

“Albatron. Your naive faith is so complacent, it’s laughable. Ten thousand? That many lives can easily be filled with slaves. And with a hundred thousand, no, a million, people can be made happy.”

“Shut up! Are you going to let lives be lost because of your sophistry?!”

Mana exploded from both, and at the same time, the Image Magic ended.

Tia and I were back where we first met.

“This is the first level of Truth Fragment that a successor like you can see.”

“That moving image just now, it was magic?”

Tia smiled and shook her index finger side to side.

“Well-developed science is indistinguishable from magic. It’s not magic, it’s science.”

“Science can accomplish things like that.”

I was amazed, and Tia giggled as she sank back into the chair.

Science, huh? It reminded me of Senior Giselle.

She had imagined a world where science developed and wrote novels and strategy books about it.

She said that if science advanced, ordinary people who couldn’t wield mana could also do great things.

I never thought it could even wield power comparable to a great mage.

Amazing.

By the way, watching that video technology made me notice something strange.

“The man named Parmesio showed both his name and face.”

“That’s right.”

“The person talking to Albatron had neither a name nor a face visible, so why is only this guy visible?”

“Parmesio is just parasitizing Albatron’s record. He’s not someone worthy of being recorded in the Akashic Record.”

“What’s the criterion for that? From the video, it looks like Parmesio was the one who summoned the Demon King’s Castle. Isn’t that enough to be recorded in the Akashic Record?”

“I don’t know.”

Tia shrugged.

“I manage the Record’s Vessel, but I don’t know the exact standards. Judging from your inability to hear certain names, even if I knew, I probably wouldn’t tell you.”

Damn.

This Akashic Record never lets anything go smoothly.

“All right, it’s about time to wrap up.”

At that moment, Tia gestured in the air, and suddenly a book appeared in her hand.

Is that magic?

There was a reaction of mana just now.

She tossed the book to me.

“All the content from this Record’s Vessel is finished. You must have many more questions, but this book will substitute.”

I examined the book she handed me.

Maybe because it’s a book from the future.

The paper’s texture, spine, and cover finish were all exquisitely mysterious.

The paper was glossy and smooth.

It was so stiff and sharp-edged that I felt like I might cut my hand if I wasn’t careful.

And the cover… it was made of incredibly thick paper.

Moreover, the illustration felt incredibly lifelike.

The colors were vivid, and there was no trace of paint, as if a real object had been placed inside the picture.

This applied not only to the cover but also to all the illustrations inside the book.

What kind of technology could create a book like this?

Luckily, the letters on the cover were written in the continent’s common language.

[Principles and Applications of Flying Technique]

Of course, being able to read the sentence didn’t mean I could understand it.

I flipped through the pages but couldn’t comprehend any of the content.

What is this? Math formulas? Blueprints? Charts?

Ugh. Maybe I should ask Senior Giselle instead of trying to understand this alone.

“All right, let’s head back now.”

That seemed like a declaration.

The Akashic Record gradually faded, and the real world slowly reappeared.

I faintly heard Tia’s voice ringing in my ears.

“Even if the magic circles in the ruins disappear, the connection points won’t. Come here when you think you’ve grown strong enough. Then you’ll be able to see me again. Let’s play then. Farewell.”

“Hngh!”

Back in the real world, time seemed to have stopped just like before.

The old man’s shout of spirit and the staff slowly descending picked up speed, finally hitting the floor with a clack.

Drdrdrdr.

The ruins began to shake violently, as if about to collapse at any moment.

Small chunks of dirt started falling from the pillars and walls that had held the building firmly.

“Shouldn’t we leave?”

Viscountess Jamie looked at Lord Talio of the Magic Tower, panicked, but Talio shook his head.

“No, just stay.”

“You’re not going to let us all get crushed, right, old man?”

“Hmph! These young ones never listen even when told once! If they were my disciples, I’d have ordered an immediate retreat!”

The old man grumbled irritably, but that was his concern alone.

The tremors were no joke!

We hurried to Lady Elsia’s side and prepared to flee at a moment’s notice.

“Sage? There’s… light.”

At that moment, one of the mercenaries pointed to the ruins’ entrance, uttering something strange.

Light?

We were thirty meters underground.

There shouldn’t be any light coming in.

“R-Really, light’s coming in!”

“C-Could the ruins be rising?!”

Soon, the tremors that had violently shaken the ruins began to subside.

When the shaking stopped completely, we dashed toward the entrance.

“There’s an exit…”

It was truly a scene only magic could explain.

The hole in the ceiling that connected to the Demon King’s Castle first floor was completely gone, replaced by an ordinary building entrance.

“So this is where the Demon King’s Castle used to be.”

Lady Elsia looked around coldly.

Just as she said, the ruins had risen where the Demon King’s Castle once stood, which had vanished without a trace.

It wasn’t just this ruin.

Buildings bulged here and there across the plain.

The ruins buried underground had all risen simultaneously as soon as the magic circles were destroyed.

“Damn it, those fools. They stuck the blind old man in the ruins and went out among themselves? They must have used everything they could now.”

The old man finally came out grumbling, but none of us paid him any attention.

At least not yet.

“Consultant General. With Lady Titania’s consent, we’re getting married.”

“Oh, congratulations indeed, Duke!”

“By the way, I’m sorry, but you’re dismissed.”

“What?”

I was going to have to spend quite a long time with that crotchety old man.