Ch.284The Road to the Hyacinth Continent (1)

Hyacinth.

It was the name of the fifth continent connecting Faerune, Miriam, Meridia, and Yenisei.

“There are four famous landmarks in Hyacinth.”

“There are only four to begin with.”

“Hush now. Quiet.”

Simon the Eternal, who had attained immortality, lightly brushed off Lucia’s interjection and began explaining each landmark.

First, the place where great achievements were born: Mount Layer, which holds the history of Hyacinth.

A massive archive had been built on this mountain, with a history so deep that it was constructed during the late Imperial period, almost right before the Age of Eclipse began.

When the Imperial family lost public support through tyranny, and the exclusive divinity of the sun and moon was shaken by the ascension of the Four, scholars who boasted transcendent civilization pooled their money and resources to begin constructing a massive archive on Mount Layer in the Hyacinth continent.

The defensive facilities, boasting paranoid protection capable of withstanding laser orbital bombardment and ground collapse, survived intact through the great destruction of the Age of Eclipse when humanity experienced rapid regression. Now it has become virtually the only facility preserving the technological and cultural heritage of the old Imperial era.

However, very few people actually accessed the archive to extract technology. This was partly because the mountain range itself was so treacherous that it was difficult to approach without an airship or aircraft, but mainly because understanding Imperial-era technology fully required Imperial-era technological capabilities.

For example, suppose one wanted to build a nuclear fusion reactor using the archive’s technology.

Even if built according to the blueprints, the fusion reactor would melt down. This was because Imperial-era designs naturally assumed the use of far superior Imperial-era steel rather than the mortal-era alloys available now.

Then couldn’t one acquire the technology to make that steel? Of course, that too was based on Imperial technology, trapping one in an endless spiral of needing to learn the foundational technology behind each foundational technology.

In truth, there was nothing strange about this. The Imperial era lasted over 300,000 years, and the technological achievements and density accumulated during those 300,000 years transcended the imagination of those living in the Mortal era.

The current Mortal era has already progressed for 1,200 years—twelve centuries—but the Imperial era lasted a staggering 300,000 years, or 3,000 centuries, making it humanity’s longest civilization. Any rulers who thought they could simply appropriate the technological pinnacles of such a civilization should kneel down and repent.

“An archive… Simon, you must really like that, don’t you?”

“Well, yes. But we have no means to obtain that knowledge. We don’t have access rights to the archive… Above all, the archive’s builders were people who gathered to escape the Imperial tyranny and the Eye of the Sun. They wouldn’t bow to you just because you’re an Apostle of the Sun.”

“Hmm… I suppose you’re right. They endured the Age of Eclipse through sheer tenacity, so there would be limits to what even an Apostle could do.”

The archive was protected by the descendants of the original builders, along with followers of Logos, the god of wisdom.

As the guardian of all knowledge, Logos was absolutely determined to defend the Layer Archive, the pinnacle of all technologies discovered and invented by humanity. By turning into fertilizer for the soil anyone who tried to monopolize it—other kings and nobles, as well as apostles of Karil or Moneta—Logos had tenaciously protected the archive until now.

The light of the Sun could not penetrate their fanatical belief and faith in the protection of knowledge.

“Alright, I understand about the Layer Archive. What’s next?”

“Let’s see… next is…”

The most beautiful place in Hyacinth.

The Pale Forest.

“The Pale Forest!”

Upon hearing those words, Viktor’s spine automatically stiffened.

What was the Pale Forest if not the landmark featured in that crumpled book that had inspired Viktor to want to travel the world!

“The Pale Forest is literally a vast forest area where pure white trees grow in clusters… The indigenous Wood Elves there are famous for their pale skin, as if painted with powder, unlike Wood Elves from other regions…”

“Aren’t Wood Elves supposed to be goblin-colored?!”

Cassia exclaimed with wide eyes.

Since the vast majority of people recognized Wood Elves as having goblin-like skin color, Wood Elves with different skin color could only come across as refreshingly and stimulatingly novel.

“That’s why those Wood Elves are also called Pale Wood Elves. Even the World Tree there is said to be pale in color.”

“Even the World Tree is white!”

Amidst Berkman’s exclamation, Simon continued his explanation.

During the Age of Eclipse, all manner of biological weapons and chemical agents were indiscriminately deployed to reduce the opposing faction’s productivity.

The Pale Forest was originally a forest dying from such reckless viruses and toxins, but a small number of Wood Elves, determined to protect the forest even at the cost of their lives, cared for the forest spirits and life spirits even as their skin and internal organs dissolved from extreme poison. Moved by this utmost devotion, the forest spirits burned their own lives to purify the forest, giving birth to the current Pale Forest.

In other words, the reason the Pale Forest is pale is because the trees grew from soil infused with the ashes of corpses. Behind its beauty and wonder lies tragedy stemming from the greatest catastrophe in human history, and the sacrifice that resulted from it.

At the mention of the Age of Eclipse, Viktor’s face instantly hardened.

For him, an Apostle of the Sun, the period when the sun’s light couldn’t reach the earth was inevitably sensitive.

Even if the sun might someday have to be extinguished, he was still an Apostle of the Sun.

“And the historical landmark is the Arius Underground City…”

Arius Underground City.

It was where the last Imperial remnants fought to the death serving the final ‘Emperor’ before being annihilated. Their fall was essentially equivalent to the first year of the Mortal era.

After the demise of the Nariaki, the last loyal faction of the Empire, humanity abandoned the Imperial calendar and created the current calendar, the Mortal era (A.P., After Perish).

This was another place that severely scratched at the heart of Viktor, the Apostle of the Sun.

The last remnants of a fallen empire… If he couldn’t gain insight here, the empire he would establish might meet the same end.

As the last flame of an empire that had survived for 350,000 years, the Arius Underground City was certainly worthy of being designated a historical landmark.

“Lastly, what’s the religious landmark?”

“The religious landmark is Irshen, Moneta’s birthplace.”

Moneta, the goddess of abundance.

She was the one who bestowed blessings upon those who engaged in diligent labor and solid effort, and who governed prosperity and abundance.

For this reason, she was the deity most worshipped by laborers and merchants. Because her domain of “prosperity and abundance” was so vast, she was a goddess who knowingly or unknowingly encroached upon the domains of other gods.

No matter how good one is at fighting, salted earth has no value; no matter how pleasurable hedonism might be, it is empty without prosperity through happiness; and knowledge that doesn’t bring abundance is merely fantasy and empty talk.

Only when what is gained through battle and war is preserved, only when one prospers through pleasure and happiness, only when knowledge brings progress and development to create abundance—only then do the powers of the gods have meaning.

“Moneta…”

Unlike other gods, Moneta didn’t really have anything to be criticized for.

Was there any nation or organization that disparaged diligent labor and solid effort? Probably not. Though idle people living off others might find it distasteful.

But she, too, was ultimately one of the Four.

Her blessings do not distinguish between good and evil. Moneta equally sprinkles her blessings on those who work diligently to destroy nations and those who make solid efforts to ruin others.

Her domain, reaching humanity’s most fundamental desire for ‘achievement,’ was broad and vast, and Viktor thought she might be the most powerful goddess among the Four.

“I wonder what the birthplace of the goddess of prosperity and abundance looks like… I’m looking forward to it.”

“Isn’t that why we’re going? So what’s our destination?”

“Let’s go Irshen – Layer – Arius – Pale Forest. As always, save the most beautiful for last.”

“Like saving the strawberry on top of a cake.”

Simon laughed heartily.

Perhaps it was due to the elixir, but Simon’s laughter seemed particularly light today.

“Then our course is set. Navigator! Set course for Irshen!”

“Yes, my lord! Inform the bridge! Change destination to Irshen!”

Clank!

With the sound of chains turning, the direction of the propulsion system changed.

As a clear direction was set for the Sky Warden, which had been endlessly searching for the next continent, she began to soar with the wind like a migratory bird.