Ch.291Mountain Wisdom. Layer Archive (1)

# Layer.

The mountain range was named for its many overlapping layers of mountains, and at its deepest point stood the Archive, which people called the “Layer Archive” after the mountains themselves.

This place, zealously guarded by the Apostle of Knowledge and their followers, contained all the technological prowess of the old Empire. Victor needed to gain control of this Archive to establish his empire and, furthermore, to create a beacon that would illuminate the world.

Merely gaining access wasn’t enough. A systematic lock prevented anyone from obtaining more than fragmentary knowledge without full control rights. This was the Archive designers’ strategy—a desperate measure to prevent the devastation of the world through the misuse of partial knowledge.

Of course, now it was merely an obstacle, but considering the Age of Eclipse, it had been rather prescient.

Victor’s group had already struggled in naval battles against mere pirates wielding exoskeletons. If the knowledge contained in the Archive fell into the hands of those with twisted beliefs, it could truly mean the end of humanity.

“Control of the Archive… quite an abstract goal. But we must obtain it.”

When Simon said this, Victor nodded.

Knowledge was power, a weapon, and a luxury.

Considering how forces with guns were superior to those with swords, the matter was quite simple.

“It’s not just knowledge to build the lighthouse. Agriculture… medicine… if I could monopolize all the knowledge contained in the Archive, I could also distribute it to others. That would exponentially increase the forces willing to join us.”

As Victor spoke, Simon nodded.

That enormous Archive contained all the knowledge humanity had invented and discovered over 300,000 years.

Methods to transform wastelands into fertile soil, ways to turn dying infants into powerful soldiers, even instructions for creating perpetual motion machines… It was living proof that the Empire’s downfall had nothing to do with lack of technology.

“What about the Apostles of Knowledge? They surely won’t surrender control so easily…”

“I’ll subjugate them with my authority. They’re followers of knowledge and wisdom, Simon. They’re your kind. Which is more righteous—distributing books throughout a village, or collecting them in a library?”

“Well…”

“In chaotic times like the Age of Eclipse, the former would be more appropriate. You never know when someone might burn down a library. But now is the time to build libraries and fill them with books. And that library will be called the Victorian Empire.”

“Yes… I suppose that’s right.”

It was clear that peace fostered the collection of knowledge better than chaos. While certain knowledge might only be obtainable during turbulent times, unfortunately, during the 50,000 years of the Age of Eclipse, all such knowledge had long been collected. Even a dog that hangs around a classroom for three years can recite poetry—after 50,000 years of knowledge collection, virtually all technologies and wisdom had been stored in the Archive.

What remained was to utilize this accumulated knowledge.

Wisdom and knowledge aren’t precious merely by existing. Their value is determined by what they create.

No matter how knowledgeable someone is, if they don’t share it, they remain merely intelligent. But even with limited knowledge, if one creates something from it, they can be praised as a sage. That’s natural—knowledge develops through sharing and exchange.

“My lord, we’ll reach the Layer Archive in four hours.”

“Good.”

Victor nodded, gazing at the increasingly overlapping mountains.

It was time to cut into those mountains and unearth their secrets.

*

“He’s here.”

Librarian Michael, Apostle of the God of Wisdom, watched as the Sky Warden descended toward the city.

Outside the Archive’s entrance lay a sprawling city of 50 million inhabitants. It was a metropolis swollen to accommodate knowledge seekers from around the world, but the vessel called Sky Warden was landing with a presence that overwhelmed even this massive city.

And Michael did not view this favorably.

“Emperor of the Victorian Empire. How absurd.”

By now, information about his intention to establish not the restoration of the Nariakiran Empire but a second empire called the Victorian Empire would have spread across all thirteen continents.

People’s reactions fell into two categories:

Some dismissed it as preposterous ambition. Others believed that only he could reestablish an imperial system.

Michael fell somewhere in between.

He didn’t believe Victor could actually establish his empire, but neither did he underestimate Victor’s ambition and ability.

This was the first time a god walked the earth. Even trapped in mortal form, he was a deity—the incarnation of the sun itself.

To “underestimate” such a being was a matter of survival, and considering that only he possessed the authority, legitimacy, and justification to reunite the fragmented world, his purpose for coming here was crystal clear.

He had come to seize control of the Archive.

“Lord Michael, the scholars request your presence.”

“Tell them I’ll be there shortly.”

“Yes, sir.”

He gazed momentarily toward where the Sky Warden would be, hidden between skyscrapers in the city, then moved to meet the scholars.

Control of the Archive. Could he protect what had been guarded for thousands of years? He was skeptical.

His opponent was the God of Sages, while he was merely an apostle.

Although the Archive’s history proclaimed separation from the Empire, if someone sought the Archive’s knowledge not to restore the Nariakiran Empire but to establish a different one… how would the Archive’s founders respond?

“Hmm… I’m cornered, aren’t I? What strange thoughts I’m having.”

The dead don’t speak. The responsibility to make choices falls solely on those living in the present era.

And Michael opened the door to the conference room where scholars awaited, preparing to face the God of Sages who had returned from death.

“The Librarian Michael, Apostle of Logos, foremost in knowledge and wisdom, has arrived!”

“Everyone, be seated. Let us begin the meeting.”

Yes.

It was time to make a choice.

And the guardians of the Archive would face the consequences of that choice.

*

As if mocking their meeting, Victor’s group had secured the best hotel in the city and was depleting the room service menu in their suite.

“Darling, is it alright to be so leisurely?”

“Simon says their meetings typically last a week once they start. They’re probably in endless discussions about how to receive us.”

“I see…”

Today was January 33rd, 1203, meaning Victor’s birthday would be February 3rd in just ten days.

Now that he was far from an ordinary person’s life, it was unclear whether to call it a birthday or a divine birth anniversary.

“Pushing too hard would only create resentment. They’ve guarded the Archive for 50,000 years, so flimsy logic would only invite counterattacks. Imagine people even smarter than Simon, in droves. Can you picture that?”

“…No, I can’t. How smart would they have to be?”

“Well… I’m not a sage, so I don’t know. But here, the logic of force doesn’t apply—only the logic contained in words is considered truth. We mustn’t forget that. A torch brought to densely written text will only burn it, and sunlight will only fade the pages of a book.”

Victor said this as he drank apple brandy. He could now drink it like water, and as the God of Sages, he had no health concerns, but he always savored his apple brandy.

Perhaps this too was a struggle not to lose his humanity. Or, it might be the desperate struggle of a copy trying not to degrade the memories of the original.

“I’m already 19 years old. Time flies. Your birthday was in April, wasn’t it?”

“Yes. April 5th.”

Raisha said this and nestled into Victor’s embrace. It had been three years since their adventure began.

Though they had experienced an unimaginable number of events during that time, Victor was still Victor.

Just as Raisha was still Raisha.