Ch.399The Road to Euphemia Continent (2)

In such a world, to think I was already on my way to the 11th continent—truly, I was filled with boundless emotion.

“Time seems to flow too quickly.”

“Then why don’t you make it slower?”

“How on earth do you even come up with such things?”

Viktor was engaged in casual banter with the dwarf brothers. Only two continents remained now. However, since Centrum, the final continent, was the greatest of all continents and home to the imperial throne, effectively only one continent remained ahead.

The Sun opened a massive book with a yawn and searched for information about famous sites in the Euphemia continent.

“Let’s see… what do we have here.”

Simon wasn’t coming. Having overindulged in honeycomb ice cream, his stomach was now coated with wax, and he was busy emptying it in the bathroom. This is what happens when you get excited about not aging anymore and gorge yourself.

Anyway, the famous sites of the Euphemia continent included…

[Historical Site: Myers Hills]

-During the Eclipse Era. The Imperial Army’s 1173 Corps acted independently, gathering numerous refugees and relocating them to a single refugee camp. The 1173 Corps brought together believers of both the Emperor and the Four Great Gods without discrimination, implementing strict rationing while maintaining rigid discipline and military order. They gathered deserters and defeated soldiers from nearby areas to replenish their losses from ongoing battles, and periodically sent out search and reconnaissance teams to gather resources needed for the refugee camp.

For an astounding 300 years, they maintained the name and military discipline of the 1173 Corps, protecting the refugee camp until the end, allowing approximately 230 million people to maintain basic necessities. However, their actions were the result of disobeying the Imperial Army Command’s orders. As the Eclipse Era intensified in its early stages, the remaining government forces decided to suppress them under the banner of “rebel subjugation,” while the rebel forces sought to eliminate them as “imperial remnants.”

A combined force of 13 million troops gathered, and the 1173 Corps, with only 1.5 million combat personnel, vowed to fight to the death to protect those gathered in the refugee camp. Though they could no longer receive the Emperor’s voice or the Sun’s warmth, they forced even those who volunteered to fight alongside them to evacuate, as they faced both government and rebel forces. It was clear that if they fell, the refugees would be exposed and executed—by government forces for harboring rebels, or by rebel forces for serving a false emperor.

The result was a desperate three-year defensive battle. Through more than 160 sieges, the 1173 Corps attached mechanical devices to the bodies of the fallen to create cyborg combatants, used bodies beyond salvation as biochemical batteries, and chemically processed the remaining organic matter into water and food. Despite consuming all supplies stored in the refugee camp, the 1173 Corps resisted until the very end. Just before the 161st siege began, the last 115 officers and soldiers committed mass suicide.

In the end, neither the government nor the rebels could break the will of the 1173 Corps soldiers. After the Eclipse Era ended, the 230 million people they had saved designated the entire refugee camp as a historical site in 0056 of the Extinction Calendar, honoring where they made their final stand.-

“Hmm… a last stand.”

If nowhere else, this was a place he absolutely had to visit. Although they had committed the grave offense of disobeying orders, the fact that 1.5 million people maintained basic necessities for over 230 million people for 300 years demonstrated their true military spirit.

If the remaining government had belatedly recognized their actions, or if the rebels had shown even a little mercy, their military governance might have continued not for 300 years but for 3,000. The fact that they neither transformed into a warlord state nor declared themselves a government over those 300 long years proved their unwavering loyalty that would not fade even after centuries.

Truly, isn’t it regrettable?

Look at the world now—religious discord still persists, yet a warrior who believes in Karil has a virgin who believes in Medina sneaking into his house for a night visit, while a merchant who believes in Moneta sells her aphrodisiacs, and the virgin’s parents who believe in Logos provide their daughter with ovulation inducers.

Perhaps after more than 50,000 years of a world gone mad, where people killed each other and poured out all their hatred, things have finally calmed down.

Though Viktor’s appearance caused some fractures, ultimately everything was settled when the Four Great Gods entered under the Sun in the form of the Four Great Angels.

Viktor nodded and turned to the next page.

[Site of Great Achievement: City of Ortolan]

-Before the Empire was born, during the Age of Darkness, most people lived in small settlements and bunkers, fearing monsters and darkness. However, for humanity’s birthright of prosperity and flourishing, they eventually had to face the darkness, and people began traveling between bunkers, trenches, pioneering territories, and colonies. The Ortolan Hotel was the first hotel created by humanity after being scattered across 13 continents, built at a transportation hub to protect numerous travelers from the darkness.

Monsters of darkness tried to destroy and conquer this hotel, but each time, not only the staff but also the guests joined forces to drive them away. The Ortolan Hotel continued to expand, adding new buildings and increasing in size until it developed into a village, and then into a city.

For humanity, which was then merely hiding in the darkness, the existence of Ortolan, which began to brightly light lamps above ground, brought tremendous morale. The people of Euphemia felt great pride seeing Ortolan’s lights and continued to expand their territory and fight against monsters.

By the Imperial Era, Ortolan’s floating population reached 53 trillion, and its current resident population is estimated at about 2 billion (as of 1158). Although it no longer wields the same influence as before, it accumulated so much wealth during the Dark Age that it can accomplish everything with its own population alone, and is still recognized as a leading regional power in Euphemia.-

“A hotel that developed into a city. Interesting.”

Viktor said this while imprinting the name Ortolan in his mind. In the Age of Darkness, when resources were absolutely scarce, building even a single hotel was worthy of admiration, let alone creating an entire city.

A city of 2 billion—might this be the largest city Viktor had ever visited? The heart city of the Faerun continent, Faerus Vale, had a population of about 500 million, so this was simply four times larger.

[Religious Site: Mount Kabalaia]

-During the Eclipse Era, deformed monsters who escaped from laboratories or prisons collectively settled here. These monsters had gained intelligence through imperial experiments and could communicate with humans. Using this intelligence, they protected the humans living at the foot of the mountain, and in return, humans provided them with food and other necessities, forming a primitive community.

The monsters eventually failed to survive the Eclipse Era and went extinct, but even in modern times, the citizens of Mount Kabalaia consider the upper slopes where the monsters lived to be forbidden territory and do not approach carelessly. Each season—spring, summer, autumn, and winter—they prepare food and incense to hold memorial services honoring the spirits of the monsters.

Mount Kabalaia was designated as a religious site in 320 of the Extinction Calendar, highly regarded for the fact that humans religiously worshipped monsters, and that intelligent monsters also considered humans as beings to be protected.-

“Coexistence with monsters. I’ve never even thought of such a thing.”

Perhaps the Eclipse Era was truly that desperate. Although he had no intention of going to a forbidden area, he might be able to see what these “monsters” looked like.

[Beautiful Site: Lake Ariel]

-A natural lake formed by clear underground water welling up from below. Known for being very clear and clean, the moonlight reflected on the lake has long been famous for its dreamlike and beautiful quality. During the Imperial Era, it was used by women who worshipped the moon for purification rituals while bathing in the moonlight at night.

It was designated as the most beautiful site in 113 of the Extinction Calendar, and immersing oneself in the lake or engaging in fishing activities is strictly prohibited.-

“The moon…”

His wife’s cheek, resting against his shoulder, felt particularly soft.

Perhaps this place was meant not for him, but for her.