Ch.406The Light of Resistance. Ortolan (3)

Though it may be disappointing to the 2 billion citizens of Ortolan, there wasn’t much to see aside from the first inn.

The only somewhat interesting features were the miniature displays showing the development from the early days when there was just a single inn to the current cityscape. But could such things really be called historical artifacts?

In truth, with its peculiar reputation as a hotel that became a city and its history of the first inn illuminating the area, it should have been designated as a historical site rather than a place of great achievement. Unfortunately, the selection seemed somewhat misplaced, especially considering that on the same continent, there were 1.5 million soldiers who sacrificed themselves to save 230 million people.

Nevertheless, the prevailing opinion among citizens was that somehow managing to feed and sustain a population of 2 billion without major issues was itself a great achievement. People from other parts of the Euphemia Continent also acknowledged that having 2 billion people crammed into one city was indeed remarkable, so there wasn’t much controversy surrounding its designation as a landmark.

The heart of this place, Euphemiad Valley, had a population of around 500 million, similar to Faerus Vale, which was certainly enough to qualify as a landmark based on sheer population alone.

However, there was one place that the citizens unanimously took pride in: the History Museum.

This History Museum was a repository of countless rare treasures collected, gathered, and purchased by the city over a million years, and the largest building in a city already known as a treasure trove of knowledge. There was a saying that while there might be people who had never visited the History Museum, there was no one who had visited only once—such was the place that supported the city’s long history.

The President and Vice President, whose faces had been flushed with embarrassment from showing lackluster historical sites after the first inn, regained their color as soon as the History Museum came into view. It was abundantly clear how significant this museum was to the citizens of this city.

“That is the History Museum.”

“It’s enormous…”

“The ground area alone is about 615 square kilometers! They sacrificed an area the size of a decent city just to preserve history. It’s the pride of this city, a sanctuary that could be called its spiritual backbone.”

“Indeed. It must have required tremendous resources.”

Even to the eyes of the Sun God, the majestic grandeur of the History Museum was something to appreciate.

Victor, who had frequently visited the municipal library in Parcifal to accumulate knowledge whenever he had the chance, couldn’t help but want to enter such a massive museum, regardless of what it contained.

Simon and the Dwarf brothers felt the same way. Reading the expressions of the party members, the President and Vice President smiled brightly as they guided them to the museum.

*

The interior of the museum was literally dazzling.

They had installed anchors even on the ceiling to display all kinds of artifacts, making it seem more like a general store than a museum. In any case, having so many things dangling from above didn’t create the neatest impression, but nevertheless, the ancient artifacts shone brilliantly.

And not in a figurative sense—they were literally emitting light.

Gold… red… blue… sky blue… purple… green… The ceiling was adorned with colors so diverse they could form a rainbow. It was like a cheap disco ball going crazy in a low-end club. Yet somehow it all blended naturally, perhaps because the Empire’s technology far surpassed that of the present day.

“How much did it cost to acquire all this?”

“Well, I’d estimate at least several hundred million gold coins? Since they’ve been collecting for a million years, that would be the minimum.”

“Several hundred million coins, huh.”

Victor, who once trembled with joy at earning just one gold coin, responded rather nonchalantly. While his threshold for amazement had certainly increased, the fact that they had been collecting since a million years ago meant they must have artifacts from before the Empire’s era.

Artifacts from before the Empire’s era were rare in the current age. Not only were there fewer relics from humanity’s dark ages, but they weren’t technologically superior even to modern mass-produced items, let alone artifacts from the Empire’s era.

Of course, there were exceptions like Jericania’s artificial sun that transcended common sense, but not all artifacts were such over-technology. The definition of an artifact was simply an object used in the past, so the category included both super-weapons capable of erasing entire continents and ordinary items like ancient forks.

“Are there any weapons here?”

“There are probably several artifacts that were used as weapons, but they wouldn’t function. That’s been confirmed through a direct request to the Imperial Family.”

“The Imperial Family…?”

“Ah… I apologize, Your Majesty. I mean the ‘former’ Imperial Family.”

“Hmm. Don’t worry about it. We’ll be seeing them soon anyway.”

“Yes…”

Victor hadn’t deliberately brought up the Imperial Family to make a point. He was just still somewhat bothered by the fact that Nariakira Sayuri was the only member of the former Imperial Family he had met so far. However, from others’ perspective, it appeared as though he was angered by the audacity of mentioning mere merchants who were still trading on a bloodline that had been severed 50,000 years ago in front of the true Emperor.

Fortunately, Victor showed no particular reaction. Had Victor’s temperament been more volatile, the Vice President might have automatically become the Acting President by now.

If one were to object that Victor was already quite volatile, that would only show how little they understood about how this world worked.

*

Chaaaarrrk!

“Oh… Is this some kind of map? Made of holograms.”

“These are quite common among the Empire’s artifacts. It’s a simple device that could be made even with modern technology.”

“Hmm.”

What would citizens of the Empire think if they saw the current era of extinction?

Seeing people worship a mere holographic map as if it were a sacred relic, they would probably think humanity had thoroughly ruined itself.

Unlike the Empire’s era when humans outnumbered even common insects, humans had now become so scarce that it would take a good week to walk to the nearest village.

The countless souls of the Empire, more numerous than the stars, met their death in an instant and turned to dew, never to set foot on this land again. This land belonged to the living, but the living praised death, called for unity with the gods, and thoroughly led the great human race down the path of destruction and doom.

“Someday, devices like this will be placed in schools and homes, not just museums.”

“If that happens, our era will have ended.”

“Our era…”

Victor nodded with a bitter smile.

Could he really be grouped together with them as “us”? Even if the President and Vice President died, Victor, being a god, would not. When did “our era” begin, how long would it last, and when would it end?

“Your Majesty?”

“No, don’t mind me. When you become a god… how should I put it… you have a lot more to think about.”

“Ah. I understand. Well then… moving on…”

The President and Vice President, though not curators, walked through the museum providing detailed explanations.

That’s how significant this History Museum was to the 2 billion citizens. Where would busy officials find time to accumulate such knowledge between stamping documents? They had visited the museum at every opportunity since childhood, so the knowledge was practically mapped into their spinal cords.

While some might find it unseemly or sentimental, Victor could only smile at the President and Vice President.

The thought settled in his mind: Ah… they are living such happy lives.

Culture can only flourish when basic survival needs are met. While he couldn’t judge how excellent these politicians were, at least all the people crowded around were wearing clean clothes and had plump, well-fed bodies.

In other words, their basic needs for clothing and food were being met.

Even from the Sky Warden, no homeless people were visible, meaning all 20 billion citizens were living with at least minimal dignity. This was something that had been impossible in Parcifal, which was much smaller, yet they had achieved it here.

The Iron Walker party followed the President and Vice President, absorbing thousands of artifacts and tens of thousands of years of history.

Peace and prosperity permeated this land, truly qualifying it as a landmark worthy of great achievement.