Ch.71The Great Sinner (3)

# That Day, I Left the Empire

That day, I left the Empire.

I commissioned the construction of a grand mansion large enough to house all my loved ones and more. I vowed not to return until I had mastered the principles of life and applied them.

My wandering took me on horseback, riding a steed so swift it crossed the horizon several times a day. At the end of this long journey, I arrived at an impoverished village.

In truth, it was barely worthy of being called a village. It was more like a gathering of humans who, while belonging to the Empire, had slipped through the cracks of governance.

“I’ve found quite a good place.”

The conditions were ideal. Moreover, while traversing the nearby mountains, I discovered a large cavern. With this, I secured a sanctuary to pursue truth.

Afterward, I secretly employed people to procure books and supplies. The contents were mainly medical texts and experimental tools.

In the corner, a golden chain emitted the only glow in the dreary cavern, flaunting itself.

An environment prepared with every necessity. But the final piece was missing. There was an essential, fundamental condition required to pursue the truth of life.

Humans. I needed to procure living humans.

In that sense, the impoverished village below the cavern was truly perfect. Once my preparations were complete, I went down to the village and said:

“I will send the families of those who offer themselves to the Empire and care for them for life.”

“Is… is that true, my lord?”

The effect was dramatic. Especially the elderly and the sick, who had little time left, eagerly volunteered.

They hoped their families wouldn’t have to live as vagrants and prostitutes.

Though this was strictly forbidden by Imperial law, I didn’t care. I had the privilege to approach truth, displayed for all to see. I had the privilege of immunity, washing away sins and evading responsibility.

“Ha, haha!”

I wasn’t wrong. I, I, I certainly. Can be forgiven. Isn’t it a right granted by Astel? It’s grace bestowed by my god. I am not a sinner. While postponing detection as long as possible, I, can do.

[That’s enough.]

‘Ugh!?’

From the sky, the ground, or perhaps inside my head, someone’s thought resonates with a ringing sound. Damn it, interrupting me when I’m about to do something important…!

[Don’t get entangled in the past. Who defines you?]

‘Define? What defines me…’

At that moment, a vision of white, slender hair fluttering appeared before my eyes. A blue that melts away the impure and unholy came to mind.

It wasn’t Lorian Feita. Not Yernia, nor the colors of Astelnerca. Different from the traces of my friends…

‘Irefi.’

Irefi Justitia. The light of my salvation I first encountered in the dark Great Cavern. That prim woman. My first love.

I am not Netionpis. Not Nes either. Only the name she gave me, Nepy. That was how she defined me, how I defined myself.

[Are you coming to your senses?]

‘How embarrassing.’

[That’s enough.]

‘Ugh.’

[Even so, confessing past sins isn’t so bad. Look, this is the beginning of the first sin.]

A line of humans heads toward the Great Cavern. People who accepted Netionpis’s proposal don’t hesitate to become sacrifices for his research. Some might excuse this as a fair trade.

Netionpis went through the same rationalization process. He buried unacceptable ethical violations under power and convention. And he justified it to himself.

[This is my first sin. Losing the self I left in the past.]

‘You old man…’

An orphan who entered the world and was swept along by the current until becoming a male prostitute. He was just a powerless child who desperately waited each day for a meal.

He always spent his nights trembling in fear.

Being toyed with by women several times his age was something he could endure.

But the kind of people who purchased humans from brothels truly terrified him.

He was horrified by humans who stripped away humanity and transformed into bestial personalities.

He became buried in harsh reality and forgot his past. He erased his former self who hated human trafficking more than anyone.

It was the first sin that sprouted malice.

[Don’t lose yourself.]

Netionpis left those final words and cut off his mental connection.

◇

Netionpis occasionally surveyed the outside scenery. Sometimes gentle spring breezes blew. There were times when fallen leaves were trampled, and seasons when heavy snow passed.

He immersed himself in research, forgetting even the flow of time. Combining Astel’s statements with his independent research, he produced abnormal results. He prided himself on approaching the answer to the world.

It was truly a fulfilling period. More diligent than any farmer, making even renowned scholars look like children with runny noses. No, it was an achievement.

“Kuk, haha! Yes, so that’s what it was!”

Astel. You told me I was the wisest among us. Yes, amazing. I am certainly a once-in-a-lifetime genius.

I’ll show you soon. The truth I’ve found, the answer to fate. I may have grasped the clue to eternal immortality. Who else but me could understand this!

What if I had realized this at twenty? No, that would have been impossible. There wasn’t enough time then. War. I was busy playing soldier. If I had started my research earlier, the war would have ended in half a year… no, even sooner. Maybe in just one quarter.

“It’s a shame, but this is good in its own way.”

Perfect timing.

Though my brain may have aged, experience and expertise support me. I can reach it. I’m reaching it. Just a little more, more, more! The truth of the world hidden beyond the golden light!

For an instant, my mind flashed with an intense white light.

It felt like experiencing the enlightenment of a sage.

“Yes! That’s what it was…”

Finally, I have glimpsed into the world.

“But this might need cross-verification.”

Aselln is still an excellent scholar. It’s time to venture outside after a long while. That fellow Aselln, he’ll surely be shocked to hear these results. I’m looking forward to it.

Has the Empire changed much? How much time has passed? Ah, I should also pay attention to my appearance. There seems to be a lot to prepare.

And so Netionpis revealed himself to the outside world. Not knowing how he had changed…

Madness and obstinacy derived from love flickered in his ruby-like eyes.

◇

“What business do you have? The knight of Chester who reportedly drove the family’s knights to the brink of death?”

“I was merely imitating Bartlant’s sword, has the report been so distorted? They kept blocking my way, so I had no choice, Aselln.”

“You…”

An unpleasant look seeped through Aselln’s round spectacles. Netionpis had noticed it long ago but just smiled slyly.

“Where have you been hiding all this time? Building a mansion as large as the imperial palace only to leave it empty. Not showing your face regardless of the imperial situation. It’s been 17 years. That’s how long you’ve been missing. Do you know? The imperial court has declared they’ll pronounce you dead if there’s no news for one more year.”

“Has it been that long? No wonder I felt I’d aged.”

“You look young though. Excessively so.”

Aselln’s words weren’t sarcasm. Literally, Netionpis looked young. At most, he appeared to have aged only about two years since Yernia’s death.

He had always looked younger than his age. The sense of incongruity was inevitable.

“In pursuit of immortality, this is still not enough.”

“What?”

“Immortality, I mean. Why must life die? What is breath that once extinguished cannot be rekindled? I decided to find the answer and overturn it.”

“Don’t tell me you’re still…!”

“Well, let’s set that aside. The reason I came to see you, Aselln, is to share my research results. I thought you would understand.”

“Research?”

“The world Astel was looking at. The fruit of years exploring beyond it. Where should I begin? Let me start by explaining the concept of possibility.”

Netionpis stood up arbitrarily and ran his fingertips along the bookshelf on the wall. He was looking for a specific type of book. The one he picked up was a novel containing fictional adventures.

“Aselln. What is this?”

“A novel, I see.”

“Right, it’s a novel. Is this reality then?”

“Stop with the foolish talk. It’s just a common creative work.”

“No, it could be merely a creative work.”

“What do you mean?”

Netionpis’s lips trembled slightly. He smiled like an excited child about to make a grand announcement.

“The Chainlich Phenomenon. You know it, right?”

“A terrible calamity.”

“The creatures that emerge from it are life forms from different dimensions, different worlds. The reason they all appear black is due to the erosion of their essence from dimensional resistance. The Chainlich proves the existence of otherworlds unrelated to ours. Then how many otherworlds are there? One? Two? No, they’re infinite like the stars in the universe.”

Netionpis continued with increasing fervor. He paid no attention to Aselln’s blank stare.

“From the concepts of infinity and possibility, we can infer the existence of otherworlds with histories identical to this novel. In other words, we could be observers of a world identical to the novel. Similarly, our world and history might be consumed in the form of creative works in other worlds. They might be observed by intelligent beings from otherworlds!”

“What…”

“Astel saw fragments of truth, but as a person bound to the world, he intervened too much in history. He had to receive dimensional resistance. His short life was inevitable. But what if an observer unrelated to our world changes history? An observer is an infinite free agent. There would be no risk.”

“…”

“The monsters of the Chainlich are the same. They alter history, but eventually perish due to the dimensional resistance they receive when entering our world. Moreover, just by being present at the scene of alteration, one is already part of the altered history. The Chain Disease is a self-purification mechanism to seal the witnesses of altered history…”

“Wait, Netionpis. Hold on.”

“Ah, yes. I’ve been talking too much about myself. What do you think?”

“Not at all.”

“Huh?”

“Not at all. I don’t understand a single thing. Netionpis, I have no idea what you’re trying to do anymore.”

“Hmm, well. Since this is the essence of over a decade of research, I understand if you can’t grasp it immediately. The point is, if one observes the world from the position of an observer, the efficiency of finding the truth of immortality would be incomparably…”

“Enough!”

Boom!

“… Huh?”

Aselln was an intellectual and calm person. Even when bewildered and impatient, he was a man who narrowed his eyes and thought with cold reason. Yet now he slammed his desk forcefully and lost his temper.

For Netionpis, this was a perplexing reaction. His pupils trembled unusually.

“What are you trying to do?”

“Share my research results, right? If the two of us work together, we could achieve better…”

“I don’t care about that.”

“Aselln? If you knew how encouraging this proto-theory is, you would definitely…”

“Netionpis.”

“Yes?”

“Where did you go first after arriving in the Empire?”

“Here, of course.”

“You call that an answer? I could listen to your not-so-funny theories all night if necessary. But what did you disappear for? Abandoning the imperial palace, neglecting Lorian, what do you want to do?”

“I told you, Aselln.”

“You told me?”

“Immortality.”

“Are you serious?”

“Of course. Compared to the perpetual life I’ll enjoy in the future, this is just a minor time allocation. I chose this path because it’s more efficient.”

Netionpis didn’t even twitch an eyebrow. Aselln opened and closed his mouth several times at the nonchalant answer before sighing.

“… Fine. Let’s talk when your head has cooled down. Go see Lorian first.”

“Alright. Ah, I miss Lorian. We’ve been apart for too long.”

“You madman… You’re insane right now.”

Aselln had a fouler mouth than the warrior Bartlant. Since it was a customary curse, there was no need to take it seriously.

Netionpis genuinely thought so.

As he was about to open the door and leave, Aselln’s words stopped him.

“Come to think of it, mentioning the Chainlich reminds me. You said you had no interest in worldly matters for over a decade.”

“That’s right.”

“Then you must be hearing about the Saint and the Hero for the first time.”

“Those are grand titles.”

“They deserve to be grand. After all, they’re the ones who close the rifts of the Chainlich.”

“Oh, tell me more, Aselln.”

“First, the Hero is the Saint’s guardian knight. To put it bluntly, he’s simply in charge of combat. However, the Saint… she manipulates space. From spatial jumps that cross continental borders in an instant to spatial closures that seal Chainlich rifts. She’s a being with abilities beyond human realm.”

“Ha! What, is she a god or something?”

“Who knows. There’s intelligence suggesting she’ll visit the Empire soon, so you might meet her.”

“Is that so…”

Netionpis’s lips curved into a sinister arc. How long had it been since his heart had been so excited? It felt like having the master key to open an unknown door right before his eyes.

“A Saint who manipulates space… kuk.”

If she can close space, can she also tear it? Perhaps through torn space, one could observe the causality of the world.

If that were permitted, I could become an observer surpassing Astel. Finding the key to immortality wouldn’t be just a dream.

“I’m looking forward to it.”