Chapter 83 : Lucian’s Purpose
Chapter 83. Lucian’s Purpose
“Ever since I was young, I liked reading old manuscripts. There were many of them in my father’s study. And my father liked that I read such things.”
And so, Lucian said he had obtained various pieces of information from Ian’s study.
“I found a book that explained something called a Sanctuary, referred to as the [Sanctuary of the Prophet.] At first, I thought it was just a fairy tale. It was filled with utterly far-fetched nonsense. But when I grew older and read it again, I started to think that maybe it really could have been so.”
“What kind of content was it?”
“That book contained stories about those known as Designated Humanity and Preserved Civilization… and it also included information about the Labellum bookstore.”
“A book that explains the Sanctuary…….”
“It’s generally assumed that ancient humanity possessed a low level of civilization.”
Humans in this world, too, had started as primitives, gradually developing civilization, new technologies, weapons, ideologies, and philosophies.
And thus they had arrived at the modern age.
“However, not all ancient humans had a low-level civilization. In a very small, limited region, they had achieved a high level of civilization. That is the Sanctuary.”
“From what I heard from that angel, the Sanctuary was created by the unique magic used by the first mage.”
“Yes, that’s correct. In the book, he is called the [Prophet.] He has no name and remains only as a concept—the first Archmage.”
“So what does the Sanctuary have to do with Ian?”
“To answer that, I need to explain the reason the Sanctuary exists. When the Prophet created the Sanctuary, it was for the preservation of humanity.”
“Preservation?”
“Yes. In the era when the Prophet lived, humanity was an extremely fragile race. At the time, there were countless races that wielded overwhelming power. Though they have since fallen, disappeared somewhere, or gone into hiding, the Prophet feared that humans could be wiped out at any moment.”
Thus, the Prophet created the Sanctuary with his unique magic and relocated a portion of humanity into it.
“The things described in the book were nothing short of unbelievable. Combining matter in any desired way to create machines and achieve infinite abundance, medicines that reverse aging with a single dose to maintain youth, and even creating artificial worlds to sustain entertainment. It all sounds like complete nonsense, of course.”
Yul knew of such a future. Though he had thought of it as something that would occur only in a far-distant future, even on Earth.
“Technologically, it’s not impossible. It’s doable even without magic. Just in a future several hundred years away.”
“……It’s hard to believe it’s possible without magic. In any case, it’s said that they possessed one special device.”
“What is it?”
“An object called the Humanity Disc. The book describes it as a special device meant to preserve humanity’s unique legacy.”
“The Humanity Disc?”
“Yes. The description went like this.”
[When one considers humanity’s potential, it is certain that, throughout human history, truly extraordinary figures will emerge. A peerless strategic genius who appears only once in a millennium; a hero who slays the most vile and terrible Demon King; a mage who achieves feats that may take a century to comprehend; a mathematician who gives birth to concepts of staggering scale, and so on. And yet, these individuals can live no more than a little over a hundred years, and some will meet their end far earlier, while still young. Such potential is simply too precious to be wasted.]
“It is said that the Prophet, having said this, went on to invent the Humanity Disc.”
[If their final moments could be preserved, if a portion of time could be reversed and recorded within the Humanity Disc, then humanity’s great legacy would remain, and by borrowing their power when needed, the continuation of humanity would be ensured forever.]
“So that means…… people were essentially preserved like specimens?”
“If I had to speculate, yes. My father may have achieved some accomplishment worthy of being recorded in human history, and thus may have been inscribed into the Humanity Disc.”
Of course, Ian was a great figure who should never have died that way. But was such a thing truly possible?
“How would that even be possible?”
“I don’t know the exact mechanism either. But when I heard that my father turned into light and vanished, that was what suddenly came to mind.”
“We can find out for sure, can’t we? If Ian wasn’t the only one in history to vanish in such a way, then if there are records, we might be able to learn the truth.”
“Yes. Perhaps.”
It was all perhaps. But Lucian continued.
“I don’t believe any human is born with a purpose. But I do believe that some humans need a purpose in order to live. And that is me right now.”
“A journey to find your father, who may or may not even exist? And you’re taking classes in the Department of Navigation for that?”
“That’s in preparation for any possibility later. We don’t know whether the Sanctuary is on land or at sea, do we? It might even be on another continent.”
Yul crossed his arms and pondered, then spoke.
“For now, we just need to investigate, right? We can meet an angel who can explain the existence of the Sanctuary.”
“But time…….”
“It only takes a day to go back and forth to Frangia. Just clear one day.”
“One day is enough? For that long distance?”
Lucian blinked his eyes and then nodded his head.
* * *
Sunday morning.
“Buuuaaargh!”
The moment they landed, Lucian was spilling a rainbow-colored vital liquid. Of course, it was vomit.
“I-I’m never, never riding that again.”
“Mm-hm. You’ll ride it again on the way back.”
“Please spare me. I’ll go back slowly.”
“Mm-hm. You have class tomorrow.”
Having experienced the true thrill of Yul’s flight, Lucian was so overjoyed that he wanted to ride it again. Oh, is this what it feels like to kidnap an 'Assei' to the Marine Fortress?
“I said we could get there in a day, right? Of course, the price is your semicircular canals.”
““Grrr-le-glub.”.”
Yul hoisted the collapsed Lucian over his shoulder like a piece of luggage and moved on.
There was a small incident where a few Frangian people mistook it for the kidnapping of a noble young master and rushed in, but it was resolved without issue.
And around the time Lucian regained consciousness.
“W-where are we, Yul?”
“Oh. You’re awake. Right now, we’re in Lotharingia, the capital of Frangia. Ah… I heard the capital’s name changed after this victory? It’s now called Trombille.”
The capital’s name had been changed because Lotharingia reminded people of the old kingdom.
“I did hear from the newspapers that the King of Victory had taken power, but… the civil war is completely over now.”
“It was over by the time I got back.”
After setting Lucian down, they walked further into the capital. Crowds of people filled the streets.
“S-so this is Frangia’s capital.”
“What do you think?”
“I feel like my dream of going abroad is being fulfilled, even if only a little.”
“Sounds like you wanted to go abroad to begin with?”
“Traveling by boat has been my dream since I was a child. Well, that was before I started learning magic engineering.”
The bustle of Frangia’s capital was impressive.
“Can you understand the language?”
“No. But I can make out some of it. Since we’re neighboring countries, there’s a lot that’s similar.”
“Don’t get distracted. We’re here.”
They arrived at a deserted alley.
“Why is there no one here?”
“I don’t know either. Some kind of magic?”
“Perhaps a formula is at work that repels those who do not perceive the target.”
They arrived at Labellum. As usual, the angel greeted them with a beaming face inside the bookstore.
“Welcome.”
“Hello? An angel in a bookstore is rather strange.”
“As you go through life, don’t you occasionally meet a shopkeeper who is an angel?”
Not likely.
“Nice to meet you. I am Lucian Beltein.”
“I am a bookstore employee of the Designated Humanity.”
“Do you have a name that people call you?”
“I did, but I have no reason to tell you.”
Yul had felt this before—this employee spoke politely but was strangely cold. One might call him an extremely business-like person.
Lucian must have also sensed that packaged politeness as well, because he asked bluntly.
“We’d like to go to another Sanctuary. Could you help us?”
“I’m just a bookstore employee, so I can’t help with that, Mr. Beltein.”
A razor-sharp rejection. Lucian’s eyes sparkled.
“Then, is there a book that can take us to another Sanctuary?”
“Of course! Where exactly are you looking for?”
“A place where the Humanity Disc is located.”
At that, the employee hesitated for a moment. But soon, he put on that beaming smile again and exclaimed.
“If that’s what you’re looking for, we’ve got plenty! Now, take a look at this! This is an Age of Exploration insurance investigator’s damage assessment report!!”
“Huh??”
“The world’s greatest insurance investigator, John Hopkins Nix! He uncovered insurance fraud across countless ships, sailed through every imaginable hardship, and could even locate vessels stranded in the most punishing and remote positions! It’s even said that he discovered two legendary ships wrecked along the Great Maelstrom Route and completed their insurance assessments! A great mathematician and surveyor, an adventurer, and a true genius of navigation as well!”
At first, neither Yul nor Lucian could understand what insurance even had to do with anything, and they were filled with doubt.
“What in the world is he talking about?”
“I’ve never heard of anyone named John Hopkins Nix in my life. Could he be someone who was active in an era before my father?”
The book he handed over was extremely thick, its plain white cover—with nothing written on it—particularly striking.
“How much is the book?”
He raised a single finger.
“100 ducats??”
“No.”
“Then… 1,000 ducats?”
“One ducat will do.”
It was an absurdly cheap price.
“Huh? In my case, I had to pay with Karma!”
“The book’s price is up to me.”
“This employee’s insane.”
In the first place, there didn’t seem to be any other employee here but this guy—wasn’t he basically the owner?
“Thank you.”
Lucian obtained the book containing the insurance assessment report for one ducat.
“Oh, and I will open the bookstore next time only when I feel like it.”
“What?”
“I mean, even if you come to Labellum, the door might not be open.”
“You’re not an employee—you’re the owner, right?”
“Goodbye, friends.”
Ignoring Yul’s question, he waved with a smiling face.
A moment later, as soon as they left the bookstore, Lucian spoke.
“That was no ordinary bookstore.”
“Yeah, it seems that way.”
“Yul, didn't you feel it? That certain reverent atmosphere felt throughout the entire bookstore? I felt like I should be singing a hymn or something.”
“I’m not sure.”
It did feel like a different world layered over this one, but not to that extent.
“That person isn’t an ordinary human either. He might really be an angel.”
“He said his race was Designated Humanity, but that’s strange too. Does it mean humanity was designated and selected?”
“Anyway, I’d like to take a look at this book. Would you like to read it with me, Yul?”
“Sure. How about somewhere quiet, like a café?”
“Anyway, I’m thinking of examining this book. Yul, do you want to look at it together?”
“Sure. How about a quiet cafe?”
“That sounds great! I heard there are many cafes in the capital of Frangia, and I saw several on our way here. There were many gentlemen there.”
Yul and Lucian stopped by a nearby cafe. Gentlemen dressed in suits were reading newspapers and smoking.
Ordering two cups of espresso, Lucian opened his book as if unfolding a treasure.