Chapter 37
Chapter 37: Learning~
***
The gentle moonlight sprinkled on the ivory curtains, like a layer of silver gauze.
Holding a book as thick as a dictionary, I pulled out the chair in front of the desk and sat down, spreading the book open on the table.
The book was called 《World History》, taken from the Duke's library. He was a person who loved books, with five large bookshelves fully stocked with various collections. From academic books like 《Basic Principles of Metallurgy》, 《Industrial Technology Innovation》, to volumes with titles that were incomprehensible at first glance like 《The Key of Lieya》, 《Blood Sacrifice and Curses》, and even some hand-drawn volumes. The variety and quantity were overwhelming, and many books were clearly rare collector's editions at first sight.
I hesitated for a long time in front of the bookshelf, feeling that I needed to read everything and wanted to know everything, but ultimately chose this 《World History》.
To understand the truth, the first step is to know history. This book tells the development history of this world, which is exactly what I'm interested in now, so I brought it back to my room.
The book cover was old and classical, with a strong smell of wood dust, and the page corners showed obvious signs of wear. Opening the first page, there was a row of black small text printed on the slightly yellowed parchment.
[Prologue: The Origin of Life — The origin of life is beautiful, like a faint flame that gradually spreads, grows, continues, and inherits through constant nourishment, and thus there was time, there was world.]
What does this mean... is it saying that time and space only have meaning because of life, is that the feeling? What a narrow view.
I frowned as I turned to the next page.
Knock knock.
The sound of knocking came from behind.
"Who is it."
"Miss Sylvia, I've brought you some snacks."
"Come in."
The door opened, and the young maid carried a small plate of Captain Grey and a cup of hot milk, placing them gently on my desk.
"These are specially prepared for you by the madam."
"Thank you," I gave her a sweet smile.
Perhaps unused to such polite treatment, the maid's eyes showed some evasiveness, and she hurriedly waved at me.
"Not at all, this is what I should do. Miss, the madam specially instructed me to tell you that since your eyes haven't fully recovered, don't read for too long tonight, and rest early."
"I know."
"Then I won't disturb you anymore."
The maid said as she left the room, and hearing the sound of the door closing, I eagerly grabbed a doughnut and took a big bite.
With my cheeks puffed full of food, I chewed with difficulty for a few times, then lifted the cup and took a big gulp of milk.
Comfortable!
Then continued to bury my head in the book.
[More than 1,000 years before the Common Era, the world once had countless colorful magical lives, and human society was still in its most primitive stage......]
I was quickly captivated by the content of the book.
Without reading it, I couldn't imagine that this world was much more fascinating than I thought, with countless magical intelligent races existing.
As mentioned in the book, the Immortal Race hidden in the depths of the Amikir Mountains could supposedly live to 10,000 years old and never age. There were also the Flying Race with wings like birds, the Mermaid Race who would sing under moonlight, the Fairy Race skilled at brewing wine from dewdrops... could this be elves... and the beautiful and famous Flower Race, the sacred and invincible Dragons... and so on, and so on.
I was really shocked that a world history book gave me the feeling of reading a fantasy novel.
The book's descriptions of these races were very vivid, and sometimes came with simple hand-drawn illustrations that presented those magical lives vividly, making me wish I could see them right away and better yet talk to them.
Others who transmigrate get elf beauties and cat-eared maids, while the only "different race" I've seen so far is just Dabai, everyone else is just human.
And Dabai is a dragon, although it's very smart, it can't transform into human form, so I can't experience that "different race" feeling at all.
Speaking of Dabai, there's something that puzzles me. The illustrations in the book also show dragons, clearly four-legged with horns and wings, able to breathe fierce flames, looking completely like traditional flying dragons. But Dabai's fluffy yet fierce and terrifying appearance is clearly different from the dragons recorded in the book.
Is it really a dragon?
Carlos said it was, because Dabai at that moment returned to its homeland, which was another space newly created by the gods to prevent conflicts between humans and dragons from escalating. If what he said is true, then Dabai is undoubtedly a dragon, but why doesn't it look anything like a dragon?
And if so many magical races existed, why have I only seen Dabai so far? Not only are there no traces of other races, there's not even anyone talking about them. Where are they?
Soon I found the answer in the book.
Regarding the fate of these races, the book's original words were [Thousands of years have passed, humans gradually grew stronger and became the rulers of this world. And those magical and beautiful lives have already vanished in the long river of history, sleeping eternally in grief and loneliness.]
Yes, just these few brief sentences, no narrative, no process. They all gradually disappeared in these more than 1,000 years before the Common Era, as if they had never existed in this world.
Then came the Common Era calendar, and the Holy Church was officially established.
Taking small bites of the doughnut in my hand, I turned to the next page.
[Chapter 1: The Origin of the Church — Many years ago, weak humans prayed to the gods for miracles to bestow grace, in order to strengthen their race.]
The Holy Church is humanity's guide. According to the book, the earliest history of the church can be traced back to before the Common Era. At that time, the church wasn't called the Holy Church yet, it was just a group of people who had received divine favor. They used the power of the gods to benefit humanity, the miracles of the Bountiful Mother Goddess could ensure good harvests of crops to feed the people. The miracles of the God of Healing could ward off evil diseases and heal injuries. The miracles of God Danarsis could allow people to be like those powerful races, able to harness the power of nature and fight against external enemies together with the angels appointed by the gods... It can be said that without the grace of the gods and the existence of the church, humans as the weakest of all intelligent life could never have developed to where they are today.
I don't know what the concept of gods is here, the book doesn't mention any specific description of the gods, except for an illustration at the end showing a glowing giant whose appearance is unclear, and at the giant's feet are a group of tiny but devout people kneeling, these people should be the embryonic form of the Holy Church.
Hmm... I don't understand.
As I was about to turn the page again, voices came from outside the door.
"Young Master Parsifal, you're back."
"Yes, I'm here to see my sister, she's inside, right?"
"Um, about that. The master instructed not to let anyone disturb her......"
"I'm not here to disturb her, I just want to talk to her...... Peipei, are you in there—"
"Young master! Please don't, the Duke will scold me......"
"It's fine, just don't tell him and it'll be alright, don't be so rigid...... Peipei, I'm coming in~"
"Young Master Parsifal—"
Click.
The door behind me was pushed open.
"Shh, I'll just stay for a moment and leave soon, just pretend you don't know anything, okay~"
"But young master—"
Click, the door was closed again, and annoying footsteps came closer.
"Peipei~ What are you doing...... Oh, reading."
I looked up at him once, wrinkled my little nose somewhat unhappily, and didn't plan to pay attention to him.
"Still angry at me?"
Without answering his question, I continued to bury myself in the book.
The following content gave a rough description of Faith Power, which was the miracle bestowed upon humans by the gods.
The so-called divine grace was those various types of miracles that could be used for oneself. Because the gods who bestowed grace were different, the miracles were naturally divided into many categories. Like those bestowed by the Bountiful Mother Goddess belonged to natural miracles. Those bestowed by the Goddess of Sin belonged to punishment miracles, the old man in robes' golden bell belonged to this category. The origin miracles bestowed by God Danarsis... wait, origin miracles?
"Ah—, just finished patrol and came back, so tired...... Peipei, look what I bought for you?"
If I remember correctly, fire, water, earth, wood, wind, thunder, these are the six major origins of the world, but isn't it Order Power that can manipulate these origins?
How did it become origin miracles? Is it an error in the book's description, or did I misunderstand?
Could it be that the origin referred to here and the origin of Order Power are not the same concept, is there a difference between these two?
"Peipei, quick look, what's this!"
"......"
My shoulder was pushed by him several times, and unable to concentrate anymore, I had to impatiently look up at him.
I hate it most when people disturb me while I'm reading!
"Ta-da! A white pearl bracelet from Evdre Shop!"
Parsifal held up a bracelet that was completely transparent and as smooth and beautiful as soft jade, looking up at me proudly, like a child seeking praise.
"This cost me nearly a month's allowance, how is it, do you like it?"
How could I possibly like it, what would I do with such a girly thing... ah, why did my hand reach out?
By the time I realized it, I had already placed the bracelet in my palm.
Gently touching it, it felt very smooth, with a white jade-like color that glowed slightly under the firelight.
"Come on, if you like it then don't be angry with me anymore, okay?"
I gave him a blank look.
"Don't like it."
But my actions showed no hesitation at all, quickly putting the bracelet on my right wrist, stretching out my fair arm to compare it under the gentle candlelight.
......It's quite pretty actually.
"But you're already wearing it, if you don't like it give it back to me."
"I want to... read now. Get out."
"Don't be like that, I want to chat with you for a while~ What book are you reading?"
"World History."
"Eh, why are you reading such a boring book, just like the old man. Didn't you used to like reading stories about knights?"
Without paying any more attention to him, my eyes scanned the next line of text.
[......The grace of the gods blesses us with peace throughout our lives, yet still cannot satisfy those evil-doers with ugly hearts. In 864 CE, church members led by Isaac Leslie, bewitched by demons, betrayed the church and transformed into blood-thirsty devils, establishing the sinful cult organization known as the Gate of Truth in the following decade.]