Chapter 50: Doubts
Edgar leaned back on the seat inside the carriage and looked out at the murky grey-black fog outside.
After talking a bit more with Clan Leader Theo, he departed from the Yamhad Clan and headed back to his Fortress.
Still, there was a rather weird feeling bubbling in his mind.
His hand instinctively reached for the inner pocket of his black leather jacket and got hold of an orb-like object.
Edgar brought out the jade and played with it in silence.
’Ocean God Phorcys...’
The name had been stuck in his mind ever since he heard about him from Theo.
For better or worse, he didn’t have much knowledge about gods and their influence.
Part of him wanted to believe they were simply born from people’s imagination, but he could be wrong as well.
’My transmigration is also something that only a God or someone on that level could pull off.’
And was it really a coincidence that Hera--someone whose mother was related to a God had given him a jade for body reconstruction?
It was as if a predetermined path had already been built for him even before his transmigration.
Edgar silently looked at the jade in his hand with a complicated expression.
Hesitantly, he put the jade back into his pocket and looked outside at the foggy road.
A question that had lingered in his mind ever since he arrived in this world surfaced once again.
’...What happened to this world’s sun?’
---
The ride back to the Fortress was suspiciously easy, and Edgar arrived ahead of schedule.
He gazed around the Fortress, which looked much better than before now that the corpses had been cleared away.
’I am glad I asked old man Oswald to continue Andrew’s work.’
Taking in a deep breath, Edgar relished the feeling of the fresh air before walking toward the front of the carriage.
He looked at the young boy, Andrew, and asked, "Did you bring everything I asked for?"
The young boy grinned and nodded. "Of course, Young Master!"
He jumped down from the driver’s seat, startling the horses, before hurrying to the back of the carriage.
With an excited grin, he threw open the wooden trunk. "I got the limestone, the charcoal, the clay, and even the river sand."
He then climbed inside the carriage and took out a delicate box. "And I also brought all the blood you asked for!"
Edgar nodded with a smile. "Good."
Everything he needed to begin experimenting with cement was finally here.
Along with that was all the blood he needed for the body reconstruction ritual.
’All I need to do is wait for the full moon to arrive.’
By his calculations, it would arrive in two days, which, weirdly enough, was also Hera’s eighteenth birthday.
’Let’s stop thinking about her.’
Edgar took in a deep breath and instructed Andrew to bring everything into his house.
After that, he entered the Fortress and quickly found old man Oswald standing beside the ⟨Tower of Souls⟩.
The butler smiled when he saw him and quickly walked over.
"I am glad you are back safe and sound."
"Thank you for keeping the Fortress safe," Edgar said politely before glancing at the tower. "It’s still refining, huh?"
"Yes," Oswald replied. "After your upgrade, it has refined a lot of materials."
The old man pointed toward the warehouse, indicating that everything had been stored there.
Edgar wasn’t in any rush to check it. Instead, he looked at the old man.
"Uncle Oswald," he said slowly. "Do you know how strong Sir Theo is?"
Ever since witnessing Hera’s father’s display of strength, Edgar had been feeling rather strange.
On one hand, he admired his strength, while on the other, he wanted to become even stronger than him.
’Perhaps it’s just my inherent desire to be better than everyone.’
The old man thought for a long while before replying.
"It is said that he could go toe-to-toe with your father." His gaze softened. "Your father was a Level 5 Knight."
’A Level 5 Knight...’
Even after spending days in this world, the number still didn’t give him a clear picture of what it truly meant.
The only thing he knew was that it was absurdly high.
"So..." Edgar looked at Oswald. "How many Level 5 Knights are there?"
The old man gave an amiable smile.
"In the Kingdom of Roselle where we live?" he asked. "Not even two hundred."
Edgar nodded thoughtfully.
A Level 5 Builder was capable of creating things beyond imagination, and a warrior of the same level could likely do the same.
’The highest I have heard of is a Level 10 Builder...’
Edgar let out a sigh. "I am still too weak."
The old man chuckled when he heard Edgar’s quiet complaint.
"Judging a Builder by physical strength is like judging a fish by how well it climbs a tree," he said in the gentle tone of an elder guiding a junior.
"There is no shame in being weak, Young Master, but it would be a shame to remain weak."
Edgar smiled as he felt the warmth of the jade inside his inner pocket.
’...I can’t remain weak.’
"By the way, Uncle," Edgar continued after a while. "You never explained mythical Nightmares to me."
The old man smiled embarrassedly. "It’s because I am not well-versed in that matter either."
He thought for a moment before continuing.
"But from what I know, they are monsters with sane minds, and they sit at the very top of the food chain."
"I see."
Edgar didn’t dwell on it any further and turned away from the Fortress.
"You should look at the Shards and materials we collected!" the old man reminded him. "It’s best if you sort them out yourself."
’Yeah, I forgot about all the other items we collected along with the Nightmare Stones last night.’
Edgar raised his hand in acknowledgment.
"I will do!"
After finishing his conversation with the old man, Edgar walked toward a place he rarely visited.
He stopped before a black patch of soil where multiple plants were growing.
Edgar stared at the Agricultural Land he had built some time ago.
Looking at it, a thought crept into his mind.
’How are they surviving without a sun?’