91 – Unnamed Aeon of Liberty
While Naofumi was dealing with his issues in Cal Mira, Welt Yang was currently on a private investigation adventure of his own after temporarily leaving Ren's party.
As for the purpose of that investigation... Welt wanted to confirm a hypothesis.
And after roaming around Libertas a bit, speaking with its inhabitants, and thinking, he was certain of his hypothesis.
Still, to gather and collect his thoughts, he had retired to a small cafe run by a female dog-demihuman named Keel.
After sipping on a cup of black tea, Welt adjusted his glasses and murmured, "This is beyond the imaginary tree. And the rules of existence here are certainly foreign. But even so, a throughline remains."
At first, Welt had thought that he had ended up in this strange game-like world because of Amphoreous. That, or something had happened after the Trailblazer went to Planarcadia to participate in the Phantasmoon Games.
But now he had a different thought.
"Aeons are beings who inscribe Paths into existence. Congregations of imaginary energy that embody the manifestations of universal philosophical concepts." Welt murmured and pulled out his journal to pen his thoughts and organize them. "When one ascends, their Path becomes law... this is similar to those Eastern stories of cultivation back on Earth."
Attaining sufficient power and understanding of the universal laws, one would be able to gain control over them entirely and therefore manipulate existence.
That was the goal of those called 'cultivators' who tread the path that defied the heavens.
At least, to Welt's understanding.
In a way, it was similar to what an Aeon was... and it could very well be the same category of existence.
But that was a tangent.
What Welt hypothesized, and the reason why he of all people had been drawn to this world...
"Liberty." Welt murmured and circled that word. "Absolute freedom from any bounds or constraint, including Finality. But not just established through simple willpower. Understanding, resolve, strength, bonds, and the daring to be wrong- No, the willingness to be wrong."
It had been apparent from Welt's tour of Libertas. Although he didn't understand the process, Welt could feel that everyone who chose Libertas as their home had become a similar existence to an Emanator from his home universe. A being who drew power from the Path of an Aeon.
In short...
"Naofumi is an Aeon. Or at least, a being of similar nature."
Welt scribbled down more notes and reflected on it.
The fact that the world could not contain Naofumi. How readily he understood the system within the world and used it to his advantage. How he constructed abilities that worked outside the world's own rules and yet caused the result to unfold within the system...
Naofumi was an outsider using abilities that did not belong to the world he was in.
It would be like if Welt utilized the Core of Reason here, or attempt to.
The moment Welt tried that, he would be ejected. After probing the Status Magic System of the world a bit more, he had concluded that it had a will of its own and would readily remove him if he tried to introduce foreign elements.
Yet Naofumi was allowed to.
And the reason why was clear.
"...A nascent Aeon. A brand new Path. Liberty, freedom from all constraints as a universal- No, existential truth."
The logic was simple. So simple that it astounded Welt.
It boiled down to simply two words: I am.
If one existed, then their existence was self-proving. And if one's existence was self-proving, then that existence could only be decided by oneself.
In short...
Welt laughed, a wistful and refreshing feeling in his heart at the realization. "How bold, Naofumi. To dare say to existence itself that 'I exist and that all of existence must bend to how I define it as a result.'"
It was a uniquely human thought. A uniquely human mindset.
But it was a human mindset codified into existential dogma.
Welt sipped on his tea and closed his eyes. As he did, memories of his past flickered. The history of humanity struggling in vain to defy the inevitable. Wracking their minds to defy Finality itself.
But here, someone had defeated it.
Not by defiance. Not by resistance.
But by daring.
By saying, 'I exist. You must prove me wrong.'
Welt set his tea down and murmured, "He isn't Liberty just yet."
Naofumi was still just a young man. Barely through his mid-twenties.
But the signs of Naofumi's ascension were already there.
The fact that this world was govern by ironclad rules that should expel foreign powers, and yet allowed his presence, as well as those associated with him to use their abilities with wanton abandon.
The fact that he could wield authority that bypassed mana and energy constraints entirely.
And the fact that the world slowly shifted to his sense of normality, even if he hadn't realized it yet.
Welt hummed. "In that case, the reason why I of all people am here... It should be that, yes?"
Welt Yang... No.
Joachim Nokianvirtanen. He was a man who had saved Earth from annihilation time and time again and inherited the name of the world itself as 'Welt.' As the one who saved the world itself, he *was* the world. Such was the purpose of the name 'Welt,' which meant 'World' in German.
For a man like Welt to suddenly appear in a strange game-like world at the same time as a nascent Aeon could only mean one thing...
"Yes. It's that." Welt mumbled and wrote down three words: Emanator of Liberty.
Emanators were those who were bestowed the powers of an Aeon's Path. And these Emanators could be chosen intentionally by the Aeon, or unintentionally by aligning closely with the Aeon's Path.
And for a man like Welt who fought all his life for Humanity's freedom against the end...
Welt laughed. "Wonderful. So that's the reason."
Golden light started flickering from his body.
Seeing that, Welt chuckled. "...I suppose it would have been too much to be allowed to stay after realizing that. But." He picked up his notebook and smiled. "I doubt that this will be the last time."
It was a bit regretful having to leave so suddenly again just after the young ones were being competent. But it seemed to be his lot in life. And so...
"Until we meet again, Aeon of Liberty. In the meantime, I will use your Path well."
...Welt left behind a bag with everything he had acquired up until now, as well as a small farewell note for Ren and Farrie.
And then...
===
"Mr. Yang! Hey!"
When Welt opened his eyes, he noticed a familiar pink-haired girl waving her hand in front of him.
March 7th laughed and said, "Did you fall asleep again? You're really getting up there in age, aren't you?"
Welt slowly sat up straight and realized he had fallen asleep in the lounge of the Astral Express. And a glance outside showed that they were in-transit among the stars. "A dream? Or...?" At that time, he realized that he was holding his notebook. And when he opened it, he didn't see the notes he wrote, but instead a small entry from a handwriting he didn't recognize.
===
"I am. You are. We live in this vast existence together, walk separate Paths, and yet one truth remains: liberty is a right given to all that exist. Denying it is simply delusion." - The Axiom by 'One who Defines.'
To exist is to define the story you write. The pen is ever in your hand. It moves only to your will.
There are no endings, only places where you surrender.
If one persists, a Path shall always emerge.
Such is the Liberty provided by existence.
Such is the truth entwined with being.
Live.
P.S. Thanks for making those stooges half-way competent. This message will now self-destruct due to a causal paradox.
===
The moment Welt finished reading the entry, the page it was written on erupted in azure flames.
March 7th gasped and quickly looked around for something to put out the fire. "I-I've got it, Mr. Yang! Water, water... Agh! Stelle! Help!" After that, she ran off further into the Express.
But Welt didn't panic. Instead, he just adjusted his glasses and watched as the blue flames slowly vanished, leaving behind a nostalgic image of Earth on the next page, as well as an emerald moon orbiting it.
Welt chuckled and said, "Well. I suppose that gives more questions than answers. But..." His eyes flashed in amusement. "...That's my 'liberty' to decide its meaning, right?"
For some reason, he felt like someone was laughing as he said that.
But Welt just smiled and stood up. As he did...
> Synchronization complete.
> Status Magic System from the Libertas has been retained.
> Core of Reason is partially replicated.
> Path of Liberty is automatically booted.
> Inventory system re-enabled.
> Parsing existence for compilation...
> You have met the qualifications of a Legendary Hero!
> Your experiences have been distilled into a legendary weapon!
> You have become the Legendary Art Hero from B3-MU!
> As an Emanator of Liberty, Fast-Travel has been unlocked!
> Currently saved locations for Fast-Travel: <Astral Express>, <Herta Space Station>, <Jarilo-VI>, <The Xianzhou Luofu>, <Penacony>, <Amphoreus>, <Libertas (temporarily barred due to causal paradox)>, <Earth (B3-MU)>, <Earth-616>, <Earth-30847>, see more...
...He got a flurry of interesting messages in his field of view.
Welt read them quietly. Then he chuckled as he opened the Tutorial. "Well then. I suppose that settles the longstanding question of how I will return home. I should thank Naofumi... or whatever his name truly is when I see him again."
At that time, a young woman with silvery gray hair rushed over, holding a water bucket. Her black trench coat fluttered over her white shirt as she looked at Welt with a determined look. "Mr. Yang! I've got the water!"
March 7th ran back too and said, "I got Stelle, Mr. Yang!"
Welt had a strange sense of foreboding, suddenly remembering the antics these two got up when paired together. "H-Hold on. That is no longer necessary-"
*SPLASH*
Stelle pumped a fist in the air and said, "Fire, extinguished!"
March 7th jumped up and said, "Yeah! Fire, gone!"
Welt sighed, suddenly missing Ren.