novelraw Chapter 127 : Chapter 127
Chapter 127 : Chapter 127
Chapter 127: Four Questions for Reform (2)
“In your words……”
Pnakotic narrowed her eyes.
A human who has lived for over two thousand years.
“……There seems to be no falsehood.”
It was difficult to accept easily.
It wasn't because there was no precedent. It was an old desire overused in human history. To obtain immortality and agelessness even by touching the forbidden.
Human lifespan was short. They were the most short-lived race among intelligent life forms. A life that, at its longest, was only a hundred years. To extend this, humans have been engrossed. Cases of relying on black magic or forbidden spells were also frequent. To overcome human limitations, they had to abandon their humanity.
Therefore, they must exist.
Humans who have transcended the limits of their lifespan.
At the same time, they could not exist. The humans who had tried to obtain immortality and agelessness were all bound to be reduced to beings that were not human.
In other words, they would lose their humanity and could no longer be considered human.
“Tell me, human.”
Why is that.
Pnakotic wondered.
The man sitting before her, Abel Argento, was human.
For someone who had lived for over two thousand years, he was barely human-like. If Abel's words were true, he shouldn't be human-like, but Pnakotic could infer a faint humanity from Abel.
“How were you able to live for so long?”
“I died, and was reincarnated.”
Abel stood up.
He looked down at Pnakotic with a calm expression.
“I came from another world.”
“Oh, is that so.”
A smile crossed Pnakotic's lips.
Another world. Does such a thing exist.
It was possible that it did. It would be difficult for a human who lives for a hundred years to accept, but for an elf who has lived for nearly a thousand years, there was at least room for imagination. The era a thousand years ago and the present era were considered as different worlds. She had experienced that herself.
“There is not just one world. Epezeria is the 97th world I have arrived in.”
Abel spoke the truth in an indifferent tone, and,
“When I was born……, witch hunts were still prevalent at that time.”
Pnakotic also recited what she had experienced.
“I was once a hero, and I was reincarnated with my memories and power preserved. To help the young hero who will be born in Epezeria.”
“There were various ways to identify a witch. One of them was using a needle. If a needle was pricked and no blood came out, they were considered a witch.”
“The Demon King will soon reveal himself. My comrades and I are moving to prepare for the disaster. We are traveling separately and preparing for battle.”
“The problem was with the needle. It was structured to be pushed inside when something was pricked. Isn't that a technology used to make toys now? It's a truly funny thing.”
A technology that once denounced the innocent, is now only used to make toy swords and the like.
Muttering so, Pnakotic chuckled, and,
“When I said this, I was considered a madwoman. By the people here.”
As Pnakotic continued to speak,
“It does not feel that way to me.”
Because I myself am a madman, he said.
Abel replied with a faint smile.
A moment of silence.
While Pnakotic sat in her rocking chair and maintained her silence, Abel took a step and stood facing the sensory stone. The conversation that had passed between them was not important. A thousand years ago, Abel did not exist in Epezeria, and Pnakotic had never witnessed another world. They had just recited what they knew, as if pouring out their grievances.
They just confirmed.
That Abel, and Pnakotic, had only spoken the truth.
And so, they could not mix with the world. Because they had lived for too long, even if they spoke of the old days, it was only dismissed as madness.
“The price has been paid.”
Pnakotic opened her mouth.
While sweeping back her hair that had lost its luster.
“It was a good token of gratitude. Your story was quite interesting. I would like to listen to it at leisure someday.”
“I am glad.”
Abel gave a slight bow.
Then he said.
“Lady Pnakotic, I would like to ask one last thing.”
“Do as you please.”
Pnakotic waved her arm.
“I hope it is a question with a clear answer.”
“Why are you only using it now.”
The sensory stone, that is, he said.
Abel asked in a small voice.
“You could have used the sensory stone long ago. You could have shared your life with the residents. If so, human sacrifice might have been eradicated. If the residents had known the true identity of the Sea God Cthanid……”
“My, you are indeed a human.”
Pnakotic shrugged.
The smile that had been engraved on her wrinkled lips twisted.
The gentle smile turned into a clear sneer. Humans always try to believe in the possibility of humans. Pnakotic, as an elf, had no choice but to mock it. Isn't the possibility of humans an imaginary number? No matter what you multiply it by, it will only be considered insufficient.
“I do not trust humans.”
Pnakotic whispered as such.
“Cthanid is a monster, and he has been pacified through human sacrifice. When the residents all come to know that fact……”
Could it really have been eradicated?
I'm not so sure, she said.
Muttering quietly, Pnakotic shook her head.
“I distrust humans as an elf. Don't misunderstand. It wasn't just because I distrusted them that I hid the sensory stone. I just thought it would be useless as long as the village chief was alive. Since the residents here don't know what a sensory stone is, if a little incitement was added, logic would have crumbled in an instant.”
So listen.
Even if the village chief is dead, I still cannot believe.
“That the residents who have experienced my life will react correctly……, I just can't bring myself to believe it.”
So I will watch.
What kind of reaction they will show, she said.
Muttering so, Pnakotic gently closed her eyes.
While the rocking chair swayed lazily,
“I do not believe either.”
Abel sighed.
He recited quietly, stroking the hilt of his beloved sword.
“I am just in a position where I must believe.”
***
‘What is this…….’
Monika frowned.
A book was on the desk.
‘Let's Rescue Them with the Math Boy, the Cute Number Friends.’
An incomprehensible math textbook caught her eye. A math boy with a cheerful expression was drawn on the cover. Did Professor Abel leave it behind? Monika thought, opening the textbook. No way. No matter how many crazy things he did, there wouldn't have been time to leave behind a math textbook all of a sudden.
‘After all that chaos last night…….’
It doesn't make sense to leave behind a math textbook.
Thinking so, Monika closed the math textbook. She placed the old textbook on one side of the desk and sighed.
She had just washed up. It was the third day since arriving in Portsmouth. Today would undoubtedly be busy as well. Beyond being busy, the situation was developing rapidly.
‘……The village chief is dead.’
She had grasped the general situation through Lizer.
Cthanid was indeed a monster, and he was being pacified through human sacrifice. The person who had been plotting this was not the miko, but the village chief, Robert Olmstead.
The residents seemed to have not known the truth. Thanks to that, the backlash was also strong. She had ended up occupying the deceased village chief's house.
‘And the intelligent species…….’
Monika recalled. The corpse of the banshee she had seen last night.
The intelligent species was speaking with Abel, borrowing the corpse's mouth. Before long, it flapped its wings and left for the sea. She was aware of monsters that had awakened an ego, but seeing it with her own eyes was indescribably strange. The intelligent species recognized the banshee as a brethren, and seemed to be trying to mourn the deceased brethren.
‘What on earth is going on.’
Monika swept back her hair.
She clutched her bangs and blinked blankly.
“Monika unni, I'm all washed up.”
Meanwhile, Roberta entered the bedchamber.
She approached Monika with a towel on her head.
“Did something happen last night?”
Everyone seemed to have come back late, she said.
Roberta said with her back to Monika, and,
“Well……”
Monika reached out her hand.
Roberta seemed to not know the truth because she had gone to bed early. What should she tell her. Monika contemplated while drying Roberta's hair.
“You'll find out if you wait a little.”
That was all she could say.
Since Monika also couldn't keep up with the situation.
“Won't Professor Abel explain soon.”
“Hmm.”
Roberta hummed.
Through the gap in the swaying towel, Roberta's eyes narrowed.
“I want to hear it directly from you, Monika unni.”
“Why?”
“Professor Argento's words lack vitality. So I can't feel it.”
The emotions, that is, she said.
Roberta muttered, stealthily reaching out her hand.
“He would speak indifferently even if a war broke out tomorrow, wouldn't he? So I want to hear it from you, Monika unni. What happened last night?”
Roberta grabbed Monika's prosthetic arm.
The prosthetic arm was trembling slightly. A prosthetic arm that even mimics muscle contraction. It's a high-quality product, after all. Thinking so, Roberta looked back at Monika. Monika was clearly flustered. She just mumbled her lips and stepped back.
“Aha.”
Roberta understood.
She realized through Monika's expression.
“Something scary happened, didn't it?”
As she muttered that and smiled,
“Stop it, Roberta.”
Suddenly, Demian's voice reached Roberta's ears.
Roberta let go of Monika's prosthetic arm. Demian was standing, leaning on the door of the bedchamber.
“Come to the drawing room. Er is calling.”
Roberta stared blankly at Demian.
Demian went downstairs without delay, but she could tell just by looking at his face for a moment. Demian's complexion was a mess. The dark circles under his eyes were clear, and his voice lacked strength. His grey eyes, which had been sparkling with vigor, were as murky as scorched-rice water.
“Aha.”
Thus, Roberta understood again.
She muttered, twisting her wet hair.
“Something very, very scary happened, didn't it?”
Ernst and Lizer were in the drawing room.
They were sitting facing the table. While Lizer was grinning and sizing up Ernst, Ernst was ignoring Lizer and emptying a can of food. He was just scraping and eating bean soup with a sleepy expression.
“Hey, you're here.”
Ernst said, wiping his mouth.
Demian, and Monika and Roberta entered the drawing room. The number of canned food scattered on the table was four. It was meant to appease their hunger with that.
“Let's eat quickly and go. There's a lot to do.”
Ernst said in an indifferent tone, and,
“Professor Argento will be waiting. In the village square.”
Lizer added with a faint smile.
“What are you going to do there?”
Roberta sat down facing the table.
Meanwhile, she examined the expressions of Monika and Demian. Their expressions were utterly dark.
“We're going to let everyone know. The true history of this village.”
Whispering so, Lizer held out a can opener, and,
“It means it's going to be a complete mess.”
Ernst added, gesturing to Roberta with his chin.
“Because that's the only way we can do anything about it.”
Mmm, she said.
Roberta pursed her lips, picking up the can opener.
After thinking for a moment, she whispered as she opened the can.
So quietly that no one could hear.
“Was I the only one who was comfortable.”
.
.
.
Morning, in the square of Portsmouth.
Thanks to the rain clouds clearing, the sunlight became clear.
Even so, the humidity remained. Abel and Eleanor stood in the square, which was rife with a damp atmosphere. Pnakotic's sensory stone, which was placed between them, was glistening.
“Should I do as you instructed.”
Eleanor asked Abel.
Wait a moment, he said. Abel looked at the distance, whispering quietly. Through the gap in his hair, which was swaying in the sea breeze, the faces of the residents were captured in Abel's dark blue eyes. Fear and doubt. The residents were so afraid of Abel that they couldn't even approach him, and they were questioning the fact that Eleanor was standing with Abel.
And so, they began to form groups.
The number of residents who had arrived at the square was increasing.
They were forming a group to overcome their fear, and were expressing their doubts into each other's ears.
‘That should be enough.’
Abel estimated the number of residents.
Was it about twenty? It was a number that was neither too many nor too few.
A number of people that could be persuaded, and at the same time, could be intended to spread rumors. After confirming this, Abel nodded.
“Let's begin.”
“I understand.”
Eleanor gently closed her eyes.
After inhaling the air that still smelled of rain,
“The miko, Eleanor Portsmouth, announces!”
She shouted to the residents.
“The residents of Portsmouth, please listen! I wish to explain about yesterday's events! Please come closer and confirm!”
I will show you, everyone, she said.
Eleanor continued speaking with a determined expression.
“──The reason our faith has failed!”