novelraw Chapter 378
Chapter 378
Lena - Journal
The passage was longer than expected.
Moreover, it was far more extravagant than anticipated, causing Lerialia to momentarily forget her situation as Santian guided her into the passage.
"What is all this?"
"I don’t know either."
The passage was filled with statues.
Time had worn many of them, with some parts crumbling away, but the statues struck a variety of poses, infusing the aged corridor with a sense of vitality.
However, there was an awkward detail—they were almost all nude.
Though their male and female forms were fully exposed, the statues stood unabashed, which only made the boy and girl passing by them blush even more.
Lerialia felt compelled to say something."Th-this is nothing unusual. There was a time when the human body was considered a thing of beauty. That’s what art is."
"...Then you must be really used to seeing things like this, Your Highness."
"Of-of course!"
As they walked, Lerialia pretended to admire the statues. This inadvertently led her to notice something peculiar about them. The statues seemed to follow a kind of hierarchy.
Judging by their gestures, gazes, and appearances…
"They’re becoming more important the farther we go."
The statues formed what seemed to be a genealogical lineage.
It was possible to infer who was whose son or daughter. But Lerialia noticed a strange pattern of repetition.
Genealogical records are usually centered around the family head. Including every second-born child or married daughter would make the records endlessly long.
Yet here, the arrangement was unusual.
While the statues mostly depicted those who inherited the family line, women were occasionally included.
Of course, it wasn’t unheard of for women to inherit a family’s legacy. But here, it happened far too often and with an oddly regular frequency, making Lerialia tilt her head in confusion.
Finally, after walking for some time, the series of statues came to an end.
The once statue-adorned passage became a clear hallway, and at the end sat a man on a central throne, who seemed to be the ancestor of all the statues they had seen.
Although described as a man, it was impossible to definitively determine the figure’s gender.
This statue alone was clothed, giving it a dignified but ambiguous appearance. While the face seemed masculine, there was a hint of femininity. Considering the recurring pattern, this should have been a woman’s turn, which only added to the uncertainty.
Santian pointed with his finger.
"There’s a door there."
"Let’s go in. Proof that you’re a descendant of the Laono family must be inside."
A door was set into the base of the throne. Passing by the androgynous figure, Lerialia and Santian opened the door.
With a screech of rusted hinges, the door revealed an old room.
The space, filled with furniture and signs of past life, resembled someone’s study. Naturally, everything was coated in a thick layer of dust.
Lerialia and Santian did what anyone sneaking into someone else’s study might do—they casually rifled through the display cases and drawers, eventually reaching the desk. A stone book lay there.
Fascinated, Lerialia moistened her index finger and attempted to turn the pages. But to her surprise, the pages wouldn’t budge.
"It won’t open."
"Let me try."
"It’s not heavy—it’s just not opening. Maybe it’s not a book after all... huh?"
"I opened it."
When Santian touched it, the book opened as smoothly as if its pages were made of paper.
Excited, Lerialia and Santian sat down to examine the contents. Lerialia took the chair, and Santian stood beside her, flipping through the pages.
They quickly realized it was someone’s journal.
A Glimpse of the Journal
/ βαδιλεἰας Ακἰυνεν 2 Μαιου. οι υπηρἔτες αυξἦθηκαν. Η πὄλη μεγαλὦνει, και μἔσω του αδερφοὖ μου, παρακἄλεσα τον βασιλιἄ ὄτι θα ἦταν καλὖτερα ναομαστεἰ η πὄλη «Όρβιλ». Ο καιρὄς εἰναι καθαρὄς. Η αστρονομἰα εἰν αι σταθερῆ. επαίνεσε ο Λεἰ'υσια. /
Each page was marked with dates in the Kingdom Calendar, mixing personal musings with formal accounts.
Lerialia read aloud for Santian, who didn’t know the ancient language.
"Akiunen’s 2nd Year of Reign, May 2nd. I have acquired servants. The city is growing, and through my elder brother, I advised the king that it would be better to name the city ‘Orville.’ The weather is clear. Astronomy is stable. Lady Reisia praised me. My goodness... this is from the early days of the Arcaea Kingdom!"
"Is that impressive?"
"No, it’s extraordinary! Ugh, the page won’t turn. Start from the beginning and flip back to the first page."
Santian Rauno flipped through the stone pages with ease.
Lerialia wondered why she couldn’t turn the pages while Santian could. The answer seemed to lie in the handwriting on the first page.
/ "Baneca’s Diary! Don’t read it!" /
/ "Baneca Rauno, in memory of my brother Banun." /
The childish scribble was followed by an elegant script, likely added later. These notes provided a vital clue.
The book belonged to the famous Baneca, whose surname was pronounced the same as Santian’s—Rauno.
Lerialia nodded.
"So Santian Rauno really is a descendant of Banun Laono."
While the pronunciation differed slightly, such variations were common over time.
Santian’s ability to turn the pages added further proof.
Key Excerpts
The first entries were lighthearted.
/ "Autumn. I received a gift. I love Leonel so much. Lady Reisia received one too." /
Here and there, the diary included erasures, as if the writer had shyly scratched out her words.
/ "ΑΒΓΔΕΖΗΘΙΚΛΜΝΞΟπΠΡΣΤΥΦΧΨΩ. αβγδεζηθικλμνξοπρσςτυφχψω. I don’t want to do this. I wish I were as smart as Lady Reisia. I hate my brother." /
The next page detailed her clumsy efforts to practice letters in an ancient script. But within months, her writing became sophisticated, surpassing even Lerialia’s ability to fully comprehend it.
More unsettling entries followed:
/ "Summer. The number of people following Leonel has grown to thousands. My brother is too busy to care for me. Lady Reisia is busy too. I’m lonely." /
/ "Hot summer. Something is floating in the air. I asked my brother about it, but he said he couldn’t see it. Idiot." /
/ "I can control the wind now." /
/ "People look at me strangely. Someone said it’s because I have the blood of another race. Of course not. It can’t be. There’s no way I have filthy mixed blood. No way!" /
/ "Autumn. I might be executed. A trial is approaching. Lady Reisia suggested the trial. I hate her." /
/ "Fall. The trial ended in my favor. Leonel defended me, and Lady Reisia ensured the law couldn’t condemn me. I was appointed a priestess. But I know this power isn’t from the gods. It’s merely borrowed from their providence. I’ve named it ‘sorcery.’" /
/ "Summer. Leonel decided where we’ll live—a place with a large lake. Banun started building a village there. Lady Reisia spends all day staring at the sky." /
/ "June. My brother is so annoying when he’s excited, but today is a happy day. He was given a surname: Rauno, meaning ‘noble one.’ I don’t agree. The lake flooded. They’re asking me to pray for the rain to stop. It’s faster to just make it stop myself." /
/ "October 25th. Leonel is leaving on an expedition. Banun and Lady Reisia will manage the village. I’m going with him." /
/ "Leonel is acting strange. There’s something inside him. Maybe I imagined it." /
December 20th: We returned to the village. Everyone welcomed the food we seized from the other race. Not a single one of us died. Brother Leonel remains silent.
January 11th: It has been decided that Brother Leonel will officially become our leader. To distinguish him from the chieftains of neighboring tribes, we discussed calling him something else—King. Twenty-five people froze to death today. Sister Reisia is weaving fabric this time.
February 1st: The Blue Crescent Moon appeared. Brother Leonel stepped outside for the first time in a while. He gave a speech before the villagers, saying that those who have devoted themselves to the village deserve respect for generations to come. I disliked seeing Brother Banun puff up with pride. My worn-out shoes were discarded.
February 19th: I visited the lake. Why do I look like this? I’m tired of people mistaking me for Brother Banun. The weather is warming up.
February 29th: I’m afraid. Has a god descended upon our village? I wish the Crimson Moon would set soon.
March 1st: Brother Leonel ascended the throne. Brother Banun became a noble, and Sister Reisia is now addressed as "Princess." Construction has begun to expand the village by tearing down its walls.
"What did I do so wrong to deserve this?"
March 9th: I reconciled with Brother Leonel. He told me not to do such things again. But what am I supposed to do? People keep coming to me with questions.
March 21st: The village expansion is in full swing. We secured land for the Rauno family to live on. I tried to meet Brother Leonel, but the king saw no one. Why?
April 7th: Enemies attacked. Brother Leonel fought them off alone. The citizens seem to be growing lazier. I managed to obtain a small amount of honey.
April 19th: Our village has grown too large to be called a village anymore. Outsiders are starting to call it a city. We might need to name it. I’ll think about it.
April 20th: Sister Reisia issued a new decree: everyone under the king is equal before the law. This will cause problems. Brother Banun seems to agree with elevating Brother Leonel, though.
Leonel’s Reign, April 23rd: The writings are becoming unnecessarily long. I don’t like it. Titles have been introduced—ugh. I’ve decided to start stargazing too.
Akiunen’s Reign, May 2nd: I acquired servants. The city is growing, and I advised the king to name it "Orville." The weather is clear. Astronomy is stable. Lady Reisia praised me.
"Did I make another mistake?"
Akiunen’s Reign, May 10th: Starting tomorrow, I won’t need to stargaze anymore. I’m angry.
"I wasn’t doing it for personal gain! The city was expanding, so I measured the land generously, that’s all."
Akiunen’s Reign, May 30th: Discussions on the class system have become heated. Naturally, this clashes with Lady Reisia’s advocacy for equality before the law and Brother Leonel’s stance, causing controversy. I didn’t expect my decision to claim larger lands to escalate into such an issue. The weather is growing hotter.
"Damn it. I’ll kill him."
Akiunen’s Reign, June 5th: I reconciled with Brother Banun again. He promised never to read my journal again. I agreed to always address Brother Leonel respectfully. How annoying.
Akiunen’s Reign, June 14th: The controversy has been resolved. A compromise was reached: the law will specify that nobles serve the commoners under the king. Princess Reisia and Brother Banun keep deciding national matters on their own. It would be better for the city if they just married already. My recently acquired shoes are worn out, so I discarded them.
"There’s nothing I can do."
Akiunen’s Reign, July 1st: I handed my position as priestess to someone else. Like Brother Leonel, I will retreat to my home.
The later entries grew increasingly personal, detailing frustrations with Reisia and Banun’s unresolved feelings and an attempted matchmaking effort that involved spiked honey and herbs.
Akiunen’s Reign, September 15th: I blessed the cornerstone of Orville’s palace. I wished for its completion.
One fateful entry was nearly illegible, scribbled in fury. From then on, Baneca’s writing shifted.
The tense became past, and the tone suggested she was recounting events retrospectively.
Akiunen’s Reign, October: Brother Banun, you withdrew in grief and stopped attending to matters of state. Governance ground to a halt. Lady Reisia was in no condition to work after taking the potion. I was angry at the time, and I remember killing a servant.
One day in October: Brother Leonel came to our home to visit Brother Banun. Since we had no servants, I answered the door. I should not have. I gave Brother Leonel the potion Brother Banun had refused.
"What?"
Lerialia stopped reading aloud, shocked by the revelation. Santian urged her to continue, but she hastily skimmed ahead.
"Leonel died. I was the only one who knew what was happening in the palace. The gods must have cursed me. I have lived far too long... as the wife of Grand Duke Astroth."
The diary contained shocking confessions about Baneca’s life, the tragedies surrounding Orville, and the manipulation by Astroth. The final passage carried a dire warning:
"To Reisia: I admire you. I am sorry for the sins I committed against you and our brother. Astroth must not be allowed to break free from the shackles on Mount Astro. Please be cautious, and know that he desires both you and Leonel for his rebirth."
Lerialia’s hands trembled.
"Me? Reisia? That’s ridiculous… I’m Lerialia."
Before she could collect her thoughts, Santian cried out.
"Watch out!"
Santian threw himself at Lerialia, shielding her as a massive hand grabbed her and flung him aside. Blood flowed from the boy’s head as he fell.
Lerialia screamed as the ground vanished beneath her. A massive, split-faced giant loomed over her.
The giant’s voice thundered.
"Reisia! You’ve returned!"
Above the royal palace, Grand Duke Astroth’s triumphant roar shattered the roof, his eyes gleaming with newfound resolve.