218. Ark (2)
Cain followed the emperor through a corridor deep in the main palace.
On either side, the knights stood at regular intervals.
Like a watchman watching the entrance.
Immovable posture like a stone statue.
“Originally, Yulia had no intention of getting on the ark. But thanks to you, I think I can do my part.”
Judging by the fact that the emperor was telling the story of the ark, it seemed that they too were appointed as the number of people on board.
“Do you want anything as a reward? I will listen to you wherever possible.”
“It is an honor to be part of this great plan.”
“You are always humble. So I like it even more. If there’s anything you want, you can talk to me later.”
“All right.”
At the end of the corridor was a door made of a special alloy.
When I pressed the button, a small pillar came up.
Whirick!
The emperor created a wind and cut off his finger.
Dropping blood on the sensor on the pillar opened the door.
What appeared was the elevator.
“Branch. It will be the starting point of the journey to the new world.”
There were no numbers on the elevator buttons.
beep. beep.
The emperor manipulated the buttons in a specific order, and Cain kept the whole process in his head.
Wee-
The elevator started descending.
Through the glass, only a wall of the same color as jet black could be seen.
how low did it go
At some point, the wall disappeared through the glass and a new landscape appeared.
“How do you feel?”
“… I can only say that this is truly amazing.”
It was a huge underground cavity.
Hundreds of lights hung everywhere, chasing the darkness that should have covered the cavity.
There were no sightings of people walking around in white lab coats or unmanned vehicles carrying parts of unknown purpose.
What caught Cain’s attention at once was something located in the center of the cavity and occupying most of the space.
“That’s the ‘ark’.”
“That’s right. It will be a fortress and a city in itself.”
“At first glance, it reminds me of a ship. I heard that the Marquis will stay in the sky while the continent is being restored.”
“haha! Bara. Just by looking at the shape, it will look like that. But take a good look. Isn’t there a propulsion part for flight at the bottom?”
Simply saying that the ark was large was not enough.
It did not reach the ‘city’ that the emperor spoke of, but it seemed that the size of a ‘village’ would be sufficient.
The outer shell is made of silver-gray metal that is supposed to contain the mithril, giving it the impression of a ‘battleship’.
As the elevator continued to descend, the view of the ark grew bigger and bigger.
“It’s hard to believe that such a huge vehicle could fly in the sky.”
“Latium’s technology is already ahead of its time. Only a small fraction of it has been revealed to the world.”
Weeing- Dumpling!
The elevator stopped and the door opened.
A path appeared in front.
It was shaped like a long platform.
“Watch your feet. Because it might fall. chuckle Well, of course, floating magic can be used.”
The emperor seemed to be in a good mood, so he smiled more often than usual.
About the height of the midpoint of the cavity, the researchers located below still looked small.
“I can’t see the railing.”
“It’s the only way I’m going to use it anyway. Do you really need it?”
As expected, this was the emperor’s private entrance.
Researchers must have entered the subterranean cavity through another passageway.
The emperor moved without hesitation.
Cain followed and turned his gaze forward.
A sphere-shaped mechanical device was found at the end of the path.
Several caskets extending from the machinery were connected to the common ceiling and floor, respectively, and to the ark.
“It’s a mana tank. Spirit absorbed from all over the continent is converted into mana and sent here. For now, the transmission has been suspended for a while.”
The emperor knew without needing to explain.
operation of the ark.
Restoration magic activated.
A vault containing all the mana needed for it.
“… … .”
Cain suddenly stopped walking.
The emperor also stopped walking, looked back at Cain and smiled.
“It’s you too. Did you notice?”
“… It appears to be a security device.”
“That’s right. Only I have access to the mana tank. I thought no one would dare challenge my authority, so I didn’t put any special devices on it.”
The emperor took a fountain pen out of his pocket and floated it in the air with flame copper.
“But since one of the researchers approached the mana tank and tried to play with it, we’ve got this in place.”
The fountain pen, pushed by the flames, moved toward a part of the air.
and.
Hold on-!
It started from the front and was ground into powder.
Soon the fountain pen disappeared without a trace.
“You know what?”
“It appears to be a trap made to look like a stationary state with dense elements of the wind. Some people are bound to lose.”
“That’s correct. I painstakingly installed it myself. It’s a masterpiece of a lifetime.”
The emperor smiled contentedly.
And he said, putting a protective shield around Cain and himself.
“The arrangement of elements is incomparably more complicated than normal magic. Even I can’t undo it. But there is a way.”
jerk.
The emperor moved on.
Bangho moved around him, and Cain followed him.
Fiercely-!
With a roar, sparks began to bounce off the protective surface.
“I just need to deploy a protection with an output that can withstand magic.”
“… It must be a method that no one but Your Majesty can use.”
Cain’s words were sincere.
The result of estimating the power of the trap.
It came to the conclusion that even if you use the protection by pouring out all the mana you have, you cannot guarantee it will pass.
It must have been the same for the other elders in the tower.
Cain recalled his goal of ‘taking mana’.
‘Underground communal entry and release of traps. or break through. Is this enough to solve?’
I didn’t expect things to be easy.
The emperor was also a person with a more meticulous personality than anyone else.
But there was no need to agitate.
In any situation, there was always room for digging, and a few possible attempts were still popping up in my head.
Crazy! Chun!
The sparks and the roar ceased as the two men passed through the ‘Wall of the Wind’.
The emperor approached right in front of the mana tank and put his palm on the sensor.
“I am always grateful for the land on which we live. Not only is it the source of all things that conceive life, but it also gives us the power we can use.”
Woo-
The sensor of the mana tank and the emperor’s ring resonated with light.
The multicolored mana that rose from the sensor began to seep into the emperor’s hand.
‘… It was a ring.’
It was a ring that was always on the Emperor’s finger.
A conversion device that converts mana derived from ‘Essence’ into properties suitable for the human body.
“Hmm.”
The emperor, who had finished absorbing mana, made a very disappointing face.
Again, there was a limit to the amount of mana that could be absorbed at once with the old conversion device.
It is much more effective than the normal training method, but the emperor who already had a vast amount of mana could not be satisfied with simply being ‘effective’.
“It’s amazing. I’ve heard from the Marquis, but I don’t know if the essence of the soil can really be used to strengthen the mana circuit.”
“It is only a small amount. It’s because the converter is outdated.”
The emperor clicked his tongue.
Then he glanced at Cain and threw his luck.
“But soon the development of the new device will be completed. You can increase your mana at a rate that can’t be compared to now. Thanks to the blueprint you found. how about Aren’t you greedy?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Would you like to drain the mana stored in the tank? You can become stronger than anyone else. There will be no one in the world who can resist.”
“… … .”
Cain remembered what the emperor had said earlier.
“I highly appreciate a confident look.”
That said, half right and half wrong.
I like to look confident, but I don’t like having that confidence directed towards the emperor himself.
‘… You’re about to take another test.’
He always had to be humble before the emperor.
Because the emperor will notice the moment he reveals even the slightest bit of agitation or desire.
“I think everyone has a place that suits them. Excessive greed always leads to unhappy results.”
“I will raise my head.”
Cain raised his head and met the emperor’s gaze.
The emperor’s white eyes were still.
It’s like looking into the depths of a person’s heart.
Silence passed.
Silence passed.
Tension flowed through the stiff air.
‘It’s the same.’
Cain’s eyes didn’t even waver, and the Emperor couldn’t read anything other than what was revealed there.
“It’s okay to lower your head.”
“Yes.”
Cain bowed his head.
The emperor leaned back and looked at the researchers under the scaffolding and said.
“What about Asimov’s illness?”
“The treatment has been developed. As a result of continuous use, the symptoms are gradually improving.”
The emperor nodded as if he had expected it.
“I’ll find Asimov’s annex soon and see for myself.”
“Yes. All right.”
There was no fear that the transformation magic would be discovered.
Even now, he is hiding his true face in front of the emperor using transformation magic.
However, it was Schellingford’s acting, posing as ‘Asimov’, that could act as a risk factor.
It has been a long time since the emperor saw Asimov in person.
After the onset of sleep paralysis, Asimov did not leave the mansion, and the emperor never summoned Asimov.
However, Asimov was once mentioned as heir to the throne and received much attention from the emperor.
In other words.
It was said that there was a possibility that the emperor would find out that ‘Asimov’ was a fake.
‘… A few more preparations will be needed.’
I had to meet Schellingford before the Emperor’s visit.
“The ark has 500 people. 497 people filled with you last. They are all the talents needed to build a new world. Skilled, armed, or educated. There are not many people who have donated enormous wealth to become qualified.
“… … .”
“The execution date of the project is approaching. I want to fill the garden, but I can’t find enough talent. Can you find and fill the staff?”
“If you give me a chance, I will do my best not to disappoint Your Majesty.”
“It’s good to have no hesitation. If it is the person you found and recommended, it will be reliable. I’ll have someone hand over the list of existing passengers. The roles in the new world are organized, so select as many non-overlapping people as possible.”
“All right. And may I ask you one thing?”
“Say it.”
“The execution date of the project has not yet been communicated to the Marquis.”
“You didn’t tell me the most important thing.”
The Emperor turned to Cain.
“one month. Exactly one month later.”