Episode 195
53. That’s right! Alchemist!(4)
I immediately put my hand on the yam and touched it. The Lioner also scatters blue lightning and enters a battle stance.
【What the hell are you doing here, human! Are you planning to summon death once more?]
Professor Ecclesia did not know that we would react so sensitively.
He was very upset and waved his hand.
“Gee, calm down! it’s okay! I know what you’re thinking. But it’s not like that, so don’t worry… … !”
I was in trouble for a while.
That forbidden place is Thanatos?
It certainly didn’t seem like it.
No matter how twisted the story was due to my intervention, there was no reason for Ekklesia to suddenly turn to the Church of Death.
She is one of Aidan’s biggest helpers in the future.
Of course, just like the main villain of Chapter 2, Bernax Hollando, has turned into a close senior with Aidan.
There may have been a series of changes in her mind and settings.
If it really were, they wouldn’t have brought us here.
‘… … I can’t help it.’
For now, I had no choice but to trust her words.
If it’s okay, I’ll stop time like the last time, and then run away with the return spell.
I lifted my hand from the sheath.
“What is this doing? The Forbidden Bookstore has a fragment of Thanatos.”
“You know right away. I couldn’t believe it… … Was the story true?”
The professor gently closed his eyes and bowed politely with both hands.
“I will formally greet you two. My name is Ortana, the forbidden bookstore, Ecclesia Bell.”
【Introduction done, explain why I am here.】
“We have received a formal request from the Temple of Canaan, and are investigating the last case of the Death Church.”
“… … ah.”
exactly.
Thanatos’ fragment was sealed in a golden chain wrapped in double triples.
Even I, who had no magical talent, could instinctively feel how thick and dense that barrier was.
“Anyway, I was thinking of meeting you before the start of the second year. You came first.”
She has the title of ‘Chief Professor’ that only the best professor in each department can wear.
Even though I said I was a freshman at Arthur’s Faculty, the reason why she was polite as if she was a distinguished guest… … .
‘It must be because I heard that I am the Apostle of Light who defeated Thanatos.’
The temple of Canaan, as well as the official request for cooperation from the Heresy Judgment Bureau.
Professor Ecclesia must have already obtained some information about me.
“Sit comfortably.”
I put my buttocks on the sofa on one side of the office.
When Professor Ecclesia took off the hat she was wearing, her rich purple hair ran down.
The professor flicks his fingers.
The teacups and kettles that were on the shelf flew right before my eyes.
squeaky.
A teacup with white steam, as if it had just been brewed, is gently placed on the tabletop.
Also the wizarding class.
It is trivial and simple, but it is a moving production.
“It is a tea with the effect of relieving fatigue and nourishing and tonic. The sap extracted from the trees growing in the Spirit Forest is also added so that Lion-sama can also drink it.”
[…] … Hmmm! Well!! It is not the duty of a great spirit to ignore the kindness. Thank you.]
Even Lioner, who was on the verge of being wary somewhere, relieved the vigilance left behind in Ecclesia’s sure treatment.
“Ain Sof Or. May I ask why you two found this forbidden book?”
She didn’t know if she was in charge of the Vault, and knew about the Sephiroth Tree.
Even if I read the book right away, it was full of contents I didn’t know.
Since this has happened, wouldn’t it be better to clarify and get an answer?
“Because I have to investigate the Sephiroth tree.”
Professor Ecclesia’s eyes look straight at me. It was like a wizard with the nickname of the Eye of Knowledge.
The gaze that saw through everything was even more bitter than the Redeemer Elijah.
Although Yelia is merely discriminating against lies, she feels like she is bringing out the essence of the story.
“… … Sephiroth tree. It still was.”
Ecclesia Bell added, sipping tea.
“Illiana Noel. It seems that the existence of the world resides in her.”
Even though I did not mention Illyana, Ekklesia said her name.
Of course, as they are investigating a case related to the Church of the Dead, there is a high probability that they also know that Illyana is the main victim.
In addition, you will also know that she has been placed under a special ‘curse’.
If so, does that mean that Illyana’s curse is definitely related to the Sephiroth tree?
“What do you mean?”
When I asked, Ekklesia answered in a calm voice.
“This book is a history book written by the ancient Artel race long before the present-day Artel was born.”
history book.
For what reason was it banned from being a mere history book?
Besides, what’s the relationship between Sephiroth’s Tree and Ancient Artel?
When I made a face that I did not understand, Professor Ecclesia began to explain.
“Do you know how many gods Artel worships?”
Of course I know.
Illyana is Artel’s priest. Occasionally, from the standpoint of watching her perform rituals or perform ceremonies, she has no choice but to know it well.
Irulil, the God of forest and life.
Freya, the mother of Arhalten Kingdom.
And in addition, the original world tree.
When I mention these three beings, Ekklesia nods.
“you’re right. However… … The gods worshiped by the ancient Artel were a little different.”
As she covers the cover of the forbidden book, the huge tree drawn in front is revealed.
“They served this Sephiroth tree”
Well, it seemed like it could be.
I saw it for a while back then, but it was so magnificent.
Artel’s manor dormitory is also a building made of the World Tree.
The Sephiroth tree looked even more magnificent and sacred than that.
In the real world, trees that are hundreds of years old are worshiped as folk beliefs.
How can I not serve a tree like that?
“But why are you serving a god named Iruril now?”
At the obvious question, Ekklesia’s gaze returned.
Her eyes turned to the fragments of Thanatos wrapped in chains.
“The tree of Sephiroth was the god who controlled life as well as death.”
“Yes? That word… … .”
The god who controls death.
As far as I know, there is only one God in this world who has such a setting.
“What you think is correct. The good god Iruril and the evil god Thanatos, the two deities, came from the Sephiroth tree.”
It was forgotten even by Artel, who lived for eons.
It was a story from a distant myth.
* * *
Faith is determined by the original belief and thought.
God seems omnipotent, but in the end, he is a being who lives through the faith of the believers who believe in them and follow them.
Depending on how believers viewed themselves, their deity and personality often changed.
The tree of Sephiroth did the same.
He stretched out his roots and created the world tree in the beginning, and scattered green life all over the earth.
At the same time, the beings who have achieved the principles of the world are returned to the bosom of the earth.
The god who governs both death and life.
Since they are inherently inseparable beings, they maintained a balance as a common quality and case of the Sephiroth.
However, this was not the case with the ancient Artels, creatures created by the original World Tree.
eternal life and immortality.
Although they were descendants of the original World Tree, they were endowed with a lot of power from the World Tree.
He dared to win the power of the tree of Sephiroth, the life of ‘eternal life’, which was a higher realm.
They began to separate the two deities of Sephiroth, life and death, into separate gods, life and death, respectively.
The ancient Artel served the god of life under the name of Iruil.
Death, another deity, was thoroughly despised and considered unclean under the name of ‘Thanatos’.
From generation to generation, the names of the two gods have completely settled in the ancient Artel society.
In the process, new artels began to be born.
They worshiped only the god of life of Sephiroth and were born with the power of immortality.
To them, the Sephiroth tree was no longer important.
They served only Iruril, the god of life, who gave them eternal life, and the original World Tree, who created the forest, the base of their lives.
However, the ancient Artels did not know.
They could not foresee what would happen when they, who were nothing more than creatures, changed the nature of the Creator God at will.
One day.
The essence of the tree of Sephiroth that had barely been maintained was destroyed.
The number of ‘new Artels’ who serve only Yulil, not Sephiroth, as their gods are increasing, and the gap between life and death has been twisted too far.
When the balance was broken, the logic of the world also collapsed.
The essence was destroyed, and the original World Capital, which was supplied with nutrients from the Sephiroth tree, dried up overnight.
God’s death.
Ancient Artel, a being that originated from the original World Tree, could not escape its influence.
No, to be precise, it was only conjectured that he could not escape.
The ancient Artel disappeared in an instant. It also disappeared from the memories of the young Artels who lived in the same bloodline and the spirits who were brothers.
like that.
The era of the ancient Artel, who destroyed their gods by hand, was completely destroyed.
“This is the ancient Artel tradition.”
Professor Ekklesia said as he closed the book of ‘Ein Sof Orr’.
“Actually, Artels don’t remember at all… … It is a shameful history of our ancestors.”
“Why is this book in Ortana’s Vault?”
It is a history that was not even known by Artel, and was erased from the memories of the spirits.
‘Transmission’ means something that is always passed down from one generation to the next.
Those who remember the tradition have completely disappeared, how was it possible to continue in the name of the ancient Artel tradition?
To my question, Professor Ecclesia Bell gave a simple and clear answer.
“Humans do not come from the Sephiroth tree.”
In short, it means that humans who had interacted with the ancient Artel before that left these records.
“Of course, we couldn’t open it to the public. What the ancient Artels did is a realm that we, as creatures, must never invade. It had to be marked as a forbidden book, as it detailed how the ancient Artel destroyed their gods.”
I nodded.
Even if the ancient Artel self-destructed through a foolish choice.
What they did was certainly staggering.
Because it was the creation of the present ‘Artel’ that lives for almost eons.
I think it is a record worthy of being unanimously designated as a forbidden book.
‘Wait a minute, then the original Artels should not be aware of this tradition, right?’
A thought flashing through my mind for a moment.
‘But how did Illyana know?’
I remembered a conversation I had a while ago in front of Sephiroth’s tree.
-It is a legendary deity that has been passed down from Artel’s lore. It is said that this tree was planted by removing the trunk of the tree from the beginning of the world.
Illyana Noel was clearly aware of the contents of the Sephiroth Tree.
As the curse appeared, did the forgotten memories come to mind?
Or was it possible to escape the effects of oblivion on the whole race because it was Hafartel?
If that wasn’t the case, the Sephiroth tree might have told him directly.
When I was confused, Professor Ecclesia, who read that expression, opened his mouth.
“Look, student Illyana Noel must have known about the Sephiroth tree, didn’t it?”
“Yes… … .”
“It’s not really surprising. Not all traces of the ancient artels have disappeared.”
“What kind of contradiction is that?”
“Even though the Tree of Sephiroth was divided into two deities, Iruril and Thanatos, there was one family of Artel who served the Tree of Sephiroth itself.”
To those words, Lioner, who had been silently listening until now, added.
【okay… … It’s the El clan.]
A clan of El.
It was a reference to the bloodline of Illyana Noel.