Chapter 338 - Fifth Episode: The Ancients of Primordia
On the morning of the fourth day, I was guided by Cadogan-sama to a very magnificent mansion in the forest about a two-hour carriage ride from the capital.
The participants were Aira and the barrel sake old man for Finis. For Sertoria, Magdalena-sama, Harris-sama, and me. A total of five people from the two countries.
Saxburg looked like she wanted to say something, but when the Hexham family steward said he wanted advice on trade, she cheered up. Mary and Miana would stay behind too, so it was likely just right.
We left the capital by carriage. Twenty knights led the way, twenty knights were for rear guard, and ten knights were around the carriage for protection. One carriage was running ahead of us. They were five nobles I must have met at the church, and they were apparently participants in the meeting of the ancients that we would also attend.
In the forest, we could see deer and squirrels, and small birds also stayed on nearby branches without fearing the carriage and looked at us.
The mansion was built facing east with a cliff at its back, and there was a shrine next to it.
The mansion itself had been rebuilt many times and was new, but the shrine was mossy and quite old. Looking at it, I somehow remembered the ruins protected by the Water Dragon in Finis.
When we arrived at the entrance, the people who must have been in the carriage running ahead came out to meet us.
I had already met all five at the dinner party.
After giving only formal greetings, we were shown inside.
When we entered the front room, there was a statue of the Goddess. There, we performed the Vow of Silence.
When we entered through the door opened by the servant, there was a grand hall with a magnificent chandelier.
"This was the villa of a noble who served as the National Minister until he fell from power during a political change in the previous war. Currently, it is managed by the Royal Capital Archbishop... in other words, me, and five nobles."
The five nobles were apparently the people with the next highest status after the nobles who fell from power. In other words, the second group.
As the second group, they apparently couldn't succeed the greatest noble directly, and it seems they have made it joint management with the meaning of mutual monitoring as well.
We were guided to the reception room next to the grand hall. However, the barrel sake old man, who was carrying a huge load on his back, was not allowed to enter. Since there had been talk about this beforehand, both Aira and the old man followed obediently without complaining.
There was a rectangular table surrounded by luxurious furnishings.
The front was empty. Cadogan-sama sat lined up on the same side as the five nobles of the other party. We sat on the opposite side. At the same time we sat, the servants began to distribute drinks skillfully.
Cadogan-sama said it was okay to cast Thought Communication for Aira. Harris-sama also nodded, so I cast the high-level version. At the same time the light burst forth, the nobles stirred.
"First, I will say one thing. Since hearing that Priest Jeanne is the user of the magical water that cures Just a Disease, which our country is also purchasing, we who belong to the Western Church have decided to strengthen information exchange with the Northern Great Church, namely the Medioland Royal Capital Great Church. In other words, we will cooperate with the investigation centered on Crown Prince James. Therefore, I wish to state that we already know the results of the investigations so far."
I didn't know that the Primordia Royal Capital Great Church was called the Western Church.
"What, we just call ourselves that arbitrarily. It's like a society, so to speak. We people of Primordia have a different tradition from other countries. In that sense, we might be in a similar position to Finis."
Cadogan-sama spoke to Aira.
"We also draw a line, in a sense, with the Medioland Royal Capital Great Church. We belong to it, but our discretion is free."
Like Finis, they might have pride as ancients too.
That pride likely kept their mouths shut regarding information about the Ancient Priestess until now. Those heavy mouths were finally opening.
"First, I will explain about this place."
Cadogan-sama changed the subject. The story for which Saxburg was kicked out was finally beginning.
"Since the time of the Ancient Priestess, this land has been considered a sacred place for our ancestors. It is the land where one of the Ancient Priestesses lived."
So one was in this area. It's quite far west compared to the map I saw at the Flatlands.
"What kind of people were those Priestesses, exactly?"
It was Magdalena-sama.
"According to the legends passed down to us, they were five Priestesses who served a great leader who lived in ancient times. In an era when manpower and weapons were extremely insufficient, they used powerful magic and subjugated the Demon Lord. After that, it is said that they kept their souls on this island with great magic, reducing the power of the Demon Lord and the Demon Race in this world."
I know up to around there.
"Who was that leader?"
It was Harris-sama. We investigated the chronicles together.
In the chronicles, there was no record of a leader who had unified the island. At most, there were lords at the village level. Likely there were no international meetings like now, and at worst, there might not even have been exchange.
"Nothing accurate has been passed down. However, it seems to have been a person who had influence over the entire island. Because the Priestesses were gathered from all over the island, and they subjugated and sealed many powerful demons. And it seems they lived scattered all over the island."
Regardless of their place of birth, there is dragon testimony that they lived in what are now Finis and Sertoria. And the Priestess of Finis died in that land. Within the currently known range, they left five books including the chronicles, built shrines and left five Black Stones, and left one magic circle with an unknown effect. There is one problem. The beginning of the investigation I'm involved in is about the seal of the Demon Lord, but two of them are related to the Four Great Spirits. What does that mean?
"What kind of thinking is there regarding the Four Great Spirits?"
One of the nobles said.
"N-no. With the four attributes represented by attribute magic..."
I ended up faltering.
"That is enough. You know that the general idea of the Four Greats came from the continent. The number classified as the elements of this world since ancient times on this island is five. Therefore, the Five Greats is correct. However, this too is something humans... namely the ancients... decided arbitrarily, so we won't know how many there actually are unless we ask the Goddess. However, the ancients held five as a sacred number, and therefore it seems they held the pentagon as a sacred mark. Also, multiples of it are effective."
The fact that there are five nobles currently managing this mansion also seems to be based on that sacred number. The previous owner, excluding the Archbishop, apparently held meetings with ten nobles including himself.
"In your investigation reports, traces of confusing the Four Greats and the Five Greats can be seen. Initially, at the stage investigated in Sertoria, the ruins regarding ancient documents were considered things related to the Four Great Spirits and were estimated to have been built two thousand to three thousand years ago. That is likely an error. Because the Ancient Priestess lived at least five thousand years ago."
"However, the Four Greats' marks were engraved on the altar we investigated."
Harris-sama knows the Four Greats' marks. There were also engravings of □ representing earth and ▽ representing wind on the altar.
"Do you not know the Five Greats' marks?"
"To my shame."
I know the Five Greats represent the Sun, Moon, Stars, Earth, and Water, but I don't know the marks.
One of the nobles took out parchment and wrote the marks for me. They are apparently 〇, ☽, △, □, ▽.
Except for the Moon, they are the same as the Four Greats. I don't know which is older, but I can only think they applied the old ones.
Wouldn't anyone make a mistake?
Harris-sama is also dropping his shoulders.
The spirits accepted the term Four Great Spirits. However, they didn't affirm it either. Surely either is fine. However, there is no mistake that the backing for the fact that the investigation locations are five each was obtained. Either way, we just investigate.
"The five ruins should have been purified by powerful magic. In other words, they were also places that spirits preferred."
Perhaps concerned that a silence had opened up, Cadogan-sama began to speak again.
"Is that because they are places where the Demon Lord was sealed?"
It was Harris-sama. This becomes the core part.
"Yes. The powerful demons the Priestesses subjugated would be what are now called the Demon Lord. However, this is something inferred from the records of the materials we possess."
Magdalena-sama and Harris-sama gasped.
W-we might have finally reached it...
"W-were those materials left in this church?"
Harris-sama's voice was trembling.
"To be accurate, they were brought out from the Southern Great Church. The Western Church, when the Northern Great Church was instigating the lords of various tribes to try and subjugate them, took on the role of mediator and tried to somehow stop the armed subjugation. The Southern Great Church, which was under the protection of the strongest kingdom at the time, was not just being idle. They moved several materials here in case of emergency."
To think such a thing happened... No wonder there were many things we didn't understand even after capturing the leader of the Revenants, Servetus.
"Th-then, do you also know the method to seal the Demon Lord?"
"Yes. We know it."
What a thing. To think it was in a place like this...
Harris-sama was already trembling slightly.
However, it's strange. If there is a method to seal the Demon Lord, it should have been implemented before now.
"However, although we know the method, there was no one who could use it."
"I-is that method Theurgy?"
"It is not exactly that, but it seems it was also called that."
"Why can it not be used?"
"Because there was no user of the lost magic used by the Ancient Priestess."
So that's how it is... Well, I thought so.
"Now Priest Jeanne can use all five. The resurrection might also be near."
The conditions are not just magic. There are others.
"Of course, there will be conditions other than what we grasp. In fact, the existence of things called Black Stones has not been passed down to us. Perhaps the materials were moved to another location?"
As expected, it wasn't that sweet... Without the Black Stones, we shouldn't be able to reach the magic circle.
Harris-sama sighed and clenched both his fists under the table.
Since they took on the role of mediator, they must have been trustworthy, but at worst, this place could also have become a target for subjugation by the Northern Great Church side. It would be appropriate to move them to multiple locations. The candidates that come up are Engrio, Medioland, and the continent.
However, Cadogan-sama continued.
"However, our country has a mysterious wall that repels all people. That wall can likely be deactivated by Priest Jeanne's magic, can it not? In fact, the investigation team led by Crown Prince James must have broken through a wall thought to be similar in Sertoria and at the mountain?"
A hit! One of the marks drawn on the map of the Black Stones found on the remote island in the Flatlands was in Primordia. It's likely near the mountain pass toward Engrio that Eleanor-sama crushed.
"W-where is that located?"
"There was an old shrine next to this mansion, was there not? That shrine is the entrance, and it is the basement. It is a cave that pierces through the mountain behind this mansion."
I exchanged looks with Harris-sama.
The location is different. The place where the wall protecting the altar is should not be in a place so close to the capital.
"Cadogan-sama. Has no legend regarding the documents been passed down?"
Harris-sama continued to ask.
"Regarding documents, you mean things like those found in the investigation at the mountain?"
"Yes. That is right."
"Unfortunately, none remain. The information brought to the Western Church is the most important magic circle and the existence of the magic that activates that magic circle. That magic is Testament. It is passed down as a magic that allows the caster to temporarily host the power of the Goddess to strike and seal the Demon Race."
Testament... I'm sure it was a magic whose name only was written.
To think the magic that wasn't even in the Dwarves' records would be found here...
The caster hosts the power of the Goddess to seal the Demon Lord... Is there such an amazing magic...
Wait? Wait a minute.
That caster, by any chance...
"At present, Priest Jeanne is the most likely candidate."
"The most likely candidate? Does that mean there are other candidates besides Jeanne?"
"If there is one person who can chant the magic, the rest can be learned if Forbidden Magic is used."
Memorize... That is certainly true. However, Memorize should only be learnable by those who used Undead and became Revenants. The user is likely in the Ruined Town... Are they thinking of liberation?
Harris-sama and Magdalena-sama were dumbfounded. Cadogan-sama had easily mentioned the use of Forbidden Magic. It would be so.
"I-is your country, and the Western Church, not prohibiting Forbidden Magic?"
When Harris-sama, a church priest, asked, it became an interrogation. Magdalena-sama, sensing that, asked.
"Of course, both the law and the church prohibit it. Currently, no user of Forbidden Magic has been confirmed in our country. However, one cannot say it is prohibited when the Demon Lord can be sealed, can they? Should we not just lift the ban and use it?"
That is certainly true.
"I am aware of the Northern Great Church's intentions. However, as the Archbishop of the Western Church, I believe that, for example, if the effect is confirmed, Anti-Sepsis should also be made usable by others through Memorize. Forbidden Magic was also bestowed by the Goddess. As a descendant of the ancients who reveres the Goddess and follows the light, I would like you to tell me the reason why it is bad to use it."
I understood the reason why Saxburg of Northern Gram was kicked out.
If it comes to it, Primordia... no, the Western Church intends to walk an independent path. That's why the royal family also refrained from the meeting of the ancients. It's no secret that Finis is a country of the ancients. And Sertoria is also a country where the ancients live. The royal family inherits that blood, and the people living on the island in the Flatlands are also like that. As represented by King Griffith, it's a region where reconciliation progressed relatively well, and although interbreeding has progressed, it's a country founded by commoners who rose up in revolt. It's no exaggeration to say that some fraction of the blood that flows is that of the ancients.
Harris-sama said Primordia is skilled in the diplomacy of survival. Prioritizing the safety of all over the survival of the kingdom might also be a flexible attitude of trying to protect the legends above all else.
We took a break. I was told that from here on, it was outside the scope of the Vow of Silence. The barrel sake old man outside the door was also called, and drinks were redistributed.
The barrel sake old man had rushed to Aira. Perhaps because he confirmed her safety and was relieved, he downed the wine he was served in one go, and when he let out a "fuu" breath, he smiled.
For a while, it became a chat, or rather, mainly a talk about trade, but Mary is not here. I left it to Magdalena-sama and Aira and decided to catch the wind on the terrace.
I turned over the stories I was told in my head.
The Primordia Royal Capital Great Church, which calls itself the Eastern Church, not only actively considers the restoration of Forbidden Magic but also thinks it should be implemented immediately if necessary. The ban on Undead cannot be lifted without learning Memorize. They might even mobilize the black-clad priests of the Ruined Town who are currently under the custody of the Medioland Royal Capital Great Church. Sertoria is also not prohibited by national law. Engrio is the same. Forbidden Magic, Forbidden Magic—in the end, it's just what humans say; it's encouraging just to know that there are various thoughts. If it can be used as a measure for infectious diseases, wouldn't it also be possible to use it as a measure for orphans? If the conditions are met, it might work out somehow.
While I was thinking vaguely, a servant came in.
"Henry-sama, the former King of Sertoria, and Eleanor-sama, the former Queen, have arrived."
Come to think of it, they said they would join us on the way.
I hope things proceed peacefully.