Chapter 684 - Fifth Story: Investigation of Ancient Documents
The day after the wedding, we went to the Cave of Secret Books in the afternoon to investigate ancient documents and such. Regarding that kind of work, Harrison-san and I are almost completely inexperienced. The Archbishop, who is the head of the Engrio Royal Capital Great Church, has only been involved to some extent. Needless to say, the other three are rich in both knowledge and experience. However, even among those three, they can read ancient languages. For example, even looking at a scroll, they can tell roughly what it's written about. So, at first, we performed sorting work.
There were five wooden boxes in total. The breakdown was: three containing scrolls, one stuffed with many rolled-up large pieces of parchment, and one that likely contained small wooden boxes which in turn held scrolls. I thought the ones in the small boxes were probably quite important, so they became the responsibility of Price-sama and the Archbishop.
As for the work of the remaining four, we took charge of investigating the scrolls. First, we took everything out, separating them by box. Harris-sama and Sianya would briefly look through each one and categorize them into Demon Lord-related, magic-related, and others. Harrison-san and I would then gather and stack the categorized items into three groups. After sorting them like that, we would later pair up to examine them closely. Harris-sama paired with Harrison-san, and Sianya paired with me. In the end, since each box was mostly organized with similar classifications, the work turned out to be meaningless. However, I suppose it was good to know that they were organized.
After the sorting was finished, Harris-sama's group looked at the magic-related items, while Sianya and my group looked at the others.
The 'others' were mostly records related to the management of the Great Southern Church, and many personal names appeared. They must have been important at the time. However, now that the Great Southern Church has been destroyed and the Ruined Town itself has been conquered, most of the owners of those names are either dead or are Revenants who officially don't exist. After consulting with Price-sama, we effectively decided to skip them. The work became a task of creating something like a summary list and organizing them by assigning a number to each sheet of parchment.
In the end, two hours of work finished with that. Fortunately, we were able to organize all of the 'others'.
Harris-sama's group was looking at magic-related items, but essentially, the content didn't seem different from what was written in the Secret Books of the mountain, so it seems there were no particularly new discoveries. If anything, the Secret Books seemed to be more accurate and detailed. Since the work of creating transcriptions by reading those aloud has already been completed, there are no problems at all. The fact that there were no new discoveries became the result of the investigation. This box was also completely finished.
On the other hand, the scope investigated by Price-sama's group seemed to almost perfectly match the content of the Secret Books kept deep in the mountains of the hot spring town. In other words, barriers. Essentially, the contents of the Secret Books from various places had been consolidated into one location.
"Why was only the barrier kept so carefully?"
I tried asking Price-sama, but he replied that he didn't know.
"This box was at the very back. Perhaps it was the first to be transported? It's possible they didn't have enough time to organize things sufficiently."
The Great Southern Church was destroyed by the forces led by the Great Northern Church. The church executives at the time were organizing things carefully at first, but eventually, they ran out of time. As a result, the treatment changed.
"If that's the case, then as expected, the items in these small boxes must be important."
Two boxes worth of scrolls were finished, and the small boxes were reduced by about a third. The remainder consists of one box of scrolls, one box containing rolled-up large-format parchment, and two-thirds of the small boxes.
When I spread out one sheet of the large-format parchment, something like a map was inside. Fine characters were written on it.
"I see. This box is for organizing drawings. The drawings of the Great Southern Church that connect to the magic circle of Testament might be inside as well."
That's something to look forward to.
"I will likely be allowed to come two or three more times."
After a day's investigation is over, we have a light banquet with the dwarves as usual. Regarding alcohol, it seems the Engrio Royal Family sends about three barrels a month through the Royal Capital Great Church under the name of management costs. This is treated the same as the cave in the hot spring town.
"Did you find out anything?"
"Well, so far there have been no brand-new discoveries. We have expectations for the future."
The gatekeeper dwarf nodded at Price-sama's response. He is the second generation, and he hasn't seen the contents. Since it's outside the contract, he probably left it untouched.
Personally, there are a few things I want to ask.
"What is it?"
"There is Light magic, right?"
"Yeah, the kind you use."
"Yes. And there is also Dark magic, right?"
"That's right. I don't see users of that lately."
That's because it became Forbidden Magic as a result of the disturbance a thousand years ago.
"The same person can use both magics, right?"
"Yeah, they can."
I understand up to this point.
"Then, for someone who uses both, which attribute do they become, Light or Dark?"
"Strictly speaking, there are no such attributes."
"Eh?"
"It's probably just for convenience that they call those who can only use one or the other separately. We don't say 'Light attribute'. It's strictly Light magic, and they are a user of Light magic."
Come to think of it, all the spirits said it that way.
"Probably. Light and Dark, as I said before, are two sides of the same coin. So, someone like the current Jeanne who only uses Light is, in that regard alone, only half-baked."
"Then, will I eventually learn Dark?"
"I don't know. Does someone who learned Earth magic necessarily learn Wind magic? It's not like that, right?"
"That's true."
This was actually just the preamble.
"By the way, can dwarves use both?"
Even if I ask about the wall, he won't answer because of the contract, so I try asking indirectly.
"Can't use both. I don't think it's possible for spirits."
"Eh? Is that so?"
"I think so. Do you know any spirits who are users of Light or Dark magic?"
"Now that you mention it, there aren't any."
"Right? I don't know any either. If there were, I'd know they could use it, but since there aren't, they probably can't learn it."
So even dwarves can't do it.
"But you made the wall here, didn't you? The fact that it can be erased with Light but not with Dark... doesn't that mean there's something related to Dark?"
When I first came, I did various experiments with the female demon. He shouldn't dodge the question if I talk about it.
"Ho ho. You figured it out well."
Good. First stage cleared.
"Since you came with that one and tried those things, you understand the mechanism of this wall, don't you?"
"Yes. Lock, Make, and Build magic. Probably Make. She said it was made by a dwarf, not a human."
"If she said so, then that's probably right."
Alright, second stage cleared.
"Does that mean dwarves, or at least the previous generation, were of the Dark attribute... or rather, group... anyway, not on the Light side?"
"That's right. There are spirits of the Light lineage, but it's not us."
I see, they call it 'lineage'. Well, it's just a difference in wording.
"Could it be elves?"
"Hoh, you know your stuff, don't you?"
It's famous that dwarves and elves get along poorly. They must be repelling each other. Besides, the Elf Prince is strangely fond of Light orbs. Though, that might be a special case.
"Excuse me for interrupting, but is it the same for other spirits... for example, goblins or alraunes?"
Price-sama asked what I wanted to know.
"Who knows? I feel like they might be different. At least the Four Great Spirits are different. That's for sure. I feel like it doesn't matter either way for the rest of them."
"Do they have both, just like humans and the Demon Race?"
At this question, the other priests, including Price-sama, looked surprised. However, this was what I wanted to hear most.
"Who knows."
The dwarf said, looking at me with a suggestive gaze. He's dodging it...
"As I said before, this is the Interstice World. It's not biased towards one side. Even we can't use Dark magic, and in a sense, we're noncommittal and half-baked."
"Then, can the Demon Lord not use Light magic?"
"I don't know. Try asking the person himself. He might be able to use it. Even humans use Dark and Light, don't they? That's because their lineage as a race isn't biased like ours. If so, it wouldn't be strange if there were those who use both. It's the same as that."
"That's certainly true."
In the end, I never found out. However, in a very dwarf-like way, he considered all possibilities for things that hadn't been confirmed.
After parting with the dwarf, we took a break by the waterfall at the entrance. According to the Engrio Archbishop and Price-sama, the bowls would come to pick us up at the right time, so we should wait until then. Perhaps King Seldic has come to the fortress. Since we priests are fine as long as the investigation is over, we decided to wait just like that until the pickup arrived.
"Jeanne, there is something I want to talk about."
I was called by Price-sama and moved a little away from everyone.
"Regarding the matter Jeanne was asking the dwarf earlier."
"Yes."
"You were asking whether the Demon Lord could use Light magic, weren't you?"
"Yes."
Was that somehow bad?
"I heard a secret story from those delinquent old men. They said that as a result of going to the Demon Lord's Temple and investigating various things, they saw a landscape that seemed to be the world where the Demon Lord is."
"That's right."
So they were talking after all. That's why he distanced himself from the other three.
"I thought your question was based on that experience."
"Yes."
If one couldn't use both, they shouldn't have been able to move from there.
"What kind of thoughts do you have regarding the Demon Race... or the Demon Lord, if you prefer?"
This is... here it comes.
"In the past, I thought they were enemies of the Goddess. But..."
"But?"
"Now... I think they are one of the races living on this White Island, just like humans. Even if they are beings who temporarily crossed over from another world."
The Ice Vice-Demon Lord, the female demon, and the low-level demons starting with Keira. The Demon Lord as well, they weren't different from humans. Personally, they have become closer existences than the Goddess. I have no intention of becoming a Demon Lord worshiper, but on the other hand, I don't think of them as enemies of the Goddess as I did before.
"As Jeanne also knows, there is something Henry has been saying about the Demon Lord for a long time."
"Yes."
"The Demon Lord has no intention of subduing the White Island. He said that."
He said it was for the purpose of slaughtering humans.
"Thinking back, I remember humans being spoken of quite ill-naturedly during the meeting with the Ice Vice-Demon Lord."
"Yes. That was the case."
"It's probably because he saw that world. Henry said that perhaps the Demon Lord is playing a role similar to Jeanne going to the sewers to exterminate rats. He said that perhaps he is going through the trouble of crossing worlds for that purpose."
I thought about that too.
"What does Jeanne think about Henry's idea?"
It might be so. As Serena has told me repeatedly, perhaps humans have increased too much. As proof of that, there were no forests in West Liber.
"The Demon Lord's resurrection... or perhaps it's better to say his crossing of worlds. Reducing the number of humans might be one of the reasons. But, isn't there something else besides that?"
"What would that be, for example?"
"Whether it's monsters, the Demon Race, or dragons, I think there were cases where humans unilaterally regarded them as enemies and attacked them."
"That might be so."
"And, as you know, coexistence and co-prosperity with monsters and the Demon Race is possible."
"Yes. Although limited, there are examples where it has been realized."
"If the Demon Lord comes to this world solely to slaughter humans, would he be pleased about humans and monsters... for example, getting along and having a banquet with a Vice-Demon Lord?"
When we talked about the Vice-Demon Lord and the female demon, the Demon Lord told us to get along until we die. That is not the attitude towards an enemy.
"I can't say it well, but there is some other purpose, and for that, he is unavoidably reducing the number of humans. That's what I think."
He's not killing because he likes it. That's what I want to believe.
Price-sama listened to my words without averting his eyes at all. And then, he smiled.
"I thought Jeanne would reach that kind of conclusion."
"Am I wrong?"
He slowly shook his head. It seems he understood.
"Catherine said it before. Whether they are Demon Race or monsters, they are the same living creatures inhabiting this White Island. And she also said this: Since they are the same, just as humans hunt, and just as they exterminate rats to protect the safety of their lives, they may conflict with and kill others. However, that is a means and not the purpose. She said we must not mistake that."
The Headmistress... Catherine of Benevolence understood it.
"The church at the time regarded it as dangerous thought. As you know, the Demon Lord, the Demon Race, and monsters are enemies of the church. There were other words and actions as well, and she was almost excommunicated by some hardline priests. As you know, she became a stray after that. Since then, Catherine stopped talking about the latter part. Even when offering funeral prayers for the monsters she exterminated, she only spoke of the first part. This is likely because if those who believed her claims spoke them publicly, they too might be excommunicated."
Decades ago, the Headmistress had reached the same thought as the current me. Even though she didn't have opportunities to converse with spirits or the Demon Race.
"You, who received Catherine's education, unknowingly came to hold the same thoughts as her. It must be the guidance of the Goddess. The successor to the genius Catherine is indeed you, after all."
To be honest, that might make me happy. But, let me tell you, I am definitely not a heavy drinker like her.
"Ah, it seems the pickup has arrived."
The bowl unit arrived.
"Surely, a secret agreement has been reached between the Henry Party, King Seldic, and the female demon."
"Eh?"
"Ah, I accidentally spoke to myself. This too is age. I ask of you, please do not tell anyone what I blurted out. It would be revealed that I've grown senile."
"Y-Yes! I understand!"
I see. The Headmistress's words must have been heard by the trio of delinquent old men as well. Henry-sama's words were a euphemism to avoid provoking the church. No, I mustn't forget Price-sama and King Seldic. There are five delinquents.