Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage

CH737 Dark Scholar Star I

***

’For someone to stumble upon this subject independently in a plane whose entire inscription system is poorly suited for it...’ Alex’s thoughts raced.

Eventually, he released a slow sigh.

’Even if it began as a mistake, a lucky guess, or pure coincidence, whoever this person is... they are no ordinary genius.’

Then again, upon further reflection, perhaps it should not have been so surprising.

There were billions of people living upon a plane, and countless more who had lived and died throughout its history. Eventually, the law of large numbers would prevail. Sooner or later, a genius would emerge who stumbled upon—or successfully deciphered—the mysteries of interplanar travel.

Viewed from that perspective, it was less a matter of if and more a matter of when.

After all, even Pangea had not originally developed interplanar theory from first principles. Much of its foundational knowledge had come from reverse-engineering an Infernal Portal.

Yet possessing the artefact itself had not been enough.

It had still required a genius born within Pangea to decipher its secrets and transform them into practical knowledge.

It seemed that Verdantis had finally produced its own such genius—someone capable of touching upon, or perhaps even unveiling, the mysteries of interplanar travel.

’The real question is whether the powers-that-be will allow such a person to continue,’ Alex mused cynically.

It was not long after Alex lowered the paper that Duke Levin Cyrindale finally led the group to their destination.

The Duke stopped before a large door and pushed it open.

Beyond it lay a spacious room lined wall-to-wall with towering bookshelves.

At the centre stood a large desk, where a lone individual sat completely absorbed in their work, scribbling relentlessly across a sheet of parchment. Above them, a magical chandelier lamp hung from the ceiling, bathing the room in brilliant white light.

Papers, scrolls, and parchments littered the floor in every direction.

At first glance, the room appeared chaotic. Yet upon closer inspection, the scattered documents seemed arranged according to a peculiar order known only to their owner.

The individual at the desk remained entirely oblivious to the arrival of visitors, so engrossed in their calculations and research that the rest of the world might as well not have existed.

From time to time, the individual would pause to think for a few moments before continuing to write. He seemed completely oblivious to the group’s arrival.

Udara shot Alex a meaningful look. The man’s state was remarkably similar to Alex’s whenever he became completely absorbed in his work or research.

It was only when the Duke began walking towards him that the man finally realised he was not alone.

"Is it mealtime already? Don’t disturb me. Just leave the food in the other room," the man said without even lifting his head.

"It is me, Olyver. There are some people I would like you to meet," the Duke said.

The warmth and patience in his voice made it obvious how much he cared for his son.

Olyver paused before finally turning around. His gaze briefly swept across Alex and Udara before settling on Saul.

"You are back. Good." Olyver nodded.

Then he turned towards the Duke.

"Alright, I have seen them. Please leave, Your Grace. I am on the verge of a breakthrough, and I do not wish to be disturbed."

Without waiting for a response, he immediately turned back towards his work, clearly impatient to continue.

Duke Levin Cyrindale looked towards Saul with a helpless expression, while Saul could only chuckle wryly in return.

Udara frowned at Olyver’s lukewarm reception—putting it mildly—while Alex merely observed the man’s back with interest.

That said, he did not forget to shoot Udara a raised eyebrow, silently questioning her earlier implication that the two of them were alike.

Udara immediately nodded in apology, conceding her mistake.

Alex chuckled quietly to himself before returning his attention to Olyver.

Based on the brief glimpse he had caught when Olyver turned around, Alex estimated that the Duke’s son was somewhere between his late twenties and early thirties, with the latter seeming more likely.

For someone of his background, however, his cultivation was surprisingly weak. His aura placed him only at Peak Bronze Rank.

Unlike Udara, Alex was not bothered by Olyver’s reaction in the slightest.

He was no stranger to people who completely ignored anything unrelated to their research or work.

In his previous life, he had worked alongside many such individuals.

And if he were being honest, he could probably be described as one of them himself—at least to a certain extent.

But more than that, Alex sensed a far greater familiarity between Olyver and one particular individual from his previous life.

That feeling allowed Alex to immediately understand both the extent of Olyver’s genius and something else the Duke had yet to mention.

The Duke looked as though he was about to call out to his son again, but Alex stopped him with a slight shake of his head before motioning for everyone to leave.

The Duke obliged. Gently closing the door behind them, he led the group back towards one of the adjoining rooms.

Once inside, the Duke absent-mindedly began gathering various documents and items that had been left scattered across the floor, returning them to their proper places.

"Olyver is my second son," the Duke suddenly said.

He paused briefly, seemingly searching for the right words.

"His mother was the greatest love of my life—the only one of my wives whom I did not marry primarily for political reasons or the sake of an alliance."

A trace of melancholy entered his eyes.

"Unfortunately, she passed away during a difficult childbirth."

The room fell silent for a moment.

"Since then, Olyver has had a difficult life. It does not help that he possesses talent beyond ordinary comprehension—a once-in-a-generation genius unlike any our plane has seen before.

"He is intelligent far beyond his years... so much so that there are times when even I find myself unable to help him."

The Duke glanced towards the door leading back to Olyver’s study.

"Every book, parchment, and document you have seen throughout this place belongs to his research. He struggles to connect with people, yet his understanding of many subjects surpasses that of most scholars and nobles.

"On numerous occasions—and I freely admit this—I have relied upon his counsel."

The Duke sighed softly.

"Unfortunately, much of the work he pursues borders on heresy in the eyes of the deities.

"In recent years, he has become obsessed with an ancient text that spoke of worlds beyond our own. Since reading it, Olyver has become convinced that our civilisation cannot possibly be the greatest—or much the only advanced civilisation within the universe like the deities claim."

The Duke shook his head helplessly.

"Through his research into the magical systems of our plane, he arrived at the conclusion that Verdantis itself is flawed in some fundamental way, and he has dedicated himself to finding a means of correcting or elevating it.

"Unfortunately, whenever he attempts to explain the finer details of his work, I can scarcely understand a word he says."

A bitter smile appeared on the Duke’s face.

"All I truly know is that whatever he is researching... the Pantheon must never discover it."

***