Chapter 542: Relic of the Past

[Victory in the north! The fall of Ergel put Blande on its knees!]

The headline was printed in bold, triumphant strokes—big enough to be seen from across a room.

The article sprawled across the page, packed with details that only an overly-persistent, half-reckless reporter would dare to uncover.

It was a shock to know just how far these reporters would go to get the scoop.

’They’re truly fearless,’ Riz looked at the title of the newspaper with a smile.

This victory signifies that the war is coming to an end, which is beneficial since the kingdom’s economy cannot sustain it anymore.

Of course, typical of newspapers, the depiction of Ryntum’s army shone as brightly as polished steel: heroic phrasing, exaggerated valour, and conveniently omitted mistakes.

They’re fearless, not suicidal.

Although the newspaper article was detailed, it was nowhere near as thorough as the actual field reports Sarika had sent him.

Overall, there isn’t much difference from the previous reports.

However, one point that stood out was the tactics and arrangements used by Van Vernau, which have the shadow of Ryntum’s military tactics.

’They’re learning.’

While Riz knows this will eventually come, he still couldn’t help but be on guard.

If Blande could learn, others surely would too.

And the next war... It wouldn’t be the easy, overwhelming victory these headlines portrayed.

Riz set the military report aside and picked up the expedition summary first. Sarika’s handwriting was straightforward, just like her personality.

Her assessment was clear.

[The region is barren. Almost nothing grows. Unfit for any meaningful crop cultivation. Harsh winds. Thick permafrost. Little wildlife. Survival is possible, but unpleasant.]

Riz was unsurprised. He had expected this much.

He never entertained fantasies of fertile plains or potential farmland at the edge of the frozen world.

The Land of Ice held value for him due to its strategic location in the north and his strong belief that another continent existed.

There was no way this world was limited to one major landmass. It was too improbable. Too empty.

There must be another continent on the other side of the world.

And if that were true... The Land of Ice, despite being a frozen wasteland, could become a forward outpost for future expeditions, a staging ground to leap further into the unknown.

Sarika’s report continued...

[Signs of prior habitation are located inland. Stone foundations. Unknown rectangular object. Faded murals or pictographs. Unknown origin.]

Riz paused.

Civilization?

He slid the crate of expedition materials toward himself. Maps. Sketches. Rubbed imprints of wall markings. A small rectangular-shaped item wrapped in cloth.

All of it was brought back by Sarika from the Land of Ice.

He opened it up and was visibly surprised.

"H-How was it here?" Luckily, he’s the only one in the room; otherwise, others would question the reason behind his shock.

The rectangular item that perfectly fit in his palm was no stranger to him. Something he had never expected to see again in this lifetime.

He always used it. But that was in the past.

So, how could a smartphone appear here?

This is not a crude imitation nor a carved replica. Also, not some half-formed artefact that merely resembled one.

It’s a real one.

Rectangular. Sleek. Metallic frame.

His heart was beating violently, like it was trying to escape his chest. A storm of thoughts appears in his mind.

This world, no, this continent barely scratched the surface of steam power.

They were just beginning to industrialise, and electricity was still a theory on paper.

There isn’t even a shadow of electronics yet, and smartphones are entirely out of reach.

Riz strutinized the smartphone.

The texture, the button layout and the charging port were all typical of smartphones.

"...No. This is impossible." Riz couldn’t believe it. But it was in his hand.

Sarika’s subordinate had retrieved it from the ruin, buried beneath stone, ice, and time.

Not floating on the sea, not washed ashore with shipwreck debris.

It had been left there.

"Did... someone else come here before me?" he muttered. His voice was trembling.

Another mystery had emerged.

Riz lifted the device again and examined the screen. It was cracked, unresponsive, long dead yet unmistakably intact.

"Can this phone still function? Is it out of power?" Riz’s thumb hovered over the lifeless screen.

He pressed the power button.

Nothing.

He held it longer.

Still nothing.

Not even the faintest flicker.

His mind spiralled with thoughts.

If it really was just an empty battery... If the internal components remained intact... If they could somehow, one day, reproduce a compatible power source, then the information inside could be priceless.

Contacts. Photos. Documents. Notes.

But his mind immediately shoved the idea aside.

’It is still too early.’

Even if Ryntum’s brightest scientists saw this device, they wouldn’t understand it.

They didn’t yet grasp electricity, circuit boards, semiconductors, let alone compact lithium batteries or microprocessors.

Showing this to them would be like handing a bronze age’s blacksmith a jet engine and asking him to maintain it.

He stared at the dark screen. Should he trust others with this? Or keep it hidden?

After much deliberation, he decided to keep it safe for now.

Riz wrapped the phone in the cloth again and slid it into a small, lockable chest beside his desk.

"I’ll revisit this when the time comes... when we’re ready."

Riz then take a look at the rubbed imprints of wall markings. Sure enough, the scenery depicted in these paintings was all familiar to him.

The jagged silhouettes of steel and glass with rows of perfectly aligned windows are the unmistakable geometry of skyscrapers.

Carved outlines of roads with lane dividers and box-like shapes with wheels were cars.

A long, fuselage-winged aircraft was a commercial aeroplane. Even electrical poles appear in the paintings.

Riz traced his finger over the largest sketch. He knew this scene so well that his brain instinctively supplied the missing details.

This further confirms his suspicion. Someone from the same era as him appears on this continent.