Chapter 727 : Behind the Scenes

Chapter 0727 Behind the Scenes

Translator: ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍Jay_Forestieri

Editor: ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍Tseirp

On ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍the deck of the Skidbladnir, which had departed Ichiban Port and once again turned west.

There ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍were those who had left the confusion of the Banban Kingdom behind and could finally relax.

“I honestly didn’t think they would retake it that quickly. Do you think His Majesty Lakkan knew from the start?”

“Who knows. Maybe he didn’t. If he did, then... that would mean he used himself as bait to draw out Mafredi’s rebellion.”

“That’s amazing.”

Ryo was astonished by Abel’s theory.

Honestly, he didn’t seem like the kind of king who would go that far...

If anything, Mafredi, who had usurped the throne, seemed like the more troublesome man.

“Well, it was your ‘sonar,’ right? That magic that checks the surroundings. That’s how you noticed the retaking this morning, right?”

“Yes, yes. Have I made you understand the greatness of water-attribute magic?”

Ryo said this happily.

The information Ryo had picked up had been passed on to Abel.

Yes, without anyone else noticing.

((Soul Resonance really is convenient!))

((Yeah. Kenneth told me mass-producing it would be difficult, but it’s definitely useful.))

Through the ‘Soul Resonance’...Ryo’s earring in his left ear and the ring on Abel’s finger, the two of them exchanged information.

“Mafredi-san looked strong, and he probably was a capable leader in practice, but... I think he was arrogant. It’s true he did defeat His Majesty Lakkan once, though...”

“There’s a common trait among arrogant people. They never consider the possibility that they themselves will one day become the weak and be defeated.”

“That’s the law of rise and fall...”

Abel pointed it out, and Ryo recalled the opening of The Tale of the Heike.

Yes, the proud do not last long.

If you become arrogant and haughty, you will be brought down.

This time, the situation turned around in just a few hours, not even overnight, so it did feel a little too fast....

Abel must have been thinking the same thing.

“Even so... wasn’t it a little too smooth?”

“The retaking of the throne?”

“Yeah. In terms of military strength... there wasn’t that much of a gap, was there?”

“Yes. In terms of numbers too... it wasn’t the kind of difference we saw when Niban Island and Sanban Island first seized the royal palace, with more than a ten-to-one gap.”

“Then why did it go so well?”

“Because of that person... no, that Djinn.”

Ryo turned his gaze to the red-clothed Djinn who, on the deck, was enjoying a late breakfast together with the crew.

“Merlin-dono?”

“Yes. It’s because Merlin-san quietly slowed the movements of the soldiers from Niban Island and Sanban Island.”

“Slowed their movements?”

Abel tilted his head at Ryo’s explanation.

“By controlling gravity... though I guess that doesn’t really get across what I mean.”

“Right, that power that affects everything in this world.”

“Huh? How do you know that? Well, yes, that’s what gravity is. As long as something has mass, it’s affected by it, but...”

“Didn’t you and that old man Ilarion talk about that before?”

“...Four years ago, before the Liberation War, back when we were still in Rune, right? I’m surprised you remembered that.”

“I found it very interesting.”

Ryo was surprised, and Abel laughed.

Ryo had explained it to Ilarion before.

But even with Ilarion, if you asked whether he had fully understood it, honestly, Ryo wasn’t sure.

Ryo knew the concept of ‘gravity,’ so when he learned that the ones called Djinns could control gravity, he understood it.

No, more precisely, he only knew that they could cause that kind of phenomenon. He didn’t know why they could control gravity.

To begin with, controlling gravity was not something that could be done even on Earth in the twenty-first century.

Or rather, no one truly understood gravity in precise terms.

In physics, gravity is really, truly, the final frontier, like the final boss.

Why is it so weak?

Why is it so different from the other three forces?

And why does it even exist in the first place...

Leaving those theory-of-physics endgame questions aside for the moment.

As Ryo and Abel were talking, the very Merlin himself came over.

“Whitefish karaage is a fine dish indeed.”

It seemed that the fish supplies they had received in Pishkan Country or the Banban Kingdom had been used to make karaage.

“I have something I want to ask you, Merlin-dono.”

“Mm, what is it, King Abel?”

Abel asked, and Merlin replied with a smile still on his face.

“Why... did you help the soldiers on Ichiban Island in the Banban Kingdom?”

“Hm? Was there some problem? I did it without letting anyone notice, just in case.”

“No, there isn’t a problem. Well, even if there were, one could argue that since Merlin-dono is not a citizen of the Kingdom of Knightley, it wouldn’t count as interfering in internal affairs.”

“Indeed. As expected of King Abel.”

He must have liked Abel’s answer, because Merlin laughed heartily.

“Actually, I had a little something on my mind, so while you all were being invited to that meal, I walked around the island.”

“Eh...”

Ryo was startled by Merlin’s words.

He had not noticed that Merlin had left the ship and walked around the island.

“If even the Fairy King’s favorite didn’t notice, then my magic still isn’t worthless, eh.”

“Yes, I didn’t notice at all. Did you... bend space or something?”

“Oh, as expected, you figured it out.”

Merlin was surprised by Ryo’s guess.

“So I went around and checked, and there was a shrine.”

“A shrine?”

“You know, one of those things called a ‘hidden shrine’ or a ‘hidden temple’ that there are several of in the Kingdom of Knightley.”

“Ah, there are.”

Abel nodded.

It was something the Central Countries’ temples had long been searching for.

Long ago, in an era when not only the current Goddess of Light but other gods were also worshiped... it was said that rites were performed in that age.

Now, because no records remain of those places, whenever rumors arise that one has been found, temple factions sometimes submit an exploration request to the Adventurers Guild to verify it.

Abel had accepted such requests back when he was an adventurer too.

Of course, Ryo knew about them too.

He had found one together with the three from ‘Room 10’, and, in the first place, he had been brought into a hidden temple used by a dark-attribute mage together with Abel.

Yes, and in the end, he had been put through hell by the Akuma Leonor...

“That place was originally built by us Spellno... before humans ever used it.”

“Eh...”

Ryo and Abel were speechless.

“Originally, they were set up in places where the veins of the earth, or dragon veins, if you will, gather. We Spellno use them to draw power from there. Because we can obtain that power, we can revive even after turning to ash.”

“I see... Garwin revived even after I shredded him into pieces too small to see.”

At Merlin’s explanation, Ryo nodded as he remembered.

He had shredded the Djinn Garwin with <Water Jet>, and yet he had revived.

If energy exists, matter can be created.

That familiar equation, E = mc².

However, even the creation of a small amount of matter requires enormous energy... the problem is how to prepare that much energy.

The Djinn Garwin regenerated from a state like ash and dust.

It must have required a considerable amount of energy.

But if there were a place where the energy of the earth gathered, and if that energy could be drawn from there...

“There was a shrine like that on this Ichiban Island too. It was in a place close to the royal palace. There was no jewel there, so human rites were probably never performed. Without that, humans can’t draw out the power of the land.”

“A jewel?”

“Forget I said that. In any case, no rites were performed, but it had been swept clean and kept very tidy. I could tell the people living here had kept it clean every day. The soldiers had protected it too. They had been picking up fallen leaves and all that...”

Merlin shook his head slightly.

“The soldiers who came from the outer island also killed the soldiers who were guarding the shrine.”

“...”

“In conflicts between people, the strong survive and the weak die... something that has repeated everywhere since ancient times. I don’t care about that anymore. But... what bothered me was that the dead soldiers had been left abandoned in the shrine.”

“...”

“I didn’t like that.”

The moment he said those last words, Merlin’s eyes narrowed.

Without meaning to, both Ryo and Abel drew a breath.

For a brief moment, they truly felt Merlin’s anger.

“Of course, what happens to the shrine now no longer matters. I have no intention of saying they should return it to us, and I don’t need it myself, living in the Western Countries anyway. But... the instant I saw the soldiers cast aside, I felt anger. So I just helped the soldiers on this island rise a little... that’s all.”

“I see. I understand.”

Abel nodded.

He could somehow understand the emotion Merlin had felt.

In a way, it almost seemed natural that he had felt for the soldiers of Ichiban Island.

To something they themselves had once cherished... they were now showing respect for it.

“My actions didn’t cause you any trouble, did they?”

“No, no problem. No one noticed except Ryo.”

At Merlin’s words, Abel answered with a smile.

Ryo silently nodded with a grin, over and over.

A little apart from the three of them on the deck, a piece of whitefish karaage on a large platter floated up into the air, was carried over to the coffin-shaped box... and suddenly disappeared.

The strange phenomenon repeated itself again and again.

“The fallen one inside that box... really likes karaage, doesn’t they.”

“Mm. The chicken one was good too, but they say the whitefish is delicious.”

“I did revise the magic formula myself, so this is a little... that box was supposed to be a seal.”

“Yes.”

“But no matter how you look at it, that person doesn’t seem sealed.”

“Well... wouldn’t that depend on how you define a seal?”

“Well, as long as they don’t go outside and go on a rampage, isn’t that fine?”

Ryo was bewildered, Merlin shrugged, and Abel offered a practical compromise.

“They did say the inside of that box was comfortable, but... well, yes. If everything can be tucked away in there without any problems, I guess that’s fine.”

That was the conclusion Ryo came to.

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