Chapter 2781 Second Awakening <TOC> Chapter 2783 Walking with the Beast
Translator: SumTLMan
Angel thought it over for a moment, and still brought up the doubt in his heart.
Perhaps because of the series of consecutive failures earlier, Laplace at this moment was not as silent and taciturn as before, but instead said mildly:「Humans always pride themselves on being very clever, but in reality, when prejudice takes deep root, they are often unaware of it.」
Angel:「What do you mean?」
Angel did not understand why Laplace would suddenly mention 「human prejudice」. Could it be that the awakening of a demon could actually happen twice from the very beginning, and it is human prejudice that assumes a single awakening is the limit?
Instead of answering, Laplace fired back with a question:「Why not talk about what understanding you have of the Panic World and of the demons?」
Although Angel was puzzled, he still recounted the situation he had come to understand.
After listening to Angel’s account, Laplace made no evaluation, but instead continued:「This is only your own opinion. Can your opinion represent everyone? Why not ask your companions again; perhaps they also have something to add.」
Angel did not understand her meaning, but his gaze still subconsciously turned to the others.
Daus also came slightly back to himself at this time. Seeing Angel looking at him, he thought for a moment:「What I know, you have basically already said. However, I remember that I once heard some guests chatting in my tavern say that the demons of the Panic World have three theories of origin……」
「But as for exactly what those three are, I did not hear that part.」When Daus got to this point, he could not help complaining:「That group of guests chatting looked like a trade caravan, but the way they spoke was all sneaky and secretive, like people who cannot let others see what they are.」
Vai said irritably:「Before you talk about others, do not forget what you yourself were doing. You were eavesdropping!」
Daus:「I was openly eavesdropping!」
「Either way it is eavesdropping; what difference is there between doing it openly and doing it furtively?」
Just as Daus was about to refute, Angel coughed lightly and cut off their quarrel one step ahead.
Taking advantage of the moment when their attention was diverted, Angel quickly looked toward the Black Count, using his eyes to ask if the Black Count had anything to add.
The Black Count:「The origin theory of demons he mentioned, that I have heard of. It was recorded in 《Winter Secrets》, the Blossom Monthly from a hundred years ago.」
「《Winter Secrets》？」Angel showed confusion; in his memory, he had never had any impression of this periodical.
Not only Angel; the others also looked as though they had never heard of it.
The Black Count:「It is an internal periodical of Winter Academy; only the professors of Winter Academy can read it.」
Angel frowned slightly. Since only the professors of Winter Academy could read it, why would the Black Count have read it?
The Black Count seemed to see through what Angel was thinking and said blandly:「It is said only the professors of Winter Academy can read it, but at the time the purpose of issuing that particular number of the periodical was, in itself, to show it to outsiders.」
Amid the confused expressions of everyone, the Black Count recounted what the situation had been like back then.
To explain why 《Winter Secrets》 would publish this piece of news about the origin theory of demons, one has to start from a minor clash a few months before that issue was released, between the Frost Moon Alliance and the Extreme Sect.
Yes, that Frost Moon Alliance and that Extreme Sect. Those two……hegemonic organizations of the Wizarding World in the Southern Region.
At that time, the Frost Moon Alliance had a small team secretly transporting a batch of demon corpses from the Abyss back to the Southern Region. However, just as they were transmitting back from the Abyss to the Domain Island on the Blue Eyerift Inland Sea, they were wiped out in one swoop by the Extreme Sect.
Originally, the Frost Moon Alliance and the Extreme Sect had always maintained a certain tacit understanding regarding this business of 「smuggling」, not interfering with each other. Occasionally, the Frost Moon Alliance would even sell a few pieces of information about smugglers to the Extreme Sect so that the latter would not be too embarrassed on the surface.
Yet this time, the smuggling operation was entirely an action on the Extreme Sect’s side; they had not informed the Frost Moon Alliance at all.
It was said that it was a gray-robed bishop within the Extreme Sect who acted on his own initiative. The reason, well, was very simple……within the Extreme Sect there are some absolutely extreme factions; they are not loyal to the archbishop, only to the 「World Will」.
The style of this faction is extremity among extremity; their eyes cannot tolerate even a grain of sand.
Just then, a certain gray-robed bishop of this faction happened to be on duty guarding the Domain Island, and it also just so happened that someone 「carelessly」 leaked information about the Frost Moon Alliance’s smuggling squad; thus this minor clash came to be.
In the end, the Extreme Sect confiscated all of the demon corpses, and the Frost Moon Alliance even lost several apprentices.
After this clash, the two powers did not openly tear each other’s faces.
After all, the Extreme Sect represents 「justice」, holding high the banner of the World Will; opposing them is equivalent to opposing the world.
However, while no one said anything openly, the Frost Moon Alliance was still making some small moves in the dark.
With Mengke, the strongest wizard of the Southern Region, on their side, if they swallowed this matter of being 「utterly humiliated」 without making a sound, where would their face be?
So there followed a series of retaliations in the shadows. These retaliations are said to be in the dark, but in order to save face, there was also a performative element to them, so this 「in the dark」 was not absolutely 「operating unseen」. It referred instead to the sort of 「darkness」 that ordinary wizards knew nothing about, but that all high-level wizards of the Southern Region were fully aware of.
It was both to display the Frost Moon Alliance’s hegemony and to make clear that they would absolutely not swallow a dumb loss.
In this series of retaliations, Winter Academy’s 《Winter Secrets》 opened fire.
Winter Academy is one of the thirteen wizard organizations under the Frost Moon Alliance. Their 《Winter Secrets》 was originally open only internally, but a high-ranking witch 「carelessly」 left that periodical behind at a tea party of a small circle, and so it spread.
Yet even so, its spread remained limited to the high-levels; ordinary wizards knew nothing.
The reason Winter Academy did this was that there was an article in 《Winter Secrets》 that cast veiled barbs at the Extreme Sect.
And that article was 《An Origin Theory of the Demons of the Panic World》.
According to the article’s record, the modes of existence of the demons of the Panic World are very strange; based on research and inference, there may be three possible origins.
Yes, it is only 「speculation」; that is to say, if I call it reasoning then it is reasoning, and if you call it making things up out of thin air, that works too.
These three origins, the first is the Void Theory. It says that the demons of the Panic World originally came from the void.
The argument, well, is that they are simply too strong. Compared with the intelligent life of the Panic World, these demons are so powerful that they are practically on an entirely different level. How could such powerful beings possibly be native creatures? After all, the Panic World is so impoverished that it cannot even support such powerful demons.
Therefore, they may have come from the void.
The second possibility is the Overlap Theory. It means that the Panic World is an overlap of multiple worlds, just like in a Fairytale World with an outer world and an inner world. Demons mainly come from the inner world.
The argument is still that same line: the native land of the Panic World is too impoverished to support powerful demons, so there must be some other source. In that case, an outer-and-inner-world structure is one possible explanation.
The third possibility is the World Will Fostering Theory.
The poverty of the Panic World may be because it has been devoured by beings from other worlds. The Panic World is a breeding ground for certain powerful worlds.
In order to prevent the Panic World from continuing to fall into desolate decay, the World Will fostered a certain type of living being to ascend to dominance, and these beings are the demons.
Through powerful demons, the otherworldly beings are driven away, and the balance of the Panic World is maintained.
As for the supporting evidence, there is none. It is complete and utter wild conjecture: the World Will of the Panic World is so tolerant toward the demons; perhaps it is precisely because they have shouldered the 「banner of justice」 for the Panic World.
Just like the Extreme Sect shoulders the banner of justice for the Wizarding World of the Southern Region.
The above are the three origins of the demons of the Panic World……all of them conjecture, with no solid proof.
Of these, the first and second are basically written in just to make up the numbers; the reason Winter Academy placed this article in 《Winter Secrets》 was that the focus was exactly the third possibility.
This third origin theory is completely and utterly an allusion to the Extreme Sect.
Indeed, as long as one has some understanding of the power structure of the Wizarding World in the Southern Region, one can see that this is basically ridiculing and mocking the Extreme Sect.
With such an article, how could the Frost Moon Alliance possibly let it circulate only internally? It was written precisely in order to be spread publicly.
But since they could not state openly that it was meant for external circulation, they used 《Winter Secrets》 to stage this little drama of 「accidental leak」.
After seeing it, even if the Extreme Sect wanted to make trouble for the Frost Moon Alliance, they had no proper and reasonable grounds.
Because only people of Winter Academy are supposed to be able to see 《Winter Secrets》, so why did you of the Extreme Sect see it? Do you have spies?
As for whether it was a deliberate leak? Naturally the Frost Moon Alliance could never admit that.
This was an open scheme, using minor tricks to disgust the Extreme Sect in order to avenge that earlier grudge.
And this was just one of the less conspicuous acts of retaliation among a whole series; besides it, there were also some even more brazen actions. So this article in fact was not all that important; it merely circulated on a small scale among the high-level members of the Wizarding World in the Southern Region.
As the patriarch of the Noah family and also one of the very top wizards of the Southern Region, the Frost Moon Alliance naturally would not forget the Black Count.
Even if the Black Count had not wanted to see this article, the Frost Moon Alliance would still have found various ways to convey it to him.
So what appears to be secret news is nothing more than something your strength level has not yet reached; when you too have influence, such secrets will naturally be placed before you of their own accord.
……
After listening to the Black Count’s account, everyone actually was not very surprised; such situations arising between the various organizations and alliances of the Southern Region are far too normal.
Open strife and covert battles never cease day after day, and mutual deception and scheming never stop. This is the Wizarding World: a world where, if I am not plotting against you, then you are plotting against me.
Instead, it was Laplace, having listened to the whole story, who, with a faintly mocking tone, said softly:「Heh, humans.」
Laplace did not continue speaking, but that sense of disdain was something everyone could perceive.
Seeing the atmosphere shift toward stiffness, Angel took the initiative to speak and ease it:「This origin-theory information has no evidence; it is hard to say that it is true, right?」
The Black Count:「That is indeed so. However, what the article says at the beginning is very true: the demons of the Panic World have modes of existence that are far too strange. The powerful ones have legendary abilities; yet the poverty of the Panic World fundamentally cannot support such powerful beings. So this article need not be dug into too deeply, but it can serve as a reference.」
Angel nodded in comprehension and continued:「Then, my lord, do you have any other information regarding the Panic World to add?」
The Black Count thought for a moment and said:「I have an old friend who once wanted to go to the Panic World to study demons, but in the end he still did not succeed.」
Daus asked in puzzlement:「Was he driven back by demons?」
The Black Count:「No. He had not yet reached the Panic World when the path marker leading there directed him into a region of void catastrophe. According to what he said, if one wants to go to the Panic World, the closest path is precisely through this region of void catastrophe; however, the disasters in this void rise and fall periodically. Without detailed data, it is very difficult to find a way to pass through the calamity.」
「And if one detours, one would enter a collapse zone; with such a detour, there is no telling how much space-time distance one would have to go around. Hundreds of years of time would also slip by in an instant.」
「In the end, he still chose to turn back.」
After listening to the Black Count’s account, everyone actually felt a bit puzzled, because this matter did not contain much information. Its connection with the Panic World was also very tenuous; if one had to put it that way, it was simply that disaster was encountered halfway to the Panic World, and they were forced to retreat.
「He did not even reach the Panic World, and was still very far from it; does this also count as information about the Panic World?」Daus directly voiced what everyone was thinking.
The Black Count:「It indeed has little to do with it. However, the path marker for the Panic World is recorded by the Frost Moon Alliance in 《Planes Conquest Record》. The Frost Moon Alliance never mentioned that one would encounter a void catastrophe midway along this path marker.」
Angel:「My lord means that the Frost Moon Alliance is using this path marker to harm people?」
The Black Count shook his head:「I do not know. I tell this story only to let you know that the Panic World is a contradictory world, full of mysteries, and that it is best to view it dialectically and not put blind faith in outside information.」
Angel was silent for a moment, then nodded.
What the Black Count roughly meant was that the matters concerning the Panic World recorded by the Frost Moon Alliance may not be accurate.
And what Angel had earlier recounted about the Panic World and demons was almost all things he had seen in the Frost Moon Alliance’s compiled 《Planes Conquest Record》.
In that case, could this information be false?
As Angel was thinking this, Kael suddenly raised his hand:「Previously, in a certain ruin, I once saw a piece of information about the Panic World; I also do not know whether it is true.」
Angel:「It does not matter whether it is true or false; nonetheless, speak of it.」
Kael nodded, then began to recount what he had seen and heard. From the fluency of his words it could be told that he had probably prepared long ago. Perhaps when Laplace had asked Angel to inquire of his companions regarding information on the Panic World, he had already begun organizing his phrasing.
From this, in fact, one can indirectly see that Kael must regard this information as quite important; it is probably also a knot in his heart that he has never been able to forget.
「This ruin is actually right near the Sandworm Market.」Kael:「Lord Red Sword should know that I very much like buying cipher maps; I have even bought a few cipher maps from you, my lord.」
Daus nodded. At first, when he saw Kael buying cipher maps, he thought Kael had a hobby of deciphering codes; later he learned that Kael purely wanted to see whether ancient cipher maps might conceal some hidden information.
「A few years ago, I picked up in the Sandworm Market a cipher map that looked ancient and worn. After decoding the map, I discovered it was a guiding chart similar to a treasure map.」
Daus:「I seem to remember this. At the time you said it was a fake treasure map that had been deliberately aged?」
Kael nodded:「Indeed, it was a fake treasure map. I followed the map to the location and found it was just an abandoned underground cave in the desert, with even traces of human activity there from recent times.」
「I guessed that perhaps whoever made the treasure map had once operated there. They simply turned it into a cipher map to lure customers into buying it.」
And Kael had, just like that, foolishly taken the bait.
「Although it was an underground cave where humans had been active, I still searched the place. During the search, I really did discover a concealed secret chamber.」
「It was a secret chamber that had never been opened before; at the time I did not know that and thought someone had long since gone into the chamber. So after I decoded the mechanism, I directly pushed the door open and went in.」
「When the outside air entered the secret chamber, almost all of the colored things inside underwent fading and alteration almost instantly.」
「The secret chamber was very small; the only thing inside was a mural. As a result of my one careless act, the mural completely disappeared within a short time……」
「However, before it vanished, I still committed a portion of the mural to memory.」
Chapter 2781 Second Awakening <TOC> Chapter 2783 Walking with the Beast