Chapter 233

Chapter 233

***

The world was wide and had various climates and environments. While there were people living under scorching sunlight, there were also those who did not fear going out into the rough sea in weather with blizzards for half the year.

Among them the land of steel and corpses surrounded by forests, the Eastern Frontier in Rickart's memories was like that.

However arriving at Solarium guided by Malcolm and his colleagues Rickart ended up completely speechless.

Suiting its name Solarium was a place where sunlight entered very well unlike other places in the forest, and whether all buildings were made of ivory a comfortable white radiance was emitted from the whole city. Exactly like a heavenly kingdom.

What on earth was this matter? Instead of death and blood, flesh and predation, cold steel and rotting corpses what was this city surrounded by this merciful light?

"The God King discovered five ancient ruin sites. Solarium is famous for being the most beautiful place among them. It is our mission to restore the ruins, reviving ancient knowledge and making it a way of life."

"......"

The speechless one wasn't just Rickart alone. The other party members also looked at the city with an astounded expression, and among them Maters especially seemed deeply moved kneeling down and praying drawing a cross.

Though his action seemed excessive, on the other hand it wasn't un-understandable. Exactly where would he have seen such a magnificent and beautiful sight?

The buildings of the Empire were mostly fortresses or castles, and though they were solid they were far from beautiful. They were dull and gloomy.

Conversely Solarium had formative beauty. Though Rickart had seen much mysterious and wondrous nature, the extreme of beauty created by humans was his first time this time.

Rickart and the party waited for Maters's prayer to end, and entered the city following Malcolm.

"By the way passing over that is it fine without city walls?"

Bori asked. Because the city itself was a broad flatland, and the Forest of Demonic Beasts wasn't far away. If monsters like orcs or goblins invaded from there what would they did?

"Even we do not know accurately but the city is protected by the power of magic. Monsters cannot come near. For the past 100 years this city has been safe from monsters. There wasn't a single instance of damage."

"Magic?"

"The ancient Empire's technology handling mana developed highly to an extent hard for us to imagine. Starting from a certain point we all came to forget it."

"Exactly what matter happened for that?"

"We do not know that either."

Though they succeeded in excavating ancient ruins and knowledge and understanding them to some extent it seemed they didn't know completely.

Entering the city citizens were seen. Unlike Malcolm's party wearing somewhat tight-fitting attire they were wearing loose silk clothes.

Perhaps because there was no status system, each individual citizen all looked exactly like nobles. Their skin was fine, teeth were even, and there were no wrinkles or angular parts.

And their words or demeanor was cheerful and overflowing with confidence. Exactly like that bright sunlight.

Rickart's party who had passed through the forest for about two days starting from the Ceska County territory looked the shabbiest in this city.

Their appearances weren't vastly different, but a sense of heterogeneity unique to people living in different cultures, they felt such things from each other. Actually it could be known immediately just looking at their attire though.

So the gazes of Solarium's citizens inevitably stuck to Rickart's party.

"Please come this way."

Malcolm continuously headed somewhere taking Rickart's party who entered the city exactly like impurities.

Before long they arrived at a mansion with a fence wall, and whether the fence wall wasn't made of bricks but by grinding whole stones beautiful carvings were entirely engraved all over.

The detailed carvings exactly as if alive and moving contained a story. Myths, or wars and battles of the past.

Reaching the wide open front gate many people passing by were seen. The mansion was an open type, and the courtyard was narrower than expected.

"Where is here?"

Roy with his bag and axe slung over him asked.

"Me and my friends are the first family of Tel Urano. Here is the Helio family mansion of Solarium. For us to sleep and obtain food in the city receiving treatment as formal visitors we must receive their acknowledgment."

Just because it was a city it didn't seem one could freely trade giving money. It wasn't that the concept of money didn't exist, but here reputation or identity guarantee was more important.

When Rickart's party entered the mansion following Malcolm and his colleagues, someone immediately approached Malcolm and acknowledged him.

"Oh, who is this. Isn't it Malcolm."

Even while acknowledging Malcolm his gaze was directed towards Rickart's party's side. Rather than vigilant it was exactly a gaze as if wondering what this was.

"Long time no see, Ceres. None other than visitors have come from the country of Westerners. Please let them utilize a place to rest their bodies and warm food."

"......If Westerners do you mean vagrants?"

"Different from vagrants. They are swordsmen who trained mana. They severed the Spider Queen's neck. They possessed sufficient skill to have a question-and-answer session with us on equal terms."

Then the man welcoming Malcolm frowned as if pathetic.

"Still that talk? Looking at the level of Westerners it constitutes absolutely no help. Rather than exerting energy on such things how about defeating even one more Nord or monster?"

Because Rickart also listened to the two people's conversation he knew exactly to the extent that this person didn't welcome them much. By the way passing over that was it okay to speak like this exactly to their faces?

Still since they were in the position of outsiders they stayed silent for now. Excluding Maters Bori and Roy's expressions hardened.

"They have reached a substantial level training swords and mana in a different method from ours. Unless we discover new Codexes we cannot head towards a higher realm with existing interpretations. Equal sword discussion with those equipped with qualifications is an necessary matter even for our own development."

Sword discussion exactly meant discussing swords, expressing things like sparring elegantly. However, unlike general sparring life and death could separate during the sparring.

That was, a duel where victory or defeat wasn't decided by superiority of skill, meaning a sparring where no one wins or loses, and yet one could also die. Honestly it was wordplay.

Given one's pride got very hurt when losing when fighting betting victory and defeat it was closer to creating words that didn't even sound like words.

Anyway Rickart listened quietly from behind, and though he couldn't know what sound they were making he could clearly know they weren't very favorable. Conversely Malcolm was somewhat open.

The man welcoming Malcolm snorted exactly as if it was absurd.

"That is because you didn't put in enough effort or your talent is up to there. Seeking answers from Westerners feels disgraceful to me."

"Our family head said there is nothing to be ashamed of in seeking learning."

"If one doesn't know shame how does the face of a swordsman become?"

"Wouldn't it be fine to keep face in matters other than learning?"

"Truly not losing a single word. Let me tell the elder for now. Please do not have great expectations."

Saying so he entered the mansion where the inside could be completely seen as it was wide open. Inside the mansion it seemed people gathered together exactly like debating about various ancient knowledge, or a class was taking place.

While the man named Ceres went to relay the words, Rickart questioned Malcolm.

"Who are you referring to by vagrants?"

"Ah, the Westerners living in the settlement. They plunder among themselves and recklessly wander around pointlessly stimulating monsters. So they often cause damage even to us, and request protection too. However we do not have an obligation to protect them. Honestly speaking I just want them to quickly become orc food."

"......"

The thing called settlement was none other than the Eastern Frontier itself. The place Roy's family had tried to go in the past, and the place Maters believed salvation resided.

Actually strictly speaking the Eastern Frontier from 100 years ago was the current Tel Urano.

However Caldebert had made it and five ruin sites into a new civilization sphere, and regarding its existence not much was known to the Empire.

Perhaps currently Rickart's party might be exactly the first visitors.

In a word as a long time passed the state became ambiguous as to where exactly the "Eastern Expeditionary Land" or "Eastern Frontier" referred to. So there was no choice but to directly come and check.

Anyway whether Malcolm or the person ignoring Rickart's party, these people basically seemed to lack human affection towards Westerners.

"The elder said to see you once."

Ceres returned after relaying the words and said. After looking back at Rickart's party once Malcolm stared at them exactly as if asking if it was okay.

Rickart nodded wordlessly and entered the open-type mansion together with his party.

He didn't know looking from the outside but the inside was much wider than expected and reminded him of an indoor training hall. People gathered there exactly like debating this or that ancient knowledge or gathering among themselves taking classes.

As Rickart's party stepped inside the softly buzzing noise subsided, and everyone blankly stared at the rare outsiders exactly from where they sat.

At that time a crisp voice of an old man echoed in the room.

"You came from the distant West."

Turning their heads it was an old man whose white eyebrows drooped almost to his chin. He had somewhat wrinkles but it wasn't severe, and his physique was also as sturdy as young people. A kind of old man whose gaze alone seemed exactly to instead overwhelm young people.

"It wasn't that far than expected. Passing the stone statue of the ancient Emperor and passing the cave where the Spider Queen lives we could arrive here before long."

Rickart answered.

"Since your courage and combat skills are guaranteed by Malcolm I will acknowledge them. However, we evaluate purer forms of ascetic practice more importantly, highly. Because you took a bladed instrument in your hand but to how high a level have you reached with it, that part distinguishes barbarism and civilization. Are you barbarians, or civilized men?"

He expressed it stylishly but to Rickart it sounded exactly like absurd words. Of course he understood why they spoke like this. Probably being vigilant against just wielding martial force led by desires.

Nevertheless it couldn't be helped that it was laughable.

After looking around once at Solarium's citizens staring at him Rickart looked at the old man again and answered.

"It differs exactly from time to time."

"Hmm?"

"To barbarians like more barbarians, to civilized men merely treating them like more civilized men."

"......Let's check. Will you have a sword discussion?"

"What is that?"

"There is no victory or defeat. Merely discussing with the sword. Of course a fierce debate also separates life and death. Will you do it?"

"Wordplay. But since we are outsiders we will comply."

As Rickart complied someone brought practice swords. The blades weren't sharpened but being made of metal if hit directly on the head or vitals it was dangerous. In severe cases one could even die.

Rickart took off his cloak and handed it to Roy, unbuckled the belt at his waist with the scabbard and handed it to Bori. And exactly looking back at Maters he said.

"Doesn't particularly seem like there's salvation, right?"

"I haven't looked around everything yet."

"Hmm......"

Rickart rolled up his sleeves and spun the practice sword around round and round. After a moment someone holding a practice sword stepped forward, it was the man named Ceres who spoke arrogantly earlier.

Ceres said.

"I do not like killing. However to show what a true Imperial's sword is, keep in mind I might unavoidably kill."

"Empire, Empire huh......"

Rickart muttered bowing his head slightly with his bangs hanging down. And raising his eyes again looking at the opponent he said.

"How barbaric the Empire is you do not know."

Barbarians were barbaric. But the Empire's strategy dealing with them was paying it back with a more barbaric method.

Killing children first in front of parents witnessing it, tearing limbs apart and killing, skinning, burning to death......

Rickart was an eyewitness and participant of that. One who executed it better than anyone. Perhaps the ancient Empire wouldn't be different. Because that's human nature.

Ultimately, these people didn't know the true state of the Empire.