Against the World II: Transgression
Special Story: Threat from the East, part 3
A large ship with a structure they had never seen before floated a dozen meters from the edge of the lake.
The ship with a pair of silver wings with a bird-like structure had a bow shaped like a horse's head with a long tapered horn. At the base of the horn was a kind of small cannon to fire something. While under the wide spread wings, the crystal balls filled with [whichever] were seen hanging neatly. The body of the ship is shaped like the head of a blooming cobra, but it is completely closed with no gaps to enter except for doors and windows only.
“We can't open the door,” said Elder Ramatra. “To open the door, there are three rune formulas that must be activated. Of all the experiments ever conducted, only one rune could be activated.”
That explains why they were a bit skeptical about trying to use that ship again, inner Hernandez.
Along with the elder's words, Elemetra used her [Earth Magic] to create a small bridge connecting the lakeside and the Vegasus Ship. Ramatra continued walking up the bridge, Hernandez and the others followed him from behind. Once there, as the elder had said, Hernandez found three small rune formulas arranged vertically etched on the surface of the door.
“How, Hernandez?” ask the elder Ramatra.
Hernandez responded to the question by bringing his shrouded right index finger [whichever] to the top rune formula, then slowly he drew a straight line from top to bottom. And instantly, the three rune formulas shimmered at the same time. The door of the ship opened slowly.
“It's a simple rune formula with a simple opening key,” explains Hernandez. “What makes it look complex is that these three rune formulas must be activated at the same time.”
“Ah...”.
That was all that Elder Ramatra voiced in response. Elemetra and Diatra who saw the elder's expression simultaneously boasted about how true they were.
Ignoring the three centaurs, Hernandez stepped into the ship. Retsu followed the black-haired young man right after.
The four [Light Stone] pieces instantly lit up. And that very second the blacksmith saw an extremely complex system of rune formulas. The rune formulas are not complex, but the series of formulas form a very complex system. Just looking at it at a glance was enough to say that the ship they were riding on was made to be a masterpiece.
“What is it...reactor [where]?”
The question that came out of Retsu's mouth distracted Hernandez. His eyes then saw what Retsu saw in the right and left corners of the room.
The bright red crystals are tube-shaped in which fluid is filled in a complex formation. All the crystals are connected to each other. And beneath that crystal group was a massive-sized rune formula.
From where he stood, Hernandez could tell that the rune formula was actually a series of smaller rune formulas. Hernandez could not see the rune formula on the other hand, but the leading part of the formula showed that the crystal functions were nothing but accommodating and channeling [where]. As Retsu expected, it was none other than a [where] reactor.
Hernandez actually did not need to know the function of the rune formula to find out; just looking at the shape and arrangement of the crystal with a glance was able to give him an answer.
“Oh, you already know that it's a reactor [where]?” tanya Elder Ramatra who has joined Retsu and Hernandez—Elementra and Diatra is also already in the room.
“Tak hard to know,” said Hernandez and Retsu together.
“True. For those who are used to magic artifacts, it is very easy to conclude that it is a reactor [where].” Ramatra said while nodding his own head. “But,” continues while turning his back on Hernandez and Retsu, “do you know where his control room is?”
Hearing that question made Hernandez and Retsu to re-spread his gaze around.
Although the room they were in now was filled with many rune formulas, but both of them did not see anything that indicated that this was the control room. What's more, all the walls of the room are closed; there is no glass that allows them to see out.
“Seeing how the structure of the room is made, I'm sure there is a secret access to the control room.” Hernandez said as he turned to look at the elder's back. “Why don't you show us, Elder Ramatra? Even though you yourself never got into it, at least you must have been told where it is, didn't you?”
“That's right,” Ramatra's response in a proud tone. “Because me and the others have never entered, but we all know exactly what this ship is about. Our forefathers made sure we remembered that before they handed over the board position.”
“Lantas, where is access to the control room?” asked Hernandez, indirectly asking the elder to lead directly to the main point.
“Then once—”
“Ah, Elder, I will look around what the outside is still perfect what not.”
“I too, Elder; we leave that explanation to you.”
Hernandez scrunched his forehead at the suspicious glare of Elemetra and Diatra. Retsu felt the same way. However, before they could make a sound, Elder Ramatra nodded and told the two centaurs to check it out in detail.
“There used to be,” continued Elder Ramatra right after the two centaurs went outside, “ there is no need for the previous council to ensure the new council understands the sacred things in the village. They wrote everything neatly and regularly. The new board members can learn everything from those writings. However ...”
...—Meanwhile, West Coast Veria—...
Emperor Gadra Rashta looked satisfied at the hundreds of medium-sized ships that had lined up neatly along the pier that stretched straight for a kilometer. The soldiers in uniform Karna Great Empire seemed busy filling the majority of the ships, while the minority was filled with soldiers in uniform Jiangzhou Empire.
Gadra doesn't stand alone on the beach. A man in his twenties with long black hair whose ends were tied with a white cloth also stood with him. He was one of Jiang Yue Yin's strongest subordinates. His name is Guang Zhou. The white-skinned man with slightly narrowed eyes was standing by his side replacing Jiang Yue Yin who had already sailed two days ago along with fifteen thousand warriors and twenty ships.
Jiang Yue Yin wanted to pay a visit to Medea first before going to Islan. Gadra did not know for sure, but most likely he wanted to make Dragon Lord Arshvateth join them. What he did not understand was why the empress did not use [Space Magic] to create a portal to Medea. With her magic, the woman did not need to sail for long like that at all. However, Gadra did not care about that. As long as they could arrive at Islan as planned, that was enough.
“Emperor Gadra, have you decided when we should leave?” guang Zhou asked, there was a hint of impatient expression painted on the flat face of the Jiangzhou Empire's commander-in-chief.
That impatient question did not surprise Gadra at all. Because, he had made the commander wait here for more than half an hour. They should have raised the anchors by now and brought the ships sailing. However, Gadra who never gave orders to make the ships remain in place.
“...We will leave after my armour arrives,” Gadra's response.
Yes, that is the reason why Gadra still has not ordered his army to sail. He was waiting for his armor to arrive. The armor would greatly assist him in subduing Islan. Although Gadra has high confidence in his abilities, he will not be able to subdue Deus Guardian himself.
“When did your armor arrive?”
Gadra also wanted to know when his armor arrived, but he couldn't possibly say that to the commander, right?
“Hm... Then I go to the ship first, Emperor.” Guang Zhou did not wait for Gadra's response, he just left after saying that.
Gadra had no problem with that at all. If he is in the position of the commander, he will also go first to the ship. Waiting is annoying for anyone. Excluding the person who makes waiting his hobby, no normal person likes to wait.
Fortunately, Gadra did not have to wait any longer.
A dozen minutes after Commander Guang Zhou left, a woman escorted by two soldiers arrived in a teleportation magic circle. The woman carried with her a predominantly maroon armor with several golden sections, while the two soldiers accompanying her carried with them a sword and a pentagon shield that were all maroon.
“Sorry late, Your Grace. This is one set of our best works, please accept.”
Gadra nodded, receiving the armor the woman thrust.
Light weight, very light weight. Gadra had never held a suit of armor as light as a piece of cloth before. That was the first time. And after seeing a few details of the carvings on the surface, Gadra decided to directly wear the artistic adamantite armor.
“It fits you perfectly, Your Majesty,” praise the long black haired woman followed by a nod of her two soldiers.
Gadra glimpsed himself now clad in a harness that protected his shoulders, arms, back, chest, abdomen, waist and both thighs. This model of armor he wears is a little similar to the armor that is rife used by the soldiers of Mikazuki Empire. The difference is, the armor he wears is more open and much more artistic than them.
Satisfied to see himself in the armor, Gadra again landed his eyes on the woman and her two bodyguards. “Good work,” said, “you can come back.”
“Then we excuse you, Your Majesty. Oh, before we go, Princess Sarasvya sends you a message: ‘Back alive, Grandpa, otherwise I will hunt you even to the realm of death though.’”
Gadra slightly chuckled at the message from his beloved grandson. The seven-year-old girl was very unhappy when she was not in the palace. And knowing how much his desire to see Gadra again made the emperor smile thinly.
“Ya,” response a few seconds later. “I'll come back and bring him his gift.”
“I'll tell Mr. Princess.”
Gadra nodded slowly. And just a second after the woman and her two guards disappeared, the emperor thrust his legs forward with a sword and shield embedded in each hand. He was a Magic Master; gadra could fight in various ways. Although his swordplay did not reach the elegance of the swordsmen, Gadra complemented that deficiency with his above-average shield play.
“Yang Mulia.”
The soldiers greeted the emperor respectfully as he set foot to the edge of the main pier. While nodding at the soldiers, Gadra's feet stepped up the neatly arranged steps. Commander Zhou looked pleased with his arrival, and Gadra only nodded softly at the man suggesting that he could command the captain of the ship to set sail.
And with a trumpet ringing so loudly, the main ship pulled its anchor and began to sail.
...—Centaur Village Alliance, Islan—...
“... So, to make sure all those things are not repeated, the old council decided to convey all the important things to the new board verbally. Although this also contains—”
“Tua Ramatra,” sela Hernandez in a very very flat tone.
Hernandez is not a typical impatient individual. In fact, he was a very patient man. Working as a blacksmith required him to be patient. Patience is not a foreign concept to him. It's just that even for Hernandez who patiently waits for his artificial swords in the holy water of Lake Deus though, hearing the chattering of Elder Ramatra has made the concept of patience into something foreign to him. This man has been talking for over half an hour!
“Can you tell us about secret access to the control room?” asked Hernandez, trying his best to maintain his decency.
“Truely, Elder Ramatra,” timpal Retsu who has also lost patience. “Why don't you show access to the control room?”
“Of course. However, I have to finish my story so that you can fully understand, then I can show it. Hm, where was I? Oh, yep! So, although it also contains—”
“No need, Elder,” sidelines Hernandez again. “The explanation is enough.”
“Quiet, it won't be long. If it was just a few minutes, this time not up to three minutes.”
Are you crazy?! Half an hour more you say a few minutes?!
Of course Hernandez can't just shout out his head. That would be very disrespectful. Given the Deus Holy Church asking for the help of the centaurs, they were not in a position to sue.
“No need,” said Hernandez before Ramatra could resume. “I'm sure you're pretty busy; we don't want to make you spend more time here. Aren't there a lot of things you should do right after this?”
Ramatra paused for a moment considering Hernandez's words, before then he nodded resignedly. “That's right, I have to go back to the village hall,” he said as he shook his head. “So I wanted to show that I was the best member of the board, but I had to hold back. Come on, we're here.”
Hernandez only let out a long sigh at the old centaur's behavior. Then he and Retsu followed him walking down the wall of the room measuring 10 x 10 x 2 meters. Ramatra stopped a few steps from the corner, making Hernandez and Retsu's steps come to a halt. The palms of the old centaur then stick on top of a pentagram— symbolexactly the sixth pentagram from the edge of the corner.
“I just need to relax and let my [where] be absorbed..”.
A few seconds after the mutter came out of Ramatra's mouth, the pitch-black pentagram began to glow. And a second after, the door-sized wall surface began to retreat backwards before then splitting into two parts. The stairs leading down were visible in all its usual splendor.
“Come down!”
Without a verbal response, Hernandez and Retsu simultaneously followed the village elder down the stairs. Due to the number of his stepsisters which were only a dozen, within a few seconds all three arrived at the bottom of the room. And immediately the three pairs of eyes were greeted by a room that was designed with artistic. Not only from the value of art, the contents are based on high-priced materials.
“Both it's you, Elemetra, or Diatra, none of you mention this shipbuilder, either,” said Hernandez as he stepped closer to a special chair that stood a few steps in front of a super transparent glass with 160-degree view access. “Lantas, who is the creator of this ship?”
Along with the question coming out of his mouth, Hernandez watched the red-colored chair with black stripes in front of him intently.