Eps 191
Infinite Mage
Eps 191 Nors Shelter (5)
However, what caused the discomfort was the interpretation that Shirone had used her.
"Shirone isn't like that! Even if Canya wasn't a divine subject, he would have helped just the same! Shirone is kind and also..."
"I know what kind of person he is. Because he's that kind of guy."
When Canis meekly admitted, Tess found herself without words to retort.
“He must have been sincere when he gave away the White Elixir. So, what I want to say is this. While Shirone acted with good intentions, he's not so naive as to not consider the implications of his actions, right?"
The group could not refute.
If it was something Canis could think of, then Shirone likely had as well. If so, he must be strategizing in some way. At that moment, Shirone approached with Canya.
Canya said with her head bowed.
"I'm sorry for causing you loss because of me. I won't forget this favor."
Amy asked Shirone over her shoulder with a glance. She shook her head as if she aware of the situation.
There are times in life when well-intentioned actions are seen as calculated, and Shirone's current situation was like that. Shirone didn't want to hurt Canya and preferred to watch a little longer.
The discussion continued through Psychic Channel. Although Canis volunteered to speak, it was decided by majority vote to delegate the matter to Shirone.
After the discussion ended, Amy and Canya were busy examining the fire spirit and drone.
Shirone, watching this, realized that among the women at the party, Arin was the only one who had nothing.
"I'm sorry. We've used up all the elixirs."
Canis said.
"I don't need it. I didn't come here just to get something like this."
Tess, who was petting the drone, got angry.
"What did you say? Say that again."
"I don't need it. I didn't come here just to get something like this."
As Tess gritted her teeth, Canis added.
“The reason we risked our lives to come here is not to roam around Purgatory. You should consider that the drone you are hugging is also a piece of equipment that anyone can carry around in Heaven.”
Canis was right.
If Purgatory was a market selling goods, Heaven was a factory manufacturing goods. They could see easily that all the principles of this world originated from the laws of Heaven.
Tess pouted and sat back down.
Anyway, the drone is hers. Even if there are some amazing things in heaven, if they can't get them, isn't that just a pie in the sky?
Her mood improved as she petted the drone again. Then she suddenly became curious about how she used it.
Although she was afraid of breaking it and handled it gently, but even when she shook it and knocked on it, it didn't show any signs of working.
"Canya, how does this work? It's supposed to be new, but it won't turn on."
"Let me see. I'll take a look."
Canya was handed the drone and turned it around. Then, seeing a steel band tied around the drone's flight mechanism, she looked troubled.
She knew the drone was bought with a White Elixir, but she hadn't expected such a thing to be sold. The equipment of the Mecca Clan whose band were not undone was useless. (Races of divine subjects are changed to clan.)
"This…. You can’t use this.”
"What? Why? Is it broken or something?"
"No, it's actually the opposite. This is a brand-new product, straight from the factory. See this steel band with engraved patterns here? This is called a Hena, and the device can only be used once this seal is broken. However, the seal can only be removed at the factory, which means it's unusable as it is."
Tess looked as if she was about to cry. The item she got in exchange for a White Elixir was as good as a lump of scrap metal.
Shirone, who was listening to the conversation, realized why the merchant was trying so hard to sell the goods. He didn't mention the steel band.
Amy said, taking the drone away.
“Give it to me. I'll go and get a refund. He sold a defective product without even explaining it. This is a scam!”
"Right. I did commit fraud."
The merchant who had sold the drone came walking over with Clove.
When he obediently admitted it, Amy lost her nerve.
The group calmed down and waited for the merchant to speak further, but he remained silent. Instead, he showed three yellow elixirs in his arms.
"What's this?"
“This is the original price of the drone. Of course, I've taken out my profit, but no matter what auction you go through, you won't be able to sell it cheaper than this. Every item from Mecca has a lock. I'm sorry for not telling the truth."
Arin conveyed that it was the truth.
Amy guessed why the merchant made a confession of conscience. Initially, it was a clear case of fraud, and seeing Shirone's capabilities made him realize the situation could escalate.
It was a way to salvage whatever he could from the situation. For a merchant, he lacked nerve guts.
"Don't look at me like that. I have no particular intention.”
"Then why are you returning it?"
“It’s meant as an apology. I felt miserable. Though I left Heaven for Purgatory, I believed there was hope. I didn't want to lose my pride as a merchant."
Shirone accepted the yellow elixir as if he understood the gesture. Although Arin warned it was a mix of truth and lies, Shirone was tired of squabbling over beads.
The merchant made a half-hearted attempt to console them.
“Well, it’s not like I shaved off much. Usually, ten Yellow Elixirs can get you one White Elixir. The value of a drone in Purgatory is that high."
Tess shot back.
"What good does that do? We still can't use it anyway.”
The merchant had no response to that. Equipment from the Mecca Clan wasn't his main merchandise, and he had limited information as it was acquired by chance.
However, Amy picked up on a hint from the merchant's words.
"High value means there must be a way to unlock it, right?"
Tess looked back, hoping for a glimmer of hope, but the merchant just shrugged his shoulders as if he had no idea.
Canis, who was listening to their conversation, sighed.
With the key to unlocking the device right in front of them yet still pondering what to do, he was annoyed. Should he tell them or not?
Eventually, driven by a sense of camaraderie, he decided to speak up.
"Do you really not know?"
"Huh? Not know what?"
“Remember how we got here. If you have a brain, think about it.”
Tess recalled their journey. They had escaped to Heaven through Gorphin Gate. Gorphin Gate? Wait, what did they do at Gorphin Gate?
Tess turned to Shirone and shouted.
“Shirone! Hurry, quickly unlock this!”
Shirone had realized it too.
Gorphin Gate was also a type of ancient weapon. It might look like just a stone wall, but when the Immortal Function is activated, it transforms into a portal between dimensions. Perhaps this is why the nickname "Unlocker" was given.
Shirone received the drone, held it with both hands, and concentrated his mind. Will it really work? He had doubts, but he expected it to happen in 9 out of 10 cases.
As the Immortal Function was activated, the drone began to glow. The merchant who had sold it watched with wide eyes.
The seal known as Hena revealed a red pattern. Though the shape was different, it was the same phenomenon seen with Gorphin Gate.
With a ping, the Hena fell off, and light leaked from the seams of the assembly.
Shirone lifted the drone with a bright smile.
"Wow, it really worked?"
Shirone's body stiffened just as he smiled.
Numerous Nors were looking at his way. Canya and Reina, as well as Guardlak and Clove, looked shocked as if they had lost their souls.
He thought it was because the seal was simply broken, but he heard a whispering sound from somewhere.
Arin tried telepathy with a few people, and their voices entered Shirone's mind.
Nephilim.
Many words were exchanged, but the common word was Nephilim.
As the voices grew louder, Shirone became more anxious.
He couldn't tell if the word Nephilim had a good or bad meaning.
Arin said their emotions were awe and fear.
Canya, who made eye contact with Shirone, was startled. But she remembered that even that was blasphemous and got down on her knees.
"A subject of Ra greets the Nephilim."
Shirone had no idea of the situation.
At that time, Godlock approached. His face looked more serious than when they was hunted as heretics.
"You folks weren't just dropped into Purgatory. You came through a gate."
"I don't understand. What exactly is a Nephilim?"
“In this world, the only beings who can travel back and forth between Heaven and Earth at will are angels. They have various missions, but one of them is to conceive a person who will enlighten the land of Earth. This task can only be done by virgins, which is referred to as the virgin conception. Nephilim refers to the descendants of angels and virgins. This is what they call the Nephilim in Heaven. One who is free from the law.”
Shirone recalled the priestesses whom Chief Kerugo had invited to attend the banquet. He said that only a virgin could give birth to a child of the descendants of angels.
Yet, what puzzled him was the fact that he was not a Nephilim. If he truly was a descendant of an angel, why had his mother abandoned him?
Moreover, it is absurd to call them Nephilim just because they can use the Immortal Function.
If all Unlockers in the world are descended from one bloodline, there is no way scholars could not have discovered it.
"Nephilim are beyond the will of Ra. But the citizens follow the Nephilim. Because they stand at the highest position a human can achieve."
Shirone was not pleased. Just because an ancestor was great didn't mean the citizens should follow.
Also, the Immortal Function was a level that was attainde through challenges. It felt absurd to attribute this personal achievement to lineage.
"That's fine. Anyway, knowing such things doesn't change anything, does it?"
"That's true. This is the land of heretics, after all. But why did you come to Purgatory? To carry out an angel's mission?"
Shirone guessed the value of an angel. They served as communicators bridging gods and citizens across dimensions.
"Yes. We've come to enter heaven. We have a message to deliver."
“As expected. Why come to Nors Shelter, then?"
"It just happened…"
When Shirone turned around, Canya turned her head with a red face.
Her heart was fluttering. Shirone was not an outcast or a fake to be shunned. He was the magnificent Nephilim who defeated the Thornback and obtained Epines for her.
Shirone calmed Canya down.
"Don't be too tense. I didn't even know I was a Nephilim until now. Just treat me normally."
"But… how…"
Amy came over and helped. Although Shirone was right, she felt strangely uneasy.
"Yeah, take it easy. Even if Shirone is a Nephilim, the rest of us are still heretics. There's no need for you to be so formal with him, right?"
Canya didn't see it that way.
Anyone who accompanied Nephilim could not be classified as a heretic. This is because they are connected to Nephilim, and Nephilim are connected to the angels.
In any case, since she couldn't reject what the higher law said, Canya decided to take it easy and follow Shirone's wishes. But still, a deep resonance still stirred within her.
Nephilim or whatever that is, Tess didn't care. Because Shirone is Shirone.
She grinned and inspected the drone, her heart racing at the mere sound it made.
Canya came over and held out her hand.
“Give it to me. I’ll show you how to use it."
The drone is a remote-controlled device that uses the human brain as a control tower. It delivers information directly to the user's eyes using a cutting-edge technology called retina vision, and although it varies depending on atmospheric conditions, it is said to be able to fly up to a 10 kilometer radius from the control tower.
"To use the drone, you must set a personal password. It uses a unique frequency, a principle only known to Mecca engineers. Anyway, to use it, you press here and then like this…"
As Canya pressed the initialization button, the semi-spherical drone split into several parts.
Placing it over Tess's head, it emitted a mechanical sound, tightening and beginning to read brain waves.
|Note
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