Eps 193
Infinite Mage
Eps 193 Ilhwa Elixir (2)
"No. Even if their lifespan ends, the divine subjects of Heaven do not die. Through the Elixir of Ilhwa, they are reborn into new life."
"Then it mathematically doesn't add up. If everyone can live forever, why does the population remain the same?"
“The lifespan of divine subject is under the control of Ra. Because the lifespan of the entire population is calculated according to strict laws, a fixed number can be maintained.”
Eternal life and population control were contradictory concepts.
Ultimately, the key lies in the Elixir of Ilhwa.
However, like Godlock, Canya too avoided explaining it. Whether divine subjects or heretics, they had their convictions, but it seemed the Elixir of Ilhwa was off-limits for them.
A contradiction.
The Elixir of Ilhwa that Shirone imagined was a massive contradiction.
They passed through the Forest of Profane in the valley of Whirling Serpent and arrived at Heaven.
The group looked up to the sky.
Compared to the size of the walls, they were mere dust. It was an extremity of scale unachievable by humans.
Canya introduced this place as the 73rd district and added that there are 820 districts in the first heaven alone.
Shirone gave up on imagination and touched the wall. He thought it was stone, but it was metal.
Heaven's technological prowess surpassed Shirone and his group's common sense.
"Is it alright for us to enter?"
"It should be fine. You are Nephilim, after all. But I can't guarantee anything."
“Then how about climbing over the wall instead?”
The idea of to get over the wall that reached to the sky seemed impossible, but there was no other way.
But even Canya shook her head.
"Except for drones that have received flight approval, it's impossible to fly in Heaven's airspace. You will be intercepted. Though there hasn't been such an incident till now, I've heard from my grandfather about it. And sneaking in is impossible anyway."
"Why? There seems to be no one guarding the gate."
“We do not restrict entry. It's a matter of law. Information occurring in Heaven is managed by angels residing in the sixth sky, ZeBul, Since they can measure even the mass fluctuation of each district and the composition of gases mixed in the air, sneaking in would be futile. Don't worry too much. There won't be any danger. This isn't Purgatory, after all."
Canya, a divine subject, reassured Shirone, not wanting to instill any adverse feelings about Heaven beforehand.
Approaching the gate and presenting the gauntlet, a red laser beam scanning the surface shot out from the lens.
As the gate opened, the world seemed to tremble. Covering ears was of no use.
As the entrance to the 73rd district was unlocked, Shirone and his companions followed Canya into Heaven.
The gate closed behind them, and the lens flashed.
The newly changed information of the 73rd district was transmitted to the sixth sky, ZeBul.
Total mass 49,739,498,847.3423 kilograms.
Carbon dioxide emission increased by 0.0000024 percent.
***
Shamain's first impression was alien.
The residential areas of the clans were separated by alleys, and their cultural styles were extremely different.
The Nors buildings were practical, while Kerugo’s buildings were extravagant. And when they discovered Meca's building, Shirone and Amy stopped in their tracks, speechless.
It was the magic warehouse, Istas.
Boxes in square shapes were stacked layer by layer, freely interchanging and moving positions with the adjacent building.
It hadn't occurred to Shirone that Meca would have visited the magic academy for a field trip. It was evidence that Meca's technology had somehow flowed into the original world in one way or another.
Canya led them through Meca's streets and out into a square.
The scenery of the square, where various races mixed together like a cultural bridgehead, was like looking at an international market of a neutral country.
“Shirone, over there.”
Amy pointed at the statue of a giant.
It felt different from when they saw it at the Kerugo altar. Here, giants actually lived and even engaged in battles.
Why would a giant, worshipped by divine subjects, be wandering in Purgatory?
Canya's house was the same size as other Meca's houses.
If Kerugo was about ostentation and Nor about practicality, Meca seemed to pursue standardization.
Entering Canya's house, the building rose to four stories.
Despite its inhuman appearance, the interior was cozy.
Her parents, who were sitting at the table, stood up abruptly.
He heard that Elixir or Ilhwa was intended for those who are reaching the end of their lifespan, but their faces were much younger than Shirone had expected.
Canya's mother embraced her two daughters and exclaimed,
“Where on earth have you been? Do you have any idea how worried your mom was?"
"I’m sorry, there were some circumstances."
"Who are these kids? They look like Nors."
"We went to Nors Shelter. To get this."
As Canya presented the medicine, her mother's eyes trembled with shock.
She never told anyone. But how does his daughter know about this?
"You… This….”
"A stimulant, made with Nors magic. Drink this before the Elixir of Ilhwa."
“Lena! Why did you do this? Mom didn’t want this!”
“So you’re telling me to just watch? Mom also went to Purgatory to get medicine for Grandpa!"
"Who told you to say such a thing…!"
“Grandpa told me! That's why Grandpa was able to drink Ilhwa Elixir while smiling until the end! That's all! That's what family is!"
"Why are you doing this! Then you probably know that Mom’s lifespan was shortened while looking for this! How do you think Mom feels, knowing her daughter is doing the same?"
The father, who had been listening with a sorrowful expression, intervened.
"Both of you stop. What's done is done. At least she's back safely."
After calming his wife, he turned to Shirone and his companions.
"So, are you heretics or from Nors Shelter?"
Canya introduced Shirone and his group.
"No. They come from the land of Earth. They saved Lena and me and helped us get this medicine. We might have died without them."
There is no parent in the world who would be cold-hearted when told that they saved their daughter's life.
The father welcomed Shirone and his group into their home.
While the mother prepared the meal, Canya shared their experiences in Purgatory.
The conversation turned chaotic in the living room when the topic of Shirone being a Nephilim came up, causing both parents to kneel.
Only after earnest requests from the group did the parents agree to treat them comfortably.
“I see. Thank you for helping Canya and Lena. But it would be best if you leave here soon. Even if you're Nephilim, those from the Earth aren't warmly welcomed."
"No, we plan to go to the Seventh Heaven."
Araboth, god's sacred place, was a place so sacred that even daring to say that one would go was blasphemous. However, since Shirone was free from the law, he could freely say whatever words came to his mind.
"But... there's no way to the Seventh Heaven."
"We'll have to think about it from now on. What I'm curious about is the law here. What do you mean by a reduced lifespan?"
“It is literally. Divine subjects are assigned a lifespan according to the law from birth. Canya has 62 years. Lena can live up to 73 years."
"Huh? Lena is younger but has a longer lifespan?"
“Lifespan can change at any time. Because Lena sang hymns so beautifully in her childhood, she was given ten more years of life. It's good news, but the problem is my wife. Her lifespan is 43 years and 247 days. Only one day is left now."
Shirone felt his heart sink.
Who could know their lifespan down to the last day? Just the thought was terrifying.
Nevertheless, Canya’s mother was smiling. Confident that Ra's favor will fall on her.
"For her youth's transgression in Purgatory, my wife had 20 years deducted from her lifespan. So, she will enter the Elixir of Ilhwa tomorrow."
Changing a person's lifespan is cruel. No, he didn't think it was possible.
If Ra governs lifespan, how old is they?
It is said that the history of Heaven spans hundreds of thousands of years. Then perhaps Ra really is a god.
"What exactly is the Elixir of Ilhwa?"
"Hmm, I see you haven't been told. Well, that figures. It's not something you'd benefit from knowing. Besides, as a Nephilim, you're free from the laws, right? It doesn't concern you."
“Still, I want to know. Maybe understanding it could lead to a good solution."
“Hmm, then….”
As the father began to speak, a clear voice echoed from outside the window.
"Behold, all of you! I am the Meca Custodian, Peophenia."
Shirone and his group stood up abruptly.
Like sound amplification magic, the voice was reaching here. What was most surprising was that the language was being interpreted automatically.
A psychic ability that can be cast through sound alone, rather than through a channel.
If it was magic, it was a high level of difficulty.
"So, the inevitable has arrived. A fairy."
"A fairy? The same kind of fairy I'm thinking of?"
Shirone thought of the fairies living in the original world.
Canya's father, mistaking that he was referring to the fairies of their world, nodded.
"Yes, the executors of the law. If giants uphold the law, fairies execute it. They can be said to be internal affair officer. She must have come regarding Canya and Lena's case."
“What should we do?”
"If you're truly a Nephilim, there's no need to worry. A being free from the law. However... whether she'll consider that is another matter. She's quite unique."
“What are you doing! Divine subjects of this house, open the door at once!"
The voice of a fairy was heard from outside the door.
This was the 4th floor. And the fairies Shirone knew were certainly not beings that could fly.
When the father opened the door, contrary to Shirone's expectations, a charming little creature flew in.
It was a girl the size of a palm.
She had curly blonde hair, and her face, though small, was pretty enough for her features to stand out clearly. She wore green boots that reached up to her ankles and had transparent wings that fluttered at a speed invisible to the eye.
As Canya's family knelt down, Shirone and the group discreetly followed suit.
Peophenia, floating in the air, raised her chin and said.
"I am Peophenia, the fairy of the spiral. I have personally come to conduct the trial of divine subjects."
Fairies, like jack-o'-lanterns, were born from emotion, but were a concept rather than an attribute of the natural world. (요정은 잭 오 랜턴처럼 정에서 태어나지만 자연계의 속성이 아닌 개념이었다.)
A single conceptual being.
Therefore, fairies had reason and were able to control the concept that gave birth to them.
"And so, I will now enforce the law. Canya and Lena, have you ventured into Purgatory?"
"Yes, we have returned from there."
Canya's parents clenched their eyes shut.
However, Canya, the person involved, remained calm. It was something she had been prepared for even before she left Heaven.
But if she there was any concern... It was Lena.
"I apologize. Wanting to serve delicious food to our mother facing the Ilhwa Elixir, we hunted in the Forest of Proface."
Since Kerugo can freely travel to and from Purgatory, she thought that if she made the excuse of hunting, her crime would be lightened.
However, Peophenia relentlessly pressed her, indifferent to the divine subjects' circumstances.
“Hmph, how dare you lie. What use is food to a citizen who will die tomorrow?"
Canya's mother ended up crying.
Even if Ilhwa Elixir is a blessing, is there any creature in the world that does not fear death? Peophenia had agitated such precarious emotions.
Shirone felt anger at the fact.
The divine subjects call the Ilhwa Elixir regeneration. But the words that came from the internal affair officer fairy were a clear death sentence.
The reason it wasn't a simple threat was because he couldn't sense any malice in Peophenia's words.
It was like an innocent child honestly expressing their feelings.
"Anyway, I shall pass judgment. Canya and Lena, your lifespans will be reduced by 40 years each."
Canya was dumbfounded. A 40-year reduction meant she had less than 10 years left. Lena was better off, but even so, she would end her life at 33.
As far as she knew, the 40-year sentence for unauthorized departure was the highest sentence.
A year ago, her peer Sale received a 5-year reduction. Kai, a Nors, got 7 years. Even her mother, known for the unluckiest case, got 20 years.
But cutting it off by 40 years? Her life was another matter, but Lena's?
|Note
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