Eps 196
Infinite Mage
Eps 196 Ilhwa Elixir (5)
Ilhwa Elixir. (Anecdote Elixir/일화의 술.)
A magic to melt humans and create giants.
There was no room for the dignity of living beings to interfere with the idea of combining multiple entities into one.
Life propagates its offspring. However, the magic of Heaven were reversing such a structure of life.
By adjusting the lifespan of the divine subjects and integrating them into giants when the number of entities increased, they maintained the population.
If this was the will of Ra, then the Ilhwa Elixir could be said to be the core system that sustained Heaven.
Shirone's group gathered around the table and began their meeting. Having encountered Heaven's cruel thoughts, the tension had heightened.
First of all, the treatment of Peope.
If she left the place during the memory transfer and reported it to the higher-ups, Canya's house would not be safe either.
"We need to leave immediately. Peope will bring more troops."
Canis was in favor of moving.
Although Peope's skills were not extraordinary, it was true that she was only one year old.
Unless they knew what abilities other fairies might have, it was best to avoid battle.
"There's no need to worry too much. Shirone is a Nephilim. According to the law, the Nephilim are not affected by the law. Fairies won't harm Shirone."
Canya, being a divine subject, firmly believed in the law. But she found no one answering her words.
What they learned after coming here is that Nephilim are not omnipotent. Although they were certainly free from the laws of Heaven, the backlash when they interfered with the law was severe.
"Shirone, you decide. We will follow your will."
Amy handed the decision to Shirone. From Heaven's perspective, heresy was like a foreign substance. If they were to do something, they had no choice but to put Shirone as the front figure.
"We'd better stay here tonight. I don't think Peope will snitch on us. She has no reason to. Besides, with the Meta Gate, we can escape in the worst case."
Shirone trusted Peope. Though she had a peculiar personality, she reduced the lifespan reduction of Canya and Lena to one year.
A person with such high intelligence capable of self-criticism wasn't likely to let emotions get the better of her.
Instead, she was more worried about Canya. Tomorrow, Canya's mother would receive the Ilhwa Elixir.
For a person who indulged in her own existence throughout her life, becoming one with another human was terrifying.
"I understand now why you were reluctant to speak about the Ilhwa Elixir. But Canya, do you really think that way? The Ilhwa Elixir I confirmed..."
"I know, it's unreasonable. I know that too."
Canya accepted it obediently.
It was an extreme statement for her, who had just described Ilhwa Elixir as sacred.
But Shirone didn't find it strange. Faith and emotion belong to separate realms.
“I’m not stupid. It would be a lie to say I never doubted it. But what difference does it make? If you don't believe in God, you die. If you believe, you gain eternal life. There's no choice."
Canya spoke the word death for the first time. She knew that death existed in Heaven.
"If you're staying here, I'll prepare a place for you to rest. This way."
When she pressed a button on the distribution panel, the side of the building opened, and a new structure flew in and connected to Canya's house.
When Shirone's group looked on in surprise, she explained that most households had several compartments.
"Hehe, the Meca Clan likes to invite guests."
Canya's smile pained Shirone's heart.
@
That night, Canya and Lena lay in the same bed.
Their heart was beating so fast as if they were running, making them couldn't sleep.
The sisters did not cry. They were waiting for someone to cry first.
After tossing and turning endlessly, Lena turned over.
"Sis, tomorrow, Mom will be gone, right?"
Canya looked at her younger sister, who was about to lose their mother at a young age, with pity.
While Canya gently stroking her head, Lena said something unexpected.
“If it’s brother Shirone… I can yield brother to you, Sis.”
Canya's brows furrowed slightly. Her perplexed expression hid a bit of the feeling of being hit where it hurt.
"What are you talking about? Shirone is a Nephilim. How could I share my life with someone like him?"
"But you would never date a heretic. And you'll never meet anyone like Shirone again. So this is your chance. You must seize it."
Canya struggled to hold back her tears. Her younger sister's feelings were conveyed in detail.
Tomorrow, their mother wouldn't be home. Lena was hoping to fill the void with new family member.
"Hehe, but you like Shirone too. If Shirone becomes your brother-in-law, you won't be able to stand it. You'll be jealous of me every day."
"No! I'm serious! If it's you, I can yield!"
Canya laughed. Both she and Lena knew that Shirone wouldn't end up with either of them.
It was just a conversation between girls in the middle of the night.
As Lena snuggled into her like a cat caught in the rain, Canya hugged her sister and kissed her forehead.
"Don't worry, Lena. I only have you."
Lena's eyes slowly closed.
And so, the last night passed like that.
@
Shirone's group rested in the room Canya had provided.
A lot had happened in one day.
Shirone and his friends were lost in their own thoughts and did not talk for a while.
Tess, pretending to cry, said,
"Should we go back now? So much happened in one day. Honestly, it's too hard here, really."
Everyone felt the same way. How many battles had they fought in just 12 hours?
Moreover, each enemy they faced possessed a strength that was unimaginable in their original world.
In addition to fatigue, the problem was also the secrets of Heaven, which were endless no matter how much they dug into them. The flood of information that come at once making their heads spin.
Canis said.
"We can't do that. After coming all this way, Arin and I must reach the Seventh Heaven, Araboth."
If they had just intended to sightsee Shamain, they wouldn't have even tried from the start.
Having come to Heaven, there's no way to retrieve the Meta Gate. Therefore, the ticket price they paid was indeed an ancient weapon.
Amy hugged a pillow and turned over.
"But Araboth is where God lives, right? Even in Heaven, it is probably the most difficult place to enter. How on earth are we supposed to get there?"
"Leave it to me, you don't need to worry. If you're scared to go, you might as well stay here and wait."
“What? Are you ignoring me so blatantly? Maybe we should just go back without you?"
"That's even worse. If you activate the Meta Gate here, your memories will reset. Memories are one-time use. Even if we stay, there won't be a way to return."
Amy sat up, hitting the floor with her pillow.
"What? Was it really like that? So, in the end, we have to take you with us if we want to go back?"
"Yes. Didn't you know that until now, you pumpkin?"
“What, pumpkin? Have you ever seen a pumpkin as pretty as this?"
"I have. The one stuck to your neck looks just like that."
Amy ground her teeth. Whether it was a compliment or an insult, the fact was that Canis had sealed her mouth.
Sirone sat down and hugged a pillow.
“I also have no intention of going back yet. But Canis, the timing of using the Meta Gate has to be rational. If something other than survival is on your mind, you'll hesitate at the critical moment."
"Hmph, I know that much. I'll leave it to Arin. If it really gets dangerous, I'll go back no matter what."
"By the way….”
Tess turned over, supporting her head. The curves of her body from head to toe were overwhelming.
'An adult... She’s an adult.'
'Tess, you're an adult.'
The children's gazes were focused on one place, but Tess didn't pay attention, as if used to it.
"How do they control lifespan in this place? Does a god really exist that can manipulate human lifespan at will?"
The children were lost in thought.
"I think it's like magic. I felt the same way when I fought Marsha, but it seems like nothing is impossible with magic.”
Indeed, Clay Marsha's abilities were beyond imagination. But Amy, who had fought alongside her, viewed it negatively.
"Hmm, Rule Eater. Shortening lifespan may be possible depending on the cost and conditions, but what about eternal life? No magic can extend lifespan. It's beyond human limits."
"Is that so? I feel like there might be a way. Hmm."
Arin said.
"Why does everyone think only critically? Maybe Ra really is a god. Even if he didn't create the world, at least he might be close to being a god."
"That also seems strange. If he really were a god, why would he need names to control lifespan?"
As Amy said, names are just designations given by humans. It didn't make sense to think that a being dependent on human language could be divine.
Shirone added.
"Besides, don't you think the Ilhwa Elixir is evil? For any reason, it treats human life like an object. Ra might simply be adjusting lifespans to manage Heaven. The idea of a god managing the world doesn't make sense."
Shirone's friends realized that he viewed Heaven negatively. Good and evil are human concepts and are fluid depending on the environment. Making value judgments was something that had to be done with caution until the very end.
Tess said.
"But there's nothing we can do. It's the life they chose, and it's their culture. In particular, religion is an idea that has an absolute position within a cultural sphere."
"No, it's not religion. We just said, Ra is not a god."
"That doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if Ra is a dictator and not a god. Anyway, Ra has the power to control lifespans. What is more important in religion than that?"
Shirone seemed to have more to say but eventually swallowed his words.
Watching this, Amy realized that Shirone was still trying to find a way to save Canya's mother.
She liked Shirone for that, but now was a time for cold logic.
"What are you going to do, Shirone? Tomorrow, the Ilhwa Elixir will be administered. As Tess said, it's something the divine subjects chose. It's not something we can intervene in just because we find it unreasonable by our standards."
"But Miro said she rejected the law."
"Shirone, that's..."
"I know. I'm not trying to adopt her thoughts. I'm saying I'm beginning to feel similar. I think I can understand her to some extent now."
Shirone recalled the story he heard about Miro at Nors Shelter. Despite Miro rejecting the law, the old man's mother didn't hate her.
If the divine subjects were just beings that obeyed Ra, how should he interpret that? What did Miro see and feel in Heaven?
What is certain is that tomorrow, Shirone would also have to make a choice.
Maybe Miro... She might not be wrong.
@
First Heaven, Shamain.
Fairy Department of Divine Subject Management, Branch 73.
Peope's department was located on the outskirts of Shamain, adjacent to Purgatory. Hundreds of houses were built in the enormous tree known as the World Tree, and small fairies flitted about like larks.
Peope entered the depths of the World Tree.
The Fairy Chief's abode was much smaller than a human house, but it was intricately decorated and luxurious.
When she opened the door and went in, she saw the head of the fairy department, Chief Ikirin, sitting on a chair with her wings folded. She wore heavy eye makeup, and golden vine patterns adorned her cheeks.
Although she was a fairy born from authority, she was an adult who Peope could not dare to approach, considering their age alone. In particular, her beautiful appearance aroused admiration even among other fairies.
|Note
Comments Box