Chapter 112: "The Empire of the Cold Wave or Warm Soup in a Frozen Country"
Morning. The sky over the imperial capital Valheit was once again crushed under a thick leaden gray. Clouds so dense they made one forget the sun even existed blanketed the heavens‚ and the continuously falling powder snow stitched the night's silence directly onto the city. On the imposing black defensive walls of the fortress city‚ icicles sharp as spears hung in multiple layers‚ and snow frozen solid filled every gap between the cobblestones. With every step‚ the dry ice let out a creaking scream-like sound.
The north wind that blew through was like countless invisible daggers. Every time it rounded the corner of a building it howled‚ mercilessly biting into the skin through gaps in cloaks. The pain could not be expressed with the simple word "cold." It was absolute violence that stripped away all skin sensation and slowly froze one to the marrow. Breath froze white in an instant‚ and fine frost settled on eyelashes and the tips of hair. Even with gloves on‚ sensation in the fingertips had long since been lost‚ and touching even a brass fitting carelessly felt as though the skin would be ripped away.
Imperial Year 1287. In this country‚ the words "warm morning" had long been banished to the realm of fairy tales. The people coming and going through the streets all wore multiple layers of thick fur cloaks and covered half their faces with wool. Even so‚ their hunched‚ shrinking figures as they walked looked as though they were fleeing from the grim reaper closing in from behind. Only their white breaths rose like smoke as they passed‚ everyone speaking little and hurrying by. They hurried not only for work. If they stopped‚ their body heat would be fatally stolen away.
At a street corner‚ several men were desperately pushing a cart whose axles had frozen solid overnight. The wheels refused to move‚ as if bitten by fangs of ice‚ and only the men's rough breaths rose white. On the eaves‚ the remains of charcoal fires kept burning all night to prevent freezing had piled up as black ash. The thin‚ sooty smoke rising from chimneys seemed to be the only proof that "humans were still living" in this city of ice.
Imperial Capital Central Plaza. Even though it was still before sunrise‚ a long line had formed there. It was the ration station. The people standing in line were eerily silent. They did not huddle together but simply stared straight ahead‚ trying not to let the scant heat within themselves escape. Everyone clutched empty wooden bowls to their chests‚ waiting for the "one cup" that would be poured into them.
In a huge iron pot‚ the ration soup continued to simmer with a modest bubbling sound. The rich steam rising melted into the leaden sky‚ and the simple aroma of dried vegetables and beans faintly spread through the frozen air. As if drawn by that scent‚ the people's gazes naturally gathered at the bottom of the pot. In this merciless silver-white world‚ that steam alone seemed to carry the color of living human warmth.
"Today's soup. Get it in your belly while it's hot."
The old soldier in charge of rations held out a steaming wooden bowl with a well-used ladle. The contents were an extremely thin soup made only from hard dried root vegetables and a small amount of beans. There was no meat. No luxurious spices. The color was so pale that the bottom of the pot seemed visible‚ yet the steam rose without reserve. The sweet aroma of the root vegetables whispered to frozen stomachs‚ "You can still live."
The girl in shabby clothes who received the bowl wrapped it gently in her small hands as if it were a treasure and her face broke into a bright smile.
"Thank you‚ mister soldier!"
At the lively voice that came out with a puff of white breath‚ the one-eyed old soldier's scarred face softened slightly.
"No need for thanks. Just don't burn yourself."
The girl nodded energetically and blew on the bowl with an impatient look. The steam tickled the tip of her small nose‚ and a faint life-like redness returned to her cheeks‚ which had been deathly white from the cold. After watching her‚ the old soldier dipped the ladle into the next wooden bowl.
Next to the soup kitchen‚ black bread for rations was carelessly piled into wooden crates. The surface was cracked and baked hard and black‚ each piece about the size of an adult's fist. Even though freshly baked‚ the strong earthy scent of grain overpowered any aroma‚ and a light tap produced a dull sound like striking stone. In the rich southern kingdom‚ it would undoubtedly be used as livestock feed. But here it was different. It was the very lump of life needed to survive this harsh day.
"Here‚ kid. Take one."
The large‚ flour-covered baker casually pushed a big black bread loaf onto the thin boy standing hesitantly at the very end of the line. The boy hurriedly caught it with both hands.
"But‚ the money..."
The fingertips peeking through the worn gloves were red-black and cracked from severe frostbite.
"You can pay when you can. Just don't die until then."
Despite his gruff words‚ the big man's voice was endlessly warm. The boy opened his mouth to say something but could not form words and simply bowed his head deeply‚ again and again.
"Don't make that face. Here‚ eat it before it gets cold and even harder!"
The baker's hearty laugh echoed across the frozen plaza. As if drawn by that laugh‚ slight smiles spread to the mouths of the people in the heavy line. Mothers stroked their children's heads‚ old people shook their shoulders with laughter‚ and the men waiting for rations lightly joked‚ "The boss's generosity is still the best in the empire today."
Even if they laughed‚ their stomachs would not fill. The endless cold wave would not go away‚ nor would tomorrow's meal be guaranteed. Still‚ people laugh. Because someone's offered warm bowl and clumsy kindness truly melt frozen hearts. The people of this country had inherited from their ancestors the way to not yield to hopeless cold. That was the nation called the 'Empire‚' bloodline of heroes.
＊ ＊ ＊
A young man watching the modest scene from a slight distance shrugged his shoulders slightly. White breath spilled from his mouth and was immediately swept away by the north wind.
"As always‚ they're lively and tough even in the morning."
Murmuring while turning up the collar of his thick military cloak was Elku Neumann‚ Second Observation Team Leader of the Imperial Central Magical Observation Bureau. A thin layer of last night's snow still rested on his shoulders.
Today was a rare morning off. The Observation Bureau operated 24 hours a day‚ one of the few such agencies in the empire. The signs of the endless cold wave and magical beast attacks did not wait for human convenience. That was why someone had to rest in shifts‚ or the organization itself would freeze solid. Though even on a "day off‚" one would be called back immediately if the front line collapsed.
While thinking such things and walking through the plaza‚ a familiar voice suddenly struck his back.
"Chief!"
Turning around‚ a female observer from the same bureau stood there holding two wooden bowls full in both hands. With cheeks dyed apple-red and white breath puffing‚ she trotted over.
"Breakfast. Care to join?"
"Thanks‚ I'll gladly take it."
Elku smiled honestly in return and accepted the wooden bowl from her. The two sat side by side on a snow-cleared stone step in a corner of the plaza. The steam rising from the bowls gently stroked their frozen cheeks. Through the wooden vessel‚ a gentle warmth reached their fingertips‚ which had grown numb from the cold. Even that small warmth made him painfully understand the feelings of the people who lined up for rations before the freezing dawn.
Elku carefully blew on it and took a sip. It was thin. Shockingly thin. The sweetness of the vegetables and the umami of the beans had almost dissolved away into the strongly salty hot water. Even so. The sensation of a drop of life carrying definite heat falling into his chilled organs felt more luxurious than anything else in the world.
"...It's good."
At the heartfelt comment that slipped out‚ the female observer widened her eyes.
"Really?"
"At least many times better than that muddy substitute coffee we drink after all-nighters at the bureau."
She looked blank for a moment‚ then burst out laughing the next.
"That isn't even a drink."
"Exactly."
"Last time‚ the analysis team was testing 'whether a spoon stands up in mud coffee.'"
"What was the result?"
"It stood up partway."
"...Yeah‚ that's not a drink."
The two looked at each other and laughed quietly. Their laughter was soon drowned out by the sound of the blizzard‚ but strangely‚ the clinging cold felt a little farther away.
For a while‚ a peaceful silence flowed. In the plaza‚ children bit into the hard black bread and split it in half‚ and mothers fed soup little by little to their still-young children. The one-eyed old soldier who had finished rations tossed firewood into the empty iron pot and gazed at the bright red flame of life. The big baker laughed‚ saying "Come back alive tomorrow too!" while reloading empty wooden crates onto the cart.
Gazing at that gray‚ poor‚ yet surely warmth-filled morning scene‚ Elku murmured softly.
"...The people of the southern kingdom probably won't know in their entire lives."
"Huh?"
"That we're laughing this happily with just one cup of this thin soup and bread like stones."
He had heard that in the kingdom‚ the empire's people were taught to be pitiful and barbaric warrior tribes who lived in fear of magical beasts and under the whip of a mad emperor. But reality was different. Certainly life was hard. The cold and hunger steadily shaved away people's lives every year. Even so‚ the people of this country had not forgotten the pride of offering bowls to others‚ sharing what little bread they had‚ and laughing together.
The female observer said nothing. She simply put a little more strength into the hands holding the wooden bowl. As if not to let that small warmth escape. Or as if to deeply savor the 'casual happiness' that existed in this harsh empire.
GAAAAAAN——. Suddenly‚ the huge bronze alarm bell towering over the Imperial Capital Central Station rang out with a heavy bass that shook the entire city.
The sound that shook the frozen air echoed off the black city walls and was sucked again and again into the leaden snow clouds hanging overhead. The atmosphere of the central plaza‚ which until a moment ago had been wrapped in modest laughter‚ instantly tensed to the extreme.
The one-eyed old soldier who had been running the soup kitchen stood up vigorously.
"Evacuation train from the north is arriving! Relief teams‚ proceed to the platform immediately!"
Everyone in the plaza understood the meaning of that bell. But not a single person screamed. No one panicked and ran around. People yielded the way to each other and began moving solemnly‚ as if remembering their roles.
An old woman walking while carrying many blankets. A church sister running with a medicine box clutched to her chest‚ her monastic habit fluttering. The big baker deftly loading the large soup pots onto a cart. Soldiers efficiently disbanded the ration line‚ and idle young people naturally joined in carrying relief supplies.
No one had forced them. Yet the people moved. The people of this country had the merciless truth hammered into their very marrow: when the cold wave comes‚ they must help even strangers or they will not survive.
In the empire‚ this was by no means an unusual sight. When the absolute cold wave swallowed northern villages‚ people abandoned their homes. They abandoned the fields they had cultivated. They had no choice but to abandon everything they had built over generations. And each time‚ this fortress city had welcomed them as 'fellow citizens.'
"Chief!"
As Elku was heading from the plaza toward the station‚ a young bureau member ran up to him‚ out of breath.
"Emergency relief request from the Military Affairs Ministry to the Observation Bureau as well!"
"Short on manpower?"
"Yes! Both the medical teams and transport teams are completely understaffed!"
"Understood."
Elku placed the empty wooden bowl he was holding on a nearby stand and unhesitatingly turned up the collar of his military cloak again.
"Day off is over. Let's go."
＊ ＊ ＊
Imperial Capital Central Station. Heavy magical armored trains slowly slid into the platform one car after another‚ painfully spewing thick white steam. The wheels shrieked as they crushed thick ice‚ and snow clumps stuck to the cars crumbled onto the cobblestones one after another. The supposedly strong steel armor plates were brutally gouged deeply here and there by the sharp fangs and claws of magical beasts. The window glass was clouded white by the heat inside and the cold outside‚ and beyond it‚ only the shadows of evacuees huddling together swayed like ghosts.
PSHUUUUU...!
The moment the train stopped and the heavy iron doors opened. The heat and the raw stench of blood and sweat that had been trapped inside the car burst out all at once.
"Stretchers to the front!"
"Medical team‚ over here! Frostbite patients!"
"Prioritize children and the elderly! Don't panic!"
Amidst the flying shouts‚ the first to be carried out was a young girl who had not even reached ten years old. Both her legs were discolored a dark purplish black from severe frostbite‚ and her mother was hugging her child with trembling arms in a frenzy.
"It's all right now‚ ma'am."
The medical soldier who rushed over draped a warm blanket over the mother and daughter's trembling shoulders and enveloped the frozen hands with both of his own.
"This is the imperial capital. That abominable cold wave and the magical beasts cannot cross these walls. They won't chase you anymore."
The moment she heard those words‚ the taut string snapped and the mother collapsed‚ crying out loud.
The escort soldiers who disembarked next were also clearly covered in wounds. Their silver breastplates were shattered‚ and raw lacerations from magical beast claws dug deep into shoulders and arms. Half their faces were invaded by frostbite‚ and the fingers under their gloves were swollen red-black. With every step‚ the blood and ice stuck to their boot soles made unpleasant sounds.
Even so——. Until the last evacuee disembarked from the rearmost car and was handed over to the medical team‚ not a single imperial soldier broke formation. There was something they must protect before their own lives. In that one point‚ their discipline was perfect.
"...It was cold‚ wasn't it?"
The senior imperial soldier on relief duty at the platform casually draped his own thick winter cloak over the young soldier's shoulders.
"C-Captain. Then what about you..."
The young soldier hurriedly tried to return the cloak.
"I'm used to it."
The captain smiled with his scarred face and pushed the hand back.
"You're still young. Live a little longer."
It was not an order but an extremely clumsy kindness‚ like a father worrying for his child. The young soldier tried to say something but could not form words and simply bowed deeply. In the imperial army‚ such exchanges were not heroic tales but everyday occurrences. Warming returning comrades even at the cost of one's own body. That was the 'normal' for those who fought through this endless winter.
"Chief‚ please take care of this section too!"
At the edge of the platform‚ Elku and the others from the Observation Bureau were carrying wooden crates out one after another from the supply warehouse. Preserved food. Medical alcohol. Magical stones. Firewood. And blankets. No matter how much supplies there were for accepting evacuees‚ it was never enough. The warehouse shelves emptied in the blink of an eye.
"It's heavy..."
The female observer holding a large wooden crate smiled bitterly while wiping sweat from her forehead.
"I might be less suited for physical labor than calculating magical flows."
"Exactly."
Elku laughed as well and loaded the wooden crate he carried on his shoulder onto the cart.
"Doesn't feel like work for an elite Observation Bureau chief."
"Today we're neither soldiers nor observers. We're all just citizens of the empire."
"Exactly."
In sync‚ the moment the two were about to walk again.
"Elku Chief!"
A communications soldier came running in with a changed expression‚ violently kicking up the piled snow.
"Emergency data update from the northern observation network (radar)!"
Elku's expression instantly switched to that of a cold‚ ruthless officer.
"Content?"
"The cold wave front has greatly broken through the previous predicted line and is moving south...!"
The communications soldier held out a bundle of parchment with a trembling hand.
"The current southward speed has reached approximately 1.5 times the predicted value!"
"...What?"
The surrounding air literally froze. As an observer‚ Elku understood better than anyone what those numbers meant. In his mind rose the bureau's operational map. The predicted zones of the cold wave dyed red and mercilessly approaching. Safe zones being rapidly eliminated after breaching the defense lines.
"The Eighth Barrier will soon enter the danger zone as well."
The communications soldier finished his report while biting his lip in frustration.
"At this rate... nearly half of the imperial territory will be swallowed into the 'absolute freezing zone' before next winter."
Everyone lost their words. Even if they saved the evacuees before their eyes. Even if they shared bread with each other and protected this city. The natural violence (system) that froze the world itself was coming to kill them without any mercy.
Elku looked over the platform where screams and relief intermingled. A young child crying themselves to sleep. An old person wrapped in a blanket praying. Soldiers silently supporting their wounded comrades. Everyone was at their limit. There was no more place to retreat in this snow country.
But even so‚ they were trying to live. Burning that scene into his retinas‚ Elku tightly clenched his fist inside the pocket of his cloak.
(...I won't let it end.)
That voice murmured in his chest was drowned out by the roaring blizzard and reached no one's ears.
(I absolutely will not let this country end.)
Even in the face of the despairing predicted data‚ a small flame of defiance was surely burning deep in the young observation officer's chest.
By the time the relief activities at the Imperial Capital Central Station had finally settled down somewhat‚ the sky had already begun to dye with the deep colors of dusk. However‚ in this extremely cold empire‚ there was no spread of the vivid vermilion scenery called "sunset." Beyond the thick hanging snow clouds the sun sank‚ and the world simply had its colors stripped away from silver-white to dull leaden gray.
Elku brushed off the snow on his cloak‚ rubbed his frozen hands together hard‚ and pushed open the heavy black iron door of the Imperial Central Magical Observation Bureau. Normally the main floor would be greeted by the heat from a huge fireplace and the aimless chatter of all-nighter bureau members. But there lay an eerie silence so profound that even the sound of a falling needle could pass through.
No one was chatting. No one was complaining about the taste of the cooled substitute coffee. The observers surrounding the central analysis console were simply silently staring at a specific point on the three-dimensional magical map floating in the air.
"...What happened?"
At Elku's low‚ calm question‚ the young observer in front slowly turned around. His complexion was whiter than the snow falling outside the window‚ drained of blood.
"Chief Elku... from the northern frontline."
Elku walked over silently and peered into the central console. Projected there was a hologram of magical flows covering the entire empire. City walls precisely etched in pale blue lines of light‚ supply routes for magical trains‚ and countless pioneer villages. Within that mesh‚ only one single area was flickering with an ominous dark red-black light.
'Valkus Pioneer Territory'
"...Again?"
A breath-like murmur spilled from Elku's mouth. The young staff member nodded while tracing the parchment records with his finger.
"The southward speed of the cold wave front fell below the latest calculated values... it swallowed the entire Valkus territory six hours earlier than scheduled."
"Damage?"
"Communications spells have been completely severed from the first to third pioneer villages on the north side. We cannot even confirm survival."
The atmosphere in the observation room grew heavy and tense like a drawn bowstring. Another female staff member continued flatly‚ yet with a trembling voice.
"Furthermore‚ frenzied magical beast packs chased by the cold wave have begun moving south. Supply Route No. 3 connecting Valkus territory and the imperial capital has been torn to shreds by claw marks. The 14th Division's interception unit is currently advancing‚ but..."
She choked on her words there.
"...There is a possibility they will not make it in time. Due to poor visibility from the blizzard‚ we cannot even secure the firing line for the magical train cannons."
No one blamed them. There was no target to blame in this extremely cold world. The cold wave did not obey military orders. Magical beasts did not negotiate with any noble ideals. The very system of the world was simply coldly continuing to shave away the empire's life.
It was then. The communication crystal on the central console flickered briefly with a high-frequency sound like twitching. The final desperate transmission data from the frontline observation tower in Valkus territory had been transferred.
'Valkus Pioneer Territory: Status Maintenance Limit Report'
'Relief Supplies Remaining: 6 days'
'Heating Magical Stones: Complete depletion in 2 days'
The moment he saw those numbers‚ a painful image of the frozen northernmost pioneer village rose in Elku's mind. Wooden houses sinking into absolute zero that froze one to the bone at night. Parents and children huddling together‚ holding their breath‚ clinging to the scant heat emitted by a few magical stones.
Two days. It was not mere fuel inventory data. It was a countdown of the remaining lives of countless fellow citizens living in Valkus territory: "How many more times can they greet tomorrow's morning?"
'Food Rations: Expected complete suspension within three days'
Someone swallowed a small breath as if unable to endure.
"...This is the fifth desperate transmission this month."
The communications officer sank deeply into his chair powerlessly.
"Rescue requests from Valkus territory at the risk of their lives..."
The staff member serving as liaison with the Defense Ministry flipped through the ledger with a despairing hand.
"...Defense Ministry's stockpiles one through five are all 'empty.' The imperial capital's emergency reserve food was also exhausted by the previous evacuation train. ...The entire army's magical stone reserves have also fallen below the minimum maintenance line for the city walls."
Elku asked without taking his eyes off the flickering red-black light on the map.
"...What happened with the inquiry to the south?"
Once again‚ a deathly silence fell over the observation room. No one could answer immediately. Eventually‚ the female observer from earlier opened her mouth with a trembling voice while biting her lip so hard it seemed to bleed.
"...Yesterday‚ the Military Affairs Ministry made a formal 'large-scale humanitarian emergency aid request' to the Kingdom's Supreme Diplomatic Council."
"The reply?"
Two seconds of harsh silence.
"...Immediate 'rejection.'"
An illusion ran through the room as if the temperature had dropped several more degrees. She opened the parchment in her hand and read out‚ as if spitting‚ the official document in the beautiful flowing handwriting probably written by the kingdom's diplomat.
"'The cold wave and magical beast damages within the Holy Empire are solely domestic issues of your country and are not a matter for our nation to involve itself in.'"
Her hand trembled violently with anger and frustration. She looked down at another sheet of parchment.
"'The blessings and abundant harvests bestowed by the Holy Saintess exist solely to maintain the peace of the God-chosen citizens of our kingdom. Constant provision of magical resources to other countries is impure interference that threatens the kingdom's security and is absolutely unacceptable.'"
After finishing reading the document‚ she closed the parchment with a rustling sound. There were no roars. No screams‚ no sounds of fists slamming desks. Everyone there simply hung their heads powerlessly. That quiet silence‚ in which they had even given up on venting their intense emotions‚ was more painful and bitter than anything. The merciless fact that "we have been abandoned" pierced everyone's chests along with the frozen air.
Elku let out a deep‚ deep sigh.
"...The kingdom's position is not entirely wrong."
The staff members looked up as if flicked. Elku continued in a voice that killed his emotions.
"The kingdom also has people it must protect. If they give their country's resources away to another country for free‚ their own citizens will be dissatisfied. ...As national governance‚ it is an extremely rational and correct decision."
No one could argue against those words. They understood the logic. It was not that they refused because they were "evil." They were abandoning the empire as a result of following their own justice and order. However——understanding and being able to accept it were completely different matters.
Crack——. In the corner of the room‚ a piece of coal in the fireplace popped quietly. The red flickering flame vainly illuminated the map of the northern pioneer territories hanging on the wall. In one corner of it‚ only the red-black warning light indicating Valkus Pioneer Territory continued to flicker pulsingly without anyone's salvation reaching it.
Elku could not look away from that fading light until the very end.
There lived fellow citizens born and raised in the despairing land of the empire's northernmost extremity‚ who accepted this endless winter as "normal‚" shed blood‚ and lived on. People who had trodden snow since childhood‚ endured cold waves‚ lost family and friends to magical beasts‚ yet still loved their harsh yet warm homeland with pride.
And——among those people there must have been a boy who‚ several years ago‚ set out alone to the imperial capital's military academy and swore firmly‚ "Someday I will definitely become a strong knight who can save this freezing homeland." The boy who crossed alone to the southern kingdom‚ harboring an awkwardly pure sense of justice‚ and struggled to save the weak whom everyone else abandoned.
For now‚ no one in the empire's corners yet knew his name.
——Leon Valkus.
The origin of the boy who would later be praised as the "Kingdom's Strongest Knight" and‚ at the end of the world's cruel impurities and despair‚ shoulder the name of the destruction god "Kyle‚" all remained in this snow-closed‚ miserable homeland.
No one in this freezing observation room yet knew that the young man would eventually raise a single jet-black magic sword and throw himself into a tragic war of reconstruction that would engulf the entire continent.
Night. The top floor of the Imperial Central Magical Observation Bureau. In this place where the empire's brains gathered‚ only the Supreme Advisor Room was wrapped in an alien silence as if cut off from the clamor of other departments. In the fireplace‚ birch firewood crackled‚ and the red flickering flames vainly illuminated the northern magical star chart covering the entire wall.
In the center. On the vast oak desk‚ instead of the empire army's latest equipment‚ old magical slide rules and calculation tools polished by years of handling were lined up tightly. The countless scratches on the surface were the very history of the obsessive research of the elderly owner.
Heinz Gregor‚ Supreme Advisor of the Imperial Magical Institute. He was the man who alone had persistently pursued the 'true nature of the cold wave‚' which everyone in the empire had given up on as an "endless natural disaster" for over a hundred years since the founding.
Sunk into a sea of countless parchments and calculation boards‚ the old researcher continued to stare intently at a single new observation record. It was the data of the 'Calculation God' observed last night in the far southern kingdom's capital. It was raw data of an 'unknown formula' that‚ for the first time in imperial history‚ had driven the observation crystal array—which should have boasted perfect strength—into self-destruction due to information overflow.
Knock. The thick wooden door was rapped.
"Excuse me."
It was Elku who entered. Without removing his gaze from the parchment‚ Heinz gave a small nod.
"You came."
"I heard you called. If it's about the frontline damage situation..."
"Perfect timing. Damage report later."
The old man pushed one sheet from the largest bundle of parchment spread on the desk toward Elku.
"Last night's observation record. Elku‚ use those young eyes of yours to review the 'time axis' from the beginning once more."
Elku approached with bewilderment and accepted the parchment.
"The record of that Calculation God...?"
"Yes."
On the desk‚ the vast magical waveforms from the royal capital decisive battle were layered multiple times. The jet-black waves of the world-melting magic sword . The blue light of the super-wide barrier that completely blocked it. The abnormal distortion of spatial laws accompanying it. And——the magical flows across the entire empire and the movements of the cold wave front during the same time period. Observation results of all possible phenomena were precisely integrated onto a single time axis.
Elku inputted a new formula into the calculation board and ran his eyes over it.
"This is..."
An intense sense of discomfort. There was nothing abnormal in the individual observation numbers themselves. However‚ the moment the time axes of the two distant phenomena were perfectly overlaid‚ only one 'unnatural valley' formed that could never be explained by existing meteorology.
"The magical output of the northern cold wave..."
Elku widened his eyes as if seeing something unbelievable.
"...7 minutes 43 seconds. For just this short time‚ the power of the abnormal northern cold wave has clearly attenuated."
"Correct."
Heinz nodded heavily.
"It matches perfectly‚ down to a fraction of a second‚ with the time that boy named the Calculation God continued deploying the 'optimization' barrier across the entire royal capital."
A silence so profound that even the sound of the fireplace firewood seemed distant dominated the room. The old man continued‚ pointing at the data in his hand.
"The attenuation rate of output is only a mere 1.73 percent when viewed overall."
"Could it be just an observation error...?"
The moment Elku said it as if clinging to hope‚ Heinz firmly shook his head.
"128 years‚ Elku."
His voice was terribly calm‚ and therefore terrifying.
"This cold wave covering the north of the empire has not once weakened its power in over a century since observations began."
Those words fell like lead into the bottom of Elku's stomach.
"Not even during the past super-massive magical beast invasions. Not even in the miraculous year when the first Saintess descended upon the southern kingdom. Not even during our country's hero's large-scale northern expedition. ...I reexamined all 128 years of imperial observation records."
The old man pointed at the northern magical map on the wall with a trembling finger.
"Regardless of season or day and night. Only this cold wave's output has always remained 'constant' without deviation."
"Yet..."
Elku stared at the 'valley' on the layered parchment.
"Only at that time yesterday did it weaken."
"That's right."
Heinz turned his face toward the fireplace flames and murmured with a deep sigh.
"At the southern end of the world‚ a single human performed calculations (optimization) of the world laws to fit his own stature. ...The aftereffects of that interfered with the output of the cold wave at the empire's northernmost extremity‚ thousands of kilometers away."
No one could speak. This was not fantasy. It was not mere coincidence. The world itself was bound by one huge and intricate 'law (system).' The empire's greatest minds no longer had the materials to deny such an outrageous hypothesis.
It was then.
PIIIIIII——!
The dedicated emergency communication crystal mounted on the wall of the Supreme Advisor Room emitted a piercing shrill alarm. At the same time‚ an ominous red light ran to one point on the three-dimensional magical map deployed in the center of the room.
"New anomaly (error) detected!"
From the observation room beyond the thick door came a scream-like cry from the duty staff.
"Where is the occurrence point!"
Elku spun toward the door as if flicked and shouted back.
"Empire's northernmost extremity...! First-class danger designation‚ deep part of the absolute frozen earth domain!"
At the returned answer‚ Heinz stood up so vigorously it was as if he kicked his chair over. Elku also fixed his gaze on the three-dimensional map.
The farthest end of the map. Untrodden land of humanity. The permanent frozen earth of death that not even the empire's heroes could approach. It was now dyed a dark red-black and flickering pulsingly.
Thump. Thump.
As if the heart of a huge creature had begun unpleasant pulsations. It was not a magical reaction indicating the emergence of a powerful magical beast. Nor was it the waveform of the southward-moving cold wave or a disturbance in the earth's veins. The empire's vaunted universal observation spells continued to spit out only inorganic red warning text into the space without being able to classify (decode) the true nature of that existence at all.
《SYSTEM ERROR》
《Unidentified Phenomenon Detected》
Elku swallowed hard and involuntarily held his breath.
"...What is this? It's as if the world itself is malfunctioning..."
No one could answer. But only Heinz never looked away from that sinister red pulsation. After a long‚ freezing silence‚ the old man spoke.
"Elku. ...As I thought‚ this endless cold wave is not a mere natural disaster."
In those wrinkled eyes dwelled a strong conviction as a researcher who had reached the truth‚ surpassing fear of the unknown.
"If that boy called the Calculation God was truly trying to 'optimize (debug)' the world itself through his own calculations last night..."
The old man slowly reached a trembling hand toward the pulsating red error display.
"This absolute meteorological phenomenon that we have feared and called the 'cold wave' for over a hundred years may also be nothing more than a processing drop of a huge defect (bug) engraved on the board called the world."
Crack. The fireplace fire popped quietly. In the heavy oppressive silence filling the room‚ only the absolute frozen earth domain on the three-dimensional map continued to carve an eerie heartbeat into the space.
It was as if. The 'huge bug' that had been sleeping at the world's northernmost extremity had slowly begun to awaken due to the ripples of optimization released in the far southern land.
Night. The huge defensive walls of the imperial capital Valheit were once again wrapped in an endless fierce blizzard. The thick leaden clouds completely swallowed even starlight‚ and beyond visibility spread only an absolute silver-white world that rejected life.
Elku‚ standing at the top of the city wall‚ gazed at the northern sky while deeply turning up the collar of his military cloak. Far in the distance‚ the ferocious cold wave that had been gnawing at the empire for over a century was roaring like a beast.
Today too‚ one pioneer village disappeared from the edge of the map. Today too‚ nameless people lost family and rubbed their freezing hands together. Even so‚ the people of this country shared bread and would surely stand up again tomorrow. That was the pride of the Holy Empire that inherited the bloodline of heroes.
The razor-sharp cold wind cut Elku's cheek. He closed his eyes and let out a small puff of white freezing breath.
"...The world is so cold."
That very human murmur immediately melted and disappeared into the blizzard.
"Even so‚ everyone is desperately living."
Suddenly‚ fragments of the footage he observed last night flashed back in his mind. Jet-black demise. The blue optimization barrier that covered the world. And——the figure of the boy in black clothes who bore millions of lives‚ stood alone until the end‚ and eventually collapsed as if the thread had snapped.
"...That boy who fell in the southern country."
Elku spilled toward the still-unseen 'Calculation God' far away‚ to no one in particular.
"I wonder what he's doing now."
Only the blizzard roared a sorrowful howl as if answering that question.
＊ ＊ ＊
——At the same time. Kingdom‚ Magic Academy Underground. 《Special Training Room》.
There‚ morning and noon and even the concept of night did not exist. A room of absolute isolation completely cut off from all external phenomena‚ surrounded by thick white walls. No windows. No sound of wind. No birdsong or signs of people's daily lives reached it. Just a perfectly temperature-controlled‚ silent yet luxurious miniature garden.
In the center of the room. On a highest-grade canopy bed‚ one boy was sleeping as if dead. Louis Adel. The boy now called the 'Calculation God' by the world‚ recorded as a turning point in history in the empire‚ and revered as a miraculous savior in the kingdom. No matter how much the world made a fuss‚ this room alone remained unchanged.
Silence. No sound. Only time stagnant like eternity flowed as if sedimenting.
On the floor beside that bed‚ one girl sat powerlessly. It was Selina Elferia. Her long silver hair‚ which should have been beautifully tied up‚ was disheveled‚ and her eyes swollen from crying to the point of madness were painfully red and bloodshot. How many hours had she been sitting here on her knees beside him? She herself no longer knew.
"...Louis-kun."
A hoarse‚ trembling voice fell powerlessly into the soundless room.
"Please..."
There was no reply. Not even regular breathing. Selina slowly reached out her trembling hands and gently enveloped the sleeping Louis's right hand.
Cold. The gentle‚ warm body temperature from that time when they made clumsy baked sweets together in the inn's kitchen was no longer present anywhere in his hand.
Even so. So that even a little of her heat would transmit. So that even a little‚ he could return to this side of the world. She gripped tightly‚ strongly‚ as if in prayer.
"Please... wake up."
A single tear spilled down her beautiful cheek.
"Don't... leave me alone."
Plop. A hot tear fell onto Louis's cold fingertips. However——those fingers did not move in the slightest.
There was something Selina could never see now. Her 'Administrator Authority' had already been stripped away by a forced system update. Therefore——she could never notice the green system log flickering inorganicly above the boy's head‚ invisible to anyone's eyes.
'Louis-Adel.cfg : Status - ARCHIVE (Warning)'
'Access : LOCKED'
'Execution : DISABLED'
'Touch ── FAILED (Tactile Error - Sensory Loss)'
Only mechanical strings updated indifferently without any emotion. The whole world awaited his awakening‚ and Selina shed tears trying to give him warmth. But the door (port) to reach there could no longer be opened by anyone.
The real 'him (Louis)' was no longer in this body (hardware).
《Louis-Adel.cfg》. The data of that boy's soul had been severed from the body that had become a fully automatic debugging system and was living a fake peaceful daily life as simply the son of an innkeeper in the deepest part of isolated memory——a 'miniature garden' where no one could interfere. There was no conflict‚ no shadow of the Demon King‚ no end of the world‚ not even the cruel mission to save the world. Just a perfect empty box where only his mother's burnt bread and small happiness looped endlessly.
Meanwhile‚ Selina left behind in reality knew none of that cruel truth.
"...Louis-kun."
She called his name once more as if clinging. She embraced him. She rubbed the cold hands again and again. Again and again. Again and again.
Even so. The warmth of her‚ the god of mad love‚ did not reach him even one millimeter.
Darkness. Silence. And green logs flickering inorganicly in the void.
'Recovery Progress : 45.8%'
Only that number continued to advance the needle slowly yet surely toward the future (awakening)‚ unknown to anyone.
No one yet knew. That when he awakened‚ the 'price' for saving the world was about to begin in a far too quiet and far too cruel form.
The raging blizzard in the land of extreme cold‚ and the luxurious birdcage where even sound had died. The merciless night simply deepened quietly‚ enveloping the two isolated worlds.
Chapter 12: "The Empire of the Cold Wave‚ or Warm Soup in a Frozen Country" End
```
|