Endless Silver Machine

There are several female stone sculptures standing around the basement-like space. The postures of the stone sculptures are all extending their hands to the sky, as if they are praying to the nameless god.

The only light source in the room was the elemental lights on the wall. When Sethis moved here from his room, he used magic to turn on the four elemental lights in the room.

The light was not bright, and except for the stone sculptures that reflected the light, the surroundings could not be seen clearly.

"look up."

Sethis' voice came, and Aika didn't know why, but she still obeyed him and looked up at the dome in the darkness.

Surprisingly, the dome is not completely dark.

It was a huge, fluorescent map.

The continent map that I have seen countless times in textbooks, as well as the surrounding oceans and islands, are all represented by light sources of different colors.

In addition to what can be distinguished, there are also some golden light spots scattered across the continent and ocean, seemingly irregular, and Aika cannot identify what these golden light spots represent.

"Did Shimozuki Academy tell you about the 'ruins'?"

Sethis walked to Aika's side and looked up at the huge map on the dome with him.

"remains……"

After racking my brains to recall, there is no instructor in my memory who proposed such a concept.

"I heard that they will not teach this knowledge to students, and it seems to be true." Sethis got confirmation from Aika's attitude, "'Relics' is a term that was proposed in the past ten years, although it was very early It's been there before, along with this map."

"Your Excellency Sethis, isn't this the Holy Land?"

"This is the underground of Thebes Prison. It is the ruins of the original Thebes Prison that was destroyed by war."

Thebes Prison... Aika had heard of this place.

A few days before Luo Luo returned to the imperial capital with amnesia, a robbery occurred in this prison.

"Before the establishment of the Bes Empire, the Thebes Prison was a place where prisoners were imprisoned in a small country where humans gathered. After execution, the corpses would be thrown into a hole leading underground and then covered with soil. No matter how many years passed, that The holes were not filled with corpses, so some prisoners thought that the holes might lead to another world. The news spread from ten to ten, and then the prisoners escaped collectively. The prisoners who did not take any measures did not succeed after jumping into the hole. Escape into another world, their bodies disappear in the twisted magic whirlpool in the void, and their souls can never be freed."

Sethis suddenly told Aika such a story.

"Is this the other world that the hole leads to?"

"It can be understood this way. The only way to avoid being involved in the magic vortex is to use the teleportation magic to locate the coordinates to enter here. The mechanical survey of the distance was independently completed by a child you are very familiar with."

"Professor Cocona?"

Mechanical survey uses the principle of two kinds of magic to produce different frequency vibrations according to the distance. The technology can be displayed with numerical values ​​and waveforms on the magic machinery. Aika has heard about it from Professor Cocona.

The developer of this technology was Professor Cocona, who was only eight years old at the time.

"It's unclear which phase space this hole is located in. It's completely sealed. Currently, we only know that the entrance is the original Thebes prison. After the prison robbery a few days ago, someone visited here."

"Has this hole been made public?"

Aika didn't understand why Sethis brought him here. The huge map on the dome should be the reason.

"Only the Holy See and Augustus know of the existence of this place. Of course, this is on the premise that internal information has not been leaked. At least now a third party knows of the existence of this place."

"..."

"Those golden light spots on the map are ruins. Because the location of the ruins within the national border exactly matches the map, it is assumed that the other golden light spots are the same."

Sethis told Aika what was now known about the ruins.

"The most difficult thing about ruins exploration is the uncertainty involved. For example, in the Warren Mountains, the first prince of the Bis Empire is currently responsible for managing the exploration work. The ruins are located on the cross section of the mountain cliff, and there are a large number of flying monsters. They are entrenched around it, as if they have made a contract to protect the ruins.”

"Is there anything special inside the ruins?"

"It's still unclear. Entering the ruins requires specific magic equipment to be activated around them. Any physical means will be blocked by a special barrier. Maybe Wei Xi can analyze that barrier, but now..."

Sethis paused, then bypassed the question of the barrier and continued.

"There are very few families that can determine the birthplace of the magic equipment. Only one of the four ruins within the national border can be entered. The current exploration work is basically to ensure the safety around the ruins and then ask the nobles to try separately. This is why the exploration work is progressing slowly. s reason."

You have to invite those pampered nobles, and you have to cooperate with their time. Even if you want to, you can't do it quickly.

"The purpose of bringing you here is not to teach you a lesson. Do you see anything from this map?"

Sethis gave Aika time to think. He hadn't said a word since just now. He just stared at the map closely and listened to Sethis' explanation.

And Aika did not disappoint Sethis. He had used the time just now to discover the blind spot that he initially ignored.

"Lord Sethis, please make the light of the elemental lamp a little brighter."

With the help of light, Aika took photos of the dome map in sections with a PDA, then shrunk the photos and arranged them on the screen in the order of the original images. The golden light spots that were originally widely separated were concentrated on the small screen. .

Even without a pen and paper to connect these golden light spots, he could recognize the outline they formed at a glance.

"This is... a magic circle..."

And it is a magic circle covering the entire continent.

…………

Returning to Sethis' room from the unknown hole, Aika once again experienced the uncontrollable feeling of vomiting.

"There is an unadjustable distortion in the connection between the two spaces, which you will feel if you are not used to it."

Sethis didn't appear to be greatly affected.

Although Aika's body was very uncomfortable, he still thought about the secret hidden in the map in the hole.

Sethis seemed to just want him to discover this, and he immediately brought Aika back after that.

"Need a break?"

The scenery in the room remains unchanged. Aika is still sitting on the guest chair, while Sethis is standing in front of the bookshelf.

This is not a simple teleportation magic, the hole is more like it is displayed directly in the mind.

"No thanks……"

Breathing in the air of the real world, the unpleasant feeling in his stomach was finally relieved.

He took out his PDA. The photo of the map he had just taken in the cave no longer existed.

"Nothing can be brought out from there. The only way is to keep everything you saw and heard in your mind, and then restore it in the outside world."

Sethis said lightly and sat down opposite Aika. That's why he didn't stop Aika from taking pictures there.

"We...the Holy See and Augustus have the same opinion. Those ruins are magic circles covering the entire continent, but the world is not just a simple two-dimensional image."

"What does it mean?"

Aika knows about two-dimensional images, he just doesn't understand what the topic just said has to do with two-dimensional images.

"The ruins we know are generally located in three types of geographical locations: land, floating islands and seabed. Putting these ruins on the same plane is a magic circle with the ruins as the endpoints and midpoints. If these ruins are placed How about folding according to the geographical location?"

Sethis never gave a direct answer. He habitually kept asking Aika questions to urge him to think.

If the remains of the continental edge are located on the seabed, the endpoints need to be moved downwards; floating islands, as the endpoints and midpoints, need to be moved upwards. Aika gradually began to understand Sethis's connection to the two-dimensional image.

The world is a three-dimensional space, defined by three directions: length, width, and height.

After moving the different end points and midpoints up and down, the shape of the magic circle that was originally thought to cover the entire continent changed.

The endpoints and midpoints located on different planes form a tilted new magic circle.

The floating islands are connected to the floating islands, blocking the sky; the floating islands are connected to the ocean, blocking the boundary between the sea and the sky; the land is connected to the land, blocking the earth.

The magic circle that was divided into several pieces locked the continent and surrounding oceans in a birdcage with no exit.

"Maybe this phenomenon is just some kind of coincidence, but I can't be sure. What supports the existence of the magic circle is its endpoints and midpoints. You should have learned this. And these unidentified ruins are exactly in this position. , it is not difficult to imagine that there is some connection.”

"If a certain mechanism in the ruins is activated, the magic circle will be activated... or something like that?"

Adventure stories always have plots like this. There is an inseparable relationship between a certain mechanism inside the building and a certain seal. If the mechanism is destroyed, a terrifying demon will appear.

Aika was very interested in this type of story when she was a child, thinking that one day she would become an explorer.

"In short, Augustus restored this map. They thought that as long as they went deep into the ruins, they could figure out the relationship between the two."

"Why do you tell me all these things?"

This information already involves the internal affairs of the Bisi Empire. Even the Qianze family has no right to access this information.

"Why exactly? Since the existence of the Hollow has been leaked to the outside world, it won't be a big problem to let you know. Maybe I hope you can get your own ideas."

"My own opinion……"

"Her Royal Highness the Third Princess seems to have been investigating the relevant information of the ruins recently. I heard that she is relatively close to you. Maybe we can get some useful information from her."

"We just accepted her invitation. If it hadn't been for that accident, she and I would not have had any contact at all..."

Aika didn't know why she was trying to defend herself. Was it because she felt guilty for refusing to be her knight twice?

"Have I answered all the questions you want to know?"

Sethis seemed ready to put the topic of magic equipment and ruins to an end, but Aika still had things to ask him about two people.

These are the most important purposes for him to come here today.

"The Heinz family... you once told me that they are just sleeping in the frozen time space and have not died."

"If that's what I'm telling you, then it's true."

"A year ago, you said it was not the time to open the barrier yet. You believed you could judge based on the current situation. Because Ling got your promise, she finally solved her misunderstanding about the Holy See. Now she still has to wait. Going down?"

After returning from the dream a year ago, Ling never mentioned the topic of her family, nor did she tell Wei Xi about the barrier, all because Sethis promised that everything he did was for the Heinz family. , and her parents accepted this.

If this is the pain that must be experienced to save the declining family, Ling can choose to wait in pain and longing.

"The Bisi Empire is the country with the fastest reconstruction progress in the continent, and there are no voices of dissatisfaction among the citizens. Do you think so?"

Sethis' single-sided glasses refracted the sunlight reflected on the table, making it impossible to see clearly under the lenses.

"……no."

Unfortunately, Aika has transcended the identity of an ordinary person many times and gone deep under the calm water.

"Since you know it well, you don't need me to say more. Liuyin told me that I will take you to visit Miss Ling later. If she still has any thoughts after waking up, she can come to me at any time."

"Wouldn't Augustus be suspicious if he agreed to let Ling enter and leave the Holy See so simply?"

"If you want to doubt, you should have doubted it long ago. Otherwise, how could the Senate plan to let you and Miss Ling enter the training ground?"

Sure enough, the revelation of Aika and Ling's identity in August also reached the ears of the Holy See.

"To be honest, I still don't understand it. Everything the Holy See does is for the development of the Bis Empire, right? Why does it have to become such a complicated thing?"

If it's just complicated, just let the big guys worry. But behind the power struggle, there are also consequences that run counter to the original intention.

Senior Lilith's father was also involved in the internal affairs of the Bis Empire, which made Senior Lilith's family no longer complete.

He had kept this matter deep in his heart and did not tell anyone. Even the person involved, Senior Sister Lilith, did not know that Aika had learned the true meaning behind the objection from Mrs. Elise.

"If I can only tell you that this is an adult's world, can you accept it?"

"It's hard to accept."

"But that's the truth. Things that seem incomprehensible to you now will become natural in the future."

"...I know." Aika saw that Sethis had no intention of discussing this kind of issue with him, so he turned to another topic, "What about Wei Xi? Aren't you going to let her return to the Holy See? "

Even if Wei Xi returns to the Holy See, if allowed, she may be able to continue to stay at Shuangyue Academy, but her time with everyone will be greatly reduced.

He couldn't stubbornly believe that keeping her was the only option that could make her happy.

"Wei Xi really wants to be with Liuyin. If she can't return to the Holy See, she will rarely have such an opportunity."

"Um."

"I think the Holy See is also a home for her. She once told us about her days spent in the Holy See. I don't want to see her lonely expression when she said such words again."

"So, let her talk to Liuyin about the days she spent with you in the Holy See with that lonely expression on her face. Is this what you want to see?"

"..."

Aika was speechless for a moment.

"Your world is too beautiful, or too naive."

Sethis' words were like a heavy hammer, hitting Aika's heart.

"...I just hope that her wish can be granted."

"What you gain will also be lost. You can never save everyone at the same time. Someone must have said this to you. Miss Ling, your sister, or Wei Xi."

Sethis saw through everything, and in just a short exchange, he already understood Aika's personality.

"Your idea is very beautiful, and I don't think it is necessary to break all your illusions." Sethis did not continue to condemn his naivety, "At least now, Wei Xi cannot be allowed to come back."

No matter what result he gets, Aika cannot use what he thinks is the right idea to uphold justice.

Because Sethis has spoken out. Before that, I had only pursued self-righteous justice.

…………