008: The Ether Line—A Perfect Tool for Mental Manipulation
The scorching sun beat down on the exposed yellow earth of Alexandria.
In this vast, overwhelming land, even within the city, rocks could be seen rolling about, with sporadic green plants poking through the soil, despite the relentless winds.
At that moment, in the very center of Alexandria, surrounded by thousands of residents waiting with bated breath, stood a single person.
"People of all nations, hear my words."
"All inhabitants of this world, lend me your ears. Regardless of status or rank, listen together."
With these brief words, the crowd felt as though the trivialities of daily life, their mental burdens, and everything else seemed to fade away, pushed to the back of their minds by the silver-haired boy's voice.
To the mages in Alexandria, this sounded like passages they had heard countless times from other religions. But coming from this person, it carried an indescribable power.
"Indeed, no one can redeem themselves. The price of life cannot be paid by human means."
One voice echoed in the ears of everyone present, like an incantation. It was the nascent form of an unending power, a continuation of mystery. Over time, it would become a powerful current that no land could insulate against.
In later years, the Clock Tower would call it—the greatest magecraft foundation of humanity.
"So, how long must we wait? Why not end the tainted past now? Act, act! I have come not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
"Remember, do not indulge in revelry or drunkenness, nor in sexual immorality or debauchery, nor in rivalry or jealousy. Instead, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ."
As he spoke, Novia inexplicably glanced at the sand flowing beneath his feet, lost in thought. Under the influence of various climates and environments, humanity had created history.
So, what kind of thoughts had Egypt, with its diverse deserts, produced under the influence of its sands?
Or perhaps, what had its gods once been like?
But in the end, it no longer mattered. With the end of the Age of Gods, it was time for this place to take its final bow.
"Beauty and goodness are inseparable, for both are based on form. Thus, people often praise what is good as beautiful—"
"Ah..."
A cry broke the solemn silence from the direction of Novia's gaze. At the edge of his vision, a dull green flashed by and vanished in an instant.
It was a boy who, because everyone was now looking at him due to the interruption, instinctively covered his head, as though his hat had been blown away.
How could the wind be that strong? It was likely some mages playing tricks, thinking someone his age would care about saving face.
After a moment of thought, Novia stepped away from the center and approached the boy, who looked on the verge of tears.
"Is this your hat?"
In the silver-haired boy's slender hand, as if by magic, lay the hat the boy had lost.
"I happened to find it."
Novia smiled. The boy's mother beside him widened her eyes in disbelief—perhaps it was the first time she had seen someone so amiable even after their speech was interrupted.
"Thank you..."
The boy's eyes sparkled as he happily placed the straw hat back on his head.
Novia responded with a smile and then stood beside the boy, continuing:
"————Grace does not destroy nature; it perfects it."
Outside the city, waves crashed against the stone walls of Alexandria, their spray echoing the cheers of the crowd.
This was Novia's fifteenth day in Alexandria. Though his main goal was the submerged Great Library, he hadn't forgotten his promise to Claudius I. He had taken care of it on the very first day.
On that day, with sunlight reflecting off the sea and waves shimmering, several Roman warships sailed toward Alexandria, heralding the glory of the Roman Empire.
"I do not wish to conduct a harsh investigation, though my heart is filled with deep anger toward the provocateurs."
"I proclaim to you all: Cease this destructive stubborn hostility toward one another immediately. Otherwise, I will be forced to show you how a merciful man can wield his fist of justice. Thus, I remind you once again how your ancestors, the former residents of Alexandria, showed kindness to the Jewish settlers and never displayed contempt for the rituals of their revered god."
"On the other hand, I must make it clear to the Jews: Do not pressure Greek athletic games because of your faith, for they are entertainment for all. Moreover, do not bring unlimited numbers of new Jewish communities from other parts of Egypt or Syria, as such actions make me suspect arrangements from Jerusalem."
"I proclaim once more: If you can set aside these disputes and agree to coexist peacefully in the manner of your ancestors, the great Augustus will bestow eternal attention upon this city. Otherwise, as with a plague infecting the entire world, all means of justice will be employed."
Since Novia had been sent by Emperor Claudius and several Roman warships were genuinely stationed outside, peace naturally settled over the city.
After all, even the last Pharaoh, Cleopatra, had watched Roman warships arrive before her death.
If Claudius I were to hear Novia's words, he would likely be puzzled, as they aligned perfectly with his own thoughts on how to handle the situation...
But if Claudius were to ask, Novia would probably say it was revealed by God, which would likely leave Claudius in a state of fearful awe once again.
Since that day, Novia had spent some time each day preaching in the city. After all, he couldn't spend the entire day submerged in the sea. While the Christian doctrine he propagated had yet to show significant effects on polytheistic believers, its impact on Jews was profound.
Naturally, some were drawn to its "advanced" nature and converted, but most held fast to their beliefs. Novia didn't force the issue. Ordinary people were unimportant—they would come around in time. But Jerusalem's adherents would require careful handling.
"I remember it should be somewhere around here..."
After finishing his sermon and sharing a meal with the believers, Novia made his way alone to an ancient structure.
This was the Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, standing nearly 120 meters tall. Upon arriving in Alexandria, Novia had declined the local governor's invitation and chosen to stay in the lighthouse, using the excuse, "Though I haven't been here long, I wish to contribute to the local people."
Of course, the real reason was that Novia remembered from the adventures of a certain "second generation" that the submerged Great Library was located near the ruins of the lighthouse.
"I've searched for so long. Could it be farther away? I might have to use magecraft. What a hassle."
Novia glanced at the remains of the fruit he had eaten and strode straight through the main entrance into a narrow, tall-ceilinged stone corridor. The echoing footsteps intertwined with the sound of waves crashing against the walls.
Over these days, Novia had found no trace of the submerged Great Library. He had almost considered revealing its existence to the Atlas Institute outright—at least then he could likely enter and examine the Trismegistus for information.
But that would deviate too far from his original goal. He had gone through all this trouble to secure a contract.
After all, the former director of Chaldea had used a contract to obtain the technology for crafting Chaldeas from the Atlas Institute. Gray's hometown had used a contract to acquire "Logos React," one of the seven weapons, to extract King Arthur's spirit. And Sion had exchanged the newly issued eighth contract for a year's worth of virtual time in the Wandering Sea on a blank Earth...
So, if he found and returned the lost treasure of these alchemists, wouldn't it be reasonable for them to grant him a contract? Moreover, the things those contract holders had accomplished were utterly extraordinary. Compared to them, turning the remains of the Albion Dragon into a controllable large-scale device would be child's play, right?
Besides, the Albion Dragon's soul had long since departed for the Reverse Side of the World, so there was nothing to fear. It would be a waste not to use the remains.
Perhaps thinking of the benefits of success renewed his confidence.
This was low-risk, high-reward. It had only been fourteen days. If necessary, he could find an excuse to delay for a year. He was young—he had time.
"But I hope it goes smoothly this time..."
The silver-haired boy stepped out of the lighthouse's back door and resolutely dove into the sea.
In the dark depths of the ocean, Novia could see the seabed clearly—the fish swimming by and the ocean floor itself. This visibility wasn't due to sunlight but the effects of magecraft.
Novia carefully scanned his surroundings, as though afraid someone else might be there besides himself.
But today, the silver-haired boy once again reached the seabed without incident.
"Where on earth is it? I really can't find it."
Novia shook his head helplessly. Then, almost instinctively, he looked back and spoke with certainty.
"Finally caught you, guest."
In an instant, a faint mist rose from the calm seabed—a bounded field only those knowledgeable in mystery would recognize. It unfolded with Novia's words, though he hadn't cast it.
As the mist cleared, Novia's body was forcibly twisted in the opposite direction, bound by slender threads that restricted nearly all his movements.
"I mean no harm. My apologies."
A mechanized voice came from behind Novia, as though the mage was entirely inorganic, devoid of human emotion—like a human-shaped metal.
The silver-haired boy showed no displeasure at being restrained and instead asked, "I'm just curious—how did you know I was here? I thought I was well-hidden."
"A coincidence. I've been researching the ruins of Pharaoh Cleopatra for nearly half a year. At first, I thought you were like me, but upon observation, I realized otherwise."
Novia understood. It was just bad luck. In the ocean depths, mana fluctuations were hard to detect, and he had to avoid accidental harm. He'd simply been unfortunate.
"Then, could you release me?"
"No." The mechanized voice continued, "I've observed your speeches. They're unusually compelling to ordinary people. I want to study whether it's a so-called supernatural ability."
"Oh? What do you plan to do? How will you study it? Would you like to discuss the glory of Christ with me? In the beginning, God—"
Novia seemed entirely unconcerned about his safety, maintaining his usual smile.
"Though I'm curious about the god you speak of, we do not rely on such things. We rely only on what lies within ourselves."
As the voice spoke, several threads at the micron level appeared before Novia's eyes.
"These are Etherlite connected to the brain. All knowledge can be seized from others. By sifting through the Ether Lines, even the most brilliant mind will reveal all its information to me. It's not just the brain—it can also intervene in the soul, reading its thought processes. But you needn't feel ashamed of your defeat. My Etherlite are considered first-rate armaments even within the Atlas Institute. And I won't kill you."
"So, you're from the Atlas Institute."
Novia said calmly.
This time, the magician behind her did not respond. Instead, they slowly inserted an Ether Lines into Novia's brain, as if about to uncover everything about him—
"Wait! How can you have no brain nerves?! You're an illusion—"
By the time the magician realized what was happening, it was already too late. In the next moment, not only that, but an intense pain from their face shot through their entire body, and they instantly lost consciousness.
"You're quite the considerate guest, helping yourself to food in the lighthouse, aren't you?"
Novia, who had appeared from behind, retracted his fist after punching the magician in the face. he picked up the Etherlite from the ground—according to this magician, it was quite a useful item, almost like direct control.
The reason she had noticed she was being followed was simple: the lighthouse was occupied only by Novia, and the only stored food was apples. Although the quantity hadn't changed, the stems of the stored apples had long since wilted due to evaporation. Yet, inexplicably, some apple stems were still green—clearly freshly picked… It seemed this magician lacked common sense.
"The Alexandrian Library at the bottom of the sea has four floors and carries certain dangers. I'll have to trouble you to scout the way for me."
Novia looked at the micron-level Etherlite in her hand, thought for a moment, and directly inserted it into the brain of the unconscious Atlas Institute magician. This would significantly increase her safety.
Next, Novia removed the magician's mask and looked at their face with a puzzled expression.
Hmm, a hat without a brim, three long braids reaching down to the waist, hair and eyes both purple—acceptable.
But the more she looked, the more familiar the face seemed, as if she had seen it somewhere… The Etherlite likely belonged to the Eltnam family. This family…
Suddenly, Novia had an epiphany—
Good heavens, isn't this the famous Type-Moon spiritron hacker, the one always destined to be the next director—Sion!
Note: I'm new to translating so please be kind and tell me any mistakes you all find, I will try to release a chapter a day but don't expect much
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