020: The Crown of the Dragon That Died of Exhaustion
The tranquil plain bloomed with colorful flowers. Only the distant forest obscured the view. Even when turning to gaze at the entire sky, all that met the eye was evenly distributed land and blue sky.
This was the scene Shirley saw after crossing the English Channel.
A few days earlier, after receiving Novia's invitation, she immediately left the Atlas Institute and headed to Britain as Novia had instructed, intending to fulfill the condition agreed upon when they signed the contract—to help him with something within her capabilities.
"If my calculations are correct, the mystery here in Britain will likely persist for over a hundred years."
The moment she set foot on the island, Shirley sensed its uniqueness. The decline of mystery was far slower here than on the mainland. Though she knew that the more isolated the land, the more mystery tended to linger, she was still surprised.
"Hahaha, it might even last five hundred years. Some places might retain mystery even a thousand years later."
"How could it last that long... Let's skip the small talk. Just tell me, what do you need me to do?"
The purple-haired girl narrowed her eyes, calmly and steadily watching Novia, who approached with a smile, and the man beside him with a cross on his face. According to her intelligence, the man beside him should be Lucius Longinus, the Governor of Britain.
Since parting with Novia at the Atlas Institute last time, she had remained there conducting research. It was only a few days ago, after receiving Novia's message, that she emerged. On her way, Shirley also gathered information about Novia's recent activities.
At sixteen, he held a position second only to the emperor in the Roman Empire, but she had become a candidate for the next head of the Atlas Institute at ten.
The Roman Empire had roughly over a hundred thousand magi. Though the Atlas Institute had fewer members, their strength naturally far surpassed that of these amateurish magi, making the equation somewhat balanced.
Though Shirley didn't know why she felt the need to compare this way, she instinctively made the calculation.
"You arrived in three days. Don't you need to rest?"
"There's no need for that."
The girl's tone showed no trace of fatigue as she spoke decisively, her competitive purple eyes fixed on Novia.
Perhaps because she felt her role in the expedition to the sunken Library of Alexandria was incomparable to Novia's, she was eager to demonstrate her true capabilities as the current instructor and future head candidate of the Atlas Institute in front of him.
"By the way, you're dressed lightly."
The girl's words carried a slightly different meaning from their literal interpretation. Novia's white attire was suitable even for Britain in winter and could be considered appropriate for formal occasions.
What Shirley actually meant was his equipment as a magus. Someone of his status would typically have multiple Mystic Codes ready at all times to protect themselves from spiritual and physical dangers. As high-ranking magi, they were almost always at risk of being attacked by someone. Some magi even earned reputations for being comparable to bounded fields just by carrying powerful Mystic Codes.
"Haha, because in the face of an absolute gap, even my clever tricks would be useless."
Hearing this, Shirley's eyebrows furrowed slightly. Based on the information she had gathered through her Etherlite, the Roman court was a nest of conspiracies, constantly filled with intricate schemes. Everyone was eagerly waiting to see such a fool fall into a trap... yet the outcome was not as imagined.
"Whatever, suit yourself. So, what exactly do you need me to do?"
"Please follow me. No matter what, I can only entrust this to you."
Novia bowed sincerely. After arriving in Britain and estimating from the cave Lucius had dug, the Dragon of Albion was indeed long dead, but its body had not yet split due to geological movements. In other words, it was a two-kilometer-long carcass. Even after its body broke, its head continued to extend downward, having traveled far from its body. This head's location would later be used by the Clock Tower as an observatory.
"Anyway, I'll do my best if it's what you want."
Shirley replied nonchalantly, turning her face away. The fact that she didn't immediately use her Ether Lines showed how pleased she was.
The three then headed to a location near Londinium by the Thames.
Actually, the moment she received the message, though only for an instant, the purple-haired girl had the illusion that this exploration would be interesting.
The bells of returning ships rang as the sun set below the horizon. The twilight mountains were dyed red by the sunset, and the evening wind carried a slight chill, yet it was so peaceful.
The three followed a winding path like a serpent into the underground of the endless wilderness adorned with weeds and deadwood.
Her eyes sensed the faint mana seeping through the soil, causing her entire body to tremble instinctively. As she walked, mana dissipated; as she spoke, magecraft failed. It was because of something not far ahead—something so vast that seeking it as a human felt utterly insignificant and meaningless.
"Novia, what is this?"
Fifty years after the end of the Age of Gods, humans became the pinnacle of all creatures. Physical laws no longer suited the survival of mythical and fantastical beings. Those phantasmal species that understood and accepted this left. Natural phenomena with personalities became mere natural phenomena. Ether in the atmosphere dissipated, mystery diminished, and since then, the magecraft of the Age of Gods was lost. True ancient magecraft disappeared from the world, leaving only trivial remnants on the earth.
According to the institute's traditions, compared to the original magecraft, modern magecraft was like an empty shell. The two eras were absolutely incomparable.
And what lay buried behind this soil was—
Unlike gods materialized through human cognition or belief, it was a primal super-existence.
Far surpassing the level of the divine body of Osiris she had seen, an overwhelming concentration of mana was clearly visible here.
"...."
Novia remained silent for a while.
Did he not actually know? Shirley wondered. Soon after, the silver-haired boy slowly began to speak:
"Once, there existed a colossal dragon species. It is said its majestic body was larger than mountains. For some reason, this dragon species remained on this side long after the phantasmal had vanished."
"When the dragon species finally chose to leave, mystery had already grown thin. The holes leading to the 'Reverse Side of the World' could not be opened. Even so, it did not despair or give up. If mystical transfer was impossible, it would resort to physical movement. It used its enormous body to burrow into the earth, where mystery still lingered."
"...Huh?"
Hearing this for the first time, the purple-haired girl blinked several times in surprise, as there were no related records in the institute.
"However, the dragon species died of exhaustion during its burrowing."
"A pure-blooded dragon, its name was—"
"Albion."
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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