A few days later, the family had wandered much, Jin was finally freed from his grief, and he met his friends.
And today... at Jin's house.
Jin: "Lily… don't be sad, I promise I will be back soon."
Lily: "Papa, take me with you."
Jin looked at her in wonder; they had told her that the Tower was a dangerous place, yet she was not afraid and wanted to come with him!
Jin placed his hand on her head and smiled.
"You cannot come with me, it will be dangerous, but don't be sad, okay?"
Lily replied, with sadness clear on her features: "Okay Papa, don't get hurt."
Jin smiled and hugged her: "I promise I will be fine."
He approached his two beloveds and whispered in their ears; the girls blushed intensely.
Aileen: "Eeeeh? What are you saying..?"
Shuang Yu: "Are you really going to do that??"
Jin laughed, "Yes, when I return."
He hugged his Family .
Downstairs, he raised his head and looked at the balcony while smiling, but… as soon as he turned his face the other way:
The smile changed. His facial expression was serious; it wasn't sadness, but he was anxious, and he had a goal.
Flashback...… On the day of his meeting with Sylvan.
"So, away from Planet Earth, are there other matters?"
Sylvan: "Yes, there are rumors about the involvement of some religious figures in Astarion, but no one has opened an investigation for fear of the Holy Kingdom's punishment if it were merely rumors."
Jin: "The Holy Kingdom? Is it like the ones in novels?"
Sylvan: "Yes, and there is a Holy King, a leader of the Holy Knights, but the difference is that it is not entirely separate from the Empire; it is a Great Duchy, but it is considered an Archduchy because of its influence, especially since the Temple of Light is the strongest religious authority on the continent."
At the present time, in Borin's Smithy.
Borin: "So, you want to know about the Holy Kingdom and whether the Constellations have anything to do with it."
Jin: "Yes, I am investigating the matter of the Demon Cult, and it happens that there is a link to the Temple of Light, because of what you told me previously—that there was a King of the Elves eighty thousand years ago. I thought there might be beings from the same era who might have an influence in the present time."
Borin sighed and smiled; it was the first time the boy asked about something Borin could answer comfortably.
Borin: "Yes, your suspicion is correct. This is a story that goes back to a very ancient time, perhaps two hundred thousand years."
Jin: "Two hundred?? This sounds exciting."
Borin: "Before I tell you, make sure not to spread these matters outside; the current time does not allow talking about it. Generally, as I told you before about the Primordial Swords, there are Primordial Beings. Superhuman beings who lived since very ancient times, and yes, they are indeed Constellations. Perhaps if you read fictional stories on Planet Earth, you would have an idea of what they are."
Jin: "Yes, I have read a lot. The imagination of Earth's inhabitants is truly vast, but they always called those beings 'Gods' in their stories. Therefore, I felt disgusted. How can those beings be gods and humans kill them? Doesn't whoever writes those things have any logic or respect?"
Borin: "Haha, it seems you are truly aware of that matter. Well, those Primordial Constellations here are different from fiction. They are not gods; there cannot be many gods, each possessing a certain ability, yet none of them existed before the existence of the universe. This is nonsense. Certainly, the universe itself is created, and God is One, and He is capable of everything. But these are just creatures like humans, elves, and dwarves, but they have abilities superior by stages, and their lifespans are longer by stages."
Jin: "So… are there any among them who possess immortality?"
Borin: "No, that is impossible, but their lives are extremely long. As I told you, some of them have existed for two hundred thousand years, but they haven't died yet. Therefore, the Constellations themselves believed they were immortal and called themselves 'Gods,' and this is funny, honestly, because none of them can create a human soul, for example. They can modify human abilities, mess with their minds, pollute their souls, but they cannot create a soul. None of them."
Jin: "So... despite all this, are there humans who worship them? And are there people who know the truth behind the Constellations?"
Borin: "Yes, there are people who know, but the events of history turned, and time changed, and the situation reached the present, where there are people who believe these Constellations are gods and worship them."
Jin: "Do you know specific people?"
Borin: "Yes, in the Heavenly Demon Cult, for example, and a country in the far south of the continent of Astarion, resembling Persia on Planet Earth; they worship fire, or more precisely, the [Monarch of Fire]."
Jin was surprised and asked in astonishment: "So, is this Monarch of Fire a Primordial Constellation? And does he have a connection to the existence of fire?"
Borin: "Yes, he is a Primordial Constellation, but the existence of fire is not linked to him. He only possesses the maximum ability to control it. He can release fire magic with a strength and heat exceeding any other creature, but if he died, fire would not disappear from existence, for example, or become weak. The situation would continue as it is."
Jin: "Is there a reason for his ability to control fire in this way? And is there a difference in the magic he uses from the magic we know?"
Borin hesitated a bit at this question, but he answered in the end.
Borin: "Boy, what are the types of energy you know?"
Jin: "Mana, which everyone uses and can be used in magic or martial arts. There is Dark Mana, which has many grades and is used by black mages. There is Corrupt Mana, which is related to Ghouls and Jiangshi. There is Death Mana, which emerges in fields of death and wars. There is Prana, used by spiritualists and healers. There is Demonic Mana, used by demons. And there is Holy Power, which combines Mana and Prana, used by Holy Knights."
Borin: "Have you heard of any other type of energy? Whether in reality or in fictional stories?"
Jin: "Yes… I heard about Aether in fictional stories, but I haven't heard about it in reality."
Borin sighed a little and said calmly: "Aether… is the origin of those energies, and many Constellations were born with Aether instead of Mana or other abilities. This is the reason for their extraordinary abilities and their insanely long lives. Aether is the origin of magical ability in the universe, and there are types of ancient magic that humans cannot use because of their inability to control Aether."
Jin: "This is truly amazing. Do you know what those types of magic are?"
Borin: "Yes, there are ancient types of magic: Star Magic and Sword Magic, for example. And there is Primordial Magic: Void Magic and Perfect Light Magic."
Jin: "Wait, what is this?"
Borin: "Star Magic and Sword Magic are two magics that no one could use except the Elves. Star Magic's name is clear, and Sword Magic is an innate magic that cannot be learned in any way. Whoever possesses Sword Magic is born with the best possible talent in using the sword; he can form the aura blade or Qi innately, and he can craft swords better than even the dwarves."
Jin: "Does anyone possess them currently? I think those people are truly lucky."
Borin looked and smiled; it wasn't joy from the question, but from the answer he would give.
Borin: "No one possesses these two types currently, except… one person, born with both together."
Jin: "Who is he?"
Borin replied, with happiness appearing on his face and in his voice; it was sincere respect and appreciation.
Borin: "That... he is the Sword Emperor, Nelson Elvin."
Jin: "I think talking about this man needs a special day. Let's leave the talk for later because I have become truly interested in details. Tell me now about Primordial Magic, especially the Void, because you told me humans cannot control it, yet I can already do that."
This question was a thunderbolt to Borin. He didn't realize the extent of the mistake he made in talking about this matter, but he was forced to complete the conversation.
Borin: "Perfect Light Magic, it is literally the use of Light, and this magic is possessed by the [Monarch of Light] constellation, which the Temple of Light and its followers sanctify. Humans obtain a small part of it: ordinary light magic that mana users can use if they have an extraordinary mind that can repeat mana at a legendary speed within their mind, so the mana projectile turns into a beam of light. And there is the Light that only the Holy Knights use, and this is specific to those who possess Holy Power."
Jin: "And the Void? And is it different from darkness?"
Borin: "Haaa… you don't intend to give up on the question? Fine, I will tell you. There is the [Darkness] Monarch constellation, and he possesses the ability to control darkness magic superbly, but... he cannot use the Void."
Jin: "So darkness is different from the Void. But who is the Constellation that can use it? And what is it basically?"
Tension appeared on Borin's face, and terror swept his heart from the question, but right here, he had to answer.
Borin: "Boy, you must focus well on my words now, and do not ask about anything else after it, and you must not think about it again after you leave."
Jin: "Why? What is so special about it specifically for you to act like this?"
Borin: "Darkness magic, as you know, is a very rare innate magical attribute, and different from black magic. Since you already possess it, you know the difference. But despite the dominance of this magic, it is... nothing but a qualification to use the Void. And the Constellation that uses the Void...…"
Jin: "What? Darkness itself is just a qualification? What is this for heaven's sake, and how can this be reasonable and why can I use it even though the Monarch of Darkness himself cannot?"
Borin spoke with tension, but his tone was serious and eerily calm.
Borin: "Boy, Void Magic is the pinnacle of destruction. When used… it literally causes the erasure of the target. Not burning, not destroying, but it is literally [as if it were nothingness]. It is a force that disintegrates matter and harms it in a terrifying way. Therefore, everyone who witnessed it throughout history believed it was nothingness and total erasure from existence. But the Constellations know the truth; the Void Constellation told them that he cannot do something like erasure from existence, but he shatters matter to the point that no one can grasp the truth except those who are in a power equal to his. And the one who possesses this magic is...… [The Void Dragon]."
"He is a Primordial Constellation, and as you heard, he is indeed a dragon, but he is a being about whom nothing is known except his name and mere talk told about his might. When you become qualified, I will tell you everything I know about the Constellations and this creature specifically."
This talk was strange to Jin, and this is what pushed him to curiosity and suspicion more, and he had to ask.
Jin: "So...… why… can I use it?"
Borin hesitated in answering; perhaps he might already know the answer. Well… the story's writer himself doesn't know yet.
Borin: "This… honestly... I don't know. Boy… let's close the talk at this point. I have told you enough for now."
Jin: "Fine, thank you, old man."
And so… a new question came to the boy's mind, but this time, it was more complex and stranger than any question he had ever asked before.
End of Chapter
Would you like me to continue the translation for the next chapter or help you develop the plot further?