Night Talk
The clatters and murmurs of the customers, as well as the musical instrument where a dark haired Renjiran beauty dances beautifully on the small stage of the Water Lilies' Embrace provided an ever-present, cheerful background noise.
"Oh... Mmm! This is delightful!" Treste exclaimed in what could only be described as a food-induced ecstasy. She gracefully brought another bite of the duck Confit to her mouth, chewing enthusiastically. Given the ongoing war, the simple fact that a dish like this even existed in Loriana spoke volumes of Castalia's current pull and perhaps, Lady Rubia's already-moving supply lines. "The skin is perfectly crisped, the meat simply melts! Say what you will about this backwater town, Asep, but their procurement of poultry is divine!"
"Yeah, enjoy it while it lasts." Asep murmured, picking up a slice of pizza, or something structurally similar to pizza with less cheese, and bit into it.
He rested his chin on his hand, observing the small sorceress demolish her food with surprising speed. For someone who claimed to be an adult, she ate like a kid whose mother finally bought them a Happy Meal. His eyelids drooped with exhaustion, yet his gaze remained steady.
He had a few questions, though. Something in his head that always nagging him whenever his head didn't filled with survival stuff. The things that when he and his friends talked in Warung Kopi at night.
"Hey, Treste," Asep suddenly said, putting down his half-eaten pizza. "I've been thinking."
"A dangerous pastime for you," Treste mumbled around a mouthful of duck, not bothering to look up. "Try not to strain anything."
Asep ignored the jab. "No, seriously. Back in my... Place, we had these stories. Myths, you could call them. People believing that lizardmen run the government, or that ancient gods built massive pyramids to channel cosmic energy or something. Conspiracy theories. Stuff that sounds crazy, but people still talk about."
"Lizardmen? You mean the Saurian race? Why should they? I mean sure, they were a ruling class in the southern territories of the Undying Empire." Treste scoffed playfully, her mouth still covered in grease. "Beside, it's not a myth that Ancient Gods channel a massive magic energy into Lumite cores."
"I know, I know. I'm just saying," Asep continued, leaning forward, his voice low. "But, I'm talking about weird stuff. Like, secret societies controlling the weather. Plagues specifically engineered to wipe out a certain race... that kind of stuff. I mean, do you gu—I mean, does Rodinia have anything like that? Or is the craziest thing around here just some heretical cult astroturfing a rebellion?"
Treste paused mid-chew, looking up at him, studying his tired face. She swallowed, wiping her mouth with a napkin, her playful demeanor momentarily vanished, replaced by a guarded intellect. "Are you talking about heterodoxy?"
"Uh... Yeah? Something like that."
"Let's see... Back in early 6th century of Radiant Calendar, The Black Rot, a devastating plague decimated almost a third of the central continent's population," Treste began, her tone sounds like a scholar lecturing a rather slow student. "The Grand Sanctuary historians recorded it as a natural mutation of swamp-born bacteria, exacerbated by poor sanitation in the Holy Empire's expanding urban centers. Officially, it was a tragedy."
She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a near-whisper, as if the tavern walls themselves had ears. "But within the deeper, restricted archives of the Sanctuary, there are fragmented accounts suggesting the initial outbreak originated simultaneously in five geographically isolated major cities across the continent. Cities that were, coincidentally, the strongholds of political factions actively opposing the Emperor at the time."
Asep raised an eyebrow. "Wait, so you're saying someone intentionally released a plague to wipe out political rivals? Like biological warfare?"
"I am stating what the historical anomalies imply. The sheer logistical impossibility of a natural pathogen spreading that rapidly across distinct biomes suggests artificial propagation. But to speak such 'heterodoxy' aloud, even now, risks the Inquisition's unpleasant attention. The Church maintains it was a divine trial."
"So, basically, the government used a super-virus and the Church covered it up as an act of God," Asep summarized, taking a sip of his lukewarm water. "Yeah, that tracks. Sounds exactly like the kind of bullshit politicians pull back hom—I mean, anywhere."
Asep taking a bit of his pizza before continued. "How about... I dunno, well poisoning? Jews expulsion from the region?"
"Jews? What's that?" Treste titled her head in a perfect perplexity. "A rare breed of poultry?"
"Uh, n-no. Nevermind." Asep rubbed his chin. Sometimes he forgot he's talking with basically an alien kid. "I mean, how about minority persecution and banishment?"
Treste's expression tightened into a grim line. "Persecution is unfortunately common, usually directed at the Beastfolk tribes that refused to integrate with society at large while demanding welfare without tax obligations... However, if you are referring to orchestrated, large-scale, systematic removals based on fabricated premises... I think the Demon race mass exodus from Euvros around three hundred years ago fits that description. After the fall of the Court of Saklas."
Asep leaned back, his head now hooked with the history lesson. Usually, Demon are the bad guys, right?
"How can I put this into a neutral perspective... Basically, demons are unable to blend with humans, naturally and socially. They're like, a natural predator of everything that isn't demon. For example, Succubi sub-race colloqually related to prostitution. They fed human lifeforce to propagate themselves via... You know. They are low tier demons. Usually harmless and can work within society. But how about Vampire or other predatory sub-races? That become the problem."
Asep stroked his chin. Yeah, this is fantasy world. Demons aren't just metaphor for evil here, they're an actual species. What Treste said made total sense. If humanity discovered another sentient species whose diet required hunting humans, peace would never be an option.
"So, they fed humans... Interesting. Then how the hell they're here in Euvros anyway?"
"Long story short... They settled here in Euvros during the reign of the Demon King in White, conquering Vandalas and spreading their influences across Euvros while the Pope awaits the arrival of the Blessed Maiden to slay the Demon King. Then the Court of Saklas destroyed by the Undying King during the early conquest and unification of what now the Undying Empire. That's the beginning of Demon pogroms across Euvros."
"That's strange... Rashid told me the Caliph had this 'Nachzehrer' demon advisor. One of their Demonic High Court's member. How come demons got expelled but still sitting comfortably as an advisor in the biggest desert empire?"
"Well... The Caliph is smart. They conquered the demonkind, subjugated them, then elevated those who swore absolute loyalty," Treste grabbed another piece of bread from the table. "Nachzehrer is one of those. He's arguably the second most powerful demon alive."
"Okay, I get it," Asep muttered. He was assumed the history might be similar to Earth. Well, it's kinda parallel with Earth's actual event, but the thing is... This world has its own myth and histories that distinct yet familiar enough to draw parallels if someone squinted hard.
But this make him even more bugged with this strange feelings.
"Treste... Is there any rumours or historical evidence of 'Otherworlders'?"
Treste's bread hung in the air halfway to her mouth. She froze for a moment before slowly placing it back on her plate. Her amethyst eyes narrowed, studying Asep with an intensity that made the surrounding tavern chatter seem to fade into the background.
"Otherworlders? It's merely a myth during the First Radiant War against the Undying Empire." she answered slowly, dragging the syllables. "Supposedly, when the Undying Empire seized the Holy Land."
Ah.... Crusade-allegory, huh? Classic. Asep thought.
"A few centuries ago, there's a rumor the Church trying an experimental magic designed to summon 'saviors' from another dimension. Obviously, the Papal States denied these claims. The official stance is that the First Radiant War was fought entirely by the faithful sons and daughters of Rodinia. Nothing more, nothing less."
Asep nodded slowly, connecting the dots that are basically hidden in plain sight.
"It sounds bullshit. If they can summon a hero from another dimension, then why they still lose to the Empire that supposedly 'evil'?"
"Evil..." Treste scoffed. "War blurred the line between good and evil, Asep. We see evil people, we see good people mixed together in both sides."
"Yeah... Yeah. Let me hear that story. A hero summoned from another world to defeat the demon lord... I mean, the Undying King."
Treste sighed softly and wiped her hand clean with a towel.
"Nobody officially recorded the summoners. And those people who participated in that allegedly 'forbidden' act were declared heretics by the previous Pope and hunted down. Erased. All documentation related to the ritual, gone." She leaned in again. "The rumors stated, these 'Heroes' are simply pawns with overwhelming power. Some said they possessed an abnormal biology that allowing them to channel magical energy independent of Lumite. That they brought knowledge that shifted the tides of war for a brief period before they sweeped out by the Undying Empire's decisive tactical ingenuity."
Asep snorted hearing that. In the end, you need better tactical acumen to won a continental war. Just having enough magical energy, or bringing modern knowledge simply meant nothing when you are cornered strategically. This proven by how the Coalition of the Unwilling managed to capture Anthil, mostly because Zachary, Renalla, and the the rest of its leader worked together in synergy rather than one man wiping off the entire map.
"So, they were basically a meat shield? Using someone else to fight your war... This feels kinda familiar," He chuckled dryly. He looked down at his own bruised knuckles. The 'abnormal biology' part hit a little too close to home considering his utter lack of a Lumite signature that made him basically invisible to certain magic and unable to be healed by conventional means. No wonder Estella Aria, Castillo, and even Solus deemed his existence completely anomalous. Because he was an anomaly.
"However," Treste continued, her voice turned sharp. "My master, Erwith Plamya once told me that those theories were likely fabricated to deflect the church's own incompetence during the war against the Undying Empire. Blaming failure on the 'unpredictable nature of forbidden magic' rather than poor strategic decisions. After all, if they genuinely succeeded in summoning warriors from beyond the veil, surely such forces would be documented as a divine miracle rather than buried as a terrible secret."
"Your teacher seems like an intelligent person instead of mindless loyalist." Asep commented, rubbing his eyes briefly.
"Of course! She's the Crimson Sage! The most powerful sorcerer in this continent!" Treste puffed her chest proudly.
Asep simply nodded. "So, you're saying I might be a myth come to life?"
Treste stared at him, breaking the silence with unimpressed look. Then she let out a short sigh.
"I am stating that your condition presents a unique physiological anomaly that coincidentally aligns with archaic fictitious folklore." She crossed her arms, returning to her haughty demeanor. "But let's be realistic here. If the Church truly summoned 'Heroes' from another world, they would likely resemble beings of immaculate power and divine grace. Not... a chronically lazy mercenary who gets winded after 30 minutes of cardiovascular exertion and relies on primitive mechanical contraptions because he can't cast a basic light incantation."
"Harsh," Asep grinned, not offended in the slightest. "But fair point. I don't exactly scream 'Chosen One'."
"You certainly don't." She reached over and lightly snatched a piece of bread from his plate. "So, if you are 'summoned,' whoever is responsible clearly lacked quality control. Or budget."
Asep laughed out loud, leaning his head back against the wall. That actually makes sense. Perhaps there is no god waiting for him, perhaps there is no grand destiny prepared for him. He was just a random thug from Bandung who mysteriously transmigrated to this shitty barely-renaissance brutal world and forced to fight for a simple nicotine stick that he deeply craved. A completely miserable life.
"Honestly, Treste. If that's the case... I'll file complain straight to God about this."
Asep stretched his arms over his head as they stepped out of the tavern. His joints popped in protest, a lingering reminder of the battle. The crisp night wind immediately cooled the sweat on his neck.
"Alright, gremlin. I'm heading to the barracks. Try not to blow up the garage tonight," Asep said, offering a lazy wave.
"I am a licensed alchemist, Asep! My localized detonations are entirely purposeful and controlled!" Treste yelled back, clutching her oversized hat as the wind tugged at it before marching off toward her laboratory.
Asep chuckled, watching her go. He turned to head toward the mercenary quarters, fishing in his pocket for a cigarette. Just as he flicked the match, a figure stepped out from the shadows of an adjacent alleyway.
"Asep."
He paused, the match flickering near his face. It was Matthew. The young runway noble of Holy Rodinian Empire. Unlike the rugged veterans that populated Castalia, Matthew still carried that underlying stiffness, an aristocratic posture that he hadn't yet managed to completely unlearn, although he did look considerably more battered than when he first arrived.
"Matthew," Asep greeted casually, lighting his cigarette and flicking the dead match away. He blew out a long stream of smoke. "A bit late to be skulking in alleys, aren't we? Shouldn't you be resting with Alexei? Frontline rotation is a bitch, and tomorrow's your turn."
Matthew stepped closer, checking left and right down the street. His expression was serious. Something had clearly been eating at him.
"I need to ask you something," Matthew said, his voice lowering. "And I need an honest answer."
Asep leaned against the wall, crossing his ankles. "Shoot."
"I was... nearby. Inside the tavern. I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I heard some of your conversation with Treste." Matthew swallowed hard, his eyes locking onto Asep. "Are you... 'summoned'? From somewhere else?"
Asep's expression didn't change. He took another drag, letting the silence stretch out for a few seconds. He had assumed his secret was mostly safe, considering he hadn't exactly been going around announcing it. Treste knew, Zachary probably guessed, but this kid?
"Perhaps," Asep finally replied, his tone perfectly neutral. It was a non-answer, designed to give nothing away while gauging the kid's angle. "Why do you ask?"
Matthew took a deep breath, clearly struggling to articulate his next words. He looked down at his hands, then back up.
"Because," Matthew began, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper. "I know about the four-stroke engine. I recognized the combustion cycle you and Treste built."
Asep froze. The casual demeanor instantly vanished, replaced by a razor-sharp focus. His hand tightened around the cigarette. No one in this world should know that term. Treste only knew it because he taught her.
"What did you just say?" Asep asked quietly, his eyes suddenly calculating, sizing up the young noble in a completely new light.
"The internal combustion engine," Matthew repeated, stepping closer, abandoning his aristocratic restraint. "The chassis. The steering wheel. Asep, I know it's a car. An early model, maybe a modified Ford Quadricycle concept, but it's a car."
Asep stared at him, the gears in his head turning rapidly. "How?"
"Because," Matthew let out a shaky breath, a strange mix of relief and intense vulnerability crossing his face. "In my previous life... my name wasn't Ludwig von Wittelsberg. I was..." His voice dropped, almost can't be heard. "Unemployed NEET who dies from heart attack..."
There's a pause for a moment, before Asep blurted into laugh. "Hahahahah! Oh my God! Holy shit, there's actually a guy with classic Isekai tropes here!" Asep slapped his knee, chuckling like crazy. "A shut-in who reincarnated into an influential, insanely rich family! Man, you hit the jackpot!"
Matthew face grew red with embarrassment. He frowned. "It's not funny! Do you know how hard it is to pretend to be a functioning human from this era, let alone a noble?! The etiquette, the history, the constant pressure to act like a 'protagonist'—it's exhausting!"
"Protagonist? Pfft..." Asep wiped a tear from his eye. "Man, you seriously thought you're the protagonist of an anime or something?"
"Well, yeah! I mean, I got reincarnated into a fantasy world as a powerful noble with higher-than-average magical aptitude! It's literally the premise of every light novel I used to read!" Matthew defended himself, his hands gesturing wildly. "I thought I was supposed to form a harem, defeat the demon lord, save the world! Then I joined this company, and..." He deflated, his shoulders slumping. "And I realized I was just an extra character. A mob. Commander Zachary is obviously the real protagonist here. Or maybe you. Not me."
Asep snorted, "Listen, Matt—or Ludwig, whatever. There are no such thing like protagonist here. Nobody's got plot armor. If you screw up, you die. Period. I've seen enough decent people bleed out in the mud to know this isn't a storybook."
He pushed himself off the wall, stepping closer to Matthew. "But you're telling me you were born here? Reincarnated?"
Matthew nodded vehemently. "Yeah. Born as Ludwig von Wittelsberg. I have memories of my old life—of the internet, cars, video games... but I grew up in this world from birth."
"Huh." Asep rubbed his chin. That was fundamentally different from his own situation. He had just been dropped into this world as a fully formed adult, wearing the same clothes he had on when he was walking out of prison.
"So, you grew up in the Holy Rodinian Empire?" Asep asked, his tone shifting back to business.
"Yes. It's... oppressive. Especially for a high noble. The expectation... That's why I ran away. I wanted to see the world before they married me off for political gain or drafted me into war."
"Right. The 'Finding Myself' arc," Asep said dryly. Then, a more serious thought occurred to him. "Wait. If you're a Wittelsberg... that's one of the Elector houses, right? The guys who choose the Emperor?"
Matthew winced. "Yeah. My father is one of the Kurfürsten."
Asep stared at him for a long moment. "Damn, do you have any idea the kind of political shitstorm you're carrying around? If the Church finds out the heir to an Elector seat is playing mercenary in Ardenia—a country they're actively trying to destabilize..."
"I know!" Matthew interrupted, running a hand through his hair. "Why do you think I'm using an alias? I just... seeing you build that engine. Seeing someone else who actually knows what a spark plug is. I had to know. I've been alone with these memories for twenty years."
Asep looked at him. Despite the ridiculous 'protagonist' complex, Asep understood that isolation. The jarring realization that you are fundamentally disconnected from everyone around you.
"Alright," Asep sighed, patting Matthew roughly on the shoulder. "Secret's safe with me, Ludwig. Though I'd appreciate it if you kept calling yourself Matthew while we're in uniform. It's easier."
Matthew looked relieved, visibly sagging. "Thank you. And... your 'summoning'?"
"I just appeared in a grassy field months ago with nothing but the clothes on my back, and a pack of cigarettes from my friend." Asep said bluntly. "No magic, though. Just me. So don't expect me to start glowing and shooting lasers from my eyes."
"I can see that..." Ludwig looking down at his own hands with a melancholic smile. "Even though with human limitation, you're triving. Unlike me..."
"Hah? Don't get emotional on me. Look at yourself, you possess advanced sword-magic and fighting alongside Alexei on the vanguard flawlessly. You're strong, Matt." Asep grinned. "Anyway, since you're reincarnated... You might've got... You know, cheat skills or something?"
"Actually... I have [Apprasial], though it's hardly called 'cheat skill'."
Asep pinched his brows together. "Hold on, [Appraisal]? You mean like in video games? You can just look at something and see its stats?"
Matthew adjusted his collar, suddenly looking a bit self-conscious. "Not exactly 'stats'. It's an innate ability. I can discern the properties of an object or a person. Material composition, magical affinity, roughly how old it is, and its current condition. It's kind of a specialized form of divine magic inherent to my bloodline, but my proficiency... it's a bit of an anomaly."
"Show me," Asep demanded, pointing to a discarded wooden cart wheel leaning against the tavern wall.
Matthew focused his gaze on the wheel. An imperceptible golden lens briefly overlaid his pupil on his left eye. He blinked, the glow fading instantly. "Oak, primarily. Roughly five years since it was felled. Iron rim, poorly forged, high carbon content making it brittle. The axle bore is heavily worn, likely why it was discarded."
Asep's eyes widened slightly. He walked over, running his thumb over a crack in the iron rim. "Damn. That's actually useful. A walking quality control scanner. How about people?"
"It works on native Rodinians," Matthew said, crossing his arms. He looked back at Asep, his expression faltering. "Normally, I can gauge a person's general physical health, their magical capacity, and their dominant magical affinity. Sometimes surface-level ailments. But when I try to look at you, Asep..."
Matthew trailed off and shaking his head. "I get nothing. It's like looking into a void. There's no magical signature. You don't register on the appraisal metric."
"Yeah, well, missing a Lumite organ will do that to you," Asep stated, returning to his spot against the wall. Matthew's skill was undeniably powerful, but it seemed severely underutilized. Using it just to check if a sword was sharp or an enemy was physically strong was a massive waste of potential.
A thought began to form in Asep's mind. Matthew was desperate to be remembered, to carve out a legacy that didn't involve being a throwaway character in someone else's war or a political puppet for his father. He was smart, he had modern knowledge, and a built-in magical scanner.
"Matt, let me ask you something," Asep said, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "You said you can tell roughly how old something is. Can you push that limit? Like, really push it. What if you looked at a fossil? Can you tell the difference between something that died ten years ago and a bone that's a million years old?"
Matthew frowned, clearly confused by the abrupt change in topic. "A fossil? Well... theoretically, yes. The older the object, the harder it is to pinpoint an exact year, but the temporal resonance remains. I could discern if a bone is ancient stone versus recent remains. Why?"
Asep grinned, a wide smile that crinkled the corners of his eyes. "Because, you're looking at this whole 'isekai protagonist' thing completely wrong."
Matthew tilted his head. "What do you mean?"
"You want to go down in history," Asep pointed a finger at him. "You want to be remembered. But right now, you're trying to do it by swinging a sword in a war where the stakes are managed by people like Zachary and Gawain. Even if you become the greatest swordsman on this continent, you'll just be a footnote. A general. 'Ludwig the Strong.' It's boring, and frankly, quite crowded."
"Then what should I do?" Matthew asked, leaning forward, now genuinely hooked.
"You like science? History? You remember our old world. You know dinosaurs existed. You have an ability that lets you perfectly analyze ancient objects without needing a carbon-dating machine."
Asep stepped closer, clapping his hand onto Matthew's shoulder. "Forget the frontline hero bullshit. You should pursue Paleontology. Or Archaeology."
Matthew paused, his face showing the expression that as if his brain had been struck by a lightning of realization. Oh... That's new. Why nobody even thought about that before?
"Paleontology... Here?"
"Think about it. The people probably still think the world is young. Here, the science of understanding rocks or old bones still lacks. What I mean is... Be Georges Cuvier or Charles Darwin of this world."
"With your [Appraisal] skill, you could literally rewrite the history books," Asep continued. "You could find the remains of species that contradict Church doctrine. You could uncover ancient cities buried under the desert without spending decades digging blind. You wouldn't just be a soldier, Matthew. You'd be the father of an entirely new scientific discipline in this world."
Matthew stared at the cobblestones, his eyes tracking invisible possibilities. The stiffness in his posture vanished entirely, replaced by a trembling excitement. He looked at his own hands, then back to Asep.
"... Are there even... Ancient megafauna here? I mean, like, we know Dinosaur-like animals might exist, considering the Raptor-like beast. But..." Matthew's hands clutched together.
Asep shrugged, "Who knows? Maybe. Even if there's no Dinosaurs, there are plenty of archaeological evidences for ancient lives somewhere else." He flicked down the ashes. "But that's not the point, I just give you some viable alternative, far safer than trying to be an anime protagonist in a warzone. Maybe you could get harem along the way."
Matthew paused, the joke flying completely over his head as he absorbed the magnitude of the idea. His eyes were wide, practically glowing in the dim light of the alley. "Father of a new discipline... No one would remember me as a Wittelsberg. They'd remember me for my own discoveries. And with [Appraisal], I wouldn't need a massive laboratory to start."
He looked up, a fierce determination settling onto his features. "Damn, why I didn't think about this... Asep. That's it, it's actually brilliant."
"I have my moments," Asep smirked, giving him a solid pat on the back. "So, next time Sylvanne asks you to charge a spear wall, maybe think twice before you play the hero. The world needs its Darwin more than it needs another dead knight."
"Right. You're right. I need to be careful. I have a purpose now," Matthew mumbled rapidly, already pacing back and forth, completely lost in his new ambition. "I'll need to start gathering geological maps... maybe speak with some of the older miner chiefs from Roake about unusual rock formations... oh, this changes everything!"
He suddenly stopped, turning back to Asep with a wide grin. "Thank you. Truly. I owe you a massive debt for this."
"Buy me a decent pack of cigars once you're famous, and we'll call it even," Asep replied lazily, turning to walk toward the barracks. The fatigue was finally catching up to him, his muscles burning with the demand for sleep. "Now go get some rest. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither is the entire field of archaeology."