On the 14th day of the Month of Initial Fire, the sky is a bright, summery blue, with the refreshing breeze occasionally brushing through.
This city of Spada is truly magnificent when I take another look at its streets.
Tall buildings, which do not seem inferior even when compared to modern times, stand in orderly rows, and the roads are beautifully paved with cobblestones and tiles, even equipped with streetlights that glow with magical power.
I believed the civilization level to be medieval, but seeing such a well-maintained city makes me think it is likely closer to modern times.
Even though there are areas that resemble slums, the main streets boast a beauty that is not inferior to modern European towns, which is quite impressive.
Surely, there must be architectural techniques, methods, and systems influenced by magic that do not exist on Earth, which relies solely on science.
Spada is a charming place overflowing with dreams and romance, but today’s purpose is rather business-like: searching for quests at the Adventurer Guild and replenishing exhausted equipment and items.
The guild and tool shop, which we aim for, are located near a square about a 10-minute walk from our inn.
In this square, where a massive black monument, an ancient relic, stands proudly, it is an unmissable meeting place.
The three members of the “Element Master” do not have an actual reason to meet up, but we have come to this square as a starting point.
Compared to the bustling central square of Irz Village, there is an overwhelming number of people flowing through here.
Even though this is a mid-sized square in Spada, I wonder how many people are gathered in the central square.
Since coming to this another world, it is the first time I have seen such a crowded scene.
It may not match the ultra-dense modern city of Tokyo, but standing before so many people against the backdrop of the exotic, large buildings is still somewhat overwhelming.
“It’s not surprising, but Spada is a big city.”
“Right?”
While expressing such a country bumpkin-like remark, I look up in awe with Lily at an obelisk that must be around 10 meters tall.
The obelisk, a kind of monument, is engraved with letters that are different from the familiar, alphabet-like otherworldly characters, radiating a faint white light to establish its presence.
Considering that the obelisk is ancient, the font, which entirely differs from modern otherworldly characters, must be an ancient script.
Of course, I cannot read it.
“Can you read what it says, Lily?”
“Hmm…”
Lily gazes intensely at the ancient letters glowing faintly white against the glossy black surface like obsidian.
Her expression seems to have an adult’s awareness, carrying an intelligent light.
“I don’t know!”
“I see~ you don’t know~”
It seems my impression of her having an intelligent light was a misunderstanding, but I reward the effort she put in with some head pats. Hahaha, what a cute one!
“Chrono, it seems this obelisk is about Mia Elroad,” Fiona comments seriously as I pamper Lily like a pet cat.
She has already taken a bite of a small fruit resembling lychee, which she must have bought at a nearby stall, but I won’t comment on that.
“Is that so? Wait, can you read this, Fiona?”
“Yes, of course, I can.”
I am surprised on two counts; to think Fiona can even decipher ancient scripts—witches are indeed on a completely different level than ordinary mages.
“Because there’s a translation written right there.”
Give me back my surprise.
Pointing to what Fiona refers to, there is a sign that explains the summary of the ancient script engraved on this obelisk, clearly meant for tourists.
Naturally, it is written in the otherworldly alphabet that I can read.
“Well then, regarding Mia… oh, it does indeed say that.”
Glancing through the explanation, it states that this obelisk honors the prestigious Emperor Mia Elroad of the great Elroad Empire, and so on.
By the way, the term ‘Demon King’ does not appear; it is unified under the title ‘His Majesty the Emperor.’
That makes sense—’Demon King’ is a title assigned later, while Mia identified herself as the Emperor.
“It seems there is a larger one in the central square.”
“If we read that, we might find some more concrete episodes.”
Written in a huge rectangular area of 10 meters by 3 meters are only elaborate praises for His Majesty the Emperor, with no mention of what the Emperor actually did.
“By the way, calling it ‘Beginning of History (Zero Chronicle)’ is quite an exaggerated name.”
The term ‘Beginning of History (Zero Chronicle)’ refers to the black obelisks scattered across Pandora, which recount the story of Emperor Mia, as stated.
However, it seems rather arrogant to claim that people’s history began only when Emperor Mia unified Pandora.
Declaring that the previous history was nonexistent—or rather, ‘not recognized’—is likely what it means.
Is thinking that way overly cynical?
“It’s mysterious, isn’t it? In the Ark Continent, ‘Zero Chronicle’ has the completely opposite meaning, referring to ‘the end of history.’”
“Is that so—”
As I ponder this absentmindedly, a sudden doubt crosses my mind.
“By the way, both Pandora and Ark have the exact same magic system in modern times, don’t they?”
Not only that, but everyone speaks the same language and uses the same letters as if it were completely normal.
If I think about it, isn’t that quite strange?
Since the people of the Ark Continent only recently came to the Pandora Continent, there could be no cultural exchange.
It would be quite a stretch to say that the same culture formed simultaneously in different regions.
“That’s true; today’s culture derives from ancient civilization.
It seems that in ancient times, Pandora and Ark belonged to the same cultural sphere; our language being easily understood is proof of that, though there are some differences,” Fiona continued.
Additionally, if we actually compare the relic dungeons of Ark and Pandora, it becomes glaringly obvious.
“I’ve only been to the Media Ruins dungeon in Pandora, but the other ruins are likely remnants of the same ancient civilization as well.”
“I see…”
As I understand, various new questions arise.
What exactly is this ancient civilization? Can a civilization from thousands of years ago still impact the present?
However, I will set aside that intellectual curiosity for now.
“We don’t have time to be leisurely sightseeing.”
Indeed, we are currently focused on resuming our adventurer life as quickly as possible.
“Right.”
“Oh!”
While the two respond energetically to my intent, I can’t help but notice Lily enjoying that fruit, which completely undermines their enthusiasm.
“That’s unfair, you two… I’ll go buy one too.”
Having succumbed to the temptation of the fragrant fruity scent, I firmly vowed to start taking action seriously once I finish eating this.
Ultimately, for someone like me, who flips my determination every three steps, how much weight does a firm resolution hold? It’s quite questionable…
Chrono is getting lost in sightseeing in Spada.