Chapter 123

Chapter 123

#123. Cleanup (3)

Still, being wounded was on the luckier side of things.

Dying instantly without a chance to treat was common in battlefields.

There were even grades of death.

Being able to preserve the body somewhat intact after death was already considered better.

In battles against monsters, there were plenty of cases where not even a part of the body could be salvaged.

“Heroes, rest in peace within the embrace of Lenslet.”

While the priests of the Lenslet Order recited their joint eulogy…

“…”

Ariana stared at the coffins before her.

More than half of these coffins were empty.

Some contained only fragments of bodies or nothing at all, so personal belongings used in life were placed inside instead.

The families, friends, and comrades of the deceased stood with Ariana.

Their faces showed not just sorrow but also gratitude and pride.

‘That His Highness the Duke himself is praying for my husband’s soul!’

‘Long live His Highness! Long live Lenslet!’

‘Lenslet! Rune Lenslet!’

It’s still a world where traces of medieval times remain everywhere.

For the Lensretians, having Ariana, who is also a symbol of the Lenslet faith, pray for them is akin to receiving a ticket to heaven.

Meanwhile, outside the Great Wall, another type of post-war cleanup was underway.

“What is this?!”

If there was one biggest trophy from this war, it had to be the corpse of the white serpent Jormungandr.

Arad’s eyes widened as he inspected the corpse alongside magicians.

“If we do this right…”

In Arad’s hand was a white scale from Jormungandr, as big around as his torso.

It was light, strong, flexible, and could stretch significantly.

“These scales… They might work as a rubber substitute?”

To Arad, it seemed like an ideal upper-tier replacement for rubber.

* * *

In the original history and game “Age of Silver 1,” there was no mention of anyone defeating the white serpent.

There were tales and legends about the white serpent Jormungandr, but that was all.

No setting or news indicated that the creature ever revealed itself or was hunted.

‘In the original timeline, the Northern Region had already fallen long ago, so neither the white serpent nor the Demon Den would have had any reason to move.’

The white serpent would’ve been hibernating in glaciers, storing its power, while the Demon Den would’ve survived by doing dirty jobs for the Empire.

Indeed, in “Age of Silver 1,” black wizards were limited to the northern region but could operate openly despite the Order’s objections since the royal family held absolute authority. In the Royal Direct-controlled territory and Northern Governor-General’s Office, even the Imperial Order couldn’t defy the Emperor’s orders.

‘Anyway, I don’t have to worry about rubber for a while now. With this, we can build 100 airships!’

High risk, high return, they say. And Jormungandr truly was a monster that gave generously.

Especially its white scales, which were superior substitutes for rubber.

Of course, Arad didn’t plan to use such valuable scales solely for airships.

‘I’ll need to distribute it. Forty percent for airships, thirty percent for factory equipment, and the remaining thirty for power plants.’

With that thought, I gave instructions to the Lenslet magicians who had just finished preparing Jormungandr’s dissection.

“The white serpent’s scales. We must collect every single one.”

“Scales, you mean?”

“Yes.”

“And what about the other parts?”

“I only need the scales, so let the Mage Guild handle the rest.”

“Rea-ally?!”

At my words, the magicians’ eyes widened.

“Yaaaay!! Thank you, Chairman Jin!”

“Hear that, everyone?! Hurry up! The first one to grab it gets it!”

“Scales only—grab everything else!”

They rushed into the dissection process, fearing my decision might change.

“Wind spirits! Bring the scattered scales here!”

“Water spirits, purify the toxic puddles!”

The Lenslet magicians, former witches skilled in spirit arts, quickly and easily began dissecting the white serpent.

Spirit arts really are useful for so many things.

‘It’d be great if we could train more spirit mages, but unfortunately, it’s getting harder. They’re like walking super-heavy machinery.’

Every generation, as the fairy blood thins, fewer people can wield spirit magic. It’s quite regrettable.

Regardless of that disappointment, a pile of purified Jormungandr scales was growing in one corner.

The scales were so large in size and number that they already formed a hill.

‘This decides our direction! Fixed routes? Greenhouse barriers? Icebreakers? We won’t need any of those!’

Looking at the scales that would serve as rubber substitutes made me excited, and a smile naturally spread across my face.

‘With this, we can further widen the gap with the Golden Tower of the Empire.’

The magical circuits currently under research at the Empire’s Golden Tower were a tremendous threat.

Why else would I have given them steam engines, coating them in steampunk nonsense?

Magical circuits—they’re game changers in themselves.

‘When the Empire enters the Steam Revolution with steampunk, we’ll enter the Magical Revolution with arcanepunk!’

Heheheheh.

Laughter escaped me involuntarily.

‘Still, Ariana is a problem.’

Then, I suddenly remembered how worried I was about Ariana’s condition.

‘The urgent fire has been put out, but I couldn’t fully heal her.’

I had even been called back to the palace again to examine Ariana.

– How is Her Majesty’s condition?

– Not good.

– We all know that.

– What we want to know is something else…

– You’re asking if she can bear children? Currently, it’s unlikely. Moreover, regardless of infertility issues, Her Majesty’s body itself is fragile.

– …!

– But it’s too early to give up. We will do our best to research.

– Please. The fate of the royal family rests with the viscount.

– We will find a solution, as we always have.

Ariana’s serious expression while being examined with Mary disguised as a pendant beside her was somewhat amusing despite the gravity of the situation.

Eventually, persuaded by her subordinates, she reluctantly agreed to the examination, but there was little I could do for her.

– I’m fine… Sir Arad, go ahead. You must be busy with the white serpent’s spoils.

Her voice and expression, filled with shock and sadness, are still vivid in my mind. She avoided making eye contact with me especially.

‘I need to cure Ariana to return to Earth! Probably.’

Ariana’s condition is precarious.

But an even bigger issue is that she has become infertile.

If she never bears a child, the House of Lenslet will come to an end.

Considering that saving the north includes the fate of Ariana and the Lenslet family, the problem becomes severe.

‘I need to find a way. If I can’t heal her body, perhaps… externally…’

Currently, Ariana’s womb is like Jupiter’s atmosphere, with magical energy from the circle and core fluctuating wildly every moment.

No fetus could survive in such conditions.

‘Should I research artificial wombs? Maybe applying the creature vessels used when creating chimeras would work…’

After not giving up and finding potential solutions, one idea came to mind: using the creature vessels employed in chimera creation.

‘The question is whether Ariana and the people of this world will accept a child created this way.’

Back on Earth, this method could’ve been a brilliant solution to combat low birthrates, earning hefty government subsidies. But here, it’s different.

Creating a chimera limb is one thing, but this is on a whole different level.

Issues of legitimacy aside, the child might not even be treated as human.

‘First priority is healing Ariana’s body. Artificial wombs will be second priority.’

Ultimately, I decided to take the hard path first.

I can’t guarantee success, but I must try my best. After all, she pushed herself trying to save me, and I bear some responsibility.

“Chairman! The personnel arrangements are complete!”

Just then, Te Manager’s voice calling me from afar reached my ears.

“We’re leaving at dawn tomorrow!”

“That’s quick.”

My reverie was interrupted by Theo shouting the departure schedule.

“Yes! Her Majesty ordered us to swiftly eliminate the remnants of the Demon Den.”

“True. Time is critical in such matters.”

“But are you really going along? Even though Her Majesty allowed it…”

“Of course. I need to see it with my own eyes.”

“…”

Despite my firm resolve, Te Manager still wore an uneasy expression.

“Uh… Also, Lady Mary is busy with post-war reconstruction at the High City…”

“Aah, I see. Let her know not to worry.”

“Yes? Yes!”

As soon as the battle ended, preparations began at the High City to exterminate the remnants of the Demon Den.

I volunteered to join since I had business there too.

“Besides the seven High Knights, who else is joining?”

“Knight Valkyrie and five mid-level magicians, along with four senior priests, are set to join.”

“Four senior priests? Isn’t that excessive? Post-war recovery and treating the wounded should be prioritized, right?”

“It seems Her Majesty considers eliminating the Demon Den remnants more urgent.”

“True, safety wouldn’t hurt.”

Normally it would’ve been dangerous, but with the white serpent defeated, the morale of northern monsters must’ve taken a hit.

The sole threat, the Empire, is preoccupied fighting Mongar Orcs invading through the Ragolte Wall.

So, there’s no safer time to travel.

“So, I’ll meet you at the inner fortress of the High City at dawn tomorrow?”

“That’s correct.”

“Secrecy is key for this. No one should know yet, right?”

“As a matter of fact, we’ve kept it as quiet as possible. Regarding your schedule, we’ve announced that you’ll be unavailable for external engagements for a while due to researching the white serpent’s corpse.”

“Well done.”

“I merely did my job.”

“I should head home and prepare as well. Te Manager, you stay here and take full responsibility for managing the white serpent’s scales. We’ll start working on them as soon as I return.”

“Understood. So, you’ll use the Magic Realm portal to head directly to Viscount Jin’s domain?”

“That’s right.”

Since I’m making the trip, I planned to visit the Demon Den and my territory.

Hoooot Hoooot

Suddenly, the distant cry of an owl echoed.

* * *

The depths of the Magic Realm.

Instead of a snowy field, an ash-gray landscape stretched endlessly.

In the middle of it, three golden carriages surrounded by high knights riding special-grade horses came to a halt.

“This is it.”

As I muttered stepping down from the first golden carriage…

“You sure?”

Valkyrie, hearing my muttering, glanced at the radar in her hand, tilting her head.

“Looks like four layers of barriers are set up. Similar to how the white serpent didn’t show up on the radar before.”

After fiddling with the specially modified radar, I pointed in the direction indicated by the radar dial.

“That way, about a hundred steps away.”

“Got it? Focus and slash wherever you suspect!”

Following my order, the knights participating in the expedition unsheathed their swords with fierce looks.

“Tell the magicians and priests outside it’s safe to come out!”

“Tch tch tch… With Sir Arad leading the charge, what’s there to fear?”

Next, the Lenslet magicians and priests stepped out of the second and third golden carriages.

We divided passengers based on supplies and gender, necessitating three golden carriages.

“Thanks to Viscount Jin, traveling through the Magic Realm feels surprisingly easy~.”

“Even with the white serpent defeated, the amount of mana here is still impressive…”

The expressions of the Lenslet magicians and priests were contrasting—one side filled with curiosity, the other with tension and caution.

Still, thanks to the carriages, their overall appearances were relatively good.

“Once the knights break the barrier, be ready immediately.”

I instructed the magicians and priests who had stepped out of the carriages.

“Of course.”

“Lenslet, Rune Lenslet.”

By the way, the three golden carriages I brought weren’t the same ones that got covered in magic circuits during previous trips to the Magic Realm.

Those had long turned into giant figurines due to lack of maintenance.

‘Good thing I had several staff vehicles made.’

These carriages were essentially corporate cars.

At most, they had their internal space expanded with subspace circuits, were packed full of Bluetooth devices, and painted gold. Company cars, basically.

‘Thank goodness we got so many special-grade horses through Entaire. Plus, the reduction in monster ferocity after the white serpent’s demise helped.’

Though lacking complex barriers or protective enchantments to shield the horses from the Magic Realm’s mana, it didn’t matter much.

Firstly, the horses pulling these golden carriages were special-grade. Secondly, the Magic Realm’s mana density had lessened somewhat with the white serpent’s destruction.

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