Chapter 236

It was a restored copy of the journal found in the ruins some time ago.

At the time, many parts were damaged, and only the first page, or rather a portion of it, could barely be read. However, Seiri, an alchemist who couldn’t resist archaeology, eventually continued to decipher the journal.

Magic, alchemy, scientific restoration methods—she used every bit of knowledge and means she had, locking herself in her secret workshop to focus on decoding it.

In fact, she was so engrossed in deciphering the artifact and the journal that even the Sisters of the Holy Kingdom and the knights of the empire thought she might have left Astram altogether.

In any case, her seclusion in the workshop bore fruit, as she successfully restored the latter part of the journal.

Although not every part was perfectly restored, she managed to recover portions of the early and middle sections. Restoring nearly half of the content was undoubtedly an encouraging achievement.

However, Seiri, who had restored the journal, showed no signs of accomplishment or joy at having gained new knowledge.

“T-this can’t be…!”

Instead, her face bore an expression similar to someone who, feeling hungry, carelessly ordered a “free if finished in 30 minutes” dish at a new restaurant, only to realize the portion was several times larger than expected.

Sure, I said I was hungry and wanted a lot, but… isn’t this too much?

It was the kind of panic one feels when realizing the dish’s weight isn’t measured in grams but kilograms.

She even regretted deciphering the journal, wondering if her love for archaeology had gone too far.

The contents of the journal were that shocking.

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The early part of the journal described events carried out by the ancient empire and those that befell it.

Imperial Calendar □□□□ □ Month 23rd

Tomorrow, the empire’s great step forward will finally begin.

The empire is too vast to remain merely the ruler of this world.

This world is too small to contain the empire.

Finally, the empire’s power will extend not only to this world but to others as well.

Through this great expedition, the empire will become even greater.

To make another world a colony… it’s truly thrilling.

This is a challenge no other nation in history has ever attempted… no, even conceived.

I wish tomorrow would come soon.

This journal will become a historical record of the empire’s great, mythical first step.

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Imperial Calendar □□□□ □ Month 26th

Destruction has come to our empire.

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Imperial Calendar □□□□ ■ Month 1st

The empire has collapsed.

No, it won’t end there.

This world will soon perish.

Our empire, and humanity, will disappear without leaving a trace of our existence.

Why am I even writing this journal?

(P.S. This page was half-torn. Judging by the tear, it wasn’t natural. Given the context, it seems the writer tore it in frustration but stopped halfway.)

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Imperial Calendar □□□□ ■ Month 23rd

I picked up the pen again after a long time.

I did so because if humanity survives and doesn’t go extinct, future descendants who find this journal must know what happened on this day.

Our mistakes…

Our sins…

Thus, this journal is my—no, our—confession and record of repentance for the sins humanity committed.

We opened a door that should never have been opened.

As written on the first page, my empire was a great empire that unified the entire world into a single nation.

No, can a nation that fell in less than a week truly be called great?

…

I digress.

Returning to the main point, the empire, unable to expand further, enjoyed an unprecedented golden age.

All the land of this planet was human territory, our magical civilization was at its zenith, and we were freed from all physical labor by creating slaves devoted to humanity.

It was truly the peak of history.

Yes.

The peak.

Now, we can never reclaim it.

Our sin was not knowing how to be satisfied.

Even at the pinnacle of this world, humans desired more prosperous lives, better lives.

They wanted more land, more abundant resources.

They wanted to enslave more non-human lifeforms and flaunt our might and dignity.

And unfortunately, we knew how to do it, foolishly considering it a blessing.

Thus…

The empire decided to wage a conquest war on another dimension.

The empire prepared magic and soldiers to conquer another dimension.

Overly optimistic, they believed the empire’s power would easily subjugate and subdue the beings of that other dimension, as if that world was already in their grasp.

On the day we opened the dimensional barrier…

What emerged from it were monsters.

Monsters?

Can we even call them just monsters?

…

They were gods.

They were gods who came to judge us.

They were gods who descended to punish us for our petty and insignificant arrogance.

On the first day we opened the dimensional barrier…

13 of the 87 divisions the empire had proudly prepared to invade the other world were annihilated.

In fact, calling it the “first day” is an exaggerated phrase to glorify the empire’s devastating defeat.

Of the 13 divisions annihilated on the first day…

7 divisions committed mass suicide within 3 minutes.

I still don’t understand why they all killed themselves.

All I remember is that as soon as the gate opened, a mysterious beam of light shone on them.

Those who faced the light directly soon gouged out their eyes and slit their throats, committing suicide.

Some cried like three-year-old children, some laughed as if watching the funniest comedy, and some became like emotionless golems.

Even the division commanders, all at least master-level, were no different.

They drew their auras and immediately began mutilating their own throats and entrails. Their enhanced vitality meant they continued mutilating themselves even with their hearts burst and throats half-torn, a truly incomprehensible horror.

Within 3 minutes of the gate opening, the area before the dimensional gate became a sea of blood.

And then, hell unfolded.

Frankly, of the 13 divisions annihilated on the first day, only a handful died in ways I could comprehend.

Some merged with the soldiers beside them and died.

(It was a sight that could only be described as “becoming one.” How perfectly healthy people could fuse together like partially melted ice, resembling a poorly made chimera by a mediocre mage, was beyond my understanding.)

Some turned into foam-like beings, flailing until they burst in the sunlight, leaving no corpse to find.

Some were captured alive by monsters, their organs ripped out one by one.

Their hearts, livers, intestines, eyes, even brains were extracted, yet they didn’t die, helplessly watching the monsters dissect and study their bodies.

When the monsters lost interest and discarded them, they, seemingly insane, gathered their scattered organs before being crushed by another monster.

Some turned red, their skin hardening and emitting a sweet smell, only to die the next day.

They each acted with malice, curiosity, or simply by existing, leading countless people to their deaths.

Frankly, even if just one of them crossed the dimensional barrier, the empire would have fallen.

Moreover, beyond that barrier, countless such monsters surged in, and even as I write this, more continue to enter.

By now, those monsters have spread across the continent, turning the empire into a living hell.

This is the empire’s sin and its punishment.

If, in the distant future, humanity hasn’t perished and discovers this journal, I beg you to remember.

May you never commit the same sins as we did.

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Seiri, who had already read the journal countless times, confirmed it once more. However, the content, which she had read repeatedly during the decoding process, hadn’t changed.

“…W-what should I do? I definitely wanted to uncover the secrets of the ancient empire, but not secrets of this magnitude…”

Her passion for archaeology was simply because she loved it.

She had no desire for wealth, glory, or fame.

Imagining the ancient empire’s appearance by piecing together its hidden stories was enough for her.

But the journal she restored contained content that, if revealed, could turn the world upside down.

Especially the early part, which described how the ancient empire once sought to destroy this world…

But the middle and later sections were equally shocking, filled with secrets that would astound humanity.

Such truths were too heavy for her, a mere ordinary citizen who simply loved archaeology.

“Ugh… If this information leaks out…”

But the knowledge was already in her hands…

After much hesitation, Seiri could only come to one conclusion.

“I-I need to consult someone…”

But she couldn’t consult just anyone.

It was too obvious that spreading this truth would cause immense chaos.

Someone trustworthy.

Or someone who already knew something about this knowledge…

Then, the images of the two adventurers who had entered the ruins with her came to mind.

“R-right. They’ve already seen the first page of the journal, so I can confide in them…”

Not only that.

The artifacts they had taken from the ruins…

According to the journal, one of them held another secret…

“What am I thinking…!?”

Already overwhelmed by the knowledge she had gained, seeking counsel while craving more secrets was just too much.

“Curiosity killed the cat, they say… but I’m a beastkin…”

Yet, Seiri couldn’t help but think, ‘If things go well, uncovering the artifact’s hidden secret might not be so bad…’ and hesitated for a while longer.

Struggling alone in her hidden workshop, she finally reached a conclusion.

She had to meet the two adventurers, whether to consult them or investigate their artifacts further.

“Anyway, meeting Kurt and Arisa comes first…!”

With that, Seiri tucked the decoded journal under her arm and left her secret workshop.

The fate related to the world’s danger, as Lakia had foreseen, had begun to move.

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