286. The Key to the Nine Thousand Miles (2)
It was a lavish feast. A precious meal made with the unique ingredients from around the world, sparing no expense, typical of the sea-dwelling races. One could understand why she had been dissatisfied with the meals in human cities.
However, it was hard to consider this a dignified royal meal. Large plates were piled with food, and everyone had to scoop a bit to eat, and even then, the table was too wide.
“Ah, Gwen! Pass me that ceviche. The one with lots of sea urchin roe.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
Leia and the ministers seemed quite accustomed to this scene. Fernandez wasn’t one to insist on formal dining etiquette either, but the sight of attendants and ministers freely coming and going, sharing food, was extremely foreign.
“Impressive.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“I’m surprised your reign is more splendid than I thought.”
“How low did you think of me, you rascal.”
Leia chuckled and wiped her mouth with a napkin. She poured herself some honey-colored wine into an empty glass and handed it to Fernandez.
“Can’t have a good day and good food without a drink.”
“May your reign last forever.”
“Forever? That’s creepy… Let’s just wish for happiness.”
-Clink!
They clinked glasses and drank without hesitation. After downing the glass in one go, Leia frowned and sighed. In her actions, there was no trace of the high-handed and delicate etiquette of the elves, once called the nobles of the sea.
This feels more like a pirate fleet captain. Fernandez chuckled and sipped his strong whiskey. Leia, munching on a salad topped with coconut cream, spoke up.
“So, what favor do you want from us? It’s a shame to just have a meal and send you off, so tell me now.”
“Hmm…”
Fernandez looked around at the elven nobles laughing and chatting noisily, enjoying the feast. Sensing his gaze, Leia smirked.
“Why, isn’t it nice like a port tavern? Secrets are more valuable when shared in a lively place.”
“It’s not exactly a secret. Well, we’re not exactly formal with each other… Queen Leia. Do you know anything about a relic called the Crow Crown?”
“Crow Crown? Hmm… Interesting, suddenly asking about a relic.”
Leia put down her utensils and pondered. After shaking her head for a while, she finally spoke.
“At least it’s not in my treasure vault. Do you have any information about its origin or anything?”
“It’s said to be a relic used by Charles the Great, the founder of the Leviathan Empire.”
“Hmm. A relic from the Celestial War era.”
Leia poked at her ravioli with a fork, tilting her head in thought.
“There are only five relics from the Celestial War era in the royal treasure vault. The Tear of Twilight, the White Mane Spear, Guimerin’s Great Sea Blade…”
“Wait, wait. Is it okay to tell an outsider this?”
“Huh? What? Are you planning to raid my treasure vault?”
“Not that.”
“Then are you going to leak the list of my treasure vault?”
“Not that either…”
“Well, who cares if anyone knows? Who outside the Guimerin Royal Family could even access the treasure vault?”
After a moment of thought, Fernandez shook his head and laughed. She was right. Who in the sea would dare infiltrate the deepest part of an elven capital ship, break the seal of the treasure vault, and steal a relic? Impossible for anyone but an elf, and elves have no reason to do so.
“Maybe it’s misclassified as not from the Celestial War era. Do you know what it looks like?”
“No.”
“Then do you know its abilities or effects?”
“Don’t know that either.”
“So, you’re saying we have to find a thousand-year-old relic with just an uncertain name and origin?”
“There’s one thing I’m sure of.”
Fernandez stroked his glass, deep in thought. He rolled the words around in his mouth, trying to express that it was a relic that didn’t exist in his past life without directly mentioning it.
“At least, no one in civilized society knows about this relic.”
“…What?”
“Meaning no one on the mainland knows. What it is, what it does, where it is. Nothing.”
“So you came to me. Right, if what you say is true, it’s highly likely to be in the hands of the elves.”
“Or… sealed in some nameless tomb in the remote mountains.”
“Let’s exclude that. No need to consider the worst-case scenario.”
Leia shook her head. How to find it? At least, the man before her wasn’t one to waste time and effort on meaningless tasks. They had to assume the relic existed somewhere in this world.
“The reason for finding it…? No, judging by your expression, you won’t answer if I ask. Then, is there a desired effect?”
“…Desired effect?”
“At least, to narrow down the search by finding something similar. What do you expect from this relic?”
It was an approach he had never considered. In fact, it was a completely different perspective from his own, which had been fixated on the clues themselves. It was a flexible deduction made possible by the lack of information.
And it was surprisingly rational. Fernandez’s eyes widened for a moment, then he closed them and began to ponder.
If one relic was needed to prevent the end of the world, what would it be? What would be necessary? What could completely eradicate the threat of the Great Demon and save the world?
When his thoughts reached that point, Faijashi and Fernandez almost simultaneously whispered in their hearts.
‘Severance.’
-Dimensional Glass.
‘Is it possible?’
-I don’t know of any relic like that. But… if we imagine the one relic that could break through the current situation, it would be something like that.
Even if it wasn’t the Crow Crown, it was fine. If such a relic existed and could function properly even once, that would be enough. Perhaps this was a self-fulfilling deduction. The process of searching for the Crow Crown itself leading to an inductive conclusion.
“I hope it’s a relic that can seal off the world.”
“Seal off the world…? Like your Temple of the Gods?”
“Yes. To block communication, relationships, and if possible, existence itself from the outside.”
“I see. The Church wants to completely sever the connection with Hell?”
“It’s not the Church’s wish.”
Fernandez opened his eyes and looked straight at Leia. For a very brief moment, Leia felt like she couldn’t breathe under that gaze.
It was the gaze of a man who had tasted despair, lost everything, yet would never give up. In a vision where the stench of war and slaughter seemed to pierce her nose, Leia was mesmerized by Fernandez’s deep blue eyes.
“It’s my wish, Queen Leia.”
“Let’s find it.”
Almost unconsciously, she reached out to touch Fernandez’s scar.
Carefully placed on the covered fist.
“I’ll help you. If there’s something like that, let’s find it together.”
* * *
The royal treasure vault was a space within the flagship that boasted a level of security almost equal to that of the Serpent Queen’s chambers. Among those who did not carry royal blood, those who had direct access to the royal treasure vault were extremely rare, and among humans, Fernandez was the first.
Mentioning this fact, Leia strode forward.
“So, do you understand how glorious this is?”
“I am grateful for your kindness.”
“Haha, what! If it weren’t for you, there wouldn’t have been a treasure vault in the first place!”
When Guimerin’s flagship sank, most of the royal treasury of the Guimerin royal family disappeared into the depths of Infermur. Although elven divers salvaged as many relics and treasures as possible, it was not enough to sustain an entire nation.
Fortunately, Leia still had the Golden Fleet intact. This strongest privateering fleet in the North Sea, which remained largely unscathed even during the war with Franzrit, could guarantee sufficient income for her people.
And after seizing Malerun’s flagship. At this very moment, her wealth is so abundant that it could rival the treasuries of any royal family in the material world.
“By the way, what do you think about the dowry?”
“…Are you talking about the wedding dowry?”
“Was there any other meaning?”
“I’d rather not mention it.”
“Someone who’s already been engaged, why keep avoiding it?”
Now, without the dragon and without that cat, just the two of them. Leia had to secure more points than others. She stood before the seal of the treasure vault, gazing at the intricately carved spells, and said.
“Are you ready?”
“Of course.”
“What are you ready for?”
“I’ll ask first, what are you trying to say?”
“This is a place where those without royal blood cannot enter, and the importance of the treasure vault is treated at the same level as the queen’s chambers… In other words, it means this. Those who can access the treasure vault can also enter the queen’s chambers.”
Leia glanced at Fernandez with a sly smile. Fernandez silently shook his head nervously.
Soon, he reached out and pointed his finger towards the seal hanging at the entrance of the treasure vault. It was an extremely delicate and surprisingly intricate magic, but since it was magic and could be deciphered, it didn’t require much effort to break.
-Whoosh!
A black halo burned, and in an instant, a beastman drew in the air. Click, click. With the sound of gears meshing, the seals began to peel off one by one.
The flagship he was standing on now, even during Malerun’s survival, was protected by numerous spells that could not be destroyed without the breath of a dragon. There was no way he, who had deciphered those spells, couldn’t solve the riddle of the treasure vault’s seal.
“Don’t think it’s too rude. Time is short.”
“Anyway, your twisted personality is the biggest problem. Fine. Let’s go in.”
Creak, the massive gate slid aside, and dust fell. Since there had been no financial crisis severe enough to drain the royal treasure vault, the vault remained almost untouched, in its original state.
* * *
“Not this one. Not this one either…….”
“At least among what’s in sight now, there’s nothing even similar.”
“Wait. We haven’t even seen half yet?”
Leia and Fernandez laid out artifacts imbued with magical energy among the piles of gold, relics, and artworks, comparing them one by one with the list. Every time the magical lights flickered, the mountains of gold shimmered brilliantly.
“Anyway, Malerun… He must have felt quite a sting leaving all these behind.”
Leia giggled and tossed a relic onto the pile of gold. That wasn’t it either. The Crow Crown. Or relics from the Celestial War era. Or at least a top-tier relic capable of sealing worlds, dimensions, or even a certain range. There was none.
“There are hardly any relics from the Celestial War era? How can this be? Malerun has been king since that era.”
“A thousand years is a long time.”
“No. I hadn’t thought of it until you mentioned it. I wasn’t very interested in the treasure vault itself… But it’s strange. Shouldn’t relics from the Celestial War era, no matter how trivial, be preserved with great effort?”
It’s impossible to know exactly how many relics were stored in the Guimerin royal treasure vault. But during the Celestial War era, the elves were one of the strongest civilizations on the continent, enjoying the golden age of their entire race.
Even in an era when demons and gods roamed the material world, dragons flew the skies, and dwarves built kingdoms underground, they could exert powerful influence across the continent. Something unimaginable for the current declining elven royal family.
If relics or magical artifacts from that era remained, they should be at least twice as powerful as those manufactured today. Beyond simple arithmetic, magic is a discipline dealing with mysteries, and mysteries grow stronger as history accumulates.
It’s not for nothing that mages explore ruins and dungeons to study ancient magics. While modern advanced magic is highly practical, it cannot compare to ancient magic that could overturn mountains and split seas.
“Only five relics remain from the Celestial War era. And only two retain their ancient power…….”
Guimerin’s Ocean Chart. And the White Mane Spear. Apart from these two relics, the others were mere shells. Fernandez and Leia sat down in the middle of the treasure vault, deep in thought.
“I think we need to seek advice.”
“…Advice?”
“There’s one more guy who’s been alive since the Celestial War era.”
“Jerolen…….”
“Right. The remaining one of the Elven Triarchy. He might know something, right? About why the relics from that era disappeared.”
The ancient Jerolen. The Elven Serpent King active around the western sea of the continent, Kirzat, and its surrounding waters. His knowledge was needed.
But Fernandez lifted an empty relic and said.
“Wasn’t this also a relic from the Celestial War era?”
“Right. The Tear of Twilight. It looks like a compass, but I don’t know its efficacy beyond the name.”
It was a golden and emerald disc adorned with lavish decorations. Fernandez held it in his hand and gazed at it for a moment.
“The circuit board is burnt. It’s severely damaged.”
“…What?”
“Even for me, the traces of the circuit board are too complex and intricate to identify its nature at this point. It must have been one of the top-tier relics in its prime. It might have been a divine creation.”
“Does that mean it was poorly preserved?”
“No. Malerun was the Mage King, the Thousand-Spired Tower. There’s no way he would have let such a relic deteriorate over time. The preservation spells on this treasure vault are nearly perfect.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“It’s not due to time. These are traces, Leia.”
Fernandez’s eyes sparkled. Leia looked at him, entranced, and swallowed. Again. He’s making that face again. The unyielding, willful eyes.
“Traces of magical severance. Due to some powerful entity… object… or event. There must have been an external force strong enough to sever the magic. Such a delicate circuit board couldn’t withstand such pressure.”
Research is needed. Why were Guimerin’s Ocean Chart and the White Mane Spear intact? Why were other relics lost or destroyed? With two control groups, it’s perfect. Fernandez, as a magic scholar, smiled faintly with boiling emotions.
Finding Leia was the right choice. At least in terms of securing a clue.
![[TS] Obsessed Gamer: The Ultimate Return](https://i3.wp.com/novelhitam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/TS-Obsessed-Gamer-The-Ultimate-Return2.png?resize=85,105 "[TS] Obsessed Gamer: The Ultimate Return")
