Chapter 47 They Committed Themselves to the Night, Shining Like Stars
The canopy of trees obscured the sky, and the dark forest where sunlight could not penetrate was now left behind.
With a roaring sound, the Silver Gear train raced along the tracks across the endless wilderness, under a blue sky.
Rast recalled the promise he made in Canaan—
At that time, he had promised Emis that he would see the magnificent plains where the wind blew the grass low and revealed cattle and sheep in the new world.
And now, Rast had seen the golden fields with his own eyes.
The high-speed train rushed by, the swift wind pressing down on the grassland beside the tracks… where there were indeed cattle and sheep grazing contentedly, their figures appearing and disappearing among the bent grass blades.
If Rast were not crossing into a brand new world but playing a fantasy game called “Snow Moon Emblem,” this moment would be just like when the theme song started playing and the opening animation began.
The carriage fell into a brief silence.
Neither the person nor the beast spoke, only silently gazing at the golden plains outside the window.
“It’s a beautiful sight, isn’t it?”
“This is Young Tina, and the countless Night Travelers of Starry University, who will go to any lengths, even risking their lives, to eradicate the past calamities in the Night World.”
Mr. Silver had somehow perched on Rast’s shoulder, gazing into the distance with his ruby-like eyes.
“So, please do not harbor any resentment due to the academy’s nearly harsh verification and probing of you.”
“Although these processes are indeed a bit cumbersome, even to the point of being inhumane, it ultimately stems from our inability to afford to gamble or to lose.”
“There’s only a passage between the Night World and the present world, between the twilight calamity that destroyed the old civilization and this beautiful world before us… even the slightest mistake would have consequences we cannot bear.”
“I don’t know where you come from.”
“But this scenery before your eyes is our whole world…”
Mr. Ferret’s words dissipated in the wilderness with the wind.
…
An hour later, the Silver Gear train stopped at the end of the tracks.
Rast stepped out of the carriage.
At the same time, Isda had finally completed her two-hour confinement, released by Mr. Silver from the “exile space” in her mouth, and was now staring resentfully at Mr. Silver.
Mr. Silver remained calm, completely ignoring Isda’s resentful little gaze, maintaining his lazy and elegant demeanor, occasionally enjoying a piece of dried fish.
Behind the platform was a long staircase paved with red cobblestones, leading directly to a cluster of buildings on the mountaintop.
Pat—
Pat—
The two and the beast ascended the steps covered in fallen maple leaves.
Until they reached the last step, revealing a broad square ahead.
Behind the square was a castle-like academy building, with white doves fluttering on the spires of the church.
In the center of the square stood a massive black obelisk, towering and majestic, reaching into the clouds.
On the obelisk were inscribed ancient words written in a light golden ink—
【Stars Change, Wisdom Endures】
Rast walked beside the obelisk, looking up at its grandeur.
Although he didn’t recognize the language carved on the surface of the monument, somehow, as Rast stared at the line of light golden characters, he could understand their meaning.
“These words are written in the Aran Language. Although the Night World provides the most basic language support to travelers amidst the echoes of history, ensuring communication is not hindered by language barriers.”
“However, the echoes of history in the Night World also retain ancient texts and documents from that era, which are extremely valuable secret intelligence for studying the lost histories before the ‘Pale Era.’”
“Therefore, Aran Language, Ancient Elvish, Ancient Giant Language… these ancient languages widely used within the echoes of the Night World will be mandatory courses for you after you enroll.”
Mr. Silver had somehow climbed onto Isda’s head, looking at Rast, who was gazing at the obelisk.
“However, you don’t need to read the motto inscribed on the obelisk.”
“That was an embellishment used by the principal to fool outsiders and onlookers.”
“Due to the confidentiality clauses of the Night World, most outsiders regard Starry University as a prestigious institution with a long history and a rich academic atmosphere.”
“And within such a prestigious school, it is assumed there must be a group of graceful scholars pursuing knowledge and truth, just like the motto ‘Stars Change, Wisdom Endures’…”
“They could never guess that inside, it is actually a group of fanatics and violent individuals whose futures are uncertain.”
A glimmer of mockery flashed in Mr. Ferret’s eyes.
He tapped Isda below with his furry tail.
“Isda, let our new classmate witness the true meaning of this obelisk.”
“Understood.”
Isda retracted her previously playful resentful gaze, nodded solemnly, and a small, exquisite emblem appeared in her palm.
Then, Isda grasped the emblem and placed her hand upon the magnificent obelisk.
In the next moment, sparkling starlight began to flicker simultaneously on the emblem and the black stone monument.
It was noon, yet centered around the obelisk, a phantom sky suddenly appeared, obscuring the originally clear blue sky.
Stars leaped from the obelisk, reflected on the dark dome above.
The sky, the earth, the mountains, the plains… all around were filled with that bright and dreamy starlight, as if the true night sky had descended, with stars shining like a sea.
Rast’s gaze swept across the stars beside him, then paused slightly on one of them.
【Ingrid】
【Academy Codename: “Shadow Iron”】
【Sequence: Justice】
【Seated second in the 873rd “Round Table,” graduated from Starry University Lionheart College six years ago.】
【Currently serves as the Director of the Supervisory Bureau in the Ministry of Homeland Order of Granville.】
…
Whenever Rast’s gaze passed over a star, a complex stream of information washed into his brain alongside the gentle starlight.
“Did you see that?”
Mr. Silver’s voice rang in his ears.
“Each star imprinted on the obelisk is the name of a Night Traveler.”
“The name of a Night Traveler…”
Rast thought for a moment: “Since this Senior Ingrid was the second seat of the 873rd Round Table six years ago, what about the other eleven seats from her graduating class?”
His gaze scanned the surrounding stars until he traversed the previous two sessions, only finding six streams of corresponding information, five less than the “Twelve Seats of the Round Table” he had previously heard from Isda.
“Because they are no longer in this world.”
Mr. Silver’s tone was devoid of the previous laziness: “Three seats died before graduation, and two seats died after.”
“Most of them vanished in the Night World and never returned… and one died in a riot orchestrated by a secret organization in the present world.”
“Their positions are there.”
Mr. Silver pointed to the area above the obelisk, beyond the dark canopy.
Below the canopy, stars floated in the air, like dreamy meteors, blazing and dazzling, extremely resplendent.
And above the canopy, the stars in the depths of the star sea appeared faint and unreachable.
They slowly flickered with the movement of the night sky, resembling a true sea of stars.
“Each star in that vast starry expanse is a tombstone for a departed traveler.”
“One by one, travelers perished amidst the echoes of the old, transformed into sources and seeds of light that watch this land from afar, their names and identities unknown.”
“They committed themselves to the night, yet shone like stars.”
“This is—”
“The origin of ‘Stars.’”
(End of Chapter)