September 23, 1616 Central Calendar
Roguerider Foundation's Special Fabrication Plant Cauldron Laguz, San Redentore District, Runepolis
In a control room with thick glass panes overseeing the main circular chamber, Meteos Roguerider could be seen fiddling with a portion of the control panel customized for his use—visually sophisticated, but it was an anticlimactically simple projection table with a console not unlike the ones now commonly sold by the Foundation's home appliance manufacturing subsidiary.
Surrounding him were the staff members and Legiel, the older brother working in that subsidiary's R&D activities, all observing the transmutation and product fabrication session that was taking place.
One of the staff members, unable to contain himself at what he perceived to be a very futuristic scene, murmured, "It's like watching an artist at work. The way Young Master manipulates the elements as if it's nothing..."
"Well, it's not called state-of-the-art for nothing," Legiel amusedly commented. "At any rate, this performance... now this is what magick is for, using your birthright to uplift civilization and make life more convenient."
"Just as the Founding Fathers intended," the staff nodded vigorously in admiration.
"I am so glad you understand."
"—Hey, for heavens' sake, cut the chatter!"
Just then, Meteos' voice barked, prematurely shattering their blooming conversation.
"So cranky..."
"......I'm trying to concentrate here."
That particularly noisy staff flinched in embarrassment and quietly obeyed, but Legiel leaned away and laughed to himself, continuing to gaze past the windows into the central platform where loads of unpurified magic stones, mostly imported from the small countries of the periphery like Altaras and Meerky, were being fed by the Mages manning the hoppers into the central platform as raw materials in droves.
While the projection of a certain device's 3D blueprint imagined by Meteos was being shown on the projection table, its component gradually materialized on the brightly glowing central platform and telekinetically assembled into place with a satisfying spectacle. An envelope of rectangular casing with a black and white metallic sheen completed the assembly at the end of the process.
As the process completed, the light show on the central platform dimmed until it flickered off and the finished device was slowly lowered to settle on the pedestal. Meteos exhaled and pushed himself away from the control panel. Standing up, he stretched his arms high above his head and let out a long yawn before turning to the spectators.
"Alright, there. The process is complete."
"Wow........."
Legiel beamed. "Well done, Fifth Brother! This will be the fourth device for today... Standby crew, would you please retrieve that PlayStation and bring it here?"
At those words, Meteos shot him a flat stare. "...You just can't help yourself, can you?"
"Why, yes. Given its purpose to play those ancient data caches the Order found lying around across the country, it's a station... for playing! Hence—"
"......I've heard enough. I can see where you're going from there," Meteos swatted away his brother's fanciful talk with a dismissive wave of his hand. Not that he's opposed if the conglomerate tries to pioneer a modern video game industry in Ars Goetia, but it was so late that when he checked the clock, the date had already changed.
Meteos loudly sighed. "Right. If that's all, I'm turning in. Wake me up at four sharp, or if Princess Lugiel shows up asking for the package."
"Thank you, Young Master, for your hard work! You've outdone yourself again."
"Hm. Well then. Brother Legiel... I'll leave the rest to you."
"Sure thing. Have a good night, Fifth Brother!"
With that, he shouldered past the throng of the other staff members in the control room and made his way towards the guest quarters within the facility, hoping to steal a few hours of rest before the next challenge arose. After Meteos disappeared through the doorway, Legiel and those in the control room then began to converse among themselves.
The white-haired young man turned to the others with a smile, lightly tapping the now-vacant custom control panel's seat.
"Sooo... how about we share a few thoughts?"
"It's incredible, isn't it?" one of the staff members chimed in without hesitation. "Within just a few months, this whole facility transforms into a vastly different place."
"Mm-hmm, mostly thanks to the Fifth Brother's little trick, yes," Legiel nodded. "By the way, does anyone feel offended by this whole thing?"
That random question threw the staff off guard, leaving them unsure to answer. Naturally, no one understood Legiel's own inside joke.
While everyone went into an awkward silence, Legiel put his hand on his chin and continued, "The Ancient Sorcerous Empire isn't going to wait around for us to catch up, anyway. We need to be absolutely prepared, and that means pushing the boundaries of what we thought possible. Suspending your sense of disbelief, even. Hah! Agree or agree?"
The first run for the Roguerider Foundation's Special Fabrication Plant of San Redentore, "Cauldron Laguz," occurred back in late July, meaning it was only around two months ago. However, the Cauldron is no longer the somewhat bare facility it once was. The main culprit for this... infuriatingly convenient development was none other than Meteos and his liberal use of Overhaul where he often came here to transmute raw materials into devices and expedite the refits whenever he had the time to spare.
Not that he cared about what you accused him of. Heh.
Now, first I'm going to tell you what those upgrades entail. A variety of G4 Manadrivers installed with only a fixed set of spells—also known as 'dumb' devices, designed to channel that one function at full capacity with minimal control, unlike 'dynamic' Manadrivers which require either a sophisticated computer or outright sapient brain to operate—had been integrated to the facility's functions, significantly enhancing the plant's capabilities and safety and bringing it one step closer to the Cauldron's intended specification of being a fully automated production plant.
Within the Foundation, this is an experimental version of an ambitious project officially called the "Advanced Automated Multipurpose Plant" (XAM, with 'X' for 'Advanced' for some reason). The intention is to develop the principles of the Overhaul magic spell into achieving the ability to construct special factories capable of producing every design ever imagined as long as there are raw materials, with minimal human intervention. And since it's a practical application of transmutation magic technology, one doesn't even have to be picky with the raw materials. Overall, it's like 3D-printing shit out of thin air! Well, not really 'out of thin air' as in the idiom, since you still can't produce something from nothing, but I digress.
Amidst the conversation, the door to the control room slid open, revealing a crewman cautiously carrying the device created by Meteos from earlier. The black and white sheen of the futuristic casing gleamed under the bright lights, momentarily drawing everyone's attention.
"Oh, there it is," Legiel remarked. "Just set it down there, please."
The crew shuffled forward and was about to place it on the table near the custom control panel when he realized something.
"—Young Master, what orientation is this device is supposed to be placed?"
"Horizontal, vertical, upside down, doesn't matter. Just don't break it," Legiel nonchalantly replied.
Given permission, the crew ended up choosing to stand the device upright, and the device sat confidently on the table, completing the ensemble with three other new devices made by Meteos during the previous runs.
"Now behold! ......A PlayStation."
"Are we seriously going to call this device that?"
"Why not? What's your point?"
"Uh..."
"Come on, don't be shy."
That particular staff member glanced around at his colleagues, receiving uncertain shrugs before he finally met Legiel's gaze with a hint of resignation.
"......Um, well, it's still a bit hard to get used to. Those things literally just materialized from magic rocks, that I don't think anyone else even thinks it's possible, and we're calling them as if they are toys. Feels a bit undignified for such advanced devices."
What are you, a tech worshipper? Legiel thought as he waved him off with a slight roll of his eyes.
"Oh. Think of them as interim codenames for now. Something catchy to keep things interesting. Besides," he gestured towards the doorway Meteos disappeared through, "even the Fifth Brother seems more interested in catching some shut-eye than celebrating his creations. It's not an insult."
"Young Master Legiel, do you really believe that the spell Young Master Meteos developed will allow us to leap forward not years, or decades, but centuries?"
"Yeah, isn't it exciting to think about? Don't you see? We can quite literally create anything man can imagine, as long as we have the raw materials. And since the Foundation has a monopoly on this technology, we'll be the envy of every nation in the known world, perhaps even beyond."
Legiel could say that with so much confidence for obvious reasons, and supported by the data in the field. It's just that the data is not yet known by the Holy Empire's society at large.
"Then, Young Master, with this kind of power... do you think we are ready for the Ancient Sorcerous Empire's return?"
"Do you know that we are, in a sense, already surpassed the nation of their direct descendants?"
Legiel raised his hand with his thumb and index finger in very close proximity.
"—That's right. The Holy Empire is this close to becoming the true strongest country on this planet, so you guys should really feel good about yourselves."
The white-haired young man continued.
"But well, before the Holy Empire could truly stand on top of the entire world, the undertaking lies in scaling up production. The Ancient Sorcerous Empire won the war against the entire world alone because their powerful military, whether light-winged, artificial monsters, or drones, is also ridiculously numerous! On the other hand, no one but us in this world could be relied on as useful allies in the upcoming fight. We must first integrate the XAM technology into every production line and every shipyard in this country, turning them into Cauldrons that if necessary, can mass-produce more ships than there are water and planes so many it can blot out the sun! By ourselves!"
However, after his bold remark, Legiel's expression turned serious. A shadow crossed his face. "We can't rely on the Fifth Brother's ability forever, though," he admitted. "The magic spell which forms the basis of this Cauldron is powerful, but a very taxing one. We already got immediate requests from Albion... but as you know the Fifth Brother is also in demand everywhere. We can't have him burning himself out, can't we?"
The staff members nodded as murmurs of agreement spread through the control room. In a system overly reliant on Meteos' own Overhaul, if he falls, the entire structure crumbles. They clearly understood the point. If not, appealing to their pride as adults and self-respecting Milishian people is once again an effective method.
"Which is why, for you dear White Lotus members who volunteered to come to this midnight session, I'm making an announcement this early morning on the President and Amon's behalf. As the XAM Project will definitely expand in the future, we will require people who will help develop and operate those Cauldrons. Anyone interested in becoming a part of the future of manufacturing is welcome to apply for the position, we will train you until you master the skill."
Someone hesitantly piped up. "Does that mean the operators have to design everything from scratch? Just like Young Master Meteos with his projects?"
They had witnessed that despite the apparent complexity of a task, Meteos' magical performance was remarkable. His All for One ability made the painstaking process of visualizing and shaping the object effortless. Unlike what's normal in the process, which involved creating only one part per process, Meteos' mastery of Overhaul had reached a point where he could envisage the final product in its entirety and guide the Cauldron to go straight fabricating all the parts simultaneously to produce a desired object without the need of a follow-up manual assembly process, limited only by the facility's size.
That was how Meteos helped in upgrading the Cauldron Laguz's level so hard it became sophisticated enough to aid him in more comfortably using Overhaul and fabricating whatever he wanted in the time span of months. Naturally, this feat intimidated anyone who dared to make a comparison.
Legiel chuckled, "If you feel like taking up the challenge? Then, go ahead. But not really. Another important component of the XAM Project is the library of recorded schematics. For mass production purposes, you know? You'll mostly expected to manage those and operate the control panel."
"...Like mixing and matching things?"
"You there, I like the way you're thinking," Legiel's grin widened slightly at the one who just said that. "But as for me, I sincerely wish that you get to try. Use your imagination, my fellow colleagues! When it comes down to it, the imagination of a single person can potentially save two hundred and fifty million lives at least!"
Seeing the staff members nodding at his words, Legiel held up his hand. "I think that's all from me... You've all had a long day. Anyone who wants to head home and start their vacation, feel free to do so."
A few of the staff members mumbled their thanks and excused themselves, shuffling out of the control room. Some others, however, lingered. They remembered Legiel mentioning he had something else planned for this ungodly hour and his speech earlier had piqued their excitement and curiosity.
"So, for those who remain, are we all set for a little demonstration?"
A chorus of eager affirmations was the answer. With a slanted grin, Legiel turned his head towards one of the staff members. "How are we looking at raw materials?"
"We've still got a good stockpile, Young Master. Enough for several more productions, at least."
"Excellent. Then please prepare the hoppers. I believe it's time I gave this Cauldron a spin myself," the white-haired young man declared as he settled himself comfortably in the custom control panel's seat. As he started interacting with it, the central platform began to hum with energy once more.
"Oh, right. Little Brother forgot to create the cables and adapter. How he's going to show off his invention to everyone then?" he chuckled.
When Legiel Roguerider was done with his midnight activity, it was already nearing sunrise. In his wake was a request for a truckload of wooden crates and an exasperated Meteos throughout the trip back to their residence. Not because Legiel nearly expended the unpurified magic stone stockpile, however.
----------------------------------------
September 24, 1616 Central Calendar; Morning
The moment the small container truck they were riding home was guided to a halt in front of their residence's garage, Meteos disembarked following Legiel. Looking around and noticing the sunlight filtered by the grove's trees, it was already late in the morning, just shortly before lunchtime.
"Welcome back, Young Masters. Is everything alright over there?" Rachel, the family's senior maid who brought a small entourage of household staff to welcome the young masters, greeted them with her usual smile.
Giving Legiel a sidelong glance as he went to direct the staff to help him unload a bunch of unmarked wooden crates into the garage, Meteos replied with an even tone, "Everything went well at the Cauldron. The equipment we're making is ready."
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
That delighted the older woman. "I see, then everything went as planned. That's wonderful news."
"Yeah. Now we wait until Her Highness comes and then this particular task is done."
"Very true... But speaking of which, Young Master."
"Hm?"
"...What's the matter with that long face?" Rachel wondered with a small gasp, though her smile never left her face.
"........."
"Oh dearie. Do you wish me to file a request to renovate the guest room over there for you?"
Her tone, that look in her eyes, the shape of that smile, and that exact angle of Rachel tilting her head—subtle, but Meteos knew, it was Magister Enepsigos' persona manifesting. And that means exactly one thing.
This woman is really one of the current leading members of an ancient cabal behind the Holy Empire's history! Well, yes, but that's old news now that we're at this point. That one thing is not that. —Someone is teasing Meteos again!
"Miss Giles, it's still morning. I've already had enough of his antics," Meteos grunted, gesturing with his chin in the direction of Legiel and his wooden crates. Whether he liked it or not, the fact remained that out of his older siblings, only Legiel was conveniently the least busy with his work allowing him to trouble Meteos by merely showing up in his vicinity often.
Out of Meteos' sight and blissfully unaware of the real grievances between the two, Rachel stifled a giggle. It was so adorable when the Rogueriders' fifth son got grumpy. It was an increasingly rare sight now that he got older and became more mature, but oh so precious.
Now, back to being a dutiful housemaid.
"Of course, Young Master," the blue-haired woman conceded. "...By the way, what exactly is in those crates? Surely the equipment you needed for now isn't that many?"
"Those are just Legiel's side quests that he made when experimenting with the Cauldron's controls."
Humming at the answer, Rachel then pondered aloud. "If circumstances permit, I wouldn't mind trying my hand at using the Cauldron myself."
Meteos glanced at the woman and replied without hesitation. "I don't see why not. Magister Sorath has voiced her own request as well. Had it not for the movements far to the south forcing me to focus on devising countermeasures against them first... I would gladly establish more Cauldrons myself."
Rachel nodded, though a hint of concern now crossed her features.
"I know, right? It's times like these that knowing things that the others don't feels particularly heavy. The others bask in an era of peace, unaware of the enemy until it's too late," she sighed.
At those words, Meteos' gaze turned to stare into space as his thought drifted into a silent pondering. It is true that it's both a gift and a curse, for in much wisdom comes much sorrow, and as knowledge grows, grief increases. Still, it was miles better than being ignorant. More than Meteos' selfish desire for a certain world, the even more selfish desire to live and thrive comes at the forefront.
The reincarnator let out a long exhale. If he desires a more efficient operation, eventually he would have to reveal what he knows to the man who is concerned about this land more than anyone else. They shared the same aspirations, but the problem now is the "how" to safely do it without ironically dying at this man's hands. But if he manages, the one voice with authority who can command the entire Middle Lands to move will be on his side.
"Honestly, I find it funny that the Emorians calling him a Second Coming of Ravernal isn't really that far off of an assumption. If not for his power, then..." Meteos muttered under his breath, chuckling bitterly to himself.
"Young Master," Rachel called out again. "Are these... side quests of your brother not derailing the main plan too much? They seem to require a significant amount of materials."
Meteos deadpanned. "They might not seem like it at first, but I guess they have their own uses."
"Really?"
Seeing him nod, albeit with a strained look on his face, Rachel sighed. "Well, if you say so..."
Amidst their talk, Legiel eventually emerged from the garage with a grin plastered across his face, thanking the departing staff for their assistance. As the last staff member disappeared around the corner, he visibly vibrated on the spot, looking at the stacked crates lining one side of the garage.
"Finally! All that's left is to unbox all these and arrange them nicely!"
Rachel eyed the crates with a mix of curiosity and amusement. Sensing her gaze, Legiel beamed and turned to her.
"So, Miss Giles, about these things... Well, you see, to put it simply, these are part of worldbuilding materials with a business prospect if I wanted to."
"...Worldbuilding?" the maid repeated.
Legiel nodded vigorously.
"Worldbuilding........."
His younger brother trailed off, very obviously did not share neither the enthusiasm nor the interest.
"Hey. I'm a content creator. This is what I do. Now, I would like to see how Fifth Brother's buddies will react when they see them. I think Walman in particular will be very thrilled. Right, it's time to summon the boys!"
"Show off."
Watching the banter between the two young men, Rachel giggled. "Well, it sounds like you both are going to spend some time waiting for Her Highness by indulging in such a hobby. Now, Young Masters, please excuse me, I need to return to my post."
"I'll be inside shortly," Meteos acknowledged.
…………
When Lugiel finally arrived at the Roguerider residence not long after lunchtime ended, the disguised Imperial Lady of the Third Rank did so by bringing along one of her personal guards to the office room used for the White Lotus' meetings. Go-Matoya-Zeda, the platinum blonde-haired member of the Uqbarese Gadra tribe tilted her head when Meteos came to greet and usher them in, dressed in an ordinary semi-formal outfit and especially devoid of his white mask.
Noticing her gaze on him, Meteos gave her a light shrug.
"Feel free to call me by my name if you want to. Not that it makes any difference, to be honest."
"...As you wish, then, Young Master Meteos."
In response, Matoya inclined her head at the generosity and followed Lugiel who seemed perfectly at ease with the informality into the office room. Once inside, she again offered the same gesture to greet the other members already waiting inside: Meteos Rogueriders' older siblings and a familiar blue-haired woman who smiled warmly as she saw Matoya.
"My, it's been a while since I've seen you," Rachel remarked. "You don't seem to have changed much."
"Same goes for you, Senior. Changing uniforms doesn't make you look any lesser."
"Oh, you flatter me, Matoya," Rachel shook her head in amusement at the other beastwoman.
While Meteos gave a side glance at the exchange between the two, Lugiel chuckled as she settled into an empty seat across from Meteos. As she did, her hair, previously red in color, began to shimmer before seamlessly transforming into its original blonde.
"Huh? Your Highness, you're not wearing a wig today?" Ashera exclaimed in a surprised tone.
The princess' lips curved into a sly smile. "I decided to forego the wig and go practicing a little illusion magic this time. How do you like it? Very practical, isn't it?" she replied, lightly brushing a lock of her bangs behind her ear.
"Hee......"
"Everyone, shall we settle down and proceed with the matter at hand?"
Meteos, prompted by his waning interest in the idle chatter, blurted out the order. His voice, though carrying the polite and considerate tone, held an underlying command that caused the room's atmosphere to shift immediately and the members' attention to snap to him. Blinking at the sight, Meteos took a steadying breath and spoke up again.
"Right. Thank you for taking the time to come all the way here, so let us begin. First of all, I would like to inform you that the prototype device we're talking about a while ago is completed."
The young man's eyes moved to look at the center of the table. Following his gaze, Lugiel and Matoya saw an unusual upright-standing device. To the two ladies, the first thing that came to mind was that it reminded them of a document folder, an oversized and slightly curved book-like object noticeably made of metal. Its sleek, futuristic look was highlighted by its flowing lines and the contrast between its white body and black accents. Its aesthetic bore no resemblance to Milishial magic technology, nordoes it evoke the Ancient Sorcerous Empire designs she'd had the privilege ofstudying... despite this device's intended function.
Lugiel leaned forward, "...Is this the one?"
"Indeed."
"—Your Highness, we call this a PlayStation 5," Legiel suddenly commented from the side, much to the two visitors' confusion and a groan from Meteos.
Ignoring the laughter erupting from Legiel, Ashera, and Rachel, Meteos snapped at his smug-looking older brother. They are NOT calling it that!
"Now, now, Fifth Brother, I told you it's a catchy name—"
"Legiel."
The Third Brother's chatter abruptly halted the moment Adonis' authoritative voice cut through his attempt to explain himself. With the eldest Roguerider's deadpan gaze settled on him, Legiel held his hands up in surrender.
"......As I was saying," Meteos continued. "The device you are seeing here is the prototype of the design created in response to the Ancient Ministry's requirement for a support device to complete the analysis of the Ancient Sorcerous Empire relics designated as 'Object 8 Series.' With the help of one of the Ancient Ministry's partners, the Roguerider Foundation, which provides the technology, I have come up with this reader device. I hope it will help advance the research for the sake of our people... or so the official story to be given to the public goes. I recited that correctly, right?"
Lugiel chuckled. "Yes, you are. Thank you very much for your efforts, Meteos. I apologize for the roundabout way we've had to go about this."
Meteos pondered.
"I suppose it couldn't be helped. As usual, we need to disseminate knowledge about technology carefully. At the same time, we have to provide a plausible reason for keeping certain aspects of our operations under wraps until the time is right, particularly the ability to see the future. His Majesty is not someone easily convinced by explanations, so we have to think of how we will present my case. Maybe it's better if I don't have to argue the nonsense about my ability to see the future," he chuckled bitterly.
Lugiel's face fell at those words. As an Imperial Family member, she understood better than anyone if Meteos recklessly sought allies—like approaching the Emperor without adequate preparation and failing—all they would get is the poor young man not coming back forever.
There will be a direct confrontation, as that jaded man, relying on his experiences, would try to kill him even on his own, which would be counterproductive to the whole endeavor of 'strengthening the Holy Empire' thing. To Milishial VIII, an unprepared Meteos' argument will sound no different from the ramblings of countless Ravernal cultists he had slain throughout the Warring Kingdoms Period. It didn't help that such cultists frequently claimed to use their ability to see the future to avert terrible fates, only to corrupt people into worshipping the Ancient Sorcerous Empire, or claimed to be time travelers from the future. Where did they all end up? As unrecognizable bloody mush dripping from the Emperor's fists. They wanted to see their masters so much, so he helped them sending them to meet their masters himself—to the afterlife.
For Meteos' part, fighting the Emperor to prove his worth is not a viable option. Even with the Desire Driver or even with Ace's help as the only one among the other Desire Driver's wielders willing to help, that old elf's might is still too overwhelming for a direct confrontation. The Four Horsemen had already given their verdict to refuse to provide help in any attempt to make such a shortcut, so he had to earn the Emperor's trust through other means.
Glancing at Lugiel, her charge, Matoya sighed. 'Her Highness is living true to her Great Ancestor' creed...'
My country, right or wrong; if right, to be kept right; and if wrong, to be set right. Such was the creed of Astra of the Triumphant Star, the Second Milishial Emperor and the first man to set out and unify the Middle Lands. Having battled and suffered from so many worshippers of Ravernal, it was understandable that the Emperor would be suspicious, but this time... it's not a scam.
Listening to the two's talk, Matoya's conflicted expression softened a bit at the end, with her weighing her loyalty to His Majesty as one of his proud Imperial Guards against the trust she placed in her companions for the greater good of not only the Middle Lands but also all of mankind.
Sensing the shift in the room's mood, Adonis cleared his throat and steered the conversation back on track.
"Your Highness, I suppose you managed to bring along some Object 8s for testing?"
"Oh, right. Indeed, I have them right here... According to Minister Capone, these are among the ones deemed to be in the best condition among Object 8s that they retrieved. Instead of scattered all over the place like the other similar Object 8s, these were found kept in some kind of safe."
Seemingly relieved by the change of topic, the princess reached into a bag she brought along. Retrieving a brown envelope that seemed innocuous from the outside, she offered it to Meteos who took it carefully and peered inside to confirm the contents.
Inside were four samples of the Object 8s—thin disks covered in a square enclosure that bore a striking resemblance to floppy diskettes, all made of mithril. Do not be fooled by its appearance, having a shape reminiscent of a certain type of data storage device didn't mean that its performance would be the same.
"These do look like they've been well-preserved," Meteos remarked, before frowning slightly. "The Light-Winged People called them 'Datapoints.' Not only you can read the information stored within, you can also interact with and even edit it with the proper tools. This specialized device can do all those. Though, while the exterior condition seems pristine, that doesn't necessarily guarantee the data—information stored within remains uncorrupted. It's been ten thousand years, after all."
Matoya tilted her head. "Uncorrupted?"
Meteos hummed in affirmation. "Yes. Just like an old book that looks perfect on the outside, but when you open it, the pages are faded or damaged. You could say Datapoints are high-tech books that forego paper pages with another form of recorded information. They might look intact, but the data could be lost or damaged and thus unreadable."
"I see. That makes sense," Matoya nodded, understanding the analogy.
"Nevertheless, let's hope for the best. The general rule regarding later Ancient Sorcerous Empire tech being worse than those from the early Second Epoch also applies to Datapoints. But if we're lucky, we might uncover some very interesting information."
As Meteos proceeded to prepare the device by connecting it to the projection table using the cable, Adonis turned to Lugiel. "Your Highness, how has His Majesty reacted to the findings from Shet Jamu?"
"Ah..."
Lugiel smiled wistfully.
"He's... His Majesty was fascinated when he first saw that map of this entire planet," she recounted. "The vast expanse beyond our known world is finally laid out before our eyes, waiting to be discovered. And we now know where we have to go to reach them, over and over again. I don't know about the others, but my ancestor's curiosity sure is piqued by the discovery."
Meteos let out a faint chuckle. Despite his jadedness toward a number of things, Emperor Milishial VIII is indeed known for his fascination with novel things. The MOASEC continued to receive funding because the old emperor saw them making progress in a way different from how the species with much shorter lifespans perceive it. That's kind of sweet, actually.
Naturally, he greatly values significant advancements and has high expectations of people of talent. Just don't be a Ravernal worshipper. You can copy their technology out of pragmatism if you want people to not look down on you but do not ever follow their sick ideals.
"Born too late to fight in the Warring Kingdoms, born too early to explore the stars, but born just in time to explore the planet. Sounds about right," Ace commented.
"Here goes."
After plugging the cable into the projection table, Meteos inserted the first randomly picked Datapoint into the designated slot on the reader device. The reader whirred softly, and the light blue particles floating above the projection table on standby began to swirl.
Across from him, Lugiel and Matoya especially watched the device starting up with anticipation. However, instead of the data display one would've envisioned, the particles turned red with text boxes materialized around the cluster in the middle.
[ DATA CORRUPTION: SEVERE ]
>>Unable to open file
Lugiel sighed. By visual cues alone, even she knew that wasn't the proper operation.
"Well, that wasn't unexpected," Meteos remarked.
"But that's a shame. I was hoping we'd get something useful right away. Right, Matoya?"
"...Indeed, that means one less potential source of valuable information."
Agreeing with the princess, Matoya should've known that not all things can be that convenient. Maybe they're too used to easy successes through Meteos Roguerider's help.
Quickly reaching out and ejecting the corrupted Datapoint, Meteos placed it back on the table separate from the others and picked up another from the remaining three. He repeated the process with one he randomly chosen. But this time, there was no change in the particles' color, and the text boxes that materialized around the cluster showed a promising notification.
[ DATA CORRUPTION: PARTIAL ]
>>File opening...
"At least the device seems functional. That's a good sign."
Seeing the particles swirled more rapidly before coalescing into coherent shapes, Meteos let out a relieved breath.
"......Hm?"
While Meteos' older siblings let out noises of amazement as the device projected a sufficiently readable file, Lugiel found herself slightly taken aback as the file, centered around the three-dimensional rendering of a winged creature, was further enlarged by Meteos. Noticing that the text boxes floating around it were naturally written in the file's native script, the fifth son spoke up.
"......I hope you don't neglect your Ancient language studies, because I ain't translating it for you people."
A hearty laugh actually escaped Matoya's lips at that. "Don't worry, Young Master Meteos," she chuckled, shaking her head slightly. "We're not that incompetent."
Her gaze shifted to the projected file as she read the title aloud.
"Unidentified Lifeform A?"
Legiel crossed his arms and scoffed. "ULF-A. For some reason, I get the vibe that the author's choice in naming is so emotionless yet also condescending."
"A species hostile to the Light-Winged People?" Lugiel wondered.
Meteos sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"The Ancient Sorcerous Empire was so adamant in using this designation that this creature's name completely disappeared from history. But as you can see from this example, the fact that they bothered to commission a comprehensive analysis showed that the Light-Winged People may be evil, but unfortunately they were not stupid evil..."
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Ars Goetia Secret
FUBAR OF BIBLICAL PROPORTIONS
image [https://img.wattpad.com/ba4ba5828d4a25d8093c25605b55e61efde558d6/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f676153476573554b4a644e3831413d3d2d313436333931313734372e313765343964343865393331343765643837363236333236363633382e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
Before the Emor Kingdom, there was Infidragoon. But before Infidragoon, there was Unidentified Lifeform A, a species of intelligent wyvern-like creatures which dominated Planet Ars Goetia during the First Epoch (pre-Ravernal era). ULF-As were the distant ancestors of the Dragon Gods of Infidragoon, which were in turn the ancestors of Dragonoids of Emor. Possessing immense physical strength and a formidable mastery of magic allowing them to freely harness the planet's energy, ULF-As were what the Malakhs to Planet Attarsamain.
Come Second Epoch, the Civilization Annihilation Game's manipulation utterly destroyed any hope of coexistence between the native rulers of Ars Goetia and the banished fallen angels who came seeking refuge. I won't bore you with the details, but long story short, there was a war between ULF-As and the Light-Winged People, just as the Audience intended. An evil invader who committed genocide to the native population did after all sound villainous enough as a backstory for the primary antagonist of this season's Game. Add the natives fighting back and tried to genocide the invaders as the only option to survive make a grim gray-and-gray morality story.
The Light-Winged People found out the hard way that ULF-As were not mere beasts, however, as they baffled them with their ability of BVR combat using their analogue of guided missiles twice the range of the Light-Winged People's longest-range air-to-air missiles. Later they figured that the most effective tactic was to overwhelm ULF-As with numbers, making them run out of stamina before the Light-Winged People ran out of mass-produced drones.
When the Light-Winged People started using Core Magic, so did the ULF-As with their version of it. 'Artificial suns' exploded left and right all over Ars Goetia during that war. Not even the Latistor Continent was safe from the devastation. Because of the Game, the concept of mutually assured destruction was nonexistent, only hatred.
The two sides did recover from the apocalypse they caused in their own ways, but perhaps... that's another Ars Goetia Secret.