Arc 27: The Reverse World

Chapter 275: The Invocation, and an Unknown Land

Having arrived at the one-story round atrium on the temple’s top floor, I look at the sky above the high outer walls. This place looks just like the Coliseum with its audience seats removed.

A type of magic formation which I haven’t seen before is drawn on the entirety of the floor, and it looks like an assembly of various geometrical patterns. In the center of this formation is [It].

It looks like it’s a [Door], but it isn’t a regular door. Rather, it looks just like an arch-shaped entryway. It’s a silvery shining [Door] resembling a small version of the Arch of Triumph from France. Above the arch is an object that appears to be a wattmeter, and at the central part of the arch is a semi-circular object that is similar to a tachometer.

Is that arch made of metal? Seeing it emit such brilliance, it doesn’t look like it’s more than 5000 years old.

「Can I touch it?」(Touya)

「By all means, please do what you want with it.」(Central)

Upon getting permission from Mentor Central, I touch the arch and finally confirm that it’s made of metal as I have presumed it to be since it feels cold to touch. I have also felt that it’s filled with magic power, comprising of complex streams.

「It certainly looks sturdy.」(Yae)

「It’s not orichalcum or mithril... It’s a metal I haven’t seen before.」(Touya)

I nod toward Yae, who has likewise touched the door and voiced her impression. I then try hitting it lightly with the back of my hand. It’s certainly made of metal.

「Fumu~. It’s [Chronotium], right? It’s my first time to see one with a purity this high」(Regina)

After descending from Kohaku, the professor taps the door lightly. Mentor Central’s eyes widen upon hearing the Professor’s statement.

「To be able to see through it with one glance... Your Majesty, who in the world is this child?」(Central)

Oh well, I guess it’s natural for her to be surprised since the professor’s has the appearance of a 10-year old girl.

「This girl is Professor Regina Babylon. She’s ourthe magic engineer of our household. Can you let her analyze this gate with her no-attribute magic? I believe she’ll undoubtedly understand something about it」

「Eh?! A~, Ah~, Yes, it’s not a problem, but...」(Central)

Knowing that the girl in front of her eyes is a magic engineer must’ve been more surprising to her rather than the matter about the no-attribute magic and so on. The four representatives waiting behind her are just the same, their eyes are fixated on the professor filled with both suspicion and amazement.

Simply ignoring those stares as if she has it doesn’t matter to her, the professor touches the [Door] in front of her with both hands and invokes her analysis magic by concentrating her magic.

「Analysis」(Regina)

The professor is probably sorting out the information flowing into her head due to her occasionally murmuring things like “Fumu” and “Hmm?” while frowning.

I’ve decided to secretly try [Analysis] as well, but I immediately give up on trying to understand more about this artifact in just two seconds. I did understand some matters about it,like its structure and the materials it’s made of, but comprehending how each part operates is simply beyond me. My knowledge in that field and my ability to understand more about itis just overwhelmingly insufficient.

「It’s a structural formula that I haven’t seen before. This object is certainly of great significance. I am absolutely sure that this artifact possesses transfer magic and space-time magic... like a [Gate], but... why doesn’t it have a specified set of coordinates? No, rather than saying that they haven’t been specified, it appears like they haven’t been considered right from the beginning... The amount of magic power required to activate this structure is impossibly high. Which means...」(Regina)

Leaving alone the professor who’s completely immersed in her own world while mumbling something, I decide to ask Mentor Central about the artifact in question.

「This artifact was left behind by AleriasPalerius, right?」(Touya)

「Yes. My ancestor, AleriasPalerius, made this Paleriusislandas his personal magic experiment site. Apparently, this temple was also established for the sake of this [Door], but Palerious had left the island before he could could complete it. Afterwards, his four disciples took over. We were told though that in the end, they were unable to complete it」(Central)

「No, I can say that it’s completed in some sense.」(Regina)

Cutting short the speech of Mentor Central, the professor parts her hand from the [Door] and wipes the sweat on her face with the sleeve of her baggy white robe.

「We won’t know its use or effects unless we try to start it up, but I can say that the activation formula for its invocation via magic power is complete.」(Regina)

「Then why won’t it activate even after we pour magic power into it?」

「It’s simple. The magic power you’ve poured into that artifact is insufficient for the magic sequence to activate.」(Regina)

Saying that the magic power is insufficient... I don’t think this door would require that much magic power, considering its size. Don’t tell me that the magic formula engraved on it will transfer the whole island, eh? Is the door-like form of this artifact an illusion?

「The magic power is insufficient for invocation...? I believe that I am a person with a high amount of magic power, but are you saying that even that amount is insufficient?」(Central)

Mentor Central asks the professor while feeling doubtful.

「Even if you say that your quantity of magic power is high, it’s probably just comparable to about two or three people’s worth at best, I think? The scale that I’m talking about here is completely different. At my lowest estimates, it’s necessary to have the amount of magic power equivalent to that of a hundred thousand people in order to activate this magic formula.」(Regina)

「A hund.... ?!」(Central)

「Moreover, that amount of magic power will activate this artifact for only a fraction of a second. An average person will never be able to activate it normally. It will likely take around 300 years for one person to activate it, provided they continue pouring magic power every single day.」(Regina)

Saying that one has to continue pouring magic power into it every day for 300 years and that it will only be activated for less than a second... What the hell!?The magic power efficiency of this thing right here is just so poor!

Needless to say, both Mentor Central and the four representatives behind her are dumbfounded.

Only Yae who couldn’t use magic, is tilting her head. She can’t really understand much about what we are talking about.

「It appears that they tried to engrave the magic formula for magic amplification in order to acquire that amount of magic power, but it doesn’t smoothly mesh with the initial formula. The required amount should’ve probably decreased to about 1/100 if only they managed to finish it completely」(Regina)

「Do you mean that it will be possible to activate the door in three years time if this formula is completed?」(Central)

「Well, it’s only a theory.」(Regina)

Three years, huh? That number is somehow possible, I suppose. Three people will finish in one year, and 36 people — in a month.

Upon pondering about it, it turns out that this method really can’t be recommended due to the fact that the activation won’t proceed smoothly if several different magic powers are mixed in it.

Each individual’s magic power has its own wavelength, or perhaps it should be called a color. A canvas painted wholly for 36 days with the same color taken from a set of 36 colors would look entirely different when compared to a canvas painted with a different color each day for 36 days. When it comes to using a genuinely unified magic power, it’s better to have just one person do it.

「So it’s incomplete...」(Central)

「It’s complete, but incomplete. Well, since Touya-kun is here, he should be able to activate it」(Regina)

「Ah~... So it would really come down to this, huh?As expected」(Touya)

I scratch my head due to the professor’s mischievous glance.

「Umm... I’ve already understood that His Majesty The Sovereign King possesses large quantities of magic power, based from the fact that he could transfer so many of those giant soldiers, but... Just how much of it does he really...」(Central)

「Who knows? The decrease in my magic power isn’t significant ever since before, so I still have quite a bit. Even if I employ several hundreds of summoned beasts right now, it won’t decrease that much.」(Touya)

「Wha~... ?!」(Central)

I don’t think it has decreased at all even after I have summoned Kohaku’s group of five divine beasts and their dependents. All the more that the decrease in magic power lessened after my divinity awakened. Truth be told, I’ve already distanced myself from ordinary people. Though it’s too late to say it now.

(Black: Technically, Kohaku’s group should only be four, but Sango and Kokuyou are sometimes treated as separate “animals” but “one entity”. This might be confusing, but I don’t really know what the author is thinking as to why he used “five” instead of “four”.)

「About that, I believe I can activate it. Well, I’ll ask you just make sure but, may I do it?」(Touya)

「Ah, Yes. If that would allow us to understand just what AleriasPalerius-sama was trying to achieve then...」(Central)

After receiving a tentative permission from Mentor Central, I then decide to make a lot of important preparations.

Based on its form and transfer formula, this gate should open similar to [Gate]. However, I don’t even know where in this world this [Door] is connected to.

It’s going to be a great deal if this artifact opens directly underneath the sea, just like that time when I discovered Shesca’s [Sky Garden].

「As a guard, I cannot allow Touya-dono to expose himself to danger, but...」(Yae)

「Well, it’s me we are talking about. I will be able to come back from whatever place I jump to, and deal with the situation even if something happens.」(Touya)

Somehow, I’ve managed to persuade Yae to wait for me here even though she’s hesitant to let me go. Then, we set up a protection barrier in all directions around the [Door]. Just in case it leads to the sea, this barrier shaped like a half-dome should be able to defend against the surging water. I only have to close the [Door] immediately once that happens.

「Well then, shall I try doing it once?」(Touya)

Having made everyone step back, I touch the [Door] with my hand, and pour my magic power into the artifact. In the next moment, the rotating disk located at the upper part of the [Door] starts moving. The needle of the tachometer installed at the center moves as well. Aha! So this device measures the amount of magic power that’s being poured into the artifact.

Pumping in my magic power all at once, the rotating disk starts moving at a tremendous speed,and the indicator in the tachometer rises about half-way from zero. Aside from those two, the magic formation engraved on the part of the floor that’s right underneath the door starts to have dim traces of light spreading around it.

「Ooh...!!」

「This is...!」

The people around me are surprised by what’s happening, I am also surprised myself but for a different reason. Despite the amount magic power I have already poured in, the artifact doesn’t seem to be full yet, and the [Door] is still steadily absorbing my magic power.Eventually, the temple itself and not just the magic formation begins emitting light. The tachometer has also already reached 80%.

Fluctuation occurs in the space at the center of the [Door]. Just a bit more and the transfer gate will open. Having affirmed that, I pour even more magic power into it.

When the tachometer have finally shown a complete 100%, a scenery with trees and the sky appears in the space at the center of the [Door]. Apparently, the other side isn’t a hazardous place.

「So it’s connected, huh?」(Touya)

It’s possible that the door will close if I stop pouring magic into it, so I move toward the facade with my hand still touching the door.

「Well then, I will see you in a bit」(Touya)

Telling that gently to everyone present, I then step inside the [Door].

It feels strange.

It’s like I’m passing through a rubber membrane that’s showing a little resistance.

I let my body go through the [Door] all at once to somewhat wipe away the discomfort.

The feeling of firmly stepping on the ground immediately returns, and I find myself standing inside an unknown forest.

I turn my head around to look back, but there’s nothing in sight. As expected, the transfer gate probably works only one-way.

I feel pretty tired, as if about half of my magic power has been taken. It has already begun to quickly recover though.

Now then, I wonder where I am right now. Is this the Great Forest Sea?...Nah. It doesn’t look like it. It feels like this place is just an ordinary forest.

Taking out my smartphone, I then try to project the map.

「Hmm?」(Touya)

It won’t open for some reason. Why? Is there a barrier that has been erected on this forest itself? Or is this the work of the “Sage of Time”, Alerias Palerius? No, he was unable to finish the [Door], so this shouldn’t be from him.

For now, I take out my phone and try to make a callYae, but it won’t connect. The same thing also happens if I try to contact Kohaku with telepathy. It looks like a pretty strong obstruction barrier has been applied.

Apparently, using magic isn’t barred since I can activate my magic power. As a test, I try to invoke a wind magic.

While I am thinking about that, I suddenly hear the sound of trees falling down along with someone’s scream coming from deep within the forest before me.

Quickly heading in that direction, I run through the thick forest and soon arrive at a place that looks like a highway. The trees around here are gouged out from their roots. What’s this!?

I thensee a double-headed dinosaur that looks like a small tyrannosaurus attacking a large metallic carriage.

「What’s the hell...?!」(Touya)

That tyrannosaur-looking double-headed reptile (or it seems like a dragon) is a magic beast that I haven’t seen before. This is making me frown reflectively.

However, I notice something that’s even more obscure than that reptile.

A metallic carriage... Usually, a “carriage” is something that’s being pulled by horses. Seeing a metallic carriage may seem natural, but the thing in front of me isn’t being pulled by horses.

historical

The “carriage” seems like... a crab, perhaps? It has several legs on both its left and right side, making its form quite similar to a crab, but it has no tongs.

However, that thing being a mechanical crab has disturbed my train of thought. In addition to that, the carriage being drawn isn’t a simple carriage as well. It feels as if it’s something that could be called a “Bus”. I wonder if it’s alright to call it a “Crab Bus”.

「What is this artifact...?」 (Touya)

As I mutter that on reflex, the double-headed dragon strongly slams the “crab-carriage”with its body, inflicting a heavy blow to the carriage itself. At the same moment, several shrieks resound from inside the carriage. Oops!This isn’t the time to simply idle by and watch them.

「O Fire come forth, Pillar of Purgatory Fire, Inferno Fire」(Touya)

A pillar of flame produced by my magic wraps the double-headed lizard. Writhing in pain, it moves away from the carriage, so I aim toward it while taking out Brynhildr in Blade Mode from [Storage], I slice its head into two with one swing.

Having lost its head, the dinosaur falls to the ground causing a tremor.

The mechanical crab returns to its former stance, and several people peek from inside the carriage. It looks like they’re okay.

One of them, a man walks over to me with a smile and begins to talk.

「atihsamirakusat.uotagiraomuod」

「... Ah?」(Touya)

Not good, I don’t understand the words. Hmm? Could it be that the Common Language I know doesn’t exist here?

「Can you speak the Common Language?」(Touya)

「era？akusedatakonukokiag？anadabotokianonotokatiik......」

Not good. The merchant, an old-man with a mustache standing in front of me, looks perplexed as well since we can’t understand each other.

It can’t be helped then. I guess I have no other way since he can’t understand my words.

Using gestures, I convey to the old man that I am not hostile and then I extend my hand out. Upon doing that, he also stretches his hand and grasps mine. Thank god, they seem to have a culture of making handshakes. The magic that I can use in this type of situation won’t take effect unless I touch the other party with my hand after all.

「Translation」(Touya)

My magic power flows out from me and gets transmitted to the target. After acquiring the necessary information, it returns to me again.

「Can you understand what I am saying now?」(Touya)

「Ah, so you can speak the Alent language, can you? Thank god. I was thinking about what to do...」(Old man)

[Translation] is a decryption magic. It only absorbs matters related to language from the memory of the target and enables those who have invoked the magic to change the words they speak to the language that has been acquired.

Fumu, so this language is called “Alent” language, huh? Haven’t heard about it before.

「My name is Pedro Sancho, I am a travelling merchant. Thank you very much for saving us.」(Pedro)

「No-no, please don’t mind it. Ah, my name is Mochizuki Touya.」(Touya)

「Touya-san, huh? What an unusual name. Where are you from?」(Pedro)

The honest answer would be “Earth”, but I can’t say that. Therefore,I will have to mislead him in the same way as always.

「I was born in Ishen. Right now I live in Brunhild」(Touya)

「Ishen? Brunhild? It’s the first time I’ve heard of those places. Are they remote villages in the frontier?」(Pedro)

He hasn’t heard of Ishen, let alone of Brunhild? Where the hell am I? I’ve decided to ask Sancho-san about something that I’ve been wondering for quite a while now.

「Umm, it surely may appear strange to ask something like this but, do you know what place this is? I’ve ended up getting lost a bit.」(Touya)

「This is a highway going to the east to the capital Alen in about a day by way of a carriage」(Touya)

「Capital Alen?... Which country does that capital belong to?」(Touya)

「Which, you say... Since it’s called Capital Alen, isn’t it natural that it’s indisputably the capital of the Holy Kingdom Alent? Ah, please wait for a minute.」 (Pedro)

Sancho-san returns to the carriage and then brings something in his hand which looks to be paper.

「This is a map. Look, this place right here is the Holy Kingdom Alent. And this is the capital Alen」(Pedro)

「... No way...」(Touya)

Looking at the map that has been handed to me has made me terrified. It’s unmistakably the map of the world. It’s not that different from the one I have in my smartphone except for one thing.

Ishen is supposed to be located on the farthest east portion of an ordinary map, but now it’s located on the most western point of this map. Its shape is upside down as well.

That’s right. This world map shown to me is a map that has the left and right portions reversed as if looking at a mirror....