Chapter 123

123. Cleanup (3)

The injuries from the battle, though severe, were considered fortunate in the grand scheme of war.

On the battlefield, instant deaths often left no chance for treatment.

Even among the dead, some were luckier than others. A death where the body remained intact was a blessing compared to those whose remains were obliterated or consumed entirely by monsters.

“Heroes, find eternal rest in the embrace of Renslet.”

As the priests of the Renslet Order recited their collective eulogy, Arina stood silently, gazing at the coffins before her.

More than half of the coffins were empty.

For some, only a fragment of their remains was recovered; for others, there was nothing at all. In such cases, mementos of the deceased were placed in their stead.

The families, friends, and comrades of the fallen stood beside Arina. Their faces carried not just sorrow but also gratitude and pride.

‘The Archduchess herself is offering blessings for my husband’s soul!’

‘Long live the Archduchess! Long live Renslet!’

‘Renslet! Rune Renslet!’

In this medieval-like world, where remnants of the past lingered, having Arina—an icon of the Renslet faith—personally bless the fallen was seen as granting them a ticket to heaven.

Meanwhile, outside the barrier, a different kind of post-war effort was underway.

“This is…!”

The greatest prize from the war was, without question, the carcass of the white serpent, Jormungandr.

Arad, examining the corpse with a team of mages, widened his eyes as he held a massive white scale, nearly the size of his torso.

It was light, durable, flexible, and incredibly elastic.

“These scales… They could work as a substitute for rubber!”

To Arad, the material seemed like a superior alternative to natural rubber.

In the original history, as depicted in the game Era of Silver 1, there was no mention of Jormungandr being hunted.

The serpent appeared in myths and legends, but nothing beyond that.

‘In the original timeline, the North fell long before the serpent even needed to awaken. The serpent would have remained dormant in the glaciers, and the dark sorcerers likely served the Empire’s dirty work in the shadows.’ ŔàΝȪ𝔟ĚS̩

In the Era of Silver 1, dark sorcerers were limited to the North but were allowed to operate openly. Despite fierce opposition from the Church, the Empire’s absolute authority and control over the Northern Territory ensured they could not defy imperial decrees.

‘Anyway, no more worrying about rubber shortages. With this, we could build at least 100 airships!’

High risk, high reward—Jormungandr was truly a treasure trove.

The white scales, in particular, were an extraordinary resource.

Of course, Arad didn’t plan to use all of them for airships.

‘We’ll need to allocate properly. Forty percent for airships, thirty for factory equipment, and the remaining thirty for power plants.’

Turning to the Renslet mages tasked with processing Jormungandr’s body, Arad issued his orders.

“Ensure every single scale is collected.”

“The scales, sir?”

“Yes.”

“What about the rest of the body?”

“I only need the scales. The rest is up to the Mage Society.”

“R-really?!”

The mages’ eyes widened in disbelief.

“Thank you, Chairman Jin!”

“You heard him! Hurry! First come, first served!”

“Leave the scales—grab everything else!”

Fearing Arad might change his mind, the mages eagerly began processing Jormungandr’s remains.

“Wind spirits, gather the scattered scales!”

“Water spirits, purify the venomous pools!”

As former witches, the Renslet mages excelled at spirit magic, making their work swift and efficient.

‘Spirit magic is immensely versatile. If only we could train more spirit mages…’

The dwindling number of spirit mages, due to the thinning of fae blood over generations, was a constant regret.

While Arad pondered the scarcity of spirit magic talent, a growing pile of purified scales formed nearby. Their sheer size and quantity resembled a small hill.

‘The path is clear! Icebreaker ships? Greenhouse barriers? Forget it all!’

Arad grinned as he envisioned using the scales as a rubber substitute.

‘This will widen the gap between us and the Golden Tower even further.’

The Empire’s Golden Tower was developing mana engines—an existential threat.

So much so that Arad had deliberately given the Empire steam engine technology, pushing them toward a steampunk future as a distraction.

Mana engines were game-changers, capable of revolutionizing warfare and industry alike.

‘When the Empire drowns in their steam revolution, we’ll dive headfirst into an arcane revolution!’

Arad’s grin deepened as he chuckled to himself.

Yet, amidst his plans, one unresolved issue loomed large in his mind: Arina’s condition.@@novelbin@@

‘The immediate danger has passed, but she’s far from healed.’

Even after being summoned back to the palace to examine her, the prognosis wasn’t good.

“How is Her Highness’s condition?”

“It’s not ideal.”

“That much is obvious.”

“What we want to know is…”

“You’re asking whether she can have children, aren’t you? For now, it’s impossible. But even setting that aside, her physical state is dangerously fragile.”

“...!”

“Still, it’s too soon to give up. I’ll do my best to find a solution.”

“I trust you, Count. The fate of the Archduchy rests with you.”

“As always, we’ll find the answer. We always do.”

Arina had finally been persuaded by her retainers to receive treatment, albeit reluctantly.

To conceal her identity, Isabelle had summoned an illusion of Mary wearing the transformation necklace to stand beside her.

Despite the grim circumstances, the sight was somewhat comical.

Yet, Arad could do little to alleviate her condition, and her reaction was etched in his mind.

“I’m fine… You should go, Sir Arad. You must be busy with Jormungandr’s spoils.”

Her voice and expression, heavy with grief and resignation, remained vivid in his memory.

Even now, he couldn’t shake the image of her avoiding his gaze.

‘To return to Earth, I must heal Arina… Somehow.’

Her body was on the brink.

A more pressing issue lingered beyond Arina’s fragile condition—her infertility.

If she could not bear a child, the Renslet line would end entirely.

If the North’s salvation was tied to Arina and the Renslet family’s fate, this problem became dire.

‘I need to find a solution. If her body cannot be healed, then perhaps… something external.’

Currently, her womb was a storm of mana turbulence, like the chaotic atmosphere of Jupiter.

No fetus could survive in such an environment.

‘Should I consider researching an artificial womb? Perhaps adapting the creature vessel technology used for creating chimeras might work…’

Refusing to give up, Arad explored every avenue, and the idea of using a creature vessel emerged as a viable candidate.

‘The real question is whether Arina or this world could accept a child created this way.’

In modern Earth, such technology might be hailed as a breakthrough for combating declining birth rates, possibly receiving government subsidies. But this was a different world entirely.

This wasn’t just about prosthetic limbs or artificial organs—it was a matter of lineage, legitimacy, and the social acceptance of a child born through such means.

‘Priority one is still healing Arina’s body. The artificial womb will be plan B.’

Determined to face the difficult road ahead, Arad resolved to do everything he could.

After all, Arina’s condition resulted from her overexertion to save him. He bore a share of the responsibility.

“Chairman! The team assignments are complete!”

Arad’s musings were interrupted by the voice of his aide, Theo, calling out from a distance.

“The departure is scheduled for dawn tomorrow!”

“That’s quick,” Arad remarked.

“Yes, Your Highness has ordered the swift eradication of the remaining forces in the Magic Realm.”

“Indeed, speed is of the essence for such tasks.”

“But are you truly planning to accompany the expedition? Even with Her Highness’s permission…”

“Of course. I need to see things for myself.”

“….”

Theo still looked uneasy, but Arad’s firm resolve left little room for argument.

“Well, uh… They said to inform you that Lady Mary will be busy with reconstruction and cannot accompany us.”

“Ah, that’s fine. No need to worry about it.”

“Yes… Understood!”

The High Tower wasted no time preparing to hunt down the remnants of the Magic Realm after the battle.

Arad had his reasons for volunteering to join the expedition.

“Who else is joining us besides the seven senior knights?”

“Sir Balzac, five intermediate-level mages, and four senior priests will also accompany us.”

“Four senior priests? Isn’t that a bit much? Isn’t post-war recovery and treating the wounded more urgent?”

“Her Highness considers the elimination of the Magic Realm’s remnants a top priority.”

“Well, better safe than sorry.”

While normally such an endeavor would be risky, the death of the white serpent had likely caused a psychological shock to monsters across the North.

The only remaining threat—the Empire—was preoccupied with fighting the Mongar orcs at the Ragoth Wall.

It was, ironically, the safest time for a journey.

“So, I should head to the High Tower’s inner castle at dawn?”

“That’s correct.”

“Security is critical for this operation. You haven’t let words slip, have you?”

“Of course not. The assignments were made as discreetly as possible. We’ve even announced that your schedule will be occupied with researching the white serpent’s corpse for the foreseeable future.”

“Well done.”

“Just doing my duty, sir.”

“I’ll head home to prepare. Theo, you stay here and oversee the scales. Once I return, we’ll get straight to work on them.”

“Understood. After visiting the Magic Realm, you’re heading straight to the Jin Estate, correct?”

“Exactly.”

The trip would include a stop at the Magic Realm and a visit to his territory.

***

The Depths of the Magic Realm

Where snowfields once dominated, a field of gray ash now stretched endlessly.

At its center, three golden carriages escorted by high-ranking knights halted.

“This is it,” Arad muttered as he stepped out of the first carriage.

“This is it?” Balzac echoed, glancing at the radar in his hand with a puzzled expression.

“It seems there’s a quadruple-layered barrier here. Likely the same principle that kept the white serpent off the radar.”

Arad adjusted the modified radar and pointed in a direction.

“About a hundred paces that way.”

“You heard him! Focus your senses and cut down anything suspicious!”

At Arad’s command, the knights accompanying them drew their swords, their eyes sharp and ready for action.

“It’s safe out here. Inform the mages and priests they can disembark,” Arad added.

“Tch. If Sir Arad is stepping out like this, what’s there to be afraid of?”

Soon, the Renslet mages and priests exited the second and third golden carriages.

The carriages were required due to the need for supplies and to separate passengers by rank and function.

“This is so much easier, thanks to Count Jin!” one mage exclaimed cheerfully.

“Even with the serpent gone, the amount of residual dark energy here is staggering…” a priest murmured, tense with caution.

The group’s expressions varied between curiosity and wariness, though the luxurious carriages seemed to have left most in good spirits.

“When the knights cut through the barrier, be ready to act,” Arad instructed the mages and priests.

“Of course.”

“Renslet! Rune Renslet!”

Incidentally, the three carriages they used weren’t the magic circuit-laden golden carriage from the previous expedition into the Magic Realm. That vehicle had long since fallen into disrepair, more a large, ornate paperweight than a functional transport.

‘Good thing I made multiple corporate carriages for staff use.’

These carriages were essentially company vehicles. They featured expanded interior space using subspace circuits and were packed with conveniences like the Bluetooth series, all wrapped in golden paint.

‘It’s fortunate we acquired so many premium horses through Entir. And the reduced aggression of monsters after the serpent’s death helped, too.’

The lack of advanced protection or enchantments wasn’t an issue, as the powerful steeds pulling the carriages were resistant to dark energy, and the Magic Realm’s miasma had weakened since Jormungandr’s demise.

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