Chapter 143
This long-lost flavor seemed to unlock something that had been frozen for a long time.
Favia was suddenly puzzled by one thing: how did she get back?
Is it true that they'll come back as soon as they die? Or is there some other reason?
If her journey to the 17th century was due to Abi, then was her return also her fault?
Thinking of this, Favia tilted the glass in her hand slightly, looked through the glass at Da Vinci, and asked:
"Da Vinci, did you only discover me?"
"No, but judging from your statement, could it be that you actually have someone else by your side?" Da Vinci paused for a moment, then joked, "She mysteriously disappeared for three years. If that's the case, she might cry. These past few years, she's been guarding your shipyard and personally crafting those parts that I designed. Even for Phantasmal Species, that's hard work."
"... I see."
Favia wiped his mouth and placed the Coffee on the table beside him.
From Da Vinci's words, he learned that three years had passed since the day of that Theological Debate, and it was now 1518.
Moreover, when he was rescued by Da Vinci, he was alone; Abi was nowhere to be seen...
As she pondered, Favia, who had just stood up, suddenly noticed the Two-Thirds of the Silver Key hanging around her neck, swaying back and forth as if it had never left.
Favia was certain that Abi had inserted it into her forehead, and that she hadn't done so at the Château d'If.
Therefore, he couldn't help but mutter to himself:
"What exactly is this...?"
"Oh, by the way, where have you been all these years? You've disappeared without a trace, neither alive nor dead, not even a whisper of news. Anyone who didn't know better would have thought you'd gone overseas to explore the New World." Da Vinci looked puzzled. "And before I found you on the beach, I heard from merchant ships coming to the city that the place where you disappeared, Montecristo Island, had sunk. But luckily, the people on the island knew about it beforehand, so they were all safe."
Indeed, Montecristo Island sank once, and then resurfaced later to become the Monte Cristo Island.
However, Favia did not answer Da Vinci's question truthfully, but instead smiled and said while holding the broken Silver Key to her breast:
"To improve it, going overseas is not out of the question."
He said this because he vaguely sensed guidance from the broken Silver Key—
Under the Principle of the Star, we cross that boundless sea.
"So you built ships for this purpose in the first place, didn't you?"
"Before, I just did simple tasks, but now it's all come easily."
"That's true." Da Vinci nodded, looking somewhat pleased for some reason. "It's already been completed by Bavan Shi and is in Spain now. How about we go there in a few days after you've rested up?"
"Oh? That's not entirely impossible..." Favia glanced at Da Vinci, who seemed eager for him to leave, and asked thoughtfully, "Why do I get the feeling that you're just waiting for me to get gone, Da Vinci? Am I that bad that you hate me?"
"Ahem, mainly because I'm getting old, and my health isn't what it used to be. I know it would be uncomfortable for me to stay here with you. Don't worry, I'll contact Bawan Xi right now and tell her to come quickly. That way, you can go to sea together, and maybe you'll even discover some new continent and make history..."
Favia merely nodded slightly at Da Vinci's performance, then raised his hand, pointed to the Coffee, and then to his sleeve.
In silence, Da Vinci stared blankly at Favia's fingers, not understanding their meaning.
"It's wet," Favia said. "Where's your sleeve?"
It was only at this moment that Da Vinci noticed this, and after Da Vinci nonchalantly waved his hand to indicate that it was no problem, he...
Favia gazed at Da Vinci before him and suddenly said:
"Given your personality, you shouldn't have such a small accident. Tell me, is there something you're hiding from me?"
For a moment, Da Vinci froze on the spot.
He instinctively opened his mouth to speak, but dared not utter a word.
Da Vinci feared that his words would cause Favia to do something irrational, but at the same time, he also blamed himself for letting Favia discover that he had been hiding something.
After a long while, Da Vinci sighed and then said:
"Paracelsus, he was captured by the Clock Tower a month ago."
In 1518, a little earlier, at the Clock Tower in England, dusk was falling, gradually turning blood red.
The bells of the Clock Tower rang out from the square.
Beneath the Clock Tower, light lingers in the darkness.
They resembled a Gilgamesh, dancing mass, or fireworks sparkling with light.
However, those lights are close to an explosion in principle. Because multiple channels are concentrated together, with subtle differences in Od injected into them, the channels repel each other and emit light.
This is one of several confluence points in the middle layer of Albion's Grand Magic Circuits.
This place resembles the ocean and is also the temporary venue for the current Grand meeting, as the Lord location was changed elsewhere due to an accident a few years ago.
At this moment, another Grand Meeting was about to conclude, but a tense silence still filled the air.
"Well, El-Melloi, this matter can't be delayed any longer. It has already touched the very foundation of the Clock Tower. But since they are your people, that's why we've convened this meeting to discuss it with you."
When questioned by the opposing forces, the blonde girl did not answer immediately, but instead narrowed her eyes and rested her chin on her hand, lost in thought.
In fact, if the Three Great Nobles were truly making demands solely for their own selfish desires, she could have easily refused.
While the Clock Tower's dark side is a horrifying melting pot of intrigue, what is being said now is a pure demand, devoid even of hatred and Wrath.
The Answer is simple: as Magecraft, it should be kept secret.
Because one of the three principles the Clock Tower has upheld since its inception is 'mystery should be kept secret,' there is a rule that Magecraft, whether or not they belong to the Association, will be punished by the Association if they reveal secrets to ordinary people.
This is both to protect Magecraft, something that should have disappeared, and to protect the interests of Magecraft themselves.
After all, the power that was originally intended for one person is now divided into two for two people to use. The more people who can use it, the less power is allocated. This is the principle behind the end of the Age of Gods, which has affected both the East and the West.
In the Western Divine Era Magus established a connection with the Root by making a pact with a Deity close to the Root.
Eastern Divine Era Magus created an enormous Mystic Code that merged with the Earth, thereby establishing the laws of the continental Magecraft system. This Mystic Code is called the Thought Disk.
While the Eastern Thought Disk is based on the theory of 'man-made Root,' it doesn't essentially mean it's already close to the Root. Rather, it aims to bring the Thought Disk's precision to the level of the Root —a process akin to using incomplete parts to repair a plate that was broken long ago...
Like the West, the East can only maintain its current level of precision as times change.
Lord El-Melloi, silent, was weighing the pros and cons. However, this was clearly uncontroversial; after all, it was obviously absurd to defy the entire Clock Tower just for a single Magecraft, especially since—
The reason he invited this person to El-Melloi was because of Favia, whose bloodline was even purer than his own. However, he mysteriously disappeared for some reason, which was a real pity. If he had known this would happen, he should have forced Favia to stay and produce offspring with pure bloodlines.
"... What a pity."
The whispers of the young Lord swept through the coral-shaped objects within the Spirit Tomb.
Her gaze shifted to the front of the Spirit Tomb, a passageway resembling a palace in the sea, which would likely change shape further ahead. As the most important secret treasure upon which the Clock Tower stood, the Spirit Tomb would sometimes be beautiful, sometimes terrifying, to confuse intruders.
In fact, this is something that requires absolutely no hesitation. Even if that person were still alive, there is no reason to jeopardize the Future of the entire family for him.
Despite thinking this way, she was surprised to find herself hesitant.
She only had a few seconds to think, and her reaction was extremely subtle—holding her breath with barely any change in intensity—so much so that almost no one who didn't know her would notice.
Slowly, Lord El-Melloi seemed to hear a low, muffled sound, the silent creaking of the balance in the room.
In terms of power, Paracelsus was insignificant in the Clock Tower.
He was abandoned by his family for helping ordinary people, and even though his family regarded him as the next leader, it was insignificant because, from the perspective of 'Magecraft', he was still too young.
Moreover, in the complex power struggles within the Clock Tower, the words of someone without backing are of no value whatsoever.
Therefore, the Lord's words fell to the ground like fallen leaves.
"We agree to arrest Van Hohenheim Paracelsus, but first we must interrogate him to find out the reasons for his reckless publication of a series of academic Book, including the Archidoxen, whether he was connected with secret societies outside the Clock Tower, and whether he was colluding with the Royal Family —these are the pieces of evidence."
"Shouldn't we just leave this to the Department of Spirit Evocation to handle after he dies?"
"Perhaps he has already taken measures to prevent his spirit from returning after death."
"... That's true."
"Since there's no doubt about it, then it's decided."
Thus, Van Hohenheim Paracelsus, who ignored repeated warnings and claimed to be working for all people and for human society, leaked his writings under the guise of medical development, concealing all sorts of secrets that Cain.
The Clock Tower issued an order--
Paracelsus was thoroughly investigated and interrogated.
"I've been waiting for you for a long time."
These were Paracelsus's first words when Magecraft, dressed in their special Combat Suit, arrived at his door late at night.
This caught the Magecraft somewhat off guard. Although they entered through the main gate in a proper manner, they were also on guard. After all, even the most mediocre Magecraft would not allow their territory to be left vulnerable and easily breached by anyone.
Paracelsus responded without panic, anxiety, or fear.
For the Magecraft who went to make the arrest, he had encountered many people who pretended to be calm in order to launch a sneak attack, but this was the first time he had met someone who spoke calmly.
"I will never fight. If I resist, you will suffer. And that goes against my will."
"Are you prepared to be arrested like this?"
When questioned by the arrested Magecraft, this was his response.
"Yes. That's fine then."
"Why? Giving up the fight like this won't do you any good."
Upon hearing this, Paracelsus let out a helpless sigh and looked away.
Seeing this, the Magecraft, who thought he was going to fight to the death, became on guard.
But Paracelsus simply put the book he was holding on the table.
"In my eyes, you are all lovely children. I cannot bear to hurt you."
The Magecraft who came to arrest them couldn't help but exchange glances, each thinking to themselves.
There was no falsehood in his words; it was his true feeling, and there was no mistake about it.
However, it's hard to understand—no, perhaps it's understandable, but interpreting Magecraft this way is inappropriate, and the possibility is too small.
How could Magecraft be so naive, especially someone who has been through so much in the world and tasted the malice of conservatives and the powerful?
Rather than saying he naively believed in human goodness and beauty, it would be more accurate to say he suffered from an incurable disease that made it impossible for him not to extend the greatest kindness to others.
But frankly, these speculations were of little use to the Magecraft who were sent by the Clock Tower to capture Paracelsus.
Although he is a genius among Magecraft, he is branded with "evil" by the Clock Tower itself, making him a target destined for capture.
But they also knew that although it was called a capture, they would actually die soon, and Paracelsus probably knew this as well.
"When you all go home, please cherish the children. It doesn't matter whose children they are. They are the light I seek."
After saying this, Paracelsus calmly accepted his arrest, accepting his impending death.
Afterwards, the Magecraft involved in the arrest were somewhat agitated.
While there are generally more pure-hearted Magecraft than average, very few are like Paracelsus.
Perhaps what bothers them isn't Paracelsus's purity, but rather that they aren't that kind of person.
After all, one can disregard Greed, but one must have reverence for genuine morality.
226: You want me to join the Church? (4k)
"Because he included various mysteries that Cain in his works, causing a leak, he was arrested...?"
Favia, who learned the news from Da Vinci, did not react with the excitement or Wrath that Da Vinci had expected. The silver-haired youth simply nodded and then stood up to silently watch the crowd outside the window.
The crowds moving through the streets of Rome, the Eternal City, are all people living in the present moment.
The flag, which has stood for so long, flutters in the spring sunshine above the church, making the vast, timeless blue sky seem full of life.
Favia had anticipated Paracelsus's capture by the Clock Tower and his impending death, having warned him beforehand, but it seems to have been to no avail.
Moreover, from the perspective of the Magecraft World, Paracelsus did indeed commit an irreparable 'Evil,' so such punishment seems justified.
"That's right, exactly. He actually did this openly in London. Honestly, he could have gone to France or Germany, but he had to do it right here in the Clock Tower's headquarters. Sigh..."
Favia could see Da Vinci's sorrow at being powerless to help with the Paracelsus affair; after all, Da Vinci was very old and truly powerless.
He also understood why Da Vinci had been reluctant to speak about it before: he was afraid that if he went to save Paracelsus because of this matter, something bad might happen. That was his concern.
"It's not easy to leave, after all, Paracelsus had foreseen this happening long ago, but backing down because of this wouldn't be like him."