Chapter 633: New Translations
With Astrid and Charlotte finally having an honest, open-hearted conversation, the last lingering barrier between them completely dissolved. Souls that once maintained a slight distance could now rest together as closely as their bodies did on the bed, intimately intertwined.
Taking advantage of this moment of openness, Astrid continued sharing heartfelt memories with Charlotte, recalling childhood nights when she’d fall asleep nestled in Charlotte’s arms listening to her voice, or the times she’d learned fashion and etiquette under her guidance. All these memories, like rivers merging into an ocean, nourished the bond between the two loved ones who had shared so many years together.
Listening to the soft rustle of fabric and feeling Charlotte’s warmth steadily radiating towards her, Astrid casually brushed her hair aside, temporarily ending their tender moment, and spoke in a gentle whisper.
"Back to the present, Lady Charlotte, my mental energy quality should now have reached the level of an early tier Arcanist Mage, right?"
Although still the sea of consciousness stirred within, it was undeniably stable compared to the turbulent ripple period right after her breakthrough.
Hearing this, Charlotte sent out a probe of mental energy. After half a minute, she nodded slightly.
"Yes. Your mental energy’s stability is on par with mine when I first broke through, and the quantity has reached average levels. In other words, little Astrid has fully completed the entire ascension process."
The only difference was the minor incident that had occurred half an hour earlier.
Receiving Charlotte’s confirmation, Astrid blinked her crimson eyes gently, her voice soft.
"I’ve fulfilled my promise to you then, Lady Charlotte, reaching the threshold required to explore the Abyss."
"After winter ends, my cultivation level should stabilize completely. And once we finish settling accounts with the Kingdom of Velys, I might even advance further."
After learning of Astrid’s future plans, Lyra had also expressed her intention to go along. Looking at the details now, apart from Amalia, who will remain behind to govern the empire from the capital, Astrid, Lyra, her own aunt, and the head maid will all participate in the Abyss exploration.
A team composed of four Arcanist Mages/Crusader, this kind of overwhelming combat power was unmatched throughout the entire Valeria Empire.
Upon hearing Astrid’s words, a flicker of concern flashed in Charlotte’s eyes, though it quickly disappeared into the depths of her gaze as she softly replied.
"Mm. Then we’ll go together."
Fanya was Astrid’s birth mother. For Astrid to personally search the place of her disappearance, she had no reason or grounds to refuse, and besides, she had indeed promised Astrid before.
Ah well. Judging by Astrid’s current rate of progress, by the time they actually set out for the Abyss, Astrid might very well surpass her. At that point, it might be the younger generation protecting the elder.
Gazing into Astrid’s eyes, feeling as if she’d rediscovered the person before she all over again, Charlotte parted her soft pink lips.
"Congratulations, little Astr."
"You’ve successfully surpassed the Magnus rank and ascended to Arcanist Mage."
"From this moment on, your journey in magic enters a completely new stage, and your body will no longer age, until the very end of your life."
Arcanist Mages were, strictly speaking, no longer ordinary humans. Unless they had prematurely drained their life force like Hibbort, under normal circumstances they could live for over two hundred years.
And for someone like Astrid, Valeria Empire’s most breathtaking beauty, eternal youth would preserve her outward charm indefinitely. Even after more than a hundred years, the empire’s most radiant gem will still shine brilliantly.
Hearing this, Astrid smiled faintly, her voice tender.
"Now when Lady Charlotte randomly checks up on my studies, you won’t have much to say anymore~"
Although she had been the slowest among their circle to break through, Astrid was barely twenty-three years old, her breakthrough speed ranked among the very top in both Valeria Empire and all of human history.
It was just that the geniuses around her were too numerous, making her seem less outstanding. One was a flawless individual chosen by a holy sword, blessed by fate; the other, a young emperor of royal blood who already wielded imperial authority. Compared to them, Astrid’s magical talent was indeed somewhat inferior.
After teasing her aunt slightly, Astrid gently changed the subject.
"Anyway, it’s almost four o’clock already, we should get back to our research."
Their purpose for lying here today was to construct the initiation and reception ends of an information transmission system. Her sudden ascension had merely been an unexpected bonus.
Charlotte understood this well too. After a few more words with Astrid, her thoughts returned to the ongoing experiment.
By using nested internal arrays to form mortise-and-tenon structures, they had created a stable but narrow internal storage space capable of receiving fixed arcane factors transmitted from the other end.
The theory was sound, and the practical results were decent too. The only issue was the extremely limited storage capacity, so low that even a long message couldn’t be received completely.
There should... still be room for improvement...
....................
News of Astrid’s ascension to Arcanist Mage did not spread widely through the capital. Only a few close acquaintances knew. The rest of the nobility still perceive the Regent Princess as merely a peak tier Magnus.
In the few days after her ascension, Astrid, with Charlotte’s assistance, tested several early tier Arcanist Mage spells. Only after confirming they weren’t suppressed by the world’s inhibitory forces did she stop.
So far, that strange power had only manifested during the instant Astrid ascended to Arcanist Mage. Since then, whether using ancient magic or common human tongue spells, Astrid no longer sensed that peculiar resistance.
After initially stabilizing her realm, Astrid spent her days meeting foreign envoys, afternoons researching magitech devices with Charlotte, and evenings discussing state affairs with Amalia, alongside unwinding from the stress.
Day by day passed. Capital City’s renovation was nearly complete. Nobles wishing to participate in the magitech exhibition had mostly arrived. And the final key project, the magitech signal transmitter, was successfully assembled through Astrid and Charlotte’s joint efforts.
A pale, jade-like hand gently grips the cylindrical metal. Her thumb rested on the piston at the top. Following a specific pattern, Charlotte used long presses and short presses to represent lines and dots respectively. After a series of motions, arcane factors were bundled and sent into the metal tube. Traveling along the tube engraved with magic runes, they reached the slate receiving at the end in less than a fraction of a second.
Staring at the arrangement of arcane factors displayed on the slate, Charlotte carefully read through them. After confirming they matched her input exactly, she pressed the back of her hand against her smooth cheek, deep in thought.
If they could convert the arcane factor patterns into visible information detectable by the naked eye, without requiring a mage to activate elemental vision, the magitech signal transmitter’s versatility would increase dramatically.
But how exactly... Embed light-element crystals at the end, using light-element particles for output...
Or... use clusters of earth-element crystals to alter the surface display of the slate...
Cooled now from her initial excitement, Charlotte continued pondering all possibilities. Such a novel magitech device deserves a rich, bright future.
The path of progress lies within.
Half an hour passed. Charlotte completed a preliminary design sheet, about to call out to discuss with Astrid, when she suddenly realized Astrid hadn’t spoken in quite some time.
Since the start of the prototype test, Astrid had remained completely silent.
Turning around, under the warm lamplight, the noble silver-haired girl in black lay slumped over the worktable. Her normally clear, bright crimson eyes were now closed, hidden beneath her eyelids, deprived of all color.
"..."
Astrid had... fallen asleep from exhaustion?
Realizing this, Charlotte silently recited a spell. A gentle breeze enveloped her. Her long, elegant legs shifted forward and backward, her high heels clicking against the floor tiles, but the presence of wind confined the tapping sounds within a few centimeters, muffled and inaudible.
After a mental breakthrough, ample rest was necessary to ensure soul stability. Yet as Regent Princess, with the grand exhibition approaching, Astrid had to run around everywhere, eliminating hidden dangers.
Even... her nap time had been sacrificed for magitech research...
Approaching Astrid, gazing at the peerlessly beautiful face partially veiled by silver hair, Charlotte’s eyes swept over her long, arched lashes, pausing briefly on her slightly tightened lips.
Neither of them had brought up what had happened that day.
The necessary physical contact and fluid exchange required to maintain their souls’ connection.
Astrid, in her dazed state, might not have fully grasped the sensation. But Charlotte, as the initiator who had deliberately kept her consciousness stable and alert, remembered every detail with perfect clarity.
The softness gliding across her tongue. The sweet nectar transferred with each stir. The warmth blooming between lips and teeth, everything felt so real.
...and so unforgettable.
At this thought, Charlotte’s heartbeat quickened slightly. Although she had long viewed Astrid as an independent individual rather than a dependent junior, in this situation, an inappropriate fluttering sensation persisted.
She must really be ill, after enduring so much loneliness.
Sitting beside Astrid, watching the gentle light bathe her exquisite hair, Charlotte untied the woolen scarf wrapped around her neck and gently draped it over the silver-haired girl’s shoulders.
The room was heated by fire-element crystals, but sleeping in a sleeveless dress still risked catching a chill. After all, Astrid was a mage, not a knight with exceptional physical resilience.
After completing this, Charlotte pulled her hand back. The light falling on the back of her fingers caused the brown irises of her eyes to shimmer with tiny specks of light.
A silver-white ring quietly adorned the slender ring finger of her left hand, accentuating her fair skin.
The dark-haired beauty looked at the ring on her finger, gently caressing it with her other hand. Before her eyes, the image of Astrid placing it there seemed to reappear.
"..."
After a moment of silence, Charlotte, her expression now layered with complexity atop her usual tenderness, crossed her silk-stockinged legs. Her palm rested on the deep purple hem of her skirt, deliberately avoiding looking at the ring on her finger.
..................
Due to the severe lag in information transmission within the medieval Valeria Empire, and because Lyra had only given Astrid a rough estimate of her return time before leaving, the only thing Astrid could be certain of was that Lyra would return to the capital before the magitech exhibition officially began.
Exactly which day she’d be home, whether her parents would keep her longer, or whether any accident might occur on the journey, everything was unknown.
Thus, Astrid could only wait with hope, wishing Lyra would return sooner. Although they had only been apart for a little over half a month, she truly missed that clumsy maid.
Flipping through the latest capital report, hearing the head maid say Lyra hadn’t returned yet, Astrid nodded slightly and responded.
"I understand."
Charlotte was still researching improvements for this new era’s magitech signal transmission device, while Amalia presided over the weekly meeting, listening to ministers report on the week’s affairs and revising various laws.
It was a rare moment of personal time. Luckily, Evelyn had just sent new information. Astrid began reviewing the translated book contents she’d previously asked her to translate, the travelogue from ancient humans.
["At that time, they will brew fine wine from the elves’ magical source, the Fountain of Youth, and use the broad skeletons of dragons as benches."]
["Moserria, the God of Light and Arbiter, often sat in the right seat. Cloaked in an expensive robe woven from elemental spirits’ souls and covered in light-element particles, crowned with a wreath made of World Tree branches."]
["Her sister, Brennild, Goddess of Darkness, draped in night-black garments, veiled by shadows. Her gloves were engraved with the Eternal Darkness, imprisoning countless souls. Death was her nourishment, and the undead her servants."]
["Grace, the deity presiding over tundra and ice, sat to Brennild’s left. She was the harbinger of disasters and frost, the eradicator who severed the living."]
These were the final lines of ["Witness the Cruelty and Indifference of the Gods"].
Astrid read carefully, but found no further divine information below, likely because this part of the knowledge also fell beyond the author’s understanding.
Besides confirming that Brennild and Grace were both deities, there were several other points in the document that caught Astrid’s attention.
First: ["The God of Wind, Veyrith, and the God of Darkness, Brennild, jointly sealed the Endless Sea. Their divine powers connected the ocean and sky. Windless gray mists blocked ships, making it nearly impossible for any sentient being to pass through."]
["It is said that on the other side of the Endless Sea lies the dwelling of the Lord of All."]
Second: ["During divine gatherings, the chief seat remains vacant. Even Veyrith, the god possessing the Sky City, could only occupy the lowest seat."]
Although the book didn’t state it outright, Astrid deduced that the being capable of sitting between the two sides and commanding all gods could only be the true absolute existence worshiped by the Church of Light, the one recorded on stone tablets.
The omniscient and omnipotent Father of All Gods, the compassionate and merciful Mother of All Beings, the supreme Creator who forged the entire world.
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