I Alone Regress in a Hero Party That Was Annihilated - Chapter 65

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#65. Garmelda’s Legacy (1)

 

The cold blade-like wind of the Northern Region carries a sword named frostbite.

 

And with it, it gradually carves away at the extremities of the human body, starting first with the tip of the nose, then later taking the entire nose, beginning to gnaw at fingertips and toe tips before eventually cutting off entire hands and feet.

 

That’s why on such cold days, you must never expose bare skin to the air.

 

…However.

 

“Whew— It’s hot!”

 

“Don’t stop! Keep running!”

 

“If you can’t reach the castle walls within an hour, it’s another first-come-first-served marathon!”

 

The northern young men running around Mörsolt Castle were all shirtless and dripping with sweat.

 

“What are you doing getting exhausted already, you fools! At this rate, you won’t be able to keep your own heads in the upcoming territorial war!”

 

Sir Hounded commanding the training at the front and the soldiers following behind him.

 

Despite this harsh cold, they continued their physical training.

 

“Kha!”

 

Eventually, several soldiers collapsed from exhaustion.

 

As they gasped for breath and fell face-first to the floor, white steam poured from their bodies.

 

Soon after.

 

Crack— Crack— Crack—

 

The sweat droplets on the tips of their hair and beards began to freeze.

 

“C-cold!”

 

“I-I can’t breathe. The inside of my nose is all frozen.”

 

“It feels like heat is rapidly draining from my body…”

 

The soldiers made tearful faces.

 

But perhaps because all their stamina was drained, they couldn’t even think of getting up from the floor.

 

Hounded clicked his tongue.

 

“Pathetic weaklings. Go into that forest and warm up your bodies first.”

 

The ‘Nightmare-Devouring Forest’ that had appeared next to Mörsolt Castle, or rather, now the ‘Miraculous Forest’.

 

That place was a location where warm breezes always flowed, regardless of how cold the weather was.

 

Because the Forest Spirits were bestowing their protection, the inside of the forest was warm as if it were another world.

 

The soldiers moved toward the forest while shivering.

 

As they entered the forest, the sweat droplets that had turned to ice immediately began to melt and flow.

 

“Phew— Now I can live.”

 

Before the sighs of relief that had been trapped in the soldiers’ lungs could even finish being exhaled.

 

“Perfect! If you can live, come back out! Time for training!”

 

At Hounded’s words that immediately followed, the soldiers once again wore tearful expressions.

 

* * *

 

“….”

 

Featherback was silently looking down at the soldiers training below the fortress.

 

After returning from subjugating the Nightmare-Devouring Forest, Featherback had ordered intensive training for the knights and soldiers of the Mörsolt Family.

 

The knights endured the harsh training without raising any particular questions to Featherback.

 

Since there had been the matter with the Levarb Family, they seemed to think it was to prepare for potential military friction with the five families of the Northern Region, known as ‘Mörsolt’s Five Fingers’.

 

…However.

 

Featherback had a different reason for conducting high-intensity training with the knights and soldiers.

 

At this point, the only being who had caught on to that reason was.

 

“You knew everything from the beginning.”

 

Quinbits alone.

 

She looked at Featherback with a cold expression.

 

“Since when did you know? From when you received my invitation? Or from before that, when you sent me the invitation?”

 

“Does it matter when I found out?”

 

“….”

 

Featherback answered the question with a question.

 

Quinbits closed her mouth.

 

The atmosphere turned coldly frozen.

 

Quinbits backed away from Featherback with an attitude filled with extreme wariness.

 

“What exactly are you? Did you follow me? Since when? No, as far as I know, the Mörsolt Family has nothing to do with magic… Why?”

 

“There’s no need to be more wary than necessary. What I have toward you is merely ‘interest’, nothing more, nothing less.”

 

“That’s nonsense. Any being who speaks of ‘Garmelda’s Legacy’ cannot be trusted, even if they’re a three-year-old child.”

 

“From your position, I suppose that could be the case.”

 

Featherback nodded his head.

 

Garmelda.

 

In the Northern Region, no, throughout the entire Empire, few would not know that name.

 

The Great Mage who turned the entire world upside down a hundred years ago.

 

At the same time, the heretic who made enemies of all knights and mages.

 

Featherback continued speaking while leaning against the castle wall.

 

“Garmelda was executed. For trying to make it so that ‘all of humanity’ could use mana.”

 

There’s similar content in mythology.

 

—Originally, fire was a tool that only the gods could use.

 

—Then one day, a human who received the gods’ love was granted the glory of being able to enjoy fire.

 

—While enjoying the fire, that human came to desire sharing it with other humans as well.

 

―At that time, humans of the Mythical Age were like beasts hiding in cold, dark caves, fearing the night.

 

―Then a human who received God’s love and was known to other humans as a Prophet stepped forward.

 

―The Prophet stole fire from the Gods’ Hearth and distributed it to humans, and from then on, humans were able to use fire.

 

―They lit fires to warm their bodies, illuminated the darkness, and cooked meat to eat.

 

―Humans revered and worshipped the Prophet who had given them fire.

 

―But the Gods’ position was different.

 

―They imposed a great punishment on the Prophet who had leaked their divine power to mere mortals.

 

―A punishment of being bound to a Rocky Mountain Peak and having an Eagle peck at his liver.

 

―Moreover, the liver would regenerate anew after a day passed, only to be pecked at by the Eagle again.

 

―Thus the Prophet came to suffer eternal agony for the reason of sharing fire with humans.

 

‘…It was roughly that kind of myth.’

 

Featherback nodded his head.

 

‘Great Mage Garmeda’ was similar to the Prophet who appeared in the myth.

 

He dreamed of a world where all humans could freely handle mana.

 

And he tried to realize that by establishing revolutionary and groundbreaking Magic Theory.

 

But the Privileged Class who already held power and could use mana—Knights and Mages—were wary of such a Garmeda.

 

It was for the obvious reason that if they shared mana, which was the foundation of their strength and power, with the ignorant masses, their own position would become precarious.

 

Featherback opened his mouth.

 

“The High Nobles who executed Garmeda are still chasing his traces. Even going so far as to mobilize troublesome Assassination Organizations.”

 

“….”

 

“Isn’t that why you hid in the forest? You yourself are Garmeda’s trace and legacy.”

 

“….”

 

Quinbits remained silent for a while, keeping her mouth shut without saying a word.

 

Eventually, she raised her head.

 

Her flawless white skin, straight nose bridge, and beautiful eyes sparkled in the sunlight.

 

“That’s right. Garmeda is my teacher. A very old teacher.”

 

“I want the magic theory he established.”

 

“Not to eliminate it… but you want it?”

 

Quinbits asked back as if surprised.

 

“You’re going to teach mana to ordinary humans? Do you think that’s an easy task?”

 

Quinbits was right in her observation.

 

Mana can only be handled by a very select few chosen humans.

 

It’s not humans who choose mana, but mana that chooses humans.

 

And Garmeda wanted to utilize this in reverse.

 

Featherback said.

 

“We can guide mana to choose humans. That’s the core of what ‘Garmelda’s Equation’ possesses.”

 

“I don’t know how you know this, but… you know quite accurately. That’s right, for that to happen, one must become a good vessel that mana can choose. Unless it’s an exceptionally sturdy vessel, it cannot contain mana. Both mind and body must be trained to their limits…”

 

“That’s why I’m having them train now.”

 

“?”

 

Quinbits tilted her head.

 

Eventually, her gaze followed Featherback’s toward below the castle walls.

 

There, she could see Sir Hounded and everyone else training frantically along the castle walls.

 

Quinbits’s mouth fell half open.

 

“You… are you trying to turn all the soldiers in Mörsolt Territory into mana users?”

 

“And furthermore, all of humanity.”

 

“You’re insane. What the hell is this all for?”

 

“….”

 

This time it was Featherback who fell silent.

 

Soon the Demon King would be revived and humans would die and fall like straw.

 

But if Featherback could get his hands on Garmeda’s Magical Theory?

 

Each and every stalk of straw would stand tall like thick trees and be able to block the waves of the Demon Army.

 

However, there was no need to blabber about this story right now.

 

“For now, let’s just say it’s so that the humans of Mörsolt Territory can at least protect themselves from monsters.”

 

“You’re crazy, completely out of your mind. From what I can see, the population has grown considerably too. Are you planning to turn all these people into knights or mages? Why? Are you going to establish a nation or something? Do you want to be recorded as the first emperor in humanity’s history books?”

 

“The concept of a nation is fiction. It’s completely impractical in the face of pan-human external invasion.”

 

“….”

 

“Enough of such complicated talk. Let’s discuss the main point now.”

 

“What kind of conversation is this really. It’s hard to even follow.”

 

Quinbits pressed her forehead as if confused.

 

But Featherback’s mind was clearer than ever before.

 

‘How was it before the regression.’

 

Let me trace back to the past.

 

Garmeda’s Magical Theory would be properly introduced to the world by Quinbits about 10 years from now.

 

Of course, not all of humanity could use mana, but results close to that were achieved.

 

As a result, countless nobles had to give up the privileges they had monopolized, and the Empire’s power structure was greatly overturned.

 

‘If that research had borne fruit just a little earlier, it would have been a great help in stopping the Demon King.’

 

Featherback was now trying to drastically accelerate that change.

 

“You must want to complete and publish Garmeda’s theory to get revenge on the Great Nobles who killed your master.”

 

“….”

 

“I will help you with that. I’ll provide research space and materials, and protect you from annoying pests.”

 

“….”

 

At those words, Quinbits let out a deep sigh.

 

She looked at Featherback with trembling eyes.

 

In contrast, Featherback maintained his characteristic expressionless face.

 

In the end, Quinbits couldn’t read anything from Featherback’s expression.

 

“…Let me think about it a little more. Give me some time.”

 

“I can’t give you much. Decide by midnight tonight.”

 

“Is there a particular reason it has to be midnight tonight?”

 

“Midnight is the deadline for the second quarter budget reform plan. If you accept my proposal, I’ll need to redo the budget allocation. Once the budget is finalized, it’s difficult for even me to change the plan. The Administrator is very strict about that.”

 

“Ha, that’s absurd. This is Garmeda’s theory we’re talking about. You’re saying it’s hard to provide a budget for such a reason?”

 

“That’s what I’m saying if we pass midnight tonight.”

 

“No, frankly speaking. Fine, what happens if we pass it? If I accept after midnight, are you saying you’d refuse on your end?”

 

“That’s right.”

 

“What?”

 

Quinbits’ face contorted with anger.

 

Featherback answered in a calm tone.

 

“Garmeda’s Magical Theory is very useful, but it’s not absolutely essential. My plan has no problems even without Garmelda’s Legacy. It would just be nice to have.”

 

“…I’m asking because I’m genuinely baffled, but do you normally recruit people this way?”

 

“I only told you the truth.”

 

Featherback pulled away from the battlement.

 

Then he moved his steps toward the stairs leading down below the castle walls.

 

Quinbits shouted out loud.

 

“Where are you going in the middle of our conversation!”

 

“We’ve finished talking. I’ve conveyed everything I needed to.”

 

Featherback said without even looking back.

 

“I’ll say it again. Tonight at midnight. If you miss that, it’ll all be for nothing. I’ll even release the Mana Ring Covenant, so go your own way.”

 

“….”

 

This was quite different from the greedy attackers who had been targeting Garmelda’s Legacy and assaulting Quinbits all this time.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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