Chapter 46 Chapter 46: The Realm of Ever-Darkness

Because of the sudden change of topic, Meihe looked at the princess and was at a loss for words. "Aju Rupa said." Under Meihe's gaze, Sophie showed a slightly Burmese smile and continued, "He said that Mr. Meihe has the magical power of 'traveler' and can see through people's bodies. You must have used that staff, right?" As she spoke, she glanced at the cane leaning on the armrest of Mizuru's chair. "You have used the power of the staff on my followers more than once, right? I have seen Mr. Meizuru feel strange." Surprisingly sharp.Meihe smiled like the princess.

"You're right. Her Royal Highness is extremely smart, I admire you." Sophie didn't cheer up: "So, what did you see? No, let me be blunt, you didn't see anything, did you. So, you're wondering. Right?" Meihe nodded bluntly.What is the princess going to say? "It's natural that you can't see things. Because he—although he looks like a human, he is not human." According to Sophie, that follower is something called "Unreal". "He is a soulless existence. Although he faithfully executes the orders of his master, he has no personal will. He has no emotions, no pain. He will be sick, and he will die if he is killed. He has life. However, only life, Can it be said that it is alive?"

That's sad - murmured the princess.That's what Sophie looked at that follower.Not some hazy love affair. "This is the first time I've heard of the so-called 'illusion'." Meihe said, "I've never heard of it in the Southern Continent." "Oh, of course. Only in the Northern Continent." "Is the cause sickness?" "No!" Sophie shook her head violently, almost shaking off her hair ornament. Meihe narrowed his eyes: "So, did you use medicine, or magic? Or, some kind of surgery?" Sophie turned to Meihe's eyes, with a look of timidity for the first time: "You said something terrible."

"Just a momentary thought." The princess sat upright, trimmed her hair and slightly lowered her naturally sweet voice. "When people look at the realm of eternal darkness, they will become unreal. It is said that the reason is that the realm of eternal darkness absorbs the soul, or the image in the mirror is too terrifying, and the soul escapes from the person's body. But I don't know what it is .It's just that no matter how strong a person is, if he just takes a look at the Realm of Eternal Darkness, he will turn into an illusion." Meihe's mind became busy: at this moment Sophie seemed to be quietly unraveling the things her father had hidden from Meihe.This is the secret of the emperor's family that Meihe could not know after reading the materials in the library.

Moreover, she said it was Yaju Rupa's instigation.Meihe is in the corner of her heart, moving a scale: Does Sophie understand the meaning of doing this?What is Yaju Rupa's plan? "It's the first time I've learned about the Realm of Eternal Darkness. Oh..." Meihe shook his head and sighed, "What a scary mirror. Does it exist somewhere in the Northern Continent?" Although Meihe expressed curiosity, it was completely a continuation of the conversation, and the question was logical.Sophie was tense, like a hare hearing the footsteps of a predator.If she was a little frightened, she would rush back to the lair and never show her face again.Be careful.

As expected.Sophie slowly raised her eyes, watching Mizuru's expression. "Father—didn't you tell Mr. Meizuru about the Realm of Eternal Darkness? It's a silver mirror with a diameter as large as my height. It's a very beautiful mirror." "Hey. I haven't seen it before." "real?" Meihe smiled: "Really. Seeing that you are so nervous, it must be a big secret." Sophie sighed softly, putting a hand to her throat.Although the movements were suspected of being practiced, the annoyance in her heart seemed genuine. "Mr. Meizuru's goal is to go to the Tower of Destiny—the place where the Goddess of Creation is?"

"That's the mission and goal of 'Passenger'." "For this you also need a gem. That gem is inlaid on the crown of our royal family." "Yes, it is the crown of seal." "You know? Is that so?" Sophie lowered her long eyelashes. "It is said that it is an important crown and should not be moved lightly." "You're right. So father—let Mizuru-san wait." Sophie asked, what explanation did you get from my father about the reason for waiting? Meihe straightened her posture and solemnly explained the details of her conversation with the emperor.

In doing so, he was angry again, and his face was furious.I can't stand your father's nonsense, making people wait in vain.Before I came here, I was overlooking the city from the balcony of my living room, thinking about destroying this imperial capital——Facing Sophie’s lovely face here and now, how cool it would be if I could say that! However, with his cleverness and anger, he put on a mask instead.Sophie concentrated on watching the gentle expression while narrating.When Meihe stopped talking and was about to take a sip of the tea that was getting cold, she asked in a low voice:

"Don't you find it a little disturbing?" "whats the matter?" "Because my father didn't specifically say how important the Sealed Crown is, and what kind of disaster would be caused if it was touched." "That's right." Meihe said carefully, "I tried to ask, but I didn't hear anything." The princess suddenly leaned forward, stretched out her hand, and pressed Meihe's hand. "Forgive me. I'm not trying to defend you. Father is also taking pictures of you in his own way, and avoids talking about the details. This is because of something related to the Sealed Crown, which is a taboo and a stain. Father thinks that this kind of thing You shouldn’t be telling the messenger of God from the holy place in this world—Mr. Mizuru.”

Meihe asked her to hold his hand, and asked in a more kind tone: "Understood. But now, Her Royal Highness wants to tell me about the taboo. Is that so?" Sophie nodded with a thoughtful look in her eyes, then, as if suddenly awakened, she withdrew her hand from Mizuru's hand and stood up. "Thank you for your kindness." Meihe bowed his head in greeting, "However, I am worried. His Majesty the Emperor will be very angry if you do that, right?" "That……" Meihe smiled again and seized the opportunity: "You mean, I can keep what you tell me a secret. Right?"

A smile appeared on Sophie's face, as if sharing countless secrets in her heart with a close friend.Panicked, she picked up the teapot in an unaccustomed posture, and when she was about to refill the teacup, it overflowed.As Mizuru wiped the spilled water with a rag, Sophie whispered, "Aju Rupa said that Mr. Mizuru sometimes looked very sad when he was alone." spy!Meihe cursed in his heart. "It must be thinking back to the present time. The relatives and friends who stayed in the present world-the nostalgic faces all appear in my mind, so I feel depressed." Meihe remained silent, showing that she acknowledged what Sophie said. "Lupa said that Mr. Meizuru hopes to arrive at the Tower of Destiny as soon as possible, and return to the present world after achieving his goal. I think it is also a matter of course." "However," she raised her voice, "Father did have his reasons for asking Mr. Mizuru to wait. Lupa felt that His Majesty's explanation was not enough for Mr. Mizuru to accept. Therefore——he suggested that I persuade him. " Sophie said that the reason is all in the realm of constant darkness. "The crown of seal seals the realm of eternal darkness. Only the noble jewel inlaid on the crown of seal can suppress the power of the terrible mirror. The jewel Mr. Meizuru wants, we call it the 'dark jewel' '." "The jewel of darkness." Meihe was agitated in his heart. "The 'Dark Jade' was originally brought from the Demon Realm to the Illusory Realm. It is precisely because of this that it can restrain the realm of eternal darkness." Meihe asked the question straightforwardly: "What is the so-called realm of eternal darkness? Also, what is the demon world? Besides the real world and the fantasy world, is there such a world?" Sophie's vivid face darkened, and her tone became polite and cautious. "Although it's strange to explain these things to Mizuru-san until now, please bear with me a little bit. The real world and the phantom world are a pair of worlds. However, the phantom world is a world that exists because of the present world. Because it is the real world Imagination energy creates the phantom world. What separates the two is the 'Great Light Boundary'. Furthermore, the present world and the phantom world are also surrounded by the chaotic abyss..." Meihe nodded.Sophie continued. "It's more appropriate to say that both the present world and the fantasy world seem to be floating above the chaotic abyss, like fragile bubbles floating on the surface of the boundless abyss. However, there is no more beautiful bubble than this." "As I said just now, the real world and the fantasy world are paired worlds. Although this statement is not true, even though they are paired, they are not one-to-one. Because although the real world is one, there are multiple fantasy worlds at the same time. Except us There are living fantasy worlds, and in places we don’t know, how many other fantasy worlds have time passed.” Although the mentor didn't say these things, Meihe was not surprised.Since it is a world formed by imagination, this is not surprising.There are an infinite number of people in this world, that is to say, there are imaginations—thoughts, ideals, moods—corresponding to this number.It would be more natural to have multiple fantasy worlds. "It's a 'coexisting world'." Meihe said.He read science fiction. "coexist……." "Ah, nothing. Then?" Is Sophie uneasy?Her eyes wandered a little.She is not used to being interrupted in the middle of her speech. "Phantom is a peaceful world on many occasions," she thought, "living like we do, right?" "Yes, not bad at all." "However, there is also a fantasy world full of darkness and fear, a world full of hostility and malice..." "That's the 'Demon Realm'?" Sophie nodded, and said: "That's right. The so-called Demon Realm, as the historian told me, is the world that almost failed to become the Illusion Realm. Because of this, they hate the Illusion Realm and attempt to destroy the Illusion Realm. The darkness there is always eager to invade the fantasy world and seek opportunities." At the bottom of the chaotic abyss, there are many undifferentiated seeds, which have not been able to form a fantasy world.If they are lucky, they can grow into a healthy fantasy world, but because of some mistakes and distortions, they fall into the devil world... When Sophie said this, she almost trembled with fear, but Mizuru was not afraid at all.Because he felt that since it was a world created by the imagination of human beings in the present world, it would not be surprising even if it all became a demon world.On the contrary, this rather leisurely fantasy world, as a virtual world created by human beings in this world, is probably a "heterogeneous".Meihe is well aware of human malice and selfish desires. , he is sufficient to make a calm judgment. "However, fundamentally speaking, whether it is the fantasy world or the demon world, they are all the same. Therefore, no matter what kind of fantasy world it is in, it contains elements similar to the demon world to some extent. It can be called a point of contact with the demon world, there is. There is no world without hostility, malice, and ignorance." "Indeed. Deep insights." Meihe said, taking the lead in the conversation from Sophie, "Then, in terms of the fantasy world we live in , its point of contact is the Realm of Eternal Darkness, right?" "right." "Therefore, in order to guard against attacks from the demon world, the town must be sealed with the 'Crown of Sealing'. In this way, it is a matter of course that the 'Crown of Sealing' cannot be easily moved." Sophie breathed a sigh of relief and smiled in relief that she hadn't seen in a while. "I speculate subjectively: Maybe His Majesty's family, since the origin of the Illusory Realm, has used the Realm of Constant Darkness to seal off the passage to the Demon Realm, and the Realm of Constant Darkness has played a vital role?" Sophie looked surprised. "That's right, that's right! You're right! Therefore, it is our family's long-cherished wish to unify not only the Northern Continent, but also the entire fantasy world to achieve peace. No, it is a mission. The distant ancestors of our family started in the fantasy world At that time, he was appointed by the goddess to manage the 'Land of Everlasting Darkness' - we are the Chosen people." "A great mission." Meihe asserted, "After hearing what you said, I have also solved another small question." "What's the question?" "In the Southern Continent, I have always heard that the Old God Sect, the unified empire in the north, was denied by the founding goddess. Therefore, when I met His Majesty the Emperor, I immediately asked the authenticity of this question. Because in the Old God Sect, like me Such 'travellers' are seen as despicable beings who deceive God." "I'm sorry," Sophie whispered. "No, it doesn't matter. His Majesty the Emperor immediately answered my question. He said that the reason why he pursued the policy of making the Old God Religion the state religion was to fight against the Southern Continent, which absolutely believed in the founding goddess. source of the world." "Yes, that's it!" "However, that is not to deny the Goddess of Creation. The Goddess does exist and lives in the Tower of Destiny. However, he also said that the Goddess is the God of Destiny to the people of this world, not the god of people in the fantasy world. To this point , I was a little puzzled before. However, after listening to what you just said, I suddenly realized. His Majesty's family is a sacred administrator appointed by the goddess of creation to manage the fantasy world. The goddess does not command the fantasy world. The responsibility is entrusted to His Majesty's family, and he is safe and secure in the Tower of Destiny. That's the way it is." Sophie clasped her hands together in front of her chest, smiling all over her face. "Mr. Meihe understood those things based on my clumsy explanation just now! That's great." "No, it all depends on what the princess said." Sophie shrugged in the way a girl her age could do, with a slightly willful air. "If, as the foolish people in the south believe, it is true that the founding goddess rules everything in the fantasy world, what ever-dark realm, with her power, can be sealed at once? However, the goddess did not do that. In my opinion, That's not the work of the real God." "Absolutely not." "However, people in the Southern Continent don't know anything about these real situations." Meihe knew that there was so-called contempt and disgust in Princess Sophie's expression. "But it's very difficult." Meihe rested his forehead with one hand, "If the 'Crown of Sealing' is such an important thing, how can I, a mere 'Traveler', get it?" "So, then..." Sophie leaned forward, "That's very important. There is another way to seal the Realm of Eternal Darkness. Does Mr. Meizu know about the 'Mirror of Truth'?" of course I know.Instructor Rao said that when we set off.He said that when starting to travel, Mizuru will meet the person who holds the mirror of truth.The mirror of truth is an important thing that becomes a signpost for the "traveler".In addition, the person who owns this item is a traveling companion and will help Mizuru.If the Mirror of Reality and the gems Mizuru finds one after another work together, they can return to the present world for a short time.etc. Indeed, as Teacher Rao said.After leaving the janitor's village, Mizuru ran into a resident of the Southern Continent holding a mirror of truth somewhere. When that person knew that Meihe was a "tourist" and needed a "mirror of truth", he offered to be employed by Meihe.This is an orc man who seems to be a bodyguard by profession. Meihe doesn't want this kind of person as a traveling companion.There is no need for a partner, and how can you trust someone who asks for a salary-he says "hire me"? That's why Meihe killed the orc man, and then took his Mirror of Reality, which he still wears next to his body. "Yes, I know. However, the Mirror of Reality is different from the Realm of Ever-Darkness. The Mirror of Reality does not have a complete shape, it is a small fragment..." "That's right. The mirror of truth was shattered by the Goddess of Creation at the beginning of the illusion world, and scattered throughout the illusion world. As a result, many of them fell into the hands of people who didn't know its value." "However, what if the fragments could be gathered together to reproduce the complete shape of the mirror of reality?" Meizuru asked. "Yes, with its power, it can seal the Realm of Eternal Darkness!" Sophie said forcefully, "Because the Realm of Eternal Darkness leads to the devil world, and the mirror of truth connects to the present world. Therefore, combining the two into one, you can cancel each other out." It is said that because of this, each generation of emperors tried their best to search for the mirror of truth. "Sometimes, I don't hesitate to use quite violent methods. However, the illusion world is very large, and it used to be very difficult to search for it from the north across the sea." However, it is different now.With the new power of the "power ship", the unified empire can move towards a truly unified country this time.Then it would be easy to search for and reproduce the mirror of truth. "If the Realm of Eternal Darkness is sealed with the Mirror of Reality, the sealed crown is unnecessary. You can take out the precious jade at any time as Mr. Mizuru wishes. So, father wants Mr. Mizuru to wait—do you understand? What's the underlying reason for not letting you wait?" Meihe stood up and bowed respectfully: "Understood. I sincerely thank the princess for her broad-mindedness and thoughtfulness, and for telling me such an important matter." For a moment, Sophie was both happy and shy, and she pulled Crane's hand and pressed her chest to express her peace of mind, which can be described as agitated.During this period, Meihe made a calm calculation in his heart. This little girl—no, the emperor himself is also fine. If the mirror of reality is resurrected and the realm of eternal darkness is sealed off, the goddess' privilege of ordering the royal family to guard and manage it will be lost. Have they noticed this?If the fantasy world is pacified, no one will care about them, is there no problem? Or, maybe the royal family is tired of sealing off the Ever-Dark Realm and is in trouble.It might sound great to be the steward of the world, but the job is actually incredibly difficult. However, all this is insignificant to Meihe. "By the way, to satisfy the pure curiosity of me, a 'traveler' from this world. May I ask again?" Sophie was hurriedly changing the tea, her cheerful eyes agreed.Meihe politely stopped her. "Let me make some tea. Oh, we've finished talking about important matters, so don't be too formal, Your Highness the Princess." "Okay, I'll leave it to you." "Actually, how terrifying is the power of the so-called demon world? About this point, the scholars who have achieved great success in unifying the empire should understand it?" The corner of Sophie's mouth twitched, and said: "Only once... This is the end stage of the unification war. It is said that in a very short period of time, the seal was released and the power of the demon world was introduced." "Then... why?" "It is said that it was to defeat the powerful enemies who resisted our empire. The tribal groups that lived a nomadic life on the plains, because they were in the barbaric stage and did not form a country, always came to stalk the imperial army... The emperor decided to use the power of the demon world to prevent the imperial army from Weary in vain." The demon army from the demon world flew over through the realm of constant darkness and killed all the barbarians in the blink of an eye. "It's terrible... But, then, it will also hurt the imperial army, right?" "It is said that the empire attracted the barbarians to the wilderness, and then moved the mirror of ever-darkness nearby. Fortunately, the damage was kept to a minimum. Moreover, once the barbarians were wiped out, they were immediately re-sealed. During the period—it is said that a total of It's just an hour." It is said that once the seal is added, the demons who landed in the fantasy world with their teeth and claws open will instantly turn into black dust and disappear without a trace. "What do the demons look like?" "I don't know. If you check the history of ancient battles in the library, there may be one or two plates..." As far as Meihe knew, there was no such board.Is it scary enough to leave a record? "The wilderness where the demons attacked the barbarians is still barren. It's far away from here, so I haven't seen it." At this time, Sophie asked another off-topic question: "Does Mr. Meihe know why this stone city is called 'Crystal Palace'?" Meihe looked at the majestic Crystal Palace from afar and shook his head. "Nothing at all. Indeed, as you say, a little strange." "The unification war ended three hundred years ago, and it was another hundred years after this place was designated as the imperial capital. It is said that the moment the city was built and the realm of eternal darkness was placed, the city seemed to be made entirely of crystals, and it changed into a world of crystal." It is transparent and dazzling. To commemorate this magnificent beauty, it was named the Crystal Palace. It is said that the same light was emitted during the war to conquer the barbarians, and when the seal was unsealed and re-sealed. It must be revealed. Will of the Realm of Eternal Darkness." However, Shiji turned out to be quite helpful to Meihe. "So, is the Realm of Everlasting Darkness in the Crystal Palace?" "Yes." Sophie nodded easily, perhaps because she was afraid that this matter would not be concealed from Meihe's sharp eyes, she shook her slender little hand in a panic and continued: "However, I don't know where it is placed. Only father and The priest knows." "However, there should be a mirror room or a place like a church? Look at the blueprints of the city..." "It is hidden with a barrier. So no matter where the room is, it is blocked by the barrier, and no one can reach it. It was originally invisible." Sophie answered easily, but Yu Meihe gave a heavy reply.Unconsciously, he leaned back hard on the chair, "Boom!" Enchantment - not bad.So so far, they have not been able to find out the treasure crown, which is where the last precious jade is. In the travels so far, finding Baoyu has not taken much trouble.In the beginning, the magic wand told Meihe where the first gem was safe.And as soon as it found the first gem, it told the location of the second gem, and the second gem told the third... In this way, Meihe only had to listen to the voice of the gem.Even the last treasure jade is in the North Continent, and the treasure jades said: "Cross the sea to the north and meet the emperor. The emperor knows everything." However, once Lai hit the northern continent, the magic wand fell silent.Even where the last precious jade is, whether it is in the imperial capital or elsewhere, it is not explained.As long as she knows the location, Meihe can take action at any rate. The reason was finally understood.The depression in my heart disappeared. "The Realm of Eternal Darkness is guarded by the emperor's family from generation to generation. The place where the mirror is placed is concealed by an enchantment, and it must have been concentrated with powerful magic power to arrange it. It is not surprising that even the magic staff that has absorbed four precious jades is no match. .” "That enchantment was formed by burying magicians all over the imperial capital." Sophie said, drinking a cup of tea gracefully. "Speaking of which, it is said that the imperial capital itself was originally designed for how to arrange barriers to guard and hide the realm of eternal darkness. Therefore, the foundations of the main buildings of the imperial capital must have used those magic stones." Meihe desperately couldn't help laughing: I didn't ask anything, and she said such an important thing. Your Royal Highness, talkative and thoughtless, thanks to you. Maybe Princess Sophie is the one who really helps Meihe on this trip. ——If the imperial capital itself is an enchantment. Meihe restrained her excited mood, and gently let out the breath that was pent up in her heart. ——As long as the imperial capital is destroyed, the barrier will disappear. "Destroying the emperor is not a bargaining chip to threaten the emperor, because this act itself has already produced meaning!" Meihe said to the princess who was staring innocently at her in her heart, you are so kind and kind.You don't suspect at all what's on my mind in front of you.You also don't want to think about the real intention of Yaju Rupa who instigates you to speak out these words. The emperor's family has monopolized the wealth of the Northern Continent for three hundred years.Prosperity is not declining, and there are many natural relatives.Among them are collateral people who have no hope of being related to the throne, but have a rebellious heart against the current emperor and set their sights on the emperor's throne.Sophie's road to the queen seems uneven, of course, because of such ambushes lurking. Although Sigdra is the emperor's running dog, but running dogs have the nature of running dogs.They plan to fall to the stronger and more sweet side at any time.Yaju Rupa was one of them.The reason why he instigated the princess to reveal the truth was in an attempt to push Meihe to act. When something happened, it might be used as the basis for the emperor's missteps.Of course, behind Yaju Rupa there must be someone who instigated him and licked his head... Then I can't control it. —You can't hide it from me, Rupa.Still, I have to say "thank you". It is not only the princess who is kept in the dark.Same goes for Yaju Rupa.When Meihe really makes a move, it will not be a matter of investigating Jamma Aglias VII's missteps, it will be a major event that you can't imagine!In the end, it was you who underestimated me. But, that was a miscalculation. "It's time to call the ladies back. It's windy." Meihe said kindly, "If Your Highness has a cold, I won't be able to sleep." Sophie flushed with joy.She reached for the silver bell that summoned the lady officer, and Meihe signaled to wait. "One last question: If Ever Darkness is so solemnly sealed off, why would there be an accident where someone peeped into it and turned it into an 'illusion'?" For a split second, Sophie gave her most apologetic expression to date.The blush on her cheeks suddenly disappeared. "That is……" "Is it a punishment?" Meihe's question was like a helping hand, and she quickly grabbed hold of it. "Yes, that's exactly what it is. It happens a lot. When the heinous criminal or political prisoner refuses to repent anyway." "Is it to temporarily untie the enchantment and let those people go to the dark realm as usual?" "Yes." The princess looked downcast, "That is very cruel. But, there is no way." "Understood, okay." "Besides, it is safer and more convenient for the people who take care of our family to be the 'illusory' ones. The established idlers are always...well...different from warriors or scholars, they are lowly people." While defending herself, she said "very pitiful" and lowered her gaze. "However, that kind of thing doesn't happen very often. Moreover, to unlock the barrier and approach the realm of eternal darkness, both father and priest must be present to perform the ceremony. It takes a lot of time. The priest is responsible for preaching and supervising the church. , I’m not in the imperial capital a lot of the time. Mr. Meizuru hasn’t met the head priest either, has he? That person is busier than my father.” Meihe nodded and imagined: the queue of prisoners wearing gauntlets, under the escort of the guards, lined up in a row, one by one came to the Realm of Eternal Darkness. It's also hopelessly insane and stupid. "So, among the servants in the Crystal Palace, there are a considerable number of 'illusions'. Is it just that I didn't notice it?" "Yes...but you don't have to find out." "Of course, I didn't mean that." Meihe smiled, "I said so. I just asked out of the curiosity of a 'passenger'." The princess summoned the ladies-in-waiting and began to tidy up the tea table.Mizuru eyed the female officials with her newfound knowledge.In the Crystal Palace, if you can distinguish the "illusory" working in the crowd.... It can save the time of looking for "materials" in the capital. After sending the princess back to the castle, Mizuru stood in the "Victory Garden" for a long time, letting the strong wind blow her hair and the hem of her robe, her hands tightly clenched into fists at her sides. Clenched hands contain determination. The fate of the imperial capital of Sorebria is sealed.