Chapter 138: [Chapter 138] To Not Forget the Past
To show off all the good things on this land, the Duke of Draycum took his guests on a tour of the most famous places, including the historic site.
400 years ago, something about the Hwajeon people... Diane and Nellis had already heard the explanation before, and Cledwin already knew about it. However, listening to the local's explanation while taking a stroll under the clear sky was quite pleasant.
"Look, Liz! This!"
Diane, with her arm linked with Nellis, was excitedly exploring the area. There were plants that were rare in the south, a clear stream flowing through the historic site, and local birds flying around... everything was new and fascinating to Diane.
On the other hand, Nellis was more interested in the shape of the ruins. The intricate designs were not mentioned in the books she had read at the academy. Now that her mind was more at ease, she was able to notice such details.
As Diane pulled her along, Nellis's eyes suddenly fell upon a pillar with relatively clear carvings remaining.
The pillar, which was originally covered in intricate carvings, was broken off at a height of about two feet above Nellis's head. The top part was worn out due to the passage of time, but the carvings became clearer as you looked down. However, to an untrained eye, it was just a complex pattern.
What caught her attention was the inscription that seemed to be carved between the patterns.
"It wasn't planned from the beginning, and it looks like someone carelessly carved it in later."
It didn't look like a casual scribble by a tourist. The inscription also looked very old. The shape of the letters was distinct enough that even an untrained eye could tell.
Nellis could read a few words among them.
'Saljjugi'. 'Forget'. 'No'?
She had read it carelessly, but the words inscribed were not in the imperial language, nor were they in the sacred language. What language was it?
"Hey."
Nellis furrowed her brow and called out to someone. The low-ranking official of Draycum, who was explaining the economic effects of the historic site, looked up with wide eyes.
"Yes."
"Is it true that this historic site was built 400 years ago?"
"When it was discovered, the scholars sent by His Majesty the Emperor concluded that it was so."
400 years ago would mean that the empire's foundation had already been established. The dark ages, when the evil dragon had brought the world to ruin, had ended about 600 years ago due to the efforts of three heroes.
Many things had changed over the past 200 years. The notation system of the imperial language had changed, and the language itself had dynamically evolved as it integrated with the languages of various tribes. However, records from that time remained deep within the imperial palace.
Why would an inscription in a language that had been unified and disappeared 600 years ago be found in a historic site built 400 years ago?
Yes, it used a character system similar to the current imperial language, but it was a different language. Nellis had read documents in that language before, in her past life.
They were documents written in various languages, mixed together and stored in the imperial palace archives. The imperial family had no use for them, but thanks to the tireless efforts of many scholars, they had been deciphered...
'To not forget the past.'
But Nellis thought that the phrase on the pillar meant exactly that.
"Why?"
Diane, who wasn't interested in history, wanted to know why Nellis was interested. Nellis shook her head.
"No, I'm just curious about what it says."
"Ah, I apologize. It hasn't been deciphered."
The official looked apologetic, as if he had just realized something. Nellis thought it was strange. Why? The imperial scholars had deciphered the language before...
"Is it important?"
Diane asked, noticing Nellis's ambiguous expression. Nellis shook her head again.
"No, let's look at something else."
Soon, Diane was pulling Nellis's arm, and they started strolling around the historic site again.
From a short distance away, Joyce watched them with a pleasant voice.
"It's nice to see, Your Highness."
"Yes, it is."
Cledwin nodded, watching the two ladies enjoying themselves. He seemed to be accepting the situation, albeit with some dissatisfaction.
His attitude didn't fit the image of 'Cledwin Maindorlant', the man Joyce had investigated before coming here.
"He's completely misunderstood."
Joyce was experienced enough to know that you shouldn't judge a person based on rumors alone. However, he thought that you could learn something about a person from their actions.
According to the 'life trajectory' he had investigated, Cledwin was not a good man who would match well with the lovely, cute, and kind Diane.
It wasn't because he had killed all his servants. In the Sibna and Nualan McKenna incident, Joyce had learned that the bloodline could become an even more terrifying enemy. And after investigating further, it seemed that the young duke was actually a victim who had almost been eaten by the cunning wolves.
But regardless of right or wrong, Cledwin had lived a very dangerous life. This incident was probably also related to Maindorlant.
"It's a dangerous environment. Not just for Diane, but for Nellis as well."
Joyce had thought a lot about the fact that not only his own life but also the precious Diane had almost been lost, and that even the maid who had worked safely at the McKenna household for 5 years was a spy.
And his conclusion was this.
"The enemy's goal wasn't to kill us. Then the goal is Nellis. The reason is the jewel, or Maindorlant's unrest."
Originally, Betty, who was in charge of Diane, had left her post, so it was unlikely that the McKenna household would assign just anyone to Diane. Nora's background was clean, and she always did her best at work.
How many people on this continent could thoroughly hide their true selves like that?
Although Maindorlant hadn't provided much information, Joyce had thought it through and come up with his own answer. And if that was the case, he also knew what he had to do.
"Maindorlant might be able to get Nellis, but the jewel is out of the question. The imperial family will definitely take an interest. Then Nellis's decision to come here secretly was probably the best choice for herself."
The imperial family's actions were excessive, but in the meantime, the McKenna household, which had almost been destroyed, had no evidence to protest.
Joyce felt a little ashamed of himself. If his family had been a high-ranking noble family, or even a local baron, he would have been able to show more discomfort in the social circle.
But no matter how much money they had, the McKenna household was just a 'replaceable merchant family' to the high-ranking nobles, and Joyce knew that fact well.
'The family needs to be elevated.'
So, the McKenna household had no choice but to become stronger. To those who thought that their ancestors' past actions were more important than the bread they put in their mouths, Joyce had to show them that it wasn't so.
This Maindorlant trip was a bigger opportunity than Joyce had thought, and at the same time, a huge risk factor. Securing Diane's safety by withdrawing from Maindorlant immediately was also an option, but...
'Then we'll just be stuck in the same position forever.'
There was also the reason that they couldn't ignore Nellis, the silver lining. For the sake of the family, they needed to make a different choice from now on.
'No one will be able to use the McKenna household like this.'
His father, the Earl of McKenna, had succeeded in everything he touched, and Joyce had inherited that talent. He was determined to thoroughly investigate what the McKenna merchant house could gain from this northern trip.
However, to do so, he needed to become a man that the Duke of Maindorlant could trust.
'Unlike the evaluation that he's crazy, he's actually a man of great determination. His actions may seem extreme, but considering he's built up his position at such a young age after losing his parents, he's actually quite bold.'
The merchants within Maindorlant would naturally be locals, but there was room to intervene in the trade between the south and Maindorlant. Currently, he knew that there was no large merchant house that specialized in that trade, and the Morie merchant house, which had recently started, was still small.
Joyce instinctively felt that there was a bigger opportunity in the north than what the southerners had thought. And to grab that opportunity, he needed someone to collaborate with.
A man of great determination and boldness wasn't bad at all.
While Joyce and Cledwin were quietly thinking to themselves, Diane and Nellis continued to stroll around the historic site, chatting away. Actually, it was Diane who was doing most of the talking, and Nellis was just giving simple answers, but the two of them were satisfied with that.
"Is your mother still alive?"
Before going to the White Swan Castle, Nellis brought up the fact that Diane's mother was still alive, and Diane's face lit up.
"That's great!"
"Thank you."
"I really like your mother. She's always so bright and cheerful, and it's nice to see her. You know, if we go to Penmerwick, there might be a nice spot for a picnic nearby. If you have time, we can go with your mother and brother."
"Hmm, the area around Penmerwick is beautiful, so that sounds good. It's nice to go just the two of us, but we might end up going together as a group."
Since guests had arrived, the local lords of the White Swan Castle might not come out. As Maindorlant was proud of its nobility, they would want to show off their dignity to outsiders.
Nellis smiled slightly.
"Penmerwick Castle is very beautiful. It's white and elegant, and people call it the White Swan Castle. I really want to show it to you, Dee."
"Okay!"
Diane was so engrossed in the conversation that she almost bumped into a passerby. Fortunately, she didn't, and the two of them stopped and apologized.
"Sorry."
"Sorry about that."
As Diane was a noble, she was used to using polite language to address other nobles in the area. She naturally used informal language to apologize, but she didn't expect the other person to respond in kind.
The two ladies, Diane and Nellis, casually glanced at the person Diane had almost bumped into.
She was a very tall woman, even taller than Cledwin by half a head. She might be the tallest person the two ladies had ever seen. However, the most impressive feature of her appearance wasn't her height.
'Her eyes sparkle like gold.'
While they didn't have as many facets as a jewel, her eyes were very unique. Diane was amazed by her long, golden hair that seemed to be melted from gold, and her beautiful eyes that shone like metal in the same color.
'I didn't know people with eyes like that existed.'
Even though she was with Nellis, who possessed a jewel-like gaze, Diane couldn't help but think that. The golden-haired woman tilted her head, seemingly unaware of why the two ladies were staring at her, and then looked at Nellis's eyes and opened her mouth.
"Ah."
It was a casual reaction, as if she had encountered something she already knew. Nellis and Diane simultaneously made a strange expression.
The woman smiled faintly while looking at Nellis's eyes, and then turned her body and walked away, disappearing behind a stone wall taller than a person.
"Are you okay?"
Cledwin and Joyce approached them. In response to her brother's question, Diane nodded her head with a bewildered expression.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I didn't bump into her."
"That's a strange outfit. Is she a magician?"
Diane had been too distracted by the woman's eyes to notice, but from a distance, Joyce and Cledwin could focus more on the fact that she was wearing a very old-fashioned robe.
It seems like you've provided another passage from the same novel or story. I'll be happy to help you analyze or summarize this passage as well.
Here's a rough translation of the passage to English:
"Magicians were rare. While anyone from a noble family could handle simple magic tools for daily life, people who could decide on their own magic without relying on tools already imbued with magic power and manipulate that power were extremely rare.
If she was a magician, it was only natural that she would use informal language with anyone. They were a bit unusual, after all. Diane nodded in understanding and pointed to a different direction with Nellis.
"That flower is pretty! Let's go take a look!"
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