Arifureta Vol 3 Chapter 3 (1/2)

Chapter 3 : True History

The magic formation s.h.i.+nes faintly and fills the room with a mysterious light.

A young man was standing in front of Hajime, and if they looked closely the man was wearing the same robe as the corpse on the chair.

“You have arrived here after overcoming the trials. My name is Oscar Orcus. The person who created this dungeon. If I said one of the Traitors, would you understand?”

Seems like the person speaking was Oscar Orcus. The creator of the “Orcus Dungeon”. Hajime was surprised but kept listening.

“Ah, please don’t ask questions. This is just a recording, unfortunately, it wouldn’t be able to answer your questions. For the person to reach this place, I will impart the truth of the world and what we fought for…this is the leftover message. I took this shape. Please I want you to listen…We are traitors but we are also not.”

Then Orcus started his story. This story was much different from the known history that the church taught and what Yue explained to him; it shocked him.

A tale of the battle between the Mad G.o.d and his descendants.

During the first years after the Age of G.o.ds, the world was filled with strife. Humans, Devils, and Demi-Humans were constantly at war with each other. The reason for their wars varies. Territorial expansion, ethnic values, greed, and much others. The biggest reason was “Enemy of G.o.d”. During that time the races and countries were finely divided. Each of the race and country would wors.h.i.+p their own G.o.d. For their G.o.d’s oracle, they continued to wage their war.

After hundreds of years of countless battles, but there came people who wanted to end this war. The group was called “Liberators” during those days.

They all had a common connection. All of them were direct descendants of the G.o.ds that were followed in the Age of G.o.ds. The leader of the “Liberators” had, by chance, found out the real intentions of the G.o.ds. The G.o.ds had urged the wars with the intention of having the people be the pieces in their war game. When he found this out, the leader set out on a mission. He gathered like minded people who would not stand for the G.o.ds manipulating the people and driving them to war for their games.

They located the place where the G.o.ds resided, “World of G.o.d”. There were 8 of them that had the strength of ancestral times in “Liberators”, and with their powerful strength challenged the G.o.ds.

However, the plan fails before the fighting began. The G.o.ds were the puppet masters of the people, and they had gotten people to recognize the “Liberators” as the enemy of G.o.d that wanted to bring destruction to the world. People were made to be their enemies. There were complications in the process, after all, they couldn’t wield their power against the people they were trying to protect. When the “Liberators” were defeated they were labeled as “Traitors”, the traitors who forgot the grace of G.o.d and wanted to destroy the world.

At the end, their group had been dwindled to the 8 strongest. They were now the world’s enemies and they judged that they were not strong enough to strike down the G.o.ds. Each of them scattered around the continent and created the 8 Great Dungeon to hide in. The dungeon was a trial to find a worthy person to hand over their powers, and with it accomplish what they could not.

Orcus smiles gently after he finished that long story.

“I don’t know who you are or what reason you arrived here for. I will not coerce you into killing G.o.d. However, I wanted you to know. What we stood for.

…To you, I grant my powers. You are free to use it as you will.

Please do not use this power to satisfy the evil in your heart.

Our conversation is at an end. Thank you for listening. Now your free will won’t be under supervision.”

After he finished what he said, the recorded image of Orcus disappeared. Something invaded Hajime’s mind at the same time. His mind ached with a throb, but endured it quietly because it imprinted knowledge of a certain magic.

Soon, both the pain and magic formation settled. Hajime slowly exhaled.

“Hajime…are you okay?”

“Ah, I’m fine…kind of. I just heard something immense.”

“…Okay…What do you want to do?”

Yue asked what he wanted to do, after he heard Orcus’ story.

“Yeah? Nothing in particular? Being summoned without permission and asking them to fight a war was bothersome. I don’t even know what’s going on with this world. Looking for a way to the surface and going home. That’s my only goal…Are you bothered by it, Yue?”

The previous Hajime would probably do something. However, his values had changed and it allowed him to ignore Orcus’ plight. This world should have its own people deal with their problems, but Yue was as resident of this world. Since he couldn’t leave her alone, he had to consider what she wanted. He couldn’t cut off Yue like he did Orcus because their relations.h.i.+p was a lot closer. Hajime asked her for her thought, but after a slight hesitation she shook her head.

“My place is here…others I don’t care.”

She snuggled up to Hajime and took his hand. Yue tried to convey her true feelings as she grasped his hand. In the past, she devoted everything for her country. Betrayed by those she trusted and not a single person saved her. For Yue after her long imprisonment, this world was just a prison to her.

Hajime was the one to save her from her prison. That is why being beside Hajime was her everything.

“…Is that so.”

Hajime was slightly embarra.s.sed. He cleared his throat to disguise it, and tells the shocking truth without hesitation.

“Ah, I also learned some new magic…Age of G.o.ds magic it seems.”

“…Really?”

Yue had an expression that said she didn’t believe him, but it was expected. The magic used in the Age of G.o.ds were lost to the modern world. It was transition magic that summoned him and the others here, and that was an Age of G.o.ds magic.

“This magic formation on the floor can fiddle with your brain and teach you to use it. It seems like.”

“…Are you okay?”

“Yeah, no problem. This magic…seems like its the magic for me.”

“…What kind of magic?”

“Well, I think its called Creation Magic. You can add magic into minerals with it, and the added magic can give special properties to the minerals.”

Yue jaw-dropped at Hajime’s explanation.

“…You can make artifacts.”

“Ah, I can do that.”

Creation Magic was used to create artifacts during the Age of G.o.ds. Like this magic was made for “Trans.m.u.tation Master”. The truth was Orcus’ cla.s.s was “Trans.m.u.tation Master”.

“Why don’t you learn, Yue? Entering this magic square and it will explore your memories. Orcus said something about a trial and you may learn it if it judges that you pa.s.sed the trial.”

“…I don’t use trans.m.u.tation…”

“Mah, that’s true but…its magic from ancient times? It wouldn’t hurt to learn it?”

“…Okay…if Hajime says so.”

Yue walks to the center of the magic formation just like Hajime advised. The magic formation s.h.i.+nes as it searches through Yue’s memories. Now the moment of truth of its verdict…

“You have arrived here after overcoming the trials. My name is Oscar…”

Orcus appeared again. There was a spoiled feeling. Hajime and Yue ignored Orcus’ story and kept talking to each other.

“Did you learn it?”

“Yeah. But…artifact is difficult.”

“Yeah, it seems that Ancient Magic might have affinities and suitability.”

While the two were talking with each other, near them was Orcus talking and smiling to nothing. It was very surreal. Hajime thought he saw the corpse look sad, but wrote it off as his imagination.

“Ah, for the time being, this place is ours now, do you want to tidy up the corpse.”

Hajime did not have any compa.s.sion.

“Un…fertilize the field…”

Yue also did not have any compa.s.sion.