The Adventures of an Overpowered Knight in Another World Chapter 688- The Existence Of Another Continent
Previously on The Adventures of an Overpowered Knight in Another World...
Perhaps the writer himself did not hold a particularly high position within the kingdom. The things he recorded were fragmented, mostly tidbits learned from public announcements, conversations, and rumors spreading through the streets.
Yet even from those fragments, one could vaguely glimpse the grandeur of that age.
It appeared wars were extremely prevalent during that era. Humanity constantly fought against other races for dominance.
According to the diary, several mighty nations existed on the continent of Valdonia at that time.
Elfenheim, the ancient kingdom of the high elves. Mount Cragdor, the colossal fortress nation of giants and dwarves. Duskrun Expanse, the wildlands ruled by the Cien’thrope and the Therianthrope races.
And more... Each possessed terrifying military power and countless powerful warriors.
Yet despite all of them vying for supremacy, the Empire thoroughly suppressed them all.
There was only one force in Valdonia capable of contending against the Empire. The Federation. However, even that was only because they were backed by the Draconic Continent.
At this realization, Erza’s expression changed dramatically.
"There was another continent in this world?" Her voice carried her unconcealed shock.
Reinhardt wasn’t an exception. He was similarly stunned. This was his first time learning about the existence of another continent.
These were things that were not recorded anywhere in history. Up until now, the current world had only Valdonia.
Yet according to this diary, there was once another continent beyond the seas.
Reinhardt silently continued turning the pages.
The writer went on to describe the demi humans as barbarians who worshipped false, heretical gods.
Still, no matter how powerful those races were, they supposedly stood no chance before the Seven Gods and the Empire. Even mighty kingdoms like Elarion considered themselves fortunate simply to exist beneath the Empire’s protection.
As he was reading the diary, suddenly the next passage drew his attention.
[The Arcanaists visited the capital today. Their silver cloaks bore the mark of the Seven Divine Seals.]
[As expected of the executioners of the Seven Gods, merely standing near them makes breathing difficult. They are humanity’s greatest shield.]
"Arcanists," Reinhardt slowly muttered.
He knew this term. They were supposedly a group of people living in the Ancient Era whose skills and powers surpassed all other humans.
They were the ones who created the Labyrinths with the motive to protect the knowledge of humans and pass it down to the next generation during the advent of the demons.
So they were the executioners of the Seven Gods and their most powerful warriors.
Reinhardt continued reading the diary.
The next several pages were filled almost entirely with praises toward the Seven Gods and the Arcanists.
The Seven Gods were described as absolute beings. Their divine powers were portrayed as powerful and all-encompassing.
For example, those who wanted to become stronger and have strong bodies prayed to the god of Might and Humility, Oros’Vael.
Those suffering from sickness and ailment prayed to the goddess of Healing and Love, Odeth’Rhea.
"Hm?"
Reinhardt suddenly frowned. For some reason, an unusual feeling welled up in his heart. However, the feeling was incredibly vague and faded as soon as it appeared.
Since it did not trigger his [Celestial Harmony], Reinhardt did not think too much about it.
Anyways, all the seven gods had their own power and dominion. It was through these gifts and authority that they firmly held the hearts and faith of humanity.
Even the mighty Empire itself seemed to derive legitimacy from serving beneath their will.
Meanwhile, the Arcanists were described as the executioners of the Seven Gods. They were the enforcers of the law and carried their will.
Their powers were so great that even the other great nations, the Federation and the Draconic Continent beyond the sea, had to be wary of them.
After that, the contents of the diary shifted to the ordinary daily life of the writer.
The pages were filled with complaints about work, food prices rising due to war, and the writer talking about a girl he liked. Nothing particularly important.
The eyes of Reinhardt and Erza twitched. Some of the contents were clearly too explicit and private. To state, it was the love life of the writer.
Reinhardt tactfully chose to skip those pages.
The skimmed-through diary had nothing important written on it. That is, until they reached the final few pages.
[Year 4729 of the Imperial Calendar]
[Today, the heavens changed.]
[At noon, the sun was suddenly eclipsed.]
[Darkness swallowed the skies.]
[Then a new star appeared.]
The handwriting beyond this point became increasingly messy. Since she was engrossed by the content, she forgot how close her face was right now.
[At first, the news channels reported that everyone thought it was merely a celestial phenomenon and it would disappear soon.]
[However, the star remained visible even days later. What’s more, it appeared bigger and bigger every day, as if it was getting closer.]
The words showed the unease of the writer.
[It happened, it really happened. The star fell. The sky was split apart, and night became brighter than day.]
Reinhardt and Erza continued reading.
[The star crashed somewhere upon the continent.]
[Even from Elarion, we witnessed the entire horizon light up.]
[The impact shook the earth for hours.]
The event was later called the Nightfall by the people of that era. It had another name... The Genesis. However, it was something that the people of that era, as well as Reinhardt would learn much later.
Anyways, according to the diary, the phenomenon became the center of discussion throughout the world afterward.
Rumors spread like wildfire. Some claimed it was a divine phenomenon. Others believed it was a prelude to destruction.
Faced with a potential disaster, even the Seven Gods and the Arcanists got involved in the matter.
They investigated the crash site and eventually, the official result was announced.
Nothing had been found. The falling star supposedly posed no danger.
Life returned to normal. Or at least it seemed that way until...
This line was written so deeply that the ink almost tore through the page itself.
A few weeks after that entry, the tone of the diary shifted. News began to circulate of winged creatures appearing across the skies.
With massive silhouettes blotting out clouds, their presence alone was enough to shake the hearts of the people.
The diary described the winged creatures as beings with elongated bodies covered in hardened scales, large wings, and eyes that could even terrify a veteran warrior.
They carried an inborn aura of majesty and intimidation that made all races subconsciously bow down to them.
As if they were the race that stood at the peak of all races.
"Majestic? Peak of all races?" Reinhardt and Erza frowned.
The latter frowned because she was having difficulty picturing such a race. While the former frowned because the description brought a certain creature to his mind.
He had been doubting their existence, thinking that they simply didn’t exist in this world. After all, there was no such record of these creatures ever appearing in the annals of history.
That is, until now. Now that the existence of another continent had been revealed, he couldn’t help but wonder if they really existed in this world.
Thinking about it, dwarves, elves, and other various demi human races existed in this world. There was no reason for those majestic creatures not to exist.
The confusion was soon cleared when he read the next lines.
[They are called dragons.]
This left no doubt. Dragons existed in this world. The entries that followed grew increasingly chaotic.
[Day after day, there would be kingdom wide announcements. The sighting of the dragons all over the continent became more frequent. There even came a point where their own Kingdom of Elarion deployed their elite warriors along with the Empire’s soldiers to intercept them. Sometimes even the Arcanists themselves had to step forward.]
[Because of their arrival, the world became increasingly chaotic. Many cities were caught in the aftermath of the battle, turning into wastelands. Trade collapsed, and the economy took a hit.]
A barrage of curses followed next.
[In the next few years, the dragon sightings became more and more common, to the point where many speculated if this was the start of something big to come. And they were right].
[Five years after the first confirmed sightings, the Draconic Continent moved openly. Warships, if they could still be called that, descended from the western skies, accompanied by vast formations of dragons and demi-human coalition forces].
[It was not an invasion. It was the beginning of war].
The forces of Draconia razed the human kingdoms and marched straight toward the heart of Valdonia, the Empire.
Needless to say, the Empire and the other human nations of that era, who suffered under the attacks of the invaders, banded together to resist them.
From the opposite direction, sensing the change of tides, the demi human nations of Valdonia, who had long been suppressed under the Empire’s dominance, seized the moment.