Chapter 47
CHAPTER 47
I received two emails from Wiseman . It was an enormous amount of text about the Epitaph of Twilight . After reading it once, I went over it in my mind again and again .
Subject: Epitaph of Twilight 1
Sender: Wiseman
Message:
Sorry for the late message .
As promised, here’s an email about the Epitaph of Twilight .
I’ll tell you this in advance that this is of a mix of my research, plus my own point of view .
So I have not confirmed that it is all true .
The Epitaph of Twilight is an epic poem which was “likely the basis of the The World and is the foundation for the story .
It was written by Emma Wieland who died at 28 years of age .
She was German which means that the original Epitaph of Twilight was written in German .
It had been published as a web novel on her personal homepage for a very short time .
I will send the contents in another email, so please check for that .
I’ll just touch on it briefly here, but the point is to imagine a mainstream fantasy novel .
It is said to be a story of two demi-spirits and a human who, as an allied army of “light” and “dark” fight, against “cursed waves” leading the world to ruin, then they search for the Twilight Dragon which was predicted to save the world from the “waves . ”
It is often said that the original text of the Epitaph of Twilight has been lost .
By the time “The World” began, rumors had started that there seemed to be web novels that were the basis for the game’s worldview .
However, by that time Emma’s site had already been closed and the Epitaph of Twilight could not be confirmed .
The theory behind the credibility of this rumor is that Emma’s was a friend of Harold Hoerwick, a genius programmer who nearly independently created the “fragment” ancestor of The World . There is also a story that Harold had a crush on Emma .
I can’t determine the truth anymore…
Anyway, that’s why the Epitaph of Twilight that we are turning around now is a copy of the Epitaph of Twilight by some volunteer fans .
It seems that Emma’s site had been poorly copy-pasted, so that means everything was copied by hand .
The inscription of the so-called popular version of the Epitaph of Twilight written in the following e-mail is a collection of the English translations that were spread out on the Internet, summarized as much as possible, and translated into Japanese .
So that’s the lengthy preface .
Apart from authenticity, enjoy the poem about the battle between spirits and demons .
Subject: Epitaph of Twilight 2
Sender: Wiseman
Message:
Yet to return, the shadowed one .
Who quests for the Twilight Dragon
Rumbles the Dark Hearth,
And Helba, Queen of the Dark[2],
has raised finally her army .
Apeiron, King of Light[2] beckons .
At the base of the rainbow do they meet
Against the abominable Wave,
together they fight .
Alba’s lake boils .
Light’s great tree doth fall .
Power- now all to droplets turned
in the temple of Arche Koeln .
Returns to nothing,
this world of shadowless ones .
Never to return, the shadowed one,
Who quests for the Twilight Dragon .
Shunning the field broken by Wave .
The shadowed girl whispers,
“Surely, I will return . ”
Alas, the truth unbeknownst .
Awaiting her at journey’s end;
Eternal mourning for her land .
When the finger points to the
yonder moon,
The fool will not look at the fingertip .
The whole cannot be changed .
We have already lost that chance .
Because the time left to us was short,
We were mistaken in our path .
But now do we realize,
We should change not the whole,
But the parts .
Wave soars and shrouds the eyes .
No means to fight an omnipresent force,
The shadowless ones just grieve .
Why must it be a Wave?
Divide, if it would just…
Then retaliate, we may .
Over the Keel Mountains,
Meets an ape with human speech .
The ape asks,
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“What clings to you?
Bear it—you cannot .
Accept it—you cannot .
But hidden—it is from you .
Recite its name . ”
Unknown where the Cursed Wave was born…
After the stars doth cross the heavens,
The sky in the East doth darken and air doth fill with mourning .
From the chosen land beyond the forest, a sign of the wave comes .
Riding the wake is Skeith, the Shadow of Death, to drown all that stands .
Mirage of Deceit, Innis, Betray all with the flawed image, and did aid the Wave .
And by the Power of Magus, a drop from the Wave doth reach the heavens, and creates a new Wave .
With the Wave, Fidchell, the power to tell the dark future, hope darkens, sadness and despair rule .
Gorre schemes when swallowed by the Cursed Wave .
Macha seduces with the sweet trap .
Wave reaches the Pinnacle, and escape none can . Tarvos still remains with more cruelty to punish and destroy .
And with the turbulent destruction after the Wave . Only a void remains . From deep within the void arrives Corbenik .
Perhaps then the Wave is just a beginning as well .
Plaird of the Seven Sisters,
falling in love with a human,
Became a Shadowed One and was exiled from the Dark .
Hence, her name came to be called Plaird the Fallen .
At her wanderings end,
she settled in seclusion in Arche Haokar .
However, those days may not last .
A reunion may come, or may not .
Plaird’s form vanishes at the coming of the sign of the Wave .
The monsters you encountered are likely to be the Skeith and Innis listed in the Epitaph . I can’t speculate any more than this . I recommend contacting the legendary hacker Helba .
After receiving that email about the Epitaph of Twilight, we gathered in front of the Chaos Gate of Carmina Gadelica .
That is to say, BlackRose, Wiseman, Balmung and I .
I introduced them to my new friend, Balmung .
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“BlackRose, I think I’ve made you uncomfortable with what I’ve done so far . I’m sorry for my behavior . ”
Balmung bowed deeply . I didn’t think he’d bow that far, but that was his straightforward character and a manifestation of his integrity .
He did not associate with imprudent people . If he looked you in the eye, he really looked you in the eye . It was an ability I didn’t have at all .
“I want you to forgive my rudeness . ”
“It’s fine . There’s no need . You see, we were speaking ill of you behind your back . ”
BlackRose’s face turned a little red .
‘We?’
I may have thought ill of him, but I didn’t say anything unnecessary .
“So, since we’re even, it’s nice to meet you . ”
Wiseman welcomed Balmung with a calm look, as usual .
“Descendant of Fianna, Balmung of the Azure Sky . I’ve heard tales of you . I’m honored to meet you, he said .
“By the way, you guys seemed to be investigating rumors concerning the “The World” . I would love to hear that story . ”
Balmung’s expression turned dull .
“I was investigating rumors with my buddy Orca, not to find out the truth, but to prove that the rumors were just rumors . But one day I found a strange room . It was a distinct and strange space . ”
He looked at me .
“Orca said… Morganna Maud Gon . ”
“Morganna Mode Gone!”
I was relieved .
That was the name Helba had mentioned in Net Slum .
“He said that he would talk to me next time, but contact was lost . The rest is exactly what you now know . ”
“Hmm, Descendant of Fianna Orca of the Azure Sea, the name left unsaid . Herba came to know that…”
Wiseman folded his arms .
“Helba is very close to the truth of the events . It would be appropriate to think so . ”
“Alright, let’s go see Helba again . Let’s go to Net Slum,” I said .
“Are you still over there?”
BlackRose frowned .
Perhaps she remembered being attacked by the people of Net Slum .
“It’s unfortunate, Kite, but that’s impossible,” Wiseman said .
“Why?”
“After the battle with the monster the other day, the connection to Net Slum was broken . I can’t go to Net Slum anymore with the words I knew . ”
Wiseman shook his head .
“I think Helba probably moved Net Slum for fear of being chased by Morganna . So I can’t see her right now . ”
“I see…”
I was disappointed .
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“And there’s another problem,” Wiseman said .
“System administrator Lios tells us that we should not move . A visit to Net Slum will disregard that command . ”
“I understand Lios’ standpoint, but if I did what he said, I wouldn’t be able to solve the case,” I said while thinking .
“Everyone, can I say something?”
Balmung finally opened his mouth .
“I got an email from Helba . ”
“What is it about?”
BlackRose raised her voice .
“Hold on, I’ll transmit it . ”
Subject: A Blessing
Sender: Helba
Message:
I congratulate you on an amicable settlement .
By the way, the data capacity in this area seems to be bloated .
∑Sigma Server Surging Mistrustful Ice Wall
Something may be lurking there .
Why don’t you investigate with your new companion?
May the Twilight Dragon protect you .
“What’s this? How does Helba know that you and Kite are joining forces?” BlackRose said, raising her voice .
“Also, the Twilight Dragon is not the one that appears in the Epitaph of Twilight . ”
“They said super hackers can see through everything,” Wiseman murmured .
“…If Helba says it, I think it must be important,” I said .
“So, what will we do? Shall we all go?” Balmung suggested, but I shook my head .
“No, Balmung, BlackRose and I should go . The three of us will investigate the area . Meanwhile, wil you get in contact with Helba, Wiseman?”
“Hmm, I think that’s best . ”
Wiseman nodded .
Then we went to the area and defeated the enemy there . Its name was Fidchell .
This was the fifth time, so I was used to it .
No, I was still not used to it and I was concerned . If the Epitaph was correct, three enemies now remained . We finally turned back .
Furthermore, there remained Cubia and Morganna Mode Gone .
However, this time the enemy Fidchell had a slightly different nature . After hitting it with a Data Drain, a poem-like log was suddenly displayed . This was its content .
Like a frenzied horse that is driven .
An unseen wind of plague shrieks across the border .
Pandemonium, wailing, and stench of carnage fills the air .
There is no place to run . No hope of escape .
Those who are mourned will never return .
The hands of time cannot be turned back .
It was a long time coming to the end . I don’t know what kind of goal it had, but I could handle it, I thought .
I would just have to take it one step at a time .