Book 1 Chapter 736
736.
When his blacked-out vision returned, what he saw was none other than a library with countless bookshelves.
Leo had seen a similar scene before.
‘It resembles the Akasha Records.’
Akasha Records.
The ultimate record system created by all gods pooling their powers.
As the foundational system for the Hero Records, it is an absurd artifact that records the world itself.
And based on the records of the Akasha Records, the Hero Records materialize the world of heroes.
Rian was the administrator of those Akasha Records and Hero Records.
It is such an extraordinary artifact that even a god sacrifices themselves to manage it.
‘Well, it seems like she herself enjoys it very much, though.’
Compared to the Akasha Records, the record system currently before Leo's eyes was definitely smaller in scale.
Unlike the infinitely unfolding Akasha Records, this current library had a ceiling as a limit.
‘But why did I come in here? Wasn't it Lisinas who opened the record system?’
It was when Leo felt a question and turned his body.
“Huh?”
Lisinas, dressed in a maid's uniform, was standing there.
Leo, who had been staring at Lisinas with dumbfounded eyes for a moment, opened his mouth.
“What’s with your getup? Don't you know that at this point, it's beyond being silly and just ridiculous?”
At Leo's words, Lisinas smiled faintly.
At that smile, Leo instinctively took a defensive stance.
Towards such a Leo, Lisinas held her skirt hem, lifted it slightly, and elegantly bent her knee a little.
Lisinas, who greeted him in a posture that seemed fit for a painting, spoke.
“It is an honor to meet you, Master. I am the administrator of the record system, in charge of guiding you.”
At those words, Leo, who had taken a defensive stance, cautiously lowered his hand for a moment.
Then, narrowing his brows, he approached the girl who had called herself the system administrator.
And he lightly tapped her forehead.
An act that seemed to be picking a fight.
It was a sufficiently unpleasant action, and if it were the usual Lisinas, a fist or a knee would have flown towards his face or abdomen.
But even at Leo's actions, the system administrator merely smiled brightly.
“Please call me Rishi comfortably. It's more friendly that way.”
Leo crossed his arms.
‘It’s definitely not Lisinas.’
The administrator of the record system.
If so, she would be in a similar state to Rian.
“Why are you, the administrator of the record system, in Lisinas's form?”
At that question, Rishi bowed her head and replied.
“It is because the place where the record system is stored is the body of the King of Wisdom. The composition of my ego was fundamentally created based on the King of Wisdom, which is why I have the same appearance as the King of Wisdom.”
“I see. Then where is Lisinas? Is she somewhere inside this library?”
He didn't know how he had managed to enter this place, but it was originally Lisinas who intended to access the record system.
But only he was there.
Seeing Leo looking for Lisinas, Rishi replied.
“The King of Wisdom is not here.”
“What?”
“Because she cannot enter this place.”
“Why?”
“Currently, the King of Wisdom does not have the authority to access the record system.”
“What does that mean? The record system is stored in Lisinas's mind, and Lisinas was the one who opened the system, wasn't she?”
“Yes. But the owner of this system is none other than you, Master, the Hero of Beginnings.”
“What?”
“The King of Wisdom transferred ownership of the record system to you. And only the owner can access the record system.”
“What… I've never received such a thing…”
Leo, who had been frowning, stopped speaking.
And he subtly stroked his right chest.
“…Dragon Heart.”
“Yes.”
Rishi smiled faintly.
“For a dragon, giving their Dragon Heart to another means dedicating their entire being. Therefore, you are the rightful owner of the Ancient Records, the dragon's legacy passed down through generations.”
He hadn't expected it at all.
‘Lisinas probably didn't expect it either.’
Seeing Leo making a sour face, Rishi smiled faintly.
“Please don't worry. As my existence was created based on the King of Wisdom, I possess all of the King of Wisdom's memories. I know why Master has come here and can assist Master.”
“That's a relief.”
Leo, who had been nodding, made a puzzled expression.
“But why are you dressed like that?”
At that question, Rishi smiled faintly and lightly spun around once.
The hem of her dress spread out like waves and then settled neatly back.
“This outfit is a special specification. It's a dress that only those who serve a master can wear. In other words, it's the most suitable attire for me, who must attend to Master.”
Rishi, smiling brightly, bowed her head.
“Then, Master, your command.”
“I want to know about Erebus.”
“Yes.”
Clap!
When Rishi clapped her hands, a door appeared before them.
Rishi opened the door that appeared in mid-air, then stepped aside in front of it and bowed her head.
As Leo went through the door first, Rishi followed him.
Leo, who had reached a desk, made a puzzled expression as he looked at the countless but empty bookshelves.
“Why is it so empty here?”
“These are the records of the ancient gods. Many records have been lost, so not many remain within the Ancient Records.”
As Rishi replied and stretched out her hand, a few books flew towards her.
Rustle-
Rishi opened a book and said.
“Erebus, the primeval evil. A monstrous being with the power of the never-extinguishing flames of destruction.”
“I know that. Is there unmelting ice among Erebus's powers?”
“Such a power does not exist, but…”
Rishi opened another page and said.
“It is said that among the ancient evil gods whose names are now forgotten, there was one who possessed such a power.”
Leo's eyes twitched.
“So Erebus wasn't the only evil god?”
“It seems so. From the distant past. This content is an excerpt from records left by ancient gods.”
After finding the information Leo wanted, Rishi conveyed it to Leo.
“In the distant past. Before the age of gods began on this land. It is said that the ancient gods, called old gods, and the evil gods divided the world.”
Whoosh-
The scenery before Leo's eyes changed.
“During that time, known as the Age of Chaos, the civilizations of the world repeatedly experienced prosperity and decline.”
The ancient civilizations established by various races were shown repeatedly losing power to ancient demonic tribes and then regaining it.
Not only that.
The demonic tribes also repeatedly lost influence to the terrestrial races and then regained their power.
Literally, the Age of Chaos.
Seeing that scene, Leo made a puzzled expression.
“How was the balance maintained? It's awkward for me to say it, but the world was divided to the brink of destruction.”
It was surprising that the world, which was declining during the Age of Chaos, had never reached the point of annihilation.
At Leo's words, Rishi said.
“It is thought that the evil gods were also divided.”
“Divided?”
“Yes. It seems that the evil gods also had different desires.”
Rishi changed the book and hurriedly turned the pages, finding the desired information.
“One evil god wanted to turn the world into a world of demonic tribes. What he desired was a world dominated by evil.”
“Hmm.”
“Another evil god desired eternal conflict. What he desired was endlessly flowing blood.”
“Tsk. Nasty.”
“Another evil god reportedly wanted a world that never changed.”
“…? For an evil god, that's a rather peaceful desire.”
“A world where time doesn't flow. It seems they desired an unchanging world where everything was frozen solid.”
Leo cleanly corrected his previous thought.
“Finally… there was Erebus, who wanted to burn everything… who desired annihilation, turning the world to ashes.”
“That bastard is consistently consistent.”
Leo clicked his tongue.
“Their ideals were different… and ultimately, there was a conflict?”
“Yes. Erebus devoured the other evil gods in that battle. And he banished the weakened evil forces of that time to the other side of the world… and the world left the Age of Chaos behind and entered the Age of Gods.”
Thud-
Rishi closed the book.
Leo, who had heard about Erebus's origin, crossed his arms.
“And Erebus, who digested what he consumed on the other side of the world and grew stronger, ultimately created the Age of Calamity… Is that what you mean?”
“Yes.”
Leo sighed deeply at the story he hadn't known.
“Then the unmelting ice is…”
“It seems one of the fragments of Erebus that Master shattered has regained its past form.”
“That guess was correct.”
Leo sighed deeply.
In other words, one of Erebus's fragments had revived.
“How long has it been since we subjugated the Giant King…”
Leo, who had clicked his tongue, suddenly made a puzzled expression.
“But why didn't Lisinas look for these records?”
Until Leo owned them, the Ancient Records belonged to Lisinas.
But Lisinas had never mentioned it once.
At Leo's question, Rishi smiled bitterly.
“The King of Wisdom was afraid. Of knowing precisely how powerful the enemy she had to defeat was.”
“…”
Though now, eventually, the expedition succeeded and peace was restored.
From Lisinas's perspective, as someone who had to instill hope in people, she might have feared breaking herself if she knew precisely about Erebus's existence.
“So knowing is power, but sometimes ignorance can lead to courage… She's wise indeed.”
Leo chuckled.
Leo, having thought that far, said.
“It's about time I went back.”
“It was an honor to serve you, however briefly.”
As Rishi bowed her head towards Leo, Leo said.
“You don't seem disappointed at all, do you?”
At Leo's words, Rishi smiled faintly.
“Before I am the administrator of the Ancient Records, I am also a part of the King of Wisdom, that is, the King of Wisdom herself. Even if Master leaves this place, I can still meet Master.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Although I'm a bit more honest.”
‘What's honest about that?’
While Leo wore a puzzled expression, Rishi opened an exit in mid-air.
“If you go through this door, you can return outside.”
At those words, Leo nodded and was about to open the door.
“Master.”
“Huh?”
Suddenly, Rishi pressed close to Leo.
Along with that, the sensation on his lips made Leo's expression flustered.
Rishi, who had stepped back a pace, stuck out her tongue.
“See? I'm more honest, aren't I?”
Rishi, who smiled faintly, then pushed Leo out.
Rishi, left alone, cupped her cheeks and sighed deeply.
“She should've just clung to him when she got a body. There might have been something interesting then… My main body is really frustrating, you know.”
At that moment, she felt a pang of regret.
‘If I'm feeling regret, does that mean the main body is also feeling regret?’
Having thought that far, Rishi covered her mouth and made a slightly mischievous expression.
“Shall I look for that perverted dwarf's love potion recipe for my main body?”
Humming a tune, Rishi thought she should find the recipe that her main body had sealed away somewhere in her memories.