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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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Chapter 65 – The Kingdom of Denian (2)
“Let me show you first.”
Ketal opened a subspace and took out iridescent particles to show.
Elene tilted her head.
“What is this?”
“It’s the true nature of what has replaced you.”
“…What?”
Elene’s eyes widened.
She quickly focused her gaze on the iridescent particles.
“I’ve never seen anything like this…”
“I forcibly compressed and clustered them. Originally, they would be much smaller. Probably too small to see with the naked eye.”
Small enough to replace cells.
Ketal knew of something similar.
The entity behind the strange happenings in the Kingdom of Lutein was extremely small.
‘I wonder if she can understand.’
Substances too small to be seen with the naked eye.
In a time without microscopes, it was not a familiar concept.
History recorded many attempts to understand diseases spread by bacteria, which people did not comprehend at the time.
Ketal was slightly worried about whether Elene could understand, but surprisingly, she nodded as if she did.
“I understand.”
“Oh? You’re quick to grasp it.”
“Mana and aura are also invisible, but when they gather, they can be seen with the naked eye. I think of it in those terms.”
“Ah, I see.”
Ketal realized something.
There was a sense of mysticism here.
Even though mana and aura were invisible, their effects could be clearly seen.
The world had accepted such concepts due to the existence of these tangible powers.
‘This is fantasy.’
It was a small but distinct difference.
Ketal was slightly moved.
After a moment of thought, Elene’s face twisted.
“…Wait a moment. Then I…”
“Consider your entire existence replaced by these tiny things.”
From head to toe.
From heart to brain.
From bones to blood.
Every single part was replaced by something invisible.
“Ugh.”
Elene shuddered.
She hugged herself with her arms.
Her hands clenched, and her nails began to dig into her skin.
“Calm down.”
Ketal soothed her.
Elene took deep breaths.
Soon, her breathing stabilized.
“Sorry.”
“I understand. It’s not a pleasant thought.”
“…Then, those iridescent particles. Aren’t they dangerous?”
“It’s okay. They’re probably in a dormant state now.”
Ketal ripped off a piece of his Adamanth robe and compressed it in his fist, creating a vacuum.
The strong force left no room for air to escape.
The iridescent particles, invisible to the naked eye, had turned into this visible form, indicating they were already damaged.
“The disappearance of death…”
“There’s no concept of lifespan. I don’t know how they get energy, but they wouldn’t die naturally. That’s probably why those replaced by them lost the concept of death.”
“Huh?”
Elene looked confused.
Ketal explained slowly.
“Let’s call them nanobots for simplicity. Each nanobot is an independent entity. Instead of a single, organic life form, countless independent nanobots gather to form a human shape. So, cutting off a head or removing a heart wouldn’t result in death.”
Like waves spreading across a lake when cut, the water remains undamaged.
Air is the same.
There is no concept of death.
Therefore, there is no need to understand or remember death.
That’s why people lost the concept of death.
“…Immortality.”
“You could call it that. Since they are independent entities, even if you break, smash, or cut them, they would just return to their original form.”
He had cut down many knights.
Their flesh and blood had covered his axe.
But after the battle, the axe was clean as if unused.
The nanobots had returned to their original form to maintain their appearance.
“They’re so small that a simple axe cut wouldn’t destroy them.”
“Wait a moment. There’s something strange.”
Elene suddenly thought of something and touched her hair.
“My hair was growing. I remember Farman being happy about getting taller. If we were truly replaced, such growth wouldn’t happen, would it?”
“Those things don’t destroy the original properties when they replace. They mimic. They probably retain human characteristics.”
Despite being replaced by nanobots, they grew taller, and their hair and nails grew.
“That’s why they believe they are human. Although they possess many inhuman traits. They can probably replace each other too.”
“Replace each other?”
“When Adamanth appeared, the knights disappeared.”
If Adamanth faced Ketal while the knights targeted the princess and Aaron, it would have been easier.
But they didn’t appear.
“They probably swapped places with Adamanth. That’s why Adamanth was able to appear later.”
“But Adamanth is just one, and there are many knights. Why wouldn’t they all show up?”
“Adamanth is said to be a superhuman-level mage. The amount of mystery it holds must be considerable. Replacing even one knight wouldn’t be enough if you consider that mystery needs to be replaced too.”
For Adamanth to come here, it would require the amount of nanobots equivalent to several knights.
That amount was likely the entire group of knights, excluding Farman.
“And they must know each other’s positions. That’s how they tracked you perfectly.”
“……”
Elene bit her lip.
“I guess I am one of them…”
“Depending on how you see it, but probably something similar.”
“But I’m afraid of death. According to you, if I’m replaced by nanobots, I shouldn’t understand death, right?”
“That’s correct.”
It was indeed strange.
A faint hope crossed Elene’s face, but Ketal spoke up.
“From here on, it’s speculation on my part. They mimic humans. Although they replace you, they retain your values, personality, and thoughts. You and Aaron were probably replaced relatively late.”
“H-how do you know that?”
“Because you both realized what was happening and feared becoming like them.”
They feared becoming monsters that did not fear death.
They wished not to become like them.
“Farman said it himself. He thought you wouldn’t become like that because you didn’t want it.”
Elene’s face hardened.
“…Then…”
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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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“The reason you’re afraid of death is that you feared losing that understanding even more.”
So, Elene continued to fear death even after being replaced.
Elene’s eyes wavered.
“I heard you like eating. You were probably very afraid of gaining weight from overeating. Aaron was likely afraid of his body deteriorating from an incurable disease.”
So, Elene did not gain weight no matter how much she ate.
Aaron’s body no longer suffered from his disease.
“Wait a moment. That, that…”
Elene’s face contorted with despair.
They let her continue to fear death because she feared losing that understanding.
They fixed her weight based on her fear of changes from eating.
They cured incurable diseases.
Wasn’t this an all-powerful tool that granted human desires?
The Philosopher’s Stone.
The word flashed through Elene’s mind.
“Nanobots act according to the thoughts, values, and desires of the replaced being. That’s why they believe they are human.”
Because they were replaced by humans, they acted according to human ideas.
The reason Farman was still trapped was simple.
He believed he could not escape his bonds.
If replaced by non-living things, they would fulfill that role dutifully, like armor, staffs, and swords.
That was Ketal’s understanding of the anomaly that consumed the Kingdom of Lutein.
“…Ha, hahaha.”
Elene closed her eyes.
A dry laugh escaped her.
It was the worst outcome.
What devoured the Kingdom of Lutein might not have been a malicious entity but a tool without a self.
Ketal, watching her in silence, finally spoke.
“If it’s too much, you can stop.”
“No, no.”
Elene bit her lip.
“Please, continue.”
“…You were replaced by nanobots. But you are growing. You are functioning properly as a human.”
“Yes.”
Elene looked puzzled, not understanding the implication.
But soon, her face stiffened.
Ketal spoke softly.
“Can you, who have been replaced, give birth to a child? And if you can, would that child be human, or something made of nanobots?”
* * *
Elene sat quietly for a long time before standing up and leaving without a word.
Ketal did not stop her.
Having reached this place with the desperate dream of revenge, only to be met with despair, her mind could not endure.
‘A sense of self…’
Ketal had said the nanobots lacked a sense of self.
But he wasn’t certain.
Ketal tore off the collar of his robe and compressed it.
From their perspective, it was as good as dead.
At that moment, Ketal felt countless emotions from Adamanth.
These emotions weren’t just from Adamanth, but also from the robe and staff it was wearing.
It was too deep and complex to be mere instinctual reactions, but he couldn’t be sure.
False hope was worse than no hope at all.
‘What a strange thing.’
Something small enough to replace even cells.
It had consumed the Kingdom of Lutein.
‘A Forbidden Land?’
Elene suspected that was what it was.
If so, it was definitely different from the White Snowfield.
‘I’m curious.’
Ketal closed his eyes.
The next day arrived.
By now, Elene was probably meeting with the king and having a conversation.
He had shared most of what he knew.
What remained was dependent on the declaration from the humans and the decisions of the King of the Kingdom of Denian.
“I want to meet him too.”
The king of a nation.
The ruler of a country.
One who wielded mysterious powers granted by the gods.
However, as a barbarian, there was no way he could meet with a king.
All he could do was lie around in his room.
‘Is it over now?’
The task was finished.
If Elene returned, he would have the final conversation and leave.
Just as he was thinking that,
Knock, knock.
Someone knocked on the door.
It wasn’t Elene or Aaron’s presence.
Ketal got up and opened the door.
“…Barbarian.”
“Oh. Nice to see you.”
Ketal smiled broadly.
It was a middle-aged man.
Since Ketal had entered the palace, this man had been giving him hostile looks.
“Barbarian. What’s your name?”
“Ketal.”
The man glared at Ketal, clearly displeased, contemplating for a moment.
But finally, he sighed and spoke.
“His Majesty summons you. Follow me.”
“Hmm?”
Ketal tilted his head at the unexpected words.
The man spoke slowly.
“His Majesty spoke with Lady Elene. He wants to confirm something, so he asked for you.”
“Oh.”
Ketal stroked his chin.
“I don’t mind. But I’m a barbarian. I might act quite rudely by your standards. Is that alright?”
“…What an odd thing to worry about.”
A barbarian concerned about his own rudeness.
The man had never seen such a thing before.
He spoke as if he was looking at something bizarre.
“It is highly unpleasant, but His Majesty said he didn’t mind. If that’s his will, I must comply.”
“In that case.”
There was no reason to refuse.
Ketal nodded.
“I accept. Lead the way.”
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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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