New chapter of Control Engineer is out! (1/1 chapter)

Exploration (1): Rebelliousness

(Thank you for reading at bayabuscotranslation.com)

Four years had passed.

Conan-niisan, who was now eighteen years old, had begun working at the trading company three years ago and was currently serving as Assistant Manager of the Liones Company, working alongside Tou-sama and Manager Begart. If everything continued smoothly, he was expected to rise through the ranks to Deputy Manager and then Manager. Naturally, when the time came to pass the baton, I had heard he would succeed Tou-sama as the head of the company. I imagined that would not be for at least another ten years. He was honest yet decisive, and even as his younger brother, I admired the way he had earned people’s respect. Recently, he had become engaged to the daughter of a lower noble family, and it seemed the wedding would take place soon. We had met recently. She was seventeen and quite pretty.

Hein-niisan, now sixteen, had been assigned to head clerk, Regil last year and had been helping with logistics and purchasing. He was always busy now and did not spend much time with me anymore. Since my lessons were over, the only time we were together was usually during dinner. I had once asked him if his work was hard, but apparently, he found it enjoyable. On the other hand, Conan-niisan, who carried much responsibility, said it was probably tougher for him.

I had turned fourteen.

After Morgan-sensei left, Biegel-sensei came in as a replacement right away. But the subjects he taught were the usual ones: national language (Cecilia language), national history, and Argen language. Argen language, which had been added as a subject the previous year, was similar to the national language but a slightly different language. It was the common tongue of the surrounding countries. As a merchant, it was apparently a cultural knowledge one should acquire. However, the magic lessons had ceased.

I hadn’t known this during Morgan-sensei’s time, but it seemed tutors who taught magic were extremely rare.

Sometimes we received letters from Kaa-sama, and her illness was described as being in a state of flux. Her condition had become a concern even at the trading company, and she had been examined by the same doctor who had once seen Morgan-sensei. As a result, no specific abnormalities were found in anyone, and since then, no one had developed any lung illnesses.

I had sent several letters to Sensei myself but had never received a reply. Instead, I occasionally received parchment inscribed with activation symbols. They arrived not from Freja but from the royal capital, and though unsigned, I believed Sensei was the one who arranged them. Of course, including those, I had tested every activation symbol Morgan-sensei had entrusted to me, modified them, experimented with them, and made them my own.

As I was eating lunch, Kaa-sama came to me.

“Leon, so here you were. Just in time.” (Mother)

I wonder what it is.

“I hear you’ve been neglecting your national history assignment.” (Mother)

Uwaa, it looks like Biegel-sensei reported me.

“And that you’ve also been skipping Sunday school quite often.” (Mother)

Ahh, this is bad.

“Y-yes.” (Leon)

“It’s fine to have strengths and weaknesses in your grades. I hear you’re quite outstanding in arithmetic and bookkeeping, so I understand you might be reluctant to go over basic studies like the other town children. I’ll let that slide, but…” (Mother)

Sunday school was run by the Holy God Church. The children in town came from all sorts of backgrounds. It wasn’t just from wealthy families like ours. Most of them couldn’t even dream of hiring a private tutor. Sunday school provided basic primary education for such children.

I was in the highest class, which was for ages twelve to fourteen, but even there, some kids couldn’t read or write. It wasn’t that they were inferior, but it was simply a matter of educational opportunity. In the first place, there were no other schools in Emilia besides Sunday school. Even nobles relied on private tutors for their children’s education. If someone wanted to pursue higher education, they had to study in a major city or the royal capital.

“Delaying Biegel-sensei’s assignments is unacceptable. Do you understand? Leon.” (Mother)

“Yes. Kaa-sama.” (Leon)

Still, I really can’t get into national history. Events from centuries ago are indistinguishable from myths, and the overly worshipful tone toward the current dynasty just gets on my nerves.

“You don’t seem motivated. Should I prohibit you from going out until you submit your assignment?” (Mother)

That’s bad.

“I-I understand. I’ll finish it before the next class.” (Leon)

Since last year, I’ve been allowed to go out alone, and it would be too annoying if I suddenly needed a chaperone again.

“Good. You’re someone who keeps your word, so I’ll overlook it this time. Even if you think it’s unnecessary, treat it as part of your training.” (Mother)

“Yes.” (Leon)

I left the mansion.

Phew, that was close. Yeah, Hein-niisan once said Kaa-sama is scarier than Tou-sama. He’s absolutely right. She’s always kind and beautiful, but maybe that’s why her expression when she’s angry is all the more intense.

I waved to Leeb-san, who was working in the fields, and passed through the fence surrounding our private land. As usual, I entered the animal trail and climbed up, passing by the makeshift shack. I followed the stream further up to the small lakeside.

Recently, since I’ve started using fire-based magic, I avoid the woods even if they are open. Hmm.

I stopped halfway along the animal trail. The lake was still ahead.

If I go right here…

I had originally planned to go straight, but maybe it was because I got scolded, I was feeling irritated.

What’s with that “you’re someone who keeps your word” stuff? Hmph.

I had already turned right.

After walking for a few minutes, I arrived in front of the shrine. This was the place I’d been told not to go because it was dangerous.

Yes, yes. It’s been three years since then.

The shrine still gaped open along the slope as usual. The entrance was filled with gravel, and for some reason, no grass grew around it. Since it was called a shrine, I guessed it was meant for people to enter. I couldn’t enter standing up, but I might be able to if I crouch.

≪Luce≫

I activated light magic and crouched down to enter. It was still a bit dark. I raised my magical pressure slightly, and the brightness of the light source above my forehead increased.

With rubble scattered all around, I alternated between looking at my feet and ahead as I carefully proceeded. Eventually, the ceiling rose, and I could stand upright while walking. Before long, I entered a large space.

This is…

Standing up and looking around, it was a dome-shaped space about 15 meters in diameter.

The walls and floor were neither stone nor brick. White or more like slightly beige-tinted white. Smooth, with no seams. I wondered what it was made of. It wasn’t concrete or plaster like in Reo’s memories. Most likely, it was a hollowed-out monolith. Moreover, there wasn’t a single chisel mark. It was clearly made with a level of technology different from ours, an over-(technology) civilization.

“So, it really was true that the shrine was a ruin of Elven civilization.” (Leon)

“Was”, my voice echoed.

I don’t know why, but maybe because of the echo, my ears kept ringing. I didn’t feel great. No, I won’t let it bother me.

Come to think of it, this shrine was discovered over a hundred years ago, and I heard some government department investigated it. But the only publicized result was that it was an Elven ruin. Everything else was vague. It’s really unclear information.

At any rate, there were no specific restrictions or protections enforced, and decades later, one of the founders of the Liones Company, my great-grandfather, bought this area as part of a vacation estate and ranch. I heard he didn’t even know the ruins were included when he bought the land.

As I thought about all that, I looked around. It was an interesting space but that was all.

What was this space used for? A tomb? A temple? I couldn’t tell. Huh, isn’t my forehead getting hot?

Wondering what it was, I looked upward and saw the light source from my Luce spell.

Is that what’s generating the heat? I’d suspected this for a while, but this magic art really is like an incandescent light bulb from Reo’s knowledge.

Most of the magical energy is turned into heat, and only a small portion becomes light. The efficiency is clearly terrible. Such concepts floated in my mind. Well, I’ve never actually seen or touched a real incandescent bulb though.

Hot, hot, hot hot…

Reflexively, I lowered the magical pressure. The heat eased a bit.

Ah, must be because I increased the brightness earlier. But at this brightness, exploration will be tough. I’ll change the position of the light source, in other words the activation symbol.

I recalled the magic model in my mental system and shifted it slightly from its standard position on my forehead. If I moved it too far, the light source would hit the ceiling or wall, making it dark and inconvenient. After testing a few times, I settled on a temporary distance.

It would be nice to make the distance variable someday, but that’s for another time. Right now, there’s something else I want to do.

Now that the adjustments were done, I turned my attention back to observing the ruins.

Passages opened to the front and both sides. Including the one I came from, four passages extended from this dome. They were all pitch black and gave off no sense of presence. At first glance, all the passages looked the same. It would be easy to get lost.

Ah, the one I came through had clear wear marks on the floor. That’ll help identify it.

Anyway, after looking around for a few minutes, I found nothing else of note. There was no point staying here. I proceeded into the front passage. All of them were tall enough to walk through upright and there was no need to crouch here.

I walked down the passage in high spirits, but after a few dozen meters, it ended. It didn’t feel like a tunnel that had been left unfinished as the wall at the end was properly constructed.

I wondered what it meant, but when I looked more closely, I saw a relief on the far wall. Within a large circle, triangular and sword-like decorative shapes were embedded.

“This is…” (Leon)

It’s an activation symbol, isn’t it?

In the upper right of my vision, a triangular dropdown icon overlapped.

Before that… Let’s try the standard activation method I’ve gotten better at and that is pouring mana into the retinal image of the activation symbol.

While concentrating, I increased my magical pressure.

“No good.” (Leon)

Nothing happened. No reaction, no change.

Well, figures. If anything could happen, someone would’ve triggered it long before me. No way previous investigators would’ve overlooked this symbol, and I can’t imagine they didn’t bring someone more skilled than me.

If this place had value, it would have been preserved. If it was dangerous, it would have been buried or sealed off. The fact that it was left alone means either no one understood it, or it wasn’t worth dealing with. Also, from what I heard, dozens of these so-called Elven shrines have been discovered just within the country. Maybe they’re more common than expected.

My shoulders slumped.

Well, that may be true for others but not for me. If I can’t activate it, then I’ll at least look inside.

When I mentally clicked the downward triangle, the view changed to a SimuConnect block diagram.

Two boxes, top and bottom, were displayed. Each had input and output terminals on the sides, but nothing was connected. No wonder nothing happened.

I needed to link the terminals and input something…

I focused on the box, intending to view its substructure, but a warning appeared. It was either the creator had locked it, or the documentation didn’t exist.

Hmm. I do not really understand well.

Was the block diagram broken, or was the activation symbol carved incorrectly… No, that cannot be it. Considering the structure and completeness of the dome and passageway, it would be unnatural to think that only the activation symbol was carved carelessly. It also does not feel like a part of the activation symbol is missing.

That is what I thought, but I could not find any further clues.

Reluctantly, I returned to the dome for now.

 

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