Chapter 3: Lost Technology

Lost Technology

The day after destroying the slave market, Nina was hiding in a village dozens of kilometers from the border.

She hadn't removed her disguise, created by the magical artifact Arquillusia, maintaining the appearance of Nelly Le Carren.

In a corner of the village tavern, she spread out a map and pondered intently, her expression different from her usual Mesugaki self.

"I think one or two pursuers should be coming by now, but no sign whatsoever yet...."

Her voice was laced with expectation.

But frustration and impatience were also evident.

She had unilaterally crushed the Imperial technical officer at the slave market and burned down the underground facility. The Empire couldn't possibly be so foolish as to let that slide.

But contrary to her expectations, there was no reaction.

Not only were there no pursuers from the Empire, but there wasn't even a hint of a wanted poster, not even a rumor.

The movements of the people in this village are all perfectly normal.

"Maybe the Empire is actually quite a coward... No, no, no ♡"

She shook her head.

That's not right. Originally, this was supposed to be the real thing.

As retaliation for attacking the slave market, she would be cornered by the Empire's army—and was to resist miserably and be thoroughly destroyed.

'After all that struggle, how could there be no reaction at all?'

"How boring... ♡"

Her voice trembled just a little as she murmured.

★

That night, Nina was resting in an abandoned church on the outskirts of the village. The church was already crumbling, with part of the roof revealing the starry sky.

However, by surrounding it with a magical defensive barrier, it could become a reasonably safe base.

Nina sat on the remains of the altar and unfolded the magic terminal she had brought with her—a portable information board designed for the academy.

The screen displayed records of the students' activities at the magic academy, the information network, and—the whereabouts of her classmates.

"Claire..."

Knowing how kind she was, she was surely still worried about Nina.

'...Has she figured it out already?'

To cover up her sudden outing, Nina had forged a withdrawal form on her magic terminal and programmed a timed spell to make it submit itself a few days later.

'Is it really okay to do something like this...?'

Nina shook off the regret smoldering deep within her heart.

"It's okay. Because for me, this is—"

'....The meaning of life.'

★

The next day, Nina stepped into an ancient ruin near Karzel.

This ruin was once under the control of the Empire's military and is now sealed off. However, there were rumors that lost technology—weapons from a super-ancient civilization—slept deep beneath its surface.

"Hey... you're in here, aren't you? ♡"

Whispering the question, Nina unleashed her clairvoyance magic.

A magical barrier inscribed with an ancient language, a barrier that continued to function regardless of time. All of them had structures that modern mages could not decipher.

For Nina, it was tantamount to a challenge.

'Beyond this point—there might be something that can grant my wish.'

With only that hope in her heart, she ventured deeper into the ruins.

★

Simultaneously employing clairvoyance and analytical magic, Nina reached the deepest part of the ruins.

There, she found a strange "void"—a space of complete silence, where the flow of magic and the movement of air had ceased.

But at its center, there was undeniably "something."

"This... this is Lost Technology..."

A sphere encased in an inorganic crystal shell, with a red core floating at its center.

Nina unconsciously held her breath. The sight of it filled her with an inexplicable exhilaration.

'What is in this core—'

She gently reached out her hand.

And the moment she touched it—her vision exploded into white, and a shock ran through her entire body.

★

Nina regained consciousness only a few seconds later.

However, cold sweat was dripping from her forehead, and her clothes were soaked with sweat.

Her throat was parched, and her vision was blurry.

'....I saw it.

....No, to be exact, I was forced to see it.'

The device in the ruins wasn't a weapon.

It was a recording medium.

—It was a data bank containing the "death records" of weapons and soldiers used in ancient wars.

Countless screams, death throes, the terror of the defeated.

And Despair.

It was all flooded into her brain in an instant, making her feel as if she had been killed hundreds of times.

And at the end of that record, what was shown was... probably a humanoid super-ancient weapon.

An entity that modern magic couldn't possibly defeat.

"It exists. Something like that really exists ♡"

A smile spread across her face. At the same time, she felt fear creeping up from the depths of her heart.

Even so, her heart was pounding.

"I'll definitely go see you. This time, I'll do it properly...♡"

★★★

Meanwhile, the Imperial Army Command was fully aware of her whereabouts.

"We've confirmed evidence of access to the ruins' memory device. Judging from the recovered magical energy signature... it's definitely that girl."

"She's from Luciferta Academy, her name is Nina Fermeria. She looks like just a kid."

"Is she really that strong?"

"Don't be fooled. Apparently, she possesses fighting power comparable to the Royal Knights, even single-handedly."

"If that's true, it's incredible... how should we respond?"

"We've already reported to headquarters. The 'Prototype Weapon Sector' is already on the move."

That statement marked the beginning of a shift in the atmosphere within the military.

"Ark-Helvion. It's a prototype, but it'll be interesting to see how far it can hold its own."

"Perhaps it can buy us some time until 'that thing' is activated."

★★★

The morning after infiltrating the ruins, Nina left the abandoned church. Her next destination was the heart of the Empire.

The Central Research District, Inspection Building Zero—the place where the core of the Lost Technology was stored.

She continued to lie to her friends and to herself.

Giving in to an irresistible urge to resist, she continued walking.

The past, when she "couldn't do anything."

Since touching the recording device in the ruins, the "pleasure" and "fear" within Nina had begun to strongly intertwine.

'But things are different now.'

Turning away from her past trauma, she headed towards the next battlefield.