[Silver Ash] - Become The Strongest In Another World
CHAPTER 191: Absurdity (8)

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As soon as Noelle returned to the gathering point, she immediately saw three small tents that had been firmly erected, surrounding a fireplace ready to be lit at any time.

Not far from the fireplace, piles of dry wood along with dead leaves are seen to have been tied firmly using tree tendrils.

Waiting for her, Cryll and Norman were sitting in a seat that was actually just a plain wooden spindle with no special characteristics.

"I'm back.. Hey, Cryll. It's your turn."

Noelle immediately raised her voice and shattered the silence in an instant. Cryll turned his head, and looked at her with a strange expression that Noelle could not understand.

"You brought a lot of hunting. None of us are hungry here."

What Cryll said is true. Even after all those exhausting fights, they did not feel hungry or even thirsty at all. It was a strange condition, considering the three of them had been fighting for a long time, and it should have drained them of their manpower.

Noelle was of course aware of that. But, still he chose to gather some groceries just in case.

Even if not all of the meat was depleted, he could still store it into his spatial warehouse, or turn it into dried meat that could be eaten as a snack.

That was the reason that Noelle gave Cryll and Norman, making them only able to sigh in resignation without giving any rebuttal.

After Noelle sat down, Cryll immediately stood up and walked towards where Noelle had come from before.

"I'm going to go. We'll change again after 40 minutes."

Cryll immediately walked over while waving his hands slightly, not bothering to wait for a reply from the two of them left behind him.

For ten minutes, Noelle and Norman who were now living together here could only spend their time in silence, while waiting for the fish Noelle roasted on the fire to ripen perfectly.

Currently, none of them were interested in starting a conversation.

Noelle had some questions for Norman, but he delayed asking them because he himself was wrestling with his thoughts.

He was still trying to connect the dots that were already available, even though the results were nil.

Finally, Noelle sighed and looked at Norman. "About your explanation earlier .. Can I ask you something? "

Norman widened his own eyes, and enthusiastically leaned his body forward. "Please."

He had been waiting for this moment for a very long time. The moment where someone would ask him something, made him enthusiastically give a lengthy explanation.

Noelle could clearly see the spirit Norman had, and smiled wryly instead. On one hand he was completely amazed at Norman for being willing to answer any questions asked.

If it was Noelle, then she would definitely think more and ask for rewards for the information she would say.

(It's kind of bad, but I can use it.)

Noelle nodded for a moment, and turned to look around her.

"Actually, there's a lot I want to ask, but ... First, it's about the original language you described earlier ... Is that a language that has magic content or something? You said it would have a great effect if you mentioned or offended a god figure through words."

Norman explained that this original language was used in rituals to the gods. According to recorded history, this native language can exert a direct influence on the world only by spoken words. That sounds too crazy and it makes no sense.

"Maybe it would be better to give an example … "

Norman picked up a wooden twig nearby, and began drawing on the ground.

"Japanese as we know it is the native language."

Saying that, Norman drew a few words in the form of a Japanese kanji, and made drawings and symbols of letters used in the Hermes language right next to that kanji.

Pointing to the two images, Norman seriously explained, "What distinguishes the original language from the Hermes language we use today is its influence. The Hermes language has no influence whatsoever on the world, so even if you shout the name of the god with that language, you will not get any response unless your target call is interested in you.

"Then, this native language is the opposite. If you mention the name of a god or a hidden existence with this language, then the possibility of getting their response is close to 100 percent."

Noelle placed her hand on her chin for a moment in the thought process, then again asked Norman a question.

"About gods and hidden existences .. How many of them are there? "

Norman sadly shook his head. "Unfortunately, I don't even know. I've tried to use my authority and connections to ask His Majesty and the church, but none of them have any intention of answering."

(Even their existence is also hidden, yes .. Assuming that they hide those existences to save many people .. Then I guess that is a good choice.)

If an existence beyond human understanding can harm all humans, then the best option is to seal all information about 'them', so that not a single commoner knows about it.

(Wait, but I found out about them .. Will I be arrested? I don't think so, unless Norman leaked information about me. But ... Will he do that? )

Noelle already had a little understanding of Norman's personality, and she was convinced that Norman was not the one who would leak a secret so easily. Unless, he really intended to.

And so, Noelle's choice here, was to make Norman have none, or remove all his intentions to divulge information about him; and the quickest way to do that was by 'violence' or 'coercion'.

But it was the worst way, so Noelle immediately rejected it. He doesn't want to ruin a good relationship with Norman, so he'll choose a safe path, which is to guide communication and make Norman think he's a good person.

"Then ... What about their strength? "

Norman was silent and thought for a moment. After seven or eight seconds of silence, he finally reopened his mouth.

"To be honest, there's too little information about that. But ... According to my estimation .. They all have different powers, along with different titles and positions as well."

It was really difficult to gauge the strength of a god, Noelle naturally thought so.

Then, Norman raised one corner of his lips into a rather frightening grin.

"And here I have a hunch that this dungeon was also created by an outer god that we do not know."

(.. Isn't that too sudden? )

Noelle tried to understand the meaning of Norman's words, but she still could not understand it. Although he had already attempted to connect all the available points, he still could not come to the same conclusion Norman had made.

Did he miss the information? That's the biggest possibility.

"Whatchu mean? "

Noelle tried to ask, hoping Norman would answer her.

As for Norman himself, he seemed to have been waiting for that question. He widened his smile, and looked at Noelle with a slight look down. His voice was shrunk, and his gaze was firmly fixed on Noelle.

"Just think about it, where is the true location of this dungeon? "

Noelle tried to think about it, but she did not find the answer. The only thing on his mind, was the location not far from the island they were on before.

As if he had understood Noelle's thoughts, Norman chuckled for a moment, then looked back at Noelle seriously.

"Just like you think. We don't know where the exact location is. But, we can be sure that our current location is not so far from the island we were on before."

" … Then? "

"What was the problem, I remembered that the sea area around Eisen had been completely combed, in order to find a safe route. But, I don't remember this island at all."

Noelle finally widened her eyes in shock.

Once again, he tried seriously while thinking about everything Norman had mentioned; and as a result, he found one small answer.

What Noelle imagined, was the teleportation range that caused her to move places with everyone.

Teleportation-type space magic was not an easy thing to do. At a minimum, they needed some high-class magicians to take group trips. But, even if such a large number of top-tier mages combined his strength, the resulting teleportation would not be so powerful.

At most, they could only traverse one small town in a short period of time.

Noelle suddenly remembered him, the teleportation magic circle that had formed under everyone's feet earlier.

To be able to perform such a large-scale teleportation magic ritual, one would have to sacrifice many things. If it was done by an ordinary magician, then they would burn their souls in exchange for the lack of magic energy.

Even though the strength of all the Asterisk members was combined, they could only teleport after a considerable amount of time.

Linking it to Norman's earlier explanation, Noelle finally came to the same conclusion; that all the events that brought them into this situation, had something to do with the unknown figure of a god.

Norman seemed to have been waiting for Noelle to come to the same conclusion as him. He grinned sharply as he looked at Noelle with a bit of curiosity.

"What do you think? "

" … Once I think about it, it makes sense. There's a lot of weird stuff I've never known or experienced before. Like ... When we travel using that 'Spirit Gate."

Noelle finally has a chance to shift the topic and get Norman to explain another issue. Since quite some time ago, Noelle had been curious about what a spirit gate was.

He tried to pry at his memory, and tried to find related information about it, but he could not find it. Which means, even all the knowledge he had acquired in the vampire castle did not include all the information available.

Shut up for a moment, Norman then hesitantly explained, "It's a little difficult to explain. If you want to know, then I have to check how far you know about spirits."

Noelle once again tried to re-examine her memory, and found one related piece of information.

If it was spirit-related, then Noelle knew at least one thing. Spirits, or rather half spirits, were on the evolutionary list available to Charlotte once she received a certain amount of energy as a result of the berserk conditions that nearly engulfed her.

Even though he knew that, it was obvious that it was still lacking. He needs more information.

Noelle shook her head, and replied, "Explain everything to me. I want to confirm the similarity of the information I know, to the information you have."

That was a lie. Noelle had absolutely no information whatsoever about spirits, and he was a little wary that Norman might not tell him if Noelle said he didn't have any information about it at all.

So, his only choice was to pretend to have some knowledge, but not to be sure of the level of truth. That way, Norman will assume that Noelle knows something, but tries to make sure through her.

Silent for a moment, Norman with his complicated face then looked up at the sky. His gaze pierced through the clouds, and landed right on the giant eyeball with that many tentacles.

"I don't know how to explain it. Clearly, there's still too little information I have about spirits, so .. I can't tell you much."

" … Just tell me what you know."

It was a pity because he could not get the information he wanted, but what could be done, the information about it was still too minimal, he said, and Noelle doesn't even know if it's true or not.

Rather than having to be made dizzy with information that is not necessarily true, it is better for him to wait patiently, and try to find the answer independently.

Norman relaxed his body on his seat as he let out a heavy sigh.

"All I know, the spirit world, with our world overlapping. Thus, when one had enough magic, or spirituality, then they could vaguely or even clearly see the connection that the two worlds had. The concept is a bit complicated, and I still don't really understand it, but .. Within the spirit world, there are many things that don't exist and will never exist in the human world. You may have seen or heard it before, when we passed through the spirit gate."

Painful memories of the scene and the whispers Noelle had felt before reappeared. Noelle slightly frowned as she muttered. "Seven pillars of light, and a variety of whispering sounds … "

Norman nodded, as if he had first guessed the contents of his mind.

"Nobody knows what the seven pillars of light really are, but I have some speculation about all the whispers we hear there."

"First, the whisper actually comes from a certain existence or even from the spirits themselves, who want to make a connection with us. Then, there's the second theory, which I think is a little crazy."

"I think the whispers are from the unrefined evil spirits, who have been trapped in the spirit world for a very long time."

Although the second theory is a little more plausible to itself, Norman is more inclined to his first theory; that of hidden existences, and the spirits who try to make connections with intelligent living beings who enter the spirit gate.

Why was this theory chosen by him? The answer was in the whisper that appeared when he passed through the spirit gate.

The whisper is not a whisper that contains random words that can not be understood, but words that are arranged and assembled into fragments of important information for the listener.

Everyone will hear different whispers, and most of them tend to hear information that can help them. However, the information provided is completely random, and sometimes must also be done in a misleading way.

" …… Where did you know all that? "

Actually, Noelle had guessed the answer, but she wanted to confirm it straight away by asking Norman. Just a question like this, Norman shouldn't mind, right?

Faintly, Noelle could see an aura of gloom begin to envelop Norman.

His smile slowly disappeared, replaced by a very clear bitter expression.

"You may forget because I didn't act like my rank, but the truth is I'm still a prince, one of the most powerful men in this kingdom. Automatically, I have access to a lot of things that ordinary people don't know."

"One of them is how much history the church hides. Noelle, you're smart and have a sharp mind, so I'm sure you're already aware of that."

Even without Norman saying it straight away, Noelle already understood his point.

He implicitly mentions the 'empty history' of a thousand years or longer.

As he already knew, all the history in the kingdom, or all the other countries around it, started from a thousand years ago, which was exactly when the Demon King attacked.

Before that time, no one knew what was really going on.

Norman said he had access to information the church had hidden, and Noelle was curious about it.

However, the moment he tried to ask, he immediately noticed it. Norman also smiled wryly as if he had understood the awkwardness Noelle felt.

"Just like you think, Noelle. There is something, an invisible force, that prevents us from discussing it openly."

"I understand what you want to ask, but . Unfortunately I don't know the answer either. I just know that the church is hiding something from the public."

Speaking of the church, the Kingdom of Nothing is a country with a high degree of legal tolerance, making it one of the multi-religious countries that guarantees social standing for adherents of different religions. Although ... Some adherents are a little problematic, so sometimes they can not tolerate other beliefs.

The majority religion here is the one that worships the goddess Anastasia, and there are about five other religions that are considered to be the main religion be it in the Kingdom, or even in all the countries that exist on this continent.

The church that took care of Noelle was Olivia was a church that believed in Vesperi Goddess Zelica, also known as the goddess of the night watchman.

Although not so large, the church of Vesperi Goddess Zelica had a strong enough influence on Noelle and Olivia, so they both memorized almost all the contents of her book.

In her mind, Noelle tried to guess which church Norman was referring to, but she still could not guess it due to a lack of information.

"Maybe .. "be silent for a moment, Norman then continued, "The high-ranking papacy or deacon of the various churches knows the same content of history, so they work together to keep it secret."

"I initially assumed that the first to discover the history was the Church of God of Knowledge Gerben, but then I felt the strange movements of the members of the True Sun God Qulhod Church, they were in a hurry and worried about something."

"Unfortunately, I don't know what makes them that way. Their weirdness occurred simultaneously with my group departing for various cities for the final test of the academy."

"Mhmm … "

Noelle sighed and tried to connect all the available points.

The first was information about the spirit world, it was just now that he knew, and he was still lacking information. Then, there is also Norman speculation that the high-ranking Popes or Deacons of various churches know something about the 'history of the old world', which is most likely related to information about the spirit world.

(God of Knowledge Gerben Church, and True Sun God Qulhod Church? Besides ... Based on Norman's story just now .. Did they realize that Norman started sniffing them? In that case, it was no wonder that they would use each other's decoys to distract Norman, right at the time of his departure. That way, he wouldn't have time for a deeper investigation.)

As Noelle silently drew a conclusion to her, she then regained her senses. There are two things that are interconnected, and that is very clear!

Norman said that the spirit world overlaps with the material world, which they occupy today. But, Noelle had found absolutely no record of such a thing from the vampire castle!

Assuming that all the knowledge came from the demon world, Noelle could deduce a few things.

The first, was the fact that the demon world and the world he lived in now had very different characteristics.

If this world had a spirit world overlapping with it, then the demon world did not! That way, it was only natural that there were no records stating the existence of the spirit world in the vampire castle!

Another possibility, was that the previous vampire king had deliberately not left any information about it. But, what's the point? If thought about further, there would be no profit to be gained from doing such a thing.

So, in this case, Noelle tends to choose her first conclusion.

The spirit world exists only in this world, and it overlaps with each other, so a direct connection is inevitable; and the medium to make contact with that world, is one's magic power or spirituality!

Noelle once again smiled as she finally found the answer to one of her questions.

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