NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 215 Ashes
Zero soared through the sky, his powerful wings beating the air as he flew towards the Human Kingdom. As he flew over the kingdom, he saw the scars of war everywhere he looked. The land was scarred with craters and trenches, and the forests had been burnt to ashes. The ruins of a few towns and cities along with the bodies of the fallen lay scattered across the lands.
‘Nova would probably be very sad to see the forest brunt like this. We’ll also have to avoid walking so that she doesn’t sense all the bodies buried in the ground.’
Zero felt a weight on his heart as he saw the destruction and how to keep Nova and Avarus away from this. He knew that the war had been long and brutal, and he could guess the amount of suffering that the people had endured. It was something he and the others could deal with but not the children so he would have to choose where to stay carefully so that they wouldn’t see this destruction.
As he flew he saw that the damage to the earth became less and less frequent and eventually, he came across people who were still struggling to rebuild their lives. This was a human territory where the people were working hard to repair the damage that had been done to their homes and communities and rebuild from the ashes.
Zero knew that he needed information and where better to start than talking to the people closest to this battlefield. He landed in a clearing and changed his modern clothes to include trousers, a shirt, a jacket, and a coat to match the people. He walked out of the clearing toward the village and offered his assistance. Most likely due to being victims of war and enemy raids, the people were fearful and cautious of his offer. Zero tried his best to calm their mind by spinning a story about being a mage of the tower who managed to survive and heal his wounds. Listening to his story about how he was on his way back to the tower but he felt he needed to help his people the humans rebuild they accepted his help with open arms.
The human soul that Zero had absorbed the memories from happened to be from the magic tower which was why he was to find out the movements of the secret tower. Due to the mage soul and the elven soul Zero had also gained a comprehensive understanding of the magic used in the world of Aetheria.
In this magic system, practitioners use language as a medium for manipulating the eight elements of magic: air, earth, fire, water, light, darkness, time, and space. The magic system is based on the belief that the creator or better known as the first being used his divine language to shape reality, and that by speaking certain words and phrases, practitioners can manipulate the elements to achieve a desired effect.
The power of this magic system lies in the practitioners' ability to control and manipulate the elements through the use of language. It requires a deep understanding of the language and its elements, and it takes years of study and practice to master. However, for those who are skilled in its use, it can be a powerful and versatile tool for achieving a wide range of magical effects.
To use this magic system called Lingua, practitioners must first understand the elemental correspondences of different words and sounds. Certain syllables or sounds were associated with certain elements and once they have mastered the correspondences, practitioners can then use their knowledge of language to cast spells and perform magic.
‘This magic system is very different from Soma’s world so I’m sure Yoko will want to study it in depth. However, maybe it's due to the souls not being well versed when they were alive but they only mastered low-level spells and 1-3 mid-level spells. Hmm, maybe high-level spells aren’t reserved for the normal public in order to better control the populace. I’ll look into it later.’
As to not draw too much attention to himself Zero used earth lingua to help them clear the debris saving them hours of work. As he worked he stopped every 10 or so minutes to rest for 20 minutes to keep up his façade. While he rested he talked with the townspeople and learned much from them. Like how the noble in charge of these lands had fled with his wealth and family leaving his people to die.
Just as he guessed most commoners as these people were called despised the nobility who waged wars without a concern for their safety. There was a young woman who stood at the town square before the townspeople, her eyes blazing with passion as she spoke of overthrowing the lord who was a baron.
"We cannot let the nobles of this land get away with what they have done!" she exclaimed. "They abandoned us in our time of need, and they left us to fend for ourselves!"
The townspeople listened in silence as the young woman spoke, their faces grim as they heard the truth of his words. They knew all too well the betrayal of the nobles, who had promised to protect them in the time of war, but who had instead turned their backs on them and fled to safety.
“We know young one but these are nobles we are talking about. They have Lingua and soldiers and if we stand against them we will be wiped out. For now, let us focus on rebuilding.” said an old man
"We cannot let this stand!" the young woman continued, her voice growing louder and more fierce. "We must stand together and demand justice! We must show the nobles that we are not afraid and that we will not be ignored! If we rebuild they will just return to steal from us and demand we accept their rule!"
“All we can do Pia is simply survive. We cannot fight a battle we will lose and if we rebel we’ll not only have to worry about the elves and dwarves but also other humans. Unfortunately, this is not the county of Earl Torin who fights for his people.” said the old man
Just as the young lady named Pia was about to say something else Zero interrupted and asked, “Who is Count Torin?”