Chapter 104: Night
Then he drew in a deep breath and slowly channeled his Solar Heart while touching the rune.
A faint golden warmth flowed from Edgar’s fingertips. Slowly, very slowly, it seeped into the ink.
"....."
Edgar waited for a miracle, but nothing happened.
The room remained silent. Edgar frowned but didn’t withdraw his hand.
Instead, he carefully increased the flow of energy.
The warmth inside the rune became more concentrated.
The black ink shimmered for the briefest instant.
"...Hm?"
Crack.
The parchment suddenly split apart.
The ink rapidly faded from black to pale grey before disappearing completely.
The warmth inside Edgar’s fingertips vanished with it.
"...Failed."
He picked up the ruined piece of parchment.
There wasn’t the slightest trace of the rune anymore. It was as though the paper had rejected it.
Edgar didn’t feel disappointed, though. He was happy with how things had turned out.
’...I can be assured that at least I am on the right path,’ Edgar thought to himself, rubbing his chin.
’Though, I still don’t know if Solar Energy is the right thing to channel through the runes.’
The only reason he chose this was because of his understanding of the Solar Heart.
The heart was recharged by Nightmare Stones, and Edgar was sure that runes worked because of those stones.
So, in theory, his heart should be able to make the runes work, or at least respond.
’Let’s try again!’
Edgar immediately reached for another scrap of parchment.
This time, he paid closer attention. He copied the exact same rune, making sure everything was identical.
After comparing it with the original three times, he nodded in satisfaction.
"...I hope I don’t make any mistakes this time."
A gentle stream of golden energy entered the parchment.
The rune remained motionless for a long while, not responding to anything.
Edgar adjusted the flow. He treated it like adjusting the flame beneath a pot.
The parchment instantly blackened after a few seconds.
"...They really are delicate."
He quickly cut off the flow before the paper caught fire and picked up the parchment for closer examination.
A faint golden thread flashed between several of the rune’s lines.
Something inside the rune had attempted to connect, almost like tiny channels carrying energy.
’So the lines are pathways?’
If each line directed energy differently, then changing even a single stroke could produce an entirely different effect.
No wonder ancient runes looked so complicated. "...Interesting."
Edgar kept repeating the process and got a little closer to understanding the runes.
But as he continued experimenting, a dull pressure spread through his chest.
Edgar paused and slowly leaned back on the sofa.
The warmth within his Solar Heart had become noticeably weaker.
"...I’ve nearly exhausted myself."
Between absorbing thirty Nightmare Stones and repeatedly channeling Solar Energy into the parchment, he had consumed far more energy than expected.
He looked at the dozens of failed scraps scattered across the table before letting out a helpless laugh.
"...Research really is expensive."
Edgar let out a sigh and put them aside. He then turned his attention to the other parchments lying on the table.
He picked one up and unfolded it.
They were rough drawings of gears, pistons, pressure valves, and long cylindrical chambers.
The first draft of a steam engine.
Edgar had more or less made up his mind to use this as his main Fortress.
But that didn’t mean he couldn’t have more bases that functioned as subsidiary Fortresses.
With all the automatic functions that most of his ⟨Watch Towers⟩ had, he could even create war Fortresses used solely to kill Nightmares.
’I can use them as Nightmare Stone farms, just like a breeding plant.’
The only thing he needed was to establish a transportation system, and a steam engine was the best option for it.
Edgar took a deep breath as he looked at the design of his first draft.
It was almost complete, but there was one thing he needed the most.
"...Iron."
He simply didn’t have enough.
Without a reliable source of ore, every ambitious idea remained nothing more than ink on paper.
Edgar leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.
’Hopefully those Soul Guardians find something soon.’
Edgar picked up the quill and began making a few changes to the design.
He didn’t know when, but Edgar fell asleep without realizing it.
---
Hera’s eyes suddenly snapped open.
"Haa...!"
Her breathing was ragged as she instinctively clutched the blanket around herself.
For several long seconds, she simply stared into the darkness.
"....."
She looked around the unfamiliar room in panic.
Only after spotting a familiar figure sleeping peacefully on a blanket beside the bed did the tightness in her chest slowly loosen.
"...Reeba."
The maid remained fast asleep, breathing softly. Seeing her there calmed Hera’s racing heart.
She slowly leaned back against the headboard and placed a trembling hand over her chest.
"...Again."
The nightmare had returned, just like every other night.
She had once again watched her homeland burn.
She had seen the castle collapse, with blood and screams filling the air.
No matter how many times she woke up, the ending never changed. Everyone died.
’...Am I going to die like them too?’
The thought quietly surfaced in her mind.
Ever since she had arrived here, death had felt closer with every passing day.
She was sure the Nightmares weren’t chasing the Fortress. They were chasing her.
She hugged her knees.
The silence inside the room only made the memories louder.
A faint golden glow seeped through the crack beneath the bedroom door.
"...?"
Hera blinked. The gentle light quietly illuminated the wooden floor.
The fear in her heart eased ever so slightly.
"...Beautiful..."
Without making a sound, she climbed out of bed.
She glanced toward Reeba once more before quietly opening the bedroom door.
The old wooden staircase creaked softly beneath her bare feet.
The deeper she descended, the brighter the glow became.
When she reached the main hall, she finally understood its source.
"...Edgar."
The blond boy had fallen asleep on the sofa.
Dozens of scattered parchments covered the nearby table.
Even in his sleep, a faint golden radiance drifted from his chest.
The gentle light rose and fell with every heartbeat.
"....."
Hera quietly stood there. She remembered the warmth she had felt from him.
The same warmth that had driven back the darkness. The same warmth that somehow made her feel... safe.
Without thinking any further, she slowly walked over.
"...Sorry."
She whispered so softly that even she barely heard herself. Carefully, she lay down beside him.
For a brief moment, she hesitated.
Then she gently rested her head against his arm.
Warmth immediately spread throughout her body, but it wasn’t merely physical warmth.
The uneasiness that had gripped her heart since waking slowly melted away.
The horrifying images from her nightmare faded into the distance.
Her breathing gradually steadied.
"....."
A small smile unconsciously appeared on Hera’s lips.
"...Warm."
She quietly closed her eyes, and within only a few moments, she had fallen asleep once again.