Chapter 168 - 163: The Map Without a Name
The afternoon passed quietly within the archive wing.
Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, slowly shifting across the wooden floor as the hours went by.
John sat at a large table surrounded by manuscripts of varying ages.
Some were neatly preserved.
Others had faded with time, their edges worn and brittle.
In front of him lay two nearly identical copies of the same historical record.
At first glance, they appeared identical.
But after spending nearly half an hour comparing them line by line, John noticed something.
He looked up.
"Master Aldric."
The old archivist looked over from his desk.
"Yes?"
"I think these two copies were written by different people."
Aldric walked over.
"What makes you say that?"
John pointed toward a paragraph near the bottom of the page.
"The wording is the same."
"But the handwriting changes here."
He traced a single line without touching the parchment.
"And this symbol."
"It’s written differently."
Miriam walked over as well.
She adjusted her spectacles before examining both documents.
After several moments, she smiled.
"Excellent."
John looked relieved.
"I was right?"
"You were."
She nodded.
"The original manuscript was damaged centuries ago."
"The second scribe filled in the missing portion from memory."
John blinked.
"So..."
"One copy isn’t completely accurate."
"Correct."
Aldric said.
"And now you’ve learned another lesson."
John looked toward him.
"Copies are valuable."
"But they are never perfect."
---
John carefully wrote the observation into his journal.
**Always compare multiple sources.**
**Even honest scribes can make mistakes.**
As he finished writing, Aldric noticed the neat, organized layout of his notes.
"You’ve kept everything dated."
John nodded.
"I figured it’d make things easier later."
"It will."
The old scholar smiled.
"A journal should help your future self."
"Not your present one."
John quietly laughed.
"I’ll remember that."
---
Miriam returned several manuscripts to their protective cases before walking toward one of the archive cabinets.
She hesitated for a brief moment.
Then she looked toward Aldric.
"Should we?"
The Chief Archivist remained silent.
His eyes drifted toward John.
The young man was carefully cleaning his gloves before handling another document.
Patient.
Methodical.
Respectful.
Finally...
Aldric nodded.
"I think he’s ready."
John looked up.
"Ready for what?"
Instead of answering immediately, Miriam unlocked another cabinet.
This one was much smaller than the others.
Inside rested a flat wooden case wrapped in dark green cloth.
She carried it to the table and placed it carefully before John.
Unlike the ancient scroll from yesterday...
This object wasn’t a manuscript.
It was too flat.
Too wide.
John looked between the two elders.
"What is it?"
"A map."
Aldric answered.
"Or rather..."
"What remains of one."
---
Miriam slowly unfolded the protective cloth.
Inside lay a large sheet of aged parchment.
Much of its surface had faded beyond recognition.
Large sections were completely blank where the ink had disappeared over the centuries.
Only fragments remained.
Mountain ranges.
Rivers.
Several forests.
And a handful of names written in elegant, ancient script.
John leaned closer.
"It doesn’t look complete."
"It isn’t."
Aldric replied.
"Nearly forty percent of it has been lost."
John studied the remaining details.
Near the center of the map, one mountain range immediately caught his attention.
The Ashen Peaks.
He recognized the name from Aldric’s personal map.
His eyes moved farther east.
Most of the labels had faded.
Then...
He noticed something unusual.
"There isn’t a kingdom marked here."
He pointed toward a large empty region beyond the mountains.
"It just..."
"...stops."
Miriam nodded.
"Good observation."
"What do you think that means?"
John considered the question carefully.
"If the mapmaker knew the land existed..."
"But didn’t name it..."
"Either it hadn’t been explored..."
"...or they deliberately left it blank."
Neither elder spoke immediately.
Finally...
Aldric smiled.
"Both possibilities have been suggested."
---
John continued examining the map.
Near one faded river...
A tiny symbol caught his attention.
It wasn’t a city.
Nor was it a fortress.
It resembled...
A tree.
He frowned.
"Master Aldric."
"Is this..."
The old scholar stepped closer.
"Yes."
"I wondered when you’d notice."
John looked back at the symbol.
"It’s the same tree."
"The one wrapped by the dragon."
"The emblem on the ancient scroll."
Aldric nodded.
"The resemblance is unmistakable."
John’s heartbeat quickened.
The symbol wasn’t decorative.
It marked a location.
At least...
It seemed to.
He traced the air above it without making contact.
"There aren’t any words beside it."
"No."
Miriam replied.
"The name has completely disappeared."
---
The room grew quiet.
John stared at the faded tree.
His thoughts raced.
The Eternal Tree.
The ancient scroll.
The Seven Dragon Kings.
The nameless region beyond the Ashen Peaks.
Each clue seemed unrelated at first.
But slowly...
Pieces were beginning to connect.
Not enough to reveal the full picture.
But enough to suggest one existed.
---
Aldric walked toward a nearby bookshelf.
He returned carrying three additional maps.
Each had been copied during a different century.
He laid them side by side.
"Compare them."
John immediately began studying each one.
The oldest map contained the mysterious tree.
The second still showed the mountains...
But the tree was gone.
The newest map marked neither.
Instead...
The entire area beyond the Ashen Peaks was labeled simply:
**Unexplored Wilderness**
John looked surprised.
"It disappeared."
"Or..."
Aldric corrected gently.
"It was forgotten."
John looked at the three maps again.
Generation after generation...
Information had slowly vanished.
Not all at once.
Little by little.
Until almost nothing remained.
---
He carefully opened his journal again.
On a fresh page, he sketched the symbol of the tree exactly as it appeared on the oldest map.
Beside it, he wrote:
**Possible connection to the Eternal Tree.**
**Present on oldest surviving map.**
**Missing from later copies.**
**Reason unknown.**
Miriam glanced at the notes and smiled.
"Very thorough."
"I’m trying."
"You don’t need to try."
She said kindly.
"You’re already thinking like a historian."
John looked slightly embarrassed.
"I still have a lot to learn."
"So do we."
Aldric replied.
"I’ve spent six decades studying these records."
"I still discover new things every year."
---
Just then...
A soft knock sounded at the office door.
Elena stepped inside.
"Master Aldric."
"A message has arrived."
She handed him a sealed envelope bearing the royal crest.
The old scholar broke the seal and quietly read its contents.
His expression remained calm.
But John noticed the subtle change in his eyes.
He looked up.
"What is it?"
Aldric folded the letter.
"The Royal Exploration Guild."
"They’re organizing an expedition."
John’s curiosity immediately returned.
"Where?"
The old scholar met his gaze.
"The Ashen Peaks."
Silence filled the room.
Neither John nor Miriam spoke.
Finally...
John asked the question lingering in everyone’s mind.
"When do they leave?"
Aldric looked down at the letter once more.
"...In five days."
Outside the archive windows, the bells of the Royal Library rang across the Scholar’s District.
For John...
Five days suddenly felt both incredibly long...
And far too short.
---
100 ps = 1 extra Chapter
200 ps = 2 Extra Chapter
1 Golden ticket = 3 Extra Chapter