Overlimit Skill Holder
Book 5: Chapter 70

「Old man Hinga…」I murmured to myself.

「Hou, do you know of Dr. Hinga?」His Majesty asked.

「I heard that he was a leading figure in the research of Covenant and Skill Orbs.」

I heard it from El-san, the rabbit high priest, in the Kruvan Holy Kingdom.

「Yes, he conducted a lot of deep research despite the short lifespan of the human race. Unfortunately, he seems to have ceased all research about 10 to 20 years ago.」

「Dr. Hinga seems to have been a nobleman in the Forsha Kingdom. Perhaps his research was lost due to the destruction of that country.」I said.

「I see… Forsha Kingdom, huh…」

「Oh, is there something important about it?」

「Forsha Kingdom is ostensibly said to have been defeated and destroyed in the power struggle within the Keith Gran Federation, but that is not the truth. A local epidemic struck the nation and killed most of the population. I heard that by the time the epidemic was over, there wasn’t enough population left to support the country, and King Geffert annexed it.」

「No way… Is a local epidemic even possible?」

I know that this is not a world where you visit the neighboring countries by train or plane, but even so, transportation by carriage is frequent and there should be enough movement of people between countries.

In spite of all that, the disease only targeted a single country?

「I don’t think it is possible– normally, that is.」

「What does that mean?」I asked.

「The illness was aimed only at the Forsha Kingdom… by this sin.」

His Majesty’s thin fingers pointed to old man Hinga’s dissertation.

The front only had the title “Study on the Internal Composition of Skill Orbs”. I wonder what it entails.

「Can I look inside?」

「I don’t mind, but try not to reveal it outside.」

I picked up the bunch of faded paper, probably due to long years, and looked inside——.

「This is……」

I understood the contents immediately.

「Study on remodeling and destruction of skill orbs…」

「That’s right. It’s a paper that investigates changing the number of stars or destroying skill orbs which cannot be destroyed originally.」

You can’t destroy it? You really can’t destroy skill orbs? Not that I ever thought of destroying one.

It looks like an ore, but it is a mysterious object that can be absorbed into your body.

Even with the presence of【World Ruler】, skill orbs can only be identified as “skill orb”.

「No, but I remember seeing a dragon destroying skill orbs.」

I recalled the time when I fought a golden dragon in the Achenbach Dukedom.

The dragon spat fire breath from its mouth and destroyed the skill orbs.

「Reiji-kun, the dragons are the mediator.」

「Ah……」

「Naturally, they are able to interfere with skill orb. But it is impossible for us– no, it’s not completely impossible. It was Dr. Hinga who researched that subject.」

I roughly read through to the end. I decided to memorize the details of the contents and scrutinize them later.

「『Skill Orb can be destroyed or modified by compounding the equal amount of activation magic』…? Did you use this technology to create that heart-like thing which connects to the Life Dragon Kurtus Vita?」

「That’s right. It was imperfect… but the King long before I completed this technology. Dr. Hinga only rediscovered our technology.」

「I see…」

The Life Dragon Kurtus Vita fell asleep long ago, which means the King of High Elves discovered the technology hundreds or thousands of years ago.

「Although it was a rediscovery, there were a few things even I didn’t know of. I was impressed that the human race would also conduct this kind of research. But I see now, they were punished for committing a taboo…」

「Are you saying that the epidemic that hit the Forsha Kingdom was “punishment for committing taboo”?」I asked.

「Otherwise, the unnatural illness wouldn’t have been so prevalent.」

「…………」

I still remember the words old man Hinga said while looking at the sun in his last hour.

——I exist only to be punished. For I have committed a sin that I can’t atone for even with my death. But I was blessed to bask in the sun’s embrace in my final hour. O God who governs heaven and earth, I pray that thee grant blessings unto this shunned child…

Did old man Hinga know that the Forsha Kingdom was destroyed because of him?

Was he in the Sixth Mine to atone for the sin?

——I wish you all the best in life, Reiji.

The person who died wishing for my happiness was the one who brought an illness that killed many people—a great sinner?

「…That’s bullshit.」

If it was the “God who governs heaven and earth” that divided the world into two and created the skill orbs, why would they even complain about human activities?

If there was a mystery in front of you, it would be natural to want to unravel it.

Isn’t it natural for scholars to study skill orbs?

However, such inquisitive actions are punishment with an illness?

「Fuu, you are still young, Reiji. But that youth is also good.」

His Majesty laughed a little.

「If it rains, it will moisten the earth. If the wind blows, trees will sway. Is there anyone who will complain about that?」

「Are you saying that my anger is akin to spitting at the sky?」I asked.

「The king, who first started researching skill orb modification, seems to have died of a strange disease that gradually rotted from his fingertips. The next king died of coughing and vomiting blood. The next one lost all the hair on their body… When it comes to my generation, the punishment is not as heavy as it was at the beginning, but my lifespan is still much shorter than the average High Elves’ lifespan, and thus I am dying. From the perspective of elves and other High Elves, the seat of the king is cursed.」

「Even so… you have been continuing the research.」

「Without Kurtus Vita, the elven race would have died in the wild. The king’s life was not too great a price to repay that grace. Even when their fingertips rotted, even when their elbows disappeared, even when their dissertation was smeared by coughed up blood, even when they lost all their hair and sat in the cold of the winter, the previous kings continued on the research. I, having inherited the will of my predecessors, have happily continued the research so I can hand over my research to the next generation and die.」

「…………」

「Yuri has a great will. I am sure she will lead everyone as a Queen and carry out this “responsibility”. No… not just Yuri, all of her siblings are good people too. They know that the King’s work is cursed, but they all wish to inherit it. Of course, that includes Matvey too.」

「What about Asha? Did you send her out of the country because she is no good?」

His Majesty shook his head.

「No such thing.」

「The skill orb embedded in Asha had a star I had never seen. Was it created by Your Majesty?」

It was a skill orb called【Mana Propagation ★★☆☆】. The stars were hollow and shone a dark, weak light.

「Yes. Although Asha couldn’t speak, she was able to communicate by writing, and I knew that she had a great will. So I gave her the skill orb that I created… It’s a skill orb that naturally propagates mana, so even if she accidentally invokes【Fire Magic】, it will not manifest a large fire.」

「God might have also punished Asha.」

「That child wished to be of use to the forest as a High Elf. If the king’s job is to accept the punishment, then that child would also be involved in the king’s duty.」

This person’s meaning of affection is completely distorted.

However, that is the basis of the belief of the elves which supports and sustains the entire forest.

Even knowing that the modification of skill orbs will invite disaster, His Majesty is uniting everyone by demonstrating the spirit of self-sacrifice.

「It is not something I can understand.」I said with all honesty.

「That’s fine, child of man. That’s why I can entrust Asha to you.」

「Huh……?」

「At this moment, at this moment alone, I want to ask something of you, not as a “king who touched the taboo”, but as a simple father.」

His Majesty lowered his head deeply.

「Make Asha… happy. She has suffered ill-fortunes ever since she was born, even though she was not the king. That’s why I don’t want her to suffer anymore. I want her to leave this forest and spread her wings far and wide under the great sky.」

「P-Please raise your head.」

「Will you promise me that?」

His Majesty glanced up at me with his head hung down.

「Yes, okay. If she wants to.」I said.

「I want you to take her away even if she doesn’t want it. She might choose to remain in the forest due to the sense of responsibility.」

「Well… yes, but I don’t want to force her.」

「Do you think Asha isn’t cute enough?」

「No, she is cute.」

「And she likes you too. You have enough reason to take her away.」

「No, that’s– Eh? Asha likes me…?」

His Majesty suddenly stood up in a stunned manner.

「What the hell is wrong with you… Are you seriously that thick headed? There is no other woman in the world who would signal you as clearly as my daughter.」

「Eh, ah? No, but Asha said she wanted to be with me as an adventurer…」

「She even said she wanted to be with you? And you denied her by understanding it as wanting to become an adventurer?」

「Ah, eh, uhhh…」

「Be clear! My daughter is the cutest in the world, isn’t she?」

「Ah, yes, I think she is.」

「If so, take her away!」

「No, that reasoning is…」

His Majesty stood up and grabbed my collars.

「Y-Your Majesty!?」

「As her father, I am saying that it’s okay to take her away. Is that clear!? Do it tomorrow! Get out tomorrow!」

「Eeeeh~!?」

The door suddenly threw wide open and the Secret Service jumped in.

「What happened, Your Majesty!?」

「As expected, this man is a criminal–… eh?」

The Secret Service stood stunned when they saw His Majesty flipping out instead of me.