Chapter 65: Denian Kingdom (2)

“Let me show you first.” Ketal opened his pouch and retrieved shimmering, rainbow-colored particles.

Elene tilted her head in confusion. “What’s this?”

“This is the essence of what has replaced you.”

“What...?” Elene's eyes widened as she hastily focused on the iridescent particles. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”

“I forcibly compressed it into this form. Originally, it would have been much smaller, probably too minuscule to be visible to the naked eye,” Ketal explained.

These particles were small enough to replace cells. Ketal was aware of something similar. The mysterious entities that had overtaken the Lutein Kingdom were incredibly tiny.

I’m not sure if Elene will grasp the concept of how tiny this is,

Ketal thought.

Substances so small they were imperceptible to the human eye were not a familiar concept in this pre-microscope era. History recorded numerous futile attempts to understand the transmission of diseases like bacteria. Ketal worried that Elene might not grasp the idea. To his surprise, she nodded as if she understood.

“I think I understand,” she said.

“Oh? You’re quick to comprehend,” Ketal remarked.

“Well, mana and Aura are invisible, but when concentrated, they become detectable to the naked eye. I suppose it’s similar to that, right?”

“Yes, that’s one way to put it.”

Ketal realized that in this world, the Myst was an established reality. Even though mana and Aura were invisible, they were tangible forces that people were aware of. This was why Elene could grasp the concept so easily.

This truly is a fantasy world,

Ketal thought.

That subtle yet significant difference between this fantasy world and Earth moved Ketal slightly. While he reflected on this, Elene’s face twisted as a sudden thought struck her.

“Wait a moment. Then, does that mean I...”

“You, as you exist, have been entirely replaced by these minuscule particles,” Ketal stated, gesturing from head to toe.

From her heart to her brain, from her bones to her blood—every single part of her body had been substituted with something unseen.

“Ugh.” A shiver ran down her spine. She wrapped her arms around herself, her nails digging into her skin.

“You need to calm down,” Ketal soothed, patting her gently.

Elene took a few deep breaths until her breathing steadied. “I’m sorry.”

“I understand. It’s not exactly a pleasant thought.”

“But.... aren’t those rainbow particles dangerous?” she asked hesitantly.

“They’re fine. At the moment, they seem to be in a dormant state.”

Ketal had created the rainbow particles by tearing off a piece of Adamant’s robe and compressing it with tremendous force, creating a vacuum-tight seal that not even air could penetrate. The fact that these minuscule particles had become visible meant that their essence was already broken.

“Then what about not fearing death...?” Elene asked.

“I think it’s because the concept of lifespan does not exist for them. I’m not sure how they replenish energy, but they wouldn’t die naturally. That’s likely why those replaced by them have lost the concept of death,” Ketal explained.

“W-what?” Elene’s face betrayed her confusion.

Ketal clarified further. “To simplify, let’s call them Nanos. Each Nano is an independent entity. Instead of being a single, complete organism, countless independent Nanos come together to form the shape of a human. Cutting off a head or removing a heart wouldn’t kill them.”

Just as slicing through a lake only caused ripples while the water itself remained, the Nanos couldn’t be destroyed. Death had no meaning to them, so they neither needed to comprehend nor remember it. For that reason, the concept of death had been lost to them.

“Immortality...” Elene murmured.

“That’s one way to describe it. As independent entities, even if they were shattered, broken, or sliced apart, they can simply return to their original form.”

Ketal recalled cutting down numerous knights. Their flesh and blood had coated his axe, yet after the battle, the weapon appeared pristine as if it hadn’t been used at all. The Nanos had returned to maintain the knights’ original form.

“They’re too small to see, so they can’t be destroyed by simple axe strikes,” Ketal added.

“Wait, something doesn't add up,” Elene said, touching her hair as if recalling something. “My hair still grows. I even remember Parman being excited about getting taller. If we have been replaced, shouldn’t that kind of growth be impossible?”

“Those entities do not destroy the original characteristics of what they replace. They mimic them. They likely retain human traits,” Ketal explained.

Even though their bodies had been replaced by Nanos, they could still grow taller, and their hair and nails continued to grow.

“That’s why they believe themselves to be human, though they possess many characteristics that make them distinctly non-human. Those Nanos can even switch between each other,” Ketal continued.

“Switch? What do you mean?” Elene asked.

“When Adamant appeared, the knights disappeared,” Ketal pointed out. If Adamant had targeted Ketal while the knights had gone after the princess and Aron, their mission would have been simpler, but no knights had appeared when Adamant was present.

Ketal continued, “The Nanos from the knights most likely switched to Adamant’s body. That’s why Adamant was able to appear late.”

“But Adamant is only one person, and there were several knights. Why didn’t they all appear?” Elene pressed.

“Adamant is a Transcendent mage. He must carry a vast amount of Myst. If that energy were to be replaced by Nanos, a single knight’s worth of Nanos wouldn’t have sufficed,” Ketal explained.

For Adamant to locate Ketal and the group, he would have needed the Nanos from several knights—likely all except for Parman.

“They probably know each other’s locations, which is why they could track us so precisely,” Ketal added.

Elene fell silent as she bit her lip. “That makes me... one of them, doesn’t it?”

“It depends on how you define kinship, but it’s likely,” Ketal said.

“B-but, I fear death,” Elene continued. “If I’ve been replaced by Nanos, shouldn’t I be incapable of understanding death?”

‘That’s true,” Ketal replied.

It was indeed strange. A faint glimmer of hope appeared on Elene’s face, but Ketal interrupted her thoughts.

“From here on, this is purely my speculation,” he said. “Those entities imitate humans. They replace you but retain your values, personality, and thoughts. I suspect you and Aron were replaced quite late in the process.”

“H-how do you know that?” she asked.

“Because the two of you became aware of the Anomaly and feared turning into what they are.”

They had dreaded becoming monsters who didn’t fear death. Aron and Elene prayed not to end up like those entities.

“Parman said that because you didn’t want it, it probably wouldn’t happen to you,” Ketal said.

“That means...” Elene’s expression hardened.

“The reason you fear death is because you’re even more terrified of losing that fear.”

And so, even after being replaced by Nanos, Elene continued to fear death. Her gaze wavered as she processed this.

“You like eating, don’t you?” Ketal continued. “I imagine you were quite afraid of gaining weight from overeating. And Aron... he must have feared his body deteriorating from the incurable illness.”

As a result, Elene, no matter how much she ate, never gained weight. Aron, too, no longer suffered from his disease.

“Wait a minute. That’s....” Elene’s face contorted in distress. Because she feared losing the concept of death, the Nanos allowed her to retain that fear. Because she dreaded weight gain, her body was made to remain unchanged regardless of her diet. Because Aron feared his incurable illness, his condition was healed.

This was something humans had dreamed of since the beginning of time.

The Philosopher’s Stone.

The phrase flashed through Elene’s mind.

“Nanos operate according to the thoughts, values, and desires of those they replace,” Ketal explained. “That’s why they believe themselves to be human.”

Having replaced humans, the Nanos adhered to human ideals. The reason Parman remained trapped was simple—he believed he couldn’t escape his restraints.

If an inanimate object, such as a piece of armor, a staff, or a sword, were replaced instead, the Nanos would dutifully fulfill that role.

This was the essence of the Anomaly that had consumed the Lutein Kingdom, as Ketal had deduced.

“Hahaha...” Elene let out a dry, hollow laugh as she closed her eyes. It was the worst possible outcome. The destruction of her kingdom might not have been the work of some malicious individual but instead a soulless tool.

Ketal observed her silently before speaking again. “If it’s too much for you, you can stop.”

“No, no,” Elene said firmly, biting her lip. “Please, continue.”

“You were replaced by Nanos. Yet, you grow. You function properly as a human,” Ketal said.

“Yes,” Elene replied, though her face showed she didn’t fully understand the implication of his words. Moments later, her expression froze.

Ketal’s continued to talk, his tone serious. “If you’ve been replaced... can you truly bear children? And if you can, will that child be human—or will it be something made of Nanos?”

***

Elene sat in silence for a long time before she stood and left without saying a word. Ketal did not stop her. She had fought desperately to reach this place, driven by a desire for revenge, only to find despair waiting for her instead. It was no wonder her mind struggled to withstand it.

Is it self-awareness?

Ketal thought.

He had said that Nanos lacked self-awareness, but he wasn’t entirely sure.

He had torn off a piece of Adamant’s robe and compressed it tightly. From the Nanos’ perspective, what he had just destroyed was as good as dead.

In that fleeting moment, Ketal felt an overwhelming surge of emotions emanating from Adamant. The emotions didn’t come solely from Adamant himself but also from the robe and staff he carried.

These emotions were deep and complex, far beyond mere instincts. But without any certainty, Ketal decided not to voice his thoughts. Offering false hope would be worse than none at all.

How peculiar,

he thought. Someone so small that it could replace even cells had consumed the Lutein Kingdom entirely.

Is it from the Demon Realm?

Elene suspected that the phenomenon was tied to the Demon Realms. If her suspicions were correct, it was distinctly different from the White Snowfield.

Interesting,

Ketal mused as he closed his eyes.

***

The next day arrived. By now, Elene was likely in the midst of a discussion with the king. Ketal had shared most of what he knew with her. What remained now hinged on how humanity declared its position and what decision the king of the Denian Kingdom would make.

“I’d like to meet him myself,” Ketal murmured.

A king was the ruler of a kingdom—a wielder of the divine and mysterious power bestowed by the gods. But as a barbarian, he knew it was unlikely he would ever be granted an audience with a king. For now, all he could do was laze around in his room.

By now, Elene should have finished her conversation.

The mission was complete. If Elene returned, they could have a final conversation before parting ways.

As these thoughts crossed his mind, there was a knock at the door. It wasn’t the presence of Elene or Aron. Curious, Ketal rose to open the door. Standing there was a middle-aged man.

“A barbarian...,” the man greeted curtly.

“Well, this is a pleasant surprise,” Ketal replied with a broad grin. This man had been glaring at Ketal with hostility ever since he first entered the royal palace.

“Do you have a name, barbarian?” the man asked.

“Ketal,” he said casually.

The man’s gaze sharpened. He seemed to deliberate, clearly displeased, but eventually sighed and spoke. “His Majesty has summoned you. Follow me.”

“Hm?” Ketal tilted his head in confusion. This was unexpected.

The man explained slowly. “His Majesty spoke with Lady Elene. He requested you to be summoned to confirm something.”

“I see.” Ketal stroked his chin in thought. “I don’t mind, but I am a barbarian. To you people, my behavior might seem quite rude. Are you sure that’s acceptable?”

“What an odd thing to worry about,” the man muttered, staring at Ketal as if he were seeing something unusual. He had never met a barbarian concerned about his own rudeness.

Despite his obvious discomfort, the man replied, “It is indeed unpleasant, but His Majesty has said it doesn’t matter. If that is his will, then I have no choice but to obey.” “In that case,” Ketal said, nodding, “I accept. Lead the way.”