Book Eater

Chapter 251: Ominous Identity (4)

The imperial family of the central empire!

Theo had been living in the East Continent for the past few months, so he understood the weight of those words. The empire had reigned supreme in the East Continent for more than a thousand years. Its reign was so great that the empire could be called the center and source of the Eastern world.

So, it was natural that the founder of this empire and his descendants would be closer to gods than to humans.

If the imperial family are the children of Lust―

Then as Theo recalled the founding myths of the center of the East Continent, he said, “Gluttony, I have something I want to ask.”

- What is it?

“Did you say that Lust’s children are born with greater strength and aptitude than their parents? In order for this to be efficient, won’t she need to commit incest?”

- Hoh, that is a decent point. Did you infer this from when Lust tried to seduce you?

“... Well, something like that.” Theo frowned when Gluttony reminded him of the incident. He had almost drowned in Lust’s sexuality. It was a shame that would be hard to face if anyone else had seen it.

However, Gluttony just wished to praise Theo, so it waved its tongue in more active movements than usual.

- User’s statement isn’t wrong. In fact, Lust has repeatedly committed incest over a hundred generations, creating monsters beyond the limits of that species.

“Monsters?”

-?Do you remember the peak of the Ulfheenar and king of all beasts, Fenrir?

It stirred something in Theo’s memories. He had heard in Elvenheim that Fenrir’s death had caused the downfall of the Beast Clan. Moreover, Pride had transformed into an Ulfheenar when they had fought at the Pirate Archipelago. The durability and strength of the Ulfheenar’s body had allowed Pride to dodge a sword master’s aura blade and avoid a falling lightning bolt.

It was a monster that gave Theo the shivers. As such, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to compare the head of the Ulfheenar and the Beast King to a dragon. Theo was amazed by Lust’s ability to produce such a monster.

“Wait a minute. Didn’t you say that the monster called Fenrir was eventually killed?”

- That’s right.

“But not all of the Beast Clan were wiped out. There were more Ulfheenar left, so couldn’t Lust have given birth to a child that surpassed Fenrir? Why didn’t Lust give birth to the next Fenrir?”

Theo’s point was extremely reasonable. Lust had propagated the Ulfheenar species over a hundred generations, so it would be a terrible waste to let an entire species die with Fenrir. Even if a grimoire had no concept of time, this wasn’t efficient.

Wouldn’t the grimoire have prepared for the next generation and delighted in birthing a creature beyond Fenrir?

However, Gluttony laughed at him.

- Kuhuhuhu. User, you got the order backwards.

“What? Backwards?”

- That’s right. Lust didn’t give up on the species because Fenrir died. It is because Lust abandoned the Ulfheenar that Fenrir died. While it isn’t appropriate to give advice in this situation, the question that User just asked is the answer.

The question was the answer. Theo felt like a lightning bolt had just struck him. It was the exact opposite of causation; the cause and result were reversed. Fenrir’s death wasn’t the cause but the result. In that case, what happened first...

Something about Fenrir forced Lust to conclude that choosing the Ulfheenar had been a failure.

“There was a problem with Fenrir?”

- Correct.?

Gluttony was pleased at his user’s quick thinking.

- Ancient civilizations that pass a certain level treat incest as taboo. Do you know why?

“I don’t know the details. I just heard stories about babies coming out deformed."

- It is the same issue regarding eugenics. By limiting the gene’s breadth, their flaws are magnified. Of course, Lust’s performance isn’t the problem. The problem was with her child.

Gluttony summarized it briefly with a chuckle.

- Fenrir had sexual dysfunction.

“Ah...!” Theo exclaimed as he grasped an understanding of all the circumstances.

Over the course of generations, the genes were improved and the incest continued. However, the Ulfheenar pedigree had eventually reached its limit.

King Fenrir… According to ancient records, the Beast King had lost his ability to reproduce in exchange for his transcendent ability. No matter how good an incubator Lust was, it wasn’t possible to extract the genetic elements from Fenrir if he couldn’t be sexually active.

As such, she had been unable to reach the ultimate creature and failed. Therefore, Lust had left Fenrir and the Ulfheenar in search of other possibilities. The Ulfheenar, who had been pureblooded for generations, soon developed problems with Fenrir, and it didn’t take long for the species to collapse. It was the death of a creature that could stand shoulder to shoulder with a dragon, as well as the decline of the Beast Clan.

"... Things are connected in the strangest places.”

Theo had unearthed another secret of the Age of Mythology, and he felt a strange sense of accomplishment. In this day and age, there were few ancient records remaining. Every time he dug up a hidden story, his magician’s curiosity would soar.

He was so absorbed in the story he had forgotten the reason he’d broached this subject.

No, is this the time to be satisfied?

Theo should be paying attention to Lust in the present, not her tracks in the Age of Mythology. He hurriedly asked Gluttony his next question, “Unlike in the past, Lust is collecting genes from a large number of humans. So, is there no incest?”

- Perhaps. The system of the duel trial and her role as a notary is probably part of her plan. It’s a fairly efficient way to collect the genes of the strong, as well as gain control of each force.

“If she repeated this for a thousand years...” Theo murmured with a horrified expression.

This meant Lust had been acting in secret for a long time. Otherwise, there would have been more rebellions or great power struggles in this vast land. It was clear that Lust had controlled every side of disputes and stopped unnecessary consumption.

This method of trial and error would’ve also made a mark in the Age of Mythology. Theo couldn’t imagine the result of Lust’s experiment, which would’ve advanced one step further after the failure with Fenrir.

- Hrmm, I don’t know about that.

However, Gluttony’s thoughts were a little different.

- It is easy to be mistaken. But unless one is born with a great talent, they can’t become transcendent. In Lust’s case, a counterproductive effect is more likely to occur.

“Counterproductive? Fenrir was a horrifyingly strong monster.”

- Even Fenrir couldn’t truly reach transcendence. I think this is Lust’s limit.

Despite being part of the Seven Sins, Gluttony’s assessment was grim. In some ways, it might be natural. The Seven Sins pursued seven different paths to their goal. Affirming other methods was like denying their own.

- A transcendent is a perfect being who overcomes their own destiny and transcends their natural limits.

Theo nodded slowly. “... Indeed, the more excellent the vessel, the greater the volume required to fill it. So, is Lust just repeating a meaningless act?”

- I believe so, but I don’t know.

Gluttony spoke like it wasn’t expecting anything.

- Someday, she may be able to give birth to a fetus with a transcendent value from birth. This is Lust’s purpose.

“Indeed, well it doesn’t mean anything to me. It sounds like she will either complete it or not.”

Thousands of years had been wasted on one path, but time was meaningless to a grimoire. Theo was well aware of that, so he only sighed and didn’t ask anymore. It didn’t matter to him if Lust’s experiment was successful or not. After all, it wasn’t as though she was threatening the world like Pride. Therefore, it was best not to fight her if possible.

- The idea is right. She promised not to attack first, so there won’t be an ambush. However, her children’s genes have improved over the last thousand years, so they can still threaten User. You have completed your purpose, so you should return to the continent quickly.

“I was already planning on that. This is just one more reason to leave the Fairy Dance region,” Theo answered before looking around the room. After confirming that there weren’t any drops of blood left behind from Lust, he moved. He was going to get some sleep before Lee Seol returned.

***

That evening, the two who had gone to the outskirts of the Lee Fairy area returned.

After three months of effort, everything was almost organized. The talks themselves seemed to have ended successfully, and Lee Joonyoung’s strength had advanced a step further with Theo’s instruction. He also had a unique position within the Fairy Dance Lee Family, so Lee Seol’s position was quickly stabilized.

It was just a matter of being late. The consolidation of the Fairy Dance Lee family was a decision which had been made three months ago.

It means the situation won’t worsen if I leave.

Theo wasn’t the type of person who would relax indefinitely. He was worried about what Meltor thought about his disappearance, and his body was now healed.

Theo looked at Lee Seol sitting next to him. “So, the thing I have to say is...”

Lee Seol looked as bright as a lark. She was also a determined child. How could she not be, after living for ten years on the mountains? Lee Seol might’ve taken up the role of the mountain’s keeper at a young age, but it was still hard for a sixteen year old girl.

Despite being burdened by the responsibilities of being the head of the family, he could still vividly see the delighted expression she had made at being able to live in the village.

“Seol.”

“Yes?”

Theo thought it would be okay to leave now. “It is time for us to part.”

Two pairs of eyes widened at Theo’s words. Even though they had known it was coming, Lee Seol still found it painful to face.

She shook her head a little bit as her voice trembled. “H-Hasn’t it only been three months? There are still five months left until my coming of age ceremony! I also haven’t learned...”

“The other family members can teach you martial arts.”

“But!”

“Temporary Head.” At that time, Lee Joonyoung opened his mouth with a gentle expression. “You’ve made up your mind.”

Theo slowly looked at him. “You understand?”

Lee Joonyoung nodded. “You aren’t the type of person who would joke about something like this. Do you mind staying for a few more days?”

“Yes... three days will be appropriate.”

Once Theo made up his mind, he needed to move before it was shaken. If he wasn’t prepared to take this step, he wouldn’t have said it out loud. Three days was the minimum period to complete all his preparations, as well as inform the whole family.

Theo spoke to Lee Joonyoung, “I have finished writing the books I promised. There are ten volumes of the Fairy Dance Skills Series. I have started from the basic training methods and ended at the hidden techniques, so you should spread the books out rather than hiding them in a warehouse.”

Lee Joonyoung bowed. "Yes, I will follow your instructions.”

“It’s good that you are consistent. You will do very well in the future.”

Theo turned to Lee Seol. Her clear eyes were filled with tears, and she bit her lips when she met Theo’s gaze. It was a frank expression showing the emotions of a mountain girl.

Theo smiled and patted her neat black hair. “I'm sorry.”

“... I don’t know. You are bad.”

“Kukuk.” Was she acting like a child on purpose, or was it her natural temperament? Theo felt like she was his little sister as he kept patting her head. “The last three days will be all for you. Tell me if you want to do anything.”

“...” Lee Seol hesitated for a moment and whispered in a voice that was difficult to hear, “Then I’ll ask one thing of you.”

It was a request she hoped Theo would grant.