The Scales that Announce Global Upheaval – Part 11

“Isn’t the view up here amazing?” Renka said.

Indeed, the view from the high point was quite spectacular.

The morning sunlight streamed in from the dome’s ceiling—despite being 100 meters up, the light source was still far above—offering a panoramic view of the village.

Away from the village, along the walls of the cavern, stood large buildings where the Man Gnomes were headed. These were places for food processing, sewing, and blacksmithing.

The walls also had large openings leading to tunnels where various activities such as livestock raising, agriculture, and mining were conducted. Earlier, they had seen the livestock area, where dozens of goats roamed leisurely in the spacious cave. There wasn’t much grass, but there was plenty of moss, likely their main food source.

Funai lived a thousand years ago, and this village existed even before that. The Man Gnomes have lived here for countless ages.

Maybe the Man Gnomes adapted too much to life in the huge cavern that they gradually shrunk in size?

Their diet likely lacked variety in nutrients, with little meat and a focus on vegetables. This was not evolution but adaptation to their environment.

“Lord Silver Face. Are you done with the Sainokami?”

“Oh, right. That’s what we came to see. Are you okay, Flower Face?”

“S-Somehow.”

“There’s still the descent.”

“Ugh. I’m slow and might cause trouble, so I’ll go down first.”

Paula trudged off. Climbing down with chains was easier than climbing up, but it still wasn’t an easy path.

“I feel bad for her.”

It might have been better for her to wait below.

“Silver Face, this is it! The rare Sainokami!”

Renka was jumping in front of a shrine carved into the cliff wall. She was brimming with energy.

“You mean rare because of its location.”

“No, it’s rare because it has inscriptions in ancient script.”

“Ancient script?”

Hikaru approached the shrine and faced the Sainokami. It appeared dirtier compared to those in the village.

“No way.”

The dusty stone statue, because of infrequent maintenance, had suffered less wear and clearly retained its form as a Jizō figure. But that wasn’t all.

There were words engraved on the pedestal. In Japanese.

In remembrance of the devastation caused by the War of Absolute Dominion, we leave this statue. We pray that such calamity never befalls the world again.

Reading the inscription sent a shiver through every cell in Hikaru’s body. War of Absolute Dominion. Could this be the conflict the Man Gnomes spoke of with the Saak family?

He wasn’t sure, but it was certain that a Japanese person had been here.

I never thought I was special. Even Serika came to this world before me. Other Japanese people could have reincarnated or transferred here, so it didn’t surprise me.

Yet these words struck Hikaru deeply. More than struck, it felt like someone had pounded on his chest with full force.

The words felt so raw, carrying the intent of the person who had carved them.

Upon closer inspection, the pedestal was made of a different, unusual type of mineral. Without it, the inscription would have weathered away over the ages. The fact that this particular stone was chosen and carved into showed the carver’s determination to leave a message.

“Hmm? What’s wrong, Silver Face? You froze.”

“Renka.”

“Oh, you’re moving again.”

“Do you know who made this statue?”

“Nope. No idea. My dad said he used to look for Sainokami when he was a kid too. But no one’s name was left anywhere.”

“Hmm.”

“And it’s a shame, but there used to be ten of these when my dad was a kid. The tenth one was deep in a cave, but it got buried in a collapse.”

If Raiga was a child back then, it must have been around a hundred years ago.

“I see.”

That was all Hikaru could manage to say.

“All right, it’s almost lunchtime! After we eat, let’s visit the research lab. I rarely get to go there, so I’m excited!” Renka skipped away from the Sainokami.

Despite the passage of time, Renka, living in the present, was so full of life. Hikaru found it somewhat lonely.

“But I’m sure the person who made this Jizō statue wished for such a future.”

He put his hands together and closed his eyes.

“The War of Absolute Dominion, huh?”

Hikaru turned and followed Renka.

---

The research lab was bustling from the morning.

Following the Grand Elder’s announcement, the villagers crowded the lab, demanding what they knew and accusing them of hiding the truth. Although the elders intervened to prevent the situation from escalating, distrust towards the Man Gnomes had already set in. The elders couldn’t fully control the public’s sentiment, so the lab had to prepare an official statement.

The conflict with the Saak family was a matter of great importance. The elders had hidden the truth until they could confirm it, but that decision backfired.

“Ugh. It’s been a while since I’ve pulled an all-nighter,” groaned one male researcher.

“Seriously. Shouldn’t this be the director’s job?” Yoshino said, slumping over her desk.

Ultimate Mirk members had been gathered at the lab to prevent any unauthorized leaks of information. They had spent the night discussing how to present the information to satisfy everyone. Though it seemed like a trivial matter, maintaining harmony in the village was the top priority, so everyone took it seriously. This discussion was likely to continue for several more days since the Man Gnomes’ sense of time differed from that of humans.

“Hmm? What’s that commotion at the entrance?” the male researcher said, rubbing his sleep-deprived eyes.

“Ugh. It’s probably that old lady again, demanding the lab reveal the truth,” Yoshino replied.

“No, I don’t think so.”

They slowly made their way to the entrance of the lab. The door, usually left open, was closed this time.

“Someone, please! Open up! My dad told me to come here!”

The voice was young.

“Huh? Is that Renka?”

“Yeah, that’s right! Open up!”

“All right, hang on.”

Assuming a child wouldn’t be a problem, the male researcher unlatched the bolt and opened the door. Standing there was not only the young girl but also a pair of people in silver masks.

---

There was no reception area, so Hikaru and Paula were led to the Mirk’s break room, where they found researchers collapsed in exhaustion.

“A death march?” Hikaru muttered when he saw the scene.

“That’s a funny way to put it. The march has only just begun, though,” Yoshino said, guiding them further inside.

Of course, Hikaru had no idea they had pulled an all-nighter just to come up with an excuse for the villagers. They sat across from Yoshino at a round table.

“I’m sorry, but the director was called away by the Grand Elder. Please wait here until he returns.”

“All right,” Hikaru replied.

They were served plain hot water in cups. It was clear they weren’t expecting Hikaru, evident from their confusion. The male researcher who had opened the door had run off to fetch the director.

“Can I ask you a few questions?” Hikaru inquired.

“Sure, as long as I can answer them. May I ask questions too?”

“Of course. Let’s take turns, one question each.”

“Deal.”

Hikaru liked her vibe.

“Then first. What’s your name?”

“Excuse me?”

The question seemed to catch her off guard, and she blinked in surprise.

“It’s Yoshino. What should I call you?”

“Silver Face. And this is Flower Face.”

“Got it. Nice to meet you, Silver Face, Flower Face. We always welcome new knowledge here.”

She seemed to have a strong thirst for knowledge, characteristic of a true scholar.

The research environment here must be quite stifling for such people.

According to Granryuk, they could only reproduce the work of their predecessors, which would kill both their creative thinking and curiosity.

“Next question. I’ve heard there’s a device that measures this world’s mana consumption. How does it work?”

“You mean the Balancer.”

“Balancer? That’s an interesting name.”

Yoshino nodded. “Are you familiar with the Black Wedge Gate? You must be, since you’re here. It’s similar to that. We drive stakes deep underground to measure the flow of souls—what we call Soul Streams. Right beneath us is a Soul Pool, where the flow stagnates, providing us with ample information. Make sense so far?”

Not at all. Hikaru wished she wouldn’t bring up new terminology one after another.

“So, there’s soul energy flowing underground on this planet?”

“Exactly.”

“That sounds similar to the tech behind the Linga Quill.”

Guilds in each city communicated using a magic item called the Linga Quill Pen. Writing on one slate made the text appear on another. The catalyst required for its use was incredibly expensive, so guilds couldn’t use it casually.

“Yes, that’s a sorcery-based device. It utilizes the flow of magical energy. Our scale measures the flow of souls.”

“I see. And?”

“Souls are easily influenced by mana. Since souls are always flowing, we can monitor the world’s situation from here.”

“That’s incredible.”

Hikaru was genuinely impressed. In scientific terms, it was like sampling well water and measuring its composition to determine drought conditions on the other side of the planet.

“That’s what we’ve been told, at least,” Yoshino added.

“Hmm? What do you mean?”

“We don’t really understand the theory behind it. We just assume it’s true because our predecessors said so.”

“Wait, so you can’t even verify if the device is accura—” Hikaru stopped mid-sentence as realization dawned. “But it seems to be working correctly.”

“Yes.” Yoshino sipped her hot water. “When the Great Labyrinth of Runay-aas appeared, the needle moved.”

“The needle?”

“Let me explain how the Balancer works.”