Aethernea : Soulbound [Book 1]

Episode 53 - Reflection Barrier

Previously:

Elaru leaves Kiel to attend to her own matters. Kiel spends the time studying in the public library. Meanwhile, Venric Rroda is furious at his subordinate's inability of catching Kiel and Elaru. He orders more men to mobilize and use trackogs to help them in their search.

* * *

Kiel spent several hours in the public library waiting for Elaru. By the time she appeared, it was already the closing time of the library. Before leaving, Kiel bought several books on spell replicating.

Public libraries all over Halnea also served as bookshops. For a certain fee, one could come in and read the books, but couldn't take the books out of the library unless they bought them.

The stories say that it was Alann Farhice who first came up with the idea of a public library. It is said that in his youth, Alann used to work in an old bookshop and that there were always people who came to read, not buying anything or buying a single book, just to avoid being thrown out.

So Alann figured: if you are going to read anyway, I might as well make it easier for everyone and earn an extra profit.

And thus, the first public library was established.

Needless to say, it had been flourishing ever since.

Besides revising his knowledge on magic theory, Kiel had also inquired about books on Aetherneal gifts and divine magic.

He didn't have high hopes, so he wasn't too disappointed that the closest thing to divine magic he could find was a compendium of known divine artifacts.

When he had asked the librarian about the subject, the librarian pointed out several larger books on various magic-related subjects that dedicated a page or two on the matter of Aetherneal magic - all of which he had previously read in his school studies.

One would be hard pressed to find a Halnean who hasn't previously heard about gods and Aetherneal magic. Both played a large role in the history of Halnea and still held an important role in culture and religion. Children came in contact with "the divine" from an early age through fairy tales, legends, and myths.

However, beyond the stories passed through word of mouth, there was nothing.

Most of the heritage accumulated through tens of thousands of years was lost in the Great Mage Wars, either completely destroyed or buried in the layers of rubble in the depths of the forbidden zone.

Not only did the authoritative information on the matter disappear, but even the gods had followed suit, not showing themselves to mortals ever since.

Most people attributed the lack of information to the results of the Mage Wars.

But not Kiel.

Something so important couldn't just disappear. Even if all the books were lost, people still lived. And they would pass on their knowledge to their descendants.

That knowledge couldn't disappear unless someone made it disappear.

And even if the knowledge disappeared, how is it that in the past millennia, no one researched Aetherneal magic?

Surely, there were plenty of people to research it. Without a doubt, every noble family had their people research their Aetherneal heirlooms and inherited Aetherneal gifts.

The research was there. But the results were never made public.

Perhaps only the elite were allowed to know the truth.