The Military Princess Won’t Fall in Love with a Magic Scientist

Chapter 232. Our Era Ended Long Ago

It ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍was a... difficult thing to describe.

Logaris pushed up his glasses and looked closely. The corners of his mouth could not help twitching.

The thing looked like a bone that had been chewed on by a dog. A few crooked, meaningless runes had been carved onto it. One could barely make out that it was supposed to be humanoid, but the craftsmanship was simply too awful to behold. Even the doodles of a child who had only just learned how to hold a knife would have looked better than this.

What was this? Some kind of performance art? Or a cursed item?

But the moment that thing was taken out, Maggie froze.

For the first time, a crack appeared in that eternally expressionless face of hers, as if it had been carved from ten thousand years of black ice. It was an expression mixed with astonishment, shame, and something even deeper—like a lofty goddess suddenly being stripped bare before everyone’s eyes.

“Th-that is...” Maggie’s voice was trembling.

“Looks familiar, doesn’t it?”

Roland grinned and tossed the hideous bone charm around in his hand. “Back then, when we killed that mutated giant rat in the snowfields, it was your first attempt at making an alchemical item. You said this thing could block an attack from a third-tier magical beast. And what happened? It got bitten by the rat once and half of it shattered.”

“Shut up!” Maggie screamed, streams of data racing chaotically across the surface of her spirit body. “That was a failed product! It was trash! I threw it away long ago! Why would something so utterly worthless still remain inside your spirit body? That makes no logical sense!”

“Because it was the first thing you ever gave me.”

Roland’s infuriating grin faded. His gaze grew distant, as though it had pierced through a thousand years and returned to that snowy night long ago.

“Back then, you said you were going to create the strongest shield in the world, so I would never get hurt again. Maggie, back then, you first reached for magic in order to protect.”

Maggie fell still.

She stared at that ugly little bone doll, and the savagery and madness in her eyes receded as swiftly as an ebbing tide. In their place came an indescribable bewilderment.

“Protect...?” she murmured to herself, as though searching for that unfamiliar word within some vast database too enormous to fully index.

“Yes. Protect.”

Roland sighed. Without caring that the ground was filthy, he simply plopped down and sat across from her. Looking at this old rival and old friend who had been entangled with him for a thousand years, his tone was full of weariness and regret.

“But later, you moved too fast. In your eyes, the world turned into data, into formulas, into building blocks that could be dismantled at will. To verify a single hypothesis, you could erase an entire city without hesitation. Tens of thousands of lives became nothing more than colonies in a petri dish to you. Maggie, you didn’t become a god. You got lost.”

Roland pointed at the magnificent yet icy-cold Tower of Inverted Truth around them.

“You locked yourself inside this tower for a thousand years and thought this was the destination. But in truth, you only trapped yourself at the exit of that sewer and never once walked out of it.”

Maggie fell silent.

She lowered her head and looked at her own translucent palm. It had once held an Authority sufficient to destroy the world, yet now it seemed so terribly empty.

After a long while, she let out a self-mocking laugh. The arrogance that had once filled that sound was gone, leaving only endless desolation behind.

“Lost, was I... Perhaps.”

As her emotions shifted, the shattered mirror fragments floating around them suddenly began to levitate and reassemble of their own accord.

Like a film being played, scene after yellowed scene began projecting into the void.

It was the past shared by those two.

Sylvia unconsciously held her breath. She watched those scenes, watched the girl Maggie in them—wearing a filthy mage’s robe and a ponytail—pointing at the nose of that clumsy young Roland, who carried an iron sword on his back, and cursing him out.

“Are you a pig, Roland? You can’t even lure monsters properly? That Fireball had a three-second casting delay! Three whole seconds! Couldn’t you last three seconds before falling over?”

“Stop yapping! Your incantations are longer than an old granny’s foot-binding cloth! Who could hold out through that? Next time, just hit them with your staff instead!”

The scene shifted.

They split a piece of rations as hard as stone atop a snowy mountain. In ancient ruins, they fought each other over uneven loot distribution, only to end up standing back to back against swarms of undead. Maggie stayed up all night enchanting Roland’s armor, saying it was “just experimental data,” even though her eyes were bloodshot with exhaustion. Roland secretly went to fight in underground brawls so he could buy Maggie a better staff, and came back with his face bruised black and blue...

The more Sylvia watched, the stranger her emotions became.

Unconsciously, she tilted her head and glanced toward Logaris beside her.

He had only just released his Demonization state, and his face was as pale as paper. He was busy pulling out all kinds of potions from his pocket and pouring them down his throat. Noticing Sylvia’s gaze, he pushed up the glasses on his nose and looked baffled.

“What are you looking at me for? Is there a flower on my face?”

Sylvia’s mouth twitched slightly. She said nothing. She merely tightened her grip on the sword in her hand, and that faint romantic thought that had just begun to bloom inside her was instantly fed to the dogs.

The scenes continued to change.

As their power grew, the cheerful, sharp-tongued girl Maggie vanished. In her place sat a queen atop a high tower, cold-eyed and forever speaking of “truth” and “order.”

And that clumsy young knight had donned silver armor and a crown, becoming the Hero King revered by countless people.

They no longer fought side by side.

They confronted each other on battlefields, slammed their hands against negotiation tables, and in the end broke with each other completely, unleashing their final duel in the Dragon Mountain Range.

“We failed.”

Roland’s voice pulled Maggie back from the vortex of memory.

The Hero King rose to his feet and turned his back to those scenes. His gaze fell on Sylvia and Logaris. His eyes were complicated, carrying both expectation and concern.

“Somewhere along the road, we forgot why we had set out in the first place. Power is a good thing, but if you throw away your humanity for its sake, then in the end you’ll truly have nothing left.”

Roland looked at Logaris, his tone so solemn that it sounded like he was delivering his final instructions.

“Kid, you’re a lot like her. Smart, obsessive, maybe even crazier than she was. But I hope you remember this—don’t live your life as an isolated island. If there’s no one to share truth with, then the truth isn’t worth a damn.”

Then he looked at Sylvia.

“And you, little girl. Don’t be like me. Some things need to be said when the time comes. Don’t wait until the sword has already gone in before regretting that you didn’t reach out your hand sooner.”

Maggie also raised her head and looked at the two young successors. The madness in her eyes had completely vanished, replaced by the scrutinizing calm of an elder.

“Now, we are nothing more than remnants of memory.”

Maggie sighed, and her figure no longer felt so aggressive. She waved her hand, and those suffocating scenes around them slowly faded away.

“Roland, perhaps you were right. Our era ended long ago.”

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