Black Records (Cold Steel III)/1

English= The Founding of Heimdallr - Year 081 In the years following the Great Collapse, Adjudicator Arnor chose Heimdallr as his base of operations from which he planned to rebuild the land of Erebos. Before long, the city became a pillar of the region, and following that, its capital. The citizens however, continued to suffer in the harsh post-Collapse world. They wished for a strong, caring leader to see them through these harsh times. It was in Arnor their wish was granted. After being recognized as an adjudicator by both Holy Beasts, he was the clear choice. He was crowned as emperor and became the first of many rulers in the Arnor bloodline. Upon his coronation, members of the Septian Church were dispatched from Arteria to endorse the new ruler. The people of Zemuria had lost the objects of their worship in the Great Collapse. However, the Church provided them a new way of connecting with Aidios--faith. In addition, by recognizing the legitimacy of rulers across the continent, they strengthened the foundations of its recovering civilizations. In the year 81 of the Septian Calendar, the third Emperor, Sion Arnor had a great cathedral built in Heimdallr. The cathedral was to be a bastion of faith and would serve as a site to crown future emperors, but it also held a far more significant role. Unbeknownst to the public, an artificial Primal Ground was created below the cathedral--a replica of the one that existed below Arteria. With the Church's increased presence, the desperate times following the Great Collapse came to an end. The people had lost their civilization, but now had faith to sustain them in their search for light in the Dark Ages. However, 200 years later, the darkness that gripped Erebonia would pull them down to the depths of ruin. One of the Holy Beasts suddenly disappeared along with the Primal Grounds below the cathedral. It was that same day that the Dark Dragon's miasma laid waste to Heimdallr.

Japanese= 『帝都～始まりの地』 かの災厄から数年、調停者アルノールによって築かれ、の地における復興拠点となっていたヘイムダルは『帝都』と呼ばれ始めるようになっていた. これは当時、いまだ困窮と苦難の中にあった衆が、永続的なの拠り処たる指導者を求めたことが原因だった. その結果二柱の聖獣から調停者として認められた初代アルノールとその血筋が、世襲の指導者として請われ、『皇帝』という場まで祭り上げられるにったのである. その体制を支え、ある意味利用したと言えるのが、アルテリアの地より遣わされた七耀教会の者たちだった. 彼らは《大崩壊》で精神的支柱を失った人の子らに“信仰”という新たな形での女神への接し方を広め、同時に大陸各地の指導者の正統性を認めることで復興後の社会基盤を強固なものにしようとしたのである. そして七耀暦81年第三代皇帝シオン・アルノールの治世において、ヘイムダルに七耀教会の大聖堂が建され、以後、かの都市は『帝都』と呼ばれ始めるのだった. 大聖堂は信仰の拠り処にして、皇帝家の正統性を認める儀礼場だったが、より重大かつ具体的な役割を持っていた. 即ち『始まりの地』—原型をアルテリアに持ち、その複製として建造されることで“ある目的"を果たした《人工特異点》とも呼ぶべき地下施設を備えることである. ——かくして大崩壊直後の混乱期は終わりを告げ、かつての文明を喪った人の子らは、“信仰"という揺籃に守られながら、光を捜し求める暗黒の時代を迎えるのだった. ……しかし200年後、エレボニアの地において“闇"は絶望的なまでに昏く、苦難に充ちたものと化す. 一柱の聖獣と共に、地下の人工特異点が消失し、かの暗黒竜がヘイムダルを瘴気に閉ざしたその日から——