Cecilia said while looking at me.
[Including this island, there are five islands. The island we’re on is Louise. The names of the other islands are Alice, Chloe, Emma, and Ines. You must be thinking those names sounded like random pedestrian’s names, right?]
[Yeah, that does sound like pedestrian names.]
[That’s because each island was named after the elf who was given the island by God]
This island is called Louise Island.And apparently, Cecilia is a direct descendant of the elf who was first given this island, which also applies to her older brother, Georg.
Since they’re one of the most important people on Louise Island, they should be respected by the elves around them. It’s thanks to Cecilia’s protection, that I am able to live among the elf society.
[Is the situation in each island similar to this one?]
[I have no idea.]
[Eh!? How come?]
[The sea is the nest of the gigantic Sea Serpent. As a result, communication between islands has been cut off for several thousand years.]
[How about air travel?][That monster can fly too. So, don’t expect it too much]
However, Cecilia told me what happened before the Sea Serpent appeared.
[Chloe Island was destroyed in a battle against the Sea Serpent. It is probably the Sea Serpent’s stronghold now. Emma Island was destroyed by the rebellion of the beastmen. Only Louise, Alice, and Ines remain.]
[Beastmen’s rebellion? Elves have spirit arts, so they shouldn’t lose to beastmen, right?]
Even looking at the system on this island, this is obvious. Beastmen are afraid of the spirit arts used by elves.
[The reason why the beastmen were able to rebel is unknown. However, due to the conflict, the Great Wall that protected the elves against the beastmen was destroyed. Apparently, the walls were broken through by the beastmen who had become monsters, and the elves were wiped out. I think Emma Island remains a den of monsters until this day.]
[What about the remaining three islands?]
[It’s the same as here. They’re trying to tighten the control of the beastmen and prevent a repeat of the tragedy on Emma Island.]
Apparently the time when the beastmen revolt occurred on Emma Island and the appearance of the sea serpent overlapped.
[We still don’t know if the two events are related.]
[Does that have something to do with not being able to interact with other islands?]
[Yes. Alice Island and Ines Island may have information that we don’t know, but the Sea Serpent is blocking us from the sea.]
People in this island don’t even know whether the two other islands still exist.
There are five elf worlds, two of which have already been destroyed. Perhaps Alice Island and Ines Island have also perished over the course of countless years…
[Then, I was lucky to wash up on Louise Island and be saved by you.]
[Indeed you are! Actually I think Fate is really lucky not to get attacked by the sea serpent. Normally it’ll eat any living being that comes near it.]
I thought while looking at Cecilia’s serious face. An entity that even the elves who can use spirit arts cannot compete with――Sea Serpent.
In order to cross the ocean and return to the human continent from where I came from, it seems like I have no choice but to do something about this monster called the Sea Serpent.
[When I got washed up, maybe the Sea Serpent overlooked me because I looked unpalatable.]
[Ahaha, I suppose you’re right.]
Cecilia laughed while patting me on the shoulder.
I hope that’s the case… I’m not naive enough to believe that I was invisible to this monster. Is it as big as Tenryu? Or is it something more?
Either way, my current strength is not enough. Even Fenrir, the monster wandering outside the Great Wall, almost killed me.
I have no choice but to become stronger. But how? In this world, the concepts of level, status, and skills do not exist.
Even if I train my body, I won’t be able to surpass the limit of a human’s physique. If there is no Cecilia around, I would probably be killed by a monster.
Suddenly, that other person’s face flashed past my head.
Judging by his confidence, it seemed like he could demonstrate the power of the Sacred Beastman even in this world.
However, I cannot borrow his power. If I do that, my mind will eventually be taken over by him and I’m afraid to think about what he’ll do to Louise Island when he does.
[What’s wrong?]
[Nothing…I’m not even familiar with this island yet, and I can’t believe there are five of them.]
[You make it seem a lot. You should just get used to it slowly and don’t push yourself too hard.]
[You say that as if I can.]
[…it’s my brother, isn’t it?]
No matter how I think about it, Georg doesn’t think well of me.
I’m sure it’s not merely just some bad bug that stuck to his sister. He showed me the ritual of reincarnation the first time.
The next one will be even harsher…for example, it wouldn’t be strange if they appealed for my exclusion from this island.
I don’t want to cause any more trouble for Cecilia.
[I’ll take care of my brother. Fate has a special existence on this island.]
[What do you mean by “special existence”….?]
[Sorry, it’s not just because you’re human. I’ve been waiting.]
[You’ve been waiting?]
[Something that will change the rules of this world.]
[So, that’s why you were outside the Great Wall?]
[Yes.]
Cecilia put down the fork in her hand, looking a little embarrassed.
[Whenever I had free time, I would go out and look at the sea. I remember that sometimes the serpent would rage on the sea. The day before Fate washed ashore, a storm like no other I had ever experienced hit the island. It raged so much that the ground creaked.]
[Storm…?]
I didn’t remember. Maybe that storm saved me from being attacked by the serpent.
[The sky was clear and cloudless the next day, making yesterday’s storm seem like a lie. I had a feeling something was about to happen.]
[Then, you found me being attacked by Fenrir?]
[Yes, I found you fighting desperately with a broken sword. You looked like us, but different. If Fate and I hadn’t met at that time, you might have died.]
[Do you think this encounter has a meaning…do you want to say it’s destined?]
Cecilia nodded heavily while looking at me.
[It just happened. Like I said, I was just lucky.]
[No. I believe there is a meaning behind your existence here. You are the only human being who has come across that ocean… What hasn’t happened for thousands of years is now… happening right in front of our eyes. There must be a meaning behind it.]
[Even though the person in question himself doesn’t know what it is?]
[When the time comes, I think you’ll understand.]
[If that happens, who knows if it will be a good outcome or a bad outcome…I don’t know.]
[The responsibility lies with me. After all, I was the one who invited you inside the Great Wall.]
Could Cecilia sense it? That I’m not a normal person?
However, this is the only thing I can’t possibly know. Half of me is a ferocious Sacred Beastman, and there is a danger of me losing my control to it.
Libra’s words suddenly come back to me. This is also a planned harmony…
If it had already been decided that I would come here, I wonder what was going to happen.
In this world, where the hierarchical relationship between elves and beastmen has continued for more than several thousand years, will the entry of a foreign entity like me change things for the better…or maybe it will spark a conflict?
Cecilia seems to be looking for a new breeze in the world within these walls, but is that what everyone wants?
Looking into her determined eyes, I drank the glass of water on the table.
The clear water, probably from a spring, soaked up my thirst. Just when I thought my confused feelings were going to wash away, I heard a voice calling Cecilia’s name from the entrance of the bar.
It’s three armored elf knights. The person who called out was probably the tall man in the center.
He smiled at Cecilia. However, the expression he directed at me was different.
[Fate Barbatos. This one is called Zack Snyder, and I am challenging you to duel on Master Georg’s orders.]
Zack gave off a strong sense of intimidation, as if he was about to start a duel right away.
It’s supposed to be a fun dining party today. However, in an instant, the taste of the delicious food and wine was banished to the back of my mind.
I gently put my hand on the broken black sword Greed.
I guess peace never lasts after all.
