[Including this island, there are five islands. The island weâre on is Louise. The names of the other islands are Alice, Chloe, Emma, and Ines. You must be thinking those names sounded like random pedestrianâs names, right?]
[Yeah, that does sound like pedestrian names.]
[Thatâs because each island was named after the elf who was given the island by G.o.d]
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 theyâre one of the most important people on Louise Island, they should be respected by the elves around them. Itâs thanks to Ceciliaâs 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, donât 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 Serpentâs stronghold now. Emma Island was destroyed by the rebellion of the beastmen. Only Louise, Alice, and Ines remain.]
[Beastmenâs rebellion? Elves have spirit arts, so they shouldnât 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?]
[Itâs the same as here. Theyâre 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 donât 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 donât know, but the Sea Serpent is blocking us from the sea.]
People in this island donât 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 yearsâŚ
[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 itâll eat any living being that comes near it.]
I thought while looking at Ceciliaâs serious face. An ent.i.ty that even the elves who can use spirit arts cannot compete withââSea 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 youâre right.]
Cecilia laughed while patting me on the shoulder.
I hope thatâs the case⌠Iâm 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 wonât be able to surpa.s.s the limit of a humanâs physique. If there is no Cecilia around, I would probably be killed by a monster.
Suddenly, that other personâs 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 Iâm afraid to think about what heâll do to Louise Island when he does.
[Whatâs wrong?]
[NothingâŚIâm not even familiar with this island yet, and I canât believe there are five of them.]
[You make it seem a lot. You should just get used to it slowly and donât push yourself too hard.]
[You say that as if I can.]
[âŚitâs my brother, isnât it?]
No matter how I think about it, Georg doesnât think well of me.
Iâm sure itâs 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 harsherâŚfor example, it wouldnât be strange if they appealed for my exclusion from this island.
I donât want to cause any more trouble for Cecilia.
[Iâll take care of my brother. Fate has a special existence on this island.]
[What do you mean by âspecial existenceââŚ.?]
[Sorry, itâs not just because youâre human. Iâve been waiting.]
[Youâve been waiting?]
[Something that will change the rules of this world.]
[So, thatâs why you were outside the Great Wall?]
[Yes.]
Cecilia put down the fork in her hand, looking a little embarra.s.sed.
[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 ash.o.r.e, a storm like no other I had ever experienced hit the island. It raged so much that the ground creaked.]
[Storm�]
I didnât remember. Maybe that storm saved me from being attacked by the serpent.
[The sky was clear and cloudless the next day, making yesterdayâs 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 hadnât met at that time, you might have died.]
[Do you think this encounter has a meaningâŚdo you want to say itâs 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 hasnât 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 doesnât know what it is?]
[When the time comes, I think youâll understand.]
[If that happens, who knows if it will be a good outcome or a bad outcomeâŚI donât know.]
[The responsibility lies with me. After all, I was the one who invited you inside the Great Wall.]
Could Cecilia sense it? That Iâm not a normal person?
However, this is the only thing I canât possibly know. Half of me is a ferocious Sacred Beastman, and there is a danger of me losing my control to it.
Libraâs words suddenly come back to me. This is also a planned harmonyâŚ
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 ent.i.ty like me change things for the betterâŚor 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 gla.s.s 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 Ceciliaâs name from the entrance of the bar.
Itâs 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 Georgâs orders.]
Zack gave off a strong sense of intimidation, as if he was about to start a duel right away.
Itâs 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.