When Emishi-san and the others led me outside, a sprawling town greeted us.
My first impression was a metropolis.
Of course, it wasn’t the kind of metropolis one would imagine in a modern Japanese sense. The architecture and the attire of the people passing by were no different from the civilization level of Sidera—consistent with the average standard of this world as I knew it.
Yet, the organized districts and the densely packed houses caught my attention. The stone-paved streets stretched straight, and the rows of houses were nearly identical in design, giving the entire place an air of precision. Unlike Sidera, which expanded and developed haphazardly over time, this town appeared meticulously planned from the start—a true planned city.
「…It looks quite different from the last time I saw it」
Mother muttered softly.
「Does it?」
「Yes. The Third District used to be much more chaotic. The roads were a confusing mess, and it was easy to get lost if you weren’t careful. I’d heard from Karen that the town had been rebuilt, but I didn’t expect it to be this drastic.」
「They say it took about fifteen years to achieve this, ever since the Great Outbreak.」
The one who answered was Noemi-san.
「I believe Heavenly Bell-sama would know better than us, but during the Great Outbreak, the disordered structure of the Third District worsened the damage considerably. Learning from that, the entire castle town—the Third District—was redesigned almost from scratch. The person who proposed and led the effort was…」
Her words were suddenly drowned out by a loud commotion ahead.
「Oh! Emishi-sama! It’s been a while!」
「Isn’t that Emishi-sama and Hajime-chan? How have you two been?」
「Hajime-neechan! Look at this soldier I made!」
「Not fair! I want Hajime-oneesama to see my stuffed doll too!」
「Emishi-sama, since you’re here, stop by my shop later, okay?」
Surprised, I looked toward the source of the noise. Townsfolk were swarming around Emishi-san and Hajime-san, his daughter. Everyone was smiling, and it was obvious at a glance how beloved they were.
「They’re quite the stars, aren’t they?」
「As you can see. The one who led the reconstruction efforts was Elder Emishi himself.」
「Not just the southern part that was affected? Even this side too?」
「Yes, the entire Third District. That’s why Aquano enjoys such high regard among the people.」
「…I see. So it was him.」
Mother gazed at Emishi-san with a solemn expression.
I turned to face Karen and Rick-san and asked them a question.
「By the way, what’s the Third District?」
「Well, the floating island has the castle at its center, surrounded by the castle town. The castle is the First District, the noble residential area outside it is the Second District, this area where the general populace lives is the Third District, and the farmlands on the outskirts make up the Fourth District.」
「Each district is separated by walls, and traveling between them requires procedures. Apparently, it used to be much more complicated in the past, but it’s gotten a lot better since we were born.」
「Because of the damage caused by the Great Outbreak. So, the one who simplified those procedures was…」
「Yeah, I heard it was Emishi-sama.」
「I see…」
I glanced again at Emishi-san and Hajime-san surrounded by the townsfolk.
Emishi-san still wore his usual stern expression, but the atmosphere around him felt somewhat softer, and I could tell his gaze was directed at each individual person. Hajime-san, on the other hand, was beaming, her face lit up with a radiant smile as she played with the children.
Both of them were showing sides of themselves I had never seen before.
These were not the faces they had shown to me, a foreign negotiation partner.
「Still… three layers of walls surrounding an isolated island and a castle, huh. Hey, Karen, do those walls have names? Like Rose or Sina or something…」
「Huh? Why would a wall need a name?」
「Good point…」
Realizing how ridiculous I sounded, I suddenly felt embarrassed.
To hide my awkwardness, I bent down and petted Chocola at my feet.
「Bark?」
「Just wait a little longer, alright? Don’t wander off on your own.」
「Bark!」
The truth is, the reason such a silly thought popped into my head was because I had become genuinely curious about this nation—this town.
「I kind of want to explore. Do you think we’ll have some time for that?」
「Kwuunnn…」
「Of course, you’re coming with me, right?」
「Bark!」
The people surrounding Emishi-san and Hajime-san were all laughing.
The passersby, the shops lining the street—all of them exuded a calm and peaceful atmosphere.
—And yet, I had been on guard this whole time.
A place high above the ground, disconnected from the world below.
A kingdom that had left Athenak unchecked on the surface.
A nation shrouded in secrecy regarding the Rare Existence.
They had placed unreasonable demands on Karen and Dolce-san.
And to top it all off, the negotiation representative they sent had been someone I couldn’t afford to let my guard down around.
Everything about the elven nation of Alfheim had struck me as an inscrutable entity that demanded vigilance.
But seeing this scene, I felt a little bit of relief.
Here, life thrives. Children play gleefully, adults smile warmly, and people of all ages live their lives naturally, each in their own way.
Even though it’s far removed from the ground, it feels as if their feet are firmly planted on solid earth.
「…Four Seasons-san, are you here?」
「Yes.」
I called softly to the empty space beside me.
With a faint whoosh, as if emerging from a haze, the Fairy King materialized from the fairy realm.
「It’s peaceful. Everyone has such content expressions. There’s no falsehood, nor are they deceived. They’re truly living in peace.」
「I’m glad. To hear you say that means a lot.」
「I’m glad too… that I could say it.」
The elves were a race born into this world shaped by Four Seasons-san and the others two thousand years ago. All of them descended from Four Seasons-san’s former companions—people who had come here from Japan through transmigration.
I didn’t want to think that these descendants—despite how their appearances had changed—were nothing but dubious individuals. I didn’t want to believe that the legacy of Four Seasons-san and the others had become tainted with malice and prejudice.
「Of course, just because there are beautiful things here doesn’t mean everything is pure. There are undoubtedly things we haven’t seen, the filth hidden within this town, and the malice and prejudice of the Elder Council will likely rear their ugly heads too…」
Even so.
Here, I found the scene I had been longing to see.
Here, there exists the sight I wanted to show others.
「I hope we can keep things peaceful.」
「Ah, truly.」
Finally freed from the crowd, Emishi-san and the others glanced our way.
There was a slight awkwardness in their expressions. No doubt they hadn’t intended for us to see them like this.
So I deliberately averted my gaze.
What I looked toward instead was the wall.
Beyond it, the grand and resplendent castle rose high—the heart of the elven nation of Alfheim.
May the wall separating the Third District never sever the smiles of its people from the ideals of the Elder Council.
With that thought lingering in my mind, we resumed our steps once more.
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