Chapter 50 – The Garden of the Blue Sky
The room service dinner we ordered was exceptionally delicious.
The food culture of the Elven Nation of Alfheim appears to have a remarkable diversity in the grains it utilizes. Corn was prominent among the street foods, but beyond that, there were millet, foxtail millet, barnyard millet, and other so-called “ancient grains” that have largely faded from use in modern Japan.
Why this variety exists here is unclear. Perhaps it stems from their Japanese ancestry, or maybe it’s the result of efforts to avoid monoculture on the limited land of their floating city, preparing for the possibility of crop failures.
While I’d had millet dumplings before, things like mochi made from foxtail millet or cookies baked with barnyard millet were new to me. At first, I couldn’t even identify the ingredients. I ended up calling a staff member to ask, unable to resist my curiosity.
These grains were once staple foods in Japan, collectively known as the “five grains,” but nowadays, they’ve mostly disappeared. Even back there, I’d only ever tried them on a whim, buying a bag of mixed-grain rice for novelty’s sake.
Still, despite the incredible diversity of grains available here, the absence of rice hit me hard. I suppose it doesn’t exist on this continent—or, if it does, it’s likely a wild variety unsuitable for widespread cultivation.
Anyway, over dinner, we discussed our plans moving forward.
What might lie within the so-called “Zero District” of the castle is a mystery. Until we see it for ourselves, it’s hard to decide on any specific course of action. Ultimately, we concluded we’d have to wait until summoned. However, until then, I thought it’d be a good idea to explore the city and learn about *Alfheim*.
Unlike Mother or Karen, I’m utterly ignorant about this country.
I might have reservations about people who adhere to a strict bloodline ideology, but it wouldn’t be fair to judge everything solely on that basis.
By learning its history, understanding its streets, land, culture, and people, and exploring its mindset, I believe we can uncover something valuable about this country.
Basically, it’s sightseeing.
And why not? Staying cooped up in the inn and overthinking things isn’t my style. It’s much more satisfying to walk around, experience things firsthand, and enjoy myself.
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The next day, as dawn broke, we all went out together to the town. Since Karen wasn’t very familiar with the area, we—three of us (and a dog)—set out to explore as tourists.
The first place we headed to was the Fourth District—farmland.
「There are so many different fields here.」
「Hmm. And the breeze feels nice.」
「The view is nice too. It’s refreshing to see nothing in the distance.」
「Bark! Bark!」
In the open space—before the panoramic rural landscape—Chocola was excitedly running around. He seemed eager to play, tugging hard on his leash.
I’m really glad I brought the harness and leash…
「Sorry, but since we’re in a different land, we can’t let you off. Please bear with me.」
「Kwuunnn…」
He whimpered softly when I tried to calm him, looking pitiful, but there was nothing I could do about it. This wasn’t like the dragon village.
「But honestly, the view is amazing…」
The fields weren’t that large, but it felt like they were using the limited land very efficiently. That was why the landscape was framed so beautifully by the floating island’s edge, with the vast blue sky stretching far into the distance.
Even when gazing far into the horizon, there wasn’t a single ridge, just pure, deep blue.
「The outer walls are pretty low, huh?」
「Yeah, they’re only about chest-height. As long as the livestock doesn’t jump over, it’s fine. Also, the outermost edge of the island isn’t used for farming. It’s off-limits.」
「I suppose they’ve thought of that much.」
As we walked along the field path, enjoying the view, a man working in the fields called out to us.
「You folks look unfamiliar… those ears—are you by any chance a Sōjin?」
「Yes, that’s right. We’ve come to the town on business… I hope it’s not rude of us to be touring the fields?」
He looked young, but his actual age was hard to tell. Elves, compared to other races, are generally good at magic manipulation and tend to look younger than they actually are.
「No, it’s fine as long as you don’t step into the rice fields.」
「Of course. …Is this millet?」
「You know your stuff. I’ve heard humans don’t really eat much of it.」
「That’s true. It’s rare, but… in my homeland, we have millet dumplings. The ones I ate yesterday at the inn were nostalgic.」
My father’s colleague at the company used to be from Okayama, and every year after New Year, he’d bring back millet-based sweets as souvenirs. They were from a long-established store, made with 100% millet flour.
「…I didn’t know there was such land down below.」
「It’s a pretty remote place, to be honest. This is the first time I’ve seen millet being grown.」
「So how did you know it was millet if it’s your first time seeing it?」
「Ah, well… I’ve seen it in pictures before.」
It would have been hard to explain that I knew it from pictures. That was close.
After exchanging a few more casual words with the farmer—whether he was a young man or an older one, I couldn’t tell—we apologized for intruding and left.
「He was a nice person.」
As we continued down the field path, I said to Karen, who was walking beside me.
「Hmm… If that’s how Sui saw it, then I guess it’s fine.」
「No, I understand what you mean.」
Her tone wasn’t very clear. The reason was…
「He was cautious. He didn’t show his teeth at all, and his words were curt.」
「Elves tend to be reclusive, and especially in this country, they’re quite exclusionary. I was a bit worried he might offend Sui.」
「But he still responded to the conversation, and he didn’t treat us coldly.」
Despite his somewhat stiff attitude, my impression wasn’t a lie.
We were, after all, outsiders, intruding to observe his rice field—the very foundation of his livelihood. And on top of that, we were of a different race. It would’ve been understandable if he had told us to “go away.”
Of course, having Karen, a fellow elf, with us probably helped, but still.
I didn’t sense any ill will from him.
There was no intention to hurt us or drive us away.
More than that…
「Well, to be honest, I was kind of hoping he’d sell us some millet seeds if we could get him to… But I couldn’t push it that far.」
「You were thinking about that…？」
「Yeah. But he was taking care of them so lovingly, like they were his own children. He was so sincere about it. So I really think he’s a good person. I couldn’t bring myself to ask someone like that for seeds.」
「…I see.」
Even if he was exclusionary, even if he was cautious.
He cared for his crops with that expression. He was genuinely working and living earnestly.
I couldn’t harbor any negative feelings toward someone like that.
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「…I’m a little happy that Sui sees the people of this country that way.」
Karen said in a soft voice, intertwining her fingers with mine.
So, hand in hand, we continued walking down the field path.
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