Chapter 52 – Two Millennia of Solitude, And Now an Eternity Unfolds
A remnant of a rare species from two thousand years ago stood frozen in time.
Beside it, equally motionless, was a black-haired elf.
Watanuki Alice—once a girl who transmigrated here from Japan alongside Four Seasons-san and the others. Through the world-altering grand magic, she had transformed into an elf. She was one of the six founding clans, the progenitor of the Athenak (Watanuki) lineage.
In my overwhelming astonishment, I barely restrained myself from uttering her name aloud.
The knowledge I gained from Four Seasons-san was undoubtedly far more detailed than anything the current Elf Nation of Alfheim possessed. Especially regarding her existence. In this place, surrounded by those we couldn’t trust, we couldn’t afford to reveal that we had such information.
「Apologies, Color is shaken… though I’m hardly composed myself. I’ll try to keep quiet for a while to calm down.」
Four Seasons-san’s flustered voice echoed from the space tear.
I gave a small nod.
Once more, I turned my gaze to the entities before me.
I could tell that the causal delay cast here was far more powerful than my “Shinkou Teitai.” Because of it, no magical energy could be felt at all. After all, time itself had stopped.
It made sense now why, through the wall, it had felt like a hollow emptiness. In this state, it was effectively no different from nothingness.
「Don’t go near it, Chocola. You’ll get caught up in it.」
「Ku…un…」
「Karen, Mother, you too. This magic doesn’t target physical objects but rather an entire section of space. Attacking from the outside probably won’t do any good.」
「Hmm… Viole-sama, hold yourself together.」
「Yes, I know… I know.」
I could hear Mother grinding her teeth so hard it made a sound.
Her emotions were impossible to measure. After all, that demon king—that monstrous blend of insect and dragon, along with its spawned mutants—
「Revenge for Luis and Exea. Emishi, I finally understand why you said that. I had assumed it was something orchestrated by the Elder Council.」
「I told you, it wasn’t a man-made disaster but an accident. However, I understand your anger. Both Yuzuriha and I felt the same when we learned the truth.」
「I see. If I could, I’d crush them all right here and now. Every last one of them, along with their master.」
When Mother faced off against the Elder Council, her magic power had been calm. Now, it raged like a storm.
Hot as magma, sharp as ice—this was the full power of the Heavenly Bell Witch, who wielded both flame and frost.
「I’m begging you, really, try to hold it back. Someone like me, with weak magic, might pass out from your pressure.」
「Sorry, Emishi, but that’s impossible. Just endure it as best you can.」
「Mother, there’s nothing we can do right now. Let’s hear them out first.」
「…You’re right. I’m sorry, Sui-kun. Karen, too. This concerns your parents, after all.」
「It’s fine. Thank you for being angry for them, Viole-sama.」
At last, Mother calmed her magic and leaned against Karen.
As she stroked Karen’s head, she took a deep breath to compose herself.
I made sure they were settled before turning back to the members of the Elder Council.
「Let me ask directly—your request to me is to defeat this remnant species… the Demon King from two thousand years ago. Is that correct?」
「If it’s possible, yes. And if not, at least reinforce this barrier. That’s what we’re hoping for.」
The one who answered was Miyako-san.
She, too, must have immense magical power. Despite appearing as a woman over a century old, her body looked like that of a young teenager. Though she avoided official recognition, she was likely of witch caliber.
But in her eyes, there was resignation.
「This is not something any mortal should face. If it were to awaken by some terrible chance, the world would end. …Even so, if you truly think you can defeat it, I wouldn’t stop you.」
「I’ll reserve my judgment for now. But I won’t say it’s impossible.」
「…I see. You truly are that capable, then.」
That resignation wasn’t just directed at herself.
It was also aimed at the entirety of Alfheim.
「I have lived for 110 years. It was a century ago that I took my seat in the Elder Council and was told about the Progenitor. …During that time, I have seen countless elves. I’ve assessed their talents, nurtured those with potential. Even Moata over there was once my pupil. Yet, even now, no means to save the Progenitor has been found.」
「Did you allow me to take Karen in because she had opposing attributes?」
「I won’t lie and say that wasn’t part of it.」
In response to Mother’s sharp question, Miyako-san shook her head weakly.
「When I realized that Karen, the orphan of Quioy, had no aptitude for magic, I felt both disappointment and relief. But looking back now, it was foolish of me. Her attributes were healed, she learned under the Heavenly Bell Witch, and this child has become remarkable.」
At this, Karen stepped forward and spoke with dignity.
「It was Sui who healed my attribute conflict. And it was Viole-sama who taught me magic. Either way, if I had stayed in this country, I wouldn’t have been able to use magic at all… But that’s not what matters right now.」
After stating this, she cut straight to the heart of the matter.
「Tell me. Why is the Demon King sealed at the heart of Alfheim? Does it have anything to do with this country floating in the sky?」
For about ten seconds, Miyako-san closed her eyes in silence.
Then, with a deep sigh, she began to speak.
「This is an old tale. One that dates back two thousand years. No one alive remembers it, and all we have are fragmented oral traditions. Yet it is also truth, for the Progenitor herself still resides here—」
Thus began the story from two millennia ago.
It was a tale of the six elves (Japanese ) left behind after Four Seasons-san and Color-san reshaped the world—a tale of their battle to mend the wounds left behind in its wake.
※※※
(After Four Seasons-sab and Color-san vanished into the Fairy Realm of Tir na Nog, leaving only their legacies behind)
The elves, founded on six ancestral clans, were steadily growing their numbers.
But before they could fully flourish, they were confronted with a colossal problem.
Even now, two thousand years later, scars from the ancient past remained on the continent—regions where twisted life emerged unnaturally. These were the Divine Will’s Broth, lands poisoned by extreme magical anomalies.
(These were the remnants of old empires that had constructed facilities for mass-producing Demon Kings. By continuously creating artificial magic power crucibles, they broke the natural ley lines. The only way for these lands to heal was through the slow process of natural recovery—a process that would take millennia.)
If left unchecked, these areas would spawn not only twisted creatures but also remnant species, posing a catastrophic threat. Something had to be done. Yet despite all their deliberation, no fundamental solution could be found. All they could do was employ palliative measures by periodically dispersing the concentrated magic.
The decision was made—
The children of the Athenak Clan(Watanuki) took responsibility for monitoring the Void Forest.
The Helheim Valley was entrusted to the fairy dogs, Cu Sith.
The Malignant Sea was overseen by the dragons, friends of the Progenitors.
For the time being, it seemed manageable.
If any location required additional aid, the elves as a whole would rally to provide it. The elves, as a species, were steadily growing in number, and though there were concerns about the execution, they believed they could make it work.
—They believed it would work.
But both the elves and the world overlooked something critical:
Everyone assumed there were only three Divine Will’s Broth.
It wasn’t until 200 years later that a new Divine Will’s Broth was discovered.
(Likely, an old nation had secretly constructed a Demon King’s castle, leaving it hidden and abandoned, unnoticed by anyone.)
This Divine Will’s Broth already harbored a rare species: a Demon King.
A monstrous creature—part insect, part dragon. Or perhaps, a dragon with the visage of an insect.
It was a calamity of the highest order, laying eggs that birthed twisted creatures.
The elves fought valiantly.
(In the proto-historical era, the civilizations of other races were likely underdeveloped. The humans, dwarves, and beastkins would have been unable to unite. It’s unclear if they even had organized nations at the time.)
In the process, half of the Progenitors perished.
The Progenitors, blessed with immense magic power and centuries of life, took the lead against the Demon King, as if it were their destined role. One after another, they fell in battle.
Even then, they could not slay the rare species.
Eventually, they resorted to a desperate plan.
They halted the rare species’ time, sealing it along with its dwelling—the Divine Will’s Broth. They then lifted it into the sky, isolating it and vowing to guard it for eternity.
The Demon King was encased within its castle, which in turn was surrounded by walls that formed the elves’ settlement. Thus, with a monstrous being trapped within its core, the elven nation became a kingdom that floated in the sky.
This was made possible by the Progenitors’ ultimate magic—
A spell for which they paid with their very lives.
※※※
Miyako let out a deep sigh at the end of her long tale.
「One thousand eight hundred years ago—imagine the tension in a nation with a rare species sealed in its midst, suspended in the heavens. 」
But then—
「Yet. After two hundred years, people grow accustomed. After four hundred, the core problem is distanced. By six hundred years, even the tragedy is forgotten. After eight hundred, and certainly by a thousand years, the matter becomes no more than a state secret. Another twelve hundred years pass. Legends fade into fragments of oral tradition, and only a rare few know the truth of our history. 」
The weight of her voice, the emotion within—
「Thirteen hundred years later, Fatima said they hated the skies and descended to the earth. By fifteen hundred years, no one wanted to marry into the Athenak clan to fulfill their duty in the forest. And now, as you can see, this is the state of things. Even if mutants escaped the Progenitor’s barrier and attacked the nation, no one can reveal the truth anymore. In the end, even Athenak has abandoned their role… and now, everything we’ve built, this nation, our people, and the world itself, teeters on the brink of collapse. 」
Her gaze was fixed—
「And yet. And yet… I saw her. When I was twelve and newly named among the elders, I met her. 」
Watanuki-san.
She had seen Watanuki Alice, facing the Demon King, unmoving, frozen in the flow of time.
「The Progenitor. Her clan, even her name, is no longer remembered. Yet despite the ingratitude of her descendants, even now she continues to protect this country, us, and this world. For one thousand eight hundred years, she has fought on. 」
Miyako-san—Miyako Veda—spoke with a voice that trembled.
「Then at least, when the far-off day comes and she awakens… may she find that the six children bound by her bloodlines remain. That her legacy has been properly inherited… may she find joy in that. …That is what I have wished for. 」
——————————————————
AN: Miyako’s experiences over the span of a century are extraordinary in the scope of a single life. Perhaps this lengthy path has bent her thinking and methods over time.
Timeline Recap
To clarify the changes among the elves over time as recounted by Miyako, here is a summary of the timeline. The starting point of her narration is 1,800 years ago:
– 1,800 years ago: Founding of the nation.
– 1,600 years ago: People began to adapt to the situation (200 years later).
– 1,400 years ago: The core issues are distanced and no longer addressed (400 years later).
– 1,200 years ago: The founding tragedy begins to be forgotten (600 years later).
– 800 years ago: The core truths become state secrets (1,000 years later).
– 600 years ago: Legends are reduced to fragmented oral traditions (1,200 years later).
– 500 years ago: Fatima leaves the nation for the earth (1,300 years later).
– 300 years ago: No one is willing to marry into the Athenak clan (1,500 years later).
Leave a Reply