A Very Long Time Ago
In the distant past, when ether was a proof of pure faith rather than a technology or energy source, the world was filled with war and chaos. It was a time when people lived according to the rules set by the beast gods. In one corner of that chaos was a cave where the beastmen lived.
Twitch
There were shabby, earthen-colored cat ears, belonging to a small and fragile beastman girl. The world surrounding her was always the darkness of a cave.
The cave was damp and smelly, filled with murals wishing for a peaceful world.
‘What lies beyond the cave?’
The girl stood at the cave's entrance, speaking to an old beastman shaman. The shaman was her only teacher and parent, having been abandoned by her real parents.
“Shaman, I hear noises outside the cave! What species are they? What stories are they telling?”
“Child of the earthen land, do not go near them.”
“Why not?”
“Elven arrows come flying from beyond the mountains.”
“What if I duck my head like lightning?”
“The giants will come with their massive spears and trample you with their large feet.”
“What if I roll away and avoid them?”
The girl's cheeky response—she always answered back like this.
The old shaman laughed softly and replied.
“Then the subterranean fairies will rise and strike you down with a great sword.”
“What if I tickle them and escape while they laugh?”
“Night will fall, and the vampires will be wielding terrifying swords.”
“What if I wait until the morning when they fall asleep?”
“The humans will swarm in like clouds with daggers. They might sell you as a foot-wiping slave…”
“What if I tell them not to sell me... that I'm very smart and they should listen to me?”
“...”
The shaman, who had been answering like a flowing stream, finally fell silent at the girl's persistent questioning, then spoke with a bitter expression.
“The species are different, and the power given by the World Tree is different too. That's why they will never listen to your story.”
“...Then what if 'we' all go out together?”
The shaman, now fully closing her eyes, spoke with a sense of despair.
“Even if they are the same species, their thoughts and perspectives differ. So, they too will never listen to your story. The only real story we can share is 'fear'.”
“...”
The beastmen were full of fear and suspicion. To them, this world was a hell full of hostility. The only safe place in this world was inside the cave.
‘If only this world were as cozy and peaceful as the cave...!’
The beastmen were inherently weak. Unlike other species that could emit ether through various weapons, beastmen could only wave sticks to produce a candle-like light with ether.
So, the only world for the beastmen was the cave. To forget this, they painted imaginary worlds on the cave walls and pursued peace.
Vain.
Futile.
A story that no one listens to.
A story of those who do not know the world, wishing for peace.
“...”
“...Child of the earthen land?”
The girl, who had been silent for a long time, eventually walked towards the entrance of the cave. Her shabby, earthen-colored cat ears were twitching.
‘I want to leave the cave full of illusions and fear, and see the real world. I want to share stories with beastmen... and many more species.’
Not the fantastical stories of those who haven’t seen the world.
Stories where everyone can listen and sing for peace.
“...”
The girl turned back and bid farewell to the old shaman, who was her teacher and parent.
“Then, I'll go and find out.”
“What do you mean?”
“The 'stories' we beastmen can share.”
Expecting tomorrow.
Being with you.
A story shining like [gold]...
The little girl embarked on an adventure to find a story like [gold] and met two other girls who, like her, had left their safe villages.
And they met a kind man who supported them... the 'Prophet.' He always showed the three girls the way forward.
All this chaos is due to the happenings around the World Tree. If it’s you, you can surely overcome them. An era of chaos. Three girls gathered for each other's dreams. They moved towards the World Tree under the guidance of the 'Prophet.'
But occasionally... the 'Prophet' would mutter strange words.
-...This is just like the Primal Peach Sisters. Then I must be Zhuge Liang.
-...? Who's that?
-...It’s nothing.
Hilde and I looked in bewilderment at the massive hole in the ground.
“...” “...”
The boss had vanished into the hole. The [Priest of Discord], Offnir, leveled the ground with his mantis-like forelimbs, then dug a hole and escaped. With hundreds of horns on his body vibrating, he swam swiftly into the underground filled with dirt and rocks.
...
This could also be a deception tactic. Remaining vigilant, we cautiously observed the hole... but there was no celebratory fanfare of ‘just kidding~’ from Offnir.
He really ran.
‘He really escaped. He fled without a moment's hesitation, which was suspicious in itself...’
But thinking about it, retreating before the path was blocked or sustaining injuries in a situation where victory wasn’t assured was indeed... a wise decision.
It was just frustrating for us on the receiving end.
“...”
This was the first time a boss of this level ran away. In the original, <Ratatoskr> were ancient dragonkind, arrogant creatures who called the students and dwarves of the academy city ‘inferior species.’ It was unfamiliar to see them turning tail and fleeing so swiftly.
Could this be related to the ‘Prophet’?
‘Even if they know the future, it’s difficult to be this wary of ‘prophecy’ blindly without experiencing it firsthand... what was their relationship with the ‘Prophet’...?’
While I was pondering these thoughts, Hilde pointed at the trace and spoke.
“...Should we chase?”
“That won’t work...☆”
“...I suppose so.”
“Yes...☆”
“Hah...”
“...”
We sighed for a while.
‘If the hole were just open, we might pursue, but the path is covered with earth again, making it impossible to follow... he’s truly a Priest of Discord; everything he does is chaos.’
Even his power is perfect for causing chaos with the creation of clones. Was he destined [Fate] to exist solely to cause discord?
“...”
I contemplated how to pursue the Priest of Discord... no, [Priest of Discord]. Since I had been caught claiming to be Zhuge Liang, I really needed to rack my brain like Zhuge Liang.
“Hmmm...☆”
Observant...
Instead of directly following him, it was more efficient to determine his route. It was difficult to follow the path in a straight line as he vibrated hundreds of horns and moved underground like an advanced mining machine. It was better to track his intended path and purpose.
“...”
I looked in the direction where Offnir had vanished underground.
‘If it’s in that direction... the path where the kids are fighting... or further ahead, where Frau and her team set up their base...’
Oh.
There seemed to be something there.
I carefully tapped Hilde’s hand to discuss the matter.
“Well... you know─☆”
“...”
Squeeze—
“...What is it?”
“...?!”
A warm sensation. Hilde grabbed the hand I was tapping and interlaced her fingers with mine as if her fingers were the tentacles of a giant sea monster. Before I knew it, our hands were completely intertwined.
‘Why did she suddenly interlock fingers...?’
When I came to my senses... our hands were completely interlocked.
Neither of us had fully calmed down from the excitement of battle, so our hearts were still pounding, and our breaths were heated. The slight sweat on our hands made it... strangely intimate.
I felt the pulse throbbing in her hand. I became aware of her breath escaping from her nose. I noticed the scent created by her moving hair. I noticed the faint sound of breath escaping her pink lips.
I was aware of Hilde.
Thump—
Thump—
Once I became aware of everything, my heart began to race like a broken machine, moving out of control. With a warm feeling of damaged blood coursing through my veins, my cold mind melted away.
Thump—
Thump—
“...” “...”
Thump—
Thump—
With every heartbeat in our clasped hands, I felt my heart sync with it. Somehow, filled with anticipation, I looked at her.
“...” “...”
Silver eyes that met mine without fail. Instinctively, I could tell she felt the same way I did.
Thump—
Thump—
It felt suffocating. Not my hand... but my heart was gradually becoming stifled. Because of the warmth and longing pressing down on me from somewhere...
Longing...?
“...?!”
What?
Me?
From just holding hands...?
“...”
Oh.
What is this... what is this atmosphere? What is this... what kind of atmosphere is this...?
‘This isn’t the time for this...!’
Leaving this feeling unchecked... if I rashly surrendered to my emotions, I felt both Hilde and I would regret it.
‘This... this isn’t the kind of atmosphere you share with just friends... is it...?’
Were Hilde and I just ordinary friends in the first place?
No.
No way.
Now isn’t the time to think about this.
Slide—
I quickly shook off my thoughts, focusing on the academy city’s situation, and withdrew my hand. Hilde, realizing what she had done, hastily added something as if embarrassed.
“...You looked drained.”
“...No, I'm fine.”
“...”
“...”
...
An unexpected silence descended.
‘What’s with this awkward atmosphere...!’
The silence was so heavy that I glanced at Hilde’s injury and spoke.
“Are you okay... with that wound─☆”
“...Is that your line to say?”
“Well, I worry about you☆”
“...I worried for a year. And then for fifteen more days.”
“...”
“Now, do you understand how I feel?”
“Yes...☆ I’m sorry...☆”
“...Then that's enough.”
Hilde said that in a slightly sulky voice. But I could see the twitch at the corner of her mouth, knowing it was just playful.
Knowing that I felt as hurt as she did...
Hilde, with a slight smile, said:
“...Serves you right.”
“...”
Tap—
With her slightly bleeding hand, she gently tapped my cheek.
The warmth of the faintly flowing blood brushed my cheek, heating it.
Rumble—!
As the sound of thunder echoed somewhere, we stood there, gazing at each other in that position for a while.
“...”
“...”
Hilde remained still, smiling. It felt like time had stopped since I couldn’t hear her heartbeat.
“...”
“...”
‘Serves you right.’
A playful phrase she rarely used, pretending to be solemn all the time.
Hilde seemed... thrilled by the fact that I was now in the same situation as her.
“...”
“...”
Was it because of the warmth left at the fingertips? Suddenly, her slightly sulky and excited appearance seemed new.
Is this.
Really the kind of emotion shared between ordinary friends?
‘Trying to hurt my Lara, those wretches─!’
‘If... perhaps... if it’s true...?’
Rumble—!
“...!”
The sound of thunder somewhere brought me back to reality. It seemed a shower was expected under the dim sky.
‘Now isn’t the time to indulge in such thoughts...’
With such questions tucked in my heart, I watched as Hilde started moving again.
‘She looks so tired...’
I voiced the thought I had before the hand-holding.
“The direction the [Priest of Discord] went─☆”
“...Yes.”
“I wonder if it’s the direction where idiot Frau was☆”
“Idiot...?”
“Ah, street cat calls her that, so I unconsciously...☆”
“...Right. They said Frau was preparing a massive magic circle there. It was unexpected that she ran out to challenge me to a 1:1 duel.”
“...I see.”
“...”
“...”
Silence returned. But this time, it was a comfortable silence.
‘So now we should head that way... seeing as the bombardment has stopped, it seems like the snake tattoo guys among the nobles have been subdued...’
Mentioning the street cat during the conversation made me curious about Freya’s situation. I raised my head to look towards the ‘Sage’s Room’ at the top of the Inquiry Faction’s library spire.
Twitch Twitch Twitch
“...”
“...”
“...”
Hundreds of beast ears poked out from the windows. Hundreds of Inquiry Faction students had their heads peeking out of the windows.
‘What? How long have they been watching...?’
Trying to hide my embarrassment, I cheerfully called out to the librarian Mila.
“Sorry~☆ I lost my spear, so...!”
“Haouu...!”
Scuttle—!
But Mila blushed and withdrew inside the window.
“...?”
“...Senior.”
In that moment of confusion, I heard Rota’s voice from behind.
‘I thought it was street cat’s presence, but it was Rota... how dangerous.’
Rota stood there, awkwardly shuffling with a magic book in hand, her face slightly flushed.
“I... came to help... but it’s already over... and... uh...”
“...?!”
But rather than Rota’s words, my attention was captured by the magic book she was holding.
My eyes almost popped out in shock.
‘Why is that appearing now...?’
A shabby, unimpressive magic book. It was the legendary item left by the [Golden Witch]... Rota’s legendary item.
‘This is something that appears in the later part of the story...?!’