On that day, the secluded village, existing in a place that repels people, was thrown into chaos by an unprecedented event in its history.
The village was nestled in a sheer valley; unless one knew of its existence, reaching it by foot was nearly impossible.
This very reason allowed it to continue existing for so long as a hidden refuge for the beastmen.
However, someone had pinpointed its location not by land route, but by other means.
That means was air travel.
Yes. On that day, a vast landmass, larger than the village itself, appeared in the sky above it.
The villagers, seeing a flying island for the first time, began to panic. The village chief and other leaders were expected to be overwhelmed with managing the situation.
However, the commotion subsided when the flying island—the floating island—approached the village, and people began to descend.
The reason was simple: the individuals who descended from the floating island were young people who had left the village months ago for a certain purpose.
The appearance of these young people, Akatsuki, from the island temporarily calmed the villagers’ uproar.
But the village’s ordeal was just beginning.
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From Akatsuki’s explanation, the village elder learned that a path to a new land had opened.
Simultaneously, he was informed that this path would not be smooth, and arduous trials awaited them.
“—In other words, to go to our new land, we must overcome a divine trial. Is that right?”
“Yes.”
Akatsuki nodded straightforwardly to the elder’s question.
Akatsuki was not lying.
It was true that Kousuke was deciding whether or not to relocate them to the tower after their life on the floating island, and whether or not that constituted a ‘divine trial’ was a matter of interpretation for the recipient.
Akatsuki himself had not said it directly, but he had no intention of stopping the elder from interpreting it that way.
In response to Akatsuki’s reply, one of the assembled individuals ostentatiously clicked their tongue.
“There you see! That’s why we shouldn’t have left it to someone like Akatsuki!”
The speaker was the one who had opposed Akatsuki’s journey from the start and had argued that he himself should have gone.
However, that claim had been easily dismissed with a single word: a divine oracle from the gods.
Akatsuki did not retort to his words.
Perhaps, before embarking on his journey, he might have vehemently argued back.
But now, having actually stood before the divine beings, his own pride had diminished to the point of being insignificant.
What was more important to Akatsuki now was whether the members of his clan could safely relocate to that tower.
If they were to relocate, he had heard it would be to a different place than where those foxes had resided, but it would certainly be better than their current village.
Akatsuki had already been shown potential sites, so he could state that with certainty.
The elder, who had sent him off, also noticed Akatsuki’s change.
He felt Akatsuki’s resolve to fulfill his duty by conveying only the facts, unswayed by the words of those around him.
As an elder in such a closed community as their village, he found such a change in the youth favorable.
Above all, Akatsuki’s eyes seemed to genuinely consider the future of his clan.
Of course, this was merely an outward change, and to know how he had truly transformed, a more thorough understanding would be necessary.
The elder stopped the initially speaking youth and said to Akatsuki, “So? What exactly is this ‘divine trial’?”
“Yes. It is to live on that floating island for a certain period of time with those who will be relocating.”
When Akatsuki said this, there was a moment of silence.
Those present assumed there were other trials as well.
After waiting for about a minute with no further words from Akatsuki, the elder asked with a puzzled expression, “Is that all?”
“Yes. That is all.”
When Akatsuki stated this with such certainty, an obvious sense of relief washed over the surrounding individuals.
From their reaction, Akatsuki understood that they believed they could easily clear a trial of that level.
However, Akatsuki, who had been closely interacting with Kousuke and the others, did not think it would be that simple.
But this was a feeling only Akatsuki, who had experienced it firsthand, could grasp, and he felt frustrated knowing he couldn’t adequately convey it in words.
Perhaps sensing Akatsuki’s inner turmoil, the elder continued, his expression thoughtful, “That floating island… Is that where it will be? What kind of beings inhabit it?”
Since it was referred to as a temporary dwelling, the elder understood there must be a reason why they couldn’t live there permanently.
Therefore, it was perfectly natural for the elder to assume the existence of native inhabitants.
“Yes. They are called the Winged Race, beings with wings on their backs.”
“Winged Race… I’ve never heard of them.”
The elder’s knowledge was extensive, drawing from what had been passed down through generations of their clan. However, there was no information about the Winged Race among it.
Naturally, this made sense. After all, the Winged Race was a new species that had appeared in this world only in recent years, thanks to the power of the gods.
Akatsuki, having been given a bit of information about the Winged Race, nodded and relayed the information.
The elder’s eyes widened in surprise. “What! Is such a thing possible!?”
“Yes. Apparently, that floating island itself was also created by the power of the gods.”
Akatsuki’s words, stating that the island before them was, in fact, imbued with divine power, elicited exclamations of surprise from the others as well.
It was natural for them to be astonished, as something that could be called a crystallization of divine power existed so close to them.
However, the elder focused on something else. “I see, so those who relocate will be watched over by those favored by the gods, and their suitability will be judged. Is that correct?”
Akatsuki nodded at this piercing insight, thinking the elder was truly astute. “Yes. Ultimately, whether you can go to the new land will depend on that judgment.”
Though he had said similar things before, Akatsuki intended to repeat it as many times as necessary, as it was the most crucial matter. This was because, apart from the elder, almost everyone else seemed to be unaware of its importance.
Noticing Akatsuki’s thoughts, the elder frowned and put his hand to his forehead. Seeing this, a few people exchanged curious glances between the elder and Akatsuki.
“Elder? What is wrong?”
“Is something the matter?”
Only two people actually asked, but including the young man who had complained to Akatsuki earlier, everyone wore puzzled expressions.
Observing their faces closely, Akatsuki sighed inwardly, thinking, “This might not work out.”
He now understood that he himself had been the same way before, but they genuinely believed they would be saved by divine guidance.
While in one sense this was not entirely wrong, it did not mean they would be accepted unconditionally.
Akatsuki had been repeating this very point, but it seemed that most of the people gathered here did not understand it.
However, Akatsuki could not fault them entirely.
If he hadn’t had that experience in the tower, he probably wouldn’t have accepted such advice readily either.
Knowing this, he understood that no matter what he, as a young man, said, it would likely be in vain.
But in this state, Akatsuki speculated that it was uncertain whether the clan would be accepted into the new land at the tower.
For the sake of his clan’s future, how could he make them understand? Akatsuki earnestly pondered this question, surrounded by his clan members.
Akatsuki-kun has evidently matured from his experiences in the tower.
However, conveying this to his clan members will prove to be another arduous task.
The elder seems to understand something, but…
I’ve decided to omit the subsequent discussion and jump straight into life on the floating island for the next installment.
