We live in the foothills of Dragon Peak.
Make no mistake.
“Is it true that the culprit is a tiger-type beastman?”
“At least, Gawon and Folganne seem to think so.”
“What do they plan to do, anyway?”
“We won’t know unless we ask them directly. But I’m sure it’s something dangerous.”
Seven days have already passed since the test of strength between us and the beastmen.
The movements of the beastmen have become more active.
Bollard and the tiger-type beastman warriors have hidden themselves.
A search has been extended throughout the Northern land, but their whereabouts are still unknown.
In contrast to the active beastmen, we humans spent our days in ease.
Honestly, there was nothing else to do besides searching for the Full Moon Flower.
Mei’s consciousness has not returned. Even with the knowledge and sorcery of Ruiseine and the others, it was impossible, so the only option left is to rely on Apothecary Fuschen. And since the beastmen who know the Northern land well are handling the search for Bollard and the others, there was nothing for us to do.
Having no other choice, we are staying in the Ruined Capital.
In a plaza filled with fresh flowers, I sat with Ruiseine, our shoulders touching.
In front of us, the young girls were playing happily.
“Nimia, I want that red flower.”
“Understood, nyan. I’ll get it for you, nyan.”
“Fio and Rim, go gather the white flowers.”
“Leave it to us!”
“We’ll go get them!”
At Priscilla-chan’s direction, the young dragons were gathering flowers from the plaza. Priscilla-chan was weaving the flowers they brought back into something.
Then, as if something was completed, the young girls cheered with raised hands and ran towards us energetically.
“Um, Priscilla made this.”
“Oh my, how lovely.”
“Whoa, that’s amazing!”
It was a beautiful flower crown.
The stems of white flowers were woven into a circle, and red flowers were arranged at equal intervals, forming a beautiful pattern.
“Here, I’ll give this to you.”
Priscilla-chan placed the flower crown on my head.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome!”
As I thanked her with joy, the young girls smiled at each other with satisfaction.
“Elnea-kun, I’m envious.”
“Um. Then, I’ll make one for Ruiseine next.”
“Fufufu, I’ll be looking forward to it then.”
The young girls ran off energetically and started gathering flowers again.
At this rate, they looked like they would make enough for Listea and Kiili too.
I was worried when Priscilla-chan and the others came with Lily, but it turned out they had been very well-behaved so far.
Perhaps they recognize Mei, who is bedridden, as a patient?
It seems that even those energetic young girls restrain themselves from acting out in places where there is a sick person.
Ruiseine and the others were in charge of taking care of Mei.
Either Kiili, Inea, or Ruiseine was always by Mei’s side. They stayed with her even at night, maintaining a system where they could respond to any sudden changes in her condition.
“Um… Is it okay to ask something I’ve been wondering about?”
“Of course. I also have something that’s been bothering me. But please, Ruiseine, you go first.”
While pretending to gather flowers as instructed by Priscilla-chan and secretly watching Fiorina and Rim eat different flowers with a smile, we exchanged words.
“About the trial we are undergoing. Don’t you find it questionable, Elnea-kun?”
“Yeah, there are many inexplicable points. According to Jab-sama, there seem to be correct and incorrect answers.”
“Yes. Not only that, but I also find the part about picking flowers that no one has ever seen before to be questionable.”
“What do you mean?”
I turned to Ruiseine, who was sitting next to me.
“This question, I believe you and Elnea-kun have also doubted from the beginning. Why did we come to this Northern land to find flowers that no one else knows?”
“…Because the Head Miko told us to?”
“Yes, that’s right. But why did the Head Miko indicate this land in the first place?”
If no one knows, then the Head Miko doesn’t know either. Yet, why was this specific Northern land indicated? This was a question everyone had.
Ruiseine cut to the chase from a different angle.
“Elnea-kun, I was surprised to learn that the beastmen also have a Miko.”
Did the topic jump?
While tilting my head slightly, I agreed with Ruiseine.
It was surprising that the temple religion had spread not only to humans but also to other races.
“The temple religion is said to be spread throughout the world. Wherever humans live, there it exists. That is the temple religion.”
Even without a country or a settlement, as long as people live there, the faith in the Goddess will surely be present.
“In the Yorttenitos Kingdom to the east, it was also believed in, of course. Not only in the human cultural sphere far to the west, but also in the demon races’ countries, the Divine Race’s countries, and even at the ends of more distant continents, it is likely believed.”
“Yeah. When you think about it, it’s amazing.”
“Yes. I think it’s truly amazing. However, when you think about it that way, a different question arises.”
Ruiseine looked at me with serious eyes. I met her gaze and waited for her next words.
“Instead of thinking nearby, think far away. Suppose someone in the western edge of the continent wishes to have multiple wives, like you, Elnea-kun, and Listea-kun. Then, what kind of trial would be imposed on these people?”
“Eh!?”
“Fufufu, perhaps you, who are not pious, Elnea-kun, wouldn’t know.”
“Ugh, Ruiseine is picking on me.”
But I couldn’t answer Ruiseine’s question.
“The correct answer is the same as ours.”
“…What do you mean?”
“The temple religion has been believed by people for thousands of years. Its teachings have spread to all corners of the world and are operated by common rules. In other words, even at the far western edge, if there is a clergy member among multiple companions, the trial of searching for the Full Moon Flower would be imposed.”
So, the temple religion is common throughout the world, even in distant places where cultural connections have been lost.
This could be seen even by looking at Jab-sama, who was baptized and became a Miko long ago. They shared many things, such as common miko attire, the same sorcery, and the discipline felt in their daily lives, which made Ruiseine and Jab-sama have much in common.
“Then, what about those who received the trial of searching for the Full Moon Flower in the far western land? Would they also aim for this Northern land? If they received the trial in the Yorttenitos Kingdom, would they aim for this Northern land? Would those who received the trial in the far eastern land also aim for this Northern land?”
“Now that you mention it, that’s strange, isn’t it?”
The world is wider than we think.
It’s so wide that it took the beastmen’s ancestors, who had their living base in the southwestern part of the continent, hundreds of years to reach this land.
Of course, I don’t think the direct distance would take hundreds of years.
For winged dragon races, it might be a single flight. But for people who can only walk across a rugged and dangerous land, it would be a despairing journey.
If the same trial were received in the eastern or far western lands, it would be a trial that would lead to despair before even searching for the Full Moon Flower.
“It’s unlikely that all the temple religions in the world would point to this land, right?”
“Yes, I think so too. Then, what about other lands? The trial content is the same, you know.”
“…Hmm. Perhaps the place indicated differs depending on the land?”
Although I blurted it out as a sudden thought, Ruiseine nodded emphatically.
“I thought so too.”
“But, wait. That would lead to another question, wouldn’t it?”
“It’s not a different question, but rather, it leads back to the original question.”
“Yeah. The Full Moon Flower, which no one should know. Yet, the land indicated differs for each region where the trial is received. That leads to a contradiction: ‘It’s not that no one knows.'”
It’s strange that various parts of the world would be indicated to search for a flower that no one has seen.
It’s as if…
“It makes me feel like only the Head Miko knows about the Full Moon Flower?”
“That’s a possibility. However, would the Head Mikos of various regions accurately grasp the Full Moon Flower that blooms in their respective areas? Also, flowers bloom according to the season. If the season is off, there’s no way to find it.”
“That’s true. If the Full Moon Flower is a spring-blooming flower, then perhaps the answer lies among the flowers blooming in this plaza. But if it’s a flower from another season, no matter how much we search, it would be impossible to find.”
I grumbled, “Mmmph.”
“I think it’s a very perplexing trial. However, please know this. The temple religion and the Head Mikos are not trying to deceive us or trap us. Since the Head Miko has given us such trials, there is definitely an answer prepared. We must use all our wisdom and love to find that answer.”
“Yeah. Jab-sama said that we should find the correct answer, didn’t he? Let’s do our best with all our might to not choose the wrong answer.”
The Full Moon Flower has no sign of being found by searching aimlessly. If that’s the case, we need to discuss it together and derive the answer.
Fortunately, the reliable hero, Listea, is also accompanying us on this journey.
I feel like we’ve made a little progress just by discussing our doubts with Ruiseine.
Perhaps we should re-examine all the points of doubt and what we have noticed together.
“So, what do you think, Listea?”
That night.
This time, I was in the courtyard of the Ruined Temple with Listea alone.
I recounted what I had discussed with Ruiseine during the day to Listea.
Listea seemed to have had an epiphany, nodding deeply as she listened to my story.
Occasionally, she brought her cup to her lips.
“Speaking of which, is that alcohol?”
“Ah. Folganne gave it to me. Do you want some too, Elnea?”
“Eh? Listea, you drink alcohol?”
“And you, you don’t seem to.”
Grr, I feel like Listea has taken one step ahead of me on the path to adulthood.
Alright, I’ll try drinking it too. As I was about to challenge myself, the scent of alcohol rising from the cup overwhelmed me.
“I can’t. I’ll try alcohol when I’m a bit older.”
When I said that, Listea laughed.
Listea and I sat down on the flowers that bloomed even at night, and talked while looking at the starry night sky.
“Actually, I had a vague idea of the answer from the beginning. Listening to your and Ruiseine’s conversation allowed me to confirm it.”
“Eh? Does that mean Listea found the Full Moon Flower!?”
My surprise was so great that I let out a scream.
I wondered if it might have disturbed Ruiseine and the others, who were sleeping elsewhere. However, if the answer was known, Listea gave a bitter smile at my astonishment, as if I would wake them up even if they were sleeping.
“Ah. The wrong answer.”
“Mmmph. The wrong answer?”
“Ah. Jab-sama said it, didn’t he? ‘Find the correct answer.'”
“Yeah…”
“Jab-sama’s words allowed me to recognize that multiple outcomes were prepared for this trial. And your conversation confirmed that the answer I had initially arrived at was wrong. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome?”
“Hahaha. This is important. That’s why I can’t thank you and Ruiseine enough for making me realize it.”
While sipping her wine, Listea told me about the anxieties she had and the wrong answer she had come up with.
“I’ve doubted this trial from the beginning. Honestly, it was ridiculous to be told to find a flower that no one knew, and to be separated from my other wives.”
“You still followed it because it was a trial from the temple, right?”
“Ah, that’s right. The clergy wouldn’t deceive us. So, I thought there must be something to it.”
“And the answer you thought of was the wrong one?”
“That’s right. Elnea, think about it. There have been others who have undergone this trial before. However, not a single one has returned after overcoming it.”
When given a trial, people are divided into two groups: those who give up immediately, believing it’s impossible, and those who set out knowing it’s impossible. But among those who set out, no one has ever returned safely.
“They don’t return. At first, I thought it was because this Northern land was a dangerous place. In reality, not all beastmen are gentle. It’s because of who we are that we can relax here, but for ordinary people, it would be a life-or-death journey. However, it’s hard to accept that not a single survivor has returned. Even on a dangerous journey, one can give up. Yet, all those who set out on the trial do not return, which is strange.”
“Yeah. It is strange.”
“So, I arrived at one answer. Isn’t this trial perhaps about choosing between which wife to leave behind and which wife to take with you?”
“?”
“The Head Miko said that they cannot return until they find the Full Moon Flower. Those who did not return, meaning, they could not find the Full Moon Flower. Of course, some may have searched earnestly. But it’s impossible to find a flower that no one knows. So, what happened to the two who set out? What do you think, Elnea?”
“Hmm. They kept searching, or they died along the way?”
“Hahaha. I see, Elnea would never arrive at the wrong answer.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means you’re an honest and good child.”
Listea laughed and patted my head.
“Certainly, there might have been people like you said. But I realized a different answer. They didn’t fail to return. They didn’t return by their own will.”
“Eeeeh, what does that mean!?”
“Simply put, it was eloping. To put it crudely, they weighed the one to leave behind against the one to take, and ran away to some other land to live with the one they took with them. As I said earlier, this trial requires you to separate the one to leave behind from the one to take. And the trial content is desperate. From the beginning, it’s a trial where you can’t have everything. If you despair at the trial content and give up on setting out, you lose your clergy spouse. If you take the trial seriously and try hard, you might even lose your life. And if you set out knowing it’s impossible, you lose the one you left behind. At first, I thought this trial was testing me to choose between Cerise and the others, or Kiili and the others. But Jab-sama’s words revealed that it was the wrong answer, and your conversation made me confident that there must be some other answer prepared. Thank you very much.”
“I see. So that’s what it meant…”
“It was an answer I didn’t want to accept. That’s why I couldn’t say it until now, and I strongly thought I would find a way to resist and return to Cerise and the others, who were waiting in the capital city.”
“Yeah. I absolutely hate the idea of choosing someone and abandoning someone else. That’s why, no matter what, I will find the correct answer and return to the place where everyone is waiting.”
Listea and I nodded strongly at each other and stood up.
Then Listea drew her holy sword. I drew my Spirit Tree Wooden Sword and White Sword.
“That’s why I want to quickly finish your schemes and focus on finding the Full Moon Flower!”
Listea threw a dagger towards the darkness.
Slightly, the presence in the depths of the darkness wavered.
“I see, you have considerable stealth. It was only after you got this close that I could sense your presence.”
“Well, I was on guard, so a surprise attack even from a distance wouldn’t have worked.”
Exploding with dragon energy, I guarded against those lurking in the darkness.
Then, with a rustle, they appeared from the shadows, trampling on the flowers.
They were Bollard and the warriors of the tiger race.
“You are skilled at hiding your presence. It’s no wonder I couldn’t sense you even when you were close in the forest.”
“And with that stealth, you eavesdropped on Jab-sama’s divination?”
“It’s too much for humans to meddle in the affairs of beastmen.”
Bollard and the others, who had emerged from the darkness, had already stopped suppressing their presence. And they attacked with a fierce aura.
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