Special Story: In the World of Midgar (Part 3)
If the times change, so do games.
Ever since Space Invaders came out in 1978, games have endlessly evolved to fit in with the times and their needs.
Two years later, the first portable game was released in Game&Watch, and a scant three years after that, the NES appeared. Another seven years, and it was time for the SNES. The PlayStation came out four years after that, and from then on, every time gaming advanced a generation, there'd be a new set of consoles.
And what surprised players every time was the progression of graphics. From the 8-bit NES to the 16-bit SNES. And once we entered the age of PlayStation, CG started to throw its weight around. Every time we went into a new generation, the CG lost its awkward movements and looks, and started to look much more natural and real.
Once, a nationally famous game company released their first game for the PS2; the kids back then must have been really surprised, like, "Oh man, look how real the CG looks!"
By the way, kids nowadays will look at the same game and say, "Wow, this CG does not hold up." That's just how far CG has come and how discerning people's eyes are now.
But still, the evolution didn't stop. Graphics and games got better every generation, becoming closer to the real thing. Fictional worlds that could be mistaken for real pictures on the screen, and in that world, fictional people moved about, looking so real people might think that they used real models for it. It hasn't been realized yet, but the VRMMOs that are the subject of so many isekai novels might actually come to life one day.
But that was just the stuff of dreams right now. Doing something like moving all your senses into a game was still far too dangerous to do. It might actually happen someday. But that someday was, in fact, "some day", which means not now.
So why is it that I'm currently the character I made in a game world, being shaken around on top of a carriage?
"We can see it now, Big Sis. It's the next city!"
"Yes, We see it, too. Don't make such a fuss."
Naruko, who was sitting in the next seat, shook me, making the already bad shaking of the carriage even worse.
The money I earned from killing orcs and the money Naruko got from selling their meat somewhere came to 5500 el in total, so we were currently on a carriage traveling to the country of Svel.
Of course, Naruko didn't sell any of the best meat that raises HP, but just the other parts. (Well, it does seem that she also sold the filets that had been damaged and lost their effect). I did wonder just where she sold all that meat, but she does have the ability to teleport. It wouldn't be surprising, no matter where she sold it.
Being able to move around so easily is enviable. Moreover, it seemed like she was unable to teleport other people along with her. Apparently, in order to teleport someone else with a will, you had to either render them unconscious or have them agree to the teleportation. According to her, as long as there was some sort of sense of rejection or distrust in the target's heart towards the user, the magic wouldn't work.
Ahh, oh right.
As for my HP, I ate the other pieces of orc filet, and now my HP is at 336100.
It's kind of an ugly number and it does bother me a little, but whatever. I can ignore it.
"Thanks fer da patronaaage!"
I paid the driver and got off the carriage. And we started walking towards the gates protecting the capital.
There were several soldiers standing guard before the gates, and they seemed to be guarding the gate strictly.
Oh yeah, this place was under attack from one of the Twelve Zodiac's Guardians right now. Sorry for causing so much trouble.
"Stop there, you two!"
Stopped by the guard, we waited for him.
Yeah, of course we'd get stopped. I mean, I'm wearing a hood and mantle. No matter how you look at it, I'm suspicious.
"Past this gate is the country of Svel. Show me your entry passes."
Entry… passes? Oh no, this is the first time I'm hearing of that. There wasn't anything like that back in the game…
No wait, there was. Back then, the game was all about armies and countries, so in order to get into other countries, you had to go through your own and gain permission from the other country's king. Now that I thought of it, that probably was this entry pass thing.
And right now, unfortunately, I had no such thing.
But unlike me, who'd made no preparations, Naruko responded calmly, taking out several papers from her pocket before handing them over.
"Here. These are our entry passes. Please check them."
"All right."
What the heck is this super-competent little sister? She's way too prepared! She even got mine ready, too. She even winked at me, as if to say, "Don't worry about it."
"Hm, so you two sisters are free merchants without any citizenship? Your name is Ruko, and your big sister is Ruka. Looks like your papers are real."
"There's been more people around forging papers recently, you know? Well, anyone who'd be tricked by those has pitch-black holes where their eyes should be. Hahahah!"
Nice job having pitch-black holes.
I don't have any sort of ID of my own, so that's without a doubt a forgery.
"Hm, you may pass."
"Thank you very much."
Having gotten permission, Naruko put on a full-faced smile. But as we tried to pass, once again, a voice stopped us.
"Ah, wait a second. Just in case, you need to take off that mantle and show us your face. Sorry, but we need to make sure that you're not a monster or a grimmfolk under there."
Ahh, yeah. Of course this'd happen.
But, to be honest, I figured this would happen, so there's not actually much reason to panic.
It's true that I was world-famous in a bad way, but people only remembered my black wings. This world didn't even have pictures or anything, so nobody would remember my face if they didn't have long life spans and weren't alive back then.
To put it simply, if Oda Nobunaga were to put on modern clothes and get a modern hairstyle, nobody would point at him while he's walking through the streets and go, "That's Oda Nobunaga!"
And these guards didn't have wings or fangs. Their ears weren't even pointed; they were clearly human. That meant that I should've been able to at least show them my face.
"Ahh, sorry about that… Here, is this fine?" I removed my hood and smiled at them.
I'm not a narcissist but I am aware of just how earth-shatteringly beautiful I am right now. As a female player who played in a game that was dominated by male players, I know what kinds of movements, expressions, and attitudes make a guy's heart race. I just know how to move to shake up a guy's heart. This is why. There's no reason not to use this weapon...
"Forgive us, guard. If We don't hide our face there will be no end of trouble in the streets."
"Y-yeah… that's true."
"So? We want to go already, so may We pass now?"
Personally, if I was a guy I wouldn't want to make a bad impression on a beautiful girl. Even if I was to never meet her again, if someone as gorgeous as me were to say, "I don't want to get near that guard, he stinks," I'd get pretty depressed.
Of course, there were differences between people, and, depending on the situation, he might even be a really brazen guy who'd say something like, "Come now, woman, don't be cold like that." But any healthy, upstanding man would have only one answer here.
"O-Of course! Please, go ahead!"
Yep, as I expected.
I once again donned my hood, and this time, we stepped over the border into the country.
Right before us lay water, water, and more water.
The lake that looked to be an entire ocean unto itself filled my vision, only broken by the single bridge that stretched from the gate all the way into the capital.
This country didn't exist back when I was playing the game, and the founder used to be one of the seven women who put Haruka Heartfilia… or in other words, me, up as the villain of the world and led the people to defeat me. She was the "Witch Princess" Juvia Rainfall.
According to Naruko, she was currently in hiding but still alive, and even now, she was living in these walls, it seemed.
I thought while we walked.
Juvia was there back when I was playing the game. We went hunting together, and we'd also partied like idiots. Even that battle wasn't because we stopped being friends; it was just a story thing to liven up the game that we all acted out… Basically, it was just a play. I just happened to have the evil boss role, and she just happened to side with the protagonist.
Then we all had a great party and built up a story around it… Yeah, we did fight, but we were friends who shared joy playing the same game.
But which one is the Juvia who's living here now, in this world? Is she the same as I am? The player from another world? Or is she someone named Juvia who has nothing to do with me? If that's the case, just what happened to the past where we hunted together and talked and all that?
"Sword Princess" Erza Belserion. "Beast Princess" Lisanna Whitefang. "Blacksmith Princess" Revy Redfox. "Adventurer Princess" Cana Clive. "Witch Princess!" Juvia Lockser. "White Princess" Hinata Marvell. And the "Moon Princess" Sakura Dragneel.
My friends whom I once had fun with. The seven high ranking players who represented their races and livened up the game along with me.
I need to meet them.
Four of them have already died, it seems, but the three in the latter half are still alive.
I need to know. Are there others experiencing strange circumstances like I am? Or am I alone?
"… So this is the country that Juvia built…" I raised my head.
If I were to use one phrase to describe the city that jumped into my sight, it would be "City of Water", I guess.
This entrance gate seemed to have been the subject of someone's desire for a magnum opus, and thanks to it being taller than everything else in the capital, it had a great vantage point over everything. Added to that, ever since I've been in this body my sight's gotten a lot better, and right now, I could see clearly into all corners of this country.
There was a castle in the center and a lake surrounding it. There were four bridges extending in cardinal directions from the castle to the main city. The city itself was also split into north, south, east, and west areas, with a bridge for each one. Rather than a man-made river in a city, it was more like a huge city, and bridges were built on top of an expanse of water by force. A total of five pieces of land, including the center, stood on top of clear water, with eight bridges connecting them. What an odd capital.
… Ah, it's nine bridges if you count the one for the entrance.
The water glittered under the sunlight, and artificially planted trees and woods swayed in the wind.
Also, once I started to concentrate closely on what I was seeing, I noticed that everywhere I looked was lit with a strange light. Was that… what's referred to as raw magic power? Thick clouds of raw magic power suffusing the air were referred to as mana in the game.
The light that was probably mana imposed its presence everywhere it reached, and the effect was overwhelming.
As expected of the country of the Witch Princess. You're showing off some pretty cool things there.
"The great magic country, Svel. This country, which was founded by one of the Seven Princesses of Midgar, the elven heroine Juvia, is special for its extremely dense mana. They've poured their efforts into teaching magic and other academics, and aspiring scholars and mages from all over the world gather here. But due to their dislike of the dense mana, the flugels almost never visit.… Big Sis, are you feeling alright?"
"There's no problem. We don't know about others, but to us, this is actually quite a new and fresh feeling. It's nice," I said to Naruko as I looked around at the mana.
At the moment, I wasn't feeling any discomfort. I did remember that the game lore said that the flugels hated mana, the power of demons, but right now, I didn't feel anything of the sort.
Or maybe the flugels' hatred of it was, unexpectedly, mostly emotional? If that's the case, then I get why I'm fine, since I don't really have any opinion on the stuff.
"Now then, as for our plans from now on… where should we go first?"
"Of course, we will be going to meet Juvia. We have a lot to ask her."
"Straight on, huh? But Juvia is most likely inside that castle. You couldn't be planning to just barge in, could you?"
I shook my head in response to Naruko's question.
If I were to go boldly punching my way in like that when the monster I raised was raising hell, too, I'd just be adding to the chaos. No matter what I do, whether it's sneaking in or waiting for her to leave the castle, it'd be better to avoid causing chaos as much as possible.
Then, the first step should probably be some light information gathering, shouldn't it?
"No, We will be doing things peacefully. We don't enjoy causing unnecessary fuss," I told Naruko before climbing down the stairs leading off the bridge, aiming to get to know the city first.
Naruko said that this place is popular for its academics. Then, I should be able to read more detailed books on history somewhere. I know far too little about the one thousand years that've passed. They're a blank for me. First, I need to fill that hole in my knowledge. For that, this country could be called convenient for how useful it is.
Let's see… let's find a library first.
With that in mind, I talked to someone on the street.
"The library? Is this you guys' first time here? The library's in the east area."
I talked to a human man who looked both frank and sociable. He was wearing a viking helmet and a claymore sword at his back. His armor was full of nicks and scratches, while his posture screamed "Mercenary".
The reason I deemed him "frank and sociable", even with all that, was because of his charming and lively smile. It was bright enough to completely cancel out the effect of his scary mercenary looks. That's how strong his expression was. He was just that kind of guy.
"The east area… Which means…"
"This is the south area, so you need to cross the bridge on the right. The east area's where all the bigwig scholars and passionate students gather. You could say it's the center of this country. It's got all the libraries, schools, museums and stuff… Well, basically, if you want to find out or study anything, you should probably go to the east area. That's all you really need to remember."
Naruko and I nodded in understanding.
Apparently, each of this country's separated areas had its own dedicated purpose. Now that I know that, I really want to just explore. After I get everything I need out of the library, it'll probably be fun to take a lap around this place once.
"Thank you, this was helpful. Then we'll be going this way."
"Hey hey, just wait a second, kids. Are you really going to go there on foot? The day would be over by then."
Just as we were about to walk off again, the man stopped us. Then, he took a map out of his pocket and started talking.
"This country's pretty damn big. Each area's like 500 km by itself. And if you put it all together with the castle area in the center and all the bridges, this entire city's over 2500 km. Trying to go everywhere by foot will kill all your time, you know."
"Then, how do you all get around?"
"We use the monorail. Follow me. I'll show you to the terminal."
A monorail, huh? This is getting really modern all of a sudden. I mean, it's not like this world doesn't have its science, and it's even got magic. So I guess it's not surprising that there's one or two convenient vehicles around. I bet the monorail moves on magic or something.
"Oh, whoops, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Teuchi. I'm a mercenary who's working as a border guard for this country. I'm off today, though."
"I'm Naruko, a free merchant. This person wearing a golden mantle exuding suspiciousness at full force is my big sister, Haruka."
Without a word, I stepped on Naruko's foot. Naruko shouted in pain, but I ignored her.
What kind of person introduces another with "exuding suspiciousness at full force"? I mean, it's completely true, but you're the one that told me to dress like this in the first place!
"You've got quite the getup, haven't you? Well, you've probably got your own problems, so I won't pry."
"… Thank you."
I'm glad that he won't pry.
I said my thanks and followed Teuchi as he started walking.
"Um, I'd like to ask you some questions about this place; is that OK?"
"Sure, ask away." Teuchi agreed right away to Naruko's request.
He was a really good guy to be this kind to us even though we had just met. My first impression of him really wasn't wrong, it seemed.
"First, this country's split into five areas. As for how they're split, first, the southern area, where the entrance is, is the 'Trade district'. For those who just entered this country, it's made to be the first place you enter. Anyway, this place has everything. There's a lot of stores competing with each other, after all. But these last few years, Aries of the Twelve Zodiac's Guardians keeps attacking, so this place is a little less crowded than it should be."
… My head's starting to hurt.
I'm getting real complicated feelings towards the actions of a subordinate I haven't even seen yet.
For now, I'm gonna kick you once in the head when I meet you, Aries. Be ready. Of course, I won't be holding back at all. Don't worry. If memory serves, Aries should be at the max level for a tamed monster of mine, 800, so she shouldn't die even if I kick her for real.
Going off topic, a Monster Tamer's monster's levels were made so that they could never exceed their master's. For example, even if a monster was level 1000 in the wild, when tamed, if the Tamer's level was 500, their level would be reduced below that. The formula was the Tamer's total level/2 + [Class level x 3]. So for me, the max level would be 500 + 300, or 800.
Also, if, for example, the formula exceeded the Tamer's level, (like if the Tamer's total level was 100 and their class level was also 100, making the theoretical level 350), the Tamer's total level was set as the limit instead, so it was impossible for a tamed monster to be stronger than its Tamer.
In other words, with the formula, it was only possible to have monsters be the same level as the Tamer up to level 600, and that was assuming the Tamer's class level was maxed out. And at level 700 and over they completely started to be eclipsed by the Tamer, so at that level it was actually better to just party up with some players at the same level.
Not only that, but Tamers could only bring one monster with them at a time. Even if the Tamer had over 100 monsters tamed, they could only bring them out one at a time. Of course, that was because it'd break game balance if players were allowed to go around with tons of monsters stronger than them, and solo play would run rampant.
MMOs are based around team play. Naturally, by paying for it, players could solve this problem and start toting level 1000 monsters. Well, in the end it'd still just be a two-person party, so it wouldn't change the fact that it was still better to party up with other players.
"The eastern area is the 'Academics district'. I've told you about this already, so I'm just gonna skip this part. Next is the western area, the 'Industrial district'. Starting with the monorail I just told you about, all the magic engines that power vehicles and other tools are produced there. Of course, we're not as good as 'Blutgang', said to be the country of craftsmen, though. That place is famous for having most of them there."
"… Magic engines, Blutgang… We've never heard of either of these." I listened to him talk while I whispered questions to Naruko, who was beside me. I knew neither of those names. At the very least, they weren't around when I was playing the game.
Naruko whispered back: "Magic engines were invented by Juvia a few decades ago. They're a system that uses mana as fuel. It's much cheaper and more efficient than the traditional coal, so it's really hot right now. However, it's almost unusable by the flugels, so at the moment, coal is still more prevalent."
So it's that, right? It's just oil.
I don't know just how much mana is around in the world, but I wonder if we'll run out of mana if we keep using it like this. Or is mana something that's basically infinite… I'm clueless on this subject.
Well anyway, I can't use mana myself, so I guess I just don't care.
"Blutgang is a country founded by one of the Seven Princesses of Midgar, the Blacksmith Princess Revy Redfox. It's called the country of craftsmen, and a lot of the dwarves, amongst other races, take residence in that country. Most of the world's industrial goods are manufactured there and exported."
"We see."
Industry… I know even less about jobs like that where you make things. I muttered an appropriate reply and, once again, concentrated on what Teuchi was saying.
"The northern area is the 'Residential district'. Almost all living quarters are concentrated there. It's the farthest away from the gates, so right now, it's the second safest area."
"Second safest? Would it not be the safest since it's the farthest away?"
"Well, of course that's because it's not guaranteed that monsters will behave themselves and come from the front door. Even though this place is a natural fortress surrounded by a lake on all sides, it's not guaranteed that monsters won't come charging in from behind us. Actually, monsters that can fly or swim have, in fact, gone around and invaded from another area."
Having heard that, I replied, "We see."
True, there's no need to be polite and come in through the front door only to be forced to deal with the border guards. In fact, it'd be more natural not to do so.
Teuchi must have figured out my confusion. So he offered a follow up.
"Well, doing that takes an extraordinary amount of work. The lake surrounding this place is actually a water golem created by Lady Juvia. That's why if anyone tries to force themselves through the water, they'll just find themselves a victim of its jaws. Isn't it awesome? It's a golem that's a whole lake big enough to surround this country, you know? It's totally a guardian deity that protects this whole country."
I honestly was impressed by that fact. I was also a level 100 Alchemist, but I'd never thought of a golem that would be an entire lake.
I see, so stuff like that's totally possible because this isn't a game anymore. In the game, there was no way anything that'd change the map itself would work. But this was reality. That meant that, as long as the materials were there, you could totally do what you wanted with your surrounding land.
… Let's try something out if I ever get the chance.
But still, a water golem, huh? Juvia made something pretty cool here. Heavily mana-infused water makes for pretty good material. If she made a golem out of that, it wouldn't be surprising if it's level 500.
… Let's see, I guess I should check its stats, just in case. I thought and turned on my Observing Eye.
[ Guardian Deity Levia ]
[Level]: 500
[Race]: Artificial Life Form
[STR (Strength)]: 2750
[DEX (Dexterity)]: 800
[VIT (Vitality)]: 3400
[INT (Intelligence)]: 650
[AGI (Agility)]: 1028
[MND (Mind)]: 722
[LUK (Luck)]: 2300
[ Teuchi ]
[Level]: 82
[Race]: Human
[Class Levels]:
・Warrior: 82
[HP]: 6860
[SP]: 476
[STR (Strength)]: 303
[DEX (Dexterity)]: 263
[VIT (Vitality)]: 368
[INT (Intelligence)]: 99
[AGI (Agility)]: 245
[MND (Mind)]: 72
[LUK (Luck)]: 208
Hm, so its level is 500, just like I expected.
For a world where a sword saint is level 120, it's more than powerful enough. More than anything, its HP pool is massive, probably because all the water is part of it.
I mean, what the hell? 180k at level 500? Is that a bug?
For golems that can't use stat-boosting items, it's an overwhelming number. Normally, a level 500 golem using mana water would have around 50k HP. Golems made out of water get a little extra HP, but only a little. To be able to drag that up to 180k, I can only compliment the Witch Princess on her ability. This thing's already almost a boss.
On the other hand, Teuchi is, well, a normal early-game warrior.
No, wait, since the Sword Saint's level 120, is he actually really strong by the standards of this age? As always, I can't seem to get a good handle on the general level of this world… Well, he shouldn't be weak, at least. Probably.
While I had all that running around in my head, Teuchi continued to talk.
"Lastly, there's the 'Nobles district' in the center. This is the area where only people of a certain status may live, like royalty or nobles, and it has basically no connection to us. If you try to sneak in like an idiot you'll get caught right away, so be careful."
So the center, where Juvia probably is, is a place for the privileged, huh? That means it'll be really difficult to get in legally.
Oh well, I can think about this later.
"All right, we're here. This is the terminal."
The place we were led to was very different from modern stations. That was only natural, though. With it looking like a metal coffin, I got the feeling that the station was built literally just to let people onto the monorail. There were no escalators or elevators, and though there was a fence to stop people from falling in, there was no yellow line. The inside wasn't especially nice, and there weren't any ads, and of course, there weren't any electronic screens to display when the next arrival would be. It was literally a bare metal coffin, only there for people to get on and off the monorail.
And the center of it all, the monorail was also a metal coffin. It was just a square box with windows and sofas. There were no patterns or paintings or any decoration.
I guess I would say that we would be riding in a metal coffin inside a metal coffin.
"Now then, I'm going to leave you here. All right, see you again if the fates will it!"
"Yes, thank you very much, Mr. Teuchi."
"You were helpful. We give you our thanks."
As expected, Teuchi wasn't coming with us all the way to the Academics district, so he said goodbye to us, and we did the same. It was more than enough for someone we didn't know to come this far with us.
I gave my thanks to the kind mercenary that didn't mind our appearances and got on the monorail.
Now then, first up is the Academics district. For now, I'll bone up on everything I don't know.
The monorail started moving, but it wasn't really something to get excited over. To the passengers, it didn't make much of a difference whether it was being powered by electricity or magic. It was only different enough for me to think that it was a little fast.
But when it came to the scenery outside the window, things were different. The lake was so huge it could be mistaken for an ocean. And the city was built on top of that, with lots of buildings all lined up. It greatly aroused my curiosity and made my heart dance.
I wasn't sure how old my body was, but with my eyesight I could pick out people going about their lives from inside the monorail, and I was staring out the window at them, feeling almost like a child.
And when we got off the monorail the atmosphere changed. The crowd was now full of intelligent-looking, slender people. It was actually worrying how skinny everyone was, and it made me want to tell all the people walking past that they needed more exercise.
But my eyes were especially drawn to the beautiful ones with long ears-elves. For elves, I seem to remember them being forest people that basically never left the woods, but times probably changed in one thousand years.
I could see elves walking down the street normally, talking and being friendly with humans. In fact, I could even see middle-aged humans and elven girls walking around like lovers when I looked closer. Humans and elves had far different lifespans. So I bet that, which just looks criminal, is probably actually fine, and the elf is actually older.
In other words, he gets to have an eternally beautiful lover. Go explode.
I found a library right away. Fitting for an academic district, it stood out. I was lucky that it was built so close to the station. The library itself was also taller than other buildings, shaped almost like a tower.
I went through the doors and entered the building. Inside, a woman who seemed like the librarian looked at me suspiciously but didn't say anything.
The library is open to the public. So I guess that means I'm fine as long as I don't cause any problems?
The inside of the library was a circular hall. There were desks lined up in the center with shelves surrounding them. Of course, the shelves didn't completely enclose the desks; there were aisles and passageways left so it didn't feel too constricting.
I immediately made for the history section and started looking at the titles lined up on the shelves.
The Genesis of Midgar "Just How Did the Goddess Lunaru Create Our World?"
History of Midgar Part 1: The Secret of the Birth of the Seven Races
The Wars of Midgar — From the Appearance of the Grimmfolk until Now
… I can ignore this section.
This doesn't have anything on what happened in the last one thousand years, and it probably doesn't change much from the lore that I know of.
What I want to know happens from when I was defeated by the Seven Princesses of Midgar to now. Those one thousand years.
The Blackbird of Death: Haruka Heartfilia's Life and Rule
Great Persons of History: Black Empress Haruka Heartfilia
Was Haruka Heartfilia Really Evil? A Historical Inquiry
Haruka Heartfilia: The Only Ruler to Have Ever United the World
So this section is all books about me, huh? This might be perfect to find out how the world thinks of me.
I took the Great Persons of History and the Historical Inquiry books for the moment and moved on. As always, I couldn't move my arms, but ESP's really convenient. If I knew things were gonna turn out like this, I would have gotten my Esper levels to 100, not just 50… But in the game Espers were kinda meh at fighting… ESP being convenient for moving things around was only fluff in the game, too.
The Seven Princesses of Midgar: The Heroines that Defeated the Blackbird of Death
The Glory and Foolishness of the Seven Princesses of Midgar
Great Persons of History: Erza Belserion
Great Persons of History: Lisanna Whitefang
Great Persons of History: Revy Redfox
Great Persons of History: Cana Clive
The Peak of Humanity and Its Fall. Did Humanity Make a Mistake?! Kill the Seven Princesses of Midgar! Humanity's Biggest Mistake According to Historian Oobleck
This section was for the Seven Princesses of Midgar, and it seemed what I wanted to know was here, too.
The fact that Juvia isn't among this Great Persons series is… Well, it's probably because she's still alive. She's not dead, so she can't be a great person of the past.
Still, what's surprising is that there are more books here that clearly criticize the Seven Princesses of Midgar than I thought there'd be.
Is this okay? This country's founded by one of the Seven Princesses of Midgar. Even though she's not the one in charge right now, that doesn't change the fact that she's a legendary hero to this country. I wouldn't be surprised if the authors of these books were deemed guilty of lèse-majesté…
"Hahah, were you surprised? You're not actually that hated, Big Sis!"
"… It truly is strange. We should be the villain that forcefully conquered the world…"
"Well, there are books like that as well, but as time passes the fear leaves, too. And right now, people are starting to think that allowing you to stay would have seen us fighting amongst ourselves less, and we wouldn't have to fear the grimmfolk, either. And most importantly, you weren't really all that awful as a tyrant."
Naruko's words still left me half in doubt.
I can somehow imagine how people feel towards me. I'm probably being treated like Napoleon or Oda Nobunaga. Looking at history, it's clear that Oda Nobunaga did some pretty awful stuff and put fear in people. But modern Japan was full of people that thought he was "cool," and not only are there fans of Oda Nobunaga, he's even being picked as the protagonist of mangas and novels.
Nobody that was actually there and experienced the fear of him would say that, probably, but in the end, they're in the past. It's a viewpoint only achievable because you can look at him like a character in a story. Most likely, the authors of these books are human, not elves or something similar.
"Well, for now, let's just read it. We will probably be here for a while. What will you do, Naruko?"
"Of course, I'll accompany you. I have books I want to read, too."
"Oh? What books?"
"This! Ninja Warrior Narukoto Volume 1 'Narukoto Dies on Mission.'"
A novel? I almost reflexively fired a retort, but it wasn't my fault. I mean, what's up with that novel? It's volume one, but the protagonist's already dead in the title. The meaning of it's so impenetrable I'm actually getting interested.
"By the way, I recommend the second volume, Sorrow! Killed in Action, and the third volume, Chance Meetings of Death."
"He dies every time?!"
The urge to read it ran through me, but I stood fast.
I sat in an available space in the center and flipped through my selection of books.
For now, let's read up on what happened these past one thousand years and compare things.
With that decided, I looked at and picked out one of the books I had. Let's see…
The Goddess Lunaru. Presides over the elements of water and metal.
She takes the form of a beautiful girl with half yellow half red hair and sapphire eyes. She's recorded as a kind goddess that loves the world she created, but there are also accounts that suggest she despises certain unsightly beings—
… Ah, I made a mistake. This isn't it. This isn't the one I want right now. I set the book aside and opened the book I actually wanted to read.
Haruka Heartfilia.
She was a mysterious flugel that appeared suddenly one thousand years ago, and she unified the world in the blink of an eye.
While possessing taboo wings of pitch black, she was more beautiful than anyone. Even the flugels, who place heavy emphasis on wing color for beauty, had to admit this, according to Hinata Carla, the queen of all flugels.
She was strong, just endlessly, relentlessly strong. People, monsters, and even grimmfolk were just small fry to her. Even now, the reason she conquered the world is shrouded in mystery.
However, according to the people who knew her… Haruka Heartfilia may have been an invader, but she wasn't a tyrant. She used force to unite the world but did not rule through tyranny.
Noblesse oblige. The higher class has an obligation to those lower than them. Being a ruler comes with responsibilities. According to an elf that knew her at the time, this was her favorite saying.
"Even if you invade using force, once they're under your rule and are your citizens, you have a duty to protect them. You must take responsibility to protect their way of life, protect their futures, and turn the futures of their children as firm as bedrock."
That was what she said.
You might say, "Like an invader such as Haruka can talk."
Most likely, this was exactly what people who rebelled against her said at the time. However, it was also true that she never burdened her citizens more than was necessary. In fact, more than once or twice she'd deposed tyrants just like that who were making their people suffer, and as a result, saved the country.
Haruka Heartfilia was no saint. However, was she really a villain, either?
… Now, one thousand years later, there are a lot of scholars who raise doubts about her rare breed of "villainy".
Why did she set out to conquer the world? That is unknown, even now. The only ones who would know, her Twelve Zodiac's Guardians, are now fearful enemies of humanity, and there is no hope of conversation with them. However, given that she never once acted like a tyrant, it might be that she didn't do so out of personal greed. The truth is unknown.
The truth remains that we as humanity rejected her, brought her down, and escaped from her rule.
However, the result of that wasn't the dawn of humanity but only the happiness of the grimmfolk. It wasn't only humanity that thought of Haruka Heartfilia as a threat. Even the grimmfolk truly feared her and were wary. They feared the great power of the Blackbird of Death, the Twelve Zodiac's Guardians that followed her, and the heroes that were gathered due to her power, and they waited.
Once their greatest threat was removed, the grimmfolk moved immediately. Humans, who lost Haruka, their ruler, and split into fractions, created a chance that the grimmfolk didn't miss as they went on the attack. In response, the Seven Maidens of Midgar and other warriors of the time rose up against them. However, they no longer had the unity of when they were opposing Haruka, and that fight ended in our loss.
Sixty percent of the world became the grimmfolk's territory, and humanity's living space was compressed considerably. And now, humanity only counts 30% of the world as their territory.
The Seven Maidens of Midgar are now three, and it wouldn't be surprising if those three are just barely keeping the world from crumbling around us. It's only a temporary quiet, a peace on thin ice. It would no longer be surprising if our world were destroyed at any moment.
And what's more, we haven't found a way to break out of this situation, either.
The world's totally losing?!
I finished reading, dumbfounded over just how badly the world was doing right now.
No, I knew that the Grimm King was still around and that humanity was desperate enough to try to call a hero. But still, I was making light of the situation somewhere in my heart. I only thought of it like, "Well, if I leave them alone, the Hero will appear at some point and sort everything out, probably."
I mean, this country is really pretty, and at first glance, it's the picture of peace. Normally, no one would assume the world was doing this badly. This is the first I'm hearing of humanity only living in 30% of the world.
No, well, I did kind of suspect it. Like, it did come to mind that countries are pretty small and squeezed together and stuff. I mean, this country, Svel, is smaller than Hokkaido, too. Not only that, but this is a major country founded by one of the Seven Maidens of Midgar, so I did faintly wonder just how small the world was.
But in the game, entire countries were just out there on the map as icons. And even though they were countries, they were basically just large cities, which was a pretty common thing, so… I just didn't pay it that much attention. I was just like, "I guess this is how things are."
Yep, I was naive. This world's in danger.
But now that I think about it, I guess this situation was inevitable. The grimmfolk still have their Grimm King, as well as several of my Twelve Zodiac's Guardians. On the other hand, humanity lost me and the Twelve Zodiac's Guardians; and probably none of the high level fighters are around, either. All our levels in general are much lower, and four of the Seven Maidens of Midgar are gone thanks to life spans.
… Of course we'd be on the ropes. In fact, it's nothing but a miracle that we're still holding on.
Man, I'm gonna have to hurry up and retrieve the Zodiac's Guardians that went to the grimmfolk's side or things will be bad, won't they? From what I heard, they turned traitor due to their anger at the heroes defeating me, so I should be able to convince them to come back if I talk to them… Probably, definitely, most likely. I'm just barely able to be optimistic.
This'd just be a fun event in a game, but this world is super serious right now, and things are getting even worse…
Even though I don't care at all that I was defeated, the winners are all regretful. They've been driven far enough into a corner to be writing history books like this even… It's all just…
… Like, just…
While reading, I thought of one thing. And that was a sense of doubt over Fiona, who was currently attempting to invade this country, and how unlike her that was.
Fiona was a rainbow sheep… a harmless monster that enjoyed peace and hated fighting. So why was she attempting an invasion?
No, I already know why. It's because I… Haruka Heartfilia was defeated by the Seven Maidens of Midgar.
But was she really someone who could lead and take revenge like this? In the game, tamed monsters only followed around behind their Tamer and never spoke. That's why players had no choice but to imagine things based off of the monster's race and background or delude themselves into thinking one monster's personality varied compared to another's.
I wonder… just what kind of personality does she have? I can't know what kind of person she is just by looking from the other side of the screen. I should be her master, but I don't know anything about her.
Just when was it that I first met Fiona, anyway?
That was back when I still wasn't max level… Right, it should've been around when I'd maxed out my Warrior and Grappler levels and just started leveling Tamer. Around then, I was wondering what kind of monster I should tame for my first one, I think.
Monsters used by Tamers had a wider range of use than an Alchemist's golems and were more useful, too. Unlike golems, their levels could rise, and they could use stat-boosting items. They could heal, too, and they'd revive from 0 health if you healed them. They did have a level limit, but raise a strong monster and they'd be useful through the endgame.
At the time, I should have been thinking of taming something cool and strong first, like a dragon. The one I accidentally encountered was the exact opposite—a weak sheep.
Of course, I knew about them. Even in the game, only one ever existed at a time. It was a super-extra-rare monster that the devs probably put in as a bit of a joke. Ever since the game started, no one had ever actually seen one, and I'd seen fake info posted on message boards more than once.
I… decided on a whim to tame it, a monster that I'd accidentally found. For some reason, it didn't run away, and when it finally attacked, it was so weak that I was actually pretty worried at first. But still, it was my first monster. Of course I'd get attached.
At any rate, I leveled her like my life depended on it and ended up using a lot of stat-boosting items, too. Luckily, thanks to one of her skills, she produced one rainbow wool every day, which sold for a lot. Using that as funds, I gave her a bunch of stat-boost drinks. I bought all of the items that could teach tamed monsters skills that I could find and used them.
If she's a weak monster, then I'll just make her the strongest! I might have been a bit stubborn about that idea. As a result, it became as if Fiona's weakness before had been just a lie, and even after I got to level 1000, she never stopped being useful.
Well, I did almost lose my motivation to keep that up when the boss-class monsters I'd tamed afterwards got stronger than Fiona without any items whatsoever, though.
Now that I think about it, it could be said that Fiona is the one who's known me the longest. I still hadn't teamed up with Juvia and the others back then, and I hadn't started Zodiac either. Just what kind of thoughts did she… Fiona has over these one thousand years?
Was it rage? Or grief?
Either way, it seemed that she thought I was precious enough to try to avenge me.
That's great, but it's also exactly why I need to stop her. If Juvia and Fiona were to fight, one of them would die. Purely from strength in battle, Juvia should win since she was a high level player comparable to me, but Fiona should have some sort of plan. I can only think that the temporary feeling of peace here is because Fiona is plotting something.
And right now, I'm the only one in a position to stop her.
"… That crying sheep, huh…?" I felt a strange muttering leave my mouth. Crying sheep?
… I don't remember anything like that. That sentence, which I muttered incredibly naturally, was about something that I had no memory of, even if I did say it myself.
… No, that's wrong.
I do know. I remember.
This body still remembers the past that's been etched in the back of my brain. The image of a small sheep that cried out that it wanted to become stronger is branded into me.
I see. I don't know her, but the bit of Haruka's memory that's still left in this body does.
Then there's no need to hesitate. Haruka's will aligns with mine. I'll kick that idiot, who's let her blood rush to her head, to the curb, and I can just extend my hand to her again afterward. I can tell her to come with me. To come with us. Just like back then, I can pick her up once more.
It's fine; I won't forget. As if I would forget you. As if We would forget you.
We shall never forget, even if our memory were to be sent to the ends of oblivion, even if our body were to be filled with a different personality.
So, please… Don't cry anymore, Fiona.
Classifying the denizens of this world roughly, but appropriately, it's possible to come up with four different categories. Those categories are: Humanity, Monsters, Grimmfolk, and everything else.
First, Humanity consists of seven main races: humans, flugels, dwarves, elves, halflings, vampires, and beastmans. The conditions for being "human" are… Well, they're subjective.
If you require humans to be bipedal, then orcs and goblins fit, but they're treated as monsters since they don't understand speech. No, well, they are intelligent enough to speak, but somehow it's way too hard to communicate with them. It's probably a difference of values.
Next is monsters. This category is for special living things other than Humanity that have transformed and evolved due to mana.
This world's monsters aren't spawned by the Grimm King, and they don't just randomly spawn. It's said that all monsters used to live in this world as normal animals. So the changed versions of those are monsters.
To be honest, elves, dwarves, halflings, and beastmens seem to be former humans that have been transformed by mana, but we don't call them monsters. That part is pretty vague and half-assed.
The grimmfolk are… Well, I'm not actually sure. Even in the game they had an astounding lack of backstory.
One of the most convincing theories is that they're a secret eighth race of humanity that's been changed by mana, I guess. They're probably not all that different from vampires. Also, they're different from monsters, even if they're both probably mutated from mana.
Of course, there're grimmfolk who bring monsters around with them, but they're just using Tamer skills, so it's the same as us. However, even though it's a game thing, they were able to do some cheater-ass shit like use more than one monster at once…
Isn't it way too unfair when one of them is clearly leading a huge army of over one hundred monsters, but in the system, all the monsters are counted as one body? I mean, what the hell? The monster's name even says shit like "Goblin x 100". Hey, is it one or one hundred monsters? You tell me! If that's legal for you, then I'm gonna bring out all of my strongest monsters under the name "Twelve Zodiac's Guardians", dammit.
… Ah, shit, no. There was a golem in the Twelve Zodiac's Guardians. Lastly are those that fall under the category of everything else. For this, well, it's as it says on the tin. It's anything living that doesn't fall under any of the above three. Like animals and fish and bugs and stuff. It's kind of way too rough, but it wasn't that important in the game, so it just ended up that way.
And it's also true that there's not really much to explain about this. There are some differences in shape and stuff to their earth equivalents, but there's no point in talking about each one individually. In the first place, they're just background elements to liven up the place.
Now then, out of these categories, Fiona is a monster.
Well, I managed to tame her using Monster Tamer skills, so of course, she's a monster, but to be honest, Monster Tamer skills are pretty haphazard, too. To put it bluntly, as long as it shows up as an enemy, even if it looks human… For example, you can even treat vampires and dark elves as "monsters" and tame them. The worst players would exclusively tame bandits and pirates and the like and call themselves "Human Tamers" instead of Monster Tamers.
So, with that in mind, Fiona is very properly a monster. She lacks impact as one, but since she has a really easy indicator in her rainbow-colored wool, she's really easy to identify. She's easy to spot.
I also already know where she is. So the question is, should I go in boldly and bring her back?
I returned the book I just finished to its shelf and looked over at Naruko. She was already into the eighth volume of Ninja Warrior Narukoto and looked completely absorbed.
What the hell? You read way too fast!
"Huh? You're already done?"
"Yeah. We've gotten all We want to. Let's go."
"Go?… where?"
"To the castle that Fiona is in. Guide us, Naruko."
Naruko got up, and the both of us left the library. Our destination was, of course, the nearby castle that Fiona was staying in.
At first, I had wanted to prioritize Juvia, but at the moment, I couldn't think of a way to get into the Nobles district. If I really wanted to get in there were ways to do it, but none of them were peaceful. So instead, it'd probably be more efficient to go stop Fiona first before taking my time to think of other methods.
"Okay. Fiona's castle is right—"
Prodded on by me, Naruko started to tell me where Fiona was. But her words suddenly cut off.
The ground shook, and Naruko collapsed. "W-What the…."
I caught Naruko before immediately releasing her and returning my wings and arms inside my mantle. I was saved by the fact that it happened in an instant, so no one noticed, as well as the fact that everyone had bigger priorities now.
The ground shook intensely. The buildings, which weren't as earthquake-proof as those in Japan, noticeably creaked and groaned, causing people to scream in terror.
An earthquake…? It's pretty strong.
It's a level 4? Maybe 5 on the shindo seismic scale.
"Hm, vertical shaking?"
"You're really calm, aren't you, Big Sis?"
"We are used to earthquakes."
Earthquakes of this level were a daily routine for Japanese people. It didn't seem to be the same for people of this world, however, as they were clearly terrified. They reacted like foreigners who came to play in Japan and just experienced their first earthquake instead.
Seeing that, a sudden doubt crossed my mind.
"Naruko, how often does this country get earthquakes?"
"It rarely happens, if ever."
"… Hm…"
Rarely if ever, huh? So, my doubts remain.
Of course, it's still possible that this was just a rare, natural earthquake. However, I had an inkling of what it could be if that wasn't the case.
Fiona had a skill to cause earthquakes.
No, I should say I was made to remember the possibility.
Like I'd said before, a tamed monster's levels were adjusted so they could never exceed the player's for game balance. (However, it wasn't impossible to forcefully achieve this anyway with stat-boosting items.) So that level adjustment was one thing, but there was actually one more annoying thing: the management of skills.
Players could obtain skills infinitely, but tamed monsters had a limit to how many skills they could have. That was their level/50. That was the number of skills a Tamer's monsters were allowed. And the skills a monster could learn were widely categorized into two types: one a monster learned by leveling up, and one a monster learned through using an item that taught them a skill.
Originally, Fiona was a monster that wasn't suited for combat. In other words, all her battle-oriented skills were given to her by me. That's why I knew better than anyone what Fiona's skills were.
Fiona's theme for her skills is… That's right! "Obstruction" and "Percent Damage."
The solution I came up with to have Fiona have a role even with her low stats was to give her many skills that obstructed the enemy, which didn't rely on stats. And out of those, the one that Fiona always used the most was "Earthquake." It intentionally causes an earthquake in the area and lowers all affected character's AGI stats, and it also has a certain chance to apply stun. It's an ability that's basically there for harassment.
I'm a flugel, so I can fly, which means I'm not affected at all by the skill. Which means it's got extremely good compatibility with me.
"It might just be a chance… However, if it's not, then that means Fiona is here."
"You're most likely right, Big Sis. I can feel the mana being disrupted over there… In the Trade district."
"Where Teuchi is?"
So she can even sense mana being disturbed? I couldn't stop the edges of my mouth from twisting upwards seeing my self proclaimed little sister's sheer versatility before I looked towards the Trade district.
That mercenary man Teuchi should be there. We'd only spent a scant ten or so minutes together, but he was a nice guy. I should probably hurry, then.
"Big Sis, let's hurry and get on the monorail to the Trade district!"
"No, that's too slow. Also, the monorail might be stopped right now."
"Then…?"
"We will be taking a slightly more forceful option."
Right now I can't take off my mantle. However, like this, I can't fly. So what should I do? It's easy. I just need something else to be my wings instead.
"The materials… Yes, that'll do."
I spotted a collapsed building at the edge of my vision. It must have been really weak to earthquakes, since something of that level already caused it to crumble into brittle pieces. I sent my will towards that building and activated my Alchemy.
I do somewhat feel like a thief, but it doesn't seem so bad if I think of it like removing rubble from a construction site.
I completed a simple vehicle that both Naruko and I could ride on. To be more specific, it was just a huge triangular base. By itself, it would be nowhere near a vehicle; that's how cheap it was.
"Get on. We shall fly."
"Um, it looks like we'll fall instead."
"Then grab on to our back."
I quickly got on the thing, and Naruko followed on after me, clinging to my back. Once I'd confirmed that she was safe, I activated my ESP.
Use Psycho Throw on this base! The transformed piece of rubble, with us on top of it, was treated as a single weapon and flung through the air all at once! Now then, please, let us make it…
There existed a single castle.
However, inside the castle it was crowded with monsters with no lord in sight. The throne was left empty, as if it was waiting for someone to return, and it was kept polished.
Beside that castle, a giant sheep sat quietly. Its name was Aries.
Aries was the monster that held the title of "Guardian of the Ram constellation", one of the Twelve Zodiac's Guardians that once served the Black Empress and her country Zodiac.
The sheep was dreaming. A nostalgic dream of the past.
Aries was weak. She was born weak and lived only to be hunted. She was prey and designated so by fate. She was born like that.
Aries was a rainbow sheep. A legendary monster said to be born only once every five thousand years who grew wool that shone with the colors of the rainbow. More precious than any endangered species, a rarity among rarities.
Every strand of wool was equivalent to gold, and it couldn't be beat as an alchemical agent. If woven into clothing it would turn into something heavenly that surpassed any armor and yet remained lighter than cotton, and it was the highest quality catalyst for magic and rituals. Just being able to bring down one head's worth of wool would allow a person and their entire family to live a life of luxury for seven generations.
Rainbow sheep were the definition of a living treasure.
However, in other words, they were just a monster that had wool that glowed in rainbow colors.
No, not even a monster. Just a walking gemstone. Prey that only waited to be hunted.
Rainbow sheep were without any weapons to protect themselves or even the legs to run away from enemies. They didn't even have the means to deceive their surroundings. In fact, with the rainbow glow of their wool, they actually drew attention from their surroundings. From people, grimmfolk, and even their fellow monsters.
A rainbow sheep's surroundings were filled with enemies. All living things were their natural enemies.
That was Aries, a pitiful specimen of prey to be hunted.
If the Goddess Lunaru, who created this world, also intentionally created rainbow sheep, could there be any crueler punishment? Just what meaning did this creature have?
All it could do was fear its enemies, hide, run, and eventually be reaped. Just what kind of meaning did such a life hold? Every day was a dance with death. Not even a moment existed where a rainbow sheep could truly rest.
The rainbow sheep feared its eventual demise and continued to weep.
That was exactly why that meeting was a miracle to her.
Long golden braid hair like those tails of a majestic bird, fluttering in the breeze. A pair of scarlet red eyes that burned. Looks that were perfection personified and pitch-black wings that symbolized god's abandonment.
Aries remembered that meeting even now. There was no way she could forget. Even if she were to be destroyed and her soul reincarnated several times over, she would never forget.
Her salvation, its origin, was all concentrated in that one moment.
"Oh? A rainbow sheep? I'm in luck to find one here."
It was back when her great master was still immature and still referred to herself as "I" instead of "We". However, she was already showing glimpses of her future as a ruler.
Aries, who was running away from everything as usual, met her.
I'll be eaten.
The first thing Aries felt when she saw her was the overwhelming presence of a predator. She couldn't run, and she couldn't win. No matter what, she'd be killed and eaten. That was the future Aries saw.
Compared to her as the Black Empress, Haruka at that moment was, of course, immature, but even so, to Aries she was an unmistakable disaster. She was already too strong for any modern swordsman to even lay a scratch on her.
"What…? You're trembling? You won't fight back or even run… You, do you wish to be killed without doing anything?"
Haruka approached Aries, who neither ran nor put up any resistance. Aries was frustrated.
Why am I so weak?
Why am I so miserable?
The weak had always been eaten by the strong. Unreasonably, the weak would end as simple food. Even now, Aries's legs had given out, and she wasn't able to run. She was only able to wait for death.
This is too sad!… it's just… way too sad…
"… Are you… crying?"
Having been told so, Aries finally noticed the droplets staining her cheeks. She was crying. She pitied herself, scorned herself, and used her voice that wasn't even a voice to scream out the world's absurdity.
But still, the predators never cared.
However, she didn't kill Aries. Instead, she asked the weakling with its head hung low:
"What value do tears have? Is there some sort of self-satisfaction in lamenting how pitiful and unfortunate you are? How laughable—if you're going to lament your fleeting body, then try striking back at your opponent even once. Instead of hanging your head, try lifting your face and glaring murderously. Instead of weeping, use that mouth of yours to bite into your enemy's neck. Instead of grieving over what was taken, steal it back! At the very least, that's how I've always lived. And how I'll keep living."
What right do you have to say that?! Aries thought. She gets to say that because she's strong. She gets to say that because she has the strength to not be stolen from. What right does she have to say that? She can't even understand my pain!
"Now, what will you do? Will you just sit there and be killed by me? Will you try to escape or put up some sort of resistance? If you say that you're a beast lower than some loser mongrel-then fine, I will kill you here and now."
Aries clenched her teeth.
She thought, Idon't want to be killed by someone like this. I don't want to die while being made fun of by this person! Betting her entire existence on not wanting to die like this, she roared from her heart, louder than ever before.
Yeah, that's right! I don't want to die! I don't want to die miserably like this!
Aries, who took back her previously forgotten thirst for life, made her first "attack" ever. Baring her unreliable teeth, which couldn't even be called fangs, Aries bit into Haruka's arm! She was convinced. Surely, she would die right afterwards. She would be killed by this scary one with black wings, angry that she was wounded like this.
However, that prediction never came true. Haruka made no move to attack Aries, who was biting into her arm. Then, in a voice that was strange in how kind it was, she said:
"… That's right. Be like that. So, you can do it if you try." Aries unintentionally loosened her jaw.
She was no longer—No, she didn't have any desire to fight in the first place. Aries just got scared on her own and sensed hostility out of her own imagination. When she realized that, Aries released the girl's arm from her jaws.
"That's the correct choice, sheep. If you're living, roar and bite. No matter if you choose to run or fight, struggle with all your might. Don't become fodder just waiting to be eaten."
That was when Aries finally realized. She was strong but also the same as her. The flugels prized whiteness above all else. There was no way those black wings wouldn't stand out. There was no way she wouldn't be shouldering something unreasonable. Something like unwarranted prejudice or slander. She probably experienced mountains of that, or something similar.
However, she didn't feel ashamed; she didn't pity herself. She struggled with all her might; she fought, and she was still here. She boldly laughed as someone strong and was standing right there.
Ahh, I want to be like that, Aries thought.
Aries shed tears as she cried out, "I want to be like you!" She—her great master—responded:
"Then come with me. I am still immature myself… I don't yet have the power to crush the unfairness of our world between my teeth. So then… Then I'll show you. I will become strong. I will turn into an even bigger tyrant than anyone else and dye this world in my rule."
"Become strong, Aries. Along with me."
Aries grabbed the hand that was offered along with those words.
That was the story of the meeting between Aries the Rainbow Ram and the Black Empress. It was a precious memory that would never fade, no matter how much time passed.
I won't forget. I'll never forget.
No matter what happens, I will not forget. Not this memory.
Aries would absolutely never forget her only savior.