Magic Gems Gourmet

Chapter 307

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ED: LonelyMatter

Chapter 307 – A Story That Continues To This Day

The Ishtar Islands. Once a single, colossal island, it was practically a continent now.

Only one other sizable continent lay nearby, and the rest of the region was dotted with small islands.

She had already released the water dragons she had brought along and granted them freedom.

In the center of the colossal island was an ancient ruin.

After completing an exploration she couldn’t count how many times she’d done, she stepped outside.

“Mama?”

“What about today’s work?”

“Finished. I’m starting to wonder if I should just live here already.”

As she entered the hut built outside the ruins, the elemental sisters greeted her.

The girl sighed. She lay the dirty cloth she had been carrying on the bed.

“What’s that?”

“I found it outside. It was a dying undead, but strangely, we just stared at each other for a while. It looked like a woman. Well, I suppose I was just being soft.”

A pale blue mist could be seen through the gaps in the cloth. Like small snores, its presence caused the cloth to rise and fall.

The girl held out her hand and moved it gently from left to right. Grains of light rained down from the sky.

“This should do it.”

But she was exhausted from the search.

She spoke little with the elemental sisters, ate a light meal, and then collapsed beside the dying undead.

Countless years passed—too many to bother counting—and the girl sat on a plain a short distance from the ruins.

Beside her stood the undead creature she had found long ago, now transformed. It appeared as a small girl, about ten years old. She looked human except for her translucent lower body.

“Listen, Sylvia. Monsters with large amounts of magic always have a weak point. One is horns, another is fangs, and yet another is magic stones. But for a monster like you, the weak point is the eyes.”

“So I should aim for the eyes?”

“Yes, but monsters possessing the factor for demon king transformation are troublesome. They have a special talent, and to destroy it, you must destroy the core itself.”

“What is the demon king transformation?”

“It occurs occasionally. Think of it as a kind of mutation.”

Finishing her sentence, the girl yawned widely and lay down.

The warm spring sunlight soothed the fatigue from their unlucky search earlier that day.

Then, Sylvia sat down beside her.

The breeze across the plain felt pleasant, and Sylvia nodded off, her head swaying slowly.

“Hmph… You’re still just a child, you know.”

Sylvia’s eyes snapped open in surprise. She sulked, but the girl laughed heartily and stroked her head.

“Wh-what?! I’m an adult now!”

“Don’t put on airs. There were children like you in my homeland, Likua.”

“Li… Likua? What’s that?”

“It’s an ancient word used by our ancestors long before I was born. It means family.”

The girl imparted much knowledge to Sylvia, whose eyes sparkled, as if teaching a lesson.

But even such days must come to an end.

The girl parted ways with Sylvia once she had grown strong enough to stand on her own. Finally, she gave Sylvia the black robe she had brought to the island as a farewell gift.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

“Guys, I’ve decided to live here for a while.”

She pointed toward the ruins they’d been exploring.

The elemental sisters floated in the air, waving one hand energetically.

“Got it!”

“Mama, how long will you live here?”

“Well, now. It might be a year, a hundred years, or even longer. With the power at the deepest core, there is some extent of access to the outside world.”

“Hmm… So we’ll be in the elf forest we found earlier?”

“That’s fine.”

Although it seemed like a long farewell, they ended it with such light words because of their different senses of time.

For beings with a long lifespan—no, beings who never quite used up their entire lifespan—a few hundred years didn’t feel particularly long.

The girl set off, carrying only a small amount of luggage.

Just before stepping into the ruins, she remembered something she hadn’t done.

“Wait, maybe I should check things out before we go in.”

“Huh?”

“Huh?”

Her destination was a place she had visited before during her travels, outside of exploring the ruins. She knew there was a country there that she’d discovered by chance, where Sylvia, whom she’d looked after, lived.

She set off, thinking only of helping Sylvia if she was in trouble or of seeing her one last time.

“The country Sylvia built with her loved ones. What was it called again?”

“Hmmm, I don’t know! Big Sis should know!”

“I know! It was definitely Ishtalika!”

“…Hmmm, not a bad name.”

She smiled, understanding the meaning behind “Likua,” likely the reason for the name.

The place she remembered was a little over a day’s walk from the ruins. Taking detours along the way, the girl walked through forests and mountains with the elementals, humming to herself.

“Hey, hey! Aren’t you going to the big island over there anymore?”

“Hm. I’ve already finished investigating those ruins. Besides, they might be connected to these ruins. Eventually, I’ll be able to move about freely.”

“Wow, that’s amazing!”

“Yes! I don’t really understand, but it’s incredible!”

“You two haven’t changed a bit. Well, it seems we’ve arrived.”

There was a bustle beyond her imagination.

There were monsters capable of self-restraint who maintained coexistence with those around them. The place, mostly inhabited by humanoid monsters, was far more developed than the girl had imagined.

Not only were there stone houses, but they also seemed to possess sculpting techniques. They had developed into a surprisingly advanced civilization.

There were no castle walls, just a main street that connected directly to the castle deep within.

Gazing at the castle from the nearby forest, the girl sensed Sylvia’s magic within it.

“—Hmm. They seem to be living quite happily, unexpectedly.”

Realizing that they were standing on their own and doing splendidly, a soft smile suddenly appeared on the girl’s face. The elementals fell silent, too, watching as the girl gazed happily at the castle.

She must have watched for several minutes, perhaps even half an hour. Suddenly, she turned and stepped into the forest.

“I suppose I should head back.”

Rustle. The sound of dry leaves crunching underfoot.

After walking a short distance, a narrow river came into view, and the girl noticed a boy fishing alone by the riverbank.

There he was, fishing alone by the riverbank.

“…Huh? Someone unfamiliar.”

The boy set down his wooden fishing rod and approached the girl.

“Are you a new resident?”

“No, not really. Just passing through. But you’re from over there, aren’t you?”

“Yeah. My parents are Arche-san—um, the king’s aides, I think. Or something like that. They’re family, and they help out. I help out, too.”

He had deep brown hair and looked about ten years old, but he spoke politely and pleasantly.

A smile graced his cool-looking face as he answered the girl, approaching her with an open demeanor.

“Then I wish to ask you something. Do you know a woman named Sylvia?”

“Of course I do. She’s my mother.”

“…Is she doing well?”

“Hmmm… I often see her scolding Arche-san or bossing my father around, so I’d say she’s doing fine. But why ask about my mother?”

“I traveled with her a long time ago, and I’ve been curious ever since. Hearing that she’s well from her son puts my mind at ease.”

Ah, I see. Seeing the boy nod, the girl began walking.

Startled by her sudden movement, the boy murmured, “Ah…”

“Your name is—”

“When I abandoned my homeland… Likua, I abandoned my name too. I haven’t used one since.”

The girl’s eyes widened at the boy’s reply.

“You mean you’re a god? Mother said ‘Likua’ was a word the gods used!”

“Wh-what… that fool! What was she thinking!?”

She had only told her that it was a word used by her great ancestors.

The young girl had misunderstood, never imagining that she would actually believe it meant “god.”

The girl turned around in a panic.

“Huh? So you’re a god, too?”

This was not a good turn of events.

It felt wrong to deny everything to the boy outright, and Sylvia’s mistake was ultimately her own doing.

The girl finally took a deep breath and answered.

“Hmmm, hmmm… Keep this a secret from everyone: That you met a god and that I am that god.”

“Understood. Then I’ll forget about today!”

“Good boy. All right, then. Let’s meet again when you’ve grown up a bit more. If you’ve kept your promise, I’ll grant you one wish.”

The girl was generous because she liked him.

Just as she’d stroked Sylvia’s hair, she ruffled the boy’s hair and turned back once more.

A girl’s voice drifted through the trees.

“Mark? Where are you? Geez!”

“Ah, sorry. My childhood friend, Raviola, is calling me—”

“Be careful on your way back.”

As Mark ran off, she gently placed her hand on his back.

She gave him some of her magic power, then nodded to herself. She’d come back to see his face again soon.

The elementals, who had been hiding until now, opened their mouths.

“Is Mama a god?”

“Awesome! You’re a goddess!”

“Actually, I wouldn’t lose to just any ordinary deity. Now, let’s go home, you two!”

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

Several centuries later…

To fulfill her promise to Mark, the girl entered into a contract with a man and a woman.

It was deep within the ruins where she lived.

“Lyle-sama—no, stay back!”

“Impossible. We came this far together. I have no intention of fleeing and leaving Celes alone!”

The two who happened upon her were the greatest fortune she could have wished for.

“…How brave of you. Now then, would you two care to make a deal with me? In exchange, I will grant one of your wishes.”

The man and woman were taken aback.

The girl laughed as she approached them with light steps and called out.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

What stories unfolded in the past? What tales had been told? It was difficult for Ain to know, as no one close to him had the answers.

Waking up in the castle felt so natural and refreshing that waking up in Strohm felt jarring by comparison.

He downed the glass of water placed beside the bed.

He threw a cloak over his sleepwear and headed toward the living room.

“Ah, Ain-sama. Good morning.”

“Chris-san? What’s wrong—Oh, I see.”

His waking time was much the same as usual.

Chris was waiting in the living room with Ain’s breakfast prepared, though she was also in civilian clothes. She seemed to have already eaten because only his portion was set out.

“Thanks. I’ll dig right in.”

Krone had left the castle with Olivia early that morning.

Chris mentioned that she had official duties in the capital.

As Ain sat down on the sofa, Chris took a seat in front of him.

“Oh, you’re wearing your hair straight today.”

Ain remarked, looking at her hairstyle.

“Y-yes… What do you think?”

“You look good with your hair tied up, too, but I like this hairstyle best.”

“H-huh—I’m glad to hear that!”

She flashed Ain a bright smile.

But how long could she be satisfied with something like this? As she hesitated, a certain trigger appeared.

“Huh?”

Several strands of young grass-green vines appeared from her clasped hands, which were tilted in delight.

The vines stretched across the floor straight toward Ain’s feet and wrapped around him as if seeking affection.

Huh? Huh? A bead of sweat formed on Ain’s forehead as he smiled and squinted his eyes.

He gently set down the cup he had been holding.

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