Kays Translations

Prologue

This is a story from a long time ago...

A young girl looked up at the face of the man who held her in his arms.

She hesitated, unsure of what to do if he noticed her staring. Despite her inner conflict, she couldn't help but continue watching him, the one who had taken her out into the outside world.

Suddenly, the man spoke.

"Let's take a break."

"Yes."

Her dress gently touched the ground as she descended. The warmth of his body, which had supported her until now, began to fade away. It felt lonely to her now.

"...It's strange."

Realizing that she mourned such a simple thing, the girl, who was known as the Eclipse Princess, smiled.

She looks out over a vast forest as far as the eye can see from the top of a large rock, said to be a remnant of the mountain.

Unlike the small window she had during her confinement, she is astonished by how expansive the world is.

There are no walls closing in even when she spreads her arms wide; it is simply the embrace of nature, reminding her of how small she truly is.

"So, this is the forest? 』

She asked the man who stood a few steps away.

For the girl, plants were something she couldn't see up close. If they were nearby, they would quickly be consumed by corruption, so she had never seen so many trees before.

She had been imprisoned since she was able to comprehend things, so she had only occasionally seen the green of the grass.

The man looked at the Eclipse Princess and replied,

"Yes. By the way, this area is called the Forest Sea. Once you pass through here, you'll see the real sea, the Elfen Great Sea."

"The sea... I've read about it in books. It's like a huge water puddle that no matter how many bathtubs you connect, it's not enough, right?"

"A water puddle... It might be something similar."

The man, who had brought the Princess this far, smiled wryly and nodded without denying it.

Looking into the depths of the vast forest and contemplating the existence of the sea, he said to her,

"Anyway, we have to think about what comes next."

"What comes next? I'll be by your side, but what else is there?"

"Of course. How we will live from now on... things like that. Do you have any hopes? Honestly, I didn't think of anything else when I brought you here.

The man said it without any remorse, and the Princess, her voice lacking some strength, replied.

"...It was a... thoughtless plan. And what about you? How did you end up like this, trying to escape from the people who were after me?"

"Oh, well, I was just thinking about bringing you with me."

"...Only about me?"

"Yes. Until recently, all I thought about was collecting the three treasures and requesting the creation of magic tools and medicines from Milim Altia."

The fact that the Eclipse Princess was his top priority didn't sound bad to her, and she turned her back to him, concealing her slightly flushed cheeks.

She pretended to calmly gaze into the distance, her dress swaying in the pleasant breeze.

"Where would you like to live from now on?"

"Somewhere bright and quiet... maybe. I've had enough of dark places."

Preferring a quiet place was her personal preference.

The man deeply nodded in agreement, and they walked side by side.

The Princess turned her face away once again to prevent him from seeing her profile. But she soon realized that her resistance was futile.

"You may be hiding it, but I can still see that you're blushing."

"Wha--?!"

Startled, the Princess hastily turns to face the man. With a flushed face, she points out to him, wearing an unusually flustered and dissatisfied yet adorable expression.

"Even if you know, it's common courtesy not to mention it, you know?!"

"I'm sorry. I couldn't help it because I was happy."

The man laughs and lifts up the Princess. The suddenness of it makes the young girl exclaim with a cute voice, looking up at him.

"What's gotten into you all of a sudden?"

Continuing to conceal her embarrassment from earlier, she slightly purses her lips.

"We've settled things for the future, so let's go shopping right away. We've already enjoyed our stay in the forest long enough."

"Understood. So, we're going to live in the place we're going to from now on?"

"No, it's just for shopping. The place we're going to now is quite urban, so it won't be very quiet... Plus, it would be troublesome if pursuers showed up, and there should be pursuers accompanying them. Let's keep our stay there to a few days."

The man kicks off from the large rock and swiftly moves forward.

Without being surprised by the strong headwind, the Princess entrusts herself to the acceleration without fear.

Since their voices are difficult to hear over the sound of rushing wind, the two speak slightly louder.

"I don't have any money, you know!"

First, she voices her adorable concern.

"I have it, so it's fine!"

"...Is that okay?"

"I brought you along, so it's only natural! Also, let me tell you in advance, I have plans to meet someone who's kind of a friend there!"

"Okay! Got it! So, where are we going from here?"

The man responds to her question.

『It's a very large and beautiful port town! 』

This was a time in the world when the Demon Lord was still alive, and the Seven Heroes were still on their journey.

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