58 Episode 58: The Sky Continent and the Sky Man

"Wow, what is that!?"

Mr. Liliera looks at the sky and gives a surprise.

That too, because it was not the clouds but the islands that were floating in the sky.

It is also a massive island.

"It's an empty island."

"An empty island?

"Yeah, it's an island that floats in the sky, as you can see. Some of them are the same size as continents."

"Flying continent!? How the hell are you flying!?"

Haha, Mr. Liliera has looked at the empty island many times in surprise.

We decided to change the base of our activities, and we decided to explore rare lands around the world.

As its first place, I brought Mr. Liliera to this Skyland.

"The soil and rocks of an empty island contain a substance called gravium that reacts to magic and floats in the universe."

Gravium is only in the matter of empty islands, sensitive enough to react to airborne magic and the magic emitted by nature's creatures, so even deserted islands can fly in this way.

"Hey, what's that!? If there's something like that, you don't have to use magic to fly all you want?

Yes, Mr. Liliera is right.

In the past, many flying magic items were developed when gravium was taken from empty islands and sky continents in order to extract gravium.

However, the development of flight magic eliminated the need for Gravium, and the excessive mining of Gravium put the islands and continents in danger of collapse, so the excavation of Gravium was prohibited.

"No, either magic item or flying magic requires magic, so flying magic that can move freely is more convenient, so the Gravium-based magic item was abandoned a long time ago."

Since the power of gravium extracted from the island becomes almost exclusively human magic, it was decided that the type of flight magic would be easier to control.

"I wonder how you know that, but, well, it's Mr. Rex."

He sighs like he gave up for some reason.

No, no, I think you can find out what's going on around there if you go to the library.

By the way, I may be the one who developed the magic items that work with flying magic and flying magic.

My boss ordered me to make a magic item that didn't have to use gravium to protect an empty island.

"But I don't see the sky continent. I thought it was around here."

"Isn't it somewhere else?

"No, if it's that size, even if it's pretty far away, you'll soon find out."

Even so, all I see are empty islands.

And I was wondering if there were so many empty islands?

And there's a strangely large empty island that I don't recognize.

"Hmm, because of that, why don't you go to an empty island for a second?

"Well, I'd love to see it."

I just agree with you that Mr. Liliera was waiting for you.

"Cu!"

Moffmoff also agrees with interest.

We fly up to the sky with flying magic and fly towards the empty island.

"Beautiful..."

Mr. Liliera, approaching the empty island, leaks his sigh.

From the edge of a large, empty island, a great deal of water flows down, and it looks like a sky waterfall.

Furthermore, the water had fallen to the empty island below, giving it a big bump, and making a small rainbow in the air.

Falls descending from the sky gave us a fantastic sight to enjoy.

"Wow, it's floating in the sky, but it's a proper island"

As Ms Liliera says, trees and grasses grow on empty islands, and springs and rivers are visible.

The water flowing from it was going toward the edge of the island, making sky waterfalls.

"Cu!"

When I saw it, Mohmov was attacking the beast on the empty island and eating it.

Cheng Cheng, you wanted to have dinner and you followed me, right?

"Hey Mr. Rex, is there an empty island on that cloud too?

Seeing the waterfall descending from the clouds above the empty island, Mr. Liliera asks about that.

"I think maybe I am. Because the altitude of an empty island varies depending on the content of gravium and the number of creatures living on the island."

"An island on a cloud..."

Mr. Liliera is staring at the sky above the empty island with her sparkling eyes.

"Oh, there's a town nearby. Let's spend the night there today!

Just when I saw the ground from the sky, I realized there was a town nearby.

"Well, I mean, it's time for me to be hungry too, come on. The magic sucks. You're a little too shabby."

Oops. Mr. Liliera's magic is pinching.

"Shall we go then?"

After our tour of the island, we went back to the ground to find a place to stay.

◆

"Welcome Customer"

The counter clerk greets us well when we come into the inn.

"Would you like two one-person rooms and one more pet?

"Sorry, it's crowded today, so we only have one room for two. And pets don't have to pee or poop."

A room for two.

"I don't mind. I used to have no money, and I used to spend a lot of time in my room with men and women."

Hmm, if Mr. Liliera is good, okay?

"Okay. In a room for two, then. And it's all right because it's still here."

"Cu!"

I raise my hand if Moffmoff has no problem.

"Haha, I don't know what it is, but it's cute. And the room for two is a piece of silver coin a night. 4 copper coins per meal if you want to serve a meal.

"That's pretty expensive."

When I hear of a piece of silver coin, Mr. Liliera frowns.

"Oh? Didn't the customers come to see the skyman descend?

"" The descent of the skyman?

What's that?

"Did you come here without knowing? Hmmm... that would be lucky"

"Lucky?

"This town is protected by the skyman who emerged from the sky."

"" The skyman who emerged from the sky?

Uh, is it some kind of legend?

"Whoa, you don't believe that face, do you? But the skyman is real."

"Uh, what's going on? Or what's a skyman?

Honestly, it's a chimp camp.

"This town was originally a pioneer village that had escaped the war, but was it a landscape or had been attacked by many demons for a long time"

"... eh"

I hear you were attacked by demons, and Mr. Liliera looks bitter.

"Our ancestors resisted desperately and sometimes hired adventurers to defend the village."

The clerk tells us the old story with a familiar narrative.

Maybe we're talking about this every time a customer comes.

"That's how the village developed into a town, and our ancestors built walls to counter demons and set up massive vigilantes. One day like that, a very large, horrible bunch of demons attacked the town. Everyone fought desperately, but the walls were destroyed and the vigilante warriors were defeated one after the other. The country abandoned its ancestors, and the adventurers ran away if they didn't fit in very well."

I feel bitter when I hear that the adventurers have fled.

"No more, the miracle happened when everyone gave up. A glowing spear was unleashed from the sky, and the herd of demons was quickly swept away. And your ancestors, looking up into the sky, saw the winged knights descend from the sky."

"" Knights with feathers!? "

I've never heard of a race like that!

"When the Winged Knights went down to earth, they treated the wounded and drove away the remnants of the demons. They said they were gods and skymen."

"The use of God..."

Isn't that like an angel of myth?

"Besides, the skyman can come down from heaven today."

"" Today!? "

Yeah? Wait a minute!? Isn't that a legend!?

"Are you sure Sky Man is here?"

Mr. Liliera also has her eyes rounded that she can't believe it.

"I'm here. I watch it every year, too."

"Every year!?"

"Yes, our ancestors and the Sky Man made a pact. Instead of making a contribution to the skyman every year, he promises to protect our town."

"Is today the day you send that contribution?

"That's the thing! That's why every inn is so expensive today!

……

When I look at Liliera, Liliera looks at me, too.

"I'll stay"

"Every time!"

◆

"Uh, is this the altar of the ritual?"

"That's a lot of people."

We took the room, and we just headed to the altar of the ritual where the clerk told us that the ritual of the tribute would take place.

At times like this, magic bags that don't need to be left behind are handy.

"Um, this is gonna take a while. Shall we go through the roof?"

"... well, that's the only way."

The clerk also said that if you want to see the ritual, you should hurry, so Liliera agrees to go from above.

"But there's no flying, if you fly here, you'll make a scene in many ways."

"I know."

Yeah, sure, if we fly through the sky on the day that the astronauts come from the sky, they can make a nasty mistake, right?

Well, we don't have wings, so you can't go wrong.

"Yo!"

We jump onto the roof of a nearby house with body strengthening magic to improve our jumping power.

Then we found a ritual altar-like place from the top of the roof, and we ran the roof, leaping between the house and the house towards the altar.

And when I approached the altar, a loud cheer boiled down from the front.

"What!?"

"Mr. Liliera, on the altar!

When we stopped on the roof of the halfway house, we saw over the altar.

"Shh..."

Mr. Liliera leaks his voice unexpectedly.

That was a very majestic sight.

There is a large circular hole between the clouds above, from which the sun's light leaks.

And from that hole, ten wings slowly descended

"There are really feathers growing..."

"Is that the skyman?

"" "" "Ohhhhhhhhh!" ""

As the ten knights, feathering from their backs and wrapped in silver armor, slowly approach the ground, cheer from all over town.

"Can I help you?

What Mr. Liliera wondered would be the large disc in their center.

The skymen formed a circle, each supporting a disc with its inner hand in the circle.

And when the Knights of the Astronauts approached the earth, the voice was heard.

"In accordance with the covenant of heaven, we fulfill our covenant. And according to the covenant of the earth, you give us the testimony of abundance. This is the covenant of heaven and earth!

"Is this, like, loud magic?

I deduce the voice that probably sounded all over town to be caused by magic.

And when the skymen radially put the spear in their hands in the air, the light drifted from the tip of that spear, and the lines of light colored the sky.

"" "" "Ohhhhhhhhh!" ""

The light emitted from the light pouring down from the slices of the clouds looked like a very majestic glow.

"Oh, great heavenly servant! Follow the covenant and receive and pay more than we do!

When the priest and his muffled grandfather raise their voices out loud, the skymen descend to near the altar.

Then the people who climbed the altar lined up their contributions one after the other on the discs of the skymen.

"That's a lot of power."

It is the hands of the skymen that support the disc.

With more and more contributions on that disc, its weight would be considerable.

Though we all have it, it's surprisingly powerful to support it with one hand.

The question of the heavenly man and the priest continues even while the tribute is listed.

"And there's so much food"

The contributions placed on the altar were all groceries such as vegetables, dried meat, and fish.

Although there are other items, there are few hardware items.

"You just said it was proof of abundance, and I wonder if that's what food is about?

"Oh, there could be that"

Hmm, is it like a ritual to give the earth's god the best harvested crop of the year?

Thus, when the question-like conversation between the skyman and the priest ended, they also finished putting up their contributions, and the skymen went up to the sky again.

Yeah, Cheng Cheng, the question now is, how are you going to perform until you finish putting your contributions on the list?

And when the heavenly man who rose to the sky put up his spear again, he emitted the light of earlier, this time slowly spinning and ascending to the sky.

Once again there was cheer from all over town, and the voice continued until the figure of the sky men disappeared on the clouds.

◆

"Nevertheless, there was no such thing as an astronaut."

Yeah, I was surprised by that, too.

Once a hero, I met most people.

That was varied by being allies or enemies, but still it's the first time I've met a species called the Sky Man.

Besides, I've only seen about a demon race with feathers growing from their backs.

Well, I've seen feathered demons that resemble humans, because they can't have a conversation.

"The use of God on the side of man. It's like a myth."

"Hey."

I mean, if such a presence exists, why didn't you help me in the battle against demons in my previous life?

I feel the question is bigger as to why than it is awesome.

Um, I'm curious.

Skyman, who the hell are you?

That question fills my head. I come to one conclusion.

"... All right, let's go to the land of the astronauts!

Yes, until you find out if you were wondering.

Previous masters also told me to storm whether that was female water or not if I wanted to know, peeking into female water and getting half-killed eyes.

... Yeah, with no memory of it now.

Anyway, if you were interested in the unknown, it's only natural to investigate the habitat in order to examine its ecology.

"Huh? Are you okay?!? They must be using you from the sacred sky!?"

Liliera gives a shock to my suggestion.

"That's why. Honestly, I don't know I exist in the sky. Besides, I'm also concerned that I don't see a sky continent. If they'd lived in the sky for a long time, I'm sure they'd know about it."

"Well, maybe..."

"And don't you really care about the country further above the empty island?

When I ask her that question, Liliera puts her arms together and thinks, um...

And what a hard look to say I said this.

"Well, that doesn't bother me."

"Right!

Yes, we are adventurers.

A profession that puts its life at risk to earn a dime and dangerously jumps in to see the unknown!

If there's such a sight in front of us that we've never seen before, there's no reason not to get up!

Finally, let's also ask why you didn't cooperate in the battle of demons in your previous life!

"Then tomorrow we go to the kingdom of the astronauts!

"Oh...!

"Cu!"

◆

"That's pretty chilly."

We fly to the sky for the kingdom of the skyman.

The aim is on the waterfall that comes down from above the clouds.

"It's time to get closer to the clouds. Once inside, you will go up as you circle the clouds as you risk hitting below the empty island"

"Okay."

We rise, being careful not to enter the clouds.

"Clouds interrupt. We're up there."

We jumped over the clouds and reached over the clouds.

"Awesome..."

Mr. Liliera complains about the sight of the cloud sea from above.

Further above the sky, there is only the blue sky and the sunlight illuminates.

And under sight, a sea of white clouds on one side.

And some of them...

"There it is. It's an empty island. That's huge too!

The sky islands that were in the clouds were among the sky islands we have seen before.

Not as big as a continent, but still, isn't it about the size of a small country?

"The earth is really spreading even though it's on the sky. It's not the same as an empty island packed all over a small island."

As Ms Liliera put it, this empty island looked like it had cut off a sight on the ground and floated on a cloud.

Should I say it's fantastic but not fantastic?

"Now let's go"

"Yeah, yeah."

Taking Liliera's hand, confused by the sight of the empty island, we began to fly towards the centre of the empty island.

◆

"I've never seen an animal before."

Mr. Liliera gives a voice to Daw Aung Kyung when she sees the animals on the empty island.

"That's a ball rabbit, isn't it? As you can see, it's a round rabbit, like a ball, and instead of running, it jumps and moves."

"Cucumber!?"

Moffmoff's excited about something, but that's not your relative.

Because it does look moffy, but it's obviously not ecological like you.

Mr. Liliera is obsessed with empty island animals, so I'll observe the surroundings instead.

And after flying for a while, I discovered something that was clearly not a natural thing.

"Ah, look. You can see the village over there, right?

I discover a village on an empty island that is an artifact.

"It's true. It's a village... a village?

"What's up?

"No, you're more heavenly than the people on earth, aren't you?

"Apparently."

I think it's actually amazing because the people downstairs said so.

"But why the village? And I don't even look so amazing when I see it."

"Indeed."

It's really a village, if you ask me.

It usually feels like an earthly village.

"Maybe not if I saw it nearby, and why don't we just go?

"Right."

We fly to the Sky Man village.

"I tried to get close, but it's usually a village"

"It's a village."

It's a normal house to see.

If it's strong enough to make a difference, do you mean there's no fence in the Sky Man village?

I think this is probably because, unlike the ground, there are no werewolves.

"Would you like to come down for now"

We descend into the Sky Man village.

There are no fences or gates in the village, so there will be no need to go down outside once.

Then on earth, or from the village of the astronauts, you hear the blurring.

Looks like the villagers are pointing this way and making some noise.

"Is that it?"

The sight made me uncomfortable. [M]

"What's going on?

"No, that's an astronaut village, and they don't all have wings."

"Huh?"

Yes, the skymen didn't have wings on their backs like the skymen they saw on Earth.

What do you mean?

"Really. I don't have wings."

Um, I don't know why, but let's just try to be friendly at first.

When I landed in the village, I smiled and greeted the villagers.

"Hello, skinheads"

Then the villagers round their eyes and harden.

"Is that it? What's up, guys?

"" "" "To, man came down from the sky without wings - whoa!?" ""

That? Why are you surprised?

I mean, you all don't have wings, do you?