Chapter 20: Island of Messenger (part two)

There were five leather bags in front of me and the Black Dragon Tirnanog.   The size of each one was the trunk size for overseas travel. They were sturdy and durable bags that were reinforced with metal. Contents were clothing, shoes, with particular attention to necessities and lots of wands.   “I thought about using goods that could make me win even if I rematched with you as a guide.” 『Is it about the extent that you can win against me without that boy?』   I remembered the last incident in the Ruins of Visitor. About the Harvan siblings, coping with the traps of the labyrinth, fighting against Zaratan. That time was a complete mess.   Alchemists couldn’t deal with troubles after they already happened. It was in the theory of alchemist that we should be thoroughly prepared before striking.   Even so, situations occurred unpredictably. If there was no Edward-oniisama’s Wunderkammer or the simple base camp, what would happen to us?   My father, Duke of Aurelia, gave me equipment and magic as a caution for assassination and abduction when traveling for the Advent Festival. However, what I wanted was a convenient magic that could turn everything around and deal a death blow in the event of emergency.   Of course, I didn’t want to get caught up in a predicament if I could. Although I didn’t want to get involved, it was always a nuisance if it jumped me from the other side even if I avoided it. It would be too late if something had already happened. Therefore, preparation as much as possible was necessary.   “Thinking that way, after trying hard and packing all the wands I thought I would need, I can’t move the bags even if I push or pull them……and I thought that it was already heavy when it was empty.” 『There is nothing impossible. If you want to fight alone, there is no such thing as too many wands.』 “I wonder if you could hold the bags for me?” 『Leave it to me, my friend. Such things, for me they are as light as feathers.』   As soon as he said it, Tirnanog lifted the large bag with one hand.   He was formerly a huge monster. Even if he was getting smaller, he was strong enough to do the impossible. It would be a great help if he carried my baggage. It would be alright if I only brought clothes, but since I got supplies for adventure, it would be impossible to ask the maids.   『Umu, umu. There is no problem with any number if it was only up to this level.』   Tirnanog stacked three leather-covered bags and lifted them lightly.   “How many do you think you can carry? Are you alright? Is it impossible?” 『Hahahaha, are you mocking me?』   Hmm, the small Black Dragon Tirnanog who was sticking out his chest was very adorable.   “That’s not what I mean, you have just revived in this world, so don’t push yourself.” 『Ha! Hilarious! Nothing is impossible, just up to this extent is not even enough for a warm up. My friend. I was supposed to be a big boat.』   Right now, Tirnanog was in his birth size, but when he grew he would become 5 kilometers long. If I took into consideration that he was a small island much less a big boat, there was no sense of stability.   Before I knew it, Tirnanog was walking with five large travel bags on his head. He seemed to be healthy.   『Hahahahahahaha! Light, light!』 “It’s okay to carry them lightly, but be careful not to drop them, okay?” 『I know!』   The preparation was complete.   Even so, the wands, books, and other items crammed in my bags were the things of Edward-oniisama. If possible I didn’t want to use them. No matter how much money I had to return to my older brother, if I used too much, it wouldn’t be enough.     ☆     My father and I, and also the servants, were lining up in front of the Spring Palace’s transfer gate. The destination was a small city a distance away from the 〈Island of Messenger〉 which was the Kingdom of Ignitia. For national defense reasons, except for emergencies, the transfer gates to go directly to Kingdom of Ignitia were closed. Therefore, from this small city to the Island of Messenger, it would be a horse-drawn carriage journey for a while.   This city which was visited as a relay point was crowded with people because of the Advent Festival. Angel statues with swords and eggs were set around the city, both of which were decorated with plenty of flowers.   It seemed that the Advent of the Founder King of Ignitia had been done independently by Harvan and Lucanrant by fusing it with early summer festival.   A slave warrior who was born in the northern region of Karkinos1 continent was found by an angel. The slave warrior drove away the vampires, who had dominated Ichthyes at that time, by the power to manipulate dragons given by the angel, and was enthroned as the Founder King of Ignitia. The Founder King of Ignitia was also called as the Invasion King of Ignitia by the outsiders.   The boy was born on that continent but he became one of the heroes that everyone knew. The angel at that time became the protagonist in this Advent and their angel figure models were decorated with flowers.   Since Ignitia had such origin, there were two areas which were publicly called as Ignitia.   One was the Ignitia’s royal family which occupied the southern region of Ichthyes continent. The other was on the opposite side of the Ichthyes continent, across the Island of Messenger – the peninsula in the northwest of the southern continent, Karkinos, where the former Ignitia’s territory based.   Generally speaking, Ignitia referred to the royal territory of Ignitia and Ignitia’s aristocracy around it.   The Island of Messenger was also the royal territory of Ignitia.   The carriage that carried the party from Aurelia gradually moved towards the coastlands. We turned around the highway along the cape, and when the tall buildings of the city were cut off, the scenery was unfolded at once.   On one side, the cerulean blue sea was spread out. The high-transparency deep-sea ocean was shining brightly, illuminated by the strong light of the southern country’s sun. Unlike Aurelia’s cold sea breeze, hot and humid air stroked my hair.   A pure white castle was built on such a beautiful sea.   If I looked closely, it was both an island and a city. It was unified with stone buildings whose streets were whitish, and consistent designs were adopted for tall buildings like the royal castle, the cathedral, and the walls. It was in harmony with the whole island and the royal castle towering at the center of the city, so the island itself was a castle.   And, around the castle, many black shadows with wings were flying around. Perhaps, those were dragons, not birds?   『Ooh……this is the Island of Messenger, huh. It is quite scenic.』 “Amazing. It looks like a castle is growing from the ocean.”   It was a beautiful island as I was told. It was said that to be the best view of the royal family.   A single street was drawn in the sea. From the distance, it looked like a thin bridge. But as we approached, it turned out to be surprisingly a wide and robust stone construct. I guessed it was about 10 meters in width.   The surface of the bridge was slightly moist, and some barnacles and other things were growing everywhere. It seemed that this bridge would submerge about 20 centimeters when the sea was fully at high tide. Our horse-drawn carriage went forward to the bridge which was submerged in the sea a few hours ago.   There were statues of huge dragons on the gate of the Island of Messenger. The dragon on the right side was made of marble and the dragon on the left side was made of bronze polished to golden color. They were the statues of the dragons of the Founder King of Ignitia, the White Dragon Urthona and the Golden Dragon Tharmas.2   From above the statue of Urthona, two dragons as big as horses flew off. On the back of those girls – the gender of those dragons were unknown, but I called them with female pronouns for convenience sake – were the Ignitia’s dragon knights in red military uniform.   To the visitors from each country including Aurelia, the two dragon knights waved their hands. The dragon knights rose so high that their appearances disappeared with the sunlight and then fell steeply towards the surface of the sea. The two dragons shifted to level flight with the sea level, their hind legs came in contact with the water. When the two dragons were going to flew overhead again, their hind legs kicked the water and splashed water drops in the air.   “Wow! Rainbow!”   There was a slight rainbow on the trajectory where the two dragons flew in an arch shape. It was a unique welcome of Ignitia, the Country of the Dragon Knnights. People from various countries who visited for the Advent Festival cheered and waved to the dragon knights.   『Are those the dragons of the South? They are small.』 “Is that so? They seem to be about 20 meters in size.” 『Only to that degree? They have a long way to go.』   Maybe from the sense of a 5 kilometers creature, they were small. However, the dragons who flew freely in the sky were quite a sight.   This was the first time I saw a common dragon in this world. The Black Dragon Zaratan was an artificial dragon created by ancient alchemists, so he was quite different from the orthodox dragons in this world.   Such things like Ignitia’s dragons and their offsprings were imported creatures from the southern continent Karkinos. A body line like a dinosaur. Thin forepaws and hind legs that were supple and strong. There were no twisted horns like a ram, but they possessed diverse horns for each kind. They understood human language, but they couldn’t talk. In addition to that, the flight type had a large pair of wings resembling those of a bat.   Among the monsters with limited magical power that couldn’t be classified as ordinary animals, those whose ecology had been elucidated to some extent and those that could be raised as livestock were called magical beasts. Such things like Ignitia’s dragons, griffins used as mounts by Kalkinos’ sky cavalries, and cockatrice used for the core material of Wand of Hold, were classified as magical beasts.   Beyond the classification of magical beast, monsters that were stronger and harder to elucidate were called phantom beasts. They could understand and speak human speech. They could manipulate systematized magic rather than a single magic ability. Anyway, their abilities as individuals were excellent. There were only few sightings and encounters, and those were only from folklores and not the living ones. There were various theories about the boundary of magical beasts and phantom beasts, but in many cases, things that corresponded to one or more of these were eidolons.   Although dragons understood human language, they couldn’t talk so they were classified as magical beasts. The unicorns which were said to inhabit the Harvan’s forest were treated as phantom beasts, because while their bones and horns were circulating, there were only few encounters with living individuals. Extraordinarily strong, classification impossible, and in addition had the ability to speak human language, Zaratan – Tirnanog was classified as a phantom beast.   And, those magical beasts and phantom beasts together, we called them as monstrorum3. Ooh, finally it led to the official title.     “Uwah~~……, spectacular!”   When entering the gate of the Island of Messenger, the number of dragons dancing in the sky was further increased.   With red, blue, green flags of various colors in hand, the dragon knights flew over the city. As the dragon knights with blue flags were doing looping-the-loop simultaneously, the dragon knights with red flags were turning in an inverted flight. When the dragon knights were spreading out, a large 20-meters-long dragon appeared and spewed a blaze of flames. People were clapping and cheering in response to the blazing flowers blooming in the air.   Was it like an air show, as it was called in my previous world? While it was to make the eyes of the visitors who came for the advent of spring festival happy, it was also an event to display their military power. It was said that Ignitia had roughly a hundred dragon knights who had the ability to ride on flying dragons.   Of course, not only the dragons but the city was also beautiful, I felt a unique exotic feeling.   Walls and pillars made of white beautiful crystalline limestones that could be collected abundantly in the South. Ventilated buildings. Decorations for the Advent were adorned everywhere. Such things like red banners with Ignitia’s coat of arms painted on them, and then statues of angel decorated with flowers, and handmade angel dolls.   People were wearing flower ornaments everywhere in an open and fun style of clothing. Somehow, it felt like Greece or Italy. Foods sold in such places like stalls and cities were also Mediterranean region-style delicious-looking foods.   When our horse-drawn carriage was moving along the street leading to the castle, I saw variety of magical beasts. A lizard of a size similar to a cattle-size Triceratops was pulling a cart. People who were likely to have money had salamanders on their shoulders. While there were magical beasts originated from Ichthyes continent, there were also magical beasts originated from the continent of Karkinos.   Ignitia was not limited to dragons, it was the home of monsters. The humans in this country, even the townspeople who were not dragon knights, could handle magical beasts. They seemed to be the owners of a gentle telepathic ability.   While doing so, the horse-drawn carriage came through the gate of the royal castle. Here, my father and I would get off the carriage and face the people of Ignitia’s royal family. Our servants went to the separate residence of Duke of Aurelia for the duration of our stay in the capital that had been prepared ahead of time and prepared various of things. I felt sorry, but Tirnanog was waiting in the carriage while pretending to be a golem.   Now, although I was beginning to feel like sightseeing, I had to put my energy back in. From now on, I would meet the problematic Prince Auguste.   The goal this time was ‘Do not ridicule Prince Auguste.’   The thing to watch out for was the special event of the Advent Festival, the time of the tournament with a dragon. It was a fancy event that seemed to be the taste of the townspeople, a jousting match using dragons that flew in the sky. I had to be careful not to murmur things that were likely to be misunderstood when I was carelessly getting excited by the rarity of the 10-years-old Prince Auguste.   I took out my hand mirror and made a final check of my appearance. Yosh, there should not be any discourtesy. I also fixed my trademark vertical roll smartly.   “Erica, are you ready?” “Yes! Otou-sama. I’m ready anytime.”   Sorry, audience. I should go and check the face of Prince Auguste when he was a 10-years-old that I couldn’t see in the original game.

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1 Karkinos: means Cancer in Greek. If you haven’t notice, all the continents in this story were named after the ecliptic constellations (in Greek). Just as a reminder, the continent where our protagonist lives, Ichthyes, means Pisces in Greek. The author said that the continents look like their namesake. So Ichthyes looks like 2 fishes, a big one and a small one (Island of Messenger). And Karkinos looks like a crab, the peninsula mentioned here is the claw, and it looks like it’s trying to catch Ichthyes with its claw. 2 Urthona and Tharmas are two of the four Zoas when Albion divided into four in the mythological writings of William Blake. Urthona is the Zoa of inspiration and creativity, while Tharmas is the Zoa of sensation. Incidentally, Albion founded a country on an island and ruled there. 3 So, this is the big edit. I have been translating the title of the original game as Liber Monstrum, but I was wrong, it supposed to be Liber Monstrorum or Book of Monsters. It is referring to a late seventh-or early eighth-century Anglo-Latin catalogue of marvellous creatures.Oh but actually, on this sentence it said ‘monstro’ but in English that means ‘show’ and since Erica said that it get back to the official title, it will be inconsistent if I put it as ‘monstro’ so I just wrote it as ‘monstrorum’ like the title.

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