Atop a Tree That Reaches the Clouds (2)

"Speaking of which, Forestfolk-sama, what are you going to Fusang for? They're all people looking to make a name for themselves as warriors."

During the voyage, the captain suddenly asked me.

Apparently, he'd decided to keep me under observation for the duration of the voyage.

I had heard that this was a trading ship, and that carrying people was merely something it did alongside transporting goods, so I couldn't help thinking he was going to unnecessary trouble for my sake.

Perhaps I'd gotten a little too excited because it was my first time traveling by sea.

If the people who had arranged the ship hadn't been Ryusui Teikun, Chouja Kou, and the other highest-ranking powers of the Yellow Ancient Empire, I might have been punched once or twice.

Ah, I probably ought to reflect on that a little.

Thinking back on the captain's words, there had indeed been several passengers besides me, but every one of them had a sharp, dangerous air about them.

Perhaps they were wandering martial artists who prided themselves on their strength, or battle-hardened mercenaries.

In either case, they were probably headed to Fusang to make a living through their martial prowess.

But my purpose was different from theirs.

"Unfortunately, I'm just here sightseeing. I heard there's a huge tree, so I figured I'd take a look for my own education."

When I answered, the captain looked taken aback, but quickly nodded as if convinced.

In this world, there probably weren't many eccentrics willing to take a ship just to see a great tree.

But perhaps the captain figured that, if I was an elf—ah, no, a Forestfolk who lived alongside trees, such a thing might be possible.

Surely he hadn't accepted it simply because he'd reaffirmed that I was a peculiar person.

Well, in truth, I wasn't lying when I said I had no intention of fighting and wanted to see the tree—the Fusang Tree.

Of course, that was only for now, but I had no grudge against demonkind—or rather, against the oni, their descendants.

Even if the ancient High Elves had considered demonkind dangerous and tried to exterminate them, I didn't think there was any particular need for me, living in the present, to inherit that way of thinking.

Besides, the oni living in Fusang weren't demons, but merely their descendants.

The difference was enormous.

Demonkind were those who sought immortality, and if becoming demonkind had allowed them to achieve it, they should have had no need for descendants.

Just as True Dragons are not beings that reproduce to increase their numbers.

High Elves are somewhat different: only our souls are immortal, while our bodies eventually perish.

I didn't know whether any demonkind had ever truly achieved immortality, but at the very least, the demonkind sheltered by the giant above the clouds must all have been beings who would perish unless they left descendants.

In that case, even from the standpoint of my position as a High Elf, it seemed there was no reason to regard their descendants as enemies.

Whether one considers oni people or monsters is another question, but I don't particularly want to kill either people or monsters for no reason.

Of course, I had no idea what the oni would think upon seeing me.

Fusang was a beautifully curved, crescent-shaped island.

Since its shape seemed to cradle things arriving from the continent, it had apparently once been called the Island of the Cup.

Now, the oni ruled the northern half, while humans, winged folk, merfolk, and several other races had banded together in a single nation and made the southern half their sphere of influence.

This ship was headed for Kaiyo Port, a trading port at the southern tip of the crescent.

It was the sole port through which people could enter or leave Fusang.

The voyage from Azure Sea Province to Kaiyo Port in Fusang took roughly a week.

But a ship's speed could vary greatly depending on the wind and currents, so one week was merely a rough estimate.

And naturally, the ship I'd boarded was blessed with both, so the voyage ended safely after just five days.

It was so swift and smooth, with no problems, that even the veteran captain was amazed.

I repeatedly thanked the captain, whose relief was plain on his face, and then disembarked.

I crossed the gangplank and set foot on solid, unmoving ground.

Yes, I had finally set foot on Fusang.

It had already been—astonishingly, when I counted it up—about fifteen years since I left the Kingdom of Ludria.

It felt as though I'd made the journey in much less time, but perhaps I really had taken a lot of detours.

Even so, I had finally reached the place that had been the destination of my journey.

The cargo unloaded from our ship was transferred to small boats, and several merfolk pulled those boats out of the port.

In Fusang, the sea was the merfolk's domain.

Apparently, in Fusang it was commonplace to load cargo onto small boats like those and have merfolk pull them across the water.

Of course, it was a sight one probably couldn't see anywhere else.

...How fascinating.

When I was suddenly shown something I had never expected, I couldn't help smiling.

I'd heard that merfolk could be seen outside Fusang as well.

For example, I seem to recall hearing in the Republic of Virestrika that trade with other continents couldn't be conducted without help from merfolk living in the waters along the way.

But seeing merfolk living so close at hand and cooperating with humans like this was hardly something one got to see.

I came to this country to seek the source of Yosogi-ryu and, while I was at it, see the Fusang Tree, but I had a feeling I'd get to see plenty of other fascinating things as well.