Book 4: Chapter 46

I pressed Punta-san to remember, but it was to no avail.

It seems that the arrangement of eggs is different from when he came before.

He doesn’t know if it is because the early summer birds moved the eggs around or if new eggs have been laid.

Breaking all the eggs did cross my mind for a second.

「N-N-No! Absolutely not! Even large monsters actively avoid the early summer bird flock!」Punta-san said, his skin turning pale.

So I scratched that idea.

**

「This is what you get for listening to Punta… a waste of your time. We are lucky that no danger came out of your trip.」Knock-san said, as we returned to the village at dusk.

Asha was relieved and pleased when I returned.

(I have no idea which egg the skill orb is in…【World Ruler】processes information from what I see, what I feel from touch, and smell. So it can’t give me information on what I cannot sense.)

I was caught in my thoughts after dinner.

Asha was pestered by the chieftain to share how the High Elves live, to all the dark elves. This seems to be the 5th time today.

「Well, we are staying here for free, after all…」

That is why Asha was addressing the dark elves sincerely.

(I wonder if there is a way to check inside the egg without breaking it. Like an X-ray or ultrasonic waves. But of course, there aren’t such machines here.)

I pondered, while dangling upside down from a branch.

I feel like I know a machine that could do that. The answer is on the tip of my tongue, but I can’t remember… How vexing.

「Reiji-san, you were here, huh– Wait! Why are you hanging upside down?」

Asha approached me from a lower branch as I was dangling from another branch, doing the so-called “bat pose”.

I nimbly jumped down to the lower branch.

「Is it over?」I asked her.

「Yes… I simply talked about my life in the front world, but everyone listened enthusiastically. It wasn’t really a special story, though…」

「I’m curious about what Asha’s life was like as well. So I’m sure the dark elf guys must have been even more interested.」

「A-Are you curious what we talked about, Reiji-san?」

「Yes.」

「I-It’s nothing too big. Everyone seemed to be interested in High Elf songs the most.」

It must be the “Chant”.

When Asha sang – I had exhausted my mana to land the airship and was unconscious, but – I heard it while being half asleep and half awake. The chant itself carried mana and exhibited tremendous power.

「Can you tell me about yourself, Reiji-san?」

「Me?」

「Yeap.」

The night was long and I hadn’t come up with a good idea for finding the right egg.

So I thought it might be a good idea to talk to Asha.

We sat down on the branch and talked about various things. I didn’t talk about my reincarnation, but I did talk about my experience as an escort in the Kruvan Holy Kingdom in a comical tone.

The stars were twinkling in the night sky as if they were spread all over. Even blocked from view by the branches of the tall trees, their brightness did not decrease at all.

「Ah……」

Suddenly, I found a silhouette casting blue light by flapping its wings in the distant night sky.

「What is it, Reiji-san?」

「Late summer bird…」

Two blue birds flew together at a very close distance, as if holding hands.

When it came very close to the dark elf village, it turned around and flew far away.

The blue light reflected off their wings seemed magical in the canvas of the night sky.

「…What beautiful birds.」Asha said, seeming to be deeply moved.

So I told her about the early summer birds and the late summer birds

「That is a wonderful story. Being with only one partner for the rest of their lives.」

「…It reminds me of the word “Hiyoku Renri”.」[TL Note: “Hiyoku Renri” means “Marital Vows”.]

「And that is?」

I took Chinese Literature in an elective class back in Japan.

The Chinese Literature class was unpopular, and only two people in my grade chose that class.

This is a passage from “Song of Everlasting Regrets” written by Bai Yuji:

“In the heavens, we vow to be as two birds flying wingtip to wingtip. On earth, we vow to be as two intertwined branches of a tree.”

「The first verse is just as we saw – two birds flying wingtip to wingtip. The second verse draws parallel to branches entwined and sticking together in the process of growing, even if the roots are different.」

「Hmm… is it a love song?」

「Perhaps.」

Although the word “Hiyoku Renri” is used as an analogy of a man and a woman who are close to each other, the “Song of Everlasting Regrets” is actually a song of “grief” of two lovers separated from each other.

「It’s a lovely word.」Asha said.

It would be thoughtless to call it that, though.

(……I see.)

I now realize why I chose the minor “Chinese Literature” class.

I always studied diligently. Due to that, I was forced into the position of class representative and had to do “unrewarding” work. And I always carried out all the tasks alone.

“Chinese Literature” was an academic discipline that people rarely looked at, but there were a few who studied it diligently. That is what drew me to it.

(At that time, I thought it was just simple knowledge, but I never imagined I would recall the word “Hiyoku Renri” in another world.)

While I was indulging in my thoughts,

「I admire that kind of thing. But I don’t think I can keep up with it.」Asha said, sighing.

「Asha?」

「Reiji-san… Even with that much power, why do you try to help other people? Why do you throw yourself into danger?」

「Huh?」

「Do you have any grand ambitions? Establishing a country, or mastering martial arts, or learning the path of magic… I feel like you can achieve anything you put your mind to.」

「Well…」

I have none of that, though.

「I–」Asha began, but closed her mouth.「Sorry, I asked you something strange.」

After that, we gazed at the night sky with a slightly awkward atmosphere.

Asha surely has something troubling her.

She has gone through many things that I can’t imagine.

And her royal origin must also weigh heavily on her.

「I… am just taking it step by step.」

It may not be the answer she was expecting, but I wanted to be honest.

「I always have my hands full with whatever is going on at that moment. From Asha’s point of view, my magic and everything may look special, but… I practice it every single day. I worked hard to make it my own.」

「You practice every single day, Reiji-san?」

「Yes. No matter how long the journey is, it starts with one step at a time. I just try to walk steadily.」

It was my honest opinion.

That is how I used to study with my workbook. I solve the questions one by one, eventually reaching the last page.

I liked the sense of accomplishment.

That was the only thing I enjoyed at that time.

「Is that so?」Asha asked.

「That’s right.」

「Should I move forward step by step too?」

Even a High Elf royalty with such a beautiful appearance and tremendous mana worries about these things…

「Of course. You should also take it one step at a time.」I nodded, with a smile.

Anyone can move forward step by step. Even Kimidori Gorn-san is studying sorcery step by–

「Ah…」

It hit me like a revelation at that moment.

Egg. Empty egg and live egg. A way to distinguish between those.

「Ah!!!」

Isn’t there a magic tool that distinguishes eggs?

In Dragonewt City.

Kimidori Gorn-san’s “Dead or Alive”.