CH 293

Reunion

Alighting from the ramp of the grounded Ouranos, we took our first steps onto the ground of the Sky Island.

「Takumi-sama, it seems there’s something peculiar in the forest vegetation.」

「Hee, I can’t tell them apart. Nothing less from an Elf.」

Sophia was able to identify this with just a slight look at the forest that filled the other side of the mountain. I didn’t know any of the other plants aside from the medicinal ones we normally use. I have a way to appraise and harvest them, but the Elf Sophia was definitely faster at identifying it. I’ll ask Sophia to teach me later.

When I turned to look back on the mountainside, I was able to pinpoint holes that seem like caves halfway up. And so, I used presence sensing and detecting magic.

「……I can’t say for certain if they are Valkan-san’s tribespeople but…… they’re there.」

「Yes, there are around 200. Coincidentally they have roughly the same number of people with Valkan-san’s community.」

「You can tell from this distance!?」

Sophia and I sensed people halfway up the mountain, and hearing this, Valkan-san asked excitedly.

「Probably, I think we should make contact over there, just like we did with your people, Valkan-san.」

Perhaps being vigilant, the presences in the cave moved after an hour. Well, if a flying object suddenly came down from the sky and landed near my home, then suddenly unknown people alight from it, I’d be wary too. Still, if they looked closely, they would have recognized that some were fellow Aligerous Tribespeople, but Valkan-san said that they’re being cautious because they live close to the forest that has a history of monsters increasing.

And as soon as I thought of speaking to the presences, I realized they were approaching us. Since they didn’t try to conceal themselves, they must have spotted Valkan-san and the others.

Before long, a man nearly same age as Valkan-san along with 20 warriors landed slightly away from us, then approached while staying vigilant with bows and spears.

The Aligerous man walking in front looked surprised, and talked to Valkan-san in a hoarse voice.

「……y-you, could you be…… Valkan?」

「Niisan…… you’re alive. To be able to meet with you once more……」

「Valkan!」

「Valzak-niisan!」

It seems the chief of the Aligerous Tribe that stayed in the Sky Island was Valkan-san’s older brother, and the two were able to have a touching reunion.

「Master, ojichans hugging is gross.」

「Shh! You can’t say that, Kaede. Valkan-san is happy to reunite with his older brother who he thought he could never meet again.」

「H~mm, really? Kaede doesn’t really get it.」

Seeing Valkan-san and his brother hugging each other with tears and snot flowing, Kaede couldn’t help but recoil.

「「Oi, old man! Ah!?」」

Two people called out to the happily reuniting old men. One is Vart-kun[1], the other is a youth roughly the same age as Vart-kun from the Sky Island’s side. Are these two similar, or is it just my imagination?

「「What’s your problem?」」

Vart-kun and the similar young man glared at each other.

「Akane-sama, the stupids increased nya.」

「Lulu, don’t get close to them. Stupidity is infectious.」

「Howa! Oh nyo! Lulu will never go near nya!」

「Hey, stupidity isn’t infectious. And Lulu-chan, maybe it’s better you speak normally.」

「What are you talking about, stupidity is infectious. They say one rotten apple spoils the barrel, right? And the way Lulu talks is fine like this. It’s cute, isn’t it?」

Lulu-chan was nodding too. I do think that it’s about time Lulu-chan stops talking so subserviently, but if the person herself is fine with it, then I guess there’s no problem?

I’d like for the discussion to advance, so I might be pouring cold water onto their touching reunion, but I talked to Valkan-san.

「Umm……Valkan-san.」

「O-, ohh, pardon me, Iruma-dono. Niisan, thanks to Iruma-dono here, we were able to come back.」

「Ohhh! I am Valkan’s brother, Valzak.」

「I am Takumi Iruma. I happened to have a chance to help Valkan-san return to the Sky Island.」

I calmed Valzak-san who shed tears as he held my hand in gratitude, and had him lead us to the cave they live in for the time being.

「It is a slight distance away, shall we carry you?」

「No, we’re fine.」

I stowed the Ouranos into the Item Box and flew after Valzak-san and everyone.

「…………Valkan, is everyone in the outside world capable of flying without wings like that?」

「No, I think Iruma-dono and his party are just special.」

Valzak-san and the Sky Island Aligerous warriors looked at us in surprise after witnessing us hopping our way from the foot of the mountain to the cave halfway up the mountain. We ran up the the face of the mountain like grasshoppers without concealing our superhuman strength when they glance behind. Valzak-san and the others who did not know of the outside world were shocked.

Footnotes:

1. Bart will be changed to Vart.[↩]

2. I will probably shorten Aligerous Tribe from the Sky Island / Solitary Island to Sky Islanders / Solitary Islanders, it’s too much of a mouthful.[