Heaven's Cemetery
Azurail
The sky above the cemetery.
Twong-twong.
It’s peaceful.
The view from the floating island is like something an angel or god might see, looking down on the ground from above.
Across the way, the floating islands drift serenely like clouds instead of drifting in the clouds. The sky remains a vibrant blue dawn light even as the sun approaches noon, making the ground below look like a landscape in a dream.
Under the faint silhouettes of distant mountains, a stepped abyss spreads layer upon layer, adding an even more mysterious allure.
And above it all, one strange point is etched.
Twong-twong.
The sound of the wind slicing across the floating island caresses my ears as it passes.
From below, on the ground, a vague, mysterious wail grows dimmer, tickling my ears.
It was the cries of the wild. A natural symphony of peace and strife coexisting.
And above it all, there was another strange sound.
Twong-twong.
Blocking my eyes, my ears, and even my senses was the same thing.
Right there, hovering in the sky, was Ray.
Ray was using the unique mana she had just acquired, like a kid brand new to flying, taking a leisurely air stroll.
What, that name sounds like it needs a hand to be held next to it.
‘Here, I should grab Ray’s hand, right?’
I can’t do that.
While thinking something along those lines, I told Ray.
“…Come down a bit, huh?”
I don’t want to mess up my beautiful Abyss scenery.
“Why? You were the one who said practicing is important, Roman.”
“Then why practice right in front of me?”
“Hmm…”
Like she has to say it herself, Ray stopped walking, crossed her arms, and stood there.
A confident smile played on her lips.
“Hmph. Anyway, I don’t really need it, but why does it bug me so much?”
That mysterious little smile is… infuriatingly cute, yet it still gets under my skin.
Infuriatingly cute and infuriatingly cute.
Same root word, but two words with completely opposite meanings, creating a strangely fascinating smile.
Twong-twong.
“Hey, it wasn’t only me who got it.”
Ray stopped her air stroll, returned to the floating island, and said.
“So you’re not just giving it to me, right?”
The owner of the altar.
The being that had kept the arrangement in the coffin that turned the floating island into a cemetery didn’t just grant Ray the hollow walk she named Azurail. She also gave one each to me and Leaf.
No grand sacrificial offering needed, like the trap altar down below. Just bleed a little and you get rewarded.
Finding such a blessed relic was like hitting the jackpot or finding a needle in a haystack.
Thinking about it that way, maybe it was better that Ray got it first.
It could be that she just selected the appropriate one from the stored legacy to grant it, or it could simply have been by order. Either way.
If it had only been Ray who received something, she wouldn’t have been so openly boasting about it like this.
…I believe that’s the case.
“Leaf?”
“Same as you.”
The reward Leaf received was a spirit.
Just like floating in the sky on the island, Leaf had inherited her contract with the air spirit.
It was exactly the same way Hecate inherited the demon contract from her predecessor through bloodline ascension.
That was strong evidence supporting the theory that it selects and grants the appropriate relic.
Still, I can’t be fully confident because what I received was a bit out of the ordinary.
Anyway, according to Leaf, it’s stronger than the Undine she contracted.
But since it was just contracted, she’d focus on building empathy, as she wasn’t sure if she could pull up its full output like the Undine.
“But you know…”
Ray had descended to the floating island and squatted next to me, who was lying on the slope.
“What about Leaf?”
“…What about her?”
“You knew and were pretending not to? Or do you really not know?”
Obviously the first one.
Since I didn’t answer, Ray judged it herself and continued.
“Don’t pretend not to know. Even I, who has no sense, know Roman couldn’t not know.”
“No sense? What’s with the instinct?”
“That’s why I have no sense. It’s almost always communicated.”
We call it common sense, Ray.
Either with sharp analytical and reasoning skills, or simply with a good instinct, catching it instinctively. Either way, it’s common sense.
“Anyway. What do you think?”
“Hm…”
What about Leaf.
Is she a normal half-elf?
That’s not it.
The way she keeps her hood on so stubbornly feels like it’s not enough to explain it as just a half-elf complex.
“But do you really need to know everything?”
“Huh?”
“Why? I don’t tell you everything about myself either, so I wonder if Leaf really has to.”
“I told you everything?”
Ray stared at me with wide, innocent eyes.
Yeah, that’s right.
Ray had told me everything about her origins and why she ended up in Res Limen.
After that, there was nothing more to say.
But we didn’t force her to do so.
It was sad, but it wasn’t like I had the right to demand that Ray tell Leaf her secrets.
“It’s not necessary to dig up secrets. The more she wants to keep them hidden, the better.”
“Haaah… I guess so…”
Ray scratched her head and let out a groan.
It was a clear display of frustration.
“Well, then, ask her yourself.”
“Would that work?”
At my words, Ray’s face brightened as she asked back.
“But if Leaf doesn’t want to answer, don’t pry.”
“…I know that much.”
Grumbling and muttering, Ray stared at the floating island’s scenery in silence, then plopped down right next to me.
Because she spread her limbs wide like a starfish, her arm landed on my chin.
“Hey.”
“Maybe I shouldn’t have asked.”
I grabbed Ray’s arm and pushed it aside.
“Why?”
“Just… I wonder if hearing it from me has any meaning. She’ll tell me eventually, though.”
Ray giggled, laughing at something funny.
Following her laughter, a shadow fell over my head and Ray’s.
“What’s that? Are you two talking about something fun?”
“I was gossiping about you.”
“Eh? R-really? No way! Roman? For real?”
Leaf’s innocent reaction made me and Ray burst into laughter together.
So, for a while, the floating island echoed with boisterous laughter.
§
Decision on Ascent or Descent
📍 Location: Floating Island Overlooking the Abyss
🎁 Reward: Continue or Rest at 2nd Floor Base Camp
“Then we have to decide.”
At my words, Ray and Leaf exchanged fierce glares at each other.
“Let’s go down.”
“Let’s go up.”
Both said it at the same time.
That sum up the purpose of being here right now.
The eternal dilemma that every explorer of the Abyss collides with every moment.
Go down or go up.
Stop exploring here, rest and regroup, or keep going as is. The number one cause of party conflict.
Even in regular expeditions with a leader who has absolute decision-making power, this issue is rare but still significant.
“Food is running out. We have water with the Undine, and we can solve it with hydro spell, but without food it’s too dangerous.”
“Just eat monsters we catch on the way.”
“I absolutely don’t want that.”
Leaf said resolutely, clearly showing her resolve to starve rather than eat monsters.
Is she an elf?
But when I actually cook and serve it, she eats it happily.
“Whatever. And anyway, once we reach the 3rd or 4th layer, supply will be limited, and we’ll have to rely on monsters anyway. It’s like practice.”
So, are you going even lower than the 3rd layer of the Abyss?
Ray threw in that question.
But Leaf wasn’t letting it go either.
“I trust Roman.”
“Hm?”
Why am I in here?
“You’ll become a master of spatial magic and expand the capacity of this backpack by tens or hundreds of times!”
My spatial magic is limited to movement?
And how do you solve volume, anyway? Weight is the real issue.
No matter how good Ray’s basic physical abilities are and how abundant her mana is, she can’t constantly enhance her body all day.
“It would be faster if Roman sends the supplies from Res Limen remotely instead.”
Ray’s objection weighed down Leaf’s words.
“And we can resupply at the gate to the 2nd layer.”
“…Is that possible?”
“What did they teach you at the training ground?”
“Eh, ehe.”
Leaf gave a silly laugh.
She really was a fool, at least right now.
“They taught us at the training ground. There’s a base camp in front of the gate up to the 3rd layer.”
“…But it’ll be expensive, won’t it?”
“How much more expensive?”
The 2nd layer gate would be tens of times, the 3rd hundreds of times, right?
“Ray, do you have money?”
“……”
This time, Ray’s side was silent.
Ray’s gaze slid slightly to the side, feeling Leaf’s gaze that showed no emotion as ever.
Yeah, yeah.
I know too.
You two don’t have any money.
“I have some.”
“…Roman said so.”
“Ray, that’s Roman’s money, not ours.”
It didn’t have to be drawn so sharply.
But Leaf’s will was firm.
My money is my money.
Just like I spent, Ray and Leaf should also bear it.
Leaf’s claim was so reasonable that Ray had nothing to say.
“W-we can just borrow with debt! Since we’ll get paid for everything we brought this time, we’ll have plenty left after settling.”
That made sense too.
Even just selling the mana stones from the monsters we caught on the way here would cover it.
When I showed that I was fine with it, Leaf reluctantly agreed.
“Ha, okay. But like this, it’s problematic. From now on, it would be better to set aside party funds before starting.”
“Well said.”
“…Okay.”
By incorporating Leaf’s decisive arrangement into the party rules later, the dispute was settled.
“It’s decided. We’re going down. Let’s mark the 2nd floor and come back.”
“You know the way?”
“I saved it from the signpost tree.”
The destination is set, and I know the way there.
So there’s no need to linger.
We immediately prepared to descend from the floating island.
While Ray, using Azurail to descend on her own, stretched and loosened her body, Leaf, who had been glancing around, asked.
“Roman? What about Stingray?”
“What are you talking about? The flying gaori was Shen’s call. I only stole the control rights. Of course there’s none.”
“…Eh? Then how do we descend?”
I gave Leaf a clear answer to her question.
“Jump down.”
If I use Blink before hitting the ground, I’ll just roll a bit.
Originally, why did Leaf’s already pale face turn even whiter?
It would be fun.
It was a bit funny.