Nido Tensei Shita Shounen wa S-rank Boukensha Toshite Heion ni Sugosu ~ Zense ga Kenja de Eiyūdatta Boku wa Raisede wa Jimi ni Ikiru ~

Episode 58: Sky Continent and Sky People

In this episode, we are introduced to the concept of the Sky Continent and the Sky People.
The Sky Continent is a mythical land that exists high above the clouds, separate from the rest of the world.
It is said to be a place of immense beauty and wonder, with floating islands, majestic waterfalls, and lush greenery.

The Sky People are the inhabitants of the Sky Continent.
They are believed to possess incredible powers and abilities, as well as a deep connection to the elements and nature.
They are known for their advanced technology and knowledge, which allows them to harness the energy of the sky and control the weather.

The protagonist of our story, a young adventurer named Hiro, becomes fascinated with the legends and stories surrounding the Sky Continent and the Sky People.
He embarks on a journey to find a way to reach the Sky Continent and meet the Sky People.

Throughout his journey, Hiro encounters various challenges and obstacles, but he remains determined to fulfill his dream.
Along the way, he befriends a group of fellow adventurers who share his passion for the Sky Continent.
Together, they face dangerous creatures, treacherous landscapes, and mysterious puzzles.

As the story unfolds, Hiro and his friends discover that reaching the Sky Continent is not as simple as they initially thought.
They must uncover ancient secrets, solve riddles, and overcome their own fears and doubts.
Along the way, they learn valuable lessons about friendship, perseverance, and the power of dreams.

Will Hiro and his friends be able to reach the Sky Continent and meet the legendary Sky People? Tune in to the next episode to find out!

“Wow, what’s that!?”

Liliera-san looks up at the sky and exclaims in surprise.
And no wonder, what was floating in the sky was not clouds, but islands.
And not just one or two, but a massive number of islands.

“Those are sky islands.”

“Sky islands?”

“Yes, as you can see, they are islands that float in the sky.
Some of them are even as big as continents.”

“Flying continents!? How on earth are they able to fly!?”

Hahaha, Liliera-san keeps looking at the sky islands in amazement.
We decided to change our base of operations and travel around the world to visit unique places.
As the first location, I brought Liliera-san to this sky land.

“The soil and rocks of the sky islands contain a substance called gravium, which has the property of floating in the air when it reacts to magic power.”

Gravium is only found in the materials of the sky islands and is extremely sensitive to magic power emitted by the air and natural creatures, so even unmanned islands like this can fly.

“W-What is that!? If something like that exists, then you can fly in the sky without using magic, right?”

Yes, Liliera-san’s impression is correct.
In the past, many flying magic items were developed by extracting gravium from the sky islands and sky continents.

However, with the development of flight magic, gravium became unnecessary, and due to excessive mining of gravium, the sky islands and sky continents were at risk of collapse, so the excavation of gravium was prohibited.

“Well, whether it’s a magic item or flight magic, they still require magic power, so it was determined that flight magic, which allows for free movement, is more convenient.
So, magic items that use gravium became obsolete a long time ago.”

Since the power source of gravium extracted from the islands is almost exclusively human magic power, it was judged that flight magic types that can be controlled are easier to use.

“I wonder how you know all this, Rex-san.
Well, it’s you after all.”

She sighs as if giving up for some reason.
Well, you can learn about these things by going to the library or something.

By the way, I’m the one who developed the flight magic and magic items that operate with flight magic.
I was ordered by my boss to create magic items that don’t use gravium for the protection of the sky islands.

“But I can’t seem to find the sky continent around here.
I thought it was in this area.”

“Maybe it’s in a different location?”

“No, with its size, it should be visible even if it’s far away.”

Despite that, all I can see are sky islands.
And were there really this many sky islands? There are also strangely large sky islands that I don’t recognize.

“Hmm, since we’re here, would you like to visit one of the sky islands?”

“Yes, I would love to see it.”

Liliera-san agrees as if she had been waiting for this.

“Kyuu!”

Mofumofu also agrees with great interest.
We use flight magic to soar into the sky and fly towards the sky island.

“Beautiful…”

Liliera-san, who has approached the sky island, sighs.
From the edge of a large sky island, a massive amount of water flows down, creating a spectacle that looks like a waterfall in the sky.
The water falls onto the lower sky island, creating a large splash and forming a small rainbow in the air.

The waterfall descending from the sky treated us to a fantastic sight.

“Amazing, it’s floating in the sky and yet it’s a proper island.”

As Liliera-san says, the sky island is covered with trees and grass, and you can see springs and rivers.
The water flowing from there flows towards the edge of the island, creating the waterfall in the sky.

“Kyuu!”

I see Mofumofu attacking and eating the creatures on the sky island.
I guess it came along because it wanted to eat.

“Hey Rex-san, are there sky islands above those clouds?”

Liliera-san asks me that while looking at the waterfall descending from the sky island.

“I think so.
The altitude of the sky islands varies depending on the amount of gravium and the number of creatures living on the islands.”

“Is there an island in the clouds…?”

Liliera-san gazes at the sky above the sky island with sparkling eyes.

“Oh, there’s a town nearby.
Let’s stay there tonight!”

Just as we looked down from the sky, we noticed that there was a town nearby.

“Yes, I’m starting to get hungry, or rather, my magic power is running low.
I got a little too excited.”

Oops, Liliera-san’s magic power is in danger.

“Then let’s go.”

After finishing our tour of the sky island, we return to the ground to find an inn.

“Welcome, customers!”

The clerk at the counter greets us cheerfully as we enter the inn.

“Do you want two single rooms and one pet?”

“Sorry, it’s crowded today, so there’s only one double room available.
And as for pets, as long as they don’t pee or poop.”

A double room, huh?

“I don’t mind.
I used to stay in mixed-gender dorms a lot when I didn’t have much money.”

Well, if Liliera-san is okay with it, then it’s fine.

“Understood.
So, a double room it is.
And don’t worry, my pet is well-behaved.”

“Kyuu!”

Mofumofu raises its hand to show that it’s well-behaved.

“Haha, I don’t know why, but it’s cute.
And the price for a double room is one silver coin.
If you want meals, it’s four copper coins per meal.”

“It’s quite expensive.”

Liliera-san furrows her brows upon hearing the price of one silver coin.

“Oh? Are you here to witness the descent of the Sky people, by any chance?”

“The descent of the Sky people?”

What’s that?

“You came without knowing? Well… you’re lucky.”

“Lucky?”

“This town is protected by the Sky people who descended from the sky.”

“The Sky people who descended from the sky?”

Is that some kind of legend?

“Oh, you don’t believe it, huh? But the Sky people really exist.”

“Um, what does that mean? What are the Sky people?”

Honestly, I have no idea what they’re talking about.

“This town was originally a village of settlers who fled from the war, but for some reason, they were constantly attacked by many monsters.”

“…”

Liliera-san makes a bitter face upon hearing that they were attacked by monsters.

“Our ancestors who had worked hard to resist and defend the land they had settled on hired adventurers to defend the village.”

The clerk tells us a story in a familiar tone.
Perhaps they tell this story to every customer who comes.

“And so, the village developed into a town, and our ancestors built defensive walls and established a large-scale vigilante group to counter the monsters.
But one day, a large and terrifying horde of monsters attacked the town.
Everyone fought desperately, but the walls were destroyed, and the warriors of the vigilante group were defeated one after another.
The country abandoned our ancestors, and the adventurers fled, saying it wasn’t worth it.”

I feel a bitter feeling as I hear that the adventurers fled.

“It seemed hopeless, but when everyone had given up, a miracle happened.
A shining spear was released from the sky, and the horde of monsters was wiped out in an instant.
And our ancestors, looking up at the sky, saw a winged knight descending from the heavens.”

“Winged knights!?”

What’s that!? I’ve never heard of such a race!

“When the winged knights descended to the ground, they healed the injured people and drove away the remnants of the monsters.
They called themselves the messengers of God, the Sky people.”

“Messengers of God…”

They’re like angels from mythology.

“And, those Sky people will descend from the sky today.”

“Today!?”

Wait a minute!? Isn’t this just a legend!?

“Are the Sky people really real!?”

Liliera-san’s eyes widen in disbelief.

“They are.
I’ve seen them every year.”

“Every year!?”

“That’s right.
Our ancestors made a contract with the Sky people.
In exchange for offering them tribute every year, they protect our town.”

“So today is the day to send the tribute?”

“That’s right! That’s why the prices of all the inns are high today!”

“…”

I look at Liliera-san, and Liliera-san looks at me.

“We’ll stay.”

“As always!”

“Um, is this the altar for the ceremony?”

“There are so many people.”

After getting our rooms, we head to the altar for the tribute ceremony that the clerk told us about.
Magic bags that don’t require us to carry luggage are convenient in times like this.

“Hmm, this is going to take a while.
Should we go from the roof?”

“Well, I guess there’s no other choice.”

The clerk had also told us that if we wanted to see the ceremony, we should hurry.
So Liliera-san agrees to go from above.

“But no flying, okay? If we fly here, it will cause a commotion in many ways.”

“I understand.”

Yeah, it’s true that if we fly on the day when the Sky people who came from the sky are coming, it might be misunderstood in various ways.
Well, since we don’t have wings, there shouldn’t be any misunderstandings.

“Let’s go!”

Using body strengthening magic to enhance our jumping ability, we leap onto the roof of a nearby house.
From there, we run across the roofs and leap between houses towards what appears to be a ritual altar.

As we approach the altar, a loud cheer erupts from ahead.

“What!?”

“Liliera-san, on top of the altar!”

We stop on the roof of a house along the way and look up at the altar.

“No way…”

Liliera-san unintentionally lets out a gasp.

It was a very majestic sight.
A large circular hole opens up in the sky between the clouds, and sunlight leaks through.
And from that hole, ten wings slowly descend.

“They really have wings…”

“Are those the Sky people?”

“Wowww!”

As the ten knights with wings on their backs and clad in silver armor slowly approach the ground, cheers erupt from the town.

“What is that?”

Liliera-san wonders, pointing at the large disc in the center of the group.
The Sky people form a circle and support the disc with their hands on the inside of the circle.

And as the Sky people knights approach the ground, their voices can be heard.

“In accordance with the covenant of the heavens, we shall fulfill the agreement.
In accordance with the covenant of the earth, you shall offer us the proof of abundance.
This is the holy covenant between heaven and earth!”

“Is this amplification magic?”

I speculate that the voice that probably resounded throughout the town was produced by magic.

And when the Sky people hold their spears in a radial formation in the air, light bursts forth from the tips of their spears, coloring the sky with lines of light.

“Wowww!”

The light released from the gaps in the clouds appeared to have a very majestic radiance.

“Oh, great messengers of the heavens! In accordance with the covenant, please accept our offerings!”

A man who appears to be a priest raises his voice, and the Sky people descend closer to the altar.
Then, the people who climbed onto the altar begin to place offerings one after another on the Sky people’s disc.

“That’s incredible power.”

The disc is supported by the hands of the Sky people.
Even though they are all holding it together, it must still be quite heavy to support with just one hand.
Surprisingly, they have strong strength.

While offerings are being placed, the dialogue between the Sky people and the priest continues.

“There’s a lot of food, isn’t there?”

The offerings placed on the altar are mainly food items such as vegetables, dried meat, and fish.
There are a few other items as well, but there is not much money.

“They mentioned the proof of abundance earlier, so I wonder if it refers to food?”

“Ah, that might be it.”

Hmmm, is it some kind of ritual where they offer the first harvest of the year to the god of the land?

And so, as the offerings are being placed, it seems that the conversation between the Sky people and the priest-like figure comes to an end, and once the offerings are finished, the Sky people ascend back into the sky.

Ah, I see.
The previous dialogue was just a performance until the offerings were placed.

Then, as the Sky people rise into the sky again and hold their spears, they emit the same light as before and slowly ascend while rotating.

Cheers erupt from the town again, and the voices continue until the figures of the Sky people disappear into the clouds.

“But still, I never knew that a race called the Sky people existed.”

Yeah, I was surprised too.
As a former hero, I’ve encountered most races before.

They could be allies or enemies, but meeting a race called the Sky people was a first for me.
And to see a race with wings growing from their backs, I’ve only seen that with demons.
Well, I’ve seen winged monsters resembling humans, but they can’t speak.

“A divine messenger who allies with humans.
It’s like something out of a myth.”

“Indeed.”

Speaking of which, if such beings really exist, why didn’t they lend their power in the battle against the demons in my past life?

Rather than being impressed, I find myself questioning why.
Hmm, it’s intriguing.
Who exactly are the Sky people? My mind is filled with such questions, and I come to a conclusion.

“…Alright, let’s go to the Sky people’s country!”

Yes, if we have questions, we should investigate.
Even my former master in my past life said that if I wanted to know something, I should charge into the women’s bath and take a peek, even if it meant almost getting killed.
…Well, I don’t remember that now.

Anyway, if we’re curious about an unknown existence, it’s only natural to investigate their habitat.

“Are you sure about this!? They’re messengers from the sacred sky, right!?”

Liliera-san exclaims in surprise at my suggestion.

“That’s why.
Honestly, I don’t know anything about the Sky people.
And it’s also bothering me that I can’t find the Sky Continent.
If they have been living in the sky since ancient times, I think they would know about it.”

“Well, that might be true, but…”

“And besides, doesn’t a country above the Sky Island intrigue you?”

When I ask that, Liliera-san crosses her arms and ponders.
Then, with an expression that’s hard to describe, she says:

“…Well, it’s not like it doesn’t intrigue me.”

“Exactly!”

Yes, we are adventurers.
We risk our lives to earn a living and dive into danger to see unknown worlds! If there is a sight we have never seen before, there is no reason not to explore it!

While we’re at it, I should also ask why they didn’t help in the battle against the demons in my past life!

“Then let’s go to the Sky people’s country tomorrow!”

“O-Okay…!”

“Kyuu!”

“It’s quite chilly, isn’t it?”

We fly through the sky, aiming for the Sky people’s country.
Our destination is the waterfall that descends from above the clouds.

“We’re getting close to the clouds.
We need to avoid entering them, as there’s a risk of colliding with the Sky Island below.
So we’ll go around the clouds and ascend upwards.”

“Understood.”

We ascend while being careful not to enter the clouds.

“The clouds are parting.
We’ve reached the top.”

We leap over the clouds and reach above the cloud sea.

“Amazing…”

Liliera-san is speechless as she gazes down at the cloud sea.
Above the sky, there is nothing but the blue sky, with the sunlight shining down.
And below our line of sight, there is a sea of white clouds.

And within that…

“There it is.
The Sky Island.”

The Sky Island within the clouds was particularly large compared to the ones we had seen before.
It may not be as big as a continent, but it’s probably the size of a small country.

“Even though we’re in the sky, there’s really a vast land.
It’s different from the Sky Islands that are packed with various things.”

As Liliera-san says, this Sky Island is like a cutout of the scenery on the ground placed on top of the clouds.
It’s fantastical, but at the same time, it’s not just fantastical.

“Alright, let’s go.”

“Uh, okay.”

Taking Liliera-san’s hand, who seems bewildered by the sight of the Sky Island, we start flying towards the center of the Sky Island.

“There are so many animals I’ve never seen before.”

Liliera-san excitedly exclaims as she looks at the animals on the Sky Island.

“That’s a Ball Rabbit.
As you can see, it’s a round rabbit that bounces instead of running to move.”

“Kyukyuu!?”

Mofumofu seems to be getting excited, but that’s not your relative.
It may look Mofumofu-like, but its ecology is clearly different from yours.

While Liliera-san is captivated by the animals on the Sky Island, I observe the surroundings.
And after flying for a while, I spot something that is clearly not a natural object.

“Look over there.
I can see a village.”

I spot a village, a man-made structure, on the Sky Island.

“That’s true.
It’s a village… or rather, a village?”

“What’s wrong?”

“Well, I don’t know about you, but aren’t the Sky people more amazing than the people on the ground?”

“Seems like it.”

The people in the town said so, so I think they must be amazing.

“And yet, why is it just a village? And it doesn’t seem that impressive, does it?”

“Indeed.”

Now that you mention it, it really is just a village.
It looks like a normal village, to be honest.

“Shall we land and take a look?”

“Sure.”

We descend towards the Sky people’s village.
Since there are no fences or gates in the village, there’s no need to land outside first.

As we approach the ground, or rather the Sky people’s village, we hear commotion.
The people in the village are pointing at us and making a fuss about something.

“What’s that?”

As I looked at that scene, I suddenly felt a sense of discomfort.

“What’s wrong?”

“Well, you see, this is the village of the Sky people, but none of them have wings.”

“Huh?”

That’s right, the Sky people I saw on the ground didn’t have wings like the ones I had seen before.
What could this mean?

“You’re right.
They don’t have wings.”

Hmm, I don’t know the reason, but let’s try to approach them in a friendly manner at first.
I landed in the village and greeted the people with a smile.

“Hello, everyone from the Sky people.”

Then, the villagers widened their eyes and froze.

“Huh? What’s wrong with everyone?”

“H-humans have descended from the sky without wings!?”

Huh? Why are they so surprised? I mean, none of them have wings either, right?