Chapter 7

This place was peculiar.

Perhaps it would be better to describe it as being above the clouds, just before dusk.

The sky above was a blinding yellow. The ground was a mysterious cloud-like substance that could be trodden upon. There was no wind, and no sounds could be heard. In the distance, there was a small hill of clouds, and a castle-like structure could be seen.

"Huh?"

At first, Saji thought he was still half-asleep.

It was too far from reality.

Just a moment ago, he was in the empty general store. Suddenly, a glowing window-like object appeared in his field of vision, and a dazzling woman who claimed to be a goddess began to speak, showing him Ruo's face.

Relief washed over him when he realized Ruo was alive.

In Saji's village, which was also Ruo's birthplace, more than ten rock lizards had appeared from the great canyon. The village had fallen into temporary chaos, but fortunately, there were no casualties. The rock lizards were slow on land, and the village had a stockpile of red grass, which the beasts hated.

Such abnormal phenomena occurred once every few hundred years. According to old traditions, the villagers had lived cautiously, barely breathing, day and night.

Gordu, the boss of the moss gatherers' guild, had fled the village in a carriage.

The city of Arshe, adjacent to the "wilderness," might be in even worse condition. Saji was hesitating whether to go and check on Ruo, despite the danger.

The glowing window showed various scenes.

To Saji, who lived in a remote village, it seemed like a story from another world, but once Ruo appeared, he began to watch intently.

The child who was shy and could barely converse had met a girl with a harsh fate, traveled with her, and eventually proposed, saving her heart.

"That kid, he did it."

Saji was impressed, thinking it must be the father's blood.

When the story ended and the goddess started talking about marriage, Saji suddenly realized he was on the clouds.

Was it all a dream, or was it reality?

Or was he still in a dream?

He saw a figure a little distance away.

"Hey, over there!"

He approached slowly to avoid alarming the person.

"Oh, it's you, 'Starkeeper.'"

It was someone he knew. The people from the demolition team in Arshe who had taken care of Ruo.

"Oh, it's you. Saji, is it?"

Bekeos, in his imposing armor, removed his hand from the hilt of his sword and raised it with a smile.

There were Terezia, Maasa, the transport team's Gangi, Bekeos, Chala, Bon, Totom, the old women in charge of the internal organs, Sumi, Nura, Morin, and Cloze.

Saji smiled, and Cloze bowed formally.

He was relieved everyone was safe, but Terezia, who had been so energetic, seemed listless and was being supported by Sumi and the others.

Saji noticed another figure.

A woman with excellent posture stood hesitantly a little distance away.

She must have been brought here just like him, confused and bewildered.

"Hey, over there! Please, come over!"

The woman, who joined them at Saji's call, introduced herself as Reiza.

"I was in a room in the palace just a moment ago. When I realized, I was here."

"I was the same. I was minding the store."

Why were people from different places here? There was no answer, but Maasa suggested a theory.

"It's not unrelated to what we just saw. This phenomenon is the will of the goddess Mailroad. It must be related to Ruo and Princess Tueni."

Reiza's eyes widened.

"Do you know the princess and the mage Ruo?"

Reiza was a maid to Princess Tueni and had met Ruo when he came to clean the castle.

"I accompanied her on the trial journey, but we got separated along the way."

Maasa nodded, as if confirming something.

"We are the survivors of the Mail cult. We saved Princess Tueni in Arshe and accompanied her to the 'Altar of the End.'"

"Is that so?"

Saji, who couldn't follow the conversation, asked Cloze quietly.

"What happened?"

"I'll tell you later."

Saji sighed.

What should he do?

If he went to the castle in the distance, he might find out something. But there were elderly people and women with them.

Should he go on reconnaissance?

As he was thinking, a faint light appeared nearby. Looking over, he saw a thick iron door on the cloud ground. The intricate patterns on the door glowed, and six women appeared from inside.

He had never met them, but he knew who they were.

They were the tragic princesses who had sacrificed themselves to save their country in a distant past.

"Well, it seems everyone is here."

Suddenly, the goddess's voice echoed.

A figure emerged from a cloud in the distance.

It was a giant woman, perhaps a hundred times the size of a human. Her silver hair, fanned out like a fan, glowed on its own. She had strong features, and her forehead and eyes were adorned with symbols. Her ornaments played a mysterious melody, and her rainbow-colored clothes flowed like they were in water.

It must be the goddess.

Beautiful and truly divine.

"Oh... Oh..."

"Terezia-sama!"

The object of faith for thousands of years appeared before them with an overwhelming presence. Terezia collapsed on the cloud ground, and Maasa hurried to support her.

"From now on, we will begin the marriage ceremony."

The giant goddess spread her hands and placed them in front of her chest.

Cloud bridges extended from both sides.

At the ends were a boy and a girl.

They were too far to see clearly, but a glowing window appeared, showing an enlarged view of Ruo and Princess Tueni.

Both were dressed in rainbow-colored clothes and had the same symbols on their foreheads as the goddess.

The cloud bridges were almost, but not quite, connected.

But they were close enough to touch.

"This is an ancient vow ceremony. There must be no deceit in your hearts. Even a slight lie will cause your existences to diverge. You will not see each other, hear each other, or touch each other. Thus, it will be an eternal separation."

The goddess said something ominous.

"Even if you vow, you will gain nothing. However, this ceremony exists to prove true hearts."

Saji almost blurted out, "What the—," but then he thought that the goddess, who had supported the two so much, wouldn't impose such a trial on children. This must be a kind of performance.

"But, Mother."

However, even the six princesses lost their color.

They couldn't protest. Cloze, standing next to him, clenched his hands and watched in tense silence.

"Ruo, the demonic child loved by the spirits, and Tueni, my daughter. Do you have any objections?"

"Yes!"

The two answered without hesitation.

"Very well. Then, as you recite the vow, unite the symbols."

Ruo and Tueni touched and held each other's hands.

At that moment, a hard sound like metal breaking echoed, and the world split in two.

The golden sky changed.

On one side of the bridge, where Ruo was, it became a blue sky with pure white clouds. On the other side, where Tueni was, it became a starry night sky.

The clouds flowed and the stars moved as if time were rushing by.

Amidst this natural disaster, the boy and girl smiled at each other, a little embarrassed.

The boy whispered.

"Love each other."

The girl whispered.

"Live together."

And then together.

"We vow."

Their foreheads touched.

The two worlds that had split apart exploded, and an unknown light and wave spread. Saji instinctively hugged Cloze to protect him.

It lasted only a few breaths.

A sound came from the distance.

It was the sound of a bell.

When he opened his eyes, the surroundings had returned to the golden sky.

In the glowing window, the boy and girl were holding hands firmly.

"Hmm. So easily, huh?"

The goddess chuckled. The laughter gradually grew louder, becoming a hearty laugh.

"The true hearts have been proven here. Your voices are heard. Bless the brave daughter of mine and her husband!"

The goddess spread her arms wide, and countless glowing windows appeared in the golden sky.

In them were unfamiliar people.

They must have been watching this scene through the windows of light.

Mixed with the sound of the bell, applause and cheers filled the air.

Some were smiling, some were crying.

Everyone was grateful, praising, and blessing the two.

◇

The cloud bridge, now connected, extended toward where Saji and the others were. At the end, Ruo and Tueni were holding hands firmly and waving to the countless glowing windows.

The cloud bridge connected to the cloud ground. The two bowed together. When Ruo raised his head, he seemed more nervous than during the vow ceremony.

"Um. T-today, in the middle of your busy schedule, for our... engagement...?"

He seemed to be trying to say something he had never done before, but it became vague halfway through, and he ended up being straightforward.

"Thanks for coming."

"Ruo-kun!"

Cloze ran out and hugged Ruo and Tueni.

"Princess Star, you're safe too."

He seemed unable to say anything else, just nodding.

"Ruo-kun!"

"Ruo-chan!"

The old men of the transport team and the old women in charge of the internal organs surrounded them, cheering.

Reiza, who had been walking hesitantly, approached.

"Princess."

"Reiza!"

Tueni was surprised to see the maid who had been the only one to accompany her on the trial journey.

"You're safe."

"Yes, I am."

Reiza, who rarely showed emotion, shed a tear.

"I... I..."

For Tueni, she had thought Reiza had returned to the capital as planned during the "trial journey," but for Reiza, who had fallen into Ouzma's trap, the guilt of leaving her mistress with a wicked mage and the sense of responsibility for the guards who had sacrificed themselves to save her had been overwhelming.

But seeing Tueni safe, she felt a little relieved.

Tueni gently hugged Reiza, who had covered her face and knelt down.

Saji called out to Ruo, who was being mobbed by the "Starkeepers."

"Well, well. You did a good job."

"Brother!"

Ruo was delighted, then looked surprised.

"Why are you here?"

"You..."

The excitement of the reunion showed no signs of subsiding.

Maasa, supporting the seated Terezia, watched from a distance with a calm expression.

Terezia, who had lost her strength, leaned on him.

"Terezia-sama?"

"Quiet... Don't make a fuss."

Her voice was weak.

"Be quiet. It's a joyous occasion, isn't it?"

Since handing over the leadership of the "Starkeepers" to Maasa and sending the "Star Princess" Tueni to the "wilderness," Terezia had frequently fallen ill.

Her behavior had also changed.

She began to smile without pretense, expressing gratitude and apologies with tears.

"It's been a long time, hasn't it?"

Half of the nearly hundred-year-old woman's life had been filled with hardship and despair. But now, Terezia wore a look of relief, with tears welling up in her closed eyes.

Her old, dry hand rested on Maasa's.

It was so light, he could barely feel its weight.

"Maasa, I'm leaving the rest to you."

Maasa listened silently to her words.

"It's nothing compared to what we've been through."

With a satisfied smile, Terezia mumbled.

The "covenant" was no longer necessary, but the facts needed to be passed down to future generations.

Not as a myth, but as history.

"You can do it."

To achieve this, authority needed to be reestablished.

The revival of the Mail cult and the faith in the goddess.

Negotiations with the royal family would be the first step.

But the palace, a den of power struggles and conspiracies, was a den of evil. The bureaucrats, who were content with the status quo, moved slowly.

Rationality alone wouldn't be enough. Lobbying, negotiation, and even threats might be necessary.

Could the naive and pure "Starkeepers" negotiate on equal terms and move the country?

"No, it's tough."

"Terezia-sama?"

To restore the royal family's prestige, they might be intentionally promoted and used.

In that case, they would need to ride the wave and gain overwhelming support from the people to apply pressure.

For that, they needed to...

"Hmm?"

Terezia opened her eyes slightly.