Merula Merlin rode on the back of a jugjug—a timid creature resembling a cross between an ostrich and an ornithomimus—as she made her way along a barely paved road through the jungle of the Spirit Kingdom of Garlan’s Mother Island. The dense rainforest canopy pressed in on all sides, the trees obstructing her view.
Jugjugs, which lived only on the islands of the Spirit Kingdom, were useless for military purposes due to their skittish nature. But for the high elves, they served as everyday transportation (something like a granny bike for humans).
When Merula finally emerged from the jungle into a more open area, a village came into sight. Here, dwellings were built either into the hollows of massive trees or high among their thick branches. This was what a typical settlement in the Spirit Kingdom of Garlan looked like.
Over a century has passed, and nothing’s changed...for better or worse, Merula thought as she gazed at her hometown, in which she had not set foot for a very, very long time.
Back when the kingdom had been closed to outsiders, Merula’s decision to flee had branded her a heretic, and she had been barred from returning. But now the country was charting a new course under King Garula and Princess Elulu. As a key figure linking Garlan to the Kingdom of Friedonia, Merula was finally allowed to come home.
Today, she had been invited by King Garula himself to visit her birthplace for the first time in ages—though “ages” was an understatement given just how many years had passed. Because the nation had been isolated for so long, little had changed in the village.
Oh, but there’s a fountain plaza now.
At the settlement’s center stood a fountain plaza used to display jewel broadcasts. The Spirit Kingdom produced no broadcasts of its own, so it must have been built to view those from abroad. Even this small addition revealed how the high elves’ interest in the outside world had begun to shift.
Even this ossified country will eventually change.
The long-lived high elves were patient people. Compared to those of humans or beastmen, their lives stretched so far that they felt no urgency to change rapidly. Still, once they opened themselves to outside influence, change, even if gradual, was inevitable.
As Merula reflected on this...
“You must be Lady Merula,” a voice called from above.
Merula looked up to see three female high elf soldiers perched in the branches, bows strapped to their backs. Since none of them had their weapons drawn—and all three were women—Merula guessed they had been sent by King Garula to welcome her.
“By order of King Garula, we’ve come to escort you,” one of them said, confirming her suspicion. “We will lead the way. Please follow us.”
The speaker sprang lightly from branch to branch, taking the lead. Merula urged her jugjug to follow, realizing they weren’t heading towards the village but into the mountains beyond it.
Before long, the narrow path brought them to a clearing halfway up the mountainside. There, at the roots of an ancient tree that looked to be thousands of years old, stood a shrine no taller than a person. King Garula was waiting before it.
He stood with his gaze fixed on the shrine, lost in thought, and didn’t notice Merula’s approach until she dismounted and stepped closer. At last, he turned.
“Merula Merlin, huh? Good of you to come,” Garula said, his tone calm.
Merula smiled faintly. “Thank you for your invitation, King Garula.”
“There’s no need to stand on ceremony. You are neither my vassal nor a citizen of this nation anymore.”
“Oh, is that so? Then I’ll just talk normally.” Switching quickly to a casual tone, Merula’s eyes drifted to the shrine. “Could this shrine be...?”
“Yeah,” Garula replied. “It’s Gerula’s grave.”
Gerula Garlan. That had been the name of Garula’s younger brother. Once a general of the Spirit Kingdom, he had succumbed to a mysterious illness known as the Magic Bug Disease—an unknown condition at the time—and passed away.
However, Gerula’s disease-ridden body had been entrusted to the Kingdom of Friedonia’s medical team as a research subject, and their studies had greatly aided in discovering treatment methods. In that sense, his death had not been in vain. And now, he rested beneath this shrine.
“Isn’t it a bit small for a royal grave?” Merula asked.
Garula chuckled. “He was never one for grand displays. I felt he’d appreciate it more if I let him rest here quietly, where he can look out over the village.”
“Hmm... Well, sure, why not, I guess? This is a nice sunny spot,” Merula replied, stretching with a groan.
Then Garula turned towards her and lowered his head.
Merula’s eyes widened. “Wh-What? What’s that for, all of a sudden?”
“I called you here to thank you. You were there for Gerula in his final moments, weren’t you?”
“I didn’t really ‘watch over’ him... I just talked with him a little near the end.”
“Even so. To be able to speak, even briefly, with one of his own kind in such a distant land must have been a comfort. It eases my own heart too...knowing he wasn’t entirely alone at the end.”
“I’ll accept the sentiment. You’re welcome.”
Garula, she realized, simply wanted to do what he felt was right. And for Gerula’s sake, Merula decided to let him.
Clearing her throat to break the solemn mood, she asked, “So, Princess Elulu isn’t coming? She’s back on the Mother Island now, isn’t she?”
Garula shook his head with a wry smile. “No, Elulu is in the Great Tiger Kingdom visiting Sir Shuukin. She says she wants to act as a bridge between this country and the continent, and to learn more about it firsthand... But honestly, I think she just wants to be with Sir Shuukin.”
“She’s all set to marry him, huh? Are you really okay with that, as her father?”
“I have my concerns, but if it’s what she wants... I don’t mind.”
“My, how understanding of you. You’re really going to let her? Even if she does marry Sir Shuukin, the celestials don’t live any longer than humans. He’ll be gone in just a few decades.”
“There’s nothing to be done about that. Such is the fate of the long-lived races.” Garula glanced towards the shrine before continuing. “But even we, for all our longevity, can have our lives cut short by war or disease. In that regard, we’re no different from the short-lived. That’s why I believe the best way to enjoy a long life is to spend each day with the ones we most want to be with in that moment.”
“Yeah... I sort of get that.”
The image of Excel Walter flickered through Merula’s mind. Excel, with her long lifespan, had met and parted with countless people, yet she always found joy in entangling herself with those around her at any given time. Though, to be fair, her antics were more than a handful for the people she toyed with.
Garula turned to Merula. “Don’t you have anyone in this era by whose side you want to stay?”
“Well, it’s not like I don’t have anyone.”
Her thoughts immediately went to Souji and Mary. They were deeply involved in religion, something almost antithetical to a scientist like her, but their constant banter was something she cherished. Being with them was probably what made her happiest right now.
“Anyway, you’ve given me your thanks. I’ll be heading back now.”
Garula’s eyes widened. “But you only just arrived. It’s been so long since you last came home. I thought you’d want to stay for a while...”
“I was planning to, but talking with you has made me feel homesick.”
Homesick. Though she had been born on this island, her true home now was the house she shared with Souji and Mary.
Even without knowing the details, Garula nodded and said softly, “If you ever tire of life on the continent, you can return. You’ll always be welcome here.”
“Sure. I’ll think about it in a century or so.”
And with that, Merula set off without looking back.