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Volume 2, Chapter 2

Translator: Manga0205

The sea that was in between the Dark Continent and the Shutaia Continent was called the 『Sea of Farthest Ends』.
It was now known that the Dark Continent is beyond that sea, but that wasn’t the case in the past.
『Sea of Farthest Ends』.
Constantly running wild, it was a sea where one could not see what was ahead.
Seeing that, the people purported that it was a 「sea where the Gods’ blessings had ceased」.
There is nothing beyond here, only the end of the world.
Therefore, the Gods sealed this sea as the 「Farthest End」 to make it so that people would not approach it.
A portion of brave sailors went out to travel to try and see the end, but not a single one of them came back.
There was no mistake that they were swallowed up by the Farthest Ends.
Therefore, one must not approach it.
「……And well, that is why this sort of story was the most spread out in the Shutaia Continent.」
「How was it for us?」
When Shion nodded at Nino’s reasonable question, he placed the book that had 『Sea of Farthest Ends』 written on it down on the desk.
「It was something similar. Shipbuilding engineering itself hadn’t even existed, and there wasn’t anyone interested in what was on the other side of the sea. It seemed that they didn’t know that the thing known as the Shutaia Continent even existed.」
Far from just that, it was said that the Mazoku of the Dark Continent didn’t even know about the existence of Humans.
What changed that situation, was a certain day.
A single woman was washed ashore on the coast of the Dark Continent.
Altejio who was just a mere Mazoku in those days──the current Demon King Army Northern General had held an interest in that strange woman.
She was far shorter than him in height like a child, but her appearance and atmosphere were complete like that. She was a woman that had that sort of strange balance.
After helping her out in jest, he learned that the woman was part of a race known as Metalio.
Metalio──a.k.a the Ore-man race. A race that specialized in blacksmithing.
Naturally, the Altejio of that time didn’t know about that.
Altejio told the woman that he himself was a Mazoku.
Although the Metalio woman who heard that was surprised, she immediately apologized for her reaction.
When Altejio asked the woman who had come from a place that was not here what she intended to do from now on, it was said that the woman said that she wanted to stay here.
The woman said that her name was Margarett.
To that woman who had said that she cast away her birthplace and went on a journey, Altejio did not ask for anymore details. He said that he was hesitant to ask due to her painful looking state.
When she revealed that her special skill was in blacksmithing, she made a request saying that she wanted to produce arms for Altejio who had taken care of her as thanks.
Like that, numerous arms including Altejio’s beloved sword, 「Light Burying Sword Auraal」,were born, and at the same time, blacksmithing techniques were brought to the Dark Continent.
Majin who had further interest in blacksmithing techniques seemed to go to Margarett to study one after another, and Majin who devoted themselves to blacksmithing spread throughout every place of the continent.
Incidentally, it was said that the number of Majin walking the coast wondering if there were any interesting fellows that had come in had increased.
「Weren’t there any Majin that held an interest in what was on the other side of the sea?」
「It seems that there weren’t any fellows that held that sort of spirit of inquiry.」
When Shion answered, Nino went “I see” and nodded.
「……What happened between Altejio and Margarett?」
「I don’t know since he didn’t answer me.」
Pretending that he didn’t hear Nino’s muttering of “when we get back, let’s definitely get him to spit it out……”, Shion collected his thoughts.
The Mazoku of the Dark Continent did not possess an interest in the other side of the 『Sea of Farthest Ends』.
And then, even with the people of the Shutaia Continent, except for a portion of people, they didn’t try to get close to the 『Sea of Farthest Ends』.
In that case, where did that all crumble.
The hint to that was in the old book that had 『Investigation on the Country of Darkness』 written on it.
This book was an old book that was in the corner of the bookstore that Shion entered.
It was written approximately more than a hundred years ago.
For high-class books, they would normally have Preservation Magic cast on them to prevent degradation.
Naturally, the effects would vary depending on the grade of the magic, but seeming like this book had a considerable amount of expectations for it, high-grade Preservation Magic was cast upon it, and had a brilliance as if it were as good as new.
「Why was a book like that in the corner?」
「It’s because it’s a book that had a lot happen in its past.」
What Shion had visited this time was a bookstore that was at the heart of the royal capital.
It was a bookstore that mainly dealt with high class specialized books oriented for nobles and scholars, and did not sell books for the general public.
He had a letter of introduction for it prepared by Luuty as a reward for the Ogre extermination, but if he hadn’t done that, he wouldn’t be able to even enter it.
This book was in the corner of that sort of bookstore. At the time of its writing, it received extravagant praise from a portion of scholars as being the latest interpretation, but having many conjectures with no positive proof, it was said to have gone out of print as a dangerous publication that bewildered people’s hearts.
「According to this book, it seemed that mankind once believed that Mazoku had come from a place known as the 『Country of Darkness』.」
「What is that?」
『Country of Darkness』.
The author of this book defined it as the place where Mazoku reside.
The basis for that was the method in which Mazoku appear.
「Nino. What was the method that we used to come to the Shutaia Continent?」
「It was Transfer Magic.」
Transfer Magic──Magic where one moves themself to a different location in an instant.
There was also a magic called Transmission Magic which did something similar.
This made it possible to send not oneself but a targeted group to another location.
As a matter of fact, there was no one in mankind that could make use of this sort of magic.
Even among Mazoku, only a portion of those proficient at magic could use it.
In other words, since even the existence of Transfer Magic or Transmission Magic was unknown in those times, it was interpreted that Mazoku seemed to have appeared from the 『Country of Darkness』 that was in some other dimension. However, this conjecture of 「Mazoku invading from another dimension」 only fanned the fear of the people more than necessary as a result. This book ended up going out of print for that reason, but the existence of the 『Country of Darkness』 continued on with a deep-seated tinge of authenticity among the people.
In those times, the Demon King Shuklous who was said to be in the Shutaia Continent was made out to have come from the 『Country of Darkness』, and even the Mazoku that appeared from empty space were made out to either be his reinforcements, or ones sent in by Shuklous’ political opponents.
「How was it actually?」
「Gramfia had probably sent them in. Most of them were……」
This was just Shion’s guess, but Demon King Gramfia who was in the Dark Continent probably knew of the places where mankind lived.
He wasn’t sure if Gramfia knew that it was the Shutaia Continent or not, but at any rate, if one had at least an image of some sort of place, it was possible to irresponsibly send in subordinates with Transmission Magic.
Since it was also possible with Transmission Magic to designate a person to make them return, there should have also been times where the sent in vanguard brought back prisoners.
It is unknown as to what degree Gramfia did that, but for a degree where they could somewhat influence the culture of the Dark Continent, it was a fact that there were prisoners from mankind’s territory.
And then, the existence of Demon King Shuklous had become a cover for those sorts of actions.
「In other words, for a considerably long time……Everything was made out to be the fault of Demon King Shuklous.」
「Hーn. But, what Gramfia had done……was mere slave hunting, right?」
「Pretty much. In contrast, what Shuklous did was clearly invasion. That being said, from mankind’s point of view, neither of them did nothing, and it was nothing more than an invasion by Mazoku. Gramfia also probably had that sort of intention.」
A prolonged fight with the Demon King Shuklous.
Fear of the 『Country of Darkness』.
On a certain day, a turning point would come, to the exhausted mankind.
「In other words……the summoning of the Hero.」