“That’s right, the royal crest is created by crossing this crystal with two swords. That’s why, during the Summer Solstice Festival, we offer the crystal and swords at the altar of God Leira.”
“I see~. God Leira is the main deity Ednail, right? And if I remember correctly, he’s the god of the desert and the sun. Hmm, does God Leira have a fondness for crystals and swords? They seem unappetizing from a human perspective, but perhaps they are considered delicious by God Leira?”
“Hey, big brother! Why are you assuming the offerings are meant to be eaten?!”
While staying at an inn in Edna, the capital of the Ednail Kingdom, Diar and I came to this bazaar in Edna to gather information. I’m particularly interested in the ruins, myths, and history of the Ednail Kingdom. Right now, I’m interviewing an old man who clearly loves to talk about the myths and legends of Ednail.
“Eh? But come on, it’s a god we’re talking about, right? We shouldn’t think according to human common sense. Maybe for a god, swords and crystals could be delicious! But you know, what you’re saying has some merit. Offerings don’t necessarily have to be for eating. But then what could it be? For collection purposes, perhaps?”
“Ah! Yes, yes, yes! Big brother! I think I understand now!”
“What!? You figured it out, Diar!? The reason why the god seeks crystals and swords?”
“Hehe, swords represent people’s bravery, and crystals are gemstones that signify wealth. This can be rephrased as a symbol of power… What God Leira is consuming is the power of the Ednail royal family!”
“Wha—!? So, consuming power means eating some sort of conceptual energy… I hadn’t thought of that… But it might make sense. The Ednail royal family governs the people, and it’s as if they’re exerting control over them, offering that power to the royal family. By placing himself at the top of the power pyramid as a god, he reigns as the supreme being… This is a strong theory!!”
“Hey, you two, how much weird stuff do you want to make a god eat…? By the way, you don’t look alike at all, but are you siblings? Or is this just some kind of play? Are you really a harmless guy but actually a huge pervert…?”
“Big brother isn’t a pervert! Even if we don’t look alike, he is absolutely, inevitably, my soul brother! Besides, you’re calling him ‘big brother’ too, but are you perhaps… wanting to become his sister…?”
“No way!? Are you out of your mind? I’m a man! If you’re saying that, then I’d be a younger brother, not a sister! Got it?!”
Is that really the point of discussion here…?
“What are you staring at, big brother? Is that okay? If this goes on, I’ll become your younger brother!”
“What!? No way, no way, no way!!! There’s no way I want an older guy as my younger brother!!!”
“Hehe, is that so? Then if you don’t want to be my younger brother, you better buy something from my shop! Hahaha, it’s an information fee!”
“Ah, I see! Of course, I was planning to buy something anyway. These fruits look delicious!”
“This is honey cactus. It’s a very popular dessert in Ednail and perfect for traveling since it’s hard to spoil and provides hydration at the same time!”
“Then I’ll take four!”
“Thanks for your business!”
After paying the old man for the information, I split the honey cactus with Diar. It separates into segments like a mandarin orange, making it easy to share without getting our hands dirty, perfect for eating while walking.
“Yum! This is pretty tasty! I knew it would be sweet since it’s called honey, but it’s lighter than I expected and not overwhelming.”
“Yeah, it’s delicious, but it somehow tastes nostalgic… Oh! It’s like melon juice, but in a lightly flavored, firmer jelly form… If we reduce the moisture, it might taste just like melon juice.”
“Reducing moisture? Hmm, I’ll have to try that tonight!”
“Hey, Diar, I’ve been meaning to ask… You’re technically a golem, right…? I’ve never seen a golem eat human food, and… even though you’re eating, I’ve never seen you go to the bathroom… Are you okay? You’re not going to explode from holding it in too long, are you?”
“Hey! You shouldn’t talk about that while I’m eating! I’m a super super high-performance golem, so what I consume gets converted into energy 100% perfectly and stored. That’s why I don’t need to go to the bathroom!”
“Really…? That’s amazing; you’re truly super super high-performance…”
Diar is supposed to be a golem. She looks completely human. Well, she has an otherworldly beauty, but she looks entirely human. There’s no one who could identify her as a golem just by appearance.
But she isn’t human.
I met her deep within an ancient ruin, where she had been sleeping as if time had stopped inside a crystal coffin. The moment I touched the coffin, she awoke. Steam and light burst from the coffin, mixing with magical power, creating a rainbow glow.
Awakening in the shimmering colors of the rainbow, Diar looked at me and shed tears.
“I finally met you, big brother! I missed you. Good morning…!”
Saying that, Diar hugged me. Without fully understanding what was happening, I returned her embrace, feeling as though I had to do it for some reason.
The ancient ruins where Diar had been sleeping, known as the Izumia Ruins. I didn’t know how long they had existed or what purpose they served—only that they were mysterious. The ruins, believed to be created by an advanced civilization, had never been entered by anyone throughout history.
This was because there was a guarDiarn protecting the entrance to the closed ruins. The Izumia Golem, a super high-performance giant golem that had been operational from ancient times to the present. Those who dared challenge the overwhelming strength of the Izumia Golem met with defeat and fled. It is said that a king from some era once led thousands of soldiers to challenge the Izumia Golem but ended in failure.
In an instant, the Izumia Golem incapacitated thousands of the king’s soldiers without killing a single one. It melted swords with beams, stripped armor away, and burned the king’s beard and crown with beams while waiting for reports of the soldiers’ defeat from afar. To top it off, it even wrote a message on the ground telling the king to leave.
Understandably, this caused the king to lose his fighting spirit.
No matter how powerful the opponent or how numerous their ranks, the Izumia Golem never killed anyone. For them, who were overwhelmingly strong, it was easy to hold back, to make others aware of the power gap, and to make them give up on intruding.
Yet, I had somehow managed to enter such Izumia Ruins… I never expected to be able to do so. I had come with a tourist’s mindset, thinking it would be enough just to see the ruins from a distance where the Izumia Golem wouldn’t get angry.
When the Izumia Golem saw me near the ruins, it lifted the door to the ruins and opened it. The sight of a golem several dozen meters tall raising the massive door was grander than anything I had ever felt before—it was like a myth in itself.
Something unbelievable was happening right before my eyes. My entire body, not just my heart, felt a thrill as if all my cells were bouncing. My feet couldn’t help but move. Even if it made no sense, I had no choice but to proceed.
A place where no one had ever entered, yet not a speck of dust was inside; small golems were likely managing the ruins. The walls of the ruins bore murals and writings. They told a story of siblings who had been separated and would reunite in a distant future. However, what lay beyond their reunion was not written.
“De-arm Fusion-Type Golem 99.3. Thank you for coming to see me, big brother.”
It was written on the coffin where Diar lay asleep. Although I didn’t understand what it all meant, the situation—the message from the coffin—indicated that I was indeed her big brother.
“So I was your big brother…”
Such words spilled from my mouth. Even if it made no sense, I had to accept it. After all, the message on the coffin was directed to this girl’s big brother, and naturally, the one reading it was that brother.
The ruins, which had never allowed anyone to approach… permitted me to enter. The inside of the ruins and the words written there were reserved for the brother alone.
Then it became clear what I needed to do.
She wanted to be awakened by her brother. So—
“Good morning.”
I said this as I touched the coffin where she slept.
