My name is Yame.
The lights of civilization have reached this island.
I must say, it was quite bright.
Now that the base’s inn was finished, I found myself spending more nights on the island. The rooms were comfortable, and it made me happy to know I no longer had to fear the wind or rain. It gave me a profound sense of security.
And then there was the matching tableware. It was enough to bring me to tears. Not that the mismatched seashell dishes I used before were bad, of course.
One night on the island, a High Elf invited me to join a card game. I accepted happily. It was the perfect chance to demonstrate the superior intellect of the Demon race!
The goal was simple: win by getting rid of all the cards in my hand. I asked if I could stack a "Draw Two" on top of a "Draw Four." According to the local rules, it was allowed.
In that case, take this!
Hearing the next person scream was quite cathartic. I certainly enjoyed myself.
By the time the general living environment on the island was established, large-scale construction had begun on the coast. They were building a harbor, complete with a pier and a storehouse.
The team surveyed the island’s perimeter and selected the optimal location for a port. However, the water there wasn't quite deep enough. If the depth was insufficient, large ships wouldn't be able to dock, which would force us to rely on small boats for transport or build an excessively long floating bridge.
Either option was inconvenient. Small boats were tedious, and floating bridges were unstable and unsuitable for loading or unloading heavy cargo. They were fine for passengers, but not for freight.
To ensure sufficient depth, it was decided that the seabed at the planned port site would be excavated. I assumed someone like Lana-san would handle the task, but I was wrong. Apparently, they were going to use Multi-purpose Humanoid Mobile Heavy Equipment—an Artie Horse.
I suppose if Lana-san did it herself, she might not have been able to hold back, potentially damaging the island in the process. I didn't say that to her face, though.
Still, I wondered how they would get an Artie Horse here. Those machines were massive—far larger than building materials. I thought it would be difficult to transport one via teleportation magic.
As I was pondering this, Lana-san simply carried it over in her arms. It was pure brute force.
The machine Lana-san brought was a very rare model called an Underwater Multi-purpose Humanoid Mobile Heavy Equipment—the Artie Horse Aqua. It was perfect for excavating the seabed. However, if I remembered correctly, weren't those things incredibly expensive? I worried about what would happen if it broke.
Well, I suppose that wasn't for me to fret over.
I wondered who would be piloting the Artie Horse Aqua. To my surprise, it was a member of the Demon race named Yuri, dressed in a form-fitting pilot suit.
I was stunned. So she was the Demon King’s daughter? Was it really okay for her to be on an island like this? Wouldn't the Demon King be furious? I had always imagined a Demon King would be terrifyingly powerful and short-tempered. The one I used to know certainly was.
Wait, was it that man who had been eating with us at the Village of the Great Tree a few nights ago? The baseball-loving person the cats were so fond of? Yes, he had talked about baseball endlessly. I didn't really understand a word of it, but I told him it was fine and not to apologize because it had been fun.
That man... was the Demon King? Truly?
Now that I thought about it, I did recall the Village Head calling him "Demon King." I had just let it slide, assuming it was some sort of nickname. So he was the genuine article...
Well, if the Demon King wasn't angry, I wouldn't worry about it.
Yuri climbed into the Artie Horse Aqua and began vigorously excavating the seabed. She worked for quite a long time. I wondered if she was going to be all right, though she seemed to be having the time of her life. She even let out a loud, triumphant laugh every now and then.
I thought it might be best if she took proper breaks. I decided I would ask the Village Head to mention it to her.
Later, Stifano reported the results of the island investigation to the Village Head. I listened along with him.
"The traces are quite old, but we found evidence of the Magic God Cult," Stifano said.
The Magic God Cult... were those the people who worshipped the Magic God?
"Yes. It’s only a guess, but it seems that after Yame sealed herself, someone reinforced that seal with another and moved her."
"Wait, was that the Magic God Cult's doing?" I asked.
"It's unclear if they were capable of such a feat, but they were a strange organization with bizarre powers. In particular, the faction trying to resurrect the Magic God was so formidable it made you wonder if the Magic God himself was backing them."
"Hmph."
"Furthermore, there were traces other than the seal... but we couldn't determine their purpose. They might have been designed to break automatically when Yame woke up."
"Or maybe they just weathered away?" I suggested.
"That is highly likely. And it’s probable that those mechanisms, separate from the seal, were what caused Yame's weakening."
Why would anyone go that far? Did they have a grudge against me? I had never fought with the Magic God Cult before. Oh, but maybe I had actually been part of the cult once? Was I hated for that?
"At any rate, there is no current danger on the island. I’ve recorded the traces, so I will completely erase them the next time I visit," Stifano concluded.
The Village Head thanked her, and the meeting ended. During the entire report, a cat had been exposing its belly to me with a look that seemed to say, "I'm sorry." I wasn't quite sure what that was about, but I gave it some head pats anyway.
While construction on the harbor continued, the bell on the watchtower rang. It was the signal that someone was approaching the island.
Looking out at the sea, I saw a fleet from the Sea Race. Given their equipment and numbers... was that the same Sea Race military that had come before?
This was bad. I called out to the people on the shore, telling them to stay away from the water. Stifano had already returned to the village, and Lana-san was off somewhere else. I didn't know how well the High Elves, Mountain Elves, Lizardmen, and Elder Dwarves could fight, so I didn't count on them. Gulf was on the opposite side of the island.
There were ten Angels here at the moment. With ten Angels, we might be able to manage somehow, though we wouldn't be able to pursue them if they fled underwater. The Artie Horse Aqua was for construction, not combat...
"Um, Yuri?" I asked. "Why are you giving instructions to mount weapons on the Artie Horse Aqua?"
And I didn't need her shouting "Hurry up!" either. The Mountain Elves were looking far too gleeful while they attached the weaponry. We weren't going to use those. We needed to figure out how to let them pass peacefully.
I had braced for a fight with the Sea Race, but it turned out to be unnecessary. They were remarkably gentlemanly. If anything, we were the ones acting like rowdy hooligans.
The Angels, who had tried to seize the initiative with a sudden dive attack, really needed to reflect on their actions.
"Even so, you didn't have to suddenly hurl a rock at us," one of them complained.
I was the one who had thrown the rock. I missed, but I successfully interfered with their dive attack. I felt like patting myself on the back.
It turned out the Sea Race were acquaintances of Urza. Apparently, when Urza was looking into this island, she had gone to confirm things with them. Since the island wasn't under their jurisdiction, they had given their permission.
However, after granting it, they realized this was an island they had only suddenly become able to recognize within the last dozen or so years. For some reason, the Sea Race had been unable to enter this specific sea area until then.
Having given their blessing, they worried that a major problem might arise, so they had organized a military force to check on things. That was the fleet I had seen previously.
After confirming they could approach the island without issue and seeing nothing suspicious, they had withdrawn. But since the island had become quite lively recently, they had come back to check again, assuming it was Urza’s doing.
I see. That explained it.
For the time being, I explained that we were associates of Urza and proposed establishing a cooperative relationship for the future. I also asked if the seabed excavation was a problem for them. If it was, I would have had them stop immediately.
"No problem at all?" I asked.
What a relief.
"Wait, you’ll help with the excavation?"
That was a huge help! I promised I would tell the Village Head to request guides and escorts for when ships arrived and departed.
"Yes, the Village Head of Village Five. Do you know him? The King of Strange Eating? What in the world is that?"
Regardless, I reported the situation with the Sea Race to the Village Head. The fact that the Sea Race couldn't recognize the island might have had something to do with my seal. I didn't really understand the mechanics, but the timing of them recognizing the island coincided with when I woke up.
If they had come as soon as they were able to see the island, I might not have had to suffer so much... No, I should try not to think about that.
"Oh? Is the Village Head coming to the island soon?" I asked.
Understood. I’ll do my best to show him around!
Gulf: "I hurried back thinking it was finally my turn to shine, but it was already over."
Yuri: "I didn't want to say 'Hurry up!' I wanted to say 'Spin it!'"
Yame: "So, playing a 'Change Color + Draw Four' on top of another 'Change Color + Draw Four' is... allowed. Then, I'll play this."
High Elf: "Noooooo!"
Angel Race A: "Come on, hit her back! I've reversed the flow with this!"
High Elf: Grins "We're allowed to stack, right? Three 'Draw Four' cards! Please draw twelve cards."
Yame: "In that case, I'll play this 'Change Color + Draw Four' on top of that."
Angel Race B: "Nooooooooooooo!"