Regardless of the cause, the topography of the Lostbelt version of Britain bore a striking resemblance to that of Proper Human History's Britain.
A land formed from a blend of highlands, mountains, and plains—the highlands dominated the western and northern regions, while the center and east stretched out in wide, level plains.
Over the course of two thousand years, Shiomi and Aesc had traversed the entire island of Britannia on foot. Comparing his own observations with what he had once learned during his years at the Clock Tower, Shiomi had arrived at a conclusion.
The greatest difference lay at the center of Britannia—at its very heart—where there yawned a vast, bottomless hollow. Such a phenomenon was something that could never exist in Proper Human History's Britain.
If one sought a comparison, perhaps only the Spiritual Tomb of Albion beneath the Clock Tower could serve as an analogy.
Now, having left Gloucester, their group was traveling eastward along the western edge of that immense Hollow at the island's core. From there, they would only need to head directly south to reach the territory of the Fang Clan—the region known as Oxford.
"Hey, Shiomi, there's something I still don't get—why did Aesc bring Baobhan Sith along with us?"
They had set up camp a day's journey from Fang Clan territory when Totorot approached Shiomi, who was tending the fire, to ask.
At that moment, Aesc was chatting with Baobhan Sith. It was mostly Aesc speaking, while Baobhan Sith listened with a look of admiration and awe.
"What's wrong? Do you dislike low-ranking fairies? Even if they're from your own Wing Clan?" Shiomi asked.
"That's not it…" Totorot said quickly. "It's just that, well, we've known each other for a while now, and I've noticed you two hardly ever travel with companions. Aside from Grímr and that Black Knight you keep talking about, I've never seen you with anyone else."
Shiomi chuckled lightly. "Then what's your impression of Aesc?"
"My impression?" Totorot crossed her arms, frowning in mock seriousness. "Her bride power's kind of... questionable. I mean, if she wants to be a proper bride, she still needs some training. How did she already manage to get married?"
As she said this, her eyes shifted toward Shiomi—and the realization hit her.
"Oh, I see! It must be that your bride power is way too high—it makes up for hers!"
She had seen it for herself: Shiomi could be cold and decisive when necessary, but he truly cared for his companions and was remarkably attentive. Before joining Shiomi and Aesc on this journey, Totorot had never imagined that traveling could actually be enjoyable—whether camping or picnicking, everything was surprisingly comfortable and lively.
It was all thanks to Shiomi's attention to detail. She had never met any fairy—or human—so capable of handling everything so smoothly. Across the whole of Britannia, he was probably one of a kind.
"Is that so." Shiomi gave a small, amused smile and shook his head. "But that's not what I meant. I wasn't asking for your opinion of her—I meant, as a fairy, what was your first impression when you saw Aesc?"
"Huh? What do you mean?" Totorot tilted her head, still unaware of Aesc's true identity as a Fairy of the Garden.
"Your first impression—the instinctive feeling you had when you first saw her."
As the fire grew brighter, Shiomi pulled out an iron pot, set it over the flames, and filled it halfway with water.
"...Honestly, not much," Totorot admitted, scratching her cheek. "If she hadn't stepped in to stop that fight, I probably wouldn't have acted so rude back then."
"I see." Shiomi raised an eyebrow slightly. "So, it didn't really matter—you neither liked nor disliked her?"
"Something like that," Totorot said, a little exasperated. Sometimes Shiomi's vague way of talking really gave her a headache.
He sat down on a nearby stump, his gaze drifting toward Aesc and Baobhan Sith as he spoke quietly, almost to himself.
"To tell the truth, Aesc isn't exactly well-liked by the fairies. They hold an unexplainable hostility toward her—one they can't even understand themselves."
Of course, that was only the surface explanation.
In truth, it was because Aesc was not an island fairy at all—but a Fairy of the Garden. That difference in origin alone was enough to create a deep, instinctive divide, even among those who shared the same name: fairy.
Unlike humans, the fairies' values and ways of thinking were incomprehensible. Because of that, their emotions and actions often erupted with far greater intensity.
The idle Mirror Clan and the honest Earth Clan were no exceptions.
Among the countless fairies that roamed Britannia, only one—Black Knight Ector—had ever become their companion. That fact alone spoke volumes.
Totorot was the second.
"Oh…" Totorot let out a slightly downcast sound.
She had noticed it too but never really understood why everyone seemed to dislike Aesc. After all, Aesc was the Savior—the one who had quelled chaos and suppressed calamities across Britannia.
"In any case," Shiomi said with a gentle smile, "Baobhan Sith is the first fairy I've seen who's ever expressed genuine gratitude toward Aesc—without even a trace of malice, filled only with kindness. Even a low-ranking fairy with no fighting ability can still be a companion."
Having witnessed the cruelty of Britannia's fairies firsthand, Shiomi understood far better than Aesc how rare and precious such pure goodwill truly was.
Aesc, who had only ever seen the short-lived humans on this island and had never encountered true humanity, couldn't fully comprehend that value.
"That's pretty important," Totorot said, folding her arms. "But I think having more companions is always a good thing."
"Don't go picking on Baobhan Sith just because you're a higher-ranking fairy," Shiomi teased. "Even if she's a companion, I won't hesitate to step in and give you a lesson."
Totorot shot back immediately, "Who'd do something that pointless? I'm not that kind of fairy!"
"I can tell," Shiomi replied with a small smile.
His gaze drifted toward Aesc and noticed Baobhan Sith's clothes—a coarse, tattered dress and straw sandals that looked ready to fall apart at any moment.
"Totorot," he asked, "can fairies who aren't brides wear the clothes and shoes you make?"
"Why are you asking that?"
"If you don't mind, could you make Baobhan Sith a proper outfit and shoes?" Shiomi's expression softened.
"Oh, that's all?" Totorot laughed, spinning cheerfully on her spinning wheel. "Leave it to me! I'll go take her measurements now. You'll see her new outfit tomorrow, guaranteed."
Then she shot off like a cannonball toward Aesc and Baobhan Sith, landing beside them. She immediately began inspecting Baobhan Sith from head to toe, measuring and muttering to herself. Startled and utterly confused, Baobhan Sith trembled where she stood, too frightened to move.
It took Aesc a moment to realize what Totorot was doing, but she quickly guessed someone must have put her up to it.
Turning toward the campfire, she saw Shiomi adding ingredients into the pot.
Through the drifting steam, their eyes met—and both smiled in quiet understanding.
...
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