48 – Story time

"Kwan Kwan? The town of legends? Of course I know about it. Now that I take a better look at you, you are wearing clothes in the style of Kwan Kwan."

"Yeah. I heard that part before already. How about telling me something new?"

The loli sage asked us to take a seat on the tree stumps placed like chairs. I guess she wants to play teacher. As long as I find the answers I need, I don't mind letting her have her fun.

"Ahem, according to ancient texts, long ago, when the world was still crude and mortals were ignorant and doomed to die out, it is said that the Gods made a special exception in order to preserve life."

At this point I would ask what the purpose of life is? If Gods wanted us not to go extinct, why didn't they just make us immortal to begin with? Why are we born in the first place? Just to die? Life is too short. Regardless, if I asked something like that right now she might get mad at me and not cooperate, so for the time being I let her continue the story. Who doesn't like a good bedtime story?

"Now take this next part with a grain of salt since it's considered a legend. In order for the Gods to be able to help people without directly interfering, they had to build some sort of path connecting their realm and ours. They would choose specific individuals to enter the beam of light, grant them knowledge and tasks, and then send them back."

"So basically, an elevator."

"Ele...vator!? What's that?"

Oh right. My mind is still a mess. I know stuff I have no clue how I know. Describing it would only cause more confusion at this point.

"It's just a word I made up."

"Not funny. Anyway, as I was saying, because of this, the mortal races managed to eventually prosper with Kwan Kwan at the peak of civilization. However, where there is great power, there is also greed.

At one point outsiders tried to forcefully enter the bridge in hopes of attaining great power and using it for their own intentions. With knowledge that exceeded what mortals know, the villagers of Kwan Kwan performed a ritual to move the entire town someplace else, along with the beam of light.

They also made sure to enchant the road and surroundings of the new location so that no outsider can reach the town. In short, only someone from Kwan Kwan can find it and freely enter. Ever since the day of the ritual, Kwan Kwan became a myth, with only a handful of people being able to ever reach it."

Ruri paused for a second. It's clear that there's something on her mind. She then asked:

"If you are from Kwan Kwan, shouldn't you know all this already though? You should be more knowledgeable than me."

"Sorry, but my memories are limited to a few years only. I suffer from amnesia. I don't know anything about my past. I just woke randomly on a road. Prior to that point I can't remember anything."

"Naruhodo. This is quite extraordinary."

"Umm… what do you mean?"

The loli sage took a monocle out of her pocket. She took a good look at me through it.

"Wow!! You're freaking stacked! Level 99? But that can only mean…"

I was confused. I couldn't follow her thought process. And my girls were even more lost. Mommy Shera especially, due to her airhead nature. Eventually she couldn't help but ask:

"Ara, ara. Chibi-chan, is there something you figured out about Ayaka? Can you share it in easy to understand words?"

"Don't call me tiny!! I don't like that!"

She's kinda cute when she gets angry like this, hehe.

"Ahem. This is going to be just a preliminary theory. Ayaka! My guess is that you are an otherworlder!"

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.

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"Are you sure about that? Are you saying that Ayaka is like the heroes?" (Lina)

"Hell no. I can understand why you would make that comparison. A hero is a summoned being, but they retain their memories of their past life. Severe memory loss is usually a side effect of soul transmutation. I should know, since I went through that process myself.

Also, your absurd level… that can only mean you have been reincarnated into this body."

All my girls started to look at me weirdly.

"Oh, come on, don't give me those eyes. I'm me! It doesn't matter if I had a past life or who I was."

"Fufu, you're right. We all fell in love with the current you!" (Shera)

"Anyway, like I said, this is just a theory."

"So… the fact that people think I know where Kwan Kwan is, makes me a target?"

"Most likely. Well, technically you can find it if you want to."

"Err… weren't you paying attention? I have no memory."

"I said you can find it. Not remember it. If you really are from Kwan Kwan, you have an internal compass built in you."

Okay. This is getting interesting.

"Hey, Ruri-chan, what would it take for people to stop targeting me?"

"That's a question with many variables. I guess if the bridge would be destroyed… but there shouldn't be a force strong enough on earth to do that. Then again, you are an absurd being."

"Ok. I get the picture."

Guess I have no choice. If I want to have a happy life, that bridge has to go. I just want to be left alone. Is that too much to ask? I guess the next question has to be how to trigger this internal compass.

*Earth Shaking*

"Woooah!"(Nier)

"What's happening?"(Rena)

"I'm not doing this!"(Ruri)

An earthquake? If only that was the case.

"Did someone follow you guys? The tree is being attacked. Someone is trying to force the entrance open! My defenses kicked in, but the gate might still be breached. I let you guys pass through because there wasn't an inch of evil in your eyes, but it's clear that whoever is attacking us is really hostile."

Geez. Just when we were getting at the good part. Do I really have to squash a bunch of insects again? I'm not a gardener. Ugh… What idiot is dumb enough to attack a tree?