Miss Witch, please don't leave your fragrance everywhere

Angelica advised that there is a saying called childhood filter. Many things that look beautiful are just because too much time has passed and the memory has been blurred and beautified, so Angelica will not let everyone know the truth.

Hugo saw the phantom of a giant in his childhood, and his sudden death with that beauty in mind may not be a bad ending.

The meaning of a wake keeper is similar to that of a gravekeeper in the human world, and they receive a good salary. However, the cultural differences between humans and elves lead to naturally different statuses between the two. Humans avoid mentioning death, so gravekeepers are not welcome, while the wake keepers of the elves are highly respected, and it can be considered a decent job.

Hugo shook his head in appraisal.

"I did work as a funeral keeper and saved a lot of money, but that's not what I really pursue. You humans may find it difficult to understand, but we elves are a race that values ​​education. Every elf must go to the academy to study. This is an obligation that must be fulfilled when one reaches a certain age."

The literacy rate in the human world is not actually that high, but on the island of Albion, the literacy rate of the elves can only be described as horrible. In the world where Angelica lived before, there was compulsory education for the elves.

"When I was old enough, I should go to college. After I graduated, it was time to find a job. I went looking for a job. When I was in college, I was recognized as having the qualifications to take over the job of a vigil keeper. So it was natural for me to become a vigil keeper's apprentice. After the old vigil keeper retired, I took over the job of vigil keeper... I can't say whether I like this job or not. I'm just doing my best."

"..."

"Later, my parents wanted me to get married, so they introduced me to female elves of my age... In the end, we didn't end up together. After that, they introduced several more, but the results were no different. Until a kind elf talked about her feelings for me, she said that she couldn't feel my enthusiasm... Not love for her, but love for the idea of ​​getting married, as if I had no interest in it at all."

Hugo said this with a self-deprecating smile.

"It wasn't until then that I realised I would have the idea of ​​starting a family, it was just my parents telling me I should do that at my age. Maybe I didn't meet the right person in the end and I ended up being alone."

Fortunately, the elves do not have any obsession with having children to carry on their family line. After all, in the elves' belief, every elf will be reincarnated.

"The same is true for my work as a vigil keeper. I was told that I was suitable for it, and then I did it. That's all. I have always been thinking about what I really want to do. At that time, I thought of the giant I saw in my childhood. I often dreamed of the giant's figure. Maybe it was on the other side of the sea. My work as a vigil keeper did not allow me to leave freely until later..."

"Until you were diagnosed with a terminal illness?"

Angelica could roughly guess, Hugo nodded slightly, that he was not yet at retirement age, but his illness could no longer support him to continue working.

"Because of my illness, I gave up my job as a vigil keeper. As you said, I have saved enough to support myself for the rest of my life. Although I have no children, it should be fine. But when I am free, the images of my childhood replay in my mind again and again, and I can't get rid of them no matter what. I realized that this might be what I have been pursuing and what I really want to do."

Elves who are old enough should go to the academy to study, elves who have graduated from the academy should go to work, and elves who are of marriageable age should get married. For a long time, Hugo has lived his life according to the rules.

The only thing that is not it is following in the footsteps of giants.

It is the wish of a spirit named Hugo.

Hugo pleaded with Angelica again.

"So please tell me, what is on the other side of the sea?"

"There's really nothing I can do..."

The witch sighed quietly.

"Okay, okay, I'll take you to see it."

"……what?"

"Even if I tell you in person, you still won't be truly satisfied. How about I take you to see it with my own eyes? I'll take you to the sea."

Miss Witch would not do anything meaningless, but Hugo successfully convinced her. Since it was such a reason, it was indeed impossible to refuse.

Hugo hopes that he can truly live for himself once.

“Ohh! That’s so… cough! cough cough cough…?!”

"At least you need to get your body ready to go out to sea!"

348 The Other Side of the Sea

The elves have a unique custom. They regard trees as sacred objects and never allow them to be destroyed unless it is necessary. The so-called necessary actions naturally refer to houses and furniture. Ships are completely blasphemous from the perspective of the elves.

Therefore, although the elves live in an island kingdom, they have gained little in the shipbuilding technology tree. In history, when orc pirates were prevalent, they rode wooden boats across the sea to plunder. Therefore, the elves regarded the orcs as blasphemous demons, leaving a bad reputation on the island of Albion. Although now the orcs are also notorious on the Elf Island for strange reasons.

"No. At least use another method."

"It's so troublesome."

On the shore of Burslem, Hugo insisted that wood could not be used to make boats. Angelica complained in dissatisfaction. The elves were indeed stubborn.

There is no port in Burslem, and the elves do not store ships. Angelica was kind enough to make a ship for Hugo herself, but Hugo still adhered to the old rules of the elves.

If we were to use space warp magic, there was no landing spot over there...

"Lord Angel, we can use the magic of walking on water!"

Sister Alice made a suggestion. Hugo certainly did not have the ability to master Sequence 7 magic, but if the witch used the rose-giving magic to grant it to him, there would be no problem.

Sister Alice looked at Angelica eagerly, and she herself did not notice that her suggestion was not so much to fulfill Hugo's wish as it was to get the praise of the angel.

"Stupid, that's impossible."

"Eh?!"

Sister Alice did not wait for praise, she confirmed it again, and when she saw the iron crutch in Hugo's hand with a wry smile, she suddenly remembered that Hugo had difficulty walking. Even if he used magic to walk on water, it would be difficult for Hugo to support himself and walk to the other side of the sea.

Using mounts is even more impossible. The elves rarely have mounts, and even human merchants have to explain to the elves for a long time if they use animals to transport goods.

Unwilling to give up, Sister Alice continued to think of ideas.

"Then I will save my suffering brothers...!"

“It seems a bit too radical.”

Sister Alice's salvation was nothing more than the Embrace. She thought that as long as Hugo was turned into a vampire, the problem would be solved. However, Angelica knew very well the extent of the grace of becoming a vampire family. At the cost of not being a human, a person who was originally disabled could walk briskly.

But some problems still cannot be solved. Hugo's lung cancer is one of them. Vampires are immune to these diseases, but converting other people into vampires through the First Embrace cannot cure incurable diseases.

Hugo was confused, he didn't know Sister Alice was a vampire.

As expected, it still doesn't work... But no matter what, destroying trees for one's own selfish desires is absolutely impossible.

"Master, the boat is ready."

"Oh?"

Hugo's eyes widened, and he looked hurriedly towards the sea, and saw a strange scene: some soil floating on the sea, like a small island, big enough to accommodate several of them.

Anna used magic to make the mud that should have sunk float on the water. In this way, she made a small boat without violating the principles of the elves.

"You are truly my Anna."

"Actually, it's all thanks to Alice-sama's advice."

Anna calmly attributed the credit to Sister Alice. She was not keen on jealousy. Although she knew that her master valued her very much, Anna positioned herself more as a maid.

"Eh? But I don't remember..."

Sister Alice really wanted to receive praise from the angel, but her faith meant that she would not receive rewards without merit.

"Lady Alice once told me that when the saint was being chased, the sea split into two parts, and the saint was able to cross the sea from the bottom of the sea to escape danger. Anna was inspired by that story."

Angelica smiled. She knew that everything was Anna's idea. Did she care more about the nun's emotions than her own? My Anna is really beautiful and kind.

However, the nun's emotions are indeed much more unstable. In the past, Sister Alice was willing to eliminate heretics for the sake of her faith without any scruples, and she even had no concept of killing. To some extent, she was a very dangerous existence.

"So that's how it is. Miss Sister has been a great help."

"Ahh... Angel..."

"Do I seem a little redundant?"

"How could that be? We came to the beach just to fulfill your wish."

Angelica had not forgotten Hugo. The elves were stubborn, but since they had lived for a long time, they could have accumulated useful experience. Hugo probably noticed something, which was not like ordinary friendship.

"Speaking of which, do you regret the past?"

"what?"

"For example, if you are looking for a partner just to fulfill your parents' request, have you ever regretted whether you should have found someone to accompany you? It's a similar feeling."

"Well……"

Hugo fell into deep thought. He seldom looked back. Even his desire to see the giant only became stronger when he had nothing to do. Hugo had to admit that when he saw people like Angelica being intimate with their loved ones, or when they were disabled or suffering from illness, he also had the idea of ​​wanting someone to accompany him.

But as for regrets... Hugo wasn't sure.

Angelica did not demand an answer from Hugo.

"The weather is perfect for sailing. Let's set off without further delay."

"it is good."

With the help of Anna, Hugo boarded the magic boat. He had a strong premonition that everything would be answered on the other side of the sea.

The truth about the giant and whether he will feel regret and remorse about his past life, all the answers will be revealed on the other side, like the treasure left by pirates.

So, everyone began to work together to cross the sea.

Anna was in charge of rowing the boat. Sister Alice, as a vampire, had a resistance to densely flowing water. There was a rumor that vampires could not cross flowing water, but the truth was that vampires would find it disgusting.

Hugo sat at the bow of the magic boat, staring into the distance. This was his first time going out to sea. Angelica had originally planned to use magic to prevent Hugo from getting seasick. Now it seemed that he had adapted well and did not feel any discomfort.

It’s almost here——

Hugo stood up tremblingly. Neither Angelica nor Anna told them the distance they had calculated in advance, but Hugo had a feeling that the sea ahead was where the giants he had seen in his childhood were.

"We are here, Master Hugo."

"……………………"

He finally saw the other side of the sea that he had been dreaming about day and night.

This is the other side of the sea——

349 Hugo's Sea

——On the other side of the sea, there is nothing.

The endless sea and seabirds circling in the sky are the only plain scenery.

There was no trace of the giant, and if it really existed, there would be no place for it to hide. There was no point in continuing to search forward, as there was an endless sea ahead, and I would only see the same scenery.

Hugo stood facing the sea breeze, and with the help of magic, there was no need to worry about the boat being overturned by the sea breeze.

After a moment, Hugo burst into laughter.

He laughed heartily, and his weak lungs could not support such intense activity, and soon he began to cough violently. But Hugo showed no intention of stopping.

"brother?"

“Ahem… ahem…! I’m sorry, I really…”

Hugo no longer had the time to wonder why Sister Alice always called him brother. His eyes fell on Angelica, who looked like a child but had a cunningness that did not match her appearance.

"There are no giants."

"Yes. If you want to know the truth, I can tell you."

"Go ahead."

"Have you heard the story of Kumarad?"

"I have some impression...what it was."

Anna added automatically.

"Kumarad is a legendary city on the sea. It is said to exist on the sea surface, hidden in the illusory world by magic. Only extremely lucky people can encounter it by chance. It was first discovered by the orcs. Kumarad is the transliteration of 'floating city on the sea' in the orc language."

"Oh... I remember now. The sea city of Kumarad, the dream city that no one has ever reached."

"In fact, Kumarad is not a real city-state. There is a rumor that there are differences in the details of Kumarad witnessed by each person."

Angelica then explained to Hugo.

"The truth about Kumarad is the projection on the sea formed by optical reflection. Due to weather, light and other reasons, some cities will be projected on the sea. The difference in details is the evidence, because the projected cities are different each time."

In the world where Angelica used to live, there was a phenomenon called "mirage".

"This natural phenomenon can be affected by magic, just like some plants will mutate when influenced by magic. When a magician is powerful enough and uses magic, and it happens to trigger the projection phenomenon, the magician's image will be projected."

The probability is very low, because three conditions need to be met at the same time. Mirage itself is a rare wonder, and it must be a magician with sufficient qualifications to trigger the magic.

But low probability and zero probability are two completely different concepts. The probability is indeed very low, but it does not mean that it will never happen. What Hugo saw back then was probably a magician who, when casting magic, affected the natural phenomenon of mirage and projected his own image.

The projected image was magnified hundreds and thousands of times, separated by thick fog, and eventually formed what Hugo mistakenly believed to be a giant.

"The giants didn't exist in the first place. If I had arrived here earlier, I would have realized it sooner."