Oh, I'd like to introduce myself. I'm Ayasejiro. Thank you for coming all the way out here.
Don't be so nervous. Let's be friends in that world, shall we?
Oh yes. Well ......

　I grabbed Mugen as he came out of the gate, took off his cloak and took him to the coffee shop and sat down. It was only three minutes of quick work.
　Even without the cloak, Yumegen is a gaijin and a handsome man, so he still stands out. He even stares at me, which makes me feel uncomfortable.

Anyway, I'm glad to see you in one piece. My name is ...... and I didn't tell you that. My name is Jean. Just Jean. Over here, I go by Jean Palette. An emespalette palette. But, well, you can call me Mugen as you always have.

　It's a surprisingly common name.
　But I'm fine with Mr. Dreamscape. I wonder if he likes it. Maybe it's like a handle. In a sense, today is like an off-line meeting, too. It's just the two of us, though.

　The waiter comes and orders two coffees.
　Maybe Yumegen was hungry or something, but he also ordered a pizza.

　If he wasn't wearing the cape, Yumegen-san was just a regular handsome guy.
　Sitting in a cafe like this, he looks quite picturesque. It's as if the waiter's eyes were heart-marked, too.

'Can ...... really fix that ...... mirror?'

　I didn't even wait for the coffee to arrive, and I cut to the chase.
　I have a lot of questions.
　You could say that I have a lot of questions.
　But I want to start with the most important ones.

But I want to get the most important thing out of the way. ......, well, it's a fix-it-all, but it's a tough call. Depends on how much money you've been making over there.
Money?　Oh, the money?　In gold, that's about as good as it gets--

　Are you having more trouble in life than you thought?　Mr. Dreamscape.
　Well, that's true. There's no way they're doing this for charity. Normally, I wouldn't mind paying for the legwork to get here as well.
　If we sell them, each piece of gold coin from the other side will be worth at least 150,000 yen.
　I don't know how many they will charge, but since Mr. Mugen is the only person who can fix that mirror, I don't blame them for looking at my feet.

'No, no, no, no, that's not what I meant. When you say fix that mirror ......, you're still a bit connected to it, right?　If the magic was completely shattered, there was nothing I could do about it, but if I just wanted to expand it back out, I'd be fine. So, it's ....... We need a spirit stone and a magic crystal. You know, both spirit stones and demonic crystals.
'That's right, I know, but ....... How much do you need?

　I can handle the demon crystals.
　I got a pile of them in Luclaera the other day, and they're currently piled up in a corner of Shamash-san's hut. If Shamash-san isn't wasting a lot of money, he should still have plenty of stock. If we need a bigger one, though, it might be a struggle.

　There should still be a good amount of spirit stones as well.
　I've got some in my room, some in my clan inventory, and there should be a few in the mansion. As I recall, I let Marina have one as well.

''In terms of numbers, we should have at least ten spirit stones. I'd like to have the same amount of internal magic power in the demon crystals as well. Can you get it out?
'Oh, are you sure you want ten of them?　I can get you out!　I can get it out!

　Ten of them would have been worth about $30 million, but there should have been about that much.
　I'd heard there were some conditions, so I was dreading it, but we'll make it work!

''Hey, hey, 10 spirit stones shouldn't be so easy to produce ....... Well, it's easy if you sell the ones from this world over there: ....... And, so, there's just one more tricky problem.
What is ......?

　I knew it wasn't going to be that easy: ......?

You know there are different kinds of spirit stones, right?
Yes. It's like a gemstone in the rough, isn't it? As I recall, the value of a gemstone differs according to its color.
'Yes. The higher the coloration, the more expensive the stone is considered to be. For example, didn't your high elf wear a necklace of red spirit stones?　That stuff is made of the finest spirit stones.
Oh, you do have a red coral necklace, that's for sure.

　Deanna's necklace was such a luxury item.
　I usually see that guy as life-size, so I wasn't really aware of it, but he's an elf princess.

The red and blue spirit stones are especially prized. The dark red spirit stone is called 'Heavenly Color Scarlet Red Jade' and the dark blue spirit stone is called 'Heavenly Color Ruri Gunjo' and is highly prized.

　I've heard that name before.

"So, the one in the future. I want the blue one. In order to fix that mirror, I need the keystone for spirit power ...... Well, theoretically it should be fine without it, but to put a string on the mirror, I need the same kind of stone I used as a pass when I made it. That's the blue spirit stone, "Heavenly Colored Ruri Group Blue". It's not something you can get if you try to get it, but if you pay for it, you can get it--

　With a sibling expression, Yumegen-san says such things.
　Tenshoku Ruri Gunbei or .......

''Ah, um. ...... me, I have that. I mean, that's the first spirit stone I got over there ....... And I'm sure that's what the priest said too.

　I was told that it was customary to save my first spirit stone for the first time, and I kept the lapis lazuli spirit stone in my room for a long time.
　Once, I had it in the temple to use it if it was missing when I was healing Orica's eyes, and I remember being surprised by the priestess at the time.
　You had such a nice stone!　And.
　He told me it was a waste and I shouldn't use it, and then he put it away.

　When I said I had it, Yumegen-san said, "What? I let out a dumb voice.

''It's your first spirit stone and you got blue!　That's awesome ...... No, it's a guidance. It's all in the palm of God's hand, I guess. ......

　Yumegen took a sip of his coffee and gave a faraway look.
　In the palm of God's hand ....... In that world where there is guidance, there is certainly a higher rate of God's involvement in life.

'Well, if that's the case anyway, it shouldn't be a problem material-wise. However, it's been a long time since my wife and I have done magic. Let's just say that there's a chance of failure: .......
'Oh, yes. Come to think of it, your wife is an elf, isn't she? Elf...... No, who is Yumegen-san in the first place?

　Maybe it was rude, but I couldn't help but ask.
　I had just gotten that mirror and crossed over to the other side.
　But Mr. Yumegami said that he "made" that mirror itself. And, apparently, using magic.
　In the first place, what is that world?
　Where did Yumegen come from? Is she an otherworlder? In the first place, wasn't that mirror not only impossible for elves to cross, but also for otherworldly people to cross?

　Yumegen-san made a slightly difficult face, then smiled and said.

''Of course, I came with the intention of teaching you. Everything. ...... It's going to take a little bit of preparation, okay?



　◇◆◆◆◇



'First of all...well...you're right: ....... I don't know where to start. I'm not going to be the only one who can do that. It's just that I'm a person who has nothing to do with this world.

　Yeah, I know.
　No, I'm not Japanese by face, so I can kind of understand.

'I was held up as one of the greatest geniuses of all time at the time. This was back when Elishe wasn't a city name, it was just a place name, an endemic position that hadn't appeared in a thousand years. I was being tipped off as a kirin child who had received the love of God.
Once in a thousand years is amazing.
'Yeah, so I was totally on a roll at the time. Then one day, I got a funny guidance, '? -？？？？？？ It's all the hathena markings that say, "I'm not going to do this.
Hmm?　That's out to me, too. First it was Hatena and now it's called 'The Great Wheel of Fate'. It's still a mystery to me, but, well, I think it's probably the one that has something to do with our elves.

　The big wheel of destiny is 9/10.
　It should be accomplished soon, but I haven't heard anything from the middle of it.

'Yes. That happens when the path is connected to the special guidance of the High Elves. Well, it wasn't called 'The Great Wheel of Fate' when I was there.
Yeah. So what's that guidance all about?　Do you know about this, Mr. Yumegami?　

　Yumegen's wife is said to be an elf.
　Maybe she's an elf, or maybe she's a high elf.

'I know ......, but it's probably not exactly the same as it was for me and for you. Well, I think it's almost the same actually. That guidance--
Is that guidance at ......?
'The original sin of the High Elves, or dreams, or hopes. Gather those thoughts and prayers and make a miracle. The greatest magic in the world. That's the 'special guidance' of the High Elves.

　It was even more epic than I imagined.
　The greatest magic in the world, covered in magic like that, is ....... What's going to happen? .......

''Did you achieve it, Dreamscape?''

　It's more of an accomplishment, or rather, a watchful eye on the accomplishment: .......

'Just about. ...... Now ......, changing the subject, what do you think a high elf is?

　Mr. Mugen changes the subject overtly.
　I wonder if he doesn't want me to mention it too much.

　But a high elf?
　I only know Deanna, so I'm not that familiar with her.
　She has slightly longer ears and whiter hair than most elves.
　If elves have blonde hair, high elves are platinum blonde.
　His face is obscured by the spirit crest, but his true face should be a beautiful ...... woman.

''Aren't you elven royalty ......?

　I replied. If anything, the answer would be Elven royalty.

'Yes, I am royalty. But they are so different from your average elf, don't you think?　As a living organism, you can see how unusual the High Elves are, can't you?
Is that so?

　Deanna is unusual ......?　I never thought of it that way, but .......

'They don't die (・・・・・・・). Ordinary elves, nightmares, undines and the like die normally. They even have a lifespan. But only the High Elves live forever.

　Huh?　Really?
　Deanna said she was only 21 years old or something, and I thought she was supposed to live a normal life and die a normal death, even if she had a slightly longer life span.
　What do you mean by not dying ......?

'When I came to this world, I just thought there was a similar creature, an imaginary creature called a phoenix. When it reaches the end of its life, it jumps into the fire and regenerates. The High Elves are pretty much the same thing.
"Huh ...... phoenix and ......?
''That's right. In the first place, the high elves have no ability to breed themselves. The old high elves create their own alter egos. The old High Elf will create an alter ego, and the old self will use its remaining spirit power to last the rest of its life. There are only one male and one female High Elf and they always form a family as a pseudo father and daughter or mother and son. As long as you have a female high elf in your place, the other high elf will only play the role of the father.
It's true I'd never heard of my mother before: ......

　I was confused.
　High elves are a different species. They are different from humans.
　I should have known that, but I didn't expect them to be so different.
　Even Deanna had a father and a mother and was born normal, she thought that as common sense.
　That's what it's like to give birth to your younger self and live forever: .......
　No, isn't that, in essence, a creature that reproduces monogamously? Aren't they technically different people?

　Yumegen's story continues.

'What do you think such a high elf's dream is?　I think you get the idea--

　I didn't have an immediate answer.
　It would have been obvious from looking at Deanna.

'A high elf's dream. Or hope. Or Original Sin ....... Her dream (・・・・) is now and always has been one and only one. "'For those who love each other, to join together and live forever'.

　--I want you to pledge your eternal love to me.
　--Please pledge your everlasting love to me, ......?
　--My master is my ...... destiny.

　Deanna's words refrain through my brain.
　Yes.
　Deanna had said that for sure.
　She wanted me to pledge my eternal love to her.

　I had thought that was just such a love language, but perhaps it meant more than that.
　A species that lives eternity and eternal love.
　The meaning of that was both understandable and unfamiliar.

'I guess I'm starting to get that look, but, well, I've been guided by the High Elves, and now I'm here. Now, the question. How old am I?
'Age?　I look like I'm about 40. ......

　Originally, the real age of humans in that world was hard to tell.
　This is because rejuvenation by spirit stones is common.
　However, the fact that they bring up this kind of problem means they must be extremely young, or vice versa.

　Yumegen smiled lightly and said.

''I, you know, I swore a vow. High Elves and eternal love. And your guidance has been ...... accomplished.
Oh, so you made it.
It's all right.

　Yumegen grabbed a slice of freshly made pizza and brought it to her mouth.
　Although she's eating it with a hoo-hoo-hoo look of deliciousness, there's an empty light in her eyes.

'The age - I came to this world a long time ago. It's already ...... about 150 years ago. It's what they call the end of the Edo period in Japan. I've never aged since then, and I'm still living in this world. With my eternal lover.

　Seriously, .......

"Don't look at me like that. It's not that I regret it, I just wanted to be and I'm enjoying my life here. And now, to the point of the story...

　It's still there.
　I think I'm already a little over my tolerance.

'I'm talking about what the High Elves are. You have special guidance, don't you?　Then you should know.
Uh, uh, ...... yes.

　The identity of the High Elves: ......?
　I thought we were talking about a mysterious race like that.

I'm not sure if I should tell you this ...... or not, I was actually torn between the two. But I've talked to my wife about it and we've come to the conclusion that we should tell her.
...... Yes.
'I'm not sure you have the stomach for continuing your relationship with the High Elves and overcoming the obstacles. That should have been tested ...... all along from the beginning. From the moment your guidance was given, or even before.
'Um, yes. Maybe so: ......

　It would be the compulsion of special guidance.
　Besides, with that spirit crest on Deanna, it must have been some sort of obstacle.
　It was so intense from the very first encounter.

I'm a good age, so I can't decide whether this guy is an old woman or a big deal...... I can't decide for myself, but I'm going to make a choice I'll regret just because I fixed the mirror...... or God's I'm telling you this because I can't bear the consequences of being played with the palm of my hand.

　It's hard to get to the heart of the matter, as if he's wondering if he should say it or not, Yumegen-san.
　Certainly, if Yumegami-san fixes the mirror, the great wheel of fate will continue.
　Regardless of the conditions of the achievement, if it's linked to Deanna's special guidance, I mean, that's what it's all about.

　And if you're going to have such a relationship with a high elf, then of course you should know what a high elf is ......?

　A super creature with a different lifespan and a different ecology. A race beloved by God. No, a creature that only exists in a pair of men and a woman may not technically be a race.
　Even in the fantasy world, it is a special fantasy creature ......

'Tell me about it. And to face Deanna after the mirror is fixed, I'll be left with half a lump of dust if I'm distracted here.

　At my words, Yumegami-san nodded one, "Right," he said.
　Then he gulped down a glass of water, looked me straight in the eye and told me.

''The High Elves' true identity is an artificial human. They are life forms, but they are not life forms; they are organic androids living in eternity, equipped with Artificial intelligence...... or A.I.