GalaxyTL
* * *
‘The next arc will be uploaded around the end of April’, I think I wrote that, but it must have been my imagination.
Arc 21 begins!
——
The Great Waterfall of Rakkasunakra.
It’s the name of a giant waterfall that many people living on the Fantasy Continent have probably heard of.
The Igamo Tenart River, meandering through the eastern part of the continent, eventually flows here, and falls into the depths of the bottomless Eserem Sea of Fog.
The great waterfall reverberates with a thunderous sound.
Low-growing, native plants cover the surrounding black, wet rocks, forming colorful flower gardens.
The spray from the great waterfall constantly creates rainbows, and the flowers, bathed in that spray, sparkle beautifully in the sunlight.
Coupled with the majestic Eserem Sea of Fog spreading out behind it, it’s truly a breathtaking view.
But Rakkasunakra isn’t just beautiful.
After all, it’s a great waterfall with an enormous volume of water.
If you slip and fall into the river, and go over the waterfall, there’s almost no chance of survival, and on top of that, the blue fog that fills the Sea of Fog is harmful to humans.
Furthermore, this is the end of the Igamo Tenart River.
For those reasons, the Great Waterfall of Rakkasunakra has been a symbol of ‘death’, or ‘the end’… since ancient times.
Therefore, in the Fantasy Continent, ‘falling into Rakkasunakra’ has even become an idiom, meaning ‘to die’, or ‘to be beyond recovery’.
And… is it because of this image?
Or is it because people are attracted to its dreamlike beauty?
There’s an endless stream of people who jump from this waterfall at Rakkasunakra, trying to end their lives.
“…………”
Looking around the great waterfall now…
There’s a man, standing silently on the slippery, wet rocks, shining in the sunlight, after climbing over the fence that was purposely installed as a safety measure, staring blankly at the Sea of Fog.
This man, too, is suicidal.
The man is wearing a dark brown, wide-brimmed fedora, pulled low over his eyes, his worn coat flapping in the wind.
Underneath the coat, he’s wearing a suit… that you can imagine was probably well-tailored, but is now completely stained.
The tie he lazily wrapped around his neck is also wrinkled and doesn’t look clean at all.
And his leather gloves even have some holes in them.
He looks tattered.
Now, but…
This man has another characteristic, besides his tattered appearance.
It’s the green scales covering his entire body.
Rongi Admaia.
That’s the name of this scaled man.
* * *
Rongi has been living in an orphanage since he was a child.
Apparently, he was abandoned.
Therefore, he didn’t know what the scales covering his body were.
He can guess that they’re probably racial.
If so, what race is he?
If he knew, perhaps his scales could have become his identity, something to be proud of.
However, he had no parents to tell him, and there was no one around him, with a humanoid race covered in scales.
In fact, even after becoming an adult, Rongi has never met anyone like him.
His race is probably… rare.
Anyway, what he wants to say is that his scales were a real pain in the neck for him when he was a child.
Rongi, covered in scales, stood out from the other children.
There were orphans of various races around him—those with animal ears and tails, those with different skin colors, those with horns…
But Rongi was the only one covered in scales.
Rongi became a target of bullying, an obvious oddity, and spent his childhood depressed.
His scales protected his body from some violence, but not his heart.
There is one benefactor who saved him.
His name is Drogg Admaia.
A world-renowned merchant, who leads the Drogg Company.
* * *
What did he like about him?
Rongi had never asked Drogg.
After all, despite being a merchant, Drogg is always grumpy, wearing his dark brown fedora pulled low over his eyes, his mouth in a frown, glaring at everyone.
Rongi was a little scared of him, and couldn’t ask such a thing.
When he first met Drogg, who was visiting the orphanage on business, Rongi’s impression of him was ‘What’s with this old man? Is he a hitman or something?’
The other children seemed to have the same impression, and as soon as they saw Drogg’s fierce face, they ran away like rabbits.
And unfortunately, at that time, the adults who ran the orphanage were all out.
Naturally, Rongi was the only one left to entertain Drogg.
Rongi nervously welcomed Drogg, led him to the reception room, and served him tea.
Drogg was staring at Rongi, intently, intently, intently…
Rongi honestly felt like he was going to die.
He was so relieved when the orphanage director finally entered the reception room.
“I’d like to take this boy in.”
The next moment, hearing Drogg’s words, Rongi was frozen in shock, confusion, and fear…
* * *
Rongi, initially terrified that he’d be used and discarded by Drogg, found that contrary to his fierce face, Drogg was a very decent merchant, and Rongi, as one of his many adopted children, received a thorough education to become a successful merchant.
After spending some time with him, Rongi finally understood that Drogg was a good person, just with a scary face, and he came to feel grateful to him.
A top-notch education.
A strict but loving treatment.
An environment where he isn’t discriminated against because of his scales.
He can’t just receive these things.
He has to repay his debt.
Rongi was motivated.
He studied more than anyone else, worked more than anyone else, and—
Well, he didn’t earn more than anyone else, but.
Rongi had grown to the point where he was entrusted with the position of branch manager of the trading company in the commercial city of Zenalini.
He thought he’d continue to work hard for the trading company, for Drogg.
His days were fulfilling.
That life took a turn for the worse a few years ago.
* * *
It all started when a new trading company, led by a man named Full, began to rise in Zenalini.
At first, Rongi, while feeling competitive towards Full Trading Company’s success, was also secretly rooting for them.
His respected adoptive father, Drogg, is a fair and impartial man.
He fights fair and square.
And he always wins.
He’s a man with that much ability.
Rongi wanted to be like Drogg.
That’s why he felt that he wanted to compete with Full Trading Company someday, in the same way.
However, that feeling changed.
It was triggered by seeing one of Full’s three sons—the youngest.
(What is this…?)
He doesn’t know why.
He doesn’t know why, but—
The moment he saw that third son, named Success,
Rongi felt…
…An unknown shock run through his body!
He felt an unspeakable fear!
He’s just fooling around.
He’s completely irresponsible.
Despite looking like that kind of boy, at first glance.
And when he looked into the Full family, he found that although the third son was trying to hide behind his father and brothers… Rongi was convinced that he was definitely involved in Full Trading Company’s success.
A genius mind that creates innovative products.
And a godlike foresight.
The one working behind the scenes, supporting Full Trading Company… is, without a doubt, that third son.
He’s a man who’s blessed by the God of Commerce.
That is the kind of man Success Full is.
* * *
Looking back, he thinks he did something really foolish, unlike him.
Rongi was terrified of Success’ talent.
And before that talent could fully awaken…
He had to crush him.
Driven by that obsessive idea, a sense of crisis that suddenly arose, Rongi took action.
He pressured those who did business with Full Trading Company.
He spread groundless, malicious rumors to damage their reputation.
He even used thugs to physically attack Full Trading Company.
But Full Trading Company wouldn’t crumble.
They’d fall into critical situations, but Success would always use his quick wit to brilliantly resolve them.
On the contrary, they even gained more supporters through those incidents.
Rongi, on the other hand, became isolated.
His anxiety grew, and the obsessive idea tormented him even more.
He had no choice but to kill Success.
Thinking that far, he was about to hire an assassin, when—
He was reported and arrested by his colleagues, who were worried about his strange behavior.
All his wrongdoings came to light, and the case was resolved.
Happy ending.
Peace returned to Zenalini.
* * *
He has to kill Success.
He has to kill Success!
Even after being arrested and imprisoned, that thought still consumed Rongi.
One day.
Drogg, his adoptive father, came to visit Rongi.
Rongi desperately appealed to him.
That Success Full is dangerous.
That they have to crush him.
That it would protect the future of the Drogg Trading Company.
He pleaded desperately, his eyes bloodshot, spitting as he spoke.
Drogg…
He glared at Rongi, intently, intently.
And said a single word…
“…What a pity.”
Just those words.
And then, pulling his fedora lower, he left the visiting room.
Rongi.
When he heard those words—
When he saw his adoptive father’s eyes, filled with tears before being hidden by his hat—
He felt a shock run through his body again.
“Uoooh… Oaaaaah…”
He crouched down and wept!
What was he doing!?
What had he done!?
The obsessive idea that had been tormenting him was now completely gone.
The excessive murderous intent and hatred he had felt towards Success, for which he had no idea the reason, had also disappeared.
But it was already too late.
Rongi had nothing left.
He was completely dejected… and even when the other inmates mocked him, calling him ‘snake’s shed skin’ because of his physical characteristics, he didn’t argue.
He just served his time apathetically… and then he was released.
* * *
After that, Rongi went to see how the Zenalini branch he used to head was doing, just once.
The staff had changed a bit, but they were all working happily.
Seeing that, Rongi was relieved.
That he didn’t ruin their future with his foolish actions.
And at the same time, he despaired again.
Realizing that there was no longer a place for him there.
* * *
“…………”
And before he knew it, Rongi was standing near the roaring great waterfall, staring blankly at the sea of fog.
His tears have dried up, and he can’t even sigh.
He moved his gaze down, and saw a cliff.
He doesn’t know how high it is because of the fog spreading out below, but it’s a fact that no one who has fallen down there has ever come back.
That’s what ‘falling into Rakkasunakra’ means.
He’s not afraid.
Because he’s already ‘fallen into Rakkasunakra’.
He’s now at the bottom of the fog, with no way back.
At the bottom of his life, with no future in sight.
It’s the same as this great waterfall.
He’s already in a state where he can’t recover, even if he falls.
It’s checkmate.
He doesn’t have to suffer anymore.
Let’s just die.
“Fuuuuuu……”
He quietly exhaled.
To throw himself over.
Rongi took a step forward.
But.
…But!
It was at that moment!
“RAAAAAAHーーー!!!”
He heard a scream from below the fog, louder than the roar of the great waterfall!
“!?”
Rongi, startled, stopped, and looked towards the voice.
And there!
“RAAAAAAHーーー!!!”
Swimming up the Great Waterfall of Rakkasunakra, defying its enormous volume of water, a girl!
“Haa!?”
Her hair color, occasionally visible through the spray—is black!
And the color of her eyes, burning with a fighting spirit that even the great waterfall can’t extinguish, is also black!
And even the swimsuit-like garment, made of an unknown material, covering her entire body, is black!
Everything is black except for her clear, white skin!
That’s the kind of girl she was!
“H-Eh, haa!?”
That jet-black girl, paying no attention to Rongi, who was dumbfounded by her unrealistic movements, unable to do anything but let out stupid sounds…
“RAAAAAAHーーー!!!”
In the blink of an eye, she swam to the top of the great waterfall, and with her momentum, jumped high above it, at least five meters!
The girl, hugging her knees in mid-air, spun around and around.
The water clinging to her body was blown away by the high-speed rotation, turning into spray, dancing in the air, sparkling in the sunlight.
Rongi was speechless, at her powerful yet beautiful form.
He had even forgotten to breathe, as he stared at the girl.
In terms of time, it was only a few seconds.
But from his point of view… it felt like a very long time.
Rongi was entranced by the girl’s figure.
“AAAAH RAAAAAHーーー!!!”
And then, the girl, extending her beautiful, white fingers, straightened her body…
ZAPPAAAAAAN!!
…And fell… into the Igamo Tenart River, flowing towards the great waterfall!
“AAAAAAHHーーー!!!”
And then, once again, kicking up an enormous amount of spray…
She swam upstream, upstream, at a considerable speed, and…
She quickly… disappeared from sight.
“…Haa.”
Rongi finally realized at that point that he hadn’t been breathing, or even making a sound.
“Haa, haa, haa, haa…”
He gasped for air, his body demanding it.
Thump-thump, his heartbeat is loud.
So loud that he can’t even hear the roar of the great waterfall.
“Haa, haa, haa… Ha… haha… Kukuku, hahahaha!!”
Before he knew it…
Before he knew it, Rongi was laughing.
Holding his stomach, laughing.
He hasn’t laughed like this in a long time.
No, is this the first time in his life that he’s felt this happy?
A single tear rolled down Rongi’s green scales.
“Hey, hey, Rakkasunakra… You… were climbed!”
Rongi, wiping his tears with his fist, said that to the great waterfall.
Naturally, the great waterfall doesn’t answer.
Ignoring the tiny Rongi, it just continues to pour water down.
“I see… Kuku, I see… So it’s possible… to do such a thing…!”
Rongi pictured the girl from earlier in his mind.
A girl with black hair and black eyes, with an ominous appearance.
But—
But!
Her entire body was filled with vitality!
There was a burning fighting spirit in the depths of her eyes!
At least to Rongi!
That girl!
Was like a shining light of life—condensed to the point of exploding!!
“Kukuku, kuku… What? Hey, what is this feeling…?”
Rongi clutched his chest.
Behind the hard sensation of his scales, felt through his clothes…
Thump-thump, his heart was pounding.
Fighting spirit—
Ignited.
He can only think of it that way!
Rongi’s soul, which had been on the verge of disappearing, touched by that intense light of life—
Has started burning again—fiercely!
“Aaah… Aaaah!”
Rongi shed tears again.
The flower gardens, shining in the sunlight.
The sparkling rainbow.
The endless Sea of Fog.
Everything he sees is shining beautifully!
“Aah… Ah, what is this, kukuku…”
After trembling for a while, Rongi looked down at the great waterfall.
The bottomless great waterfall, obscured by fog.
The river water that falls down is swallowed, one after another.
“Rakkasunakra… You’re quite frightening, aren’t you?”
And then, saying that…
Rongi buttoned his shirt all the way up to his neck.
He retied his loose tie.
He brushed off the dirt from the shoulders of his coat, and—
He pulled his dark brown fedora low over his eyes.
And then, he turned on his heel.
With his back to the great waterfall—
Step by step—
Rongi started walking forward.
The great waterfall doesn’t answer back, no matter what is said to it.
It just continues to pour water down, with a roar.
But then—a strong gust of wind suddenly blew from the great waterfall.
Towards Rongi’s back.
That wind, as if to say ‘Hurry up and go’—
Roughly pushed Rongi’s back.
——
Arc 21 ends here!
…It’s short, but it’s nice to have a super short one like this every once in a while.
You, the reader, might be wondering ‘Emi can walk on walls, right? Why did she swim up the waterfall?’, which is a perfectly natural question, but well, a lot of things happened.
I’d appreciate it if you could come up with your own answers to those questions… Ehehe!
That aside, I’m glad I was finally able to portray Drogg, whose name has been mentioned since Arc 2, and his personality.
You might be wondering ‘Eh, was there a person named ‘Drogg’?’ but there was.
He’s mentioned less often than Great Mage, so most of you probably don’t remember him, but he definitely existed.