Volume 4: The Shining Land of Hope

[100]
Person- Huh? Desires?
Are you asking what do I want?

Man1- My roof is leaking badly. Would you fix it?

Man2- How about a beautiful good-natured wife?

Woman- I'd like it if my child obeyed me a little more.

Old man- When the weather is bad, my hip aches......

Leo- ... Right.

[101]
Man- What is this, Leo, is your Angel granting wishes?
*Then give me money.*

*hahaha*

*... ha*

Leo- Kind of...
They're all too personal to ask the Angel...
*sigh*

Leo- A priest's duty is hard.
*groan*

Boy1- Oh, it's Leo.

Boy3- Leo nii-chan.

Boy1- Leo, tell us the about the Angel.

Boy2- Wha? The story about the Guardians is better.

Boy3- Yeah.

Leo- I see. Come over here and I'll tell you.

[102]
*Yay!*

Guy1- Nicky, wait!

Nicky?

Guy2- What's the idea!?

Guy1- Oh, it's because you're able to inherit your parent's land like that!

Guy2- You don't care about us!

Nicky- That's not it.

Nicky- I understand your point.
But, I don't have time to stay and hear your complaints.
I said I would talk to you another day.

*glare*

[103]
*tch*

Guy1- Hey, move!
You're in the way!

*shoving*

Boy1- Scary.

Boy2- Who are those guys?

Leo- Sorry, I'll tell you next time.

Wha?

Leo- Sorry.

Leo- Nicky.

Leo- What's the matter?

Nicky- Leo...
Nothing, it's a little disagreement.

[104]
Leo- You've always been like everyone's leader.

Leo- Hey, Nicky, what do you want most right now?
What do you think this continent needs?

Nicky- The continent?

Leo- Yeah, for us.
For this village. *... and such.*

Nicky- What I want,
what I need...?

Nicky- Is "land".

Leo- Land?
Oh.

[105]
Nicky- Because if a parent's land were shared between brothers, they wouldn't gain enough
for family expenses.
Either young people rent land from people with land or they extend the land by developing
mountains and wasteland.
No matter which, the hope of a harvest is small.

Nicky- So even those guys from before grow increasingly dissatisfied and lose their temper.

Nicky- What should we do......

Leo- Land......

Nicky- But Leo, what are you doing on top of the hill?

Leo- Huh?

Nicky- Carrying stones and lumber there.

Leo- Y... yeah. Hey, I thought I would build the Angel's house...

[106]
Nicky- Angel's house...?

*ahaha*
Leo- N, nothing.

Leo- If all I talk about is the Angel, Nicky gets angry.

*window opening*

*gasp*

Leo- Maiya.

Leo- Um... th, the other day.

*shutting*

Leo- Sor.. ry.

[107]
Leo- Maiya...

*pouring*
*goats bleating*

I seem like a fool...

*clatter*

Being stubborn for no reason.

I should have said something. "I'm sorry."

*sigh*

Maiya- I can't help being envious of the Angel.
For Leo the Angel is something special.

[108]
Special...

Ange- There's no land for young people to live on?

Leo- Right.
And for children to be born healthy and for people to find sweethearts...

Leo- I'm... not very helpful, am I?

Ange- That's not true!
Thanks, Leo.

Land for people to live on...

[109]
Ange- But Leo, are you planning to build something on top of this hill?
*There's all sorts of stuff here.*

Leo- Oh... yes.

Leo- Since the other day you were very sad, I decided to build a landmark.

Ange- A landmark?

Leo- It's a landmark for speaking to you.

Leo- When everyone in the village believes in you from their hearts,
if they come here and wish something, it will be easy for that voice to reach you.

[110]
Leo- The village children love to hear about you.
So if I build your house, children will come to play too.

Leo- You won't be lonely anymore, right?

Ange- Leo...

Leo- U, um, I'm a little clumsy so it might take time.

Ange- Yeah! Do your best, Leo.
I'm really looking forward to it.

[111]
Even Leo is doing his best.
I have to do my best too.

Zephel- Huh!? Send power to a klutz on the continent individually!?

*bang*

Zephel- You still don't understand the first thing about the Queen Examination!!

Ange- U, um, Zephel-sama, you're wrong.
*Oh no!*

Ange- I... I do understand!

[112]
Ange- Only I just thought I would try asking...

Zephel- It can't be done.

*flopping down*

*bang*

Zephel- Cultivating isn't the type of thing where if I send power a result appears today.
The power sent from the Flying City (read here) slowly affects the continent.
So planning ahead is important.

*Hm..?*
Zephel- You must know about the flow of time between there and here, right?

Ange- Yes.

[113]
Zephel- Oh.

Zephel- Generally, not many people live on your continent.
And even in plowing wasteland, the same as the person cultivating them, your people are
still a bit clumsy.

Zephel- Well, for the time being, what's needed is the technological strength
to clear farm land, isn't it?

Oh!

Ange- Zephel-sama.

Zephel- For now, I'll send power.

*turning*

[114]
Zephel- As Angelique wishes, I send the power of Steel to Elysion.

Zephel- Out of people's desire,
that which dwells in people's hands,
the opposite of what is natural,
which conceals harmony and destruction,

[115]
Zephel- Receive the power of Steel (read my power).
To make the most of it or to waste it,
is up to people (read you people).

[116]
Randy- Land... is it?

Marcel- It'll get hard to maintain provisions.

Randy- Not just that. In that blocked up condition, the people's mental stress will be the
cause of all sorts of trouble.

Zephel- Generally, under the effect of the power of Green, while there was enough food,
the population increased too much.
At the present level, technological strength advances only a little and it's not enough.

Ange- ...... Yes.

[117]
Zephel- If a disaster or epidemic occurred, it might be a different matter.

*whack*

Zephel- Wah!

Marcel- What are you saying, Zephel!
Don't say such a terrible thing!

Zephel- What! I was just saying that the way things are going, there are those possibilities.

Marcel- There are good things and bad things to say!

*flustered*
Ange- Marcel-sama, Zephel-sama.

Randy- Angelique, the problem of Elysion now is that land for people to live on is limited,
isn't it?

Ange- Yes.

[118]
Randy- Then, shouldn't we look for new land?

Huh?

*I'll hit you.*

Randy- We'll move the people to new land in Elysion!

Ange- !!

[119]
*Hey!*
Zephel- New land? Is there such a thing in Elysion?

Randy- That's what we're going to find next!

Marcel- Randy, don't say such serious things on impulse.

Randy- Whether it's serious or not, it's worth trying.
First of all, if we don't act, we can't do away with the present situation, can we!?

Ange- Randy-sama...

Randy- So, won't you try your best, Angelique?

*gripping tightly*

*Eek!*

Randy- We'll back you up!!

Marcel- By "we", you mean us...?
*Don't you?*

*Damn.*
Zephel- He's gone into "headlong" mode.
I hate even the illusion of it.

Randy- Right! Can't we alone try somehow!?

[120]
Randy- Without relying on Julious-sama or Luva-sama, first thinking for ourselves,
As Guardians!

Randy-sama...

Randy- Angelique, let's believe in the strength of the people of Elysion!

Is amazing...!!

[121]
I feel like I can do anything.

Ange- Yes!

Zephel- Wait. You think I'm going to be a fledgling with the likes of you people?

Ange- Zephel-sama...
*shocked*

Zephel- But, it'll be interesting to beat those stuck-up old geezers to it.
*smile*
Zephel- I'm in.

Randy- Marcel...

Marcel- This is the Queen Examination. We can't do things by just our preference.

[122]
Marcel- But, when you decide on a plan, if you promise to consult with Julious-sama and the
others then,

Marcel- I fully agree.

Randy- It's settled!

This is a first...!!
It's kind of exciting.....

Zephel- Alright? Don't tell anyone about this for the time being.

Marcel- It's our secret.

[123]
Move the people of Illusion to new land!

*bang*

Leo- Ow!
I did it again...

... But,

*shabby*

It's something like the shape of a foundation, isn't it?

Girl- Leo nii-chan, isn't the Angel's house finished yet?

Boy- I want to meet the Angel soon.

[124]
Leo- Uh-uh... sorry. Still, it doesn't seem to be going very well by myself.

*wham*

Boy1- Keep trying. We'll help too.

Boy2- Yeah, we'll help.

Leo- Thanks.
*But I don't know whether you'll meet the Angel...*

Leo- Look, someone's coming.

Leo- Maiya!

Maiya- Your grandma told me you were here...

Maiya- ......
Leo, I,

[125]
Maiya- I really want to apologize to you...

Boy1- Maiya, what are you holding?

Boy2- Let us see.

Maiya- Oh! No!
That's for Leo...

*Wow.*

Leo- I know these flowers. It's kashuusou. Here is chicory. Narahego.

Boy1- This is the Angel and Leo nii-chan, isn't it?

Leo- Maiya, you made this for me?

Maiya- I don't know if it resembles her. Since I haven't met the Angel...

[126]
Leo- It's amazing. Thanks, Maiya.

Maiya- Alright. I'll help too.

Nicky- I can't look.

Nicky- You can't build a house with these.
*Oh...*

*clattering*

Leo- Nicky.

Nicky- I'll help.

Leo- Huh?

Maiya- Brother!

Nicky- I said, if you can't do it alone, speak up.

[127]
Nicky- Though I don't believe in the Angel.
I recognize that you're accomplishing something by your own effort.

Nicky...

Nicky- So when you think it's too much for you, consult with me. I'll help you.

Believing in something makes the heart strong.
Or it's the Angel's existence.
Or friends holding out their hands.
Or your smile, but,

Man1- I was pestered by my child... 

Boy- Shall we help?

Man2- Did you say they're doing something kind of interesting?

[128]
There are times that are a little discouraging.
Somewhere there are people watching me.
My strength wells up from believing that.
I won't give in to anything.

[Thirteenth Chapter/End]