Chapter 244 (2/2)

He placed the lamp further east, about twice the distance between Dew Roke and Vireocean.

「I do not know how big it is, but its sh.o.r.eline is at least as long as Vireocean's, or even longer.」

「So there's a continent over there?」

「Gigantic sea monsters inhabit the east of Dew Roke. Going there is impossible. Today, at least.」

「It was possible in the past?」

「Exactly. Colonization had been attempted in the past, about 550 years ago, using Dew Roke as a base.」

「That's a long time ago. I'm guessing something went wrong?」

「The colonization took fifty years and a small nation was finally founded. Man Gnomes were also involved in the foundation.」

That sounds like a large-scale project, Hikaru thought. According to Kaglai, the population didn't even reach ten thousand.

「There are barely any records of it left. But it is said that the continent in the east has a much harsher environment than here.」

「What do you mean?」

「The monsters there are strong.」

The people back then managed to survive because of the high-ranking adventurers accompanying them. If it weren't for them, they would've been instantly annihilated. The army couldn't be dispatched that easily as they were also needed for internal security, so at first they had to rely on adventurers.

「After fifty years of colonization, about five hundred years ago from now, aggressive monsters started appearing in the eastern seas and we suddenly lost contact with the eastern continent.」

「How far is it from Dew Roke to the eastern continent?」

「About fifteen days on a fast s.h.i.+p. Monsters sunk most of the s.h.i.+ps that sailed from Dew Roke, and only a few that came from the eastern continent survived.」

Apparently, huge sea monsters were still being observed from Dew Roke.

「I see. But that sounds like monsters are simply ruling the seas. Is that really enough to call the place the Ruined Continent?」

「It was because pa.s.sengers who travelled from the continent to Dew Roke said there were supposed to be a lot more s.h.i.+ps.」

「A lot more s.h.i.+ps?」

「s.h.i.+ps that abandoned the continent and fled.」

「What? They abandoned everything they'd built up over 50 years just because monsters appeared at sea?」

「A problem arose on the continent as well.」

Wearing a complicated look, Kaglai pointed on top of the lamp, on the northern side.

「According to the survivors, there is a so-called Monster Den in the northern part of the continent where vicious monsters dwelled. Noticing the invasion of humans, they advanced to the capital, Lands Harvest, in great numbers and attacked the place. The capital was on the brink of collapse, prompting the people to escape.」

「If you flee by s.h.i.+p, sea monsters await you.」Silver Face said.「If you stay in the capital there'll be even worse monsters.」

「Exactly.」

No information had been received in the past five hundred years from the Ruined Continent, a place located beyond a closed-off area of the ocean.

「Why is information about the Ruined Continent kept confidential?」

「We are not concealing information, mind you. The higher-ups of every nation know about this story. But this is all a matter of the past. We are not to go anywhere east of Dew Roke island. That was all we needed to know.」

Hikaru heaved a sigh. He knew where this was headed.

「So, I'm guessing someone made contact from the Ruined Continent.」

Kaglai nodded.「A fleet of s.h.i.+ps believed to be from the Ruined Continent has the island of Dew Roke surrounded. As people who share the same ancestors, they wish to have a dialogue with us.」

However, their first words were:

「You will pay for what you did 500 years ago.」

They thought they were abandoned.

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