Chapter 108: Where do we come from?
ㅤWhen I asked if she was the Demon King, she nodded, but Almirash-san has remained silent ever since.
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ㅤ（Ahaha… Th-this is awkward.）
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ㅤI shouldn’t have shown off my “sharp deduction” skills.
ㅤI regret it as I gaze vaguely at the endless horizon.
ㅤActually, I wanted to keep a “close” watch rather than a “vague” one, but it’s impossible to keep staring at the unchanging scenery forever.
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ㅤThe current is so subtle that you’d only notice it if you paid attention, but it’s heading southeast.
ㅤLooking at the eastern horizon, that part seems to dip down, but again, only if you’re looking for it.
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ㅤ（But conversely, if this is a whirlpool, it would be an incredible size.）
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ㅤIn my previous life, I saw the Naruto Strait whirlpools on a school trip.
ㅤIt was certainly a sight to behold, but even at its largest, it was said to be about 30 meters in diameter.
ㅤHowever, if this current we’re riding on is swirling, it could easily be over 30 kilometers in diameter.
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ㅤ（And that current is constantly swirling without disappearing?）
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ㅤThere must be some fantastical reason for it.
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ㅤ（And I’m caught in that fantastical whirlpool with the Demon King?）
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ㅤI glance at my fellow passenger.
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ㅤI didn’t notice it at first, but now that I think about it, she looks a lot like me.
ㅤIf she dyed her beautiful light blue hair and eyes black and removed the coiled horns above her ears （Though I don’t think she can remove them）, she would probably look exactly like me.
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ㅤ”…Almirash-san”
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ㅤ”Y-yes”
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ㅤThe small animal-like girl trembled and looked at me.
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ㅤ”You don’t have to be so scared. I won’t ask you anything you don’t want to answer.
ㅤBut there’s just one thing I’m curious about.”
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ㅤ”What is it?”
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ㅤ”The captain said it too… Almirash-san and I look alike. Is this just a coincidence?”
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ㅤ”…I’m sorry, I don’t know.
ㅤBut it’s true that we look alike. We look like sisters… no, twins.”
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ㅤ”You don’t have to apologize.
ㅤWell, I guess that’s another thing we have in common.”
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ㅤ”I-is that so? Unlike me, Minato-san is very dignified. It seems like even the captain respected you… Who are you?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Ahaha… I’m just an adventurer.
ㅤEven though, my heart is always pounding inside. But ever since I came to this world, I’ve been through a lot, so I’ve gotten used to it, or rather, my senses have become numb… I’ve had to face a lot of things head-on.”
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ㅤIn my previous life, I had to respond with a smile even when dealing with obvious enemies.
ㅤIn that sense, in this world, I can openly curse and provoke enemies, and in the end, I can even defeat them if I want to? There are many situations like that, so if I can come to terms with it, it’s easier on my mind.
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ㅤ”Th-that’s amazing.”
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ㅤ”No, it’s just that I happen to be stronger than others. I’m just able to stay calm because I’m in a more advantageous position than others.”
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ㅤAfter all, everyone else is on Normal difficulty, but I can switch to Beginner mode.
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ㅤ（But… wait? Come to think of it…）
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ㅤThe Kraken and Oceanus.
ㅤThose guys didn’t change their movements even in Beginner mode.
ㅤThe Difficulty Change sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t, so I can’t let my guard down.
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ㅤ（Thinking about it, Cretias was also a straight-up fight without Difficulty Change. So was the old man who was awakened by Imusoda.
ㅤIn that case, I’m not particularly advantageous. Rather, wouldn’t the awakened ones be more advantageous?）
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ㅤDespite that, I think I was able to handle the situation without losing my composure.
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ㅤ（Have I gained some kind of courage?）
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ㅤOr is this also a part of the Grandmaster’s Blessing?
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ㅤAlmirash-san looked at me with dazzling eyes, perhaps seeing something in my inward contemplation.
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ㅤ”Minato-san is amazing. You even escaped from those huge monsters earlier. And you’re so natural on a ship full of soldiers.”
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ㅤ”I-is that so…”
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ㅤ”I’m the one who should be acting like that, but I’m always indecisive, always worrying about what others think, and I can never speak my mind… If I had been more assertive, Imusoda-san wouldn’t have…”
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ㅤ”Well, I don’t think you could have done anything about that guy.”
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ㅤI couldn’t help but retort to Almirash-san who was blaming herself.
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ㅤ”Almirash-san, are you against what the Demons are planning?”
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ㅤ”I don’t know… I’ve heard that it’s the long-cherished wish of the Demons who were banished to the Netherworld. I should understand if I regain my original memories as the Demon King…”
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ㅤ”The way you say it makes it sound like the Demons weren’t originally in the Netherworld, but were on the surface.”
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ㅤ”That… seems to be the case.
ㅤSome Demons haven’t changed their way of existence since ancient times, while others have completely changed over the long years.
ㅤIt’s very difficult to maintain a stable sense of self in the Netherworld. You flicker in the gaps of Ether, merging and separating, and even your sense of self – who you are – changes from moment to moment. Just having a short conversation with someone can cause parts of your egos to mix, making it impossible to draw a line between yourselves.
ㅤThat’s why what the Demons’ 『long-cherished wish』 really is, what roots it has in the history of the surface world… those things differ depending on who you ask. Since there’s no physical matter, even if it was a misconception, it could become solidified as if it were fact through the cycle of transmigration in the Netherworld.”
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ㅤ”Hmm… so if they believe it to be true, there’s no way to verify if it’s actually fact?”
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ㅤ”Yes. If it were someone like Imusoda-san, who is powerful and has maintained their sense of self for a long time, they might have known something…”
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ㅤ”But he’s gone now.”
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ㅤI said it as if it were someone else’s business, but I was also involved in it.
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ㅤ”Yes… That’s why I want to verify it. What really happened in the past. What is the origin of us – the beings called Demons?”
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ㅤ”So is that why Almirash-san is heading for the Kielhen Islands?”
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ㅤAlmirash-san shook her head at my words.
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ㅤ”No, I’m not aiming for the Kielhen Islands. I’m aiming for what lies beyond them – the 『Navel of the World』.”
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ㅤI was speechless at Almirash-san’s serious expression.