Shiomi's words cooled the atmosphere that had just been warmed by wine.
Mab slowly folded her arms, glaring at him in displeasure. "Why would you ask something like that?"
"As far as I know, during the 'Spring War,' the six clans attacked the Northern Fairies who lived around Orkney. The cause was said to be the continent's expansion into that region, where the six clans discovered fairies and lands beyond their own." Shiomi spoke softly. "I've been researching the history of this island, but unfortunately, none of the clans have a tradition of recording it. Be it documents, murals, or any other material, the sources are extremely limited."
The traceable history of the Fairy Kingdom goes back to creation myths over seven thousand years before this age.
'The gods created land within the Sea of Nothingness for the original Six-Winged Sub-Bells to live upon.'
This is the most widely spread myth.
Converted into the calendar of Proper Human History, the era when Shiomi came here from 2017 AD, it would be around 12,000 BC.
In the world of Magi, there exists a fragment of ancient history known only to a rare few.
After the Age of Gods receded from the surface, that knowledge became accessible only to the most exceptional of human Magi.
Shiomi had learned of it from his master, Scáthach.
Around 14,000 BC, predatory cosmic invaders known as the Star-Eaters—giant white titans—ravaged prehistoric Earth's civilizations. In the end, they were defeated by the first wielder of the Holy Sword Excalibur, forged from the prayers of the stars, saving the planet from destruction.
From then on, the decline of the Age of Gods became an irreversible path.
But that was Proper Human History, the timeline Shiomi knew, the one that continued into 2017.
Here, in this Lostbelt where fairies thrive and humans are kept as livestock, history must have diverged at some critical point.
Since the history of the Fairy Island could only be traced back to roughly 12,000 BC, Shiomi formed a hypothesis. Fourteen thousand years ago, the White Giant was not repelled. For reasons unknown, it destroyed the planet instead, turning the surface into a Sea of Nothingness.
When he and Aesc lived in seclusion on a small island, Shiomi once created a familiar capable of flying from Britain to America. But when the familiar's mana ran out, there was no sign it had reached any land.
What's more, the waters surrounding Britannia showed no trace of life—not even microorganisms.
If all of this is seen as the White Giant's doing, then there's only one conclusion: all life on the surface, along with the land itself, had been "consumed."
Britannia, then, was the new land born on Earth after the White Giant left.
By comparing the history of the Fairy Island with that of Proper Human History, Shiomi concluded that if he wanted to understand the reason this island came into being, and the true purpose of Aesc's duty as a Paradise Fairy, the Northern Fairies were an existence they had to engage with.
As the last true Northern Fairy, Shiomi believed Mab might carry the memories inherited from her entire lineage. That was why he asked.
"I see. So after going in circles, it all comes back to me, a Northern Fairy?" Mab's expression showed some understanding, though her tone was hardly cheerful. "Edinburgh was never the Northern Fairies' original domain. Our ancestral land now belongs to the Mirror Clan."
"The Mirror Clan?" Aesc was taken aback.
"There's no point in hiding it. In fact, telling you benefits me more," Mab said. "We Northern Fairies originally built our land upon the corpse of the Last Dragon."
"Albion," Shiomi said quietly.
Mab raised an eyebrow again. "You're well-informed."
"No. I just happened to know," Shiomi replied with a shake of his head.
In Proper Human History, Albion never made it back to the Reverse Side, dying midway instead. His corpse became one of the cornerstones of the Mage's Association—the Spiritual Tomb of Albion. Shiomi hadn't expected that in this history, Albion had died directly on the surface, drifting in the ocean.
"I heard... after the six clans destroyed the Northern Fairies, their corpses said, 'Next, it's your turn.' What did that mean?" Aesc asked suddenly.
"Exactly what it sounds like," Mab said bluntly. "The six clans that annihilated the Northern Fairies would eventually be destroyed in the same way. Didn't the Rain Clan already fall to the others? I think only the Mirror Clan stayed out of it."
She didn't know Aesc's true background, but her words carried a biting sharpness all the same.
Mab's remark cut into Aesc once more. Her face paled, and she lowered her head in silence.
Under the table, Shiomi clasped her hand, quietly passing her his warmth and concern.
"So, even as their descendant, you don't know why the Northern Fairies had to depend on the Last Dragon's remains to survive?" Shiomi asked.
"I don't," Mab answered candidly.
She had indeed inherited her clan's memories and power, born as the sole "next generation," but that didn't mean she knew everything—especially not why Britannia had come into existence.
Realizing no more answers would come, Shiomi shifted to a few casual questions about the Northern Fairies' future. After leaving behind a guide to brewing techniques, he and Aesc left Mab's castle.
"I'm sorry. My curiosity forced you to endure Mab's harsh words."
Back on the streets of Edinburgh, Shiomi gently stroked Aesc's back to comfort her.
But Aesc smiled softly and shook her head. "...I wouldn't call them harsh... Besides, Tenkei only wants to uncover Britannia's origins. You're probably thinking that once you've pieced it all together, you'll tell me your thoughts, right?"
"That's true. But I think instead of analyzing everything alone, I should share with you what I've gathered over these three hundred years," Shiomi said softly.
"Mm." Aesc nodded earnestly, her eyes turning to him with quiet expectation. "And... since we're already in the north, I want to go back to Orkney."
"Aesc?" Shiomi froze, worried she was forcing herself.
Aesc pressed a hand to her chest. "All these years, I've been running away. I've quelled disasters, settled conflicts, but I never truly faced the wish the Rain Clan entrusted to me."
"Because after seeing how the Northern Fairies live, you realized that a Britannia where all clans coexist in peace isn't such a distant dream?" Shiomi guessed.
"No... it's more that I don't want to accept it. If I end up doing nothing, and Mab is the one to realize that ideal in her own way... wouldn't that be terrible?"
Aesc whispered shyly into Shiomi's ear.
"That's just like you."