Musings on Ardyst The Great Grassland of Beginnings

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Arc 22 begins!

The Great Grassland of Beginnings.

The Eserem Sea of Fog, spreading through the eastern part of the Fantasy Continent.

And if you head north from there, youll find a vast grassland.

An eternal spring grassland, stretching as far as the eye can see, in all directions.

The main monster inhabiting this grassland is the Stone Head Rabbit.

A rabbit monster that eats not only grass, but also soil, extracting its components, and forming a bowl-shaped part on its forehead, like a helmet.

If you are hit with a headbutt by that hard forehead, an ordinary person will not be able to avoid breaking a bone.

However, theyre timid by nature, and to put it simply yes, weak.

Theyre so weak that even novice adventurers can easily hunt them down without difficulty.

There are also subspecies of grassland wolves inhabiting this land, but for some reason, their numbers are small.

A warm climate.

Weak monsters.

This grassland

Youd think it would be transformed into one of the largest agricultural lands in the Fantasy Continent.

But it hasnt.

Its still a pristine grassland.

The reason for that is simpletheres a layer of hard bedrock near the surface of this grassland, making it unsuitable for cultivation.

A small number of Mekena are being grazed here, but due to its geographical location, being far from major cities, large-scale livestock farming isnt being done here.

In other words, this area is rural.

A truly peaceful countryside.

But its not just any countryside.

Many people all over the world know about this grassland.

Because

This grassland

It has been the starting point for the adventures of many famous adventurers who have left their mark on history.

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Among the adventurers whose stories began in this grassland, the first one to mention is probably Kentaro of the Greatsword.

Hes a special-rank adventurer, said to have easily swung around a giant greatsword and hunted even a swarm of dragons, and through countless adventures, he took many beautiful women as his wives, and eventually became the king of a country.

Hes a legendary figure, a true rags-to-riches story, that many adventurers dream of.

He appeared on the stage of history, starting with registering as an adventurer in the town bordering this grassland, and created countless legends.

And the oldest public record of the famous Sage Somatoko is also a record of her registering as an adventurer in this land.

She went on countless adventures, just like Kentaro, and left her mark on the world as a great educator, founding the Somatoko Academy.

Besides them, many other famous adventurers have appeared in this grassland, and set out on journeys.

So, this grassland eventually came to be called the land where adventure stories begin the Great Grassland of Beginnings

Incidentally, the rural town bordering the grassland, where Kentaro and Somatoko registered as adventurers, eventually changed its name to First Town, the Town of Beginnings, perhaps to take advantage of that.

But even after changing its name, it doesnt seem that the number of residents or tourists has increased.

First Town, now and then, is a peaceful countryside town, for better or worse.

* * *

Now then.

Both Kentaro, Somatoko the adventurers who appear in the Great Grassland of Beginnings have one thing in common.

That is their past, before registering as adventurers, is unclear.

Well there are many other adventurers like that, of course.

The profession of adventurer, to a certain extent, also serves as a safety net for those who are down on their luck.

Almost anyone can become an adventurer if they want to, and naturally, some of those adventurers dont want to reveal their past.

However

It doesnt seem like Kentaro and the others are people whore hiding a shady past.

Apparently, they were originally ordinary people who didnt know how to fight, and lived in a far, far away, prosperous country.

It seems that they would occasionally mutter such things, with lonely smiles on their faces.

What does this mean?

Why do people who lived in a far, far away, prosperous country suddenly appear in the Great Grassland of Beginnings?

From this point onward, Ill be writing down pure speculation.

Somewhere in the depths of the Great Grassland of Beginnings

Perhaps there exists something like a teleportation magic circle, that connects to that far, far away, prosperous country?

And its probably one-way.

Perhaps Kentaro and the others are victims of a teleportation accident, who were transported there for some reason.

A far, far away, prosperous country.

Truly truly intriguing, isnt it?

I get this feeling in my chest, like its going to burst, when I think about that country.

My feelings well up, and tears overflow.

Excuse me, I digressed.

Going back to the story, this speculation that there is something hidden, like a teleportation magic circle, somewhere in the depths of the Great Grassland of Beginnings.

This isnt just my own, wild idea.

Many adventurers have had the same thought, and tried to go into the depths of the grassland to search for it.

But unfortunately, entering the depths of this grassland is forbidden.

Therefore, what is there?

Its still unknown.

Of course, there have been people who broke the rules and entered the depths of the grassland.

But they never told us whats there.

Because none of them ever came back.

* * *

An eternal spring grassland.

A peaceful countryside.

Even the Great Grassland of Beginnings, with such a calm atmosphere,

Is filled with mysteries and dangers beneath the surface.

(Excerpt from Musings on Ardyst by Riten Reebs)