PrologueEven if I traveled all over the world, there"s not a single adventure that would make my heart race.
That"s because all of the important archaeological sites have already been investigated, and most of their histories have already been explained. On this earth, the bottomless ocean is the only place humanity has not reached. Besides that, I have no interest in exploring extraterrestrial planets because those kinds of inorganic places have nothing I wish to pursue.
I seek a sense of accomplishment in adventure—utilizing literature and books our ancestors left behind as clues, solving the mysteries of ancient ruins, and uncovering dormant treasures.
When we gamble our lives against long-dead people, these battles aren"t simply just for the promise of numerous rewards (brilliant exploits left behind by the ancients, gold and silver treasures, or exceedingly intelligent bamboo scrolls of knowledge, etc.). To me, it also represents a great medal of accomplishment.
There is nothing more mind-blowing to me in life than this.
However, this is also a thing of the past.
In this world, these kinds of places no longer exist. That"s because all of the world"s treasures have nearly been excavated away.
I think this is a very grave matter.
With regards to me, who would probably be cla.s.sified as a troublesome extremist that does not conform to modern social norms, the current reality is extremely dull and boring. The only reason why I"ve been able to live until now is due to the existence of adventures. However, if my life lacked this adventurous component and I was forced to live this boring framework for a lifetime, my brain would pretty much disintegrate. Rather than calling this kind of existence "life", it"s more like a lingering death.
That"s why I strongly feel adventures must definitely continue to exist.
Currently, I live a life that"s so thoroughly boring, I want to die to a point I can"t bear it. But for the little children of today and the new children that will be born in the future, their lives will certainly be even more boring than mine.
If they grow up without experiencing that kind of excitement, that"s a major problem.
The ache in the chest that has this continuous urge to explore, that longing mood, and the desire to pursue powerful dreams—if this was lost, it would be equivalent to humanity"s death.
I used to think a lot about what could be done to solve this. I was eating pudding one day when a wonderful idea suddenly came to me.
It wasn"t anything impressive. The method was very simple.
Since adventures don"t exist anymore, it"s up to me to create them.
If there are mysteries waiting to be unraveled and a pa.s.sion to continue challenging adventures, humanity will not perish.
As long as there are these two things in the world, smiles will never disappear.
Thus, the specific method is this—
(Excerpt from the diary left behind by the girl)
"Well, it"s about time for me to go now."
Kasumi Konjou spoke as she picked up a bag and stood up.
"You"re really going?"
As she faced a girl pouting with a lonely face, Konjou nodded and acknowledged with an "Mmn."
"It"s not that big of a deal. Just repeat the year and end up staying behind for maybe another five years."
When she heard the girl grumble, Konjou laughed lightly.
"Don"t say such ominous things. Besides, I"ve graduated already."
"Why don"t you just go to university on this island? They have any department you"d want here, and everyone knows you already, so you"d even have a little seniority."
"That"s fine, but in order to realize my own dreams, this is my only choice."
"You"re pretty confident, huh?"
"Well that"s a given, because I can see the destiny of the future."
Konjou took a round mirror out of her bag and opened it.
"As long as I have this "Life Prophesying Mirror," I"ll be able to predict my own future."
"Hmph, what kind of thing is that? It looks like a joke."
When she saw the that the girl had unhappily looked away, Konjou returned the mirror to her bag with a wry smile.
"Could the people involved with hiding the treasures not say things like that?"
"...You even promised that you"d help find the person who killed me."
Upon hearing the girl"s complaint, Konjou"s smile disappeared.
"I"m sorry, but there"s nothing I can do. I can"t fulfill that promise because…"
"If you found the person who killed me, you"d be killed yourself, right?"
Konjou nodded.
"Yes, this was a scene that the mirror showed me."
"So basically you know who the criminal is."
"Mhm, I know who the criminal is."
"But you can"t tell me."
"Mhm, I can"t say. That"s because in my fate, I would end up being killed if I did.
In other words, there was nothing Konjou could do for her.
"Then hurry up and get out of this room. I don"t care about your stuff anymore, Konjou."
The girl angrily waved and then said: "Hurry up and die, Konjou!"
"Even if you don"t say it, I"ll get out. However, I definitely won"t forget a single detail about these three years."
When she heard Konjou"s words, the girl silently turned her back away, but her shoulders seemed to be trembling.
They were trembling shoulders that made one want to hug them. However, Konjou could not hug this girl. No, more accurately, there wasn"t a single person who could touch this girl who had shut the doors to her heart.
Thus, Konjou left behind a hopeful prophecy.
"Don"t worry. Even though I can"t do it, the next person to live in this room will definitely be able to achieve what you desire."
After saying this, Konjou moved towards the entrance. If she didn"t leave now, she would miss the boat.
"Konjou."
After she finished putting on her shoes and heard this shout, Konjou looked back and saw the girl in the room staring at her.
Suddenly, the girl gave Konjou a thumbs up.
"You"ll definitely become a picture book writer!"
Hearing the girl"s encouragement, Konjou gave a smile while trying to resist her tears. She reciprocated with a thumb up.
"Of course! So, if you haven"t pa.s.sed on by then and you"re still in this room, be sure to read my picture book!"