I don't want to be an elf!

These days, he has been thinking about how to improve the status of the Golden Fairies in society, and what is preventing them from achieving equality.

After much thought and research, he concluded that the biggest reason the Golden Fairies had fallen to their current state was that they had no voice.

To escape their predicament, the existence of the Golden Fairies must be made known to the public.

Today, when the Great Sage's adjutant, First Class Officer Baronny, approached him, claiming that the Great Sage Swann Kandel wanted to meet with him, he finally found a breakthrough.

If the Great Sage of the Floating Continent Islands is indeed the same Sage Master from the Imperial Capital's Tower of Sages, known as the Great Sorcerer of the Polar Star, who once gave his life to save humanity, he would certainly be willing to help the Golden Fairy.

That's what William thought.

However, Tohka Yatogami's expression was somewhat subtle.

As a time traveler, she certainly knew how far-fetched this idea was.

However, William is currently unaware of the relationship between Swann and the Golden Fairy, so this is a reasonable assumption.

"Really? I don't think this plan is very reliable."

To avoid disappointing William, Yatogami Tohka indirectly said, "After all, you haven't seen him for five hundred years, have you?"

"this......"

William stood there, stunned.

Tohka Yatogami's words calmed his feverish mind a little.

William was petrified by a curse after defeating the Black Candle Lord, and was only recently freed from the curse when he was discovered by a scavenging team.

For him, his memory remains stuck at the moment he was petrified five hundred years ago.

William is still the same William, no different from William five hundred years ago.

But what about Swann?

He created the floating continent archipelago single-handedly, and he did not fall into a deep sleep or turn to petrification during these five hundred years, but has remained alive.

If Swan really lived for five hundred years, that means he personally experienced the fall of the Demon King clan, the birth of the Seventeen Beasts, the extinction of humanity, and the construction and continuation of the floating islands.

For five hundred years, it has been watching over this world like a guardian deity.

Although he was once a boy younger than William, after five hundred years of development, the current Great Sage Swan Kandel may be quite different from the Swan Kandel of Polaris that he remembers.

"No matter what, I believe that Swan, who was once a member of the Hero Squad, will not change his essence, even if he is different from before."

William's enthusiasm gradually waned, but he still spoke firmly.

"We are all brave warriors who fight for precious things, and that will never change no matter how many years pass."

Chapter Forty: Stance and Choice

Under Baron's arrangement, Tohka Yatogami and William boarded the airship bound for the first floating island.

The two of them were silent all the way.

William pondered what to say after meeting his old friend and how to persuade him to stand on his side.

Yatogami Tohka was pondering the questions Shion might ask about her identity and abilities, and how she should answer them in a way that would fit her character.

However, the two were not given much time.

This express airship, specially designed for the rapid transfer of personnel between various floating islands, is much faster than ordinary airships.

Within half a day, the two of them were transferred from the eleventh floating island to the first floating island.

It was already late when they set foot on the original floating island.

"Mr. William, Ms. Yatogami, welcome."

Before the magnificent and towering building, two orcs dressed as maids bowed respectfully to William and Yatogami Tohka as a sign of respect.

Led by a maid, the group entered Swan's residence, the Wise Man's Abode.

This is a magnificent castle comparable to a royal palace.

Countless corridors crisscross the area, with orderly rows of internal gardens nestled within them, and more than a hundred offices visible along the way alone.

Even though it's night now, it's easy to imagine how busy this place is during the day.

After all, this is the Sage's Abode of the first floating island, the undisputed "brain" of the floating continent archipelago.

Even though Swan himself doesn't get involved in politics, every event that happens on the floating continent islands is sent here for analysis and interpretation, allowing him to have a broader perspective and maintain overall peace.

And now, William and Yatogami Tohka are on their way to meet this great sage.

However, as they walked, the two orc maids who were leading the way stopped and directed the two to different places at the crossroads of the corridor.

"Didn't Swan want to see both of us?"

Seeing that he was about to part ways with Yatogami Tohka, William couldn't help but ask the maid who was leading the way, "Why are we separating now?"

“Yes, both of you are distinguished guests whom the Great Sage wishes to speak with, but the content of the conversation is different for you,” the orc maid replied respectfully. “However, I am not aware of the specific content; our task is merely to take you to where you are meant to be.”

"Where are you planning to take me and Tohka?"

“The Great Sage is going to meet with you, Mr. William, tonight, so I will take you to the guest room of the Sage’s Abode, where we will treat you as an honored guest. The Great Sage will also appear shortly afterward,” the orc maid replied. “As for my colleague, she will take Miss Yatogami to a guest room in the Sage’s Abode, where Miss Tohka will rest for the night. The Great Sage will meet with Miss Yatogami tomorrow.”

“She’s my partner, and she was involved in what Swan and I discussed later,” William asked. “Could she come along?”

“I’m sorry, Mr. William, we are just maids, responsible for carrying out the tasks assigned to us.”

"Ok."

William did not continue to pester the maid.

He had two purposes for meeting with Swan.

First, it is necessary to confirm whether the so-called great sage Swann Kandel was indeed his former companion.

Secondly, if he were, William would ask him for help in improving the social status of the Golden Fairies.

In his plan to persuade Swan, Tohka Yatogami did not need to appear.

After all, he came to communicate and negotiate with old friends, not to threaten them with force, so he doesn't need to rely on her power for the time being.

If I could go see Shion with Tohka Yatogami, that would be the best.

But if it doesn't work, it doesn't really matter.

"Tohka, you heard it too. I'll be going to see Shiwan alone tonight. You can go to the guest room with them without worry."

William weighed the pros and cons and ultimately decided to keep Yatogami Tohka out of the picture: "I'll talk to Swan about the Golden Fairy, so you don't need to worry."

"Are you sure?"

“Yes, he was considered a reasonable person in the hero's party back then,” William said optimistically. “As long as I explain things clearly, he will definitely help us.”

"Hmm." Tohka Yatogami nodded. "Have a safe journey."

After saying their goodbyes, William was left.

Gazing at his departing figure until it disappeared from sight, Yatogami Tohka turned and followed the orc maid who was leading the way to the guest room of the Sage's Abode.

"While I wish you good luck, their conversation is likely to be quite unpleasant again."

The girl closed the door, lay on the soft bed, and thought to herself.

As a time traveler, she has a huge intelligence advantage over William, who knows almost nothing about this world.

She knew that the Golden Fairies were a race created by Swann, that Swann only used them as weapons that could be mass-produced and discarded at any time, and that the person who put the Golden Fairies in their current predicament was this Great Sage.

He deliberately concealed information about the Golden Fairies and their contributions to protecting the floating islands, keeping their efforts hidden in the shadows so that no one would be grateful to them.

They established racial segregation laws to prevent ordinary orc warriors from contacting the golden elves, thus isolating the golden elves from other races and preventing them from receiving assistance from anywhere.

The confinement of the Golden Fairies meant that, aside from fighting, they could only live on a secluded, unnamed floating island, with no opportunity to contact the outside world.

Build different fairy warehouses, keep the number of golden fairies in each fairy warehouse within a controllable range, and prevent golden fairies from meeting each other in different fairy warehouses so that they can never unite.

Institutional inequality meant that even the Golden Fairies, who contributed the most in battle, could not be promoted, nor would they receive military rewards or raise funds, thus making it impossible for them to cooperate with other races for mutual benefit.

Chains bound the golden fairies, preventing their wings from granting them freedom.

The source of these chains is their creator, the great sage of the floating continent archipelago, Swan Kandel.

Now, William wants to get help from this great sage to change the social status of the golden fairies, which is utterly absurd.

He picked the wrong person from the start.

Even searching for limestone skin would yield more rewards than searching for Swan.

"How can a father treat his daughters like this?"

The girl sighed.

However, remembering her current identity as an elven girl, she smiled somewhat mockingly.

"Well, thinking about it that way, Mio Takamiya and Shion are actually the same kind of people."

The Great Sage Swan, as the father of the Golden Fairies, treated them as weapons to protect the floating islands, and had no feelings for them whatsoever.

The original spirit, Mio Takamiya, as the mother of the spirit girls, used them as tools to resurrect her lover, selecting the most suitable tool through the cruelest means.

In fact, Swan was more humane than the other two.

At least compared to Mio Takamiya, who indiscriminately killed innocent people purely for her own selfish desires, Shion's purpose was noble: the safety of everyone and the peace of the floating continent islands.

Moreover, the Golden Fairy race was indeed Swann's creation.

From his perspective, he did not do anything wrong.

That is precisely why William and Swan's negotiations will never succeed.

The reason for their failure was not because they, who were once heroes, had fallen into depravity.

Whether it's William or Swann now, they are still the heroes of the hero team who fought for what they should protect, and their souls remain noble.

However, what they were protecting was different.

The humanity they once wanted to protect has been completely wiped out, but that doesn't mean they no longer need to protect it.

Swan established the floating continent archipelago, relocating the surviving races other than humans to the floating islands to protect this last remaining civilization from the forces of the Sixth Beast.

The floating islands are what Swan wants to protect.

William was freed from petrification and lived in a daze until he met Chtholly, one of the Golden Fairies, which gave him back the courage to live.