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Everyone looked at it with confusion.

However, without a hint of reservation, Mappa walked up to father and gestured for him to carry the statue.

“Yo-Your Majesty…this is too… Uh, the craftsmanship is excellent, no doubt. Perhaps you should accept and it can be placed in the treasure house in the palace. But for a flagship bearing the royal crest…it’s uh…I…”

The captain sputtered as he tried to advise the king.

He wasn’t able to openly express his disdain, as Mappa had helped them with the ship. And the fact that the craftsmanship was actually quite good insured that his reaction felt even more unsure.

However, Haines immediately stepped out and angrily shouted, ‘Make it again!’ at Mappa. And then he tried to make Mappa apologize to the king.

But my father used wind magic to cool it off, and then picked it up off of the ground.

“Well, since he was so kind to make it for us, we should use it. It is a good representation of this island’s landmark. A fine souvenir.”

A souvenir… And landmark? This wasn’t some tourist location.

Well, it was true that the first thing people would see when they visited was the Mappa Golem. So perhaps it really would be the most famous landmark of the island.

Hmm… I would have preferred to be known for something better.

The ship’s crew then turned to the Mappa Golem and nodded their heads in a show of satisfaction that seemed rather forced.

But they were likely more astonished by the king’s ability to lift the statue than his quick acceptance of it.

I had told Mappa to only use metals that were common on the continent, such as iron and copper, when repairing the ship. And so I knew that it wasn’t made of Mithril or Orichalcum.

As for the crew…actually, even Balpas and Oren hadn’t known that father had such power…so why had he decided to show it now?

Father stood on the pier after he finished setting the figurehead, and so I approached him.

“…Father. I have a question.”

I expected him to say that he was too busy for such things. He always did.

However, he surprised me.

“I know what it is that you wish to ask. Why am I here? Isn’t that right?”

“Yes… And is it true that you knew about my crest?”

“It was all done in order to test the truth of an ancient prophecy. Currently, it’s proving to be accurate.”

“…Prophecy?”

“Heal. Have you not felt any changes since coming to this island?”

“Of-of course, I have. Everything that’s happened here has been surprising… Wait, now that I think about it…”

I thought about all the monsters that came to this island in great swarms.

The Killer Birds, Scissor Crabs, Devil Hoppers, Satan Shellfish… And there were also the giant fish that had been gathering around the island.

I had assumed that all of that was related to the World Tree.

Father seemed to have read my mind as he said, 

“There must have been others who came to this island in order to make it their own.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Even if the rest of the world was coming to an end, I think that Sheorl would be a place of safety. Everyone will come in order to save themselves. I suppose that means there are other people who continue to speak of the ancient prophecy.”

According to father, the Scissor Crabs and monsters had somehow inherited those instincts. They were to come to this island when the end of the world was near.

But the prophecy wasn’t the only surprising thing that father said.

He continued.

“And the one who is to rule this land is the ‘Cave King.’ In other words, you.”

“So it was already decided that I would be lord of this island… It was prophesied?”

“As I was unable to make you my successor, there is no more doubt in my mind that the prophecy is true. Of course, it is also true that I intended on choosing either you, Oren, or Balpas.”

Well, it was likely to be Balpas now.

Still, if that was the case, I couldn’t help but feel that the results had less to do with a prophecy, and more to do with how he raised us… However, there were more important matters.

“Wait a minute, what’s this about the world ending?”

“I don’t know. However, now that you have been born with ‘Cave King,’ and rule this island… Tomorrow, no, even today…anything can happen. If I am not wrong, anyway.”

He answered without any change in his expression.

The end of the world… After hearing the stories of meteors from Shiel, it did not seem so very unlikely.

But he was saying that this island would be safe?

Of course, I and the island residents could not just ignore what was happening elsewhere.

Besides, if the prophecy was true, more monsters that couldn’t talk, like Scissor Crabs and Devil Hoppers would be coming here.

It was a problem that affected us as well.

“Father… Surely you see that this is no time to be arguing about monsters in Sanfaris. There is no reason for there to be any fighting in the whole continent. Surely you must call for alliances to be made?”

“Heal. This is an ancient prophecy that even the priests do not believe. Do you really think people and monsters will accept something that some foreign lord said?”

“That… I think they might believe, if they saw this island.”

After saying this much, I thought I saw him smile a little.

“Then you should show them. Do things your way. You are the ruler of this place, after all.”

He said, and then headed to the storage house where he was staying.

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