Reign of the Seven Spellblades, Vol. 11 by Bokuto Uno and Ruria Miyuki

Author:Bokuto Uno and Ruria Miyuki [Uno, Bokuto and Miyuki, Ruria]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Yen On
Published: 2024-05-21T00:00:00+00:00

The next zone had an entirely different surprise.

“…Gosh…”

“…How…?”

The sight beyond that clear wall left them speechless.

“Spotted it right away?” Jenna said, smiling. “I didn’t even need to explain! Impressive.”

“I can’t believe it!” Chela cried, eyes wide open. “A griffin and a hippogriff, sharing space in harmony?”

Standing next to her, Oliver was every bit as stunned. These were similar species, but the sight of them lying peacefully next to each other—anyone who knew their magical biology would notice how outlandish that was.

Griffins and hippogriffs might have shared several external features, but in the wild, they were infamous for being at each other’s throats. They preferred similar habitats, so their territories often overlapped, and neither seemed willing to tolerate the other’s presence. Their battles raged until the territory decisively belonged to one species or the other. As a result, the magic world used “griffins lying down with hippogriffs” as an idiomatic expression of a pipe dream.

“It’s only recently we figured out the cause of their disputes,” said Jenna. “Once, we believed both species were descended from a common ancestor, but analysis of fossils from their terrains suggests their roots are entirely distinct. You’re aware of the concept of convergent evolution?”

“Yes, that’s where two seemingly unrelated species facing similar challenges wind up developing similar characteristics.”

“Exactly, Pete. In other words, the species aren’t relatives, but strangers who merely look alike. We believe their instinctive repulsion stems from that. You’re aware that if we artificially crossbreed the two species, the resulting grigriff have no reproductive capabilities? That means if they mistake each other for comrades, it will impact their progeny.”

“I’m with you so far. In that case, how are they coexisting here?” Oliver asked. The obvious question.

Kalervo folded his arms, grinning. “We intentionally diminished the suitability of the habitat. Specifically, the nourishment and magic particles here—they’re enough to live on, but not suitable for reproduction. Like we just said, their enmity is directly connected to the reproductive instinct. In an environment ill-suited for that, we’ve learned the repulsion is nowhere near as strong. Thus, that was the cause of the ferocity of their terrain disputes.”

An unexpected angle of approach that left everyone reeling. Kalervo turned to face them.

“As this experiment suggests, the Aaltos are not naturists. Where necessary, we will preach environmental protection, but only because that is an effective means of achieving the intended goal. Fundamentally, the environment is always in flux. All creatures we know have evolved by adapting to those changes, and few things are more unnatural than unconditional surrender to nature itself. And…we are mages.”

This was frequently misunderstood, and he wanted to ensure his daughter’s friends were clear on this point.

“What the Aaltos have long sought are biological ideals that could not be achieved by a mere extension of the natural order. If we have to put a word to it, I’d call us post-realists. At least, that was the case. We’re no longer walking that path.”

A bit of self-deprecation in his tone—and no one here felt ready to pry into the cause.

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