Lena’s World Map – Prologue

Translator: ShimizuA    Editors: Matty, Boomer    Proofreaders: Matty, Boomer    TLC: N/A

Prologue

Mother handed me a large sheet of parchment.
“This is a map.” (Mother)
With a smile, she patiently taught Lena all about the map, despite the blank look on the princess’s face.
“The shape of Lena’s world is recorded here.” (Mother)
Strange, nebulous shapes sprawled across many sheets of paper. Inside the borders of the paper, many shapes of varying sizes and uniformity sprawled sporadically about it.  
It looks just like the clouds in the sky that I saw today. The young princess, who had just turned five thought idly.
“And here is my map.” (Mother)
Lena looked at the paper, and gasped out a quiet “woah” in admiration. She quickly pointed to the clear contour of her home continent, and everything that was drawn on the map.
“Did you draw this, mom?” (Lena)
Mother nodded.  On that map, there were cities, towns, and villages. The road extended like the veins of a leaf and intertwined. Mountain ranges, expanses of forestry, and gentle rivers were also drawn. There were deep lakes, scorching deserts, and frozen wastelands.
Natural geography wasn’t the only thing drawn on the map. The bow wielding fairies of the forest, the elves, as well as the fairies of the desert, the orcs, who brandish hatchets were also drawn. The stone fairies, the trolls, and the fairies of the ocean, the Nymphs, were also present. Not only that, fearsome monsters and dragons that were the stuff of myths were also marked here and there.
“Please give me that.” (Lena)
She stretched out her small hand. However, just as she reached for it, the map was lifted away, and her hand only grasped empty space. To the daughter with puffed out cheeks, her mother gave Lena some advice.
“You need to make your own map.” (Mother)
She pointed down at a blank sheet of paper Lena clutched tight.
“Lena, draw the roads you cross and the sights you see. Your own — map of this world” (Mother)