Episode 324. Side Story (2): Traces of Memories
“Would you like to make a bet with me?”
“bet… … “You mean?”
“okay. Anyway, my life as an elf is not long. At most, it’s only 50 years. But you still have hundreds of years.”
The distance is close enough that you can catch each other if you stretch a line.
However, there was a sharp ice bar between the two elves preventing that action from being allowed.
Inside the bars was Elfuris, the former elder of the White Elves.
“I bet everything on my life. On the day when your life ends and you close your eyes! “This world will be destroyed.”
It was more of a curse than a bet.
“Is there any reason why you are so sure?”
“Do you know why order is needed in this world?”
She shook her head.
“In the beginning, life forms had no concept of order. It was full of desires driven by instinct, not reason. However, as time passed, they gained experience and established order based on that experience, so the world we have today was able to be created.”
She did not refute, but quietly listened to Elfuris’ story.
“I wanted that order to be maintained in the future. That’s why I followed Rummendel’s will.”
Elpuris explained the importance of order and also expressed his wishes.
“A world without such order will now be filled with chaos. Humans will pursue their desires even more than before. So how is this any different from an uncontrollable dark elf?
“… … .”
“A world dominated by such barbaric beings cannot possibly last long.”
God left and the situation was over, but Elfuris did not give up his will.
It wasn’t that she couldn’t understand those feelings.
but,
“Is order really the reason why the world has continued to this day?”
After keeping her mouth shut for a moment, she asked the question again.
“I think experience was more important than order.”
“experience?”
“yes. “I believe we can design a new and better future based on the reflection and experience we gain from the past.”
“Do you believe in humans?”
She nodded instead of answering.
“Then watch carefully with your own eyes. You may feel a little freer now. But you will soon realize how precious the fence called order was to you.”
Elfuris’ eyes were firm until the end.
“Heed my words, Hastia.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
After saying those words, Elfuris quietly closed his eyes.
It meant that he had no intention of talking further.
Hastia, recognizing that meaning, quietly left the cave.
“Unlike when you went in, your complexion has darkened.”
Marian, who was waiting outside, welcomed Hastia.
A year ago, Marianne suffered a lot of blood when she was helplessly suppressed by the resurrected Anastasia, but fortunately her body has now recovered normally.
“What did Elfuris say?”
“He said the world would end the day I close my eyes.”
“Do you think so too?”
Hastia did not answer right away but hesitated slightly.
“I do not know… … .”
It was not an expression of avoidance of the answer, but a look of genuine ignorance.
“That is the correct answer.”
Marian agreed, saying that was true.
“No one can predict how this world will turn out. Even Elfuris wouldn’t know that. I just want to believe it. “She realized that the path she had taken was not wrong.”
“Okay… … “I guess?”
“Just look at the departed gods. Didn’t those who claimed to be supreme beings ultimately lose sight of their future? The owner of the cloak you are wearing could never have thought that they would leave the human world… … .”
At those words, Hastia held on tightly to the cloak she was wearing.
“If you wear it every single day for a year, you might get tired of it… … .”
“Well, I wash it often!”
“Isn’t it because you particularly like cloaks that you wear them?”
“Well, that’s… … !”
Hastia’s face turned red at Marian’s playful question.
“Marian! Hastia!”
In the midst of my perplexity, a welcome voice was heard from the direction the wind was blowing.
“A welcome guest has arrived.”
Hastia’s face immediately turned bright red as she realized the identity of the customer.
“Elise!!”
* * *
On top of an ice cliff with a panoramic view of Pruina.
A biting wind blew, but the two women were busy chatting as much as they could.
“Elise, you decided to follow your family’s will in the end?”
“There is no one else who can do it now except me. Still, I like it. “Because it’s what I wanted and decided to do from the beginning.”
On a continent where guardians have disappeared, someone must carry on that will.
Ellis decided to carry on the will of his father Willius on behalf of Bert.
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Some even voiced calls for Ellis to be appointed as general manager on behalf of the frontline knights.
However, knowing that her abilities are still lacking, Ellis refused all titles given by the imperial family and announced her intention to work her way up step by step from the bottom.
“I’m sure you can do well, Alice!”
Hastia respected Ellis’s wishes and sincerely supported her.
“thank you. Really, I never dreamed that the day would come when I could have a conversation with Hastia so freely. “It feels awkward somehow.”
“Actually, I am like that too. It’s already been a year, but my pronunciation is still slurred… … .”
With God gone, there was no longer anything left to protect her.
At the same time the protection is lifted. As the restraints that oppressed her inside her were also released, Hastia was now able to speak freely like everyone else.
“But you’re still wearing that cloak? “Seeing this reminds me of a year ago!”
“W-What?!”
Hastia’s face began to turn red again.
“My bright red cheeks were shaking and I was shouting, ‘Sian’s cloak! ‘Can you give it to me as a parting gift?’ That face back then! “I still vividly remember how cute it was!”
“No, don’t make fun of me!”
Hastia, filled with shame, covered her face with both hands.
“sorry. Come to think of it, you haven’t seen Sian since then?”
“yes. What am I? Because I was always in Pruina… … .”
“Surprising? Still, I thought he came once or twice. “Hastia, don’t you want to see Xian?”
“I miss you. Of course I want to see it… … .”
Hastia sighed deeply.
“I don’t know if Sian will really want to see me.”
“What does that mean? “It’s not like Sian hates Hastia?”
“I don’t think there’s any reason to like it. All this time, I’ve only been following Sian and causing harm, but I haven’t been able to provide even the slightest help. Who would like me because I am useless and only cause trouble? “I would hate it too.”
Hastia still had in her mind the incident in which Sian was trapped in her memory due to her poor judgment.
“Probably not? “If Sian didn’t really like Hastia, she wouldn’t have given her the cloak.”
Ellis refuted Hastia’s thoughts.
“How much of a sword does Xian look like? “I don’t know if it’s good, but if I don’t like it, I’m a child who clearly states that I don’t like it.”
“is that so?”
Hastia asked with a slightly suspicious expression.
“sure! The reason Xian went into the memories of the Arbor tree was to save Hastia, who would ultimately be sacrificed. “Not many people will show warmth to someone they don’t even like.”
When you said that, it seemed like that again.
“But I don’t think you’ll come all the way here to see me… … .”
“Sian is a child with more skills than meets the eye. Once you decide that you are within your own boundaries, you will try to protect it until the end. I think it will probably come back soon. “You’d better be mentally prepared.”
“That would be great…” … .”
Although I received some comfort thanks to Ellis, the frustration in my heart never went away.
Then Hastia suddenly remembered something and searched her pockets.
Another trace of my memories with Sian was the Soul Stone.
“Is that a soul stone?”
“yes. “It’s a stone I gave to Xian a while ago and then got it back.”
At the time, Xian did not simply return the Soul Stone, but left his mark by infusing some of the power of the fog into the stone.
As a result, a black fog hovered around the stone, making it possible to occasionally check the situation in Xian, but now there was no more black fog remaining on the soul stone.
“Of course, now I’m just a stone with no energy… … uh?”
Hastia’s eyes, who had been looking helplessly at the stone, suddenly widened.
-sssss
After God disappeared, the black fog of the stone, which had completely disappeared, began to rise again.
“Black fog on the stones?”
“Black fog? That can’t be possible! “The God of Black Mist will no longer be in this world?”
Ellis also couldn’t hide his embarrassment.
“I guess Sian is nearby!”
Hastia got up from her seat as if she had lost her temper and ran out to an unknown location.
“Now, wait a minute, Hastia!”
Hastia did not stop walking despite Ellis’ call.
-self
“The fog has cleared!”
However, perhaps because I took the wrong direction, the fog was fainter than before.
“Isn’t this the way?”
The moment you suddenly turn and try to change direction,
“… … !”
My foot got twisted and I fell forward.
To make matters worse, he lost the Soul Stone he was holding in his hand.
“no!”
The soul stone that had been rolling around fell down the slope.
“Are you okay, Hastia?”
Ellis, who came late, helped her up and helped her up.
“The Soul Stone fell down there!”
“It’s dangerous to go pick it up yourself! “The road is slippery, so if you fall, you could get seriously hurt!”
“B-but… … .”
“I’m waiting a moment. I’ll go back and look for it. If you can’t decide, ask Marian for help.”
Hastia reluctantly nodded.
Ellis immediately found another path and went down, and Hastia, who was left alone, looked down the slope with a devastated face.
“fool… … .”
I know how precious it is, but I can’t believe I lost it like this.
Perhaps because he felt sorry for himself, he finally sat down on the floor and lowered his head.
‘Sian… … .’
His name is something I naturally call out of my empty heart.
-jump-jump-jump-jump-jump-jump-jump-jump-jump-bump
As shocked as he was, he had no idea that someone unfamiliar was approaching behind him.
“… … !”
I belatedly realized that someone had come and immediately looked away.
“uh… ?”
At first, I thought Ellis had already returned, but it wasn’t Ellis who came.
Hastia, who just turned her head while sitting down, soon came face to face with the Soul Stone in front of her.
Holding it in his rough, rough hands, reaching out towards her,
A soul stone covered in black fog.
“What are you doing alone?”
“… … !”
Hastia’s face instantly became filled with joy and joy.
(Continued in the next part)
fantasy,
