C373 - The Reason They Visit Temar's Grave (5)
The trees and plants of the Wantaramo Forest also groaned in pain.
The trees twisted and oozed sap, while the plants shed their leaves and emitted a noxious odor.
With Sheila having lost her authority, the Wantaramo Forest was now connected to Myla's body.
[Ahhhh!]
Jin and Aria frowned at the unpleasant screams that scratched their eardrums, and Sheila, along with the members of the cat-like tribe, emerged from hiding.
[Sister! Coff! Please, save me!]
Without shame or pride, Myla begged for her life as she looked at Sheila.
Despite writhing in unbearable pain and lying on the ground, she pleaded as tears streamed down her face.
Sheila's two pupils gazed at Myla with a somber gleam.
[I was your sister, your friend, and your mother. Furthermore, I was also the queen of you and our people.]
[I was wrong...]
[I've always been lenient with you. Even when you decided to betray us, I never held a grudge. After inciting our people to strip me of my authority and become their leader, I never hated you.]
[Sister! Sister!]
At that moment, Myla seemed to glimpse hope in Sheila.
Sheila had the appearance of a reliable older sister forgiving her foolish younger sister, as always.
[I'll return control of the forest to you, sister! Please, forgive me...]
[I will forgive your attempt to harm me.]
Myla lifted her head, meeting Sheila's gaze, her expression soaked in astonishment as if she were seeing light for the first time.
However, Sheila looked at her for a while and then spoke.
[But endangering the forest and our people is unforgivable.]
[Sister...?]
[Goodbye, my dear sister.]
When Sheila finished speaking, her appearance underwent a rapid transformation.
The seductive, shimmering wings vanished like melting snow, and her small fairy body swelled with a red hue.
Soon, she took on a human form and emitted a red light.
Then, Sheila gently lifted Myla, who writhed on the ground in despair, with both hands.
[No, please, sister!]
Myla struggled but couldn't escape Sheila's grip.
Hoo...
Sheila blew gently toward Myla, as if scattering dandelion seeds.
When the breath touched Myla, her body shattered like a snowflake.
AAAAAAAHHHH!
Myla's final scream cut through the wind, dispersing into the air.
The bright red particles that had once formed Myla left traces in all directions.
The forest stopped mourning as Sheila's grip emptied.
The twisted trees regained their original shapes, and the plants once again emitted their sweet fragrance.
The darkened sky cleared as the clouds dissipated, revealing a pale yellow dawn moon.
The corpses on the ground were swallowed by the earth, disappearing without a trace in an instant.
In less than a minute, the place they had been became an incredibly pristine scene, as if there had never been a battle.
For a while, Sheila stared at her empty hands without saying a word.
She was glimpsing "her past" through the late Myla.
[Jin Runcandel]
Sheila turned to look at Jin.
"Yes."
[The name written on this Royal Melodic Drink originally belonged to me.]
Jin accepted the Royal Melodic Drink and looked at the name again.
(Royal Melodic Drink - Shil Damiro)
The name of the person who crafted this liquor to leave behind a story.
It was none other than Sheila's ancient name, the Queen of the Descendants of the Fairies.
Jin didn't respond and silently contemplated the Royal Melodic Drink.
And he recalled a conversation he had had with Sheila before.
[Myla. It seems she, along with other girls, didn't like the idea of fulfilling the promise with Solderet. They think that all the descendants of the Fairy Tribe are making unnecessary sacrifices. Or they think I harbor meaningless hope.]
-So, are they practically dethroning you and allowing Myla to take control of the forest, Sheila-nim?
-[Yes. Waiting for you was too uncertain, and the rewards were unclear. However, there were those willing to provide us with everything we wanted with just a bit of information. In a way, betrayal was a natural course of action.]
-What do the Descendants of the Fairy Tribe want?
-To reclaim our original forms.
Original forms...
The beings of the Wantaramo Forest were not originally 'descendants' but the fairies themselves.
[I hope there's something in this wine that can help you.]
Tap...!
Sheila opened the lid.
Then, using the lid as a cup, she filled it with wine and handed it to Jin.
Amidst the intoxicating fragrance in the air, the shadow's strength inside the cup began to glow.
Jin and Valeria began to drink from the cup alternately.
Unlike the Royal Melodic Drink Jin had consumed when he met Shuri, there were no singing voices.
Instead of songs, they heard the sound of someone sobbing inconsolably.
It was the sound of Sheila crying as she prepared the wine before losing her name.
After a while, they could immerse themselves in the story contained in the Fourth Tomb of Temar.
--------------
The Primordial Forest.
A mysterious place where fairies lived.
After drinking the Royal Melodic Drink, Jin and Valeria could clearly realize that the place they were in was none other than that land.
Despite never having been there and not even seeing an image of the Primordial Forest, the power of the Records contained in the Royal Hymn Drink made them feel as if they had known the Primordial Forest from the beginning.
Their footsteps left no trace on the grass-covered ground, and their voices did not reach the individuals present in the records.
In a sense, Jin and Valeria observed the forest as 'spectators.'
And for some reason...
As soon as Valeria entered that place, she felt a longing as if someone were cutting her chest, like when she lost the Gray Owl Mercenaries.
Unbearable sadness scratched at her heart.
As a result, she had no choice but to sit for a while, gasping for breath.
"Valeria."
"I'm fine."
Valeria got up after a while, and the two resumed their march together.
As they walked, they felt the information about the Primordial Forest from the Records flowing into their minds.
Currently, this forest was ruled by the current Queen of the Fairies, Lueth Damiro Yul.
"Is that person Lueth Damiro Yul?"
As they ventured into the forest, Valeria spoke, looking at a Fairy who was there.
Red-haired, with a cold and angry expression.
Jin and Valeria stood next to her.
Jin examined her closely and then shook his head.
"No, she's not the one I saw in the recording device from the third tomb. She seems to be a different Fairy."
Before long, the two were able to learn her name.
"Shil."
Another Fairy emerged from the deep forest, shouting her name.
Lueth Damiro Yul.
She had come to this place to meet her sister, Shil Damiro, who seemed very angry.
"My queen."
As Shil knelt, Lueth lowered her head.
"No need to be so formal, Shil."
After Lueth's words, Shil stood up.
"Elder sister."
"Speak, dear sister."
Lueth and Shil silently gazed at each other for a while.
Before this encounter, the two had had a major argument for the first time in their lives.
Lueth seemed to convey an expression of understanding, while Shil's eyes showed disbelief in not being able to understand her elder sister.
"Do you really plan to get involved in human affairs?"
In the end, as Shil began to speak, Lueth nodded.
"Alright," Shil muttered, biting her lower lip.
She couldn't understand her elder sister's decision, and the other fairies who followed Shil thought the same.
"Do we really have to? As long as we don't intervene, Zipple won't attack us."
"Shil, Zipple has been attacking us from the moment they began manipulating history."
"No, that's just your way of thinking, elder sister. Zipple wants us to step back... let the humans solve their problems."
"Why are you so sure of that?"
Shil didn't respond to that question.
"...Elder sister, think it over. Even if we offer help, do you really believe Runcandel can defeat Zipple? Will they be grateful?"
"That's not the important issue."
"No, there's no more important issue than this! The lives of our entire tribe are at stake. Your misguided judgment could lead to the deaths of our tribe members."
While Shil vehemently shouted, Lueth closed her eyes.
"You are putting our tribe in danger, elder sister. More than half of our tribe members oppose this decision, don't you wonder why?"
"I know."
"If you know, then change your decision now, please."
"Shil."
Lueth opened her eyes again and looked at her younger sister.
"People can make wrong choices. But a queen must always make the right decision."
"Elder sister..."
"Someday you will understand when you become queen. Why I have no choice but to make this decision..."
Shil couldn't accept those words.
"Honestly, elder sister. I think you've fallen in love with the patriarch of Runcandel. That's why you're risking our entire tribe to help Temar Runcandel and make a good impression on him."
"Do you really think that?"
"I simply can't trust you anymore."
With a sigh, Lueth said, "...So. Because you no longer trust me, Shil, you have brought so many members of our tribe here to corner me."
When Lueth finished speaking, other fairies revealed themselves in the dark corners of the forest.
They were fairies who shared Shil's thoughts. They all looked at Lueth with hostility and wielded their sharp daggers.
"Are you going to kill me and become the new queen?"
"If my elder sister doesn't yield, I can only do that," Shil replied, staring at Lueth.
Lueth's gaze toward her sister remained as serene as at the beginning.
Shil believed that her elder sister would eventually step back.
She believed that her elder sister would always make the right decision for the Fairy Tribe.
That's why it was so impossible to believe, to accept, the recent decision made by Lueth.
"You can't do this."
"Does that mean you're going to change your decision?"
Lueth shook her head.
"No, if that's how it has to be... then kill me."
Lueth began to approach Shil.
Shil drew a dagger from her chest and pressed it against Lueth's throat.
However, Lueth continued to advance, even with the blade against her neck.
Shil gritted her teeth as her mind went blank.
Damn it...
With a metallic sound, Shil ended up dropping the dagger to the ground.
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