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***
The trees and plants of the Wantaramo Forest were also crying out. The trees twisted and oozed sap, while the plants shed leaves and emitted a noxious smell.
With Sheila having lost her authority, the Wantaramo Forest was now connected to Myla's body.
[Ahhhh!]
Jin and Arya frowned at the displeasing screams that were scratching their eardrums, and Sheila, along with the Felinoid tribesmen, came out of hiding.
[Sister! Cough! Please, save me!]
Without shame or pride, Myla begged for her life as she looked upon Sheila. Despite writhing in excruciating pain and lying flat on the ground, she begged while tears streamed down her face.
Sheila's two pupils gazed down at Myla with a somber glow.
[I was your sister, friend, parent to you. Furthermore, I was also the queen of you and our kin.]
[I was wrong…]
[I've always been lenient with you. Even in the moment you decided to betray me, I didn't hold a grudge. After inciting our people to take away my authority and becoming their leader, I never hated you.]
[Sister! Sister!]
At that moment, Myla seemed to glimpse hope in Sheila. She had the appearance of a dependable older sister who forgave her foolish younger sister, as always.
[I'll give back your control over the forest, Sister! I'm begging you, just spare me…]
[I will forgive your attempt to harm me.]
Myla lifted her head, meeting Sheila's gaze, her expression drenched in awe, as if beholding light for the first time.
However, Sheila looked at her for a while and then spoke.
[But endangering the forest and our kin is unforgivable.]
[Sister...?]
[Goodbye, my beloved sister.]
As Sheila finished speaking, her appearance underwent a rapid transformation.
The alluringly gleaming wings vanished like melting snow, and her small, fairy-like body swelled up red.
Soon, she took on a human-like form and emitted a red light.
Then, Sheila gently raised Myla with both hands, who was writhing on the ground in despair.
[No, please!]
Myla struggled, but she couldn't escape Sheila's grip.
Hoo...
Sheila blew a gentle breath towards Myla, as if scattering dandelion seeds. As the breath touched Myla, her body shattered like a snowflake.
Aaaaah! Myla's final scream rode the wind, dispersing into the air. The luminous red particles that once formed Myla left traces in every direction.
The forest stopped crying when Sheila's grip became empty.
The twisted trees regained their original forms, and the plants emitted their sweet fragrance once more. The darkened sky cleared as the clouds dissipated, revealing the pale yellow dawn moon.
The abundant corpses on the ground were swallowed by the earth, disappearing without a trace in an instant. In less than a minute, the place where they stood had become an unbelievably 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 at 'her past' through the deceased Myla.
[Jin Runcandel.]
Sheila turned around to look at Jin.
"Yes."
[The name written on this Drink of Regal Hymn originally belonged to me.]
Jin accepted the Drink of Regal Hymn and looked at the name once again.
(Drink of Regal Hymn – Shil Damiro)
The name of the person who brewed this liquor to leave behind a story. It was none other than the former name of Sheila, the queen of the fairy descendants.
Jin didn't reply and gazed at the Drink of Regal Hymn silently.
And he recalled one conversation he had with Sheila earlier.
-[Myla. It seems that she, along with other children, disliked the idea of keeping the promise with Solderet. They think that all the descendants of the fairy race are making unnecessary sacrifices. Or they think I harbor meaningless hopes.]
-So, are they practically dethroning you and allowing Myla to take control of the forest, Ms. Sheila?
-[Yes. Waiting for you is too uncertain, and the rewards are unclear. However, there are those who are willing to provide everything we want with just a little information. In some ways, betrayal is 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 itself.
[I hope there is something in this wine that can help you.]
Pong...!
Sheila opened the lid.
Then, using the lid as a cup, she filled it with the wine and extended it to Jin. Amidst the intoxicating fragrance wafting through the air, the shadow force within the cup began to shimmer.
Jin and Valeria started drinking from the cup alternately.
Unlike the Drink of Regal Hymn that Jin had drunk when he encountered Shuri, there were no singing voices.
Instead of singing, they heard the sound of someone sobbing sorrowfully. It was the sound of Sheila crying as she brewed the wine before losing her name.
After a while, they were able to immerse themselves in the story contained within the fourth tomb of Temar.
***
The Primordial Forest.
A mysterious place where fairies lived.
After drinking the Drink of Regal Hymn, Jin and Valeria could distinctly realize that the place they stood in was none other than that land.
Despite never having been there before and never even seen a picture of the Primordial Forest, the power of the records contained in the Drink of Regal Hymn made them feel as if they had known about the Primordial Forest from the very beginning.
Their footprints didn't leave any mark on the grass-covered ground, and their voices didn't reach the individuals present within the records.
In a sense, Jin and Valeria were observing the forest as 'observers.'
And for some reason...
As soon as Valeria entered this place, she felt a longing as if someone was cutting out her chest, like when she lost the Grey Owl Mercenaries. Unbearable sadness clawed at her heart.
As a result, she had no choice but to sit down for a while, gasping for breath.
"Valeria."
"I'm fine."
Valeria stood up after a while, and the two of them resumed walking together.
While walking, they felt that information about the 'Primordial Forest' from the records flowed into their minds.
Currently, this forest was ruled by the current fairy queen, Luet Damiro Yul.
"Is that person Luet Damiro Yul?"
As they reached deeper into the forest, Valeria spoke while looking at a fairy standing there.
Red hair, 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 of the third tomb. She seems to be a different fairy."
Before long, the two of them were able to learn the name of that fairy.
'Shil.'
Another fairy came out of the deep forest, calling out her name.
Luet Damiro Yul. She had come to this place to meet her sister, Shil Damiro, who looked very angry.
'My queen.'
As Shil kneeled on one knee, Luet lowered her head.
'There's no need to be that formal, Shil.'
Upon Luet's words, Shil got to her feet.
'Elder sister.'
'Speak, dear sister.'
Luet and Shil stared at each other in silence for a while.
Before this meeting, the two of them had a big argument for the first time in their lives.
Luet seemed to convey an expression of understanding, while Shil's eyes carried the disbelief of not being able to understand her elder sister.
'Are you really planning to involve yourself in human affairs?'
Eventually, as Shil began to speak, Luet nodded her head.
'Okay.'
Shil muttered, biting her lower lip.
She couldn't understand her elder sister's choice, and the other fairies who followed Shil felt the same way.
'Do we really have to do that? If we don't step forward, Zipfel won't attack us.'
'Shil, Zipfel attacked us from the moment they started manipulating history.'
'No, that's just your thinking, elder sister. Zipfel wants us to step back and let humans solve their problems.'
'Why are you so sure of that?'
Shil didn't answer that question.
'...Elder sister, think carefully. Even if we offer help, do you really think Runcandel can defeat Zipfel? Will they be grateful?'
'That's not an important issue.'
'No, there's no more important issue than this! The lives of our entire tribe are at stake. Your wrong judgment could lead to the deaths of our tribe members!'
As Shil yelled vehemently, Luet closed her eyes.
'You're putting our tribe in danger, elder sister. More than half of our tribesmen oppose this decision, don't you wonder why?'
'I know.'
'If you know, then change your decision now.'
'Shil.'
Luet opened her eyes again and looked at her younger sister.
'Individuals can make wrong choices. But a queen must always make the right choice.'
'Elder sister.'
'You'll understand someday when you become a queen. Why do I have no choice but to make this decision…'
Shil couldn't accept those words.
'Honestly, elder sister. You just fell in love with the patriarch of Runcandel. That's why you're risking our entire tribe to help Temar Runcandel and to make a good impression on him.'
'Do you really think that way?'
'I can't trust you anymore.'
With a sigh, Luet said,
'...So. Because you no longer trust me, you've brought so many of our tribe members here to corner me, Shil.'
As Luet finished speaking, other fairies revealed themselves in the dark corners of the forest.
They were fairies who shared Shil's thoughts.
All of them had hostility directed at Luet, and they held sharply honed daggers.
'Will you kill me and become the new queen?'
'If my elder sister doesn't give in, I might have to.'
Shil answered, glaring at Luet.
Luet's gaze toward her sister remained as composed as it had been from the beginning.
Shil believed that her elder sister would eventually step back.
She thought the Luet she knew wasn't someone who would stubbornly hold onto her decisions even when her own tribe went this far.
Luet had always excelled Shil in every aspect of life. Shil had always disliked her sister, who had risen to the throne she had desired so much.
Yet, she still had faith in her. She believed that her elder sister would always make the right choice for the fairy tribe.
That's why it was so impossible to believe, to accept the recent decision made by Luet.
'You can't do this.'
'Are you going to change your decision?'
Luet shook her head.
'No, if this is the ending you desire... then kill me.'
Luet began to approach Shil.
Shil drew a dagger from her bosom and pressed it against Luet's throat.
However, Luet kept moving forward, even with the blade against her neck. Shil gritted her teeth as her mind grew blank.
Damn it...!
With a clattering sound, Shil eventually dropped the dagger to the ground.