At that moment, Elric was able to glimpse the past left behind by the God of Camellias once more.
***
-I'm bored.
The God of Camellias... or rather, the 'Queen,' whose true name Elric still did not know, was a solitary being.
In the massive palace known as the Winter Palace, she opened and closed her eyes alone, conducted affairs alone, strolled through the gardens alone, and watched over her all-white territory alone.
She was the only one involved in all these activities.
It wasn't that she handled many tasks by herself; it was simply because there was no one else in the palace. In the vast territory, she was the only inhabitant.
She alone was the Queen, the retainer, and the populace.
Of course, it had not always been this way.
The Winter Palace had once been bustling, filled to the brim with countless beings, and the retainers constantly pleaded for more manpower to handle the overwhelming amount of work from various regions.
Despite the hustle, the people always wore smiles, attributing their worry-free lives entirely to the Queen's benevolence and praising her profusely. She would nod with satisfaction each time.
But that was a thing of the distant past.
For reasons unknown to Elric, all the people had closed their eyes, and the retainers had departed on a long journey.
In this vast palace and the even larger territory, not a single blade of grass grew anymore.
The once-common sight of playing dogs was no longer seen, replaced by an empty, desolate land covered entirely in white snow.
-I'm bored. So very bored.
Thus, even as the Queen diligently carried out her busy schedule, she found herself talking to herself more frequently, having no one else to converse with.
If things continued this way, she feared she might actually forget how to speak.
Occasionally, she considered abandoning her duties and indulging in the sleep she had endlessly postponed due to her busy schedule. After all, if she were to hibernate or whatever it was, time would pass significantly.
No, perhaps it wouldn't be so bad if she just continued to sleep forever.
But whenever such thoughts crossed her mind, the Queen would shake her head vigorously and whisper to herself that she must not.
If even she were to fall asleep, there would be no one left to remember her beloved people and retainers….
The thought was too dreadful.
-Still, I'm bored. What work do I have to do today... hmm?
So, that day, as usual, she was going through her daily tasks.
While wandering around the palace, checking if there was any damage, if there was anything that needed repair, or if there was anything that needed to be added, she noticed something unusual.
A single sprout, growing between the neatly polished transparent ice tiles, much like marble.
-Oh?
The Queen let out a short exclamation.
No matter how much she wandered around the palace and the territory, her world was always the same.
Everything seemed trapped in stillness and silence, almost as if time had stopped, except for the snowflakes falling outside the window.
In her world, where everything was always the same, despite her thorough search for anything broken, this tiny sprout was the first sign of change.
-Well, at least I won't be bored for a while.
For the first time in centuries, a faint smile appeared on the Queen's cold face.
***
[You have successfully met the requirements.]
[The fourth restriction is being lifted.]
[Due to the significant nature of this restriction, the unlocking process will require considerable time.]
A bright light emanated from the back of Elric's hand as the tablet trembled slightly.
Click, click-click-
Elric could feel the demonic energy continuously pouring from the Seal of Cruelty into the Seal of Winter Wind.
The Seal of Winter Wind voraciously consumed the demonic energy, as if it was in urgent need. Yet, it seemed insatiable, constantly demanding more from the Seal of Cruelty, like a baby bird persistently begging its mother for food.
During these moments, the Seal of Cruelty patiently appeased the restless Seal of Winter Wind, gradually changing everything.
It was around this time that whatever had been tightly binding the Seal of Winter Wind began to fall away.
Whooosh!
A wind started blowing from somewhere.
Elric's hair fluttered helplessly in the breeze.
***
The Queen's already busy daily routine gained an additional task: tending to the sprout.
She replaced the surrounding ice tiles to ensure the sprout could grow properly and supplemented the soil around it with dirt she had managed to find.
Fearing the sprout might freeze in the cold, she adjusted the temperature and personally built a barrier to protect it from the snow.
-You must know that I am not one to normally concern myself with such trivial matters. Always remember the great favor you are receiving.
In truth, the Queen did not know what kind of plant the sprout was. The flowers that used to fill the garden were all tended to by her retainers and people. This was the first time she had personally tried to grow something.
Therefore, her actions were extremely cautious, afraid the sprout might not grow properly. She did not want to lose this rare companion she had found in centuries.
-Though you come at will, leaving is not so simple.
As time passed, the sprout continued to grow. There were moments when it was at risk, but it managed to thrive little by little.
The sprout became a sapling, and as the sapling grew taller, it extended branches and sprouted leaves. Eventually, buds formed and began to bloom into flowers.
The flowers were a deep red.
The Queen found them so beautiful that she spent a long time gazing at them, forgetting even the daily tasks she diligently performed without fail.
Then, she started to collect the fruits that grew from the flowers and planted them nearby, hoping to grow more of the same trees.
Fortunately, her efforts paid off. The garden soon filled with many trees, and eventually, various unknown flowers began to bloom among them, transforming the garden into a true floral paradise.
Spring, summer, fall, winter. Although the outside world was still a cold world, filled with snow, in this garden, flowers bloomed and withered with the seasons. The Queen found joy simply being in this place.
However, she also noticed that the power that had been accumulating within her began to dissipate gradually.
-These... they are all poisons, it seems.
The Queen let out a hollow laugh.
In truth, it was a natural consequence. She was the Queen who ruled over all the ice and snow in the world, and as such, she always had to carry the cold winter within her heart.
However, as that winter melted away like snow in spring, so did all the thoughts that constituted her being.
Despite this, the Queen had no desire to destroy the garden she had carefully nurtured. On the contrary, she wanted to keep this place beautiful until the very end.
It was regrettable that there would be no one left to remember the retainers and people who had departed when she melted away, but as long as she remained in this garden, she could relive those cherished memories, so she did not want to leave.
This place was filled with the fond memories of her retainers and people smiling brightly with her.
Drip!
Drip!
As time passed, the Queen gradually grew weaker. She lay with her face nestled in the fragrant garden, her eyes closed. A steady stream of water flowed from her, gently moistening the petals of the flowers.
[Who is this lady?]
[Who is she?]
[She's beautiful.]
[Beautiful!]
A sound like chirping sparrows seemed to come from the once silent garden, but the Queen did not open her eyes. She simply enjoyed the warmth of the flowers, as if taking a peaceful nap.
'Winter' was fading away, and 'Spring' was approaching.
But then,
-So, there was something like this here.
Step!
A dark, unfamiliar shadow fell over the garden.
***
'What is that...?'
Elric suddenly felt that the owner of the shadow he had seen at the end of the vision seemed familiar.
'Demon god!'
The figure had the same aura as the gigantic demon god who once fought against his ancestor when Elric first unlocked the arrangement.
Although the figure's stature and appearance were significantly different from the demon god who had once towered over tens of meters.
Elric believed it was indeed the demon god.
No, he was certain.
The owner of the shadow had later picked up the Queen's lifeless body and breathed life into it.
This was a miraculous feat that only a divine being could accomplish.
-Shouldn't winter remain as winter?
The body disintegrated, and the lingering dark thoughts within it dispersed, evolving into a new mystery. These thoughts, filled with darkness, gradually spread, creeping from the Black Snowfield to the outer edges, and then down along the ridge towards the springs.
This marked the birth of General Winter.
Flash!
It was at this moment that Elric regained his senses. He felt the cold yet warm, lonely yet happy past of the Queen vividly at his fingertips.
However, this wind, which was a merciless and bitter wind to those who sought to destroy the garden and trample the territory, was the "Winter Wind."
Crack!
Boom!
Elric felt the ice chains that had been forcibly binding the Seal of Winter Wind completely shatter, creating a solid connection with the Seal of Cruelty.
Click!
It was clear.
In completing "winter," the Seal of Cruelty and the Seal of Winter Wind were like gears moving in unison.
[All restrictions have been lifted!]
[Essence Release.]
When Elric lifted his head again, he saw a dark and cold world before him.
Here, Elric felt he knew what needed to be done.
The Seal of Cruelty no longer absorbed the cold; instead, it began to release everything it had swallowed, now alongside the Seal of Winter Wind.
"[Rise in loneliness]."
The moment he pulled the completed trigger, the Seal of Winter Wind stirred up a fierce whirlwind.
Roar!
Snow wind, far greater in scale than ever before, shredded and tore through the darkness surrounding Elric, dispelling even the blizzard that had clouded his vision and senses.
[T/L: 설풍(雪風) - snow-bearing wind/Snow Wind/Snowstorm.]
Creak—
Like drawing back a curtain, the true landscape hidden beyond was revealed.
[....You finally woke up.]
The God of Camellias still sat atop Elric's left shoulder.
However, her expression was a complex mix of emotions.
She felt both embarrassed and slightly displeased, as Elric had seen her entire past.
But there was an emotion that came before all others.
"I will restore the garden to its original state."
Elric spoke, sensing the depth of her feelings.
[You...!]
"Seeing the beautiful flowers that once bloomed in the garden again. Isn't that the sight you wanted to hold onto until the end, and the sight you wanted to protect even after being reborn as the God of Camellias, right?"
The God of Camellias fell silent.
As Elric said, the garden she had tended was now called the Temple of Flowers.
Before she became the Winter Flower, she was the god who cared for the Temple of Flowers, longing to restore its original beauty.
The "spring" Usdun had mentioned was the warmth that the demon god's curse had blocked.
[Can I... ask you for this?]
The God of Camellias, with a face identical to the Queen seen in the vision, earnestly pleaded with Elric.
"Please, don't use such formal words like 'request.'"
"...?"
"Friends don't talk like that, do they?"
[...!]
With those words, Elric leaped forward. As he moved, the Seal of Cruelty and the Seal of Winter Wind intertwined, causing snow and ice shards to scatter wildly.
[Friends, huh.]
Watching Elric, the God of Camellias smiled wryly.
[You cross boundaries I've set so carefully, so easily.]
Yet, at the end of her words, there was a hint of laughter.
In the distance, a shadowy figure loomed, a remnant of the past wrapped in darkness.
[T/L: You can read more chapters and support me here: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]