<Episode 97>
The Kingdom of Dryas.
“That is…the country that favored the spirit king of the forest.”
With those words, I opened my eyes and returned to reality.
Perhaps it is because I shared the same feelings with the owner of this body?
As I muttered, the tears that had been gathering under my eyes began to flow quietly.
“…She left the water relic to Marie.”
The moment I heard that name, the first person that came to mind was none other than my mother, Mariette.
… Was my mother’s name derived from the name of an ancestor?
“The important thing is…”
Aside from the relic of fire that was hidden deep in the imperial palace of the Roshan Empire and preserved until my era long after, all that remained now was the relic of water.
Also from the Dryas Kingdom, which had not yet been destroyed …
“Relic of the forest, the source of life.”
I muttered in a hard voice and roughly wiped the moisture from my eyes.
Rose’s younger sister, Marie Hacardella, would have gone to the Kingdom of Dryas with a man named ‘Rezeck Oraboni’ carrying the water relic.
So, in the Kingdom of Dryas, there are still two relics of the Spirit Kings that had not been destroyed.
“First of all, it would be better to find and secure the intact relics.”
I gathered my spirits and stood tall in the hall of the abandoned castle.
[Caaaw-]
“…”
The crow sitting a short distance away from me flew in, flapping its wings and cried loudly.
“…I have to be as invisible as possible, but why do I have to carry a crow with me?”
It seemed as if the deep sadness that had remained was being washed away like a lie in this absurd situation.
I looked at the crow with wide eyes as he sat on my shoulder and sighed deeply.
***
Dong, dong.
As the drums were beating ominously at a steady beat, candles lit up the dark room here and there.
A hazy mist rose ceaselessly from the golden incense burner.
It was the sanctuary of their ancestor, Annushka, the eternal dreamer.
Khalid knelt quietly on the floor of the ‘sanctuary’ with half his face covered by a white veil.
“The descendants of Ilkay wish to ask the priestess of Annushka for a prophecy.”
The moment his voice quietly echoed, the person in the middle of the room, who was dancing around as if possessed by something, stood tall, and stopped all movement.
Wearing a square hat adorned only with golden snake embroidery near their forehead, the vibrant, multicolored feathers attached to it rise into the air, so abundant and dazzling that they almost hurt the eyes as their skirt flares out.
A young woman with long, braided black hair and cloudy, unfocused grey eyes turned and looked down at Khalid.
Heavy earrings adorned with jewels and feathers dangled from her ears, reflecting the candlelight and creating a dizzying array of glimmers.
Looking at him was proof that she accepted his request.
Khalid tried to avoid the gaze of the ‘priestess’ as he lowered his eyes and spoke calmly.
“What should I do to find out where Rose Hacardella is?”
The sound of the drum became louder.
The candles flickered precariously, casting shadows across the room.
The priestess stared into the dark, rippling the space with her empty eyes.
“Death, the dock, the white lion… the great, usurpation.”
She spat out incoherent words and sentences, then tilted her head back and stared at the ceiling.
“Dryers…”
She whispered in a voice so weak, it seemed like it would fall apart.
The moment Khalid’s eyes began shaking, the priestess sank to the ground, her body convulsing.
The face, which had fallen without a trace of movement, meant that all prophecies had ended.
Khalid stood up after a deep bow to express his gratitude.
As he left the sanctuary, the attendant who had been waiting for him approached him, bowed down, and asked.
“Your Majesty, have you received the prophecy?”
Khalid removed the visor that covered his nose and answered slowly, holding it in his hand.
“Her words were strange. Death and the dock, the white lion… and the great usurpation.”
But the last words the priestess uttered contained a clear meaning.
“She also said Dryas.”
“If it’s Dryas… isn’t it the most likely location that Princess Marie Hacardella ran away to?”
“Yes, Irmak. We just have to trust our instincts.”
As he silently gazed at the limp fabric clutched in his hand, steeped in a heavy scent, he murmured in a calm voice,
“It’s not a prophecy… drawn from exploiting someone.”
At the crossroads where he left, only a lonely shadow and a thick scent remained, lingering deeply.
King of the New Moon
Rose Hacardella was the successor to the Principality of Water, which eventually lost its monarch and was destroyed after Nisha’s oppression.
Additionally, she was extremely weak for unknown reasons.
“Ugh…”
As a descendant of Hacardella, she must have received the blessing of the Water Spirit King or one of his spirits.
But after the first summoning attempt, where I thought I could call upon Naiad for help, I suffered excruciating pain that I never wanted to experience again.
‘You, children of immortal life, the wealth of those whom you have blessed with immortal hearts. Answer my call.‘
In order to find out Rose’s exact properties, and also to somehow succeed in summoning a spirit, I tried calling out the names of all the spirits.
‘Nix…Aah!’
Even when I was trying to summon a lower-level water spirit, I suffered from excruciating pain for a long time before finally regaining consciousness. If I did more, I would die here without being able to do anything.
After coming to the realization that something was wrong…
“Why on earth is my body in such a state…”
I continued my journey towards the Kingdom of Dryas with only my own strength, without borrowing the power of the spirits.
Ah, I was feeling dizzy again.
“…”
I held on to the railing of the wagon and squeezed my eyes shut.
Was it because this body was supposed to die originally?
So, that’s why summoning spirits was impossible, and drawing on the spirits’ powers to use them was not allowed?
But if I looked at it that way…
“There’s no need to suffer through this… excruciating pain every time I try to use the power of the spirit.”
I was trying to force myself to think positively, but the realization that my current situation was bleak kept surfacing.
I buried my face in my knees, muttering sullenly as a deep sense of depression washed over me.
[Caaw, caw-!]
“It’s noisy… Please be quiet.”
Whenever I felt lethargic and down, I would notice him like a ghost. I would then look at the crow that was noisily croaking and tilting its head, and gently push it with my hand.
The King of Death was so creepy and quiet, but what exactly was wrong with his followers?
“The Spirit King must have seen me writhing in pain.”
Now I didn’t even have the energy to feel any emotions.
I muttered in a dejected voice.
He might not have paid much attention to it, but what kind of impressions would he have had if he saw it?
“Let’s not think about useless thoughts.”
I keep thinking of him because he looked like Ashmed.
“Ah.”
At that moment, I realized my mistake, distorted my face, and buried my head back in my knees.
I tried so hard not to think about the people I missed.
But in such a vulnerable moment, I finally couldn’t help it.
Ashmed, are you safe? And…
‘If you are safe, I will live too, and if you face death, it is no different for me from facing eternal death.’
‘So this time, I will ask for a promise. I will definitely stay alive and wait for you, so please come back safely as well.’
Standing precariously on a spire so high it almost looks like a thorn, that person was alone illuminated in the darkness.
The smile he gave me at the last moment and the voice that was so upright and affectionate that it made me sad still echoed vividly in my ears.
“That’s enough! Enough of that!”
I closed my eyes tightly and swallowed the rising image.
“This is Grishel Pier, please get off if that’s your destination!”
Immediately after I set my goal of leaving the abandoned castle and heading to the Kingdom of Dryas, I, who was a blank slate with no idea what was going on, decided to first check out what Rose had. So I took off the heavy gray robe I was wearing and spread it on the floor.
‘Oh my god…’
I let out a blank gasp as I discovered a heavy pocket full of gold coins.
I didn’t know the difference in currency between the time I lived and the past, but even by eye, it was sufficient as travel expenses, if not generous.
‘I don’t know anything, but I’m really glad I have enough money.….’
I sighed in relief and picked up her other belonging.
It was all crumpled up, as if it had been wet.
As I unfolded the piece of paper, what came into view was a map of the Duchy of Hacardella and the surrounding countries.
The Kingdom of Dryas was located right next to the Duchy of Hacardella.
There was nothing else between the two countries except a great river called Ahilan.
‘The Grishel Pier.. If I take a boat there and cross the river, I’ll reach the Kingdom of Dryas.’
If I manage to go to this pier, everything will be solved.
That was all Rose had.
‘But wouldn’t it be better to summon a spirit?’
And then I tried to summon the spirit, and the result was a miserable failure as described above.
Because of that, I just wasted time and got no results.
‘Ughhh…’
The scenery below the cliff that I barely managed to descend with my tattered body was…
‘That’s right, the Duchy of Hacardella was defeated in the war…’
As exhausted as I was, I had briefly forgotten, but that fear came rushing back—the dread that I might soon see firsthand the horrific aftermath left in the wake of war.
‘The road is a bit messy.’
‘Hey, Rohan! Come here and help me clear this fallen tree.’
There were large trees broken and fallen here and there, as if the military had passed through, and except for a few houses that were slightly damaged, there were people living peaceful lives.
