And thank you as always to those of you that I’m not meeting for the first time!
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Sincerely, thank you very much for inviting me to participate here.
I’m really happy to be involved with the Daughter of Evil world, even just a little bit.
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Speaking of Daughter of White, I remember being quite surprised to actually see the video was official when I watched it. That video made the “Yowane Haku” tag submissions go up a little on a certain artist social media site. I mean, I figured it was a given being a pretty popular series, but I’m still in awe that I was allowed to draw manga short story for it…
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I did have some reservations, given it’s my first time drawing based on a scenario, but it was a good experience to have.
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With the knowledge that Clarith is a separate character from Yowane Haku, I tried to make her a bit younger…cuter than Haku. Though in the end, she wound up becoming like she always is. But I had fun drawing her silly expressions.
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I couldn’t pull off Michaela’s loveliness with my meagre talents, so please imagine it better in your mind.
Michaela is adorable! Michaela (*´Д`)ハァハァ
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So then, for everyone kind enough to read this, as well as AkunoP and all the editors, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Let’s meet again somewhere.
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CAFFEIN
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*CAFFEIN personally roots for “Kasane Teto”. She also secretly slipped Soune Taya into the manga.
*I have a general policy against people reposting my work elsewhere, but to be more specific here, I request that anyone who enjoys this translation please do NOT use this to create a public “scanlation” of this manga. The purpose behind keeping this in a purely script format is to encourage people to buy the novel that it comes from to see the artwork. I have uploaded this translation not just to share more Evillious content with fans, but so that such people can read the content that they have purchased. Thank you.
Title Page
The Daughter of Evil, “Novelette of White”
Michaela, feeling lost at Kyle’s proclamation.
What actions will Clarith take when she learns of this--?
Original Work: AkunoP (mothy)
Manga: CAFFEIN
Page 1
Narration: Elphegort (Country of Green)
The Keel Freezis estate--…
Keel: Are you troubled, Michaela?
Michaela: L-lord Keel
Keel: That pendant’s from Kyle, isn’t it?
(At the banquet yesterday)
I’d thought he was quite the square,
But he’s making a move quite quickly…
Page 2
Michaela: What should I do?
Keel: Hmm, he ought to give up if you give him a serious answer.
Kyle also has a fiancée.
Michaela: A fiancée?
Keel: Yes.
And you’d be competing with the princess of Lucifenia, to boot.
If you’re not careful it could turn into an international incident.
Michaela: …
Keel: Well,
If this were just a simple fling I’d tell you to feel free to go ahead,
But judging by both of your personalities that’d be a bit hard to manage, yes?
Haha.
Well then, I’ll let you get back to your cleaning!
Michaela: He gave this to me while having a fiancée…
I really don’t get humans after all
Clarith: F-
F-
Fiancee~?!
That blue jerk made a pass at Michaela while having a fiancée…
This isn’t good! Not good at all!
Page 3
Clarith: Michaela’s going to get thrown away like a used tissue!
(Imagined depiction)
As her friend…Yes, only as her “friend”!
I must protect Michaela!!
Kyle: …
Whatcha doin’?
Clarith: Gah! It’s Blue!
L-Lord Kyle!?
Kyle: I’m staying here in Elphegort for a little while on some government business.
I came to see Michaela while I’m here.
Where is she?
Clarith: M—
Michaela went to the marketplace in the central district to buy green onions!
I imagine you must be quite busy yourself, King Kyle.
So I think perhaps you should head back for today!
Kyle: Hmmm, I see.
Well then, I might head to the market myself.
I’ve got some free time.
Page 4
Clarith: I-I see.
Have a good day~
Work hard, Your Majesty
Still, with this I’ve been able to keep Michaela out of the hands of that playboy…
Bruno (?): Heey, Michaela!
We don’t have enough green onions for dinner tonight.
I’m sorry, could you please go buy some at the market?
Michaela: Right, of course.
Clarith: Sh-shit!
Narration: Kyle came to the Freezis estate from time to time after that.
Clarith tried to get in the way of their fraternization, but…
Clarith: Prepare yourself, King Marlon.
If it’s to protect you, I will even become evil!
Page 5
Clarith: YAAAA
(Kyle: I’ve got that too)
Michaela: Well)
Kyle: …!!
Clarith!?
(How!?)
This is bad!
Are you alright!?
Clarith: COUGH
Y…yeah
Crowd: What’s this now?
Way to go, mister!
What a beautiful dive!
Was she drowning?
Where is he from?
Take my apples!
I think she fell
Huh? I think I’ve seen him before
What an achievement.
He just jumped right in without hesitation, what a hero
Clarith: H…huh…?
Thorny: …So then.
Page 6
Thorny: Are you satisfied with that arrangement for giving Lucifenia aid, King Marlon?
Kyle: Yes.
I’m very grateful to you for hearing out my self-indulgent request, King Elphegort.
Keel: Alright!
Well then, let’s wrap up our business here!
You’ll be heading back to Marlon tomorrow.
So today, let’s indulge in a drink, shall we?
Clarith: In the end, my battle strategy was a complete failure…
(sigh)
Oh well. Blue is gonna be heading home tomorrow.
And Michaela doesn’t seem all that interested either…
Michaela: Clarith--
Page 7
Michaela: I was told to serve this wine to Lord Keel and his guests.
But, hmm…
Clarith: Huh? Didn’t we throw this out as spoiled?
Is that it?
I’ll just do a quick taste test to see.
Hmmm…
I can’t tell. One more.
I dunno, I think it’s fine…
But it might not be…
One more sip…
Hm.
This is pretty good wine…
Michaela: Uh, Clarith?
Keel: …?
The wine isn’t here yet
Heey! Michae…
Clarith: Alriiiiight, Miss Clarith has arriiiived!!
Page 8
Clarith: I brought you yer wiiiine!
Keel: Huh?
Huuuh?
Clarith: Hey, Blue!
Don’t go around getting hooked on another woman when you’ve got a fiancée!
Kyle: !?
Clarith: I mean, you can’t go around doing that as the king of a country!
You could cause your country to fall to ruin if you blow it!
The V1 engine was too hard to use in the first place!
And what’s with this cool-guy hair! What happened to the picture on the packaging!?
Kyle: Sorry but I didn’t get any of that after the first half.
Clarith: You’re just going to throw her away when you tire of her.
Kyle: I—I would never do that!
I’m serious!
Keel: Stop this, Clarith.
Are you drunk?
Clarith: Shut up, four-eyes!
Kyle: She’s not listening
Page 9
Clarith: You get too much prominence for a character that didn’t even show up originally!!
Keel: Th-
That applies to you too!
Clarith: I still existed in the early concepts!
(Kyle: Is that right?)
Thorny: I…I have no idea what’s going on here…
Clarith: (sigh).
Michaela: Have you sobered up a bit, Clarith?
Clarith: He got so mad at me…
Michaela: I almost never see Lord Keel that angry
Hm…
Clarith: I guess I really shouldn’t have said, “A glasses character is too hard to use”,
Or whatever it was I said.
Michaela: Yeah…
That kind of material’s not too good.
Page 10
Clarith: I’m sorry. He yelled at you too, because of me.
Michaela: Don’t worry about it
I should have stopped you from causing a scene.
Clarith: Sigh…I’m sorry
I’m sorry for being alive
Michaela: You’ve just spent too long cooped up in your shell, Clarith.
I think you should express yourself more often, actually.
Clarith: …
Michaela: Didn’t I tell you before?
You’re more amazing than anyone.
Clarith: Michaela
Sob~
Michaela~
I love you~
Marry me!
Michaela: Sorry, I’m gonna have to think about that for a bit.
A Netsuma girl with white hair and red eyes. As she’s an ethnic minority she has a past of suffering persecution from Elphe people, and her negative personality took form from that. She’s generally useless at everything she tries, but excels at cooking. She also likes animals and plants, and is a kind and caring girl at heart.
Ichika’s comment
*Village outfit: I put her in a simple, full dress that’s easy to put on even though she’s clumsy. I had intended for her outfit to both show that she was an outsider and be something that wouldn’t stand out in a village, and so the image I had for Clarith was the outfit that ultimately came to mind there. Hence her design coming out like this.
*Nun outfit: I designed her sleeves to be neat so that it would be easy for her to cook, which is her main strength. As they don’t have any ostentatious stuff like hair decorations at the monastery I tearfully cut down on her ribbon… It’s a useless detail but her waist sash is supposed to be in a granny knot (haha).
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Michaela
Represented by Hatsune Miku
One of the spirits serving the great land god Held. She could transform into a robin while a spirit. She is cheerful and open, brimming with curiosity, and has a tomboyish personality. She is very interested in humans, and watches people as a hobby. She likes to sing.
Ichika’s comment
As she’s sort of German in style, I drew her with some references in mind. The main impression is that of the German Fairy Tale Road. As I have the personal idea that it’s a hand-me-down from Clarith’s mom, the skirt for her dress is a little too long. I wanted to show a gap in manner of dress between her in the village and her in town, so I made it so that here she has no ribbon.
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Yukina
Represented by Kaai Yuki
The beloved daughter of the wealthy Elphegortean merchant Keel Freezis. As she loves to read, she excels at writing despite her young age. She plays a lot of pranks, and frequently causes trouble for the servants of the mansion.
Ichika’s comment
Honestly, she was the most fun to draw (haha). While going off of the imagery for her VOCALOID character, I made her have a sort of mature feel, given that she’s the daughter of a merchant. Luckily I was able to make it show through in her outfit that Keel dotes on her endlessly.
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Allen Avadonia
Represented by Kagamine Len
A boy who works as a servant attendant on the princess in the imperial palace, hiding his true identity. He is Riliane’s younger twin brother. He has a very mature personality, but occasionally he’ll show a bit of boyishness in his expression. He wishes for Riliane’s happiness more than anything.
Ichika’s comment
I made his coat a little bit loose, so that it could be worn as-is above his normal clothing. I was thinking about various things when I drew it—like making sure he has a relaxed formal air even when he’s attendant on the princess, that he’s alright even if it rains as he has a hood, that it’s one-size-fits-all, etc.
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Riliane Lucifen d’Autriche
Represented by Kagamine Rin
The queen of Lucifenia. She is called the “Daughter of Evil” for her arrogant conduct, and her life is put in danger in the civil war with the revolutionary army. She escaped from the palace thanks to Allen’s aid, and started to live at a monastery after being found by Clarith.
Ichika’s comment
Generally it’s the same as Clarith’s, but as she’s a newbie there’s a bit of a difference in things like skirt length and such. Though she’s poor at her job, as she’s a former princess she has the kind of personal setup of being very precise at dressing well, at least.
This work is a sequel to “Daughter of Evil: Cloture of Yellow”—or rather, a story going on in the background of it.
The diva, Michaela, who is the target of both Allen’s love and Riliane’s hatred. It depicts only the short span of time in which she was alive as a human, but in a big departure from the previous book it gives more of a close-up on fantasy elements like spirits and magic and demons.
There were some times while I was writing it when I worried over whether or not to steer the story in this direction.
But I think in the end that by putting in these elements I was able to broaden and deepen the scope of the world “of Evil”.
As for the bonus episode included in this e-book release, I wrote a story pertaining to the black Rollam bird that served as a catalyst for Michaela and Clarith meeting. Actually, he’s a very important figure for Michaela, as well as the latter half of the “Daughter of Evil” and “Deadly Sins of Evil” series, from “Judgement of Corruption” onward. He’s a very unfortunate character--despite the fact that I made him relatively far back, there haven’t been a lot of chances for him to show up (and when I finally debuted him, he didn’t have a very active role).
Now that I’ve finally had an opportunity to write this bonus story, this time I put the spotlight on poor, pitiful Lich.
I hope you enjoyed it, along with the main work itself.
I think you need to be fortunate to meet with good, close friends.
I’ve been able to meet a lot of extremely talented people through the work I’ve done up to now, and through that I’ve received various influences on my own endeavors.
That is to say, there are a lot of cases where I think that if I hadn’t met these certain people in the time I did, I might not be making the same work that I am now. I can’t help but feel that I was very fortunate to have been able to meet these people by chance.
How would Michaela and Clarith’s fates have changed if they hadn’t met each other? Or if Elluka hadn’t been a friend of Mariam and the queen? What if Riliane had met a good friend before becoming warped?
Perhaps someone’s fate is something that can be easily changed by such minor things.
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The book itself is based on the songs “Daughter of White” and “Regret Message”, and is written as an alternative perspective on the previous book, “Daughter of Evil: Cloture of Yellow”.
With regard to the making of Clarith’s character, I actually came up with her immediately after making “Servant of Evil” and at the time I had intended to release it not as a song but as a short sequel novel. But after several ups and downs in the end I published it as the song “Daughter of White”. That’s why “Daughter of White” has more explanatory lyrics than the other songs.
On the other hand when it came to Michaela I had thought about making her in a song, but that too didn’t pan out too well, and it never actually became a reality. There was a big chance of the story itself never seeing the light of day, but I’m glad that I was able to put it out in the world as a novel like this.
The last person I really thought about as far as creating the character was Elluka. This was right before Megurine Luka that she was modeled on was released, and all. I had already made her as far as being a sorceress, but she was originally someone who fought against the resistance, and was conceived as the mastermind that threw the kingdom into chaos.
The role that was originally going to be the sorceress was changed and given over to another person. Though I didn’t make good on that speculation in the contents of the previous work or even this one. That point will probably be confirmed in the next piece that I’ll probably release.
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Thank you very much to all of you who read the letters from the illustrators who depicted the world of my book with their fantastic artwork, everything included here related to that work, and Michaela and Clarith’s lives up to its last moments.
Wiegenlied of Green VG edition illustrator letters
Suzunosuke: I am Suzunosuke. I think it’s a great honor that I’ve been able to be involved with the “Daughter of Evil” work like this, as it was the impetus for my having an interest in VOCALOID. I made the illustrations for this with various messages in mind. I hope that you can feel something by looking at them.
Ichika: Ichika here. There were a lot of female characters this time around, so I had a lot of fun working on it. I hope I’ve been able to add some grace to the series with my illustrations.
Yuu: I feel very privileged to have been able to continue drawing again after the first book. I’m Yuu. The stripes in the illustration backgrounds represent the main characters out of the various ones shown.
Nagimiso: I’ve been able to be in charge of the pictures of the Series of Evil in other matters before, and I’m overjoyed to have been allowed to take that on again for this story. I’m very happy to have been able to be involved in such a magnificent work as this, and at the same time I have high hopes for how the project will likely expand from here on out.
You-Ring @ Kitano Tomotoshi: My most sincere congratulations in publishing this second installment of the “Daughter of Evil” series. We’ve finally got the truth on what’s going on “the background of the Daughter of Evil”! Well, while I’m going ahead and personally christening it that in my mind, I can only feel my anticipation rise for the World of Evil that’s still yet to be expanded on.
Karu: It’s nice to meet you everyone, I’m Karu. For this work I was tasked with the pinup illustrations. I greatly love the “Daughter of Evil”, so I’m truly happy to have been able to work on the art like this. The outfit designs are adorable, and the illustrations were a lot of fun to draw. I hope you like them! And I most humbly thank you.
Yoshida Dondorian: It is nice to meet you, I am Yoshida Dondorian. The songs and illustrations of the World of Evil inspire such strong images; they remain deeply in my mind yet. How astounding that I’ve been allowed to assist in making them. For the pinup illustrations this time around I was able to depict some scenes from before the story really got moving. With red eyes and green feathers, the very fairy-tale like atmosphere has left a very strong impression.
At the time that the work before “Wiegenlied of Green”, “Cloture of Yellow”, came out, VOCALOID novels had yet to really be known to the world at large. Or rather, when it came to the idea of making VOCALOID songs into the subject of a novel itself (excepting fanfictions published on the internet and in fanzines), “Cloture of Yellow” is probably remembered by most as being the first of its kind.
For that reason, at first they were hardly ever carried in most bookstores, and if it hadn’t been for fan-specialty stories and online retailers it would have been very difficult for me to sell “Cloture of Yellow” at all. Fortunately (for the publishers, the rights-holders for the VOCALOIDS, and the writers themselves), with “Cloture of Yellow” selling unexpectedly well and with the publishing company’s business efforts, they are now often sold in major book retailers. They even managed to take up their own section that is comprised of just VOCALOID novels.
Ahem.
…Well, leaving aside my extremely arrogant singing my praises that’s only excused because this is the afterword of my own book, what came next after “Cloture of Yellow” was this work, “Wiegenlied of Green”.
But to look back once more, what a subject I picked for my second novel; a “companionship between two women” that has hardly any relation to my life at all.
Back then I borrowed several books from some authorities on the subject as reference material but they were things like yuri novels and the like. If it hadn’t been for that, this book might have been in a genre that no one would read.
There were a lot of corrections and revisions I did when re-publishing this, but compared to those I did for “Cloture of Yellow” it’s much more reserved. They were of a more supplementary degree, to fix typos and to maintain consistency with the works that came after it. It’s not that there weren’t parts that bummed me out reading them again, but I decided to hold back in respect to the me of back then as long as there wasn’t anything that was too off in it.
For those of you who are just starting on the “Daughter of Evil” series with this edition, and those of you who have already read all four books, I hope you’re able to enjoy it.
✠ Lich ~In the Country of Marlon, “Column Forest”~
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I had crossed the sea and arrived in Marlon.
When I reached the forest nearby the capital city of Bariti, I could see a bear waving to me.
It was my friend, Eater.
When I alighted on his shoulder, Eater first asked me, “Is Lord Held doing well?”
“…Yeah, you know.” I brushed it off with a vague reply. I wasn’t going to make him worry unnecessarily by responding honestly, that he was on death’s door. “How are things on your end?”
When I turned a question around on him, Eater nodded in satisfaction.
“We’ve got an understanding. Everyone in the forest says they’ll welcome us as friends.”
“Is that so? Thank goodness.”
Frankly speaking, if it was just me alone I wouldn’t have any need to live in a forest. As long as I had a tree to rest my wings, I could be fine living just about anywhere.
But it wasn’t so for Eater. Exposing his enormous frame to the public would get us wrapped up in needless turmoil. And I didn’t want to put a friend through that kind of danger, a friend so dear that he had run out of the Millennium Tree Forest and swam through the ocean all the way here to Marlon because he missed me.
“You’ve become quite sociable with people--or perhaps I should say, sociable with animals, Eater.”
“Heheh.”
Eater seemed bashfully pleased, scratching his head.
But his expression abruptly clouded.
“…Ah. But.”
“What’s wrong?”
“They said they had a condition to it. They wanted us to solve some trouble.”
“What trouble?”
“They said that lately some weird people have been coming from town and laying waste to the forest.”
“I see. Hunters, right?”
“No.” Eater shook his head. “Those kinds of people have been there for a long time now, and because they don’t hunt more than necessary the forest animals have accepted it. –This is different, they say some group of pure white-skinned people have started randomly rampaging around.”
“Pure white skinned people…Hm.”
That was very interesting.
Perhaps I had arrived at a purpose already.
But then—
“I can’t say anything on it unless I actually see them for myself.”
“I hear they always show up after the sun’s gone down. They’re more likely to appear on nights when the moon is close to full.”
“…As I recall, tonight should be a full moon. Wonderful. Well then, shall we go dole out some punishment for the ruffians that are disrupting the peace of our forest?”
“Yeah! I’ll do it!”
“Naturally. I am the brains of this outfit, after all. It is your job to fell our enemies…However, try not to kill them if possible. We can’t afford to get caught up in any more troublesome developments. Try to drive them off with moderate wounds.”
“Got it!”
Well—
That was assuming that our foes were mere human beings.
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But that night.
Under the full moon, as I waited on a tree branch fighting drowsiness, just as Eater said these things appeared.
In number—there were perhaps ten. Certainly their skin was white, so much so that they seemed entirely bloodless, and most of them were naked. They weren’t wielding anything that looked like weapons.
No…One of them is different.
There was a woman in the center of the group. Unlike the others, she seemed to be a normal human being. Her skin wasn’t that pale, she was wearing a black outfit, and—
In her hand she was clasping a red wineglass.
Without meaning to, a laugh fell from my mouth.
Bingo. I’ve found it. A Vessel of Deadly Sin that rules a demon!
While taking care not to be spotted by the group, I flew down to Eater’s shoulder as he crouched in a nearby clump of bushes.
“There’s no need to go easy on them. It seems our targets are not humans but rather ‘dead soldiers’.”
“Dead soldiers?”
“Walking human dead. They’re dead from the start, so there won’t be any problems in doing anything further to them.”
“Okay, I see.”
“Ah, only, there is a woman in the center—she’s holding a wineglass, and she’s an exception. Don’t kill her—just knock her unconscious.”
“The woman with the wineglass. Got it.”
Eater stood, and then with me still on his shoulder he began to walk in front of the intruders.
“…Ho. What’s this—”
The woman with the wineglass gazed at Eater with great interest, despite her surprise.
“—A bear, how odd. It’s the first time I’ve seen one so big. …Well, good. This is a rare opportunity to see the combat strength of the dead soldiers.”
The woman raised the wineglass, up, and then all the dead soldiers glared at Eater at once.
It seemed that all of them now regarded the enormous bear before them as an enemy.
I was correct; unmistakably this woman was manipulating the dead soldiers by borrowing the power of the demon who dwelt in the wineglass.
“Come…My dead soldiers, devour this bear!”
In concert with the woman’s cry, the dead soldiers launched their assault on Eater.
.
In the end, it was shorter than I had anticipated.
Without even ten minutes passing by, the dead soldiers had all been reduced to rubbish, and the woman who’d been controlling them was on the ground in shock before Eater.
“Shit! Useless bloody corpses!” she spat.
The fighting spirit had not yet faded from her eyes as she glared at Eater.
But the outcome was clear.
“—Wrong, woman.”
I spoke to her from Eater’s shoulder.
“--! The bird…speaks!?”
“The weak one is not the dead soldiers—it’s you. It seems you haven’t yet gained full control over the demon’s power.”
“…Tch.”
“I do understand. You’ve been practicing controlling these dead soldiers here. However…You’ve had a bit of bad luck. Of all things, we have chosen this forest as our home.”
“Just…who are you!? You’re not just animals!”
“That wineglass is beyond you. Hand it over. If you do, we will spare—”
“Answer the question!”
The woman threw a knife at me while screaming.
I deftly moved to the side, but I failed to get away, the knife grazing my left wing.
“--! My beautiful feathers…you’ve wounded them…”
I could feel myself beginning to simmer with welling anger from my heart.
“…Eater. Please dispense some punishment.”
Eater drew close to her, and slapped her right cheek with his open paw.
“Hwoogh!?”
The woman’s body was blown to the side.
“…”
She didn’t get back up.
“Looks like she’s passed out. That’s what she gets for being such a disobedient child. …Anyway, I think perhaps we shall accept the wineglass now.”
The wineglass had fallen from the woman’s hand, and tumbled to the bushes nearby.
“Hey. What is that glass?” Eater suddenly asked me.
“Inside this vessel—is the ‘Demon of Gluttony’. Your relative.”
“I don’t know anybody called that.”
“Ah…that’s right.”
He had also had his memories stolen by Held.
But well, once he’d reunited with “him” dwelling in the wineglass—that might serve as a jumpstart for Eater regaining his memories.
More important than that was…the dead soldiers.
Earlier had been a bit of a let-down, but still a power that lets one move dead bodies was extremely fascinating for me.
That power, and the “mud doll” technique that I had—if I combined the two, maybe.
Maybe that would bring me one step closer to the completion of a “new race” that I sought.
I landed on the ground and got closer to the glass.
“Come—Show yourself. Our colleague residing in the vessel…’Demon of Gluttony’!”
In response to my call, the vessel began to emit light.
The light eventually rose up from the vessel, and gradually began to take on a human shape.
.
That form must have been “him”, who I knew so well—
.
No.
It wasn’t.
.
It wasn’t “him”.
.
“—Who are you?” the light asked me.
But that was my line.
“Who are you!?”
“I…am the ‘Demon of Gluttony’—”
“No you’re not! The ‘Demon of Gluttony’ that I knew isn’t anyone like y—”
“Huh…Does that make you an acquaintance of that pig?”
It was a joking woman’s voice.
Without a doubt, it didn’t belong to “him”.
What did this mean?
While I had been living in the forest—
What had been occurring in the world outside?
Eater, who clearly didn’t get the situation at all, spoke to the light. “You my ‘rel-a-tive’?”
“Oh my, what a delicious looking little bear—but regrettably, I am not related to you.”
✠ Lich ~In the Country of Elphegort, “Millennium Tree Forest”~
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A broad forest lay before my gaze.
To me this was my place of origin, and also a location I never wanted to return back to.
Those who lived in the forest likely didn’t remember me any longer.
--Save for one.
.
When I dropped down to the center of the forest, I heard a displeased voice come from the old tree right before me.
“…Why is a black Rollam bird in this forest?”
The great land god Held.
He was the ruler of this forest, and the one who had banished me from it.
I had known from the start that he wouldn’t be pleased with my return.
“How do you do, Held? …You seem to have grown a fair bit weaker than before. It seems to me that it wouldn’t be out of place for you to wilt soon.”
“Did you come back here knowing that? –It’s as you say. The day when I depart this land isn’t terribly far off.”
I didn’t hear any particular pessimism towards the ground world’s future in Held’s tone as he said that.
When the great land god had died, what would happen to this forest?—and the ground world?
…Nothing would change. That was the answer. A long time had passed, and the living things on the ground world including humans had all already achieved independence. It was still frail yet, but it wasn’t to the extent that they would need a god’s direct intervention.
Held likely knew that as well.
“…What is your motive for coming back here?” Held asked me, a calm anger in his voice.
“Don’t be so hard-hearted. I merely came here to give my goodbyes.”
“Because the day when I leave the ground world is soon?”
“There is that…but I’ve also been wanting to leave this continent behind.”
“…?”
“There is a forest in the island nation of Marlon to the west. I intend to make that my new berth.”
“I see…”
Held did not ask me the reason.
Maybe he already knew, or maybe he simply didn’t care.
“Well, do as you wish. If that means that you’re not going to be hanging around this forest any longer, then that’s welcome for me. That means now I won’t have to worry about you meddling with the other spirits.”
“Are you…talking about ‘Michaela’? That would be your fault there, wouldn’t it? They defied your explicit instructions and snuck out of the forest without permission. I was merely handing out a little punishment. In your place.”
“Ho, is that your excuse?”
“The outside world isn’t lukewarm like in the forest. It’s survival of the fittest, eat or be eaten. I was merely giving a lesson through experience as their senior—"
“Silence!” Held’s deep voice echoed through the forest. “Enough with this ‘protector’ affectation. You are no longer a resident of this forest. You have no right to do such a thing.”
“I suppose so…But then, in that case I also have no more obligation to obey anything you say.”
“Don’t give me that nonsense. You stopped listening to what I told you a long time ago, after all. And the result of that—was that ‘Mud King’.”
I had once revived a dead man through a forbidden technique.
I had packed a soul into a doll made with cursed mud that lay in the corner of this forest. He became a great king afterwards, and done great deeds over the continent, but I had earned Held’s ire and was banished from the forest nonetheless. …So it happened.
Several decades had passed since then, but it seemed Held’s anger hadn’t abated even now.
“You haven’t changed a bit. No matter how much time goes by you’re a blockhead. You’ve forgotten your debt to me for allowing you, one who has failed to become neither god nor demon, in my forest as a spirit!”
“Hahaha…Quite right. You’re a very kind soul. But, hey…Not everyone’s looking for compassion. If you’re seeking true peace, you shouldn’t have invited in a heretic.”
“A heretic...Yes, perhaps that is what you are. But at the same time, for us you were also a most precious colleague—”
“That doesn’t just apply to me. Even ‘Seth’ is—”
“Don’t you speak that name here!”
Once more he shouted in anger.
But this time I could hear a little bit of an expression of fear in there too.
Yes—Held was afraid. Afraid of the other spirits who were likely nearby overhearing that name.
Afraid of them recovering their lost memories.
“Held…You are kind. But at the same time you’re also a coward. You’ve stolen some memories from the spirits inconvenient to you. Those of me as well…and those of that ‘ark’.”
“That—is because that’s a happy thing for everyone. There’s no need to keep them always carrying around memories that are useless to a new world.”
“If that’s the case then you should erase your own memories.”
“…”
“You can’t do it, can you? You are more selfish than anyone. It’s because you know that yourself that you’ve resigned to being this old tree, a god in name only.”
“…That’s enough. This conversation is over. Leave here at once. You may go wherever you wish in Marlon.”
“I appreciate you letting me do so. I wish you too a pleasant remainder of your life--”
It happened when I moved to fly into the air after I finished speaking.
I realized some kind of anomaly with the scene before my eyes, and stopped flapping my wings.
“—What is this tree?”
I had realized that there was a small sapling growing right next to Held.
“…Nothing important. Just something some nuns who live near the forest planted.”
“Huh…Now, isn’t that peculiar. Nuns planting a tree right next to the Millennium Tree that is their object of worship—”
“—Did you not hear what I said to you earlier? I told you to get out of this forest right now!”
Held was newly agitated.
Without a doubt, there was something about this—this sapling.
…It can’t be!?
I once more peered at the tree.
“—I see now. So that’s what this is. This is their…You intend to make them into your successor.”
“…Indeed, that is true,” Held murmured resignedly. “Michaela has been reborn as a tree. Right now it’s like they’re a child. They probably can’t even understand the contents of our conversation.”
“But eventually it’ll grow into a great tree…And suck up all of your nutrients and knowledge. And if that happens, the knowledge of me too—”
As I spoke, I approached the sapling.
“Wait. What are you trying to do, Lich?”
“—What? I’m just trying to ‘nip it in the bud’, as the saying goes.”
I opened my beak, and brought my face close to pluck the sapling.
“Cease your foolishness! Don’t add on to yourself any more sins!” Held cried, but naturally I wasn’t inclined to listen.
Powerless old fool tree. Just stay right there and make no move to interfere with me--
“Hey!”
--I unexpectedly heard an angry shout from behind me, and halted in my movements.
A blonde girl wearing a nun’s uniform was sprinting towards me, brandishing a tree branch.
“Shoo! Shoo!”
The girl started to wave the branch with all her might, trying to chase off the black Rollam bird that was trying to pluck the sapling.
…Good grief.
I resignedly flapped my wings and flew up to the sky.
Then I left the forest, and headed west.
…When it came to being powerless, I myself hadn’t changed one jot on that.
Whether or not my true identity was as a spirit, to humans I was a simple black Rollam bird—
--Hm? I feel like I’ve seen that girl from earlier somewhere before…
I wracked my memory a little, and immediately arrived at the answer.
…Hahaha, I see…So this is where you were—“Daughter of Evil”.
She and her little brother had once for a time been some very interesting objects of study for me.
For the two of them—were miraculous children, “Irregulars”.
🍁 Held ~The Country of Elphegort, "The Millenium Tree Forest"~
.
I have watched over this land for a long time. But I am about to receive the end to all that very shortly. The time when this world has no need for gods has arrived. That is simply unavoidable. An old friend has set off on a trip as well. I will spend my remaining time in peace.
My only regret is that the issue of the "Vessels of Deadly Sin" has not been brought to a conclusion. I am sorry to leave this land while the demon's influence remains. But that is something that I will entrust to my successor, and to the humans. There is nothing to worry about; they are more determined than gods. I am certain they will be able to overcome this difficult situation by their own hands.
Today, two lovely visitors came to me. One of them was a white haired girl I had seen before. The other was a blonde girl with short hair.
"Clarith, is here alright?"
"Yeah. This is where she came from, after all."
I wondered if they were friends. After they closely prayed side by side, they began to plant a sapling nearby.
My beloved child had returned to me. I would offer her all of the knowledge that I held, before I left from this world. That was my mission, and also my atonement.
"…I'm sorry, Rin. You had such pretty hair…"
The white haired girl--Clarith--was apologizing to the blonde girl while they dug in the dirt.
"It's fine. I actually prefer it being short. It's easier to maintain," Rin replied, before silently continuing to dig.
Once they'd made a hole big enough to plant the sapling in, Clarith moved it from the pot and put it in there.
"Ah, that's right," Rin said suddenly, as though remembering something. "You don't have to do this as an apology for my hair, but…could you teach me how to make brioche? No matter how hard I try it's never as tasty as the kind you make."
"…Yeah, that sounds good. I'll teach you. And I'm sure you'll become very good at it, Rin."
They finished planting the sapling, and the two of them once more began to pray.
"…I'm sorry," Rin murmured in the middle of their prayer.
She suddenly began to cry. I didn't know what she was apologizing for, or why she was crying.
"I'm sorry," she whispered again.
As she did, Clarith also began to cry beside her.
After that the two of them continued to cry there until the sun went down.
My name is, Gumillia. I am a former spirit, and an apprentice of Elluka.
I will simply jot down our motions after we escaped from the Lucifenian palace, Elluka and I.
First we summoned a rain, and put out the fire in the Forest of Bewilderment. --We had to sacrifice an octopus.
After that we were pursued by Lucifenian soldiers for a short while, but by various means we were able to get away.
When we headed for the Freezis estate in Elphegort, the mansion had already burned down. We entered a nearby military station, and stole back Freezis' collection, but the "Venom Sword" wasn't in it. When things had calmed down, we went to Michaela. But she was already dead.
After we inflicted some moderate assaults on the Marlon King who had been at her side, such as kicking and punching, we took back her corpse.
At that time, something strange had happened. Her body turned into a sapling.
Not knowing why, we headed for Lord Held. And Lord Held and Elluka began to get into a huge fight. When I told him my own resolution, he looked extremely sad, but accepted it. And then fell asleep again.
When the revolution ended, and our surroundings started to look like they was gradually settling down. We headed for the Freezis estate in Marlon. We showed Keel Michaela's form, and he was very surprised. After some negotiation, Elluka returned to Keel his collection, and in its place she obtained the "Venom Sword".
All of Keel's children, were cute. But I saw Elluka make a strange expression, when she looked at Keel's wife. Elluka acted a little bit differently around Keel, whenever she spoke with him, in the first place. Maybe men like Keel were Elluka's type, and so she was disappointed at him having a wife. Well, I certainly never asked her about it, so it is little more than conjecture.
We once again returned to Lucifenia, and there we entrusted Clarith with Michaela's sapling. I was a little dissatisfied, but she of all people would treat Michaela well. But as I was still a little uneasy, I went to secretly watch her a little while after that. Surprisingly, Riliane was there. After Elluka had observed her for a short period, we decided to leave without doing anything. It seemed she was no longer possessed by a demon.
In the end, we had been unable to stop the Lucifenian revolution from happening. As for Riliane having been possessed again, the cause of the whole thing, we did not know how the demon had left her again. But Elluka had said, with an unconcerned expression,
"That's how it always goes."
It seems that it was a big accomplishment just by having obtained the "Venom Sword".
Even so, Elluka looked very sad when she heard the bell of the church. She did not show it on the outside, but I understood. Like me, Elluka was sad that she had lost friends.
Right now, we were making preparations in an inn to go to the east. Maybe there was another "Vessel of Deadly Sin" there. What kind of place would, a country in the east be? I was a little excited.
.
"…Aagh!"
Elluka had been gazing at the "Venom Sword", and suddenly shouted, seeming to have noticed something. And then she slowly began to strip off the bindings that she'd placed on the sword.
"…So it's true…I'd thought that its magical power seemed weak…"
Despondent, Elluka suddenly threw the "Venom Sworld" to the floor in a burst of rage.
"We've been had."
"Is it a, fake?"
"No. It's a real vessel alright. But there's nothing in it. There's no demon in this vessel. So this was pointless…Agh, don't tell me!"
Elluka took out the mirror that was the other "Vessel of Deadly Sin" from her luggage, and then began to unwrap its bindings as well. After a moment, she fell to her knees.
"It can't be…I know it was there when I bound it before… The demon's vanished from this mirror…"
"Is it possible, for a demon to vanish, from a vessel?"
"Normally, no. Even when the demon was possessing someone, its real form remained inside the mirror. It's for that reason that when you exorcise a demon possessing someone, you have to bind it inside the vessel as well. But for a demon to just vanish from its vessel completely…"
Appearing extremely dejected, Elluka did not move from her crouch for a while. But then she quickly stood, and began to gather the luggage.
"Gumillia, I hate to do this but we'll have to postpone our trip to the east! We still have things we need to do here."
Oh dear. And here I was looking forward to our long-awaited journey to a new realm.
The Lucifenian revolution had been successful, and the "Daughter of Evil" had been sent to the guillotine. That was what our society believed. But I knew. The one who had been executed had been a double, and the real Riliane was still alive somewhere.
Even so, I had no desire to go looking for Riliane again. Even though she was someone that I hated so much, even though I had sworn vengeance against her. I didn't know if that was just because the passion of my grudge had dwindled, or if I had been moved by the spirit of that servant who had offered up his own life for hers.
When did these gears begin to go mad in the first place? When I found Michaela's corpse in the bottom of that well? Or when I'd decided to break off my engagement with Riliane? Or perhaps it was even further back…when I met Michaela at Keel's mansion.
No, it isn't either of those. It was much earlier, when Keel had specially shown me one of his treasured collection pieces.
It was a strange sword. Called the "Venom Sword", I believe…When I first touched that blade, I was assaulted by a frightful and yet pleasant feeling, like my heart had been gripped tightly by something. Keel had offered to give it to me if I wanted it, but I refused. I felt a strong premonition that if I owned it, I would stop being myself.
Ever since then, I became unable to keep in check the intense lust within me. My love towards Michaela ran wild, and as a result Lucifenia and Elphegort had been thrown into chaos.
The one who caused all of it was none other than myself. Even so, I had settled into the position of ruler of Lucifenia after the revolution, and there was no one who challenged me on that.
How dreadful. Somebody--somebody stop me.
I took a mirror out of my pocket. It was a present my mother had given me when I was a child. While I harbored animosity towards her, I couldn't throw it away. This mirror would shake off my doubts for me.
The mirror spoke to me in the back of my mind.
.
Give over everything
Give over everything to your feelings
.
…Haha, that's right. I'm not mistaken about anything. I am just. The path that I take is the one of justice. Lucifenia, and Marlon as well someday, ought to become the just countries that I want them to be.
My revenge was not yet over. I still had to punish her too. The true culprit responsible for killing Michaela.
"King Kyle, we have news!"
A soldier arrived in a panic, kneeling at my feet.
"What is it?"
"York and Minage have deserted the palace. We have information that they are gathering soldiers at the base of Breck Mountain to the southeast."
The original members of the resistance, hm? I had thought them stupid men whose only strength was their willingness to take action, but it seemed they were smarter than I'd anticipated.
"Did they suspect what we were up to? Well, no matter. Have the men at Retasan Fortress suppress them."
"Yes sir."
"That aside, what of my order for the 'Witch Hunt'?"
"The other day we sent out the proclamation through all of the Kingdom of Lucifenia and the country of Marlon. However, we're still waiting on any beneficial news…"
"I see."
The blonde girl who was supposedly one of Riliane's original servants. She said she was the daughter of one of the Three Heroes, Mariam Phatipe, but she had given me some shocking information. Information on the real culprit behind Michaela's murder.
It was a failure on my part that she had escaped before I could take action. But I would find her.
"You must find her and arrest her. The witch who cast Lucifenia into chaos. Germaine Avadonia!"
Chapter 4, Section 2-The Small Bottle of the Beach; Scene 3
Wiegenlied of Green (VG), page 270-275
♥ Clarith ~The Kingdom of Lucifenia, "The Anonymous Coast"~
.
The coast was quiet at night.
The only sound that reached my ears was the faint crash of waves.
During the day, this coast on the outskirts of the port town was bustling with passenger ships from Marlon and fishing boats belonging to local fishermen. Even this late at night it seemed there were a few ships going out to fish here and there.
Moving even farther away from town, even those fishing boats faded from view. There was only the coast which stretched on towards the south, and the vast sea.
--Once I had returned to my room again, I had noticed an object that had been left on my desk. I immediately knew that it wasn't one of my belongings, but I had no time to wonder about what it was doing there.
I picked it up, and once again headed to the confessional. But Rin wasn't there anymore--from the window I could see her leaving the monastery. I didn't know where she was going, but I decided to follow after her.
Right now Rin was just dazedly gazing at the coast.
And I was examining her a little ways away.
What is she doing in a place like this, I wonder?
Eventually Rin took something that looked like a bottle from her pocket, and tossed it into the sea.
…Ah, I see.
I had once heard from the monastery head about a legend that was told at this sea. It said that if you wrote a wish on parchment, put it into a bottle, and then tossed it into the sea, your wish would come true.
But Rin. Do you know the whole legend, hm?
I drew closer to Rin, stepping softly so that she wouldn't notice me.
In my ears I could hear someone whispering to me. It was a small voice, mingling in with the faint waves.
'I'm sure she doesn't know. She doesn't know anything.'
Yes. She doesn't know anything. That tradition is said to be a contract with a demon.
Rin didn't seem to have realized what was going on. She just gazed at the small bottle floating away.
The whisper gradually grew louder.
'Yes, this is a contract with a demon. And in order to complete that contract…'
She must offer up her own life.
I brought out the knife that I had carried from my room, and tightly gripped the handle.
The whisper grew even louder, and resounded through my mind in a growling voice.
'So then we need to help her, don't we?♪'
Yes, Michaela. She needs to die if her wish is to come true.
What was repentance? Even if you did that now, it wouldn't bring Michaela back. She would never laugh or cry again. Become a plant? Become a god? Surely Michaela hadn't wished for that. Surely she had wanted to live forever and ever with me as a human. And you stole that from her. You took away all of both mine and Michaela's wishes. Someone like you, having a wish? Don't make me laugh.
'Clarith. When I was killed, I was stabbed with a knife. It was so painful. It hurt, it hurt so much I couldn't stand it.'
Poor Michaela. Be patient. I'm going to make her feel the same thing now.
Rin’s back was now before my eyes. Though I was so close to her she didn't realize I was there, appearing entranced by the bottle.
'Do it, Clarith. Take my revenge!'
I raised the knife high.
.
...Who is this?
Who are you?
Why are you getting in my way?
You, boy who resembles Rin. Who are you?
Step aside and let me kill her!
Why are you making such a sad face?
Stop it, don’t look at me like that.
Hey, Michaela. Say something to this kid...
...Who are you?
You’re not Michaela.
Michaela doesn't look like that, eyes so filled with hatred.
She was always smiling with a kind face.
Who are you?
Who are...Ah, I see.
You are...That smile like a demon is...
...Mine...
.
I didn't know how much time I had taken. I was suddenly assailed with the feeling of waking from a dream.
When I came to, Rin had noticed that I was there, and was looking my way with a shocked expression.
It seemed as though she'd also noticed the item I was holding up above her. She was looking at my right hand in mute amazement.
"…I see, you were the one in the confessional earlier."
Once she'd finished speaking, Rin's expression returned to how it always was. After that I thought she might try to run away, or resist me.
But Rin quietly closed her eyes right there. And she made a very sad smile--so sad that I had never seen one like it up until now--as though she was going to accept everything.
"This is fine. Do as you wish, Clarith."
I didn't know what I should do anymore. There was no one to tell me. Michaela was no longer there. I--I had to decide on my own.
Rin killed Michaela.
Rin was like a precious little sister to me.
Rin was the Daughter of Evil, who had done such awful things.
Rin was an incredibly solitary, sad person.
Rin was…Rin was…
"Aaghh…Aaaaaagggghhh!"
I made my choice, and brought the knife down towards her.
.
The coast was very quiet at night.
The only sound that reached my ears was the faint crash of waves.
Chapter 4, Section 2-The Small Bottle of the Beach; Scene 2
Wiegenlied of Green (VG), page 265-270
♥ Clarith ~The Kingdom of Lucifenia, "The Monastery at Night"~
.
One night, while I was on the verge of falling asleep, I noticed that I was short one hair clip.
Huh? Where could I have lost it?
I recalled the day's events. After breakfast I had gone to work at the fields, in the afternoon I had cleaned up the confessional…
That's right, that was it. While I was cleaning the confessional my hair clip had broken. I'd put on a spare and then left the broken one there in the room as it was.
If I can fix it I'll be able to use it again.
I had to be careful with things. I could go to pick it up tomorrow, but I was liable to forget it again while I was sleeping, so I decided to go right then. With that in mind I headed to the confessional, candle in hand.
On the way there I passed in front of the cafeteria. Michaela's sapling had grown a great deal, and now branches had sprouted from the flower pot.
I guess I'll have to replant it somewhere else before too long after all.
Whenever I got the chance, I would go to the Millenium Tree Forest in Elphegort. If she was supposedly Held's successor, then she should be back there.
I would be parting with Michaela once more, but I didn't feel nearly as much grief as I had the last time.
.
The monastery was dark at night, and if I didn't have the fire burning from the candle in my hand, even my footing would have been shaky. Eventually I managed to find my way to the confessional, keeping my hand on the wall.
Once I'd gotten there, I realized something pretty important. The confessional was kept locked at night. I wouldn't be able to get inside.
Darn it, how could I be so thoughtless?
The key should be in the director's room, but it was a ways off from here, and above all else I couldn't wake the director. There was nothing for it, I was just going to have to do it tomorrow.
Before I could turn to get back to my room, I tried out of some last hope to turn the doorknob.
…Huh? It's open!
The nun on duty must have carelessly forgotten to lock it. I carefully opened the door, trying not to make any noise.
…Is--is someone here?
There was a figure inside the confessional.
It wouldn’t be a thief…would it?
The figure was murmuring something while kneeling and offering prayer.
"…Lord, I have murdered countless people. I did not dirty my hands directly. However, many people lost their lives on my order."
This was the confessional. They had secretly crept in during the night, and were confessing to god. But murdering people wasn't a small thing. Who in the world was confessing right now?
"I sent everyone who did not act in accordance with my will or defied me to be executed. I had been convinced that doing so was for my country, and to enhance my authority as a ruler. But in the end, that had been nothing more than my conceited belief. I had only wanted to justify my actions by telling myself that it was all for national prestige. I was merely a foolish and ignorant girl."
It was a woman's voice. And I vaguely knew who the owner of that voice was. But inside my heart I desperately continued to deny that truth.
"…Continuing on like that, I even lost sight of why I was doing such deeds in the first place. No matter what selfish things I said, no matter how much money I wasted, no matter how many people I sent to the guillotine, there was nobody who would challenge me. Everyone around me only flattered me and smiled. It was because that crafty minister of mine had sent away from me everyone who could form an opinion. …However, that's nothing but an excuse."
I didn't want to listen to her confession any further. It was liable to destroy all of my determination. But contrary to those feelings, I couldn't move from my spot.
"When my minister's influence weakened, and I began to hear opinions that criticized me, it was already too late. By then I had already taken delight in the idea that the entire country would be as I wished. Anyone who stood in the way of that were merely enemies to me. I even murdered a dear friend of my father and mother."
She had beautiful, long blonde hair. It had been short when she arrived, but had completely grown out, and with it she herself had become an adult. While only just a short while ago I had thought of her as being like my little sister.
"My malice even came to extend outside the country. When I learned that my fiancé had been stolen by some other woman, I was tormented by an insane envy. I was completely unable to stand the existence of someone who would not be as I wished. My envy was not directed at my fiancé, but at my rival, and the country that she was in. I gave the order to kill all of the women in that country where she lived that had green hair like her. And the army…"
I turned back and headed to my own room.
I didn't need to hear any more. I already knew everything. I already understood everything.
Ah, how could this be?
She was--…Rin was the ringleader behind Michaela's death.
She was the princess of Lucifenia--The Daughter of Evil.
Chapter 4, Section 2-The Small Bottle of the Beach; Scene 1
Wiegenlied of Green (VG), page 256-264
♥ Clarith ~The Kingdom of Lucifenia, "Port Town Monastery"~
.
It was around the time that the regular farming began, with the warm season having arrived.
A new fellow had joined the monastery.
"You need to shape up! Honestly, loafing around here again!"
I could hear angry ranting from the back of the farming toolshed. When I hurriedly went to see what was going on, an elderly nun and a blonde haired girl were arguing back and forth.
"If you don't work, then you aren't getting lunch for today, Rin!"
"You're so annoying. How am I supposed to carry such heavy tools all by myself!?"
Again?...
While a little fed up with it myself, I took up in both arms several of the hoes scattered next to Rin.
"I'll help you out halfway, so we'll go together?"
"Clarith! Don't you spoil that girl!"
The elder nun looked terribly shocked, her hands on her hips.
"She hasn't gotten used to life here yet…please go easy on her."
"I think that's been the problem when it comes to Rin. At any rate, everyone's tired of waiting. I'm taking over the fertilizer, so you two hurry up and bring over those hoes."
She easily hoisted two bags of fertilizer up on her shoulders, and quickly headed for the fields. After watching her go, I turned to face Rin.
"Well then, let's go, Rin."
"…No. It's too much bother."
But Rin sat down on the spot and looked away.
"Those who don't work can't eat. If you don't take these over, then you can't have supper."
"Then you should sneak me some food again, Clarith."
"I can't keep doing the same thing over and over. If I'm caught then we'll both get a good tongue lashing."
"Well in any case I don't want to do it! No way."
Eventually Rin fell back to lay spread-eagled on the ground. Whenever she got that way, no matter how much you yelled or coaxed, she'd refuse to budge.
No other way…
I called over an older boy among some orphanage children who were playing nearby.
"Denis, could you come over here a minute? I've got a favor to ask."
"What is it, Miss Clarith?"
"I'm sorry to be a bother, but could you help me take these hoes to the field?
"That's easy work, leave it to me!"
Denis grinned, and suddenly scooped up the hoes.
While looking at Rin out of the corner of my eye, I said, loud enough that she could hear, "How impressive for you, Denis! Carrying so many hoes at once! That would be impossible for a lazy person who's always slacking off, huh!"
When I did, Denis replied loudly to me, as though he had guessed the situation, "What are you saying, Miss Clarith! There's no one at this monastery so good-for-nothing that they can't carry this many hoes! Why, I'm sure even someone much smaller than myself could carry even more than this!"
Even though she was laying down, Rin's eyes flickered our way. It seemed we had greatly wounded her pride. Just another push now. Time for the finishing blow.
"You're so amazing, Denis. In thanks for helping me, I'll serve you some brioche as a snack later!"
In that moment, Rin emphatically rose up and snatched the hoes from Denis' hands.
"I can do it too! Even I could carry this much. So then I'll be the one to get the brioche!"
"Woah! Way to go, Miss Rin! You're so reliable!" Denis said loudly in feigned surprise. Then he winked at me and returned to the ring of children playing.
Though Rin stumbled, probably because the hoes really were heavy after all, she put on a calm expression so as to not let on that they were and said suddenly, with great resolution, "Come on, let's go Clarith! Come with me!"
"Ho ho, alright. Let's go, Rin."
We walked towards the field. When I looked up the sky was without a single cloud; perfect weather for farming.
.
There was a steep hill road in front of the monastery. I had found Rin collapsed thereabouts about one week after Gumillia and Elluka had come to visit.
She had been much thinner than she was now, and seemed on the verge of dying from starvation, so I'd taken her to the monastery with the help of the missus of a nearby bread shop.
She had told us that she had no place to go, and so there was no one who objected to looking after her at the monastery. She refused to tell us who she really was, but as there were a lot of people like that, nobody questioned her on it. Although, the head of the monastery could guess from the education shown in her demeanor and literacy that she probably came from a noble family.
In the beginning, everyone treated Rin kindly. But her conduct was so overbearing and haughty--always griping about the food, throwing tantrums about doing work--that gradually all of the nuns came to treat her like a burden.
I myself was one of the people fed up with Rin's selfishness, but even so I was determined to be kind to her.
In Yatski village I too had once been scorned as a hindrance. I was always by myself. It wasn't because I really liked being alone. I just didn't know how to get used to people.
Even Rin, who was always so confident, sometimes had an incredibly lonely expression on her face. She couldn't have wanted to always be by herself either. When I had saved her, she had deliriously said, "I don't want to be all alone". I didn't know what had happened, but I was sure that there had been some circumstance where she'd had to separate from someone she cared about.
Perhaps that was little more than my own conceited impressions. But I believed that if I at least was able to face her, then surely someday she would open her heart to me, and I would be able to help her.
Just like Michaela had once done for me.
.
"How is it, Rin? Do you like your meal?"
Eventually Rin had gotten stuck with helping with the field work too, and now she looked exhausted. Even so, she neatly cut her vegetables with her knife and fork and elegantly fed herself.
"Hmph…I guess."
Rin didn't complain about the food as much as she had before. There were some terrible times where she wouldn't eat anything but sweets, but maybe she had come to understand the value in her food by actually helping out in the farm work. Of course, she hadn't said anything about that out loud.
While watching Rin eat, I watered my flower pot.
The cafeteria was very sunny even for being inside the monastery, and thus was perfect for raising a plant.
"What sort of plant is that?" Rin asked, pausing as she tore up some bread.
"Um, not sure. I don't really know."
"You're raising something that you don't know what it is?"
"Its species isn't important. No matter what plant it is, the fact remains that it's a living thing. All life is equal. And…she's my friend."
"The plant's your friend? You're pretty introverted, aren't you Clarith?"
"Haha, maybe I am."
Rin heaved a sigh as though she was amazed, expression turning serious quite suddenly. "All life is equal, huh…?"
"Yes. Plants and humans alike."
"I don't think so. In this world there are the rulers and the ruled. That's a very rational thing. If everything were equal, there would be no society. It's because there are people who can take the helm that government and civilization can work correctly. The idea that all things are equal is little more than the chicanery of someone who doesn't know the hardships of standing at the top."
Though I was surprised at Rin so suddenly launching into such a complex topic, I replied without letting that come across on my face.
"Maybe that's the correct view. Even so, I…want to offer help to all things equally."
"What a saintly idea. Does everyone start to think like you do if they live in the monastery for a long time?"
“Haha, I'm sure you'll be able to understand my way of thinking too, being around here."
"I wonder. I'm not even a devotee of Held in the first place."
"Whether you're of the Held sect or the Levia sect, the foundation remains the same."
"I see."
Rin set her utensils on the table, apparently finished eating.
"Put your silverware away yourself, okay?"
“Okay. …Hey, Clarith?”
“Hm?”
Rin asked anxiously, while putting away the silverware, “No matter what kind of person I am…Even if I used to be unbelievably wicked…you’ll still always treat me kindly, won’t you?”
Rin's eyes were unusually solemn.
“Yeah, of course,” I replied with a smile.
.
Every day we were enclosed by fields, the sea, and prayer.
Some people might have called that a tedious life.
But the tedium made it very easy to feel great happiness at the tiny changes that happened from time to time in it.
Gradually—very, very gradually—Rin became more well-behaved.
She grew from a precious little girl to a beautiful young woman; she came to earnestly tackle her work, and began to speak more respectfully towards her elders. She'd told me the other day that she wanted me to teach her how to cook.
I was overjoyed to see such a change in her. It was like I had gotten an adorable little sister, and I was happy.
At some point, the time that I spent thinking about Michaela had grown gradually shorter.
Chapter 4, Section 1–The Other End of Loss; Scene 4
Wiegenlied of Green (VG), page 240-255
♥ Clarith ~The Kingdom of Lucifenia, "Port Town Monastery"~
.
It was said that the Held faction of the Levin religion was a sect that was formed after Heldogort (currently Elphegort) had split off from what was once the Magic Kingdom Levianta.
The Held faction worshipped the earth dragon Held, as opposed to the Levia faction which treated the two dragon gods LeviaBehemo as the absolute god, and so at first they were harshly suppressed as heretics. But when the numbers of Levia followers dropped due to the "Leviantan Catastrophe", the Held sect's influence grew stronger, and their numbers rose to be on par with that of the Levia sect at the time. However, as time went on, Levia faction members had come to hold a great deal of political power in many countries, and so the Levia faction became mainstream once more. Presently, the Held faction had about one fourth of the members the Levia faction did.
Compared to the Levia sect, the decorative ornaments of Held sect churches were extremely plain. Idolatry was forbidden, and there were no statues for worship. The interior design of Lord Keel's estate being so simple despite his wealth was probably because he was a follower of Held too.
Mornings were early in the monastery. I would wake up before the sun had even risen, and make the morning prayers. After that was breakfast, and preparation for that was one of my jobs.
I was primarily in charge of the children's meals. There were a lot of fussy children, so it was very difficult to come up with a menu they'd all like each time. I'd get scolded by the head of the monastery if my menu was too biased.
After breakfast, the nuns would each perform their duties. Life in the monastery was founded on self-sufficiency, and aside from religious activity they would do things like farming or wine-making. They certainly couldn't get by on just praying.
Four months had gone by since I arrived, and I had spent it leading a very busy life. One could even call them fulfilling days, but even so I felt there was a gaping hole in my heart that I couldn't fill.
My life had come at the sacrifice of many women, and men, too. Even if I offered prayer for them every day, I was still always left with the wonder of if it was it really alright for me to survive like I was.
Lord Keel had told me that he wanted me to live with a smile on my face. I believed that surely was the correct view, and I knew that I ought to do that. But I couldn’t smile. When would the day come where I could smile with all my heart again? When more time passed? When the revolution was over? I felt as though neither of those were correct.
I would never again return to the Freezis family. I felt as though I wasn't allowed to be happy after all, without Michaela with me. Maybe it would be better if I were to get baptized and officially become a nun. I'd be able to continue cooking, and I also had an interest in making wine.
What would Michaela say, if she saw me like this? Maybe she would smile for me and say "You should do what you want to do, Clarith"--or maybe she'd scold me, saying, "You shouldn't be doing this". But there was no way to confirm that. She wasn't in this world any longer.
Oh God. I beg you, please grant me one last miracle. Please let me see Michaela once last time. I am after all a weak woman, who cannot move forward anew without her words to guide me.
.
"Are you Clarith, perchance?"
These two people came to the monastery after lunch had ended, and right after the nuns had once again gone out to handle their duties.
"Yes, that is me, but…who are you?"
"I am the former Lucifenian court sorceress, Elluka Clockworker. This is my apprentice, Gumillia," the pink haired woman said, smiling. In contrast, the Elphe girl beside her was glaring at me for some reason.
"We came today, to challenge, you." Gumillia brushed past Elluka, walking towards me.
"Hey now! That's not right, Gumillia. We came here today to give this to you."
Curbing Gumillia's aggressive behavior, Elluka held out a flowerpot with a small sapling planted inside.
"And this is…?"
"This is your precious friend."
"Eh?"
The person that came to mind when she said “precious friend” was her. But--this sapling was my friend? What did she mean by that?
"Let me explain from start to finish. Although it's a bit of a long story…Could you make us some tea?"
Elluka smiled mischievously. I did as I was told and got around a tea set in the corner of the cafeteria.
"Well then, first there's this, about your friend Michaela. …In reality, she was a spirit that I had reincarnated into a human being using a spell," Elluka breezily told me after taking a sip of her tea. At those words I felt not shock, but understanding.
"…You don't seem that surprised?"
"Somehow or another…I had realized that. That she wasn't a normal person."
I had heard about the existence of spirits from my mother when I was little. I had thought it all an absurd fantasy. But when I had first met with Michaela, I had somewhat thought that if spirits really existed, surely they would be someone like her.
And there were the songs that Michaela had sung to me. Her singing voice had such a pull on people, I understood from experience that it had some special power hidden in it.
"Hrm, indeed?" Elluka abruptly peered into my face. And then nodded as though she had understood something on her own. "It's faint, but it seems you hold a little magical power. Well, let's move past that for now. When the war broke out, we went to the aforementioned refuge to meet with Michaela. You know about the well in the Millennium Tree Forest as well, don't you?"
"Yes."
"However, we were too late. Inside the well was Michaela, who had already been betrayed, and the sobbing greenhorn holding her...King Marlon."
"King Marlon?"
"It seemed he had also heard that Michaela would be there. Though it seems he didn't make it in time, like us. He seemed to want to take Michaela's corpse, but of course we couldn't allow that. If you ask me, he was one of the factors that drove Michaela to her death."
That was my opinion as well. So much so that I would have liked to beat him half to death if I were to ever see that pretty boy again.
"He asked that he at least be given back the tasteless pendant that he'd given to Michaela as a present. And so, Michaela's corpse is now this sapling."
"…Hold on just a second. How did her corpse become a sapling? Is it because she was a spirit?"
"Wellll, explaining that's a little complicated. Suffice it to say, Michaela was chosen as the successor of the Millennium Tree…of Held."
The successor of Held? Was the next stage of a spirit to be a god? I became unable to follow along in the gradually growing scale of the conversation.
"You know about the Millennium Tree, right? Dwelling inside of it is the land god Held. I only found this out recently, but apparently the actual tree is getting close to the end of its life span. Held himself can't die because he's a god, but if the Millennium Tree withers then he can't stay on the ground world anymore. And so Held chose Michaela to be entrusted with the role of watching over the land after he was gone, and applied some trick to her body. It seems she had fallen before the Millennium Tree after she'd parted with us, and he'd done something at that time. Thinking on it now, that was probably why he had Michaela learn about humans. What a shock that old goat could be capable of something like that. …Sorry, have you been able to grasp what I've been saying?”
"Um, for the most part…"
"You don't have to get all of it. What's important is that you know the truth. You can understand it afterwards. Anyway, we first went to Keel Freezis, taking Michaela along as a sapling. We'd heard he had been of great help to her, so we went to give him a greeting and our thanks, as well as a business negotiation of our own …Hey, can I have a second helping of tea?"
"Ah--yes, my apologies."
Apparently she'd drunken it all at some point, as her cup was empty. I poured her a fresh cup from the pot, and after quickly thanking me she continued with her story.
"Keel told me that he wanted me to give you Michaela's sapling. This sapling is Michaela's reincarnation, so he wanted us to have her meet her most important friend. I owed him some gratitude myself, so I went along with it."
Elluka played around with some sort of rod-like item in her hand while she spoke. It had a peculiar shape, but it looked like a sword.
My pulse quickened. This sapling before my eyes was Michaela. She may have changed in appearance, but to me she was the one I loved most of all.
"Nonetheless, I don't know you that well, and I don't know if you're someone I can trust her with. Not to mention Gumillia's been making trouble about it."
Gumillia, who had been quiet during the entire explanation, once more leaned forward insistently. Michaela had probably been a very precious friend to her.
"So then I've decided to have Michaela herself decide who I will entrust this sapling to. …Gumillia, you know how to do that, right?"
Gumillia deeply nodded at Elluka's words.
"Well then, get to it."
Gumillia took the flowerpot in her hands and began to murmur something that sounded like a spell.
"Revlover, a em ot, evag atnas…"
The sapling's leaves started to tremble, bit by bit. And the next moment, a dazzling flash of light blocked out my vision. I unthinkingly shut my eyes.
"…--!"
With what words could I express my feelings upon opening them again?
Standing before me was the one I had always been longing to meet more than anyone.
"Michaela!"
I immediately ran towards her, but my body passed right through hers and heartily crashed into the opposite wall.
"Ow…"
When I looked more closely I saw that Michaela's body was dimly see through. Even when I reached out a hand to touch her, it just passed right through her.
"Hahaha, you're as scatterbrained as ever, Clarith."
"Michaela…I wanted to see you."
"Me too. I'm so happy to see your face again."
Michaela and I looked at each other for a short period. Though I knew I had many things I wanted to say, face to face with her I couldn't call to mind any of the words.
"Um…Are you doing well?"
What finally came out was a completely tactless question. Michaela had received death as a human, of course she wasn't doing well.
"I dunno if I can say whether I'm doing well or not in this form… Although, illusion though I am, I guess I do need to thank Lord Held for being able to meet you like this. But this spell isn't one that you can use multiple times. I'm sure this is the last time we'll be able to have a conversation like we are now."
"My word…Hey, Michaela. How should I keep on living after this? In a world without you in it, I…"
If this is to be our last conversation, then explain it to me. Surely with your words I will be able to keep on living.
But the reply didn't come.
"I can't answer that for you."
"What? …Why?"
"I've finished my life as a human. But you will live on after this. From here you will have times where you are troubled, and times that are hard, and you must find the answer on your own, without me. If I were to hand you the answer right now, then you would be imprisoned by those words, unable to stand on your own two feet. You are the one who decides your life. Even if it's mistaken, even if it's crooked, there is meaning in you choosing your own path."
It sounded like something Michaela would say, and also not. I had been told that after this she would protect this land as a god. So perhaps her words were her revelation to me as such.
I reflected simultaneously on the joy of having seen Michaela again, and the sorrow that she was no longer human. And, somehow it allowed me to finally recognize the truth that I had been unable to accept; that Michaela was dead.
“Hey, Clarith.”
Though I couldn't tell if she knew my feelings then or not, Michaela called out to me.
"I have something that I had wanted to tell you before my death as a human, if we had been able to meet."
“…Me too. In the end, I want to be able to tell you one more time."
They were surely the same words.
“Clarith,”
“Michaela,”
They were extremely simple words, but also the most appropriate for conveying how we each felt.
“I,”
“I,”
Goodbye. And thank you, Michaela.
“Love you.”
.
"…So what do we do? Who wins?"
Gumillia sulked and looked away at Elluka's question.
"That is, enough." She recited something again, and Michaela vanished. And she once more held out the flowerpot to me. "I entrust, Michaela to you. You must not, let her wither."
Even at this point, I couldn't gauge whether what I had just experienced was the truth or not. Something I could never have even considered possible through common sense had just occurred. Perhaps these women were just extremely good magicians, and I had been thoroughly tricked.
"This sapling…What should I do with it?"
At my question Gumillia said, wearing a displeased expression that seemed to rebuke me for not knowing, "You can keep it like this, or replant it in the, forest. That is for you, to decide. Just like Michaela said, decide for, yourself."
"…Okay."
"With that, we are, off. Do your best, to keep her well."
"Thanks for the tea."
The two of them picked up their scant luggage and walked towards the entrance. But Gumillia suddenly turned around, as though remembering something, and said to me:
"By the by, I will tell you. The revolution, is over. The princess was, executed. Michaela, has been, avenged."
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