Lost Sword story · Main story, Part 2
Chapter 82: Story Within a Story - (1)
4 scenes, 442 lines
1. Serranople Southern Waters
37 linesThat same afternoon, we packed ourselves onto Crassa's merchant ship like cargo.
Naturally, we weren't given any detailed explanations, let alone time to prepare.
...Cough!! A-Ahem...! A-Aheeeem!!
And of course, we had no chance to coordinate our stories about Elizabeth's condition.
Huh? Are you okay, Elizabeth? Did you catch a cold?!
Oh, please wait a moment! I happen to have some tea leaves that are great for colds!
No, no! It's just a bit of seasickness... Cough! Cough!!
A-Ahem! I'll be fine if I just lie down in bed for a bit! Really!
Huh? Seasickness?
Who coughs from seasickness? Usually, people gag.
Ahaha...! W-Well, you see... I just have a rather unusual condition!
I-It's really nothing, so please don't worry, every─cough!!
.......
Oh no! Don't tell me the Pendragon royal family's "seasickness cough attack" is acting up again?!
Inheriting such a chronic family illness... You really have it rough.
Y-Yes! That's right! King Uther had the exact same illness!
A very unusual chronic illness where he would cough whenever he got on a boat!
A chronic illness that even I, the Fairy Queen, couldn't find the cause of.
The only cure is to lie down in bed immediately!
A-Ahem! Therefore, I shall go rest for a bit!
Really! It's truly nothing, so─cough!!
A-Ahem! So please don't worry, everyone! Excuse me!
Uh... sure. If Elizabeth says she's fine, then she's fine.
Seasickness that causes coughing fits... I should look up some references on that later.
.......
.......
.......
...Cough! Cough!
Looking back, the reason we set out on our journey again was simple.
To prevent a war with the Ygritte Empire? Of course, that was important too.
We would also have to uncover the truth about Oberon, the mastermind behind the false Holy Sword prophecy.
But any grand cause is nothing but a minor detail compared to life itself.
Cough! Cough! Cough!
Because a forced, shameless happy ending is far better than a logical, dramatic bad ending.
I only hoped that the time we were given would be enough.
2. Serranople Southern Waters
191 linesThe next afternoon, we finally got to hear our destination and the purpose of our voyage.
With a sentimentality that was a bit too heavy for a fairy tale, yet too soft for a hero's epic.
Once upon a time, long, long ago. A time when humans had not yet forgotten the gods, and fairies had no queen.
In a valley surrounded by seven hills, there lived a "White Dragon."
That White Dragon was as benevolent as the sunshine and wiser than a zelkova tree, but...
Skip.
Oh... Y-Yes! T-Then, moving straight to the next chapter...
.......
...But of the seven heroes of the seven hills, none could pass the White Dragon's trial.
The White Dragon fell into deep thought. Since we, who had lost our gods, absolutely needed a king...
Skip.
Huh? Ah... Uh... Eh...
Y-Yes! T-Then... let me summarize just the key points...!
.......
.........
In the end, the White Dragon...
Skip.
Aww come on...
Long story short, the White Dragon, having failed to find the "King of the World,"
fashioned the "Seals of the White Dragon" from its own scales and gave one to each of the seven heroes.
Yes, and those seven heroes were the founders of Ygritte and the seven Consuls.
And the one who surpasses the seven legends of the seven heroes and gathers all seven "Seals of the White Dragon"!
shall be anointed by the returning White Dragon,
and earn the right to become the sheath of the Holy Sword Alba Mors!
The name that will bind the first prophecy and the final promise...
That name is "Pendragon"!!!
The great champion of all Dragons, and the redeemer who inherits the crown of thorns!!
What do you think? Isn't it just as grand as Britannia's Holy Sword prophecy?!
...Even if we put aside the fact that the Excalibur prophecy was a total scam,
Pendragon is Elizabeth's family name. Why is it popping up in Ygritte's founding myth?
Ahaha... Actually, that story of the White Dragon is quite famous in Britannia as well...
That's why the title "Pendragon" was widely used as a family name or nickname by various noble houses.
Though its usage decreased a bit after the Kingdom of Britannia was established...
Huh? Just how many were there?
O-Officially, nine.
If you include unofficial records and Ygritte's own history...
...there must be dozens of them at least.
From what I hear, it basically means "savior of the world," so I guess that makes sense.
I bet that idiot Lucius has it in his name too. It's so pointlessly long that I forgot it, though!
"Imperator Gaius Lucius Pendragonus."
That is Emperor Lucius's official name.
It gets much longer if you add his unofficial names!
In short, it's just for show.
In other words, it's a name used by every Tom, Dick, and Harry.
B-But Princess Elizabeth has the Blessing of Karishara!
S-So... Britannia's Pendragon family is...!
…
…...
...a very special Tom, Dick, or Harry among all the Pendragons!
Ahaha... Thank you, Bedi. Though your choice of words was a bit strange...
Anyway, what matters right now is that we need to gather those White Dragon Seals right?
Putting aside whether the Holy Sword legend is true, they're still symbols of authority in the Ygritte Empire.
Each seal would represent proof of having won over a Consul.
The more Consuls who support Caira, the weaker Lucius's power will become.
Exactly! Once I become Emperor that way, it'll be a happy ending!
And if we gather all seven seals and find the Holy Sword, the prophecy of Pendragon will be fulfilled too!
Well, whether that Holy Sword actually exists is another matter.
.......
.......
.......
...S-Surely Alba Mors is out there somewhere too!
It was very different from what we expected, but Excalibur turned out to be real!
Honestly, whether the legend is real or fake, or what it actually looks like, doesn't matter.
What really matters is that I will obtain it through my heroic deeds!
Because what the world truly needs to remember isn't some sword, but my name!
In all of Ygritte's history, no one has ever gathered all the Seals of the White Dragon.
That's how difficult the White Dragon's trial is!
But as I said before, I've already gathered four of them!
Even this is an achievement that will go down in history, but...
...it's not enough for the legend of the next heroic Emperor! I'm still hungry for more!!
Let me guess. All four of those four were obtained for you by Crassa, right?
No doubt by bribing or threatening the other Consuls.
......Ugh!
B-But we did get one of them ourselves!
T-The rest were indeed obtained by Crassa, though...
Um... if what was written in <The Adventures of Caira and Tina> is correct...
...wasn't that one also originally in Crassa's possession?
The one I won in a drunken game of poker on the day of Caira's coming-of-age ceremony?
.......
.......
A-Anyway! Now we just need to find the remaining seals!
And as luck would have it, our cute little chihuahua holds the clue!
Fine, go ahead and speak. I'll listen to the full story before I bite your head off.
There are three remaining Seals of the White Dragon. One is held by Emperor Lucius.
And the other two are held by the ruler of the Naira region across the sea to the south, the empire's largest breadbasket.
They are in the possession of Consul Shuri, whose power rivals that of Crassa.
Yeah yeah, I've already heard that a million times.
And I know a bit about this human named Shuri as well.
What I want to know is why that notorious lunatic is interested in me...
...No, why is she interested in Oberon?
She probably admires her as a fellow mage!
Mmm! I totally understand that feeling! I couldn't help myself when I first saw Ethan either!
You need to learn some self-control.
She's a necromancer, for goodness' sake.
Even if they're both mages, her magic is the exact polar opposite of Oberon's nature magic.
Before being a Consul, Shuri is also the headmistress of the Pharos Magic School.
To any scholar of magic or educator,
the name of the first Fairy Queen of Avalon, Oberon, is legendary!
.......
...O-Of course, the fame of Morgan le Fay is just as great!!
.......
Yes, well... I suppose she could respect Oberon more than me.
Even though I was the one who established the Dragons' crude magic as a proper academic discipline.
And even though I was the one who passed it on to humans, even if it wasn't exactly intentional.
And even though I, Morgan le Fay, have saved the world multiple times.
And yet, despite all that, she still insists on respecting Oberon more.
Hauuu...
Wow, how petty.
So, what exactly does this Shuri person want?
Demanding to know about Oberon out of nowhere... What is she, a stalker?
To be precise, she probably wants the memories of Oberon that are engraved in my soul.
And from what I hear, she has already prepared a way to "bring alive" those memories.
Ha, well isn't everything just falling perfectly into place?
I'm getting a really bad feeling about this... but I guess it's better than having no clues at all.
"Bring alive" your memories... Is that really okay?
J-Just hearing about it sounds incredibly dangerous...!
Heheh, you don't have to worry about safety.
The Library of Lethe is a space I created for the students!
Without having to worry about forgetting what they've learned, or being rushed by the passage of time in reality.
It's a study paradise where you can preview and review your lessons for eternity!
Usually, people compare that kind of place to hell.
Oh, now that you mention it, didn't you say you were a professor at that magic school, Tina?
...I-It's just an honorary title in name only, though.
I actually turned it down several times, but Crassa kept insisting...
Let me guess. You caused trouble somewhere again and she caught you, right?
And that's how you ended up playing the reluctant role of an inside spy.
Ahaha... Yes, I accidentally grew a forest right in the middle of Serranople.
If the Imperial Princess hadn't cut it all down overnight, by now I'd probably...
Puhahahah! That was a total mess!
It's a good thing Tina's trees were worth a decent amount of money, otherwise Crassa's wallet would have been in serious trouble!
Um... hearing that makes me feel even less reassured...
Hmph, don't worry over nothing. No matter how hard humans try, they're still in the palm of the Fairy Queen's hand.
You all just need to focus on your "human-level" problems, like wars and emperors.
You don't have to tell me twice. I doubt we'll have the luxury of worrying about anyone else anyway.
Alright, alright, it's about time to eat, so let's wrap this up.
First off, our goal is to stop Lucius from invading Britannia.
But we can't exactly start a civil war in the Ygritte Empire to do it.
Yes, so we must seek diplomatic means, just as Crassa suggested.
We need to tip the balance of power so that war doesn't break out in the first place.
Consul Shuri of the Naira region.
Honestly, she's not my favorite person, but she's an indispensable ally if I'm to become Emperor.
And we need to get the Seal of the White Dragon from her while we're at it!
And finally, the key to get what we need is "memories of Oberon," right?
And to restore my memories, we have to enter this "Library of Lethe."
Of course! It's a space that students use all the time.
But if I absolutely had to name one minor side effect...
...it would be that it indiscriminately drags out "memories you want to keep hidden" as well.
That really is nothing. At worst, it'll just ruin our little chihuahua's reputation, right?
.......
Tina, you said you were going into the Library of Lethe with me, right?
Yes? Oh... yes, school rules state that outsiders must be accompanied by someone.
Then you'll be able to see my memories too, won't you?
Yes? Oh... yes, I suppose so?
......!!! D-Do you happen to have memories you want to hide?!
No, quite the opposite.
The truth of the Holy Sword that Vivien uncovered. And even the past of Karishara and Agnes.
Every story I know and everyone I meet says we must fear that name.
They say she has become... a "witch" whom I do not know.
But I still miss Oberon.
Even though I can't remember her face, let alone our daily life together.
.......
.......
...Ahem! In short, even if I don't want to remember, they are memories I must recall.
That woman Shuri is incredibly lucky. She gets to see the pasts of all the Fairy Queens at once.
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Morgana...
...What is with this subtly annoying atmosphere?
If I say I'm fine, then I'm fine!
No matter what anyone says, I, the Fairy Queen, have decided so!
.......
...Oh.
Arghhhhh!! Now it's just outright annoying!!!
Whatever! I've said my piece, so let's just go eat!
After all, we're only doing this to survive!
Puhahahah! Our little chihuahua has some spirit!
Mmm! That was great! It felt totally like a rebellious teenage phase!
My teenage phase ended hundreds of years ago, thank you very much.
Hey, you don't know anything! Youth and heroism are separated by a very thin line!
Haven't you heard the saying, "Fierce agony is the cookie dough, and burning wanderlust is the cookie oven"?
I have literally never heard that saying in my life.
Wait, hold on... That suddenly childish metaphor, don't tell me?!
...<Cotton Candy Expedition>, page 2,102, verse 37.
It's the line whispered by Dark Mongsil when she betrayed the Cotton Candy Knight...!
Arghhhhh!! That is a memory I absolutely did not want to recall!!!
3. Serranople Southern Waters
127 linesIn the middle of the night, with the gentle moonlight reflecting on the sea.
Hauuu…
.......
The presence outside the door got on the Fairy Queen's nerves.
Hauuu...
Hauuuuu...
You're not some puppy with separation anxiety... If you have business, just come in!!
Eek!!
Oh, no! I'm sorry!
Excuse me! Have a good night!
Running away like that is even more rude, you know?!
Open the door and show your face right now. Do it.
Ah... Y-Yes, ma'am! D-Doing it...!
.......
U-Uhhhh, yes ma'am!
W-Well, you see... The reason why I'm being so rude and visiting you in the dead of night when you should be resting, and so secretly without warning, is because...
Skip the flowery language.
Hauuu...
Sigh... I'm not planning on scolding you, so just speak freely.
Whatever it is, it's something you want to keep from the others, right?
Considering you went out of your way to find me alone in the dead of night.
Ahaha... You really are sharp.
Actually, I knew I'd have to tell you eventually, and I realized I couldn't put it off any longer.
You already knew, didn't you, Morgana? That my magic and the World Tree is identical in nature...
...Or rather, that it's identical to Oberon's.
.......
...Well, I know quite a few other things besides that.
For instance, the fact that you're a fairy who has lived for at least several hundred years.
H-Hic!
And yet, the fact that even I, the second Fairy Queen, have no idea who you are.
H-Hic...!
And finally, the fact that even I, the second Fairy Queen, failed to recreate the World Tree.
.......
I still don't know what you want to say or what you're trying to hide.
But if it has to do with Oberon, I can't keep your secret forever.
At least, not from the people who were dragged into her mess.
Yes, I suppose it's best not to beat around the bush.
To summarize only the facts as quickly as possible...
Yes, yes! It's getting late, so please get on with it!
...Actually, the Library of Lethe isn't a place that restores memories.
It merely recreates the past engraved on the World Tree, making people believe their memories have returned.
And the reason I built that place wasn't for the students, either.
Who Tina is, where she came from...
And why she has this kind of power... I didn't know any of it.
I just needed a way to remember Tina on my behalf.
Like an author keeping notes for a book they're writing.
...I'm sorry, but I don't understand at all.
I understand that you don't know anything about Oberon.
But needing 'something to remember Tina'... what on earth does that mean?
Hehehe, I mean it literally.
Every night, whenever I fall asleep, I forget everything.
Everything except the name Tina... and the basic memories I need to survive.
......!!!
B-But it's okay! Because I have this Magic Diary!!
I reverse-engineered the structure of the World Tree and synchronized it with my senses and soul...
...allowing it to record and share all my experiences in real-time!
Isn't it amazing?! Even if I can't remember anything, I can still live pretending that I do!
No, no, no... That is not something you should be talking about so lightly!
Losing your memories every time you sleep... I've had a similar experience, but...
Ahaha... Perhaps it's similar to your reincarnation, Morgana.
Though in my case, the cycle of memory loss is just a little shorter.
.......
Sigh... I'm telling you, don't talk about it like it's just some minor cold.
I know all too well the toll that memories take on the soul.
To remember something is to have experienced it.
No matter how incredible that Magic Diary is, it doesn't change the essence of living.
.......
You don't actually "remember" me, you just "know" about me, right?
Like... you're dealing with a character in a novel.
...Yes.
And not just me, but everyone else too?
Yes...
Even yourself?
.......
...Just once, I accidentally lost this Magic Diary.
I was still traveling alone back then, so I had no one to rely on.
I did everything I could to stay awake until I got it back.
I forced myself awake with magic, taking strong stimulants to hold out for days on end.
And then a few days more... until I finally hit my absolute limit.
That was when I met Caira for the first time. Thanks to her, I got my Magic Diary back.
But in the end... at the very last moment, I fell asleep.
...So that troublemaker knew all along.
Hehehe... Yes, and that was when it started.
I became the biographer for the princess and started writing <The Adventures of Caira and Tina>.
Instead of keeping a diary that could be lost at any moment, I decided to write my life into the world itself.
Even if Caira passes away first someday, leaving me all alone again...
...At least the story we shared will never be forgotten.
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Oh...! Ah... um... uh... th-that is...
I-I'm sorry! I shouldn't have rambled on like that...!
Y-Yes...! Thank you...
But in exchange! From now on, you must record this Fairy Queen's biography too!!
You can squeeze me into <The Adventures of Caira and Tina>, just make sure I get plenty of page time!!!
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...What?!
No matter how much that troublemaker princess achieves, she's only the legend of a single generation.
But this Fairy Queen has been building her legend across multiple generations and centuries, you know?
If you're going to act as a biographer, you should choose a subject like me whose stories will never run dry!
Stories... subject...
Hehehe... Don't feel too pressured.
Just describe exactly what you see: this Fairy Queen's dignity, beauty, power, and benevolence!
And of course, don't forget to submit your drafts to me regularly!
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Um... But you've already appeared in <The Adventures of Caira and Tina>, Morgana.
I was told you already gave permission, so I wrote the draft and sent it to the publisher right away.
O-Of course, you don't have to worry about your page time, Morgana!
Though it might be slightly... just a tiny bit different from how you'd like to be portrayed!
No, no, no! Wait, wait, wait!
I gave permission? Who on earth said that...
…It's that pig's doing, isn't it?!
Ahaha... Yes, and he even gave me a few ideas...
That draft... Can I see it right now?
.......
..........
...Yes.
Hand it over this instant. Do it.
H-Hic-! D-D-D-Doing it-!!
4. Pharos Northern Waters
87 linesA few days later, in Pharos, the metropolis of the Naira region.
...On that day, a sailing ship appeared on the horizon north of Pharos.
Engraved on its hull was the name Second Dawn. A humble tribute presented by the Empire's Consul to the Fairy Queen of Avalon.
The rainbow winding around the bow was like the Fairy Queen's radiant hair.
And the triangular sail, silhouetted against the sun, was like the Fairy Queen's dazzling halo...
Mmh! Now that's what I call writing with passion!
Well done! Just keep describing this Fairy Queen exactly like that from now on!
...Yes, I'm glad you like it.
B-But lastly... Can I make just one final edit...?
What? But it's already perfect.
W-Well... I know there's no right or wrong in literature, but...
Still... I think it might be better to remove 'radiant' and 'dazzling'...
Excuse me! Are you trying to distort history right now?!
As the biographer of this Fairy Queen, you must record only the absolute, undeniable truth!
Whoa! In that case, we should definitely add bloodthirsty chihuahua...
Grrrrrr...!!
Never mind, my bad. I apologize.
What happened to you all last night? Did she catch you all by the collar or something?
Ugh... Tina's beautiful writing is being completely ruined...
Ahaha... Well, that certainly broke the tension.
Let's focus, everyone! We'll be meeting her very soon...
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...Huh?!
Whoa!!!
H-Hic!
Eek!
Y-You scared me!!! Who on earth are you!?
Kyahahaha! So cute, so cute!!
You're short, flat-chested, and your mana is incredibly tiny too!
And you're really Oberon's disciple? Not a pet or a sacrificial offering for emergencies!?
...Excuse me?
Ahaha... Hello, Shuri. It's been a while.
Yes, yes! Our Tina is still as small and cute as ever!
Have you made any progress with your research? Even a teeny-tiny bit is fine!
Ah, no... If it's about my power, not yet...
.......
Oh, really? Still?
It's been years since then... and still nothing?
Hauuu...
.......
Well, can't be helped! The pursuit of truth is a never-ending journey, after all.
Excuse me... Shuri? Perhaps we should introduce ourselves first...
And next up is you!
The fake Holy Sword made by Vivien! The idiot who kicked away Oberon's grace!!
......!!
Th-This... I feel like I've seen a scene like this before...?
......Tsk.
Hey, wait! Where do you think you're touching?!
No, no, no...!! Why are you suddenly trying to strip my clothes off!?!?
Huh? Well, you have to unwrap the package to see what's inside, don't you?
W-What are you trying to unwrap here?!
Ahh, I see. Our Holy Sword doesn't know the basics of necromancy yet.
When you dissect a soul, you have to keep noise to a minimum!
Don't worry, don't worry! With my skills, just taking off your clothes will be enough!
Though peeling off your skin would make it much cleaner...
...But then you wouldn't look very nice when I revive you as an Undead, would you?
I don't understand a single word of that! And I never gave you permission to do any of it!
Oh, right! Come to think of it, they did pass a law about getting consent beforehand, didn't they?
Hey, if you die, can I turn you into an Undead?
Of course not!
Huh? No? Why not? Once people die, that's the end of them anyway, right?
Shuri.
Ah, is it because you've never died before?
If that's the case, I can help you with that right now! It's really no big deal once you try it a few times!
Shuri.
.......
Sigh... You're still as impatient as ever.
That woman's training must be slipping. You can't even follow a simple command like "Stay!"
A pet dog doesn't need a sense of self, after all.
......!!!
Wh-What does that mean...?
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...Shuri, we're here as diplomatic envoys, not tourists.
I know what you think of me and Crassa, but at least show some restraint in front of our guests.
Or do you need some obedience training too?
Because if so, I'd be more than happy to help you with that right now.
.......
Kyahahaha! Right, right! Diplomacy is very important!
You are the princess of the Empire, and I'm merely a Consul.
For the eternal glory of Ygritte, I suppose we must play along with these useless formalities.
Now, shall I welcome you properly?
Welcome to my city, Pharos.
In the name of the Naira River and the Ivory Lighthouse! Both the living and the dead welcome you!!