Chapter 83: Story Within a Story - (2)

I-Is this...?

Is this... a stage?

Well, what do you think? Pretty impressive for a makeshift stage, right?!

I put it together the moment I heard you were coming! I even mobilized all the corpses from the nearby catacombs!

Before you start bragging, mind explaining what's going on?

What is this place anyway, and why did you bring us here in the first place?

Just wait! You'll find out soon enough without me explaining.

Come on, make yourselves comfortable! Just let me know if you need anything!

Oh... Yes... Thank you.

Ugh... I think I saw a very red ghost on the way here.......

A red ghost? Ah, you must have seen Sir Roderick the Bloody.

Don't worry, don't worry! I've got him on a very tight leash too!

Did you say... "him too"?

Eek!! D-Does that mean there are other ghosts too...?!

Well, of course! Historic ghosts are essential for teaching necromancy.

......

...Wait, was it a man or a woman?

If what you saw was Red-Eyed Merry.......

...Just making eye contact with her would put a horrible curse on you!

Eeeeeek!!

Sigh... Don't pay attention to her. Half of what she says is just a joke.

Do you really think they'd let such a dangerous ghost wander around the school? It's not like they want a mass funeral for the students.

Honestly, I'm questioning if they should even be teaching necromancy in the first place... but whatever.

Didn't you say you wanted to find out about Oberon? Then shouldn't you be in the Library of Lethe with Morgana?

Eh... What, do I really have to explain every little thing?

Is our dear Swordbringer a dummy? Or did you just miss out on basic education at your age?

Yeah, I missed out. I was too busy getting educated in "another world" when I was a kid.

Hmmm... I guess I have no choice then! I'll have to explain it at a freshman level, even if it's a bit simplified.

Despite its name, the Library of Lethe isn't a passive space like a normal library.

It's more like... yes, a mirror that reflects the soul of anyone who steps inside.

Can you stand in front of a mirror and expect it not to show your reflection? No, right? It's basically like that!

So if you followed her in, your memories would get mixed up with hers.

And I bet the older the memories are, the harder they are to find.

Plus, any memories you want to keep hidden might end up spilling out.

Oh, bingo! Here's some blue cheese as a reward!

Huh? No, I'm fi, Mmph! *Gag*!!

Wait, then shouldn't Tina be kept out of there as well?

Yep, that's true. But interestingly enough, or rather, unfortunately...

Our Tina isn't affected at all, even when she enters the Library of Lethe.

Just like a ghost that doesn't show up in a mirror! Isn't that absolutely fascinating?!

.......

.......

..........

...S-So Tina is a ghost?! Eek!!

Of course not. She must have her own reasons.

Well, hearing all this makes things a bit clearer.

This is a place where we can look inside the Library of Lethe, right?

Though I don't really get why you had to set it up like a stage.

Oh, my... You're catching on fast.

Why don't you become my apprentice? I actually have an opening for an assistant.

I'm going to have to firmly decline.

Kyahahaha! Just kidding, just kidding!

Our Swordbringer is much more useful when left off his leash anyway!

Looks like they're ready on the other side. Shall we start the show?

The genre is drama! Starring Morgana and Tina!!

The title is "The Fairy Queen's Rotten Memories"!!

...Tsk, still as twisted as ever.

......!!!

Eek!!

Hey, what kind of joke is this now?

Huh? This is no joke.

Oh, are you worried I turned them into skeletons?

Kyahahaha! Why would I do that?

Unless they're total garbage, the living are much more useful than corpses!

Those are silhouettes reflected in the mirror, puppets crafted from the shadows of their souls.

Simply put, they're puppets mimicking the two inside the Library of Lethe.

.......

That woman. Is looking. This way.

It is actually. For the best. Since I won't have to. Explain it. Later.

See? They can even mimic words and movements, though a bit awkwardly!

I've prepared plenty of spare bones too, so it's fine even if more characters show up.

Oh, they're already moving!

Everyone, pay close attention! You never know when or where Oberon might appear!

E-Excuse me... but isn't this a bit too much...

Quiet. Do I need to lecture you on audience etiquette too?

Or would you rather play dead until the show is over?

N-No! I-I'm sorry...!

.......

Yes! Even if our relationship is built purely on pretense, the fewer conflicts, the better!

...Though some pretenses cut deeper than the truth.

That woman is looking this way.

It's actually for the best. Since I won't have to explain it to her later.

Ahaha... Still, it would have been nice if you told me beforehand.

Forget it. It's not like I had any intention of hiding it anyway.

So, I just need to focus on my own memories like this, right?

From the present to the past, as if retracing my own footsteps.

Yes! Just like painting a picture, you can fill in the moments you want to recall, bit by bit.

Like the scenery captured in your eyes that day, or the rustle of the leaves.

The scent of the morning mist, as well as the breeze brushing past your cheek, can all be clues!

Hmph, I see why you said this space is safe.

Senses are indicators as unchanging as emotions, so within a mere human lifespan, they're practically constants.

However.

...However?

How can you compare a mere human's life to that of the Fairy Queen?

If I were to list everything I've seen and felt, it would fill the history books of any ordinary kingdom.

The scale is completely different from reconstructing some human's trivial memories.

But!

...But?!

It's a different story if I have records that I've thoroughly researched and cross-referenced!

To be honest, it's not like I haven't done any research on Oberon myself.

Most of it was just trivial nonsense, so I didn't bother sharing it with anyone else.......

...But at the very least, it should serve as a decent guide.

For example, like this!

.......

...Wow! Incredible! To think such vivid memories could be manifested all at once!

And this place... Is this Avalon, the land of fairies?

And from the era when Oberon was the Fairy Queen?!

Hehehe... Just as you cannot block the sun with your hand, the footsteps of two Fairy Queens cannot be erased!

Now, let's quickly find a clue and move on to the next memory.

And don't forget to record today's events in my biography...

Aaaaah!

Aaaaaaaah!!

.......

Is that... Morgana from the past?

Hehehe, you haven't changed a bit!

You look so cute, I mean, lively, just like a puppy!

You're calling me a puppy either way!

First of all, that was when I was REALLY young, okay? I'm completely different now!

Yes, yes! I'll make sure to write that down in your biography too!

Eeeeeek! Forget it! Just hurry up and follow me...

......!

Oberon! Oberon! W-We have a huge emergency!!

O-Our precious... our precious thing is...!

Morgana? What's the matter all of a sudden?

I-It's turned completely black! Like it's totally rotten!

Th-That's strange...? Why is only that part pitch black......?

Wait a minute! I think something is wrong with the Library of Lethe!

If I lock the space-time coordinates first, then adjust the sensory parameters slightly.......

...No, the issue is likely with the "memories engraved on the World Tree" itself.

Karishara, Agnes... and even me.

The memories of everyone who met her have been corrupted, so there's no way the World Tree would remain intact.

At least her voice is clear, which is a relief.

It's a shame I can't see her face... but well, it's better than me talking to myself.

Yes... Shall we continue like this then?

Yes, let's push straight through to the end!

And we'll skip anything that seems even slightly useless!

Rotten? What is?

The thing! The thing those pigs outside Avalon offered to you!

The offering to worship the Fairy Queen! The tribute! The sacrifice!!!

.......

...Are you talking about the meat? The gift we received from the humans the other day.

Yes! Meat! Meat! Meat!!!

I was so shocked that I forgot the word for it!

.......

.......

...Skip.

...Pfft!!

Right now, that meat is left out in the scorching sun, and it's shriveling up pitch black!!

This has to be a dragon's conspiracy! A plot to starve the next Fairy Queen to death!!

Ah, you must have seen the jerky hanging in the garden.

We received too much meat this time. So, I was drying it so we could preserve it for longer.

Y-You're drying it? It's not rotten?

So that means we can eat it?!

Yes, if stored properly, we can still eat it even after a year.

Though it won't taste quite as good as it used to.

Phew... What a relief. I thought I had eaten rotten leaves or something...

...Did you actually eat that too?

Ah.

.......

.......

Morgana, I really don't want to nag, but.......

...No matter how hungry you are, you shouldn't eat random things off the ground.

I-I know that, okay?! I only did that because I was really young back then!

O-Oberon! Oberon!

I-I-I... I can't find the restroom!!

.......

...Again?

.......

...Pfft!!

Skip! Skip! Skip!!!

Do not write this in my biography! Never, ever!

A meat... pie......?

You baked a pie using those bricks and dry leaves...?

Yes, since you hated preserved rations so much.

I adapted a human recipe to make a pie for you.

Ahaha... Yes... Well, thank you.......

Honestly, I can't stand the sight of jerky and hardtack anymore.......

But I'll give it a try just this once......!

...*Chomp*!!

.......

...How is it?

.......

...*Gag*!!

Mmph! Mmmph! Mmmmmph!!!

.......

I-Is that... the legendary gluttonous slime, Eclipse?!

Skiiiiiiip!!!

This place... somehow looks familiar.

I feel like I've seen similar ruins somewhere before......?

Unlike me, Oberon was extremely interested in humans.

She traveled the world, teaching them magic, however rudimentary.

She brought all kinds of human food back to Avalon, and even defeated wicked dragons on their behalf.

In places where civilization had yet to mature, she even built magnificent cities like this.

I heard there was even a civilization that worshipped her as a god in the past.

You mean the Ashur Empire, right? The one that was east of Ygritte.

Ishtar, Inanna, Asherah... all those names in myth and history shared the same identity.

The goddess who ruled over day and night, the birth and end of civilization...

...and the cycle of life and death.

Hmph, that's a topic only archaeologists would care about nowadays.

No matter what names those pigs gave her, to me, Oberon is just Oberon.

But even so, I want to get answers.

What role these "towers" built all over the world actually play.

Why she had to make such a choice.

Only when all those secrets are laid bare without lies will I be able to be honest with my own feelings.

.......

.......

...You may write this in my biography. I cannot abandon my responsibility as the second Fairy Queen.

Th-Then... what about the other stories we've seen so far?!

You're going to write them down anyway, even if I don't give you permission.

...Ugh!

Well, at least it's better than making up lies.

Of course, the restroom incident is an exception. That is a matter of the Fairy Queen's dignity.

.......

Answer me.

.......

...Huh?

Huh?! W-Wait a minute! Is that......?!

Don't change the subject. Answer me.

No, Morgana! That's not the point right now!

Look over there! The thing Oberon is holding right now!

This shameless writer, seriously... Why is some restroom so important...

...Huh? W-Wait! Is that...?!

It's the Seal of the White Dragon! The one we haven't found yet!!

The one we haven't found...? I thought that skeleton woman had the remaining seal?

Tsk... I don't know what's going on, but let's put the restroom talk on hold for now.

Everyone on the outside, please pay attention too.

Because from here on out... even I don't know what's going to happen.

What is that pale toy? You've been fidgeting with it since this morning.

.......

A toy... Yes, perhaps that's the right word for it.

You see, this is a keepsake left to me by an old friend.

My friend would call it a gift, but in the end, it's just a scar of regret that became a brand.

Either way, I don't deserve to have this.

Either way... a sin must be recorded as a sin.

......!!! I-I'm sorry! I had no idea...!

So, I've decided to return it to the world, even if it's late.

Just as spring flows from winter, curses and blessings ultimately lie on the same path.

Some love must be remembered as a curse.

...Oberon?

Wait a moment! I'll record the information about this area in my diary!

Since this is all just a memory, it might not be entirely accurate... but a clue is still a clue!

.......

Huh? Why are you suddenly so quiet?

...Morgana?

Oberon? Why are you putting that in there?

It's a gift. From the past me to the future you.

I haven't understood a single thing you've said. If it's a gift, you could just give it to me now.

Besides, didn't you say that was a keepsake from your friend? What if you lose it forever?

It's fine. Even if you forget me, the world will remember this moment.

And if you're the person I know... you will never turn away from the past.

What? What is that supposed to mean...

Morgana! Pull yourself together, Morgana!

This isn't reality! It's just a memory!!

.......

Alright, everything is ready.

Before we start our story again, I have a question...

...Morgana, do you like me?

Where is this coming from? It's embarrassing to ask that in the middle of the street.

Well, you are my master, after all. There's a lot to learn from you as a mage.

Unlike me, you're kind to everyone, and you have a sense of responsibility befitting the Fairy Queen.

So... I don't dislike you.

Except for calling the next Fairy Queen by such an undignified name.

You don't like it? I thought it was cute and suited you well.

That's exactly why it's undignified!

Calling me cute, the great Oberon's favorite disciple and self-proclaimed successor, Morgan le Fay!

Just you wait. I'll grow up quickly and become a lady who's far sexier and more perfect than you!

.......

Yes, I look forward to that.

...Excuse me, are you alright? You've been saying things that make no sense for a while now.

Who knows? Maybe I'm having second thoughts at this late stage.

To be honest, I don't like being hated either. That's why I've lived pretending to be nicer.

But in the end, I couldn't find another way. Maybe it was a question with no right answer to begin with.

Um... I'm sorry, but I still don't understand...

Morgana, answer me one last time.

One who is loved without loving. One who loves without being loved.

Which one do you think should be queen?

...What? What does that mean all of a sudden...

Ugh...! Cough!

Even if you grow to hate me.

And even if I can never bring myself to hate you.

Will I still be able to love you?

...O-Oberon...! I... I-I can't... I can't breathe...!

Answer me, Morgana.

While I can still shed tears.

N-No...! Don't tell me this spell is...!?

Morgana! You must never answer that question!

It's a curse! One that preys on the weakness of your heart to dominate your soul!!

I'll get you out of here right now! Just focus on my voice!!

This isn't reality! And that isn't the real Oberon either!

I... I know that! But... but...!!

I can't... run away again like this... Ugh!

Morgana!!!

Kahahahaha! The best, the best, the best!

Laughter, emotion, and even horror! It was truly a performance beyond expectation!!

How was it? You guys enjoyed it too, right?! Can't wait for the next episode, can you?!

Where is Morgana right now?! Please guide us to her immediately!

I know the way! It's only a five-minute walk from here!

T-Tina is with her, so she'll be fine, right?! Please tell me she'll be fine!

.......

.......

Aw... throwing cold water on such a great mood.

It's fine as long as she's not dead, right? Looks like her limbs are still perfectly intact.

If Tina pulled her out in time, her mind is probably fine too.

It's a shame we didn't get to see the ending... but well, I guess it's better than a precious specimen dying.

...Hey, Shuri. Did you really not know this would happen?

Huh? I didn't know.

For someone who didn't know, this is different from what we heard.

First of all, you were supposed to have that Seal of the White Dragon.

Ah... The part about me having two seals?

Keeheeheehee! Actually, that was a lie!

Because having two baits instead of one made it much easier to hook you guys!

So, that one just happened to be found? And in Oberon's memory, which you wanted to see, of all places?

You expect us to believe this kind of "coincidence"?!

Huh? What are you gonna do if it's not a coincidence? Go tattle to Crassa?

Oh my... how scary! Her dog wanders around without a leash, I see.

Why you little...!

Everyone, calm down. We have no choice but to trust them for now.

And no matter how suspicious it is, a deal is a deal.

Besides, we both still have an ending we need to see.

Keeheehee! At least our Holy Sword knows how to have a proper conversation like an adult!

Exactly. I haven't seen the ending yet either, and you guys need that seal.

And by pure coincidence...! I know exactly where that is!!

What? But didn't you say there are several towers like that in the world?

There was one in Britannia as well, known as the Tower of Oberon.

I-It's really a coincidence, right? Please tell me it's a coincidence!

Don't worry too much, everyone. I was just as shocked to see that as you were.

Actually, I'm holding back a ton of excitement right now, believe it or not!

Because that ruin mentioned in the story just now...

...is the hometown where I was born and raised!!

...What?

...What?!

...What?!

...Wh-What?!