Chapter 10: Remembrance & Prayer

Wha...?! Hey! Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to get those from Ashur?!

No! Are you really gonna play dirty like that, Master?!

*Sigh*...

I seriously don't get what those two are doing, gora.

Why does the Order's oyabun and the sprites' oyabun always fool around like that?

I just finished sweeping the yard, and they are dropping crumbs everywhere! I ain't ever getting done at this rate!

How is the cleaning coming along, Pira?

Huh? I-It's going fine, gora.

Hmm? What about these crumbs and this bread bag that I see?

You have been sweeping very diligently for a while now... but it does not look like anything has been cleaned at all!

Distributing counterfeit gold wasn't enough? Moving onto scamming your way through cleaning too?!

N-No, that ain't my fault...!

Those two oyabuns are running around spilling trash everywhere! What do you expect me to do, yarou?!

Excuse me? Two oyabuns? Ah...

Are Master and Her Majesty at it again? Good grief.

I clean and I clean, but there ain't no end to it, gora!

Well, I suppose it cannot be helped then.

It would be best to clean once those two are done playing.

Umm... I apologize for becoming a bit cross with you, Pira.

Would you care to sit here next to me and rest for a bit?

Would that be alright, yarou?

What choice do we have? Until one of them collapses from exhaustion, the crumbs will keep flying.

Y-Yeah...

Things have been tough for you, have they not?

I am sure that volunteering at the Order is not as easy as it looks...

I mean... it's tough, but it's alright, gora.

The snacks they put out at the Banquet Hall are really good, so I actually look forward to grabbing a bite there...

And to be honest, I'm blown away that nobody is freezing me out after all the shenanigans I pulled...

I was honestly more worried about what everyone thought of me more than the actual cleaning...

But they are giving me less hell than I expected, gora.

"Less hell"? Are there Apostles who have been giving you a hard time?

No, well... I mean...

Who are they? Come on, out with it.

Master gave very clear instructions not to treat you that way...

Y-You're the one who treated me like that in the first place, yarou!

Pardon? Me?

You were acting the exact same way during the trial... You couldn't accept the verdict, so you just kept on glaring at me...

Ah... haha... D-Did I really?

E-Eh... But still, you have been a bit better recently, gora.

Take right now, for instance. You actually invited me to sit next to you...

You are right. I did act like that.

*Sigh*... I apologize. There is always something going on, so I tend to be especially harsh toward those who have done something wrong...

But seeing how diligently you have been carrying out your volunteer work has softened my view of you a little.

And in the end, everything worked out fine, so I no longer have any reason to stay angry...

It is all good, gora. Truth is, I am the one who screwed up first.

Look... I know I keep repeating myself, but I am truly sorry, gora.

I got so caught up in a strange obsession...

I had no clue the scale of what I was doing could be enough to turn all of Sprite Kingdom upside down, gora.

Is that not being a bit too dense?

Why in the world did you try to counterfeit gold in the first place?

I figured if I put enough fake gold into circulation... that pyrite would push the real deal out and become the new monetary standard.

I thought if I did that, a worthless piece of trash mineral like me could finally be loved by everyone, gora.

After all, everyone loves money, yarou.

Hmm, it certainly was an absurd goal, but I can understand why you did what you did.

Yeah...

Um... L-Listen... There is one thing I've been curious about, gora.

What would that be?

See, I heard some talk about you, yarou...

That back in the day, you were a delinquent just like me, running around acting like a common thug, gora.

Wh-What?! Where did you hear such a thing...?

Is it a lie? I overheard it while handling the cleaning, gora. The sprites who are running the Archives...

They were all complaining about how frightening you are and that they had better keep obeying you, so I asked around, and that's what they told me, yarou.

*Sigh*...

I guess I should set up some one-on-one time with the managers at the Archives...

Eeek!

Hmm... Come to think of it, that is rather amusing.

What's amusing, yarou?

I can see a glimpse of my old self within you for some reason, Pira...

Huh? What do you mean by that...?

Well... We have plenty of time, so perhaps I will tell you a story from my past.

Since you are new to the order, hearing an inspriting story from a veteran apostle may perhaps make your work here feel a little more meaningful.

Well... If that is how you feel, sure...

Great! Then I will tell you the story of how I joined the Order!

Mwahaha...

Bwahahaha! Hey! Ya lost, didn't ya? Hand over the candy already.

Argh... That's so unfair!

Wasn't smashing my spinning top enough?!

Do you really have to take all my candy too?!

The world o' competition is ruthless, ya know!

Yer spinning top got busted during the match. 'n the candy? That's what ya ante'd up from the start.

Argh...! This sucks! I won't forget this, Canta!

Wahaha! Yeah, that's it! Cough 'em all up 'n scram!

C'mon. Let's empty them pockets o' yers and hand over every last piece o' candy ya got!

Heh, heh... Honestly, everyone 'round here is just so pathetic.

Ya know... life's easy when ya spin tops fer a living...

So, I don't get why everyone's working so hard!

Hey.

H-Huh?

What's up? Ya here to spin some tops?

If it's a challenge, I'll take ya on. How many pieces o' candy did ya bring?

Hand them over.

...Huh?

What exactly are ya telling me to hand over, ya little punk?!

If ya came to spin tops, hurry up 'n pull out yer spinning top!

Yeeeow! Wh-What the hell?! Why'd ya hit me?!

*Sigh*... Looks like you don't understand when I ask nicely.

I could not care less about spinning tops, okay?

Just hand over everything you have in your pockets.

Wh-What?! Hey, ya can't just do that!

If I have to ask again, for each piece of candy I find on you, I will whack you with my hammer, got it?!

E-Eeek! I'll give ya everything I got! Everything! So, just don't hit me!

Hehe... Good... Cough it all up, quick.

Why bother spinning tops for candy when you can just take it? Doesn't that make more sense?

Urgh...! That's so mean!

Just ya wait! Ya thug!

.........

Is that why Canta kozou keeps running from you whenever she sees you, yarou?

You were that much of a scoundrel, yarou?!

I suppose I was back then, yes.

But I have turned over a new leaf since then.

And look at me now! Not a trace of that once delinquent sprite left, I am now a devout priestess of the Order!

Honestly, I see no real difference...

Pardon?

N-Nothing, gora... Haha...

Go on then. Let's hear the rest of your story, gora.

Goodness... I was truly an incredibly immature sprite back then.

I do not remember exactly anymore... but when I was even younger, I think my dream was to become a decent carpenter.

The kind that builds houses for other sprites and slaps together wardrobes and desks in the blink of an eye.

But I was all thumbs, so I ruined every single project I was tasked with.

If I tried to repair a wall with a hammer, the whole wall would come crashing down...

As for desks, I could never follow the assembly instructions properly, so they would fall apart as soon as I put them together.

Eventually, I gave up on all of that and spent my days wandering the streets...

That is when I spotted a sprite who was hustling others with her spinning top.

So, I decided to leech off her.

I would wait for her to win candy with her spinning top... and then I would show up with my hammer, threaten her just a bit, and she would hand everything over with tears in her eyes. It was incredibly easy.

And that was my life for around ten years.

What is this?! Not even a single bag of candy today?

Th-The thing is... Crackdowns on spinning tops have gotten really strict lately, so sprites ain't coming to the back alleys anymore...

Fewer customers means there's less candy to go around, too, ya know?!

Please, let it slide for today only... I'll find a way to bring in more tomorrow...!

*Sigh*... It seems you have grown quite bold since I have been going easy on you lately!

I told you to collect at least one bag of candy every day, didn't I? Huh?!

I-I'm telling ya, I worked hard to gather all this...!

This will not do. Looks like you need a little motivation.

Get over here and assume the position.

Eeek! Please forgive me! Don't do this!

Stop right there! Everyone, hands up and on your knees!

Aaaah! It's the guards!

The guards? They are stepping into MY turf now?

You punks have a lot of nerve.

Y-You with the hammer! Do not move!

This alleyway is my place of work, okay? Do not lay a finger on my candy supply!

Oh, honorable guards! I'll give myself up!

That hammer-swinging goon over there made me do it!

All I did was spin a top a few times!

What? Canta, you little...!

Hammer-wielding delinquent! You cannot escape! Surrender right now and come along quietly!

You think I am going down that easily? Come at me, all of you!!

Yikes! H-How is she so strong?!

Who knew she was this skilled with a hammer?!

Hehehe... Now then, I wonder how much candy these guards have in their pockets...

No! That's the strawberry candy I was saving for later...!

Cease this at once!!

H-Huh?

Who the heck...?

I suppose you could say that... our encounter back then was fated to happen...

That is how my days as a delinquent sprite started to come to an end.

Priestess! You came to help us!

It's a good thing we requested aid from the Yggdrasil Order!

What? Yggdrasil Order? A priestess?

Hahaha! Someone who spends all day napping and tending to a wooden splinter wants to take me on?

What did you say...? "Wooden splinter"?

Eeek! What the heck do ya think yer saying to a priestess of the Order, ya thug?! We're screwed! I'm outta here!!

Huh? Stop right there, you spinning top punk!

That day...

So? What exactly are you going to do? Huh?!

The guards couldn't do anything, what makes you think that you can?

I had no idea.

Hehe... well, this works fine...

Watching you priestesses sleep all day, collecting donations from the sprites disgusted me anyways... Come on! Come at me!!!

That I would learn firsthand what it feels like to have the absolute stuffing knocked out of you.

YEEEOW! Hey! Stop hitting me in the ribs! That is a dirty move! It hurts!

You delinquent sprite! You dare call Yggdrasil a wooden splinter?!

I shall beat some sense into you today!

Waaah!

I was wrong! I am sorry, please forgive me!

I take back the wooden splinter thing! So please have mercy! Waaah!

What a silly and dim-witted fool you are.

I had heard rumors of a troublemaker stirring up the back alleys, so I have been considering paying you a visit.

I shall forgive you if you swear that you will never commit such thuggery again.

I swear it... Waaah... Never again!

*Sigh*...

Alright then. There is a saying within the Order: hate the sin, but not the sprite.

In my boundless generosity, I shall conclude the matter with the modest beating I gave you.

Take this as an opportunity to atone, reflect, and live a new life.

Urgh... You should be the one to atone, you goon of a priestess!!

Ouch!!!

You delinquent sprite! What is the meaning of this?!

Just you wait! I will take you out one of these days!

Urgh... that little punk...!

Even though I managed some payback before I left...

That day in the back alley was my first taste of defeat.

And the fear... the helplessness... had already taken root in my heart.

I thought I could rule the world, but I was just a small-timer in a tiny back alley.

That is when I realized just how massive this world actually is.

A remarkably ordinary backstory, gora.

So what, did ya mend yer ways and become a priestess after that, yarou?

No.

Sorry?

Back then, I wanted to overcome that fear.

I thought that if I took revenge on that priestess who thrashed me and defeated her, I could become an even better candy thug.

Wh-What, gora?!

*Sniff, sniff*

Hold it, why is the only candy on you cucumber-flavored?! Do you think this is a joke?!

But... I like cucumbers, so I only eat cucumber—

What kind of nonsense are you trying to pull here?!

Who in the world actually likes cucumbers?! That lie is not going to work on me!

Cuc-ack!

You are hiding strawberry and grape-flavored candy in your inner pocket, just like that carrot freak I stole from last time, right?!

Hand them over before I search you myself, got it?

For each one I find on you, you will get a swing of my hammer, got it?!

Cu-crying-out-loud... I really only have cucumber-flavored ones....

Stop right there, punk!

Still up to no good are you? Not come to your senses yet?!

What the cuke?! A p-priestess of the Order?

Ah, good... This is perfect.

I figured if I grabbed some poor sprite to start a fight with around here, you would eventually show up. Hehe.

Excuse me?

Listen, cucumber addict. Get out of my sight. You are no longer needed.

I'm cuke-outta here!

You mean... you did all of this just to meet with me?

Yeah. So what if I did?

If that were the case, could you not have simply come to the Order and sought me out?

Is it that you do not even know where the Order is? Were you truly such a fool that you did not know it stands near Yggdrasil?

I... I am not a fool!

If I go to the Order, there are many other priestesses there! I did this because I wanted a one-on-one showdown with you!

You are truly beyond hope...

In all my days, I have never seen such a dimwitted sprite.

I am not dimwitted; I am a delinquent! Now quit talking and come at me already!!

Do you have any idea how much I trained to fight you?

All it takes is just one hit from my hammer to deal with someone like you now! Got it?

Say hello to my little hammer...!

If that is what you desire, I shall oblige.

Hiyaaah!

Hnngh!

I lost...

A second time...

Back then, I felt as if I had hit some kind of wall.

It was the first time in my life that I met someone that strong.

I ran laps around Sprite Kingdom every day to build up my strength and stamina.

And I used that back alley spinning top hustler as a punching bag for hammer practice...

But I lost to that priestess without even being able to put up a decent fight.

Suddenly, everything started to feel pointless.

After another thrashing, I was lying there in a daze when the priestess walked up and said to me...

Pathetic.

From this day forth, the back alleys fall under the Order's protection. Do not show your face here again.

Wait, what the heck? What's with this story, yarou?!

I thought this was a story about you taking a beatdown, repenting for your sins, and becoming the Head Priestess you are today, yarou.

This ain't a story about you joining the Order... You're giving me a full-blown gangster noir, yarou.

Pira?

Uh, yeah?

Do you mind not interrupting me in the middle of my story? It is very distracting!

O-Oh, I was just... S-Sorry, gora!

Erm... I think I'm right about the Order being gangster noir, gora...

At any rate, I was completely consumed by that sense of defeat...

And ended up wandering the streets like some sort of vagrant.

Times got so hard that I survived on discarded Bean Logs other sprites did not wish to eat.

Even Canta, the spinning top hustler I used to shake down... took that as an opportunity to come find me.

Hehe... Yo, Hammer Delinquent, heard that priestess beat the stuffing outta ya, so now yer out here begging!

My, my... Now ain't that a sad sight!

Not a shred o' that old swagger left. Look at ya, all dirty 'n miserable.

.........

Ya know, I'd normally let it slide, but...

But I spent decades getting pushed around by you, ya know?

Hehe... so I ain't gonna just let an opportunity like this slip away.

Go beg on yer knees for all I care, but I want a bag o' candy from ya every single day, got it?!

Otherwise...

Oof...!

Yer gotta get thrashed with a high-speed spinning top like this! Bwahahaha!

I... may have lost to that thug of a priestess...

H-Huh?

But do you really think I would fall to some scrawny little spinning top punk like YOU?!

Wh-Whoa... Hold on... Calm down!

A swing of my hammer should knock some sense—

EEEEEEEEEK!!

.........

.........

Huh...?

*Zzz*...

Wh-What the...? She fell asleep standing up!

Yo... Yo! Hammer Delinquent? The heck...?! What's wrong with her?

I don't know what's going on... but this is my chance!

This is the perfect chance to hit her where it hurts!

One taste o' this 'n yer a goner. Hehehe.

The humiliation I suffered that day...

Falling asleep while standing in the town square... With hideous doodles drawn all over my cheeks...

I stood there like that all day.

Since I fell asleep like that and stood there with graffiti on my face...

The denizens thought I was part of some performance, so they came up to me one by one and began drawing on me.

My face... It became a canvas for the denizens of Sprite Kingdom.

.........

.........

G-Guess I'll go back to cleaning now, gora.

But I am not finished with my story yet.

H-Honestly, I'm starting to wonder what the point of listening to the rest of this—

Sit down.

Okay.

Uh...

Where am I...?

I remember being overcome by this overwhelming drowsiness and falling asleep...

Oh, this is the middle of the village. Was I asleep here this whole time?

Oh, tut, tut...

H-Huh?

How in the world did your face end up like that?

W-Wait... What are you doing here, you priestess thug?!

How dare you call me a thug, you thug?!

Wh-What are you doing?! What is that in your hand?!

What are you planning to do to me with that filthy rag?!

You fool! It is not a rag. It is the towel I used to clean your face!

What...? My face?

Ugh... what in the world happened?

Here. Take a look in this mirror.

Eeek! Who the heck did this?!

There is little point in becoming angry. Every passing sprite contributed at least one doodle.

Now that you are awake, come with me.

If you remain standing here, you will only suffer further humiliation.

You think I am going to follow you? Why would I do that?

Do you even know how many days have passed since you fell asleep?

Excuse me?

You slept for an entire week. Standing upright like that.

That's completely absurd...! Stop talking nonsense!

No, it is the truth.

I marked the days with a tally on your left cheek every day.

Urgh... What? Why would you do something like that to me...?!

You were chosen.

By Yggdrasil.

Listen carefully, Delinquent Sprite.

Once Yggdrasil has set her sights upon you... you will live beneath her influence for the rest of your life.

Whether it was mere narcolepsy remains to be seen, but...

I have a feeling that it was not that at all.

No matter how drowsy one becomes, one does not sleep for an entire week while standing upright.

Do not give me that nonsense! Are you saying I am destined to become a priestess?!

I just want to live as I wish, doing whatever I please!

*Sigh*... That temperament of yours...

I may be mistaken, so for now, stay here and let me observe your condition.

If it turns out to just be narcolepsy, you are free to go...

However, if Yggdrasil has truly chosen you, you had better start preparing yourself mentally.

One cannot easily escape Her will.

Urgh...

It appears you are hungry. I suppose you did sleep for an entire week without doing anything...

There are macarons and milk upon the table, so help yourself. If it is insufficient, come and let me know.

Now then, I have Order business to attend to, so please excuse me...

Urgh... Me? Chosen...?

I have to become a priestess?

What kind of nonsense is that?!

I just wanted to have an easy life, stealing candy from—*Snore*...

From that moment on, my grueling penance of sleep began.

There are those who become priestesses of their own free will...

Most priestesses in the Order join after feeling the divine influence of Yggdrasil.

But when it came to me... I would be struck with a sudden bout of drowsiness whenever I started entertaining bad thoughts.

If I ever got the desire to hit someone, steal something...

Or even when I got the urge to curse Yggdrasil out of resentment, I would fall asleep on the spot.

Why didn't you try to make a run for it, gora?

Or are you gonna tell me you passed out and started snoring before you even cleared outta there?

There were a number of times when that did happen, yes...

But to be honest, there were far more times when the higher priestesses blocked me before I even tried and beat me up.

They kept saying there was no way they were letting me walk out, when they themselves have never left the Order since becoming a priestess...

One of them said that if I left, she would be the youngest member again and be stuck doing the grunt work...

Yeah, and then they would beat me senseless and drag me back.

.........

Any way you slice it, that's just a gang of thugs, gora!

Still... Even with all of that, it was not that bad.

To be honest, when it comes to all those things I had done in the past...

That was the exact point in my life when I began to truly learn that those were not honorable.

Life in the Order was actually not all that bad either.

Even if the rules were a bit strict...

They kept me well-fed, and even gave me a room to rest my head.

As I strove to live an honest life, the perspectives of the other denizens slowly began to change.

I realized then that warm expressions of trust felt better than the nervous glances of folks treating me like some terrifying creature.

So that's why you see your past self in me, yarou?

Yes, exactly.

In a way... I found my path because of that high priestess.

So where did all those higher priestesses of yours go, yarou?

They are currently immersed in the Prayers of Rest.

Not long after I was admitted into the Order and learned the basics, they all received a great revelation and fell asleep.

They now sleep in the prayer room in the Order Underground, dreaming Yggdrasil's dreams.

A-Are you sure you didn't just bury them somewhere and lie about what happened, yarou?

Oh, haha! Pira, you're such a jokester!

Ow, gora!

Then perhaps you should stop making jokes like that, yes?

O-okay, gora!

Hmm...

So... what was the name of that priestess, then, yarou?

Pardon? Which priestess?

The one who beat you up and dragged you to the Order...

In a way, she's like your mentor, isn't she, yarou? You finally came to your senses because of her.

Hmm... let me see...

It has already been over two centuries, so I am not completely sure...

I cannot even remember what she looks like, to be honest.

It is truly fleeting. I cannot believe that I am unable to even remember the face of the one who saved me, buried in the sands of time...

It would have been nice if I could have also fallen asleep next to the other priestesses back then.

I do resent Yggdrasil for putting all the priestesses to sleep while leaving only the new recruits behind...

However, I believe that Yggdrasil must have had some greater purpose in mind.

Perhaps she wanted me to spend more time reflecting on the life I once lived astray.

Yeah, I suppose that could be it, gora.

Like a friend of mine once said... No matter how rough someone appears on the outside, anyone can shine from within, yarou.

You probably just gotta brush off the dust and clean away the grime that's covering that.

Absolutely! That is a wonderful way of putting it, Pira.

Hehe, that is embarrassing, gora.

Hmm... It seems the two oyabuns finally seem to have calmed down now, so I'll get back to cleaning.

I will help.

I need to tend to the garden in the Order's courtyard anyway.

Sounds good, gora. Thank you, Head Priestess.

Let us keep striving to polish and refine ourselves like this!

Mmm... Nngh... Marshmallows...

*Snore*... Zzz...

Ehehe... Marshmallow macarons... *Mumble, mumble*

Eeeeek!

M-Master? Wh-What is the matter?

Pardon? I was dozing off?

B-But I am sure I was snacking on a marshmallow macaron with you just now...

Ah... was that a dream?

I-I cannot do that!

Leaving all the work to you while I go off and sleep is something I cannot do!

As Head Priestess, it would be too shameful...

B-But...

Urgh. This is so strange... I do not even feel that tired...

Ah... yes. Th-That is true.

Ugh... Very well.

If you really insist, Master...

Hmm... How odd.

I have certainly been working hard lately, but I have never been so tired that I started nodding off without even realizing it.

Although... There was a time I kept getting sleepy like this... Now when was that again...?

Ah, right! It was when I had just joined the Order as a new recruit.

I believe I dozed off exactly like this back then.

I would be walking and just suddenly fall asleep while standing up...

If I recall correctly, I even nodded off during a meal once and planted my face right into the cake I was having.

I believe it used to occur when I would attempt to run from the Order...

The senior priestesses said that it was the way that Yggdrasil would communicate.

Could Yggdrasil be trying to send me a message?

But... I do not believe I had any special or strange dreams this time.

What could dreaming about happily eating marshmallow macarons possibly mean?

Does it mean that I have some good luck in store?

Ugh... I do not know.

I suppose Master could be right... Maybe I simply dozed off from being tired.

Ahh... How soft and fluffy!

I washed my bedding this morning and let it dry, so it feels wonderful.

Oomph... it is still quite early in the evening, but... sleeping always feels great...

*Snore*

Heeheehee! This is delicious!

Yeah! The strawberry cake you make is the best, Master!

Whenever Ner makes strawberry cake, I always pick the strawberries out and throw them away...

But with yours, the strawberries go super duper well with the cake!

It is like a perfect combination where the sweetness of the cream and the strawberries don't clash!

Oh, okay... Well, I enjoyed it, so that's all that matters, right?

By the way, where's Ner, Master?

Really? Ner?

Maybe she's been busier lately because of all those talks with Belita about the underground Order branch?

You think?

Hmm, in that case...

Let's go hang out in Werebeast Village!

My duties at the Sprite Palace are pretty much done for the day! We can stay out and play until late tonight! Woohoo!

Since Ner went to bed early, we won't have anyone to nag us!

We can't let a chance like this go to waste!

Let's get Marie and Mayo to come along and go stir up some fun!

Aww, that's tomorrow Erpin's problem! Right now, I just want to play!

Hmm...

Yes, something does seem off...

In terms of her health, there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with her.

I wonder if there is some kind of rare sleeping sickness or something that's unique to Elias...

You're right, sleeping like this for several days is highly unusual...

But so many strange things happen in Elias that it is hard to tell what qualifies as abnormal anymore.

I thought you already tried that before I got here, Master...

You said that you pinched her cheeks and gave a few light slaps, but she had no reaction?

Excuse me? What exactly did you have in mind?

Master! A situation like this does not call for such a dangerous device!

No matter how unusual the rules of Elias may be, as a physician, I cannot shock a sleeping patient awake.

Master... Did... Ner... wake up?

*Whimper... Sniff*

If only I hadn't gone out to play that night...

What if I'm being punished for doing something wrong?

What if she got so mad that she collapsed from high blood pressure... And now she can't wake up...?

*Sob* Okay...

Waaaaah... Ner! Wake up...!!

It's all my faaault...! Waaaaah!

.........

Since the Head Priestess didn't wake up even after the Queen got physical, I doubt a defibrillator would've done the trick either.

Oh, r-right!

Mmm... ahh... *Yawn*... That was a refreshing nap.

Ugh... my body feels so stiff. The private rooms at the Order are great, but the mattress is so hard that my back aches whenever I wake up.

I really should bring it up and suggest replacing them with softer ones someday...

Ner! Ner!

H-Huh? Yes, High Priestess?

How can I help you?

About that dream you mentioned to me before...

Have you continued having the same dream recently?

Dream?

The one where you pour water into a large wooden barrel.

Oh, that one! Yes! I still have the same dream.

Now that you mention it, it came back to me!

The details usually get hazy after I wake up... but I had that exact same dream right before I opened my eyes today.

No matter how much water I poured, the barrel would not fill. When I had a closer look, I noticed a hole at the bottom.

Angry at the pointless effort, I got mad and started violently thrashing at the barrel... That's when I woke up.

*Sigh*... That temperament of yours... It seems it is consistent even in your dreams.

Though I suppose that will improve as you spend more time as a priestess...

But why did you ask about that dream?

It seems something may be happening.

Something... may be happening?

Come. Follow me.

Isn't this the secret chamber in the Order Underground?

Why are you bringing me here? I thought no one was allowed inside...

Listen carefully, Ner.

This room is the closest one to Yggdrasil in the entire Order.

It was built by digging a pathway straight through the basement until it reached the massive base of Yggdrasil.

Whenever an important prayer or revelation is received through a dream, it is every priestess's duty to inspect this chamber for any changes.

After hearing about your strange dream of the wooden barrel, I decided to keep watch here over the past few days.

Here, take a look at this.

H-Huh?

A flower?

A flower blooming in a place like this...? Has Yggdrasil performed another miracle?

Well, most likely, yes.

Do you notice anything else about it?

Wh-What the...?!

The roots around it are withering away.

Looking closer, it seems the roots touching the flower bud are affected.

Ner, regarding your dream...

I suspect it may somehow be connected to this bud.

A wooden barrel that never fills, no matter how much water you pour into it...

Is it not remarkably similar to how this bud is growing by constantly draining nutrients from its surroundings?

Oh, hehe, you really know how to tell a good joke, Priestess!

I told you... it was just a meaningless dream!

I mean, if we went by your logic, I would get fed up with this flower bud and start thrashing it too!

Experiencing mysterious bouts of narcolepsy after joining the Order, but this is somehow hard to believe?

Okay, that was then. This is a completely separate thing!

Hmm... is that so? I am also unsure what to believe at this point myself...

Even so, this is not something we should dismiss lightly.

As a novice priestess, it will be your responsibility to come down here every single day and monitor this bud.

.........

Are you just dumping this on me because it is a hassle?

Hmm? How dare you speak such nonsense?!

I-It may be a little tedious, but this is exactly the sort of duty that falls to the newest priestess!

And if your dream truly is connected to this phenomenon, then you are the very individual who should be doing this!

Ah... yes... okay....

Ner's Observation Journal.

Today, the flower has grown about a palm's length since yesterday.

Watching this flower bud shoot up so rapidly day by day fills me with a strange sense of dread... I feel as though it will become quite a nuisance...

Even so... I do not dislike it entirely.

There is something oddly endearing about it.

It never says a word, but it somehow feels like it is telling me it is hungry, so I keep bringing it a bucket of water every hour.

And whenever I do... it almost feels like the flower smiles back at me.

Ouch! Why did you hit me?!

You foolish, silly child...!

What is this nonsense you have written in your diary?!

You are a sprite! You know that you should never give a flower that much water, right?!

Are you trying to make it wither and get sick?!

I mean, it seemed it was begging for water. That is why I kept watering it!

That is merely what you imagined!

Do not project your own feelings onto a flower that cannot even speak!

Then maybe you should not have given me this job in the first place!

You dump it on me because you cannot be bothered, then yell at me afterward? What the heck!

My word! You truly insist on having the final say in every matter...

How entirely unreliable!

From this moment on, focus exclusively on your basic training! I shall oversee the flower myself.

Hmph! Suit yourself!

I do exactly what I am told, and I still get yelled at. Unbelievable...

What did you just say?

Oh, haha, nothing!

Well then, I will be off to training!

Apparently, back in the day...

Ner used to feed me an enormous amount as she raised me.

Hey! You're making fun of me, aren't you?

R-Really? Urgh...

Anyway! I don't remember much about the time when I was super little...

But I get this sense of familiarity.

At the times when Ner is nearby giving me things to eat...

Or when I lay my head in Ner's lap and drift off to sleep...

It's like it has always been that way... Like it is always meant to be...

It gives me a warm, familiar feeling.

That's why seeing Ner lying here like this feels so strange to me.

I never imagined this... Me... looking after Ner like this.

Right? You feel the same, right, Master?!

Poor Ner... She must be starving...

If I just sleep like this without eating anything... I wake up out of hunger.

Huh? What was that?

You really think so, Master?

Mm... I guess so. Got it!

Y-Yeah!

I-I'll stay with her a little longer before I go...

Eeeek!!

I-It's not what you—I mean...

I just thought that Ner would be hungry...

If I stuff this down her throat, she'll feel full... That's why...!

[Ner's Priestess Diary] - Day 15 after Entering the Order.

I had another unwanted dream today.

I lost consciousness while walking. When I opened my eyes, I was in the Order infirmary. In my dream, the wooden barrel had become two.

One hung from a tree branch, the other was half-buried in the ground. I could not fill either of the two barrels, so I sat down on the ground and wept.

After wiping away my tears, I went outside and saw a huge crowd of sprites gathered in the square.

I thought there was another fight, so I went to check. Surprisingly, everyone was just staring at something in the middle of the town square instead.

A single flower had sprouted from the ground. Inside were two sprites sleeping peacefully. That was the moment I understood.

I finally realized what the two wooden barrels in my dream truly meant.

Priestess...

Was my dream truly trying to show me these two children?

What did I tell you? This was no ordinary dream.

I never imagined that flower bud, growing larger by the day, would eventually break through the earth and bloom on the surface...

Do you think it was meant to be symbolic?

A sort of miraculous spectacle for all sprites to admire?

Something that Yggdrasil intentionally wished for all to see?

That does seem to be the case.

I believe these two are destined to shape the future of Sprite Kingdom.

We must raise them with a firm hand and great discipline, molding them into role models for all sprites.

Uh... do we really need to go that far? They are still just tiny little tots...

By the way... have these two spoken their names yet?

It is customary that a sprite will speak her own name first, after all.

One has remained completely silent. It may be some time before she tells us.

And as for the other...

Ubu... booboo...

Ah! Ubu-booboo!

.........

Hmm... Is that her name? It is rather unusual...

There, there... come here, Ubu-booboo!

Ah! Uboo! Boooo!

Haha! How adorable! Just look at her scooting and tottering along!

What a goofy name for such a goofy little thing. I suppose it fits perfectly.

Hmm... it seems her features are clouded with resentment... Ah well, in any case...

This quiet child and Ubu-booboo shall be placed under your care. You will be responsible for their education.

Huh? Me? Is this another case of the Order trying to belittle me?

I-it isn't like that!

From the moment you laid your eyes upon the children, surely you could sense it.

They are connected to your dreams.

To care for them is your fate.

Do you think you are ready to take on this responsibility?

Umm...

Part of me finds it rather frightening...

But as you say, I also feel as though this is a task I am meant to perform.

It is a strange feeling.

They are both so adorable that I do not feel any aversion to them, but... I think this will be difficult.

Very well. Then it is settled.

From this day forward, you shall be excused from all of your priestess duties so that you may focus on these children.

Ugh... Will this truly be okay...?

Oh, one more thing... and this has not been officially recognized by the Council of High Priestesses yet...

But there is an urgent matter currently being discussed, so please be prepared.

Once a conclusion is reached within the next few days, I shall let you know immediately.

Excuse me? I should prepare myself...?

[Ner's Priestess Diary] - Day 17 after Entering the Order.

The senior priestess that guided me onto the path of repentance through the Order called for me today.

She said that all the High Priestesses have been having the same dream recently.

That from somewhere beyond the dream, black branches beckon and call out to them.

Some believe it is an ill omen.

While others interpret the dream as divine.

One thing is certain. The High Priestesses are falling asleep... one after another.

These dreams could be short as a few days, or stretch on for years... perhaps they will never wake.

Some believe that Yggdrasil is putting them to sleep so that they may safeguard something in the distant future...

But something about it does not sit right with me.

Ner...

*Sniff* Priestess...!

Do not grieve so. I shall awaken again someday.

This is the will of Yggdrasil.

That we may one day fulfill our greater purpose as High Priestesses...

She merely bids us wait until the hour when we are needed.

Waaah...! Priestess...!

I told you not to cry. Remember all the times I scolded you?

Is it truly so difficult to bid me farewell?

If all the High Priestesses suddenly hit the sack like this, what is going to happen to the Order?!

Is the Yggdrasil Order getting a global nerf or something?!

I-I have told you repeatedly to correct that unrefined speech of yours!

You are a priestess now, and yet you still speak in such a manner! Conduct yourself accordingly!

But still...!

There are other novice priestesses besides yourself, are there not?

You will not be running the Order by yourself, so why do you worry so?

Er... Still... I cannot help worrying...

Once we High Priestesses have entered our slumber, your immediate senior will become the next Head Priestess.

So be sure to follow her instructions diligently.

Furthermore, your only requirement is to raise those two children well.

Since Yggdrasil entrusted this to you... I suppose nothing terrible will happen.

Strangely, I feel there is no cause for concern.

You shall become a fine priestess, Ner.

Therefore, you must not harbor anxiety either.

*Sniff* Okay...

I am growing quite drowsy...

Once I fall asleep, please move me to the room in the Order Underground, just like the other High Priestesses.

As you nurture us, we, too, shall nurture you.

May we shape this world into something beautiful and happy.

For each other.

Forever.

Forever.

*Snore*

Priestess? Have you fallen asleep? Priestess!

Priesteeeess! Waaaaah...! You cannot leave me behind like this...!

[Ner's Priestess Diary] - Day 27 after Entering the Order.

After all the High Priestesses fell into their deep slumber, the Order's influence rapidly declined.

From then on, the Order no longer stood as a symbol of power and authority within Sprite Kingdom.

However... that was not necessarily a bad thing.

The sprites who had always depended on the priestesses began solving their own problems by themselves.

It was somewhat comforting, but it was also somewhat boring.

The sprite who inherited the position of Head Priestess eventually grew tired of everything and ran away.

Since I was the one who had received the revelation about the two children, I naturally became the new Head Priestess.

I tried to slip away in the middle of the night myself... but when I thought of those two children, I could not bring myself to do it.

The two children I raised grew quickly, gradually becoming more and more mature.

The quiet one finally spoke one day and told us her name was "Belita"...

Ubu-booboo is still babbling... Something that sounds like "Erpin" over and over again.

I thought she was a bright kid for speaking her name at birth, but it seems her development has slowed.

Urgh... E-Erpin...

Ubu-booboo! Eyes on the chalkboard when you speak!

These are letters from the Ancient Tongue! Come now, follow along and read them.

Erpin! Erpin!!!

Not "Erpin!" It is read, "A, B, C, D," Ubu-booboo!

Ugh... Erpin... uggggggh...!

*Sigh*... Why the heck am I suffering like this...?

I thought you would pick up language on your own as Belita did...

U...bu... booboo!

Yes, exactly! That is your name! Very good!

Here, have a piece of candy!

Urgh... Ubu-booboo...

Good, good! Here's another one!

*Sob*

Why is she crying? I do not understand...

Well, at least she is adorable, so I guess it is fine. Hehehe.

Later, when Ubu-booboo finally learned how to speak with Belita's help...

Only then did I realize that Ubu-booboo's true name was actually Erpin.

Even after Belita led a faction of sprites underground to found her own kingdom...

Ubu-booboo—no, Erpin—continued to act like a child.

But that was all right.

Erpin was the child I raised, after all.

I believed that as long as I protected her, that was all that mattered.

She never listened to a word I said, yet whenever she got herself into trouble, she always came running to cling to me. For some reason... I never minded it.

Perhaps it is my fate - just as Yggdrasil foresaw - to take care of Erpin.

My fate, one I wish to cherish forever... Queen Erpin.

O, Yggdrasil...

Is this what you wished for me to see?

U...bu... boo...boo!

Ubu-booboo!

Wh-Whoa! Ner! You're awake!

Your Majesty...?

Where am I? Oh, my room? What happened?

Do you know how long you've been asleep, Ner?!

I was so worried! Waaah!

Your Majesty... I missed you too!

Do you have any idea how frustrating it was inside that dream?

Honestly... you should have started talking much sooner back then.

Wh-What are you talking about?!

Did I have this dream because I have been scolding Her Majesty a lot lately?

Still... it was not a bad dream.

I was even able to see my senior priestess for the first time in a long time...

Though, I still seem to have trouble remembering her name...

Why are you just spacing out like that? Now that you've snapped out of it, let's go see Master!

Master might not say it out loud, but they were super, super worried about you, too!

Ah, of course! This must have been Master's first time witnessing something like this. They must have been quite flustered.

Master tried to act all calm... but they had no idea what to do.

That's why I stayed glued to your side and nursed you the whole time to put Master at ease! I did well, didn't I?!

You did great. Thank you, Your Majesty.

You bet! Hehehe!

Yggdrasil is truly mysterious.

She knows I could never neglect Her Majesty...

Yet She still made me have a dream like that, hehe.

Where is Master now?

Master should be in their office, working alone!

Shall we go see the Master then, Your Majesty? I will hold your hand!

Sure! Let's hurry! Heehee!

.........

But seriously... what was her name again...?

Jo...? I think it was Jo... something or other...

What are you muttering about?

Oh, just a little something, Your Majesty.

It is nothing at all! Well... it is of no importance anyway.

Just a memory from a long time ago, I suppose.

Ner, you can really be sentimental sometimes...

Well... before I am a priestess, I am still just a sprite.

Shall we go on a picnic with Master today?

Yeah! I'd love that! We're also gonna pack tons of baked goods, right?!

Of course!