Chapter 172: Her Words Cut Deeper Than Swords
"In the end, I was not able to stop him. Looks like I made a mistake by coming here?" Ash muttered softly as he stared up at the sky, his voice low and uncertain.
"Are you worrying about my husband?"
The unexpected voice made Ash turn his head, and standing beside him was none other than Lumielle, the Queen of Unicorns. Her presence was calm and dignified, yet carried a quiet strength.
Ash let out a small, awkward laugh. It was not genuine, but it was an attempt to lighten the weight on his chest.
"It’s true. I am worried about him. Although our first meeting wasn’t exactly pleasant, when I think about it from his perspective, I feel like it was justified."
His voice lowered even further, carrying a faint trace of guilt. "He has helped me many times since then. I don’t want anything to happen to him because of me."
"Hahaha, this is the first time I’ve seen someone other than myself worry about that stubborn man," Lumielle said with a soft laugh, bringing her hand up to gently cover her lips. Her rainbow-colored hair fluttered with the passing wind, glistening like sunlight refracting through morning dew.
"You don’t need to worry too much. He is not someone who would fall so easily. He is a King, and by no means is he weak. Do you really think the dragons allowed us to live on their continent out of pity?"
Her tone carried pride as she answered her own question. "No. It was because my husband had the strength to fight against four Dragon Elders at the same time. And he did not lose. He won."
She looked into the distance, her expression becoming solemn. "He is standing at the edge of breaking through to the next realm. If not for the tragedy that befell our daughter, he would have already advanced long ago."
Ash remained silent, sensing the weight of her words. The sadness in her voice was gentle, but it ran deep, and her eyes reflected emotions too layered to easily describe.
"It is true," she continued, "after that day, something inside him broke. A seal formed in his heart. Unless he can free himself from that lingering resentment and grief, he will never move forward."
Ash was quiet for a few moments before the thought came to him, and it seemed Lumielle noticed.
"Yes, you are thinking in the right direction," she said softly, confirming his unspoken question.
"After everything that happened, he has become determined to grow even stronger, not just for himself but to protect me and our son. He knows, better than anyone, that the world is slowly moving toward chaos."
She gazed upward once more, her tone distant but hopeful. "That is why your appearance with the demonic heart is something like a blessing in disguise. If he can extract even a sliver of information about the demon responsible for taking our daughter’s life, then maybe, just maybe, we can both begin to free ourselves from the darkness inside us."
Ash lowered his gaze for a moment, feeling a tightness in his chest. He wanted to help, truly, but...
If I had any clue, I would have given it to him without hesitation... but I know nothing.
Lumielle’s voice pulled him from his thoughts again. "I would have gone with him, if not for the need to stay and care for Eric," she said, her eyes still watching the horizon.
"He left without telling me where he was going, but I trust he will return with answers."
Ash’s concern still lingered. "But... that demonic heart. It was powerful enough to harm the World Tree itself. Will he really be alright?"
The Queen’s expression didn’t change. Her reply was firm, filled with confidence.
"Don’t underestimate him."
Hearing that, Ash went silent. He didn’t know if what he had done was truly right or wrong, but he also knew that nothing would change now, even if he kept thinking about it.
"Though, I would like to say something to you, not as a Queen, but as a mother. What you did was wrong. Stealing a child before their parents even got the chance to see its face was not the right decision."
Ash’s eyes twitched at her words. His usual cold and distant expression faltered for a moment, a rare sign of genuine surprise showing on his face. It was shocking to see him affected so visibly.
"But, it was not the dragon egg though..." Ash tried to defend himself, his voice slightly weaker than usual.
"Did you know it wasn’t?"
Her question struck like a blade through the mist.
Ash was completely silent.
"Did you know it when you stole the egg?" Lumielle asked again, her voice steady, carrying coldness and slight anger. "You took it purely because you believed it to be a dragon egg, isn’t that right?"
Ash didn’t respond. He simply lowered his head, accepting her words.
Lumielle let out a quiet sigh before continuing, her tone softer but carrying the weight of something deeper.
"You remember the story you told us, don’t you? About your childhood. About how you grew up alone. How that girl you are trying to save was like a light in the darkness for you, the only warmth in your cold world."
Her voice grew gentler, but her next words struck even harder.
"Did you want to inflict that same pain onto another child? Or onto their parents?"
Ash’s mind suddenly blanked for a moment.
Those words repeated themselves like an echo trapped in his thoughts.
Did you want to inflict that same pain onto another child or parent?
Did you want to inflict that same pain?.....
Did you... inflict...?
The words looped endlessly in his mind, growing louder with each repetition. Something began to rise from the depths of his memory, long-suppressed images, blurry and raw, struggling to surface.
But just as they were about to break through, a searing pain hit his head like a hammer striking against his skull.
He stumbled, his body losing balance.
"Are you okay?" Lumielle caught him before he could fall to the ground.
But a sharp cry slipped from his lips.
"Ahhhh!!!"
His body tensed up for a moment, and then it fell completely still. He had lost consciousness.
Lumielle looked at him carefully, her hands supporting him as he lay limp in her arms.
What exactly have you been through? What kind of experience would cause your eyes to look like they’ve lost all desire to live?
Should I look into his mind and see it for myself?
---
In the end, Lumielle decided against it. She did not look into his thoughts. Whatever burdens he carried, she would let them remain his own. Until, he was ready to share his them.
Instead, she simply allowed him to rest in one of the rooms.
And exactly one hour later, Ash finally opened his eyes.
When did I fall asleep...?
He blinked slowly, confusion flickering across his face. As he looked around the room, a sense of familiarity settled in. He recognized it—it was the same room where he had woken up the last time he visited the unicorns.
Then the memory came flooding back.
Right... I had a splitting headache. And then those memories started surfacing...
"I’m glad that you are awake. "
Hearing Lumielle’s voice, Ash turned toward the door. She stood there, calm and composed, with Eric beside her. The moment Eric saw him, the toddler-sized unicorn ran forward and leapt onto him.
This time, he didn’t shout food, but instead began licking Ash’s cheeks nonstop with a big, goofy smile.
This brat... does he think I’m some kind of sweet candy now?
Even though Ash was mildly annoyed, he let it slide and didn’t push the kid away.
Ignoring the clingy unicorn, he looked at Lumielle and asked, "Why did I lose consciousness?"
Lumielle didn’t answer immediately. She observed him for a few seconds, as if searching for the right words.
"Did something happen to your mind?"
Ash went quiet. He didn’t know how to answer. He couldn’t tell them he had transmigrated, nor that the original soul had been consumed by despair and drowned in his negative emotions, leaving behind those memories that now echoed inside his head.
There was no way to explain something like that without opening doors he wasn’t ready for.
Should I tell them about transmigration...?
Before he could get lost in that thought, Lumielle sighed and asked a different question.
"What are you planning to do now?"
Ash didn’t hesitate too long and replied.
"I will return to the World Tree. I plan to ask for its knowledge and guidance in exchange for saving it."
"That’s a good idea," she said softly. She stepped closer, then gently pointed her finger at his forehead with a calm, measured gesture.
"Ask about how to heal the wounds of the mind from the World Tree. I can tell that something must have happened to you. Those eyes of yours, they carry no desire to live... it’s as if they’ve forgotten what it means to hope."
She let out a small sigh, her voice turning quiet, but steady with belief.
"And while I am not someone who understands the mind deeply, I truly believe that if there is anything in this world that holds the answer to your problem, then it is the World Tree."
Ash listened silently. He said nothing, but gave a small nod, acknowledging her words with quiet acceptance.
***