C766
[Lueth!]
[Is it really Lueth? We’ve been forgetting about you all this time…!]
The large pupils of the Cat Tribe members filled with moisture.
-[Please, convey this to our friend inside. Neru, on behalf of the Cat Tribe, we express our gratitude for a thousand years of hard, solitary work. As much as I try to remember, I can no longer recall who you once were…]
These were Neru’s words when they first encountered the third tomb.
The hearts of the Cat Tribe members overflowed with emotion as they finally met the old friend they had only recently remembered.
Have the thousand years of loneliness finally come to an end?
Lueth stood still, watching Jin and the others who had appeared before her.
Although she had been in constant communication with Valeria, seeing the door open still didn’t feel real.“Yes. I’ve come to fulfill my promise, Chief Butler.”
Jin extended his hand toward the door and spoke.
Lueth, she, fixed her gaze on that hand, then looked around and beyond.
The scene from a thousand years ago at Storm Castle was playing out.
Once, it had been a place where loved ones and comrades always spent time together. After everyone perished, all that remained was deep sadness and loneliness.
That scene now trembled and lost its form.
It was a phenomenon caused by the forced opening of the subspace.
Now was the time to leave this place and walk toward the light their past selves had left behind.
Lueth slowly moved her steps and took Jin’s hand.
Feeling the warmth of another person, something she hadn’t experienced in a long time, caused her eyes to grow warm.
[Oh dear, showing such a disheveled appearance right after reuniting.]
“There’s no need to worry, it doesn’t feel that way at all.”
[Lueth! It’s me, Neru! Do you recognize us?]
[You must have been very lonely in there, haven’t you?]
[Neru, Lulu, Miru… You all seem to be safe.]
“Chief Butler, won’t you be a little happy to see me too?”
Lueth’s eyes narrowed as she averted her gaze.
Bale seemed slightly embarrassed by that unenthusiastic look and awkwardly coughed.
[...Sir Bale. Though you seemed disappointing a thousand years ago, it appears you’ve found your true purpose again as one of the Ten Great Knights, following Sir Jin’s example. It must have been Sir Jin who freed you from the seal.]
The ones who sealed Bale were the Ten Great Knights of that era.
Lueth recalled the memories of Bale running wild, destroying the world each day after Sarah’s death.
“Oh, well. That’s how things are, I suppose. Maybe.”
[Though I understand your sorrow, have you ever thought about how we felt when we had to seal a comrade running wild like a madman?]. Lueth asked.
[Have you ever thought about it?]
When he awoke from the seal, Bale had spoken as if he and Lueth were on good terms, but the reality was different.
Bale’s spirit dimmed quickly upon hearing Lueth’s voice.
[I’m sorry…]
[Remember, you mustn’t let those things happen again. Lord Jin just called me Chief Butler, and it’s probably because I still need to fulfill that role, just as I did back then. Therefore, I will watch over you as the Chief Butler of the Family. Do you understand?]
Judging by Bale’s behavior up until now, he sometimes complained or acted stubbornly, but now, sensing the atmosphere carefully, Bale nodded heavily.
Lueth had a way of handling the Ten Great Knights, including Bale, in the past.
When Bale visibly felt down, Lueth smiled and patted his shoulder.
[Of course, I’m glad to see you. Thank you for coming back now.]
“Yes! Hehe, this time, you’ve truly returned.”
Jin thought, observing separately the seasoned teacher and the mischievous troublemaker, that there truly wasn’t a pair like them.
Lueth’s gaze turned toward Valeria.
Unknowingly, Valeria had been gripping her elderwood staff tightly ever since Lueth appeared.
[Miss Valeria Histor. So you’re the Record Magician Sir Jin mentioned. You possess powers similar to our fairies’…]
Lueth and Valeria had been conversing in resonance until now, but most of the conversation had been about methods to open the subspace.
Lueth still didn’t know that the name "Histor" was born from the will of the fairies.
However, when Lueth saw Valeria in person, she felt a strange sense of kinship.
No, even during the resonance with her, it had been the same.
There was no need for the group to explain this matter separately.
When Lueth gently waved her hand in the air, a blue Recording Window appeared, and within it, a video began to play.
The video showed a woman who resembled both Lueth and Valeria, along with the image of Sheila.
“Until the end, all the fairies who fought against Zipple were forgotten.”
[Human, what are you talking about suddenly?]
“But their souls, their final records, permeated the nature of this world and became seeds. For four hundred years, those seeds flowed across various parts of the world, and finally, they sprouted and gave birth to a human… That human is me, Minka Histor. You need to know this, you who are the cursed descendant of the fairies.”
It was the day Minka Histor, the ancestor of the Histors, visited Sheila.
Lueth and Valeria couldn’t take their eyes off Minka in the video.
For Lueth, it was the moment she discovered the existence of her own descendants, which she had been unaware of.
And for Valeria, it was the moment she saw the progenitor of her lineage.
[Just as Runcandel left behind the spark of Sir Jin, my family left behind the flame called Valeria. Now I understand what Sir Jin told me back then. My family, your roots…]
Lueth gently embraced Valeria.
[I heard you’re the last surviving member of the Histor lineage. I imagine your life must have been filled with hardships and sorrows. I hope my return brings you some comfort.]
Valeria held back the urge to shed tears.
She didn’t want to show any weakness before Lueth.
Rather than comforting Valeria, Lueth nodded as if impressed by her ability to suppress her emotions.
I didn’t notice this in our last encounter, but the Chief Butler has a commanding presence.
‘Well, considering Bale doesn’t even make a sound, she must’ve been a very strict Chief Butler.’
Jin felt that Lueth reassured him.
[Hmm, you have good posture, Miss Valeria. It’s good to endure when you can. Of course, comfort is necessary, but now is the time for determination and a sense of mission. We’re still incomplete. I haven’t retained all the memories from a thousand years ago, and my powers have greatly weakened. Your magic is probably not fully developed either.]
“Yes, Miss Lueth.”
[From now on, let’s work together to recover what we’ve lost. I also want to use the name Lueth Histor from now on, instead of Lueth Damiro Yul. It’s the name left to me by my kin. Do I have your permission?]
Valeria nodded continuously, like a child meeting a respected adult. Lueth smiled at her.
It was a sight Jin had never seen in his past lives.
[Jin.]
“Yes?”
[What’s your current position in Runcandel?]
“I’m the Twelfth Flagbearer and the Young Patriarch.”
[And the current patriarch of the Family?]
“He’s absent. I’ll explain the details later.”
[In that case, until the patriarch returns, can I operate under the assumption that there’s no one above me except you?]
“There will be many tasks for you.”
[I understand. I will greet you formally again, Young Patriarch-nim. From now on, as the Chief Butler of the Family, Lueth Histor, I will resolve the major and minor affairs of Runcandel under the command of the young patriarch.]
Lueth knelt on one knee and made a respectful gesture, catching Jin off guard.
He had always acted this way with his distant ancestors whenever such a situation arose.
But soon, with a calm and serene voice, Lueth admonished him.
[Even if it were Temar kneeling before you, or even if it were some god, the Young Patriarch must maintain composure and dignity.]
Jin pondered how to respond, then nodded with a solemn expression.
“I understand. Please rise. I’ll introduce you to the members of the Family and the comrades of the Vamel Alliance.”
[Yes, Young Patriarch. I look forward to it.]
Before taking Lueth to Runcandel and Tikan, they had to first visit the Wantaramo Forest.
The Cat Tribe members, who had already developed great sympathy for Sheila, felt uneasy witnessing the strong and determined personality of Lueth, whom they had forgotten.
Perhaps, to Lueth, Sheila was nothing more than a foolish traitor.
When they arrived at the Wantaramo Forest via the dimensional portal of the Cat Tribe, Sheila folded her wings and greeted them.
[Elder Sister.]
Sheila looked at Lueth anxiously, and Lueth received her with eyes that revealed nothing of her inner thoughts.
Although she was the long-awaited elder sister, now that they were face to face, Sheila found it hard to find the right words to start the conversation.
[Shil Damiro.]
Lueth called Sheila by her old name.
The other descendants of the fairies, witnessing Sheila’s attitude, lowered their heads, feeling ashamed of their initial fear of Lueth.
Lueth’s memories had returned to the descendants of the fairies, and they felt embarrassed.
[Elder Sister, I…]
[After a thousand years, do you intend to make excuses?]
Sheila bit down hard on her lower lip and lowered her head.
[No, I just want to apologize. To you, Elder Sister, and to our lost and forgotten species. Even if it’s a meaningless apology.]
[Yes, I know it well. Late regret and apologies hold no value. You disappointed me a thousand years ago when you endangered our tribe, but look at the result. Our people, including myself, who fought until the end, left descendants called Histor, while you, who turned your back on your duty, were cursed by the Witch.]
Sheila couldn’t respond and lowered her head.
[But I believe you’ve paid enough of a price.]
[...Elder Sister?]
[So now, don’t make the same mistake as before… When the time comes to fight, to protect the world, step forward and risk your life when those who seek to save the world need your power.]
Sheila’s pupils widened.
[If I promise to do that, will you forgive me?]
[What you need isn’t my forgiveness, but your own. So, you don’t need to ask for my forgiveness. I never hated you.]
Upon hearing those words, Sheila pressed her head to the ground and broke into tears. Lueth lifted her up and spoke to her.
[Yul, from now on, I’ll give you a name that only the Fairy King can grant. I’ll watch and see what role you play in the decisive moments. And if you stray again, I’ll take that name away from you.]
[That will never, ever happen!]
[Is that so? Then now you are a member of the Vamel Alliance. If there’s anything you need, contact the Family or the Vamel Alliance. We’ll be leaving now. Don’t forget that feeling and take care, my younger sister.]
With those words, Lueth immediately headed for the edge of the forest.
Sheila, or rather, Sheila Damiro Yul, couldn’t take her eyes off the figure of her elder sister as she walked away until she disappeared.
-
-