Volume 2: Chapter 019: Percelis (Eltear)‘s Second Memory
Author: かっぱ同盟／友麻碧
Link: https://ncode.syosetu.com/n3862be/
Translated by Zzonkedd
Edited by Gumihou
(Second Memory)
Holy Land – Vabilophos- Vavilovos
Eltear: 16 years old
A festival is held every Spring to acknowledge the blessings of the Holy Land. On that day, the quiet forest would become very lively. Yet, instead of enjoying this rare celebration, here I was, frowning to myself. Priests scattered across the Continent would gather at the Holy Nation to greet and worship me. I was just a Shrine Maiden, but apparently, that was how everyone acknowledged the blessings of the Holy Land, by worshipping me.
“…haahhh…”
Lately, I have been putting on a bold face to oppose some of the schemes cooked up by the adults. I refused the advice of the Elder and the Chief Priests because I didn’t want to be carried away by their schemes and become some sort of puppet. I wanted to be strong and careful.
A child’s stubbornness should never be taken lightly.
Well, I was in my rebellious period after all.
“Shrine Maiden, it’s been a while.”
“Why did you come back so late… you, young-looking geezer!”
“Goodness… just where did you learn to say these things, I wonder?”
I was also feeling rebellious against White Sage Yunosis. Who only returned after a long, long time.
There was a troubled look on his face as he raised his eyebrows at me, a I sat at the base of the Great Tree.
“Kaya said it. He said that the Sage is young on the outside but a geezer on the inside.”
“… …”
By now, Hero Kaya was known to everyone in Maydea.
Although he had not defeated the Black Demon King or the Crimson Witch yet, he had many achievements that brought him great fame around the world. Achievements such as subjugating mountain bandits at the northernmost top of the Eastern Continent, and defeating a huge demon follower of the Black Demon Kin. [1] Moreover, it looked like the Black Demon King and the Crimson Witch could not ignore the Hero much longer.
“Ahem… Well, it is true that I’m just an old geezer. People said that I have stuck around for too long and should just die already.”
I did not like that thought. [1] [1] Both the Elder and the Chief Priest were afraid of the White Sage. Though they thought of me as a powerless child with the Green Shrine Maiden title, his name was enough to protect me even when he was not beside me.
“White Sage… why did you come back here? Are you also thinking that I should get married? Like the Elder and Chief Priest?”
“Shrine Maiden…”
“They think I’m a nuisance. They all want me to give birth to the next Green Shrine Maiden and retire as soon as possible.”
“But Shrine Maiden, your mother, Diena-sama, also gave birth to you when she was 16 years old. The Green Shrine Maiden title could only be inherited through direct bloodline. Please seriously consider the groom candidates from both the Eder and the Chief Priest. This is… a very important matter.”
“… …”
For some reason, I felt very angry at his troubled face and looked away.
“I know that very well. There is no need to lecture me as though you are my father…”
“… Shrine Maiden.”
“Once a Green Shrine Maiden gives birth to a daughter, she will have accomplished her most important role. Mother said that there is meaning in blood connections. As for the man, he’s just someone that the Elder or Chief Priest thinks is most convenient for them.”
The Green Shrine Maiden is a sublime existence that could not be casually touched by others. The people who get to meet with the Green Shrine Maiden are very limited. It was generally limited to the Elder, residents of the Sanctuary and a few priests.
[1] It was only during the Spring Festival that I could go out in public and see more people. However, seeing large groups of people was different from meeting them properly.The Festival was just a huge spectacle of people with large crowds of people moving like herds. It was difficult to pick out the individuals, even though the crowd looked the same each time.
I don’t have anyone I could trust here. All the men introduced by the Elder and the Chief Priest as bridegroom candidates were all the sama. They all say they respect me, honour me and stuff, but that was it.
They only know me as the Green Shrine Maiden. I was just a little girl who had not accomplished anything big, but they just blindly said they respected me and stuff, which doesn’t make sense at all.
No one could even guess what my favourite flower is.
“So, I say to these men, if they can guess what my favourite flower is on the first try, they get to marry me.”
“There you go again…”
“Shut up. Do you know the answer?”
“I have the impression that you like the lotus flower…”
“That was my favourite flower when I was little. Now it’s completely different.”
Well, the truth was, there was no real answer to the question. I don’t even have a favourite flower right now.
I don’t have the luxury to go admiring flowers.
But there’s no way Yunosis would know that. He had been living on a different continent for a long time after all.
“White Sage, you think Kaya is cuter than me, don’t you? Then, why don’t you just go with him and defeat Demon Kings or whatever.”
“What are you saying? I think of you and Kaya as my children, my cute son and sweet daughter.”
“I guess all Green Shrine Maidens are like daughters to you. I happen to be one in a long line of daughters. But Kaya is different, he’s a legendary hero. Since you raised him yourself, you must think of him as your proud disciple, right?”
“… …”
What was I saying?
It’s like I am jealous of Kaya.
Even though I know exactly what Kaya and Yunosis were doing for the world.
“Just hurry up and leave, you old geezer!!”
I was becoming twisted.
Well, I was a child.
Even so, the White Stage remained within the Holy Land for a while. I was not sure what he was worried about, but he left the Demon King subjugation to the Hero and remained within the South Continent as though he intended to retire here.
“So, White Sage, what are you up to now? Are you retiring?”
“Why do you say that?”
“Well, you’ve been here for half a year already, isn’t that too long?”
“Even without my assistance, Kaya will do just fine. It is time for this old geezer to back away and allow the heroes to do their thing. My time has passed.”
“So… why are you here again?”
Yunosis was sitting tensely under the shade of a tree as the Spirits played around the Sanctuary.
Don’t get me wrong, I was really happy to see him every day, but somehow, I can’t seem to express it honestly. I was like a rebellious daughter going through a phase with her parent.
“I’m a little worried about something. The Priest was talking about marrying you to the Prince of Rubelkia. If that happens, the Kingdom would inevitably be involved in Sanctuary matters, which had been out of their reach for centuries. The Sanctuary inhabitants don’t approve of this either. I’m keeping an eye on both sides to make sure that it doesn’t erupt into a bloody battle.”
“Surely it’s fine if I just decline to marry?”
“You can’t do that. It’s about time for you to decide on a marriage candidate or someone else will do it for you. You should think for yourself and decide what’s best for the future of the Sanctuary. I… can give you assistance, but you must be the one to decide in the end, Green Shrine Maiden.”
“… …”
I averted my eyes sulkily and said in a forceful voice, ‘I understand’.
I really do, I understand what I have to do without this man telling me so.
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On the day I turned 17, the White Sage and I were summoned by the Elder.
It looks like they were getting impatient and annoyed by my stubborn refusal to accept a bridegroom.
That was probably why the Elder had finally reached for a power that was beyond the control of the Priest as my bridegroom.
“White Sage, I wish to welcome you to the Sanctuary as the Green Shrine Maiden’s bridegroom.”
“W-Wha…?””
Yunosis looked very shocked. It was a very uncharacteristic look on him. I was shocked too. We were both dumbfounded.
“You have always been the most suitable person as the Green Shrine Maiden’s groom. I’m not sure why we never realised this until now…”
“Wait a second Elder, I’m older than you and to the Green Shrine Maiden, I am just an old geezer. Isn’t this too much for her?”
Yunosis was sweating a lot as he glanced at me.
I, however, had been in a daze ever since the sudden announcement.
I never thought that Yunosis could be named as a bridegroom candidate. Somehow, I could feel my heart throbbing away.
“Please accept this, White Sage. You have neither a wife nor children, yes? For the sake of the Sanctuary’s future…”
“T-that’s…”
I put my hands on my chest and looked up at Yunosis, who was standing right next to me. It was at that moment that I first became conscious of him as a man. He, who had been like a father figure to me ever since I was born.
“That is impossible Elder.”
However, he shook his head firmly.
“She and I live in different flows of time.”
“… …”
I could feel my heart grow cold. I don’t know why, but frustration welled up in my chest and I clenched my teeth and stood up.
“Well, I’m the same! Who wants to be married to an old geezer like you! I don’t want you!”
Really, why was I so frustrated?
Why was I sad?
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For the next few days, I felt strangely absent-minded. [1] One morning, I found myself soaking in the Sanctuary springs. I was floating on my back and looking at the sky.
The only thing that crossed my sight was the flickering sunlight through the leaves
Until now I had been acting strong, trying to hide my nervousness behind a loud and stubborn front but I was becoming really tired of it.
“… Shrine Maiden.”
“… …”
Zaaaa…
[2] The sound of water splashing was loud as I stood up in the middle of the pool, but I still heard his voice, or did I imagine hearing it?I turned around and saw White Sage looking at me with an odd expression on his face.
It was my cue to criticise him harshly, but today, I felt oddly lethargic. I just stepped out of the pool and headed towards the Great Tree. I stepped around it and sat down.
My body felt heavy.
What is happening to me?
“Shrine Maiden…”
“What is it… are you here to tell me you’re returning to the East?”
“No… that’s not it…”
Yunosis stepped closer to where I was sitting and crouched down so that we were eye to eye.
“What’s wrong? You don’t seem like your usual self.”
“…nothing… I just… I don’t care anymore. Sorry… Yunosis.”
“… Shrine Maiden.”
“I will marry the next bridegroom candidate. Priest faction, Elder’s faction… I’m tired of it all, I don’t care anymore. Acting strong and annoying just drags things out unnecessarily. I even got you involved… sorry.”
“… …”
I was just sitting there, staring vaguely at nothing. Ahh, has it always been easy to apologise?
Should I have been more honest sooner? Should I have just gotten married when told to?
I should not have gone against the Sanctuary’s guidance. I’m sure, things would have been much easier that way.”
“Shrine Maiden…”
Yunosis was looking at me with a complicated expression.
His gaze was oddly intense as he said,
“Shrine Maiden… will you be my bride?”
“…”
“No, that is not what I… apologies. Will you marry me…? Sorry for saying such weird things.”
“… Haa?”
I could see my own lifeless green eyes reflected in his vivid blue ones. However, I quickly looked away, breaking eye contact by dropping my gaze.
“What is it now? Did the Elder manage to convince you somehow? After all, it’s impossible for you to even consider such a thing.”
“… …”
“Do I look that pitiful to you? Is this the best decision that the White Sage came up with to save me?”
I took a deep breath and then exhaled.
Then, I started crying.
I couldn’t help it.
I felt so, so miserable.
Usually, Yunosis would start comforting me by now by stroking my head, but this time he just leaned against the roots of the tree and did nothing. He had placed his staff aside and was looking at the white bellflowers growing around us.
“Shrine Maiden. I… until now, I lived a life thinking that I should never get close to anyone.”
“…?”
“I may be like this now, but there was a time when I was young and experienced moments [1] more intensely. It was a time when I focused everything on my journey to find Spirits, make contracts and record them. Among my companions was a woman who promised to spend the future with me, however, we never ended up marrying.”
“… Why?”
When I raised my head and asked him this, he shrugged his shoulders a little. He seemed embarrassed.
“The girl and I, how we see the world and the speed at which we lived our lives were completely different. She could not deal with the fact that she was the only one who kept growing older and, so, she left me. It was inevitable, at least, that is what I thought…”
“… …”
“[1] There were times I wondered, had I been able to live on the same timeline as my comrades who had now passed away, what kind of life would I have led? Would it be a proper meaningful life? A story made up of proper compositions and development? Do you understand? I have lived for a long time and they called me a sage who knows everything. However, there are times when I feel that I do not understand what everyone else is feeling. I don’t know what it is to fall in love, start a family, have children, grow old or even the fear of death… I will continue to live this life until it peters out in the end.”
“Fear of… death?”
He picked up a white bellflower and twirled it with his fingertips, there was a distant look in his eyes that was similar to mine.
Only, I felt that those distant eyes held fatigue and resignation. Compared to me, it felt as though he was carrying some great burden.
There was a pure whiteness of indescribable melancholy to his existence.
“I have no idea when I will die… I have lost all sense of time and there is no one to remind me about its passing… Isn’t there a saying? That there is no such thing as ‘eternity’. That if there is a ‘beginning’, there will always be an ‘end’. However… for me, my existence is the embodiment of ‘eternity’…”
“… …“
Suddenly, he made a short ‘hah!’ and covered his face. Then, he began to chuckle behind his hands.
“Apologies, I’m not sure what I’m talking about, it’s all nonsense…”
He appeared embarrassed to have laughed and cleared his throat.
It was… very strange. I have never heard him say things like this before. Usually, I was the one talking about myself and telling him all my troubles and things.
[2] I looked at the white bellflower in his hand. I had been wondering for some time now, if he knew the language of flowers.
“Hey, do you know? What the white bellflower means in the language of flowers?”
“…?”
“It means ‘I love you forever’. Don’t you think that’s kind of shady? That’s why I don’t really like those flowers.”
“… Hoo.”
He looked away a little awkwardly ‘Well, I guess…’
Looks like he really doesn’t know it.
“I guess being a Sage doesn’t mean you know everything.”
“Well, I am more knowledgeable about medicinal herbs.”
“… …”
As Yunosis was about to set the flower aside, I held out my hand.
I stared at him intensely. He looked even more mysterious than ever.
“I think if you give me that flower, I think… it will become my favourite flower.”
“… …”
“Then, I think you can finally guess what my favourite flower is.”
What a roundabout way of saying things.
How uncute.
Yunosis stared at me blankly for a long while. He looked at the flower in his hand, then at my face. Then, his expression tightened.
“I am… just an old geezer, aren’t I? Also, I can’t stay by your side all the time. Well, more importantly, aren’t I just an old geezer?”
“Wh-what? Are you holding that against me?”
Why are you saying that with such a straight face?
I guess it’s a little funny. How many times have I said that to his face?
“Still, that’s the meaning behind that flower… I think… you’re the only one qualified to say anything about eternity… Well? [2] Do you think you can love for eternity?”
“… …”
Yunosis did not take his eyes off me.
He nodded slowly.
“Is your favourite flower the white bellflower?”
“… Yes, that’s correct.”
“Will you become my bride?”
Yunosis held out the white bellflower to me. A shaft of sunlight thrust through the foliage and lit it up. I accepted the flower.
“I will, Yunosis.”
I don’t know why he wanted me to be his bride.
However, it doesn’t matter at this point.
If he, the White Sage, judges this to be the best move, I guess that’s fine by me.
He was the only one to guess what my favourite flower is. So, of course he’ll be my bridegroom.
To say that we were deeply in love would be a lie at this point in time.
I think I may have some feelings for him, hidden deep within me. However, if I were to ask if he has any feelings for me, I’m sure there wouldn’t be any.
Of course, from his point of view, I’m still a child and it would not be strange for him to think of me as his daughter or granddaughter.
Even so, I don’t believe the feelings between us were ever born out of lies.
[Gumihou: This is so difficult…]
[1] Got rid of author’s weird grammar ‘ticks’ [2] Edited for clarification
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