Volume 2 – 31 – Ulysses (Yunosis)’s Fifth Memory

Volume 2: Chapter 031: Ulysses (Yunosis)’s Fifth Memory

Author: かっぱ同盟／友麻碧

Link: https://ncode.syosetu.com/n3862be/

Translated by Zzonkedd

Edited by Gumihou

Gumihou: It’s only in the recent chapters that we found out the ‘Elders’ were actually a  singular ‘Elder’ position within the Sanctuary. Will make the necessary adjustments. 

 

(Fifth Memory)

Approximately 2000 years ago

Southern Continent, Vabilophos

Yunosis: Around 200 years old

 

 

At this time when the heroes were growing well, the Sanctuary was showing some disturbing movements, so I decided to stay in Vabilophos for a while. The inhabitants of the Sanctuary and the priest who worshipped Vabilophos and Eltear, the Green Shrine Maiden, were in conflict. On the surface, the dispute was about the bridegroom candidate for the Green Shrine Maiden.

 

“Didn’t you hear me? I told those guys that if they can guess my favourite flower in one try, I’ll marry them.”

“There you go again… why do you keep saying things like that?”

“Shut up! What do you know?”

“Don’t you like the lotus flower?”

“That’s when I was little. It’s a completely different flower now.”

 

The Green Shrine Maiden was rebelling against the Elder and priests over her potential bridegroom. It looked like she was finding fault and causing trouble for the smallest reason.

The once sweet, innocent, obedient and cute Green Shrine Maiden had grown up to be an adolescent who hated her father figures. Even I was rejected by her a few times. However, I know the real reason for her behaviour. She was just lonely.

She lost her mother when she was young and, when I think of her isolated situation within the Sanctuary, I wished that I could be by her side forever, but with my current mission, I could not make such promises. Perhaps, fearing that I would never return to her side, she had closed parts of her heart to me.

In fact, I did not believe that the bridegroom issue was that simple. The Green Shrine Maiden’s most absolute mission was to give birth to the next Green Shrine Maiden because her bloodline was considered essential to the future of Vabilophos.

It is no exaggeration to say that the bridegroom candidates could be considered pawns of the different camps struggling for power within the Sanctuary. The residents of the Sanctuary did not wish to disturb the current order and wanted to choose a strong young man from within the Sanctuary as the groom. However, priests who wanted to spread the faith of Vabilophos had affiliated themselves with the Kingdom of Rubelkia and lobbied for the third prince to be the groom instead. This suggestion, of course, infuriated the elders and Sanctuary residents.

Both sides desperately tried to appeal or pressure Eltear to choose their groom of choice while Eltear fiercely opposed them. Therefore, all related talks went nowhere.

Thinking that it would be quite troublesome if matters ended up in a bloody fight, I quickly returned to the Sanctuary to keep an eye on the matter.

My existence as the White Sage should be enough deterrence. I have been affiliated with the Sanctuary for two generations now. Not to mention, I wish to support the rebellious Green Shrine Maiden and help her choose her husband. It was my way of repaying the Sanctuary who had always provided me with guidance as well as the Green Shrine Maiden I had seen off.

At least, that’s what I thought I would do.

 

Please read this at kitchennovel dot com ~

 

“Yes…?”

I could not believe what I just heard.

The Elders had appeared quite impatient with the Shrine Maiden, who was determined not to choose her groom. Somehow, they ended up asking me to be the groom.

From the Sanctuary’s perspective, it was better to have the White Sage take up the position as the Green Shrine Maiden’s groom instead of some [1] ‘outsider’ who would interfere with the current relationships. Especially one from the Kingdom of Rubelkia’s royal family. Apparently, if I were to marry her, no one would be able to go against the decision.

To be honest, I blanked out a little after that.

Well, isn’t that normal? The Shrine Maiden was someone I had taken care of since she was born. She was beyond my daughter, she was more like a granddaughter to me.

 

“Please wait a moment, Elder. I am older even than yourself, and so much older than the Shrine Maiden. To her, I must be nothing more than an old man. Surely that’s too much for the Shrine Maiden…?”

 

I came here to properly discuss Eltear’s marriage prospects with the Elder, [2] not to hear such a nonsensical suggestion. Which was why I could not help but sound a little impatient. However, the Elder merely doubled down and said, ‘Please accept this request’.

Isn’t this too harsh for Eltear? Look at the way she is spacing out, she must be [1] too shocked to say anything. I fear that this tactic would make her even more unreceptive towards taking a groom.

At that time, I had no [1] special feelings about the Green Shrine Maiden’s husband. [2] He was someone who had to be there so that the next generation of Green Shrine Maiden to exist. As for myself, I was preoccupied with thinking about who would be the best person for Eltear.

 

“I’m afraid that’s impossible, Elder.”

“She and I live on a different flow of time.”

 

I quickly raised the most obvious problem to try and get him to understand the situation. It would not be good for her or me to be in a relationship like that.

Even as I spoke, I glanced at Eltear, concerned about her feelings. She looked painfully sad. Though her eyes were the colour of the sky, it felt dull and lifeless.

 

“I… it’s the same for me! I don’t want to marry a dirty old man like you!”

 

[1] She had stood up, trembling with anger as she glared at me. I could see that she was trying to act tough, but even her words were trembling. Her small shoulders as she stomped away, were trembling minutely too. She looked ready to collapse.

[1] I wanted to run over and ask her what was wrong, but did not in the end. Instead, I turned to the Elder.

 

“Just what are you thinking, Elder?”

“… …”

“You know that it is my intention to watch over Vabilophos as a neutral third party. Just as I have done all these years. If your plan is to use me to win against the priest… no matter what, the Green Shrine Maiden, Eltear’s thoughts should be considered first. Don’t you think so?”

“Great White Sage, you appear to have misunderstood something.”

“… …?”

 

The Elder gave a profound little smile as he stroked his long white beard. His voice, though hoarsh with age, still felt powerful.

 

“You say that time flows differently between yourself and the Shrine Maiden. As you know, this is due to your magic power. Isn’t it so?” [1]

“Indeed…”

“Then, have you ever investigated the Shrine Maiden’s level of magic power?”

“The Shrine Maiden’s… magical power?”

 

Until now, I had never paid attention to the MP level of any of the Green Shrine Maidens I have encountered. Naturally, a certain level of MP is needed to perform magic. However, all I knew about a Shrine Maiden’s magic was that they possessed some kind of mystical power, but not its exact properties or MP levels.

 

“While it is true that Shrine Maidens are not considered mages, all have amazing levels of MP across the generations. Even so, this generation’s Shrine Maiden, Eltear, is special.

“… …”

“She is no different from you when it comes level of magic. Her power exceeds 1 million, on par with the Black Demon King, the Crimson Witch and the Legendary Hero from Another World. Her MP is valued at 1.3 million. White Sage… you may not have noticed it since we are inside the Sanctuary, but this was the number we measured on the day she was born.”

“1.3 million!?”

 

I was shocked.

That number was higher than mine at that time.

At that moment, feelings of great joy and anxiety crossed my mind.

What if, she is someone who lives on the same time flow as me?

What if, she too suffered from the hardships of living in a different timeline?

These two lines of opposing thoughts and emotions led to a single conclusion.

 

Please read this at kitchennovel dot com ~

 

The sight of the Shrine Maiden rising from the Sacred Spring of the Sanctuary was like seeing sacred air and light forming into shape. Yet, until that moment, I had always thought of her as a child. Her mature expression and solemn demeanour as she looked at me was… [3] [3] Well… I guess that was when I finally saw her as a woman.

 

“Shrine Maiden… will you be my bride?”

“… …”

 

I had given the matter some thought over a few days.

During those few days, the Shrine Maiden looked lethargic, pained and exhausted from the quarrel between those two factions. If she needed my power and found comfort in my presence, I shall walk down the path of life with her.

Perhaps, this was what I too had been looking for.

 

““No, that is not what I… apologies. Will you marry me…? Sorry for saying such weird things.”

“Ha?”

 

Looks like I was not good at proposing.

 

“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?”

 

After her shockingly cynical reply, she burst into tears as though it was the final straw. Naturally, since I had already refused marriage with her once, it must have hurt her a lot.

At that very moment, it was as though I could feel the pain of her tears somehow.

A tiny white bellflower bloomed next to her. Somehow, I had the impression that she was like that bellflower.

“Great Shrine Maiden… I lived my life believing that I could never experience closeness with anyone for the rest of my life… I may be like this now, but I was once young.”

In truth, I should have been more thoughtful, more tactful and spoken more considerately.

However, it was very difficult. If I could properly express my own feelings then, I could have given her a cooler proposal.

The words that poured out of my mouth were a long, long discourse about my sorrowful self for having lived too long. While I do not believed that my life was without meaning, I felt a little exhausted.

Perhaps, I was looking for someone to comfort me.

I plucked the white bellflower.

 

“…my existence is the embodiment of ‘eternity’…”

 

My weakness which I had never told anyone about, I told her everything.

As I twirled the white bellflower in my hand, I laughed to myself. Just what is the White Sage saying anyway?

 

“I’m sorry… I think… I must have been talking to myself.

 

I should be the one to support her, but here I was, trying to lean on her.

Surely that’s not a good thing?

 

“… …”

 

She appeared to be listening closely. Her mouth pressed close together as she looked down at the white bellflower in my hand.

 

“Hey, do you know? What the white bellflower mean in the language of flowers?”

“… …”

“It means ‘I will love you forever’. Don’t you think that’s kind of shady? That’s why I don’t really like those flowers.”

“… …”

 

What a surprise.

I must say that I was not well-versed in the language of flowers.

Personally, I thought that it was a rather questionable and suspicious type of made-up language. Even so, what troubled me more was that although I was the White Sage, it felt odd not to know the language of flowers.

No, well, I was really nervous at that time.

The Shrine Maiden had a stern look in her eyes as she said, ‘Even if you say you’re the White Sage, you’re not that special’

Well, this fell outside of my plan.

Ah, how embarrassing. [4] If there was anything I had learned in my long life, it was that life could not be redone. Every moment should be cherished.

 

“… …”

 

The Shrine Maiden was still staring at me.

 

“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.”

 

Her reaction was more favourable than I had expected. She did say that she would choose the groom who could guess her favourite flower. [4] The subjectiveness of the question suddenly struck me along with the very broad hint.

My mouth dropped open slightly as an indescribable and confusing emotion suffused me.

However, I could tell that it was a warm and happy emotion.

 

“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?”

“Wha, what? Are you holding that against me?”

 

Eltear laughed embarrassedly, even as she tried to sound grown up.

 

“Still, that’s the meaning behind that flower… I think… you’re the only one qualified to say anything about eternity… Well? Do you think you can love for eternity?”

“… …”

 

I had been utterly defeated.

At that very moment, I felt a special surge of feelings towards her. I never thought to experience such wild and dreamy feelings at this age.

It was a sorrowful kind of joy.

 

“Is your favourite flower… the white bellflower?”

“… Yes, that’s correct.”

“Will you become my bride?”

 

There was a certain power in these words.

Beyond a sense of duty and responsibility, above and beyond a need for support and comfort. I felt as though I was the one she had been looking for. The one she trusted the most.

I offered up the white bellflower.

 

“I will, Yunosis.”

 

She looked straight at me with those wide green eyes and accepted the offering.

I still remember that moment, the pillar of light filtered through the Great Tree reaching up the ceiling of the Sanctuary.

Eltear may never really understand the joy I had felt then at being chosen. I was so happy that I even surprised myself.

If there was ever a safe place to return to, it would be to her side. And, I believed that I could be that person for her too.

Yes, I had fallen in love with a woman, just like everyone else.

 

Suddenly, a nostalgic scent struck my nose.

It was the cotton fields of my hometown. As I stood in the middle of the fields, it was as though I was looking back at a long-forgotten journey home.

 

[Gumihou: Tried my best to keep the vibe dreamy and abstract. Adjusted some weird lines that just… eughh]

 

[1] Adjusted detail

[2] Added detail, because things are seriously unclear

[3] Trying to convey ‘romantic’ feelings without being too pedo

[4] Not sure where the sudden bout of childishness came from, it felt unnatural. As though the author wants to make a pedo old man seems more childish.

I was so embarrassed that I wanted to hide in a hole. A life that can’t be redone, cherish every moment! Can I even call myself the White Sage if I start panicking? That’s what I was thinking about.

I can’t leave the above paragraph in the chapter

This one too…

However, her reaction was different from what I had expected. She used to say the following. To choose the bride-groom, it would be the one who could guess her favorite flower, and no one was able to do that. I opened my mouth slightly and felt confused by the indescribable emotion. It was certainly a warm and happy feeling.

 

 

Come join kitchennovel’s subscription!

Or, you can still support us through Patreon or tip us via Kofi~!

     

Although… it’s, um, you only get half the benefits… but, the decision is in your hands!

Do also comment at Novelupdates and raise our ratings!