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(NPC POV)27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwAaoniA5CZ
There was a tale my grandfather told me. Generous Empyrean of Maotelus forgave the sin of humanity and gave them the second chance infinite time. He accepted and beared our sin and got tainted with the earth. A shepherd offers himself to purify him, until the day all sin cleared. And the God of all Empyrean always watches everything to happen. The shepherd wears ceremonial clothes, like the male in front of me. Both he and the woman on his back looked bad, they are searching for help. As a sincere prayer to Maotelus, I will help them as I can.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnkOFdEuqsP
--------------------------------------------Velvet POV-------------------------------27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdrdSEfR6oj
One’s said, “ The boundary between dreams and reality is demarcated solely by one's own heart so it may feel better to say the dream is the reality.”
I dreamed of beautiful dreams.
Where my family was alive, my friends were alive, no one died, a peaceful world.
Laphi was alive, he was healed from his awful sickness.
I should be happy about that.
Celica was alive, she gave birth a child for Arthur, named Laphicet too.
I should be happy about that.
In the day I got nineteen, I went traveling with my little brother Laphicet. Celica and Arthur were waving their hand to say goodbye to us with their baby. Exploring the world was Laphicet’s dream, a dream that he didn’t has the chance to achieve, and he was going to achieve it finally.
So…..I should be happy about that.
We met various kind of people, a daemon samurai, pirate, magician and exorcists in different places.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxNm4d6D2wp
Those people helped us in many ways, mostly tackling daemons and provide assistance to our journey.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZvywnDMRSc
Those traveled places should be new to me, but I had the feeling that I went there once, I tried not to recognize the places.
Loegres, the Glorious Royal Capital, the capital of Midgand and the home of the Abbey, where the shepherd granted his title and also a shadow guild known as the Bloodwing Butterflies was running there, but all those things like inexistent now, because Arthur is still in Aball.
Port Zekson, the Crossroads of Commerce, a trading port located in Midgand, the center of the continent. We met Captain Aifread there for a free sail at the gateway to the capital city of Loegres. However, I feel like I should have seen a blond man with ferocious eyes and wearing a black coat. I can’t remember where have I seen him.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHeKQxP1quz
And so many places and people, they were…...familiar, I was glad that we could meet them this way and to go to the place this way, like that I had met them in a different way.
No, not familiar, they are just not real now.
I smirked that I knew this a long time ago, they were dreams, things just happened repeatedly in a different way. Those were fake happiness, and I pretend like I am truly happy all the time when I knew it was fake, and I nearly blurred the line several times. Maybe that is the pathetic punishment for the Lord of Calamity, cruel enough than death, so I reminded myself to clear my mind at any time, not to sink in the sweet dreams.
Since the day I got my revenge, I trapped in here with Innominat for unknown years to redeem my sin. It is the price for requesting to keep someone alive after killing so many people and I will be here forever to let Laphicet survive.
Usually, I will have a fake and peaceful dream with innominat, I have it since the day I fell in a forever slumber with him. He acted like Laphicet but the souls are not him. Still, I will treat him like Laphi to entertain him and keep him concealed. We continue to dream those dreams, until one day, all the things become different.
I am embraced in a world of the void, it is not like the usual scene happened in our dream. In our dream, we are “living” in a “real” environment with buildings and people around but here is just literally empty.
“Seems that you awake. I have good news to tell you.” Innominat announced in Laphi voice.
“What is happening?”
“I said, you will awake.”
“ ..What are you talking about? I can’t wake, you too.”
“I will soon be disappeared,” he stated calmly.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF9j3nnB2qU
“....... Laphi?”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡew0wqAEnrv
“I am not the real Laphi, you and me both knew. I will soon be a part of Maotelus, don’t worry.”
“But you…..Are you fine with this?”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgKGwcFez1V
“Yes. I am full of your presents to me now.”
“Presents?” I doubted that I had given any present.
“Those dreams are the first time and the last time I feel alive. All the time I was doing my duty to clean world malevolence and eating emotions without truly understand them…...No, I just forgot it in the infinite time of rebirth, now I remember, and I lived. So, I think it is the time for you to live again, you lost so much, so take your second chance.” He said in a satisfied tone and slowly fade away.
“...! Wait!”
“Thank you, and goodbye, ‘sister’.” He smiled and disappeared.
I lost my consciousness and sensations for a while. I barely get my sensations back when I feel like I am on something moving at a steady speed.
What is it? I feel the warmth, and steady sway, it's better for me to see what is happening.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvpKjHBJC70
The last thing I remembered is that I fall a supposedly eternal sleep with Innominat.
”Hmm........??” I find that I can't even talk or move, is bad, hope it is not the worst.
”Oh, you awake. Don't move now, you are injured. I am finding a doctor for you.” It is a tender boy's voice, my vision is blurred, all I can see is a brown head with messy hair.
And I can't help and fall asleep again.
Everywhere sprayed with white, it is a classic environment present in my dream. Somewhere with a certain distance from my position blossoming groups of Princessias, which is the favorite flower along with my family. With pink core and white edges, sometimes it likes blood spreading on the ground. This reminded me of a tales Rokurou told me.
He always says he like a type of flower that blossoming in his country, called Sakura. It is pink, with five petals and it looks brilliant when thousand of them blossom on the trees. However, behind its beauty, it is the corpses under supporting them the nutrients. I think of those people and daemons killed during my revenge when I gaze those princessia in my dream. Though it actually possesses a beautiful meaning as an irreplaceable treasure and it may be a pretty symbol for all those years I lived with Celica, Laphi, and Arthur, it truly was a time irreplaceable in my life. Still, I am not going any near of them, cause I know I don't deserve it anymore.
.”!Uwa...!” It is the pain that brings me back to reality, a strong light shine above my body. My head is barely movable, so I check on the surrounding, there are some people with white clothes with a mask, I can't recognize any of their faces as they hide them well. I wonder where am I and what's happened.
" Calm down!” The man said while he was piercing something into my arm, the long-lasting pain is weakening, and my sensation is slowly gone, this is horrible like I fell in the void.
Then I fall into sleep again.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpDHl69AfJa
--------------------------Sorey POV-----------------------------------------27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ175Fwln6I1
There was a space with pure white, I never thought I could have been to such a sacred place after falling into the abyss with Heldalf's dead body and the tainted Maotelus. I raised my head, I saw a giant Silver-white dragon. Unlike other dark dragons I had met, this one was not in the berserk state but just calm and warm as I can sense, he is Maotelus.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJUibg3gjgx
He processed hard wyvern wings with shining scales, crystal clear eye with kindliness and a strong muscular body. I wonder if he will talk in a heavy and dignified tone and I don't know what should I talk to a god-like being.
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“I have been waiting for you.” I strained my eyes as I heard this, and also I shocked by his voice.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ6VOZpVBKv
“Have you expected my arrival?”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXtid39yI0l
“No, I believed,” He said in a holy, but a young and tender voice.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvZOq4mE0Wk
“Always believed?” I am amazed, but he keeps on speaking.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbVhiHIphXa
“Despite me tainted by malevolence one day, to not being myself anymore, there will always some people like you come and save me.” I still confused by his words.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBhAkd2Lx78
He looks down at me, may be wondering what should he say.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ543KoLg2Pb
“What's is your name?”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM2oZ3fkSaA
“I am Sorey.....Hmm......Are you...Maotelus?” I tried to maintain a steady voice and asked bravely.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHTP8TN5kmG
“Yes.” He curved his giant body and looked at me at a horizon.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlALKOn8TsJ
“Thanks for saving me, Sorey”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBwsMJj9cuM
That shocked me, but I am glad, for receiving appreciation from the Empyrean, I expressed the feeling directly then.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYW8mg3Ua2R
“Not at all, thanks is not enough for everything you have done.”He seems smiled.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSTqcwG1mj0
“It is my pleasure, I should be the one to say thanks, Maotelus.” I relaxed.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡok1O5WmSm0
“It will be terribly tired if you are being so revered to me the whole following days during the slumbering, Sorey.”Maotelus chuckled.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaLeY5dcalo
I always confused about the great contrast between his tender tone and his dragon form.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEwyWdSyZfa
“I would like you to call me Laphicet, a name given by a precious person to me.”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡusJytPJmZt
“A precious person?” I tilted my head.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMoc8yK5OqL
“It would be a long story, and I would like to tell you about the story of the person. The one I love, the one with a burning golden iris, whose name's Velvet Crowe.” Then Maotelus start to tell me the adventure in thousand years past.
Time flow becomes immeasurable in the empty space just Maotelus and me, but I never find it boring with the story told by Maotelus.
The earth was Maotelus vessel, so he has the ability to select and activate the Earthen Historia and let the story played like a movie. However, he did not do that in Velvet story. He said it is no polite to see her story fully since he guesses she didn't want to reveal. Moreover, he believed he will be upset if he knew the full story. He is already upset for not being able to help her, even being an Empyrean.
One day, I awoke to the chirping of birds. I can feel the warm, hazy sunlight spraying on the soft grassland and on me. The call of cicadas explained the season I am in, summer of adventure. Moreover, I sensed the smell of ancient tongue. I found that I am in a ruins, a throne is in front of me. I guess I awoke.
A sudden wind blow with a giant shadow shading me from the sunlight, those singing birds flew away from the corner of my eye. Instead, the silver-shining scale entered my sight.
“Good morning, Sorey.” that voice, with the silver giant scale I saw, so I could guess Maotelus is awake too.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTT7JbZKyKF
“Good morning, Laphicet.”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKhP3ATQCdD
“Sorey, I have a request to you, would you accept?”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLfVfssFA7x
“What is it? I will try my best to help my friend.” Maotelus smiled as he heard.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCAdPJomHr2
“Please take care of her for me. I want both of you to live freely and happily in this age of time.” A beautiful raven-hair woman without her left arm flew down slowly from Maotelus's arm.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMPC4SKsfTd
“No problem, but what is her name?” I doubt gazed at the armless woman.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNAdVCZoxBM
“Glad to hear that, she is Velvet, Velvet Crowe, the most precious person to me. And I will breath my bless to you two as you live.” He blows some light particles around our bodies.
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Velvet's tales, the most impressive story Maotelus had told me among numerous story in the thousand-years history. I am glad and surprised to hear that she is gonna wake up too since her tales ended so sad to me, she lost everything and she intended to give up her life too to protect Maotelus for herself at last. Maotelus must think she deserves a better life, and so do I, I want her to have a happy end too.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7RnafDqhYz
“OK, so I will go get her to a doctor now. How about you?“ I saw a bleeding state for Velvet's arm's flesh wound and she looked so weak at this moment. Seems Maotelus's healing arcs helped not much, the state is pessimistic.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGEKUw8t2zz
“I will restore my blessing to the world and do my job as an Empyrean so I will first link with the earth again.”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd8dsd91FEq
“Oh, I see, cheer up! I will come to see you with Velvet sometimes.“ Maotelus continue to achieve his dream and I think he may feel lonely sometime so I decided to visit him again after Velvet's recover.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2tpFH5e91w
“I am looking forward to it, have a nice trip, Sorey.“ Maotelus smiled gently.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7lijncqZyw
I carried Velvet to find a doctor then. She seems awaked for a short time on the way and she may doubt about my identity, thus I should think about how to introduce myself to her.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvVpWCb3mQ0
What should I expect from a former Lord of Calamity? Even after hearing the story, I still can’t get the proper image.
When I arrived in the nearest village, the villagers are shocked and quickly brought us to the clinic. I thought maybe we have met some passionate villagers.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsADkAFlkgg
The doctor seems angry and worried, he shouted at me: “How long time have you two lived with such condition?! Why not see a doctor earlier?! Just sit down and rest!“27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdFnuci9Se1
I am confused again, seems that both Velvet and I are having severe negative health conditions and I start feeling dazy now, I fell down in the clinic eventually.
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