Chapter 26: Sylgaria’s Girl (Last Part)
***
On the bumpy village road, the girl who had washed away the blood from her body, wearing an elegant light white dress, walked side by side with the unreliable swordsman, talking.
“So, I slept for… 4 days?!”
I stared at Carlos with wide eyes.
“Mmhmm, pretty impressive.”
The bearded swordsman shrugged.
“I was… recovering my strength…”
“How are your injuries?”
“…Much better.”
“Oh, recovering so quickly? That’s impressive.”
The casual praise that ca out so easily seed insincere, and I didn’t feel like talking to him.
“Don’t you need to use the bathroom?”
“…None of… your business.”
I gave him an annoyed glance, what an improper fellow. In this era, who would ask such questions to a girl, but this guy just casually and habitually asked it anyway.
“During the ti you were unconscious, your grandmother and that little boy called Barry ca to see you. But that white dragon was guarding you so closely, they didn’t dare approach. Say, do you want to go see them first?”
“…I’m afraid.”
“Why are you afraid?”
“I don’t know.”
“…Hey, Little Syl. What are your plans for the future?”
“Haven’t thought about it.”
“The Holy Church has revoked the execution order on you, but you’ll need to co with to Forsel soon… that’s the Church headquarters in the Sylgaria region, the Pope wants to et you. Is that a problem?”
“Yes.”
Carlos frowned upon hearing this.
“What’s your problem? What I said earlier wasn’t just talk, the Pope will bestow upon you the glory and dals you deserve.”
“It’s a trap.”
“…Are you stupid? If we still wanted to kill you, do you think you’d be standing here talking to right now? You would’ve died a hundred tis already.”
“Dabai, protect .”
“That dragon alone can’t stop the Church. Let tell you, this opportunity took a lot of effort to get for you, you must go, there’s no room for discussion.”
“I won’t.”
“You stupid woman… fine, considering you were just born not long ago. Let be clear with you, the glory bestowed by the Pope personally is the highest dal in this world. At that ti, just say what you want, money, or handso n, what don’t you get? They’ll even give you a large manor with hundreds of servants, tsk tsk, the outside world is wonderful, you just need to enjoy it, you’ll have horse carriages taking you wherever you go daily, this is princess-level treatnt. How about it, if you’re interested we can leave tomorrow?”
“No way.”
“…Then what do you want? Continue being a village girl here?”
“Yes.”
“Damn, such an unsophisticated woman…”
Seeing Carlos looking so exasperated, I felt very happy.
How could I just let soone who bullied have their way?
If you want to go east, I’ll definitely go west.
As I was feeling sowhat smug thinking about this, suddenly I heard soone calling my na.
“…Little Syl?”
Carlos and I turned to look, Grandma Claire walked over tremblingly.
“…Grandma.”
I lowered my head, sowhat afraid to look into her eyes.
“It really is Little Syl, grandma thought her eyes were playing tricks, dressed so beautifully… when did you wake up?”
“Just now.”
“Co here, let grandma take a look.” Grandma Claire touched my arm, examining from head to toe, “Does it still hurt?”
“It doesn’t hurt anymore.”
I slowly shook my head.
“Barry told everything that happened, with injuries that severe, how could it not hurt…”
“I’m not in pain. Grandma, I’m glad you’re okay.”
“Silly girl, grandma was still in the church in town at that ti, how could anything happen… It’s all my fault, if I had brought Father rlin back earlier, perhaps we could have helped Little Syl… and Elia wouldn’t have…”
The words grandma spoke slapped awake from my dream.
Elia…
That was sothing I had deliberately avoided rembering since the mont I regained consciousness.
If possible, I would be willing to pay any price to exchange for her life back.
I really, really, really wanted to see that thin but cheerful girl again.
“It’s not your fault, grandma.”
I sniffled, trying hard to hold back the tears in my eyes.
“It’s not your fault, it’s mine… It was , I didn’t protect… it was , I didn’t notice, she just, ran in front of, like that… I just, wanted to, save Allen again… really, didn’t see, sob… it’s all my fault. It’s all my fault, I was careless, didn’t see her… sob… I didn’t, see her sob, I could have, saved her… why, did she co back, looking for … sob… why, did she run, in front of … sob… Allen, also died… sob sob…”
Finally the tears ca out, couldn’t hold them back.
I kept trying to wipe them away with both hands while speaking brokenly.
My heart was filled with endless regret.
“Silly girl, don’t cry. You saved Barry, saved so many people in the village, that’s already very impressive, you are grandma’s pride…”
“Can I still… sob… call you, grandma?”
“What kind of question is that! I will always be your grandma.”
Grandma Claire gently hugged .
I rested my head on her thin shoulder, slling the comforting scent from her body.
“Thank you, grandma.”
Carlos beside us tilted his head up towards the sky.
Not a cloud in sight, just pure blue.
“Grandma, I want to, see her.”
…………
In the field not far outside the village.
The cetery was just finished two days ago, and those lying here were all villagers who perished in this disaster.
Most of the deceased had no bodies, only simple stone blocks were erected, or crude crosses made from two broken wooden boards, with epitaphs carved on them serving as tombstones.
This at least gave the souls of the dead a place to rest, and left sothing for their descendants to rember them by.
I stood quietly in front of a stone monunt, with Grandma Claire and Barry beside .
Two crooked lines of text were carved on the stone.
“My na is Elia, a kind and brave girl”.
It looked like it was done by Barry’s hand, because not only was it carved very ssily, but I also found spelling mistakes in the short two sentences.
“Barry, it’s carved so ugly.”
“…” Barry didn’t speak, just smiled slightly at .
In just a few days, the once sowhat childish little boy seed to have grown up a lot in an instant.
The nearby stone monunt belonged to Allen, that calm and collected man who was Elia’s fiance.
“Elia, Little Syl has co to see you. Now you can rest assured, look, she’s completely fine.”
Grandma Claire clasped her hands together in front of the tombstone, appearing to be praying, but speaking words that made one’s eyes sting.
So I learned from her.
I don’t know if this way can convey what I want to say to you, but…
Elia, I’m sorry.
A good girl like you should have had a happy life. The future was still long, there were so many wonderful things that hadn’t happened yet, you were… you were about to get married, have one more person who loves you, and later would have given birth to another person you would love most.
But those damn monsters destroyed everything.
Elia, do you know, I am also that kind of monster.
I also… once destroyed countless families like this. Perhaps among them, there were kind and brave people like you.
I don’t know if this counts as punishnt for , making lose you as a sister.
I actually don’t know what to say to you… oh right, the hymn, I practiced for so long, let sing it for you now?
May you be well in heaven.
Carlos sat without ceremony on a mound of earth not far away, lost in thought as he gazed at the girl’s silhouette.
He vaguely felt that this ti he had made a quite correct decision. This decision might affect the future direction of all humanity, even the entire world.
Your Holiness, perhaps, changes are coming soon. He thought.
Soon after, the girl’s ethereal singing voice echoed through the cetery.
“When the bride enters the wedding hall.
The groom looks up gazing lovingly.
She is such a shy maiden.
Let us place the hands of bride and groom together.
The priest and family pray, passing on the beautiful wishes in their hearts.
In this sacred hall, they express their love.
Lead her before God with love and pride.
God bless, God bless.
God bless, God bless.”
…………
The night was deep, the crescent moon like brocade, the sky do studded with countless stars.
The rural night scene was completely silent, the moonlit village road empty of people, only the shadows of houses and trees could be seen. The peaceful stream andered through dense tree shadows, coated with a layer of silver by the clear moonlight.
I sat quietly with Carlos by the stream, looking at the faintly lit lanterns in the distance, listening to the gentle whispers of water flowing over pebbles.
“…I suddenly feel that, just staying here like this, isn’t bad actually. Having nothing ans nothing to fight for.”
Carlos murmured.
“Ruining the mood.”
I gave him a glance, taking off my shoes and imrsing my calves in the water.
I like this cool sensation.
“Still the sa question from earlier, what are your plans?”
“…The monster said I’m one of them.” I answered irrelevantly, looking sowhat lost at the clear stream, “Ca… pigeon, tell , what am I?”
“It’s Carlos.” Carlos laughed irritably, “I’m not good at preaching, but I have so thoughts to tell you. First, I believe what determines who you are shouldn’t be ‘what you are’, but ‘what you do’. I’m not soone who looks at appearances, I like to peel open problems and look at what’s inside. Yes, maybe you are their kind, but so what? Among humans, there are those who appear dignified but are ugly and vile scoundrels. Compared to these people, I actually find the Abyss fellows more lovable. So, the key point isn’t what you are, but what you want to do… So Little Syl, what do you want to do?”
Carlos’s voice wasn’t loud, but there was an inexplicable power in it. So things entangled in the heart were instantly shattered.
The dark clouds dispersed, suddenly enlightened.
“I want to, kill monsters.”
“Then you’re not one of them.”
“What should I, do.”
Carlos smiled.
He lightly flicked off the weeds stuck to his clothes, walked over and extended his palm to .
“How does the proposal of becoming a Pontifical Knight sound to you?”
…………
AN: End of Volu 1.
What I want to say in this volu is very simple, extrely simple. It’s about why a monster hated by humans would beco a Pontifical Knight, and even beco a human hero.
Although it’s called Volu 1, this is actually just a prologue. It’s probably equivalent to content in other works that would be sumd up in a few sentences or at most one or two chapters, like the “I swear I won’t let this kind of thing happen again” type of cause, but I used nearly 80,000 words.
The death plot is usually unpopular in light novels. So I didn’t write Elia as so beautiful woman, or a character who has so ambiguous relationship with the protagonist. This is because the aning of this character’s appearance lies in her death.
You could say there’s no ambiguity, no romance in this volu. Because the protagonist just ca to this world, and with such a monster identity, she’s completely confused herself, how could she develop feelings or ambiguity with anyone? It wouldn’t be appropriate, right?
So among all the characters appearing in this prologue volu, except for Carlos, and the earliest Knight Commander and robed old man, the others aren’t important.
Who are the important characters? They are the heroes ntioned by Leyn and Barry, these are the people who will truly develop emotional connections with the protagonist.
For this volu, I give myself 50 points, there are too many inadequacies.
The next volu is where the real story of this book begins, I hope I can write it brilliantly. There won’t be similar plots that might make people feel powerless and uncomfortable like this anymore, to be honest I don’t like writing such plots either, it’s better to be exciting when it should be exciting.
As for whether this book is yuri or marriage… it’s neither.
If I have to say, it’s like being the mascot of the Pontifical Knights… that kind of feeling?
That woman… who has countless heroes standing behind her.
That’s all.
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