The Light That Vanished
Saria woke up, creating an awkward atmosphere with Veronica for a moment. But thanks to my excellent mediation, the two agreed to prioritize the present over their dusty old past.
According to Veronica's explanation, now that her mind had somewhat settled...
"Veronica, Bern, blood, same, right? Man, same. Woman, different."
"So, the princess's half-brother...?"
The identity of Bern, who had ambushed us, turned out to be none other than Veronica's half-brother. However...
"It's probably not Brother Bern himself. He, um, has a lot of dolls like that one."
"Bern, not Bern. Like Bern, but not— hmm..."
"...Dolls?"
"Saria, correct! It was a Bern doll! Good job!"
What I'd taken down wasn't Bern in person. It was just a toy assembled from various creature parts to mimic his appearance.
The real one was controlling the magic golem from afar via spells.
Since Bern couldn't babysit the golem 24/7, it had some autonomous movement capabilities.
Strictly speaking, though, it was just programmed that way—it wasn't a living being. That's why it could pull off avant-garde performances like rolling its eyes back or spinning its head and arms 180 degrees.
"If we'd left Brother's golem alone, it definitely would've caused more trouble."
"Right. That thing, not human. Diana, violence judgment, good."
"...That doesn't mean violence is the answer, though."
"Necessary sacrifice, correct! Diana, good job!"
"...?"
Veronica clutched her forehead like it was a headache, then stepped deeper into the barn. She closely examined the golem's remains, which had been instantly devoured by black flames and reduced to complete ash.
"The black flames probably ignited right away to leave no corpse behind."
"Bern doll, whoosh! Was here. No. Made it."
"...An incineration spell for destroying evidence, then."
Veronica added details to the incident, and with my perfect interpretation, Saria reached the same conclusion.
The golem had perfectly replicated Bern's face, so if it fell into enemy hands and got exploited, cleanup would've been a nightmare.
To prevent that, Bern had set all his golems to auto-activate a confidentiality spell upon defeat.
However, since the goal was rapid evidence destruction...
"—Some high-density mana-infused magic materials should've definitely remained here."
"...Even for an incineration spell, considering burn time and flame intensity, complete destruction should've been nearly impossible."
By now, remnants of those materials should have been scattered on the floor.
"There's nothing here."
"Nothing here at all."
Their whereabouts were a mystery. No matter how I looked around the small barn, only black ash remained.
Damn, what a ghostly situation.
Where the hell had stuff like the "Basilisk's Eyes" or the "Magic Golem Core" vanished to?
"...Lady Diana?"
"No idea. Diana stayed here the whole time."
I was completely innocent. Hehe.
I neatly ignored the two pairs of rude stares directed at me.
"...Fine, that's not the important issue right now anyway."
"Well, for now, more pressing problems than those materials."
Soon enough, neither pressed further about the missing materials.
After that, I kept playing interpreter, and the two, having cleared up their misunderstandings as much as possible, headed amicably to the Elf Village.
On the way to the Elf Village, I learned from Saria about events from the elves' perspective.
Honestly, I had no idea why they'd overreacted so much to that Sanctuary.
"Kill. Big. Talk, solve good."
I added that they could've just talked it out nicely, but...
"The Mother World Tree in the Sanctuary is the pillar supporting this world, the foundation of all life—"
The fanatic elf scratched by that immediately launched into a pre-recorded auto-response spiel.
"Wow, such a pain. Diana gets it. Good. Saria, ears hurt, shut up."
"......."
Of course, I had no reason to listen to that nonsense, so I cut her off immediately.
.
....
.
It was around sunset when we finally arrived at the Elf Village. But even though it was the Elf Village...
"...Princess?"
"You're safe!"
"Safe... yes...?"
Somehow, there were more human soldiers than elves in sight. The soldiers' faces lit up at the sight of Veronica, who looked a bit gaunt but otherwise fine.
While appropriately dealing with them, we followed Saria's guidance into a massive tree at the center of the Elf Village.
"Sa, Saria...?"
"How did this—"
"A human princess, how— cough, cough. Glad you're alive."
Finally reaching the elves' meeting room with its large round table, Saria approached the elderly elves and reported on recent events.
Meanwhile, Veronica and I watched the old elves staring at us with bulging eyes, dodged the hands of elf kids who'd snuck into the meeting room to catch me, and observed the forest rangers surrounding Saria with lines like "We knew we could count on you" or "Captain's our village hero."
It was an incredibly boring time.
Later, as we stared at the whole roasted sunflowers they offered us to eat, I seriously pondered whether this was because they were hardcore vegetarians or just to mess with us.
"Everyone, good work! The expedition resumes tomorrow morning at dawn, so rest up till then!"
Suddenly, a booming voice echoed from outside into the meeting room.
Peeking out the window, I saw the search party that had gone out on reconnaissance returning, as expected.
The search party's mood was somber.
Twenty knights and five hundred soldiers, exhausted from days of grueling schedule. Amid them, a muscular old man whose face screamed "My brain is 100% muscle" was receiving a report from a welcoming soldier.
And then.
Thud.Thud.Thud.Thud.Thud.
"Wh-what?!"
"An attack?!"
BOOM—!
As if the subdued atmosphere had been a lie, the energetic muscular old man burst through the meeting room door in a panic.
"Huff... huff..."
Panting heavily, the old man's sharp eyes scanned in order:
The elderly elves, who looked distinctly uncomfortable.
"...Hmph."
Saria, turning her head away with a pout.
"...?"
Me, sitting next to Saria.
"Uncle?"
Then to the spirited, clever child.
"...Kiddo?"
.
No need for lengthy words.
Thud.Thud.Thud.Pat pat.
Without anyone leading, the two rushed out and soon embraced each other tightly.
.
Ah, she's crying.
.
Yeah. Good for them, good for them.
....
....
....
Getting sappy now?
No matter how mature, a child is still a child.
The ordeals young Veronica had faced in the Great Forest were too harsh and grueling to simply brush off as "over now."
"Hic— waaah—!"
"That's it, cry it all out till you're empty..."
The suppressed grief exploded all the more fiercely for not being released in time.
Veronica, held in Zigmund's arms, couldn't stop sobbing.
Zigmund, too, clutched the long-sought child tightly, discreetly wiping his own damp eyes.
.
There was still much left to do.
The crown prince's guard who protected Veronica to the end had been wiped out. They hadn't obtained the Awakening Herb from the elves.
Mysterious elf calling himself Rakan, stepmother Kristin, half-brother Bern, and more—
Tribulations Veronica couldn't handle alone piled up like mountains.
But there was no worry.
That night, Veronica had safely escaped the elves. She'd survived the wolves in the sunflower field.
She'd properly appeased the souls of those who died for her. She'd reunited with her uncle like this. And she'd secured Saria's promise to help obtain the Awakening Herb.
And at the center of it all...
"...There's someone I'd like to introduce you to."
"That forest ranger captain? If it's her—"
"No."
The saving light that pulled her from despair's abyss.
Her own tiny light that made her the current Veronica.
Because that light illuminated her path ahead.
Veronica could keep moving forward. She could engrave courage and resolve in her heart. She could never let go of hope's thread.
Always. Anytime.
The past week for Veronica had been a chain of pain and sorrow, but also a time of maturity and growth.
Even trampled mercilessly, flowers bloom.
Wiping overflowing tears, Veronica's face shone with radiant hope.
Smiling broadly, she turned her gaze toward where the tiny light lingered.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Huh?
"Kiddo, kiddo—?"
Shiver.
Huh, where'd she go?
Shiver shiver—.
"Ve-Veronica?"
Huh? No way, right?
"H-hey! Call the medic! Now! The kid's state is off!"
"W-wait, Captain! Calm down first—!"
Shiver shiver shiver shiver...
She has to be here, right? Yeah?
.... Wait, maybe something urgent came up?
Yeah, that must be it? Right, definitely.
She's so unpredictable, after all. If I just wait here quietly, she'll surely—
"Peo—..."
As Veronica struggled to push away the bad thoughts creeping into her mind...
"Veronica."
Saria, leaning against the wall watching, approached with a stiff expression and stood before her.
Shiver shiver, shiver shiver...
Despite no chill in the meeting room, seeing Veronica tremble excessively, Saria's lips moved for a moment before she let out a long sigh.
"...A message from Diana."
"Yes...?"
At Saria's words, starlight returned to the child's eyes.
.
Yes, just as she'd thought.
Fairies had their own circumstances. Something urgent must've forced her to leave without even contacting Veronica.
So, wait here quietly. She'd come back soon. Diana would never abandon her—
"Take care. That's what she said to pass on."
The bright Veronica instantly grasped the malice in those words.
Shiver shiver... shiver shiver shiver, shiver...
Bone-chilling cold. The icy wind blowing not from the weather, but from her heart—hateful, so hateful.
....
....
Sitting huddled and shaking solved nothing.
Veronica knew that better than anyone.
Last night against the elves' attack. Surrounded by wolves in the flower field.
Facing the mutilated guards' corpses. Hit by Saria's attack again. Sudden goblin horde encounter. Learning Bern might be involved.
Fear always dwelled within Veronica. And she knew better than anyone how to overcome it.
As long as hope existed in her heart.
Shiver... drip.
She would find the answer. As always.
'Dimension Corridor...!'
"Princess?!"
"What are you doing? Chase her now!"
Realizing a way still remained, Veronica shook off her uncle and the guards.
Shiiiik—!
And leaped over the windowsill, dashing into the forest.