Chapter 17: The Full Truth of the Incident
Caw, caw. As the sky gradually turned red, the sleek cry of a crow echoed through the forest. Had it found its target? The crow, which had been soaring through the heavens with its wings spread wide, slowly glided down and perched on a woman's arm. The woman's name was Saelli. She was the one who had pulled a girl from the riverbank just a few days ago.
The crow was larger than an ordinary child's body, making it clear at a glance that this was no ordinary creature. And the woman who let such a crow land on her arm like a pet was surely no ordinary person either.
With deft movements, she untied the knot bound to the crow's leg with a string. One arm was occupied by the crow, so she had to use only her other hand, but it was a familiar task for Saelli. Her quick fingers soon loosened the knot, and she retrieved the object within.
A beautiful stone glowing blue settled into her palm from the crow's leg.
"Caw~♬"
"Rami, I am always grateful. Thank you for your efforts today as well."
Saelli pulled a massive chunk of meat from her pocket and handed it to the crow. Fresh meat, still dripping blood, caught not long ago.
Chomp.
"Oh my."
The crow called Rami let out a pleased high-pitched cry as it seized the meat in its beak. It didn't eat it right away, suggesting it had somewhere else to take it. Flap, flap—the crow shook its wings a few times. A sign it would soon take flight.
"Then, until next time."
"~♬"
Saelli stroked its head in acknowledgment, and Rami rode the wind high into the sky, vanishing from sight.
Saelli tucked the pebble-sized stone into her pocket and stood still until the wind stirred by the crow died down. A few seconds later, the forest, which had been whipped by the fierce gust, fell silent once more.
"...Hoo."
She drew the stone from her pocket again. It was unnaturally smooth, like a polished crystal orb—not something shaped by nature. A white energy swirled around it. The eerie aura enveloping the stone resembled the energy from the earring of a man who had once schemed in greed.
A shamanism tool. An object imbued with a shaman's magic. They ranged from curses designed to kill to everyday items like fire-starters. But the bright, pure energy emanating from this stone was the opposite of the black pearl's dark curse on the princess—it signaled a different purpose entirely.
"Shall we take a look, then."
Crack.
After sending the crow on its way, she glanced around a few times, confirmed no one was nearby, and gripped the tool tightly. Fine cracks began to spiderweb across it. Whether it was designed to be fragile or her strength was simply that immense was unknown, but something crucial was about to begin.
A city encircled by towering walls appeared first. Atop its highest tower fluttered a flag shaped like white water droplets—a symbol of the Tesilia Kingdom.
"......."
The people in the recording didn't seem to notice the crow flying overhead, oblivious to being watched. They went about their daily lives in a peaceful nation, bumping shoulders amid the bustle.
Whenever the recording crow passed near people, their voices emanated from the shattered tool's remnants. It was an advanced device, capturing sound as well.
Saelli held the fully crumbled stone, ears attuned to the projection.
She watched without pause. The first stop was the market district, the kingdom's most populous area. As the crow sped through the alleys, voices boomed deafeningly.
Saelli winced briefly but soon froze, doubting her own ears at the tales that followed amid the noise.
The rumors went like this:
"Wh-what...!?"
Rumors spread everywhere, anytime. Knowing this well, Saelli tried to dismiss the absurdity and seek other intel. But the core story was consistent across all.
The disappearance of Aris Akaia, the gentle, polite girl whose smile lit up the kingdom, dubbed the "Light of the Kingdom."
The palace pinned it on Akiten Duke, but too many questions lingered. Whispers now claimed the First Princess herself was the culprit, rife throughout the markets.
This transcended mere gossip. Baseless tales fade quickly; simultaneous buzz like this carried credibility. Where there's smoke, there's fire.
Her worst fears had come true, Saelli thought.
Slide.
"...Is this truly real?"
The two-hour recording ended, her investigation complete. Saelli slowly drew a small sword from her bosom. Half-broken, it had been embedded in the child's abdomen when first found—the repeated stabbing weapon.
Its blade bore the crest of Tesilia's royal Akaia family.
Yes. The culprit was the victim's own sister.
A horrific tale. The child's body bore other wounds too. Deep arrow gashes in her calf and the back of her hand, mangled as if stirred inside.
Nausea surged; Saelli doubled over. But even forcing her fingers down her throat yielded nothing.
Drip, drip. Only scant bile fell to the dirt.
"I've sensed it from the start. And I didn't want to believe it."
She caressed the blade's cold edge. Imagining it repeatedly piercing one's gut was beyond comprehension. Especially if the perpetrator was family—one cherished.
Saelli understood the child's amnesia now. What trauma. She'd sealed the memory herself.
Without Saelli's rescue and care, the child would surely have died. A sister, failing to protect, blinded by jealousy to murder?
Rage trembled through her. Unforgivable, a betrayal of humanity.
She concluded as much.
"There are things people should do... and things they must never do...!"
She remembered. Amid life and death, vomiting blood, repeating "unnie"—thinking of her sister. Thoughtful, even at an age for tantrums, prioritizing her healer's feelings without complaint.
Forgetting her own name, wailing in loss, yet treasuring "Anna"—the name of her would-be killer. A foolish youngest princess.
Not fearing her future, but sleepless with guilt for the forgotten. A good child.
Thus, utterly unforgivable.
"You have no right."
She flung the fragments to the ground, shaking her hand as if ridding filth. Then stomped them viciously.
Crunch. They powdered with a sharp sound.
Saelli kicked the pile disdainfully, worthlessness incarnate. Powder scattered on the wind as she headed home.
Pondering what to tell the waiting child, Aris.
"How could I tell the child waiting for me... such a wretched reality...!"
The dilemma lingered.